How will you defend Gotham Knights?
In Gotham Knights, players can choose from any of the four Bat Kids: Nightwing, Robin, Batgirl, and the Red Hood. Early in the game’s story you’ll also be able to switch characters every time you visit the Belfry, and it’s exciting to test out each hero during a night patrol. Every hero has their own unique skillsets and abilities, so check out the full skill trees in Gotham Knights to get a feel for your character’s build.
Every Hero’s Skill Tree and Builds in Gotham Knights
Every hero begins with three Skill Trees to build out in Gotham Knights. You will gain 1 AP for every level gained, and you’ll spend AP on new abilities. Eventually players will earn a fourth skill tree—the Knighthood Skill Tree—which requires completing 10 Premeditated Crimes per character. It’s a grind, but unlocking Knighthood includes perks that you won’t want to miss out on.
Even better, leveling transfers across every character in Gotham Knights. If you prioritize Batgirl for a large portion of the game, you will still be able to switch and build out Robin, Nightwing, and Red Hood on the fly.
Nightwing’s Skill Trees
Playing as Nightwing is all about making use of his mobility and one of the best things about Nightwing is his ability to leap large distances toward criminals. On his own, Nightwing can evade swings easily, which is enhanced by the Evade Chain ability that knocks all enemies down when you nail Perfect Evades. As a team, however, Nightwing’s Family Ties ability boosts his overall defense while enhancing his team member’s strongest attributes.
Raptor Skill Tree:
- Perfect Evade: Nightwing performs a perfectly-timed evade that generates Momentum and allows for a Perfect Attack follow-up.
- Critical Expertise: ncreases Nightwing’s Critical damage by 20%.
- Trampoline: Nightwing’s Pounce Ability is automatically followed by a high jump on the enemy. This Ability cannot be used if Nightwing is under a low ceiling.
- Assassin’s Mark: Marks an enemy, increasing Nightwing and his allies’ damage to the foe by 10%. Hold Down on D-Pad + Hold Triangle / Y while aiming at an enemy.
- Precise Strikes: Increases Nightwing’s chance of landing a Critical hit by 10%/
- Aerial Bounce: Nightwing bounces off an enemy following an aerial attack to propel himself back into the air. Can be used up to 3 times in succession.
- Critical Distance: Hitting an enemy with a Melee Attack from a large distance increases the Critical chance and Critical damage by 15%.
Acrobat Skill Tree:
- Aerial Damage+: Increases Nightwing’s aerial attack damage by 20%.
- Extra Movement Bar: Grants Nightwing an extra Momentum bar.
- Momentum Gain+: Increases Nightwing’s Momentum gain by 15%.
- Evade Chain: Nightwing chains evades by performing a quick succession of back jumps. Hold O / B
- Haly’s Favorite: Completing an Evade Chain knocks down all nearby enemies.
- Evade Chain Momentum: Performing an evade chain during combat restores a portion of Nightwing’s Momentum.
- Mind and Body: Using Momentum Abilities restores a portion of Nightwing’s health.
Pack Leader:
- Family Ties: Increases Nightwing’s defense and resistance by 10%. Working with allies also grants him additional bonuses:
- Batgirl: Melee damage +15%
- Red Hood: Ranged damage +15%
- Robin: Stealth damage +15%
- Health Bolstered Defense: When Nightwing’s health is at least +70%, he gets a +5% Defense bonus scaling up to +20% at full health.
- Momentum Regen: Nightwing’s Momentum regenerates over time. Regeneration stops after filling 1 Momentum segment. Gaining any Momentum activates regeneration again. Working with allies increases regeneration speed.
- Shared Skill: Passive Skills increasing Damage, Critical chance, Defense, Momentum regeneration, and Ultimate cooldown are shared with allies at 50% of their value.
- Elemental Smart Darts: Nightwing’s darts inflict Elemental Effect build up on enemies or heal allies over time.
- Elemental Smart Darts+: Nightwing’s darts also reduce enemies’ defense by 10% and increase damage inflicted by allies by 5% for 10 seconds.
- Revive Darts: Nightwing’s darts can be used to instantly revive an ally from afar. Maximum 1 per night.
