In the original version of Cyberpunk 2077 Ninjutsu perks were included as part of their very own skill tree. However, with the 2.0 update and the release of the Phantom Liberty DLC, Ninjutsu has been turned into a single perk with four branching sub-perks, based in the center of the Cool attribute tree.
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Even with these changes, there are definitely some Ninjutsu perks Cyberpunk 2077 offers players that aren't worth picking up, and some that should be beelined as soon as Ninjutsu is fully upgraded. Crouch-sprinting is a powerful ability, and though all four Ninjutsu sub-perks empower it, some are worth picking up sooner than later.
Updated November 10, 2023 by Erik Petrovich: This list of the best Cyberpunk 2077 Ninjutsu Perks has been updated to reflect the many changes of the 2.0 update, including its nearly complete overhaul of the game's skill and perk system. To help players make the best choices, this guide to the best Ninjutsu skills Cyberpunk 2077 players can get offers new recommendations consistent with these changes, and briefly explains the branching sub-perks associated with each parent perk (if applicable).
5 Ninjutsu Parent Skill
Crouch-Sprinting: It's The Way Of The Ninja
- Attribute Requirement: Cool lvl 15
- Other Prerequisites: Fully upgraded Feline Footwork perk
Ninjutsu is the central perk in the Cool tree, and requires players to both invest heavily in the Cool tree and fully upgrade the Feline Footwork perk to access. Feline Footwork is a great Stealth-oriented perk that offers buffs to crouched gameplay, so it's worth picking up for Ninjutsu-oriented builds anyway.
The Ninjutsu perk has three ranks: at rank 1, V runs 15% faster when crouched. At rank 2, players gain 15% Mitigation Chance while crouched, which is the chance for incoming damage to be reduced. At rank 3, players unlock the crouch-sprinting ability, which consumes stamina but lets players move quickly, and silently.
If players aim for this perk from the start of the game, it's possible to pick up before reaching level 10, provided Cool is V's primary stat on character creation.
4 Shinobi Sprint
Lowered Stamina Cost, But Only While Already In Combat
- Prerequisites: Ninjutsu parent skill
Shinobi Sprint is one of the four sub-perks of the Ninjutsu tree, and arguably the least useful. This perk simply reduces the Stamina cost of crouch-sprinting while in combat by 75%. Typically, Stealth-oriented builds will get the most bang for their buck with the Ninjutsu perk and its sub-perks, but Shinobi Sprint doesn't quite fit into that playstyle.
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Ninjutsu crouch-sprinting is silent, and serves players best when used out of combat to get past enemies quickly or jump from hiding spot to hiding spot. Once combat has been triggered, either by being seen or traced, enemies tend to find out V's location very quickly, and it tends not to matter if players find a new hiding spot as they'll usually catch up. Additionally, Stamina already recovers very quickly in Cyberpunk 2077, and this reduction isn't as impactful as other sub-perks in the Ninjutsu tree.
3 Creeping Death
Optical Camo Grants HP, Stamina, and Speed Buffs
- Prerequisites: Ninjutsu parent skill
Optical Camo is a Cyberware ability that Stealth and Ninjutsu builds rely on to remain hidden in heavily populated enemy areas. The Creeping Death perk enhances Optical Camo, and undetected players, with a buff that activated upon killing enemies.
The Creeping Death perk grants 15% HP, 15% Stamina, and 10% movement speed after killing an enemy while either undetected or under the effects of Optical Camo. This buff only lasts for six seconds, and is relatively small, but still serves as a nice buffer against being overwhelmed after entering combat from stealth.
2 Serpentine
Higher Chance To Reduce Damage While Crouch-Sprinting
- Prerequisites: Ninjutsu parent skill
Mitigation Chance is really useful in stealth builds as it gives the playstyle defensive options in the middle of combat. There are a few sub-perks from the Feline Footwork perk that increase Mitigation Chance while crouched, while the Serpentine skill adds another buff on top of that when crouch-sprinting.
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With Serpentine unlocked, players will gain a 30% increase to Mitigation Chance while crouch-sprinting. Though it's usually best to stay hidden as long as possible, crouch-sprinting in combat is sometimes the only way to remain behind cover and not take too much damage while getting to a better vantage point. Though not too complex, Serpentine is still one of the most useful perks in the Ninjutsu perk tree for this defensive boost.
1 Vanishing Act
Gradual Optical Camo Use While Crouch-Sprinting
- Prerequisites: Fully upgraded Ninjutsu parent skill and Creeping Death sub-perk
The best Ninjutsu perk is the only one that has a pre-requisite sub-perk – it requires players to fully upgrade the Ninjutsu skill, of course, but also requires players to pick up the Creeping Death sub-perk first. For this investment, players are given the passive ability to apply Optical Camo while crouch-sprinting.
This style of Optical Camo is a bit different than just enabling it before crouch-sprinting, though. When it automatically activates, Optical Camo will only remain active as long as the player continues to crouch-sprint, and de-activate when they stop. It won't be entirely consumed this way, and will recharge faster, as it doesn't have to start from 0.
Cyberpunk 2077
- Released
- December 10, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
