LIVE NOW · join the stream
// guide · risk of rain 2

Acolyte guide, skills and build.

A priestess of N'kuhana: rips out enemy souls and hits both at once.

// at a glance

At a glance.

Acolyte
Health130 (+39 per level)
Base damage12 (+2.4 per level)
Armour0
Speed7 m/s
DifficultyHard
Tiernot rated yet (recent survivor)

On victory: «..and so she left, awakened to a dream of balance.»

// unlock

How to unlock Acolyte.

Challenge «A Broken Ritual»: Revive the survivor within Soulbound Threshold..

// skills

Acolyte skills.

Damage is a percentage of your normal damage: 100% is a normal hit; 300% is triple.

N'kuhana's Grace passivealways on

Cannot heal. All healing and part of the damage taken turn into recoverable health and attack speed.

N'kuhana's Favor passive alternative

Cannot heal: all healing turns into attack speed.

Blade Slice primaryleft click

150% slashes. Jump or sprint while attacking for a quick 200% strike, up to 3 times.

Bola Throw secondaryright click

You throw a bola that catches up to 5 enemies (200%, stuns); then you can pull their souls to you.

Soul Jar secondary alternative

A 150% jar that curses: the enemy loses 50% per second and releases creatures when it dies.

To get it: As Acolyte, kill 15 enemies within one transformation into the Anima Harvester (1.4% of Steam players have it).

Blade Sling utilityShift

You throw a spinning blade (200% per second); reactivate it to dash to it (300%).

Javelin utility alternative

A 400% javelin that goes through and explodes on big enemies or the ground (another 400%). Reactivate for another 300%.

To get it: As Acolyte, keep an Elder Lemurian airborne for 11 seconds (0.7% of Steam players have it).

Blade Dash utility alternative

You dash to your blade and deal 400%.

Sacrifice specialR

A 1000% hit that gives 2 conviction (and 1 more per kill). At 7, you can transform.

Dark Summons litany

You turn into a soul reaper, much stronger; it stuns as it starts.

Anima Echo litany alternative

A copy of you appears: while it lasts, your melee hits land one extra time.

To get it: As Acolyte, land a killing blow with Sacrifice on 20 different types of monsters in a single run (0.7% of Steam players have it).

// loadout

Recommended loadout.

Blade Slice+Bola Throw+Blade Sling+Sacrifice

// items

Best items for Acolyte.

Noxious Thorn

Spreads the Soul Jar haunt across a whole group.

Your hits sometimes cause bleeding; on a kill, part of the dead enemy's bad effects jump to another nearby enemy. Each extra thorn, more enemies.

Stacking: The chance stays at 10%; each copy adds one more enemy and more range.

Watch out: It shares its bleed chance with Tri-Tip Dagger.

Crowbar

It also triggers on the extracted soul.

You do 75% more damage to enemies that still have almost full health (over 90%), so your first hit lands much harder. Each extra crowbar adds another 75%.

Stacking: No cap: each crowbar adds another 75%. With two, the first hit already beats a critical hit.

Watch out: Only the hit that lands while the enemy is above 90% counts; missiles and lightning from other items do not get it. In a group, if an ally hits first, you lose it.

Voidsent Flame

Its explosion on a soul is transferred to the enemy.

Your first hit on an unhurt enemy makes it explode and hurt those nearby. Turns your Will-o'-the-wisps into this. Each extra one, a bigger blast.

Stacking: Each copy adds the same, no cap.

Watch out: Like Crowbar: in a group it is hard to land the first hit.

// tips

Tips.

// faq

FAQ.

How do you unlock Acolyte in Risk of Rain 2?

Challenge «A Broken Ritual»: Revive the survivor within Soulbound Threshold..

What is the best Acolyte loadout?

We recommend Blade Slice, Bola Throw, Blade Sling, Sacrifice.

What are the best items for Acolyte?

Noxious Thorn, Crowbar, Voidsent Flame.

// more guides

Other survivors.

Character tier list · Items · Lunar items

Sources: Risk of Rain 2 game names and challenges, the Risk of Rain 2 wiki (stats, cooldowns and tips); the explanations are our own and public Steam statistics, as of 31 October 2026. The tier is our own. Icons: Risk of Rain 2 (Hopoo Games / Gearbox).