Knighthood:
Batgirl: Melee damage +15%
Red Hood: Ranged damage +15%
Robin: Stealth damage +15%
Flying Trapeze: Nightwing uses his Flying Trapeze to glide through the air. He can also rebound off of walls to gain altitude and speed. Hold R2 while airborne to use Flying Trapeze.
Triple Darts: Nightwing shoots 3 darts at once instead of 1.
Strike Distance+: Nightwing’s Melee Attacks can strike enemies from farther away.
Defeating an enemy reduces Nest ability cooldown by 15%
Combat Expertise: Increases the number of attacks in Nightwing’s Melee combo by 1. The last hit is a knockdown.
Nest Buffs+: Nest damage is increased by 150%, and the healing effect is increased by 100%.
Robin’s Skill Trees
Robin’s kit is centered around stealth and speed. With his decoy ability, Robin can handle himself in a fight against many enemies. If you choose the stealth approach with Robin, then the Shadow Skill Tree should be prioritized. Two of the most helpful abilities—across all characters—appear in this skill tree. The Light Footed ability allows you to move around undetected better than any character, while the Turnabout Takedown ability allows you to perform a Silent or Ambush Takedown on large enemies.
Slugger:
- Perfect Evade: Robin performs a perfectly-timed evade that generates Momentum and allows for a Perfect Attack follow-up.
- Critical Expertise: Increases Robin’s Critical damage by 20%.
- Elemental Decoy: When attacked, Robin’s decoy inflicts a large amount of Elemental Effect damage on the attacking enemy.
- Back Damage+: Robin deals 20% more damage when attacking enemies from behind.
- Precise Strikes: Increases Robin’s chance of landing a Critical hit by 10%.
- Exploding Decoy: Robin’s decoy explodes, leaving behind Elemental residue that deals Elemental Effect damage to any enemy that walks into it.
- Elemental Focus: Robin’s Critical damage and chance of lending a Critical hit increase by 20% on targets with an active Elemental Effect.
Shadow:
- Light Footed: Robin produces no sound while running and moves faster while crouched (does not apply while sprinting).
- Stealth Damage+: Robin’s damage is increased while undetected:
- Melee and Ranged Attacks +10%
- Takedowns and Stealth Strike +20%
- Turnabout Takedown: Robin can perform Takedowns and Stealth Strikes on large enemies.
- Vantage Hanging Takedown: Robin can perform a special takedown that suspends enemies from a vantage point. While perched on a vantage point, Tap Square / X when an enemy is below Robin.
- Reduced Visual Stim: Robin is harder to spot and enemies take longer to notice him.
- Vantage Hanging Takedown Mine: Performing a Vantage Hanging Takedown also drops a proximity mine that lures enemies.
- Shadow Renewal: Successful takedowns restore 25% of Robin’s health.
Tinkering:
Melee and Ranged Attacks +10%
Takedowns and Stealth Strike +20%
Elemental Charge: Elemental Effect build up inflicted by Robin is increased 25% faster.
Sticky Pellet: In Precision Aim, Robin’s pellet can stick to surfaces, creating a temporary mine. Placing a second mine deactivates the first one.
Sticky Pellets x3: Robin can place up to 3 sticky pellets at once.
Enhanced Sticky Pellets: Sticky pellets inflict 33% more damage and last up to 10 seconds.
Elemental Resistance: Robin’s Elemental Effect resistance increases by 40%.
Elemental Burst: When Robin deals Elemental Damage, he gains a 5% chance of dealing additional Elemental Damage in an area. Elemental Burst also reduces enemies’ Elemental Effect resistance by 50% for 10 seconds.
Enhanced Elemental Effects: Elemental Effects inflicted by Robin last twice as long.
Slideways: Robin activates and enters a temporary portal, which he can use to relocate to a new position. Hold R2 while airborne.
Stealth Takedown+: Performing a Takedown increases Robin’s damage, Critical chance, Defense and Elemental Effect build up for 15 seconds.
Aerial Attack Smoke: Roin’s aerial attacks are followed by a small cloud of smoke, allowing him to re-enter stealth.
Microbots Cooldown Reduction: Robin’s Microbots Ability cooldown is reduced by 20%, allowing Robin to call them more often.
Combat Expertise: Increases the number of attacks in Robin’s Melee and Ranged combos by 1. The last Melee hit is a knockdown.
Slideways Takedown: Robin opens a small portal and pulls an enemy through it to perform a takedown (not applicable on bosses). In AR Mode, Hold Triangle / Y while aiming at an enemy. Must be in stealth and in an unobstructed space.
Microbot Target+: Robin improved the particle accelerator in the microbots’ core engine. He can now call 5 microbots instead of 3.
Batgirl’s Skill Trees
Batgirl perhaps has one of the most well-rounded kits out of all the heroes in Gotham Knights. With the Health Packs+ ability, Batgirl serves as the healer of the group and she can even revive herself with the Second Wind abilities. Batgirl can also handle herself just fine with many abilities suited against heavy enemies, like the Elite Beatdown perk. During missions, though, Batgirl’s skill trees absolutely own with stealth—her Remote Hacking abilities allow you to disable cameras and turrets, so you won’t need to sneak your way around the room toward the control panel.
Justice:
- Perfect Evade: Batgirl performs a perfectly-timed evade that generates Momentum and allows for a Perfect Attack follow-up.
- Critical Expertise: Increases Batgirl’s Critical damage by 20%.
- Elite Beatdown: Beatdown can’t be interrupted by most enemy attacks. Batgirl’s defense increases by 20% while using the Ability.
- Heavyweight: Increases Batgirl’s Heavy Melee Attack damage by 10% and stun Elemental Effect buildup by 20%.
- Precise Strikes: Increases Batgirl’s chance of landing a Critical hit by 10%.
- Piercing Beatdown: This upgraded version of Beatdown can interrupt enemies’ Armored Attacks.
- Critical Focus: Increases Batgirl’s chance of landing a Critical hit by 10%. Increases Critical damage by 10%.
Grit:
- HP+: Increases Batgirl’s base health by 40%. Does not apply to bonus health provided by gear.
- Enemy Counter Focus: Batgirl receives a 75% defense bonus when hit by an enemy counter-attack.
- Unflinching Heavy Strike: Most enemy attack can’t interrupt Btgirl’s Heavy Melee Attacks.
- Second Wind: Batgirl can revive herself once after her health is depleted. Restores 50% health.
- Second Wind+: Second Wind also grants Batgirl a full Momentum segment and a 10% increased chance of landing a Critical hit for 15 seconds.
- Vigilante Resolve: Batgirl can now use Second Wind twice.
- Sense of Victory: Batgirl regains 4% health upon defeating an enemy or 8% health upon defeating an enemy with a Grab Strike or a Takedown.
Oracle:
Remote Hacking: Using AR mode, Batgirl can disable certain devices, like cameras, turrets, mines, electronic panels and laser control modules. In AR mode, Tap Triangle / Y while aiming at a hacable electronic device.
Shocking Devices: Batgirl can overcharge an enemy’s gun and/or device, instantly applying a Bioelectric Elemental Effect to the enemy (must wait after cooldown to re-use). While using AR, Tap Triangle / Y while aiming at an enemy using a gun or electronic device.
Digital Ghost: Electronic devices, such as sensors and cameras, cannot detect Batgirl.
Gear Overclocking: Batgirl overclocks her abilities to deal 10% extra damage. She can also hack her allies’ abilities to give them a 15% damage bonus for 20 seconds. In AR mode, Hold Triangle Y while aiming at an ally.
Hacking Overload: Batgirl’s Hacking changes the function of security systems and makes electrical panels explode.
Super Health Packs: Health Packs provide an extra 20% health and grant a 50% Defense increase for 10 seconds.
Health Packs+: Health Pack efficiency increases by 20%. Health Packs now also effect allies to Batgirl.
Glide: Batgirl uses her cape to glide through the air. She can adjust her pose to turn and gain or reduce her glide speed. Hold R2 while airborne to glide.
Grapple Pull: Batgirl uses her grapple to pull an enemy towards her. When used on a large enemy, Batgirl pulls herself toward the enemy. Tap R2.
Fear Takedown: Ambush Takedown inflicts Fear in nearby enemies. Critical damage and Critical chance increases by 15% for 10 seconds.
Health Regen+: When outside of combat, Batgirl’s health automatically regenerates up to 40%.
Enhanced Combo: Increases the number of attacks in Batgirl’s Melee and Ranged Attack combo by 1. The last Melee hit is a knockdown.
Drone Firepower: Increases firing rate of Batgirl’s drone.
Drone Ambush Blast: Once per summon, Batgirl’s drone unleashes a large burst of damage on all nearby enemies.
Red Hood’s Skill Trees
Red Hood’s skill trees make him the Tank of Gotham Knights. He can grab large enemies with the Large Grab ability and can grab enemies uninterrupted with the Iron Grip ability. In our experience, it’s practically useless to even use the grab mechanic on any other character since you’re always at risk of taking damage. Most of his abilities are centered around range. Although his pistols are no doubt deadly, we suggest prioritizing the Brawler skill tree if you’re playing single-player and want to focus on melee.
Marksman:
- Perfect Evade: Red Hood performs a perfectly-timed evade that generates Momentum and allows for a Perfect Attack follow-up.
- Critical Expertise: Increases Red Hood’s Critical damage by 20%.
- Focused Fire: Red Hood can aim longer at a target to deal 4x more damage.
- Lucky Rounds: Every round Red Hood shoots has a small chance to deal 5x the damage. Only applies to Ranged Attacks and Precision Aim.
- Precise Strikes: Increases the Red Hood’s chance of landing a Critical hit by 10%.
- Focused Fire+: Aiming time of Focused Fire is reduced by 50%.
- Quickfire Expert: The Critical chance and Critical damage of Red Hood’s Ranged Attack combo is increased by 15%.
Brawler:
- Human Bomb: When Red Hood throws an enemy, he attaches a concussion mine to them that explodes when shot. Press Triangle / Y to shoot the mine.
- Large Grab: Red Hood can perform grab moves on large enemies.
- Extended Grab Window: Enemies can now be grabbed at 50% health or less.
- Human Bomb Enhanced: Increases damage and radius of the concussion mine explosion.
- Grip Expertise: Increases Red Hood’s damage when performing a grab move by 10%.
- Iron Grip: Grabbing an enemy prevents Red Hood from being interrupted by most attacks.
- Human Bomb Multiplied: Detonating the concussion mine deploys 6 additional concussion proximity mines on the ground.
Vengeance:
Coup De Grace: Red Hood inflicts 10% more damage on enemies with 30% health or less.
Freak Justice: Increases Red Hood’s damage by 15% and Critical damage by 5% when fighting Freaks.
Regulator Justice: Increases Red Hood’s damage by 15% and Critical damage by 5% when fighting the Regulators.
Mob Justice: Increases Red Hood’s damage by 15% and Critical damage by 5% when fighting the Mob.
Combined Fire: Red Hood and his allies inflict increased damage when focused on a single target. Only applies to Ranged Attack combos and Precision Aim.
Unrestricted Fire: After using Two-Fisted Reload, Red Hood can shoot unlimited rounds for a short period of time.
Doble Vortex: After using Two-Fisted Reload, Red Hood shoots double the number of rounds for a short period of time.
Mystical Leap: Red Hood traverses through the air using spirit platforms. Hold R2 while airborne.
Ranged Terror: Every shot that knocks out a target inflicts Fear in nearby enemies.
Weak Spot Damage+: Increases headshot and weak spot by damage by 15%.
Grab Dread: Grabbing a target inflicts Fear in nearby enemies.
Combat Mastery: Increases the number of attacks in Red Hood’s Ranged Attack combo by 1. The last hit is a knockdown.
Ducra’s Training: Mystical Rounds requires 50% less time to lock on targets.
Shadow Vengeance: Mystical Rounds shoots 2 rounds instead of 1.
Gotham Knights is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
More on Attack of the Fanboy :
Attack of the Fanboy / GAME GUIDES / All Skill Trees for Every Character in Gotham Knights