Skill Trees – Gotham Knights

Each of the 4 playable characters starts the game with access to 3 unique Skill Trees. These are primarily made up of ability and stat upgrades, but also serve as an opportunity to specialize your character. Skills in these trees can make your character stronger, tougher, or faster, or can modify and improve Momentum Abilities. Later in the game, players will be able to unlock the Knighthood Tree, which functions similarly but offers significantly more powerful skills.

Read on to learn more about how Skills work, or scroll down/use the Contents button to see the Skill Trees for each playable character!

Unlocking Skills in the Skill Tree

Completing missions, dealing with crimes, completing challenges, investigating mysteries, and defeating enemies will all grant you XP. (Not everything in the game will grant you XP: for example, attacking the City Police (GCPD) will not grant you rewards or experience.)

Once you gain enough points to level, you will earn Ability Points to spend in any of your Skill Trees. These abilities do not have levels, but they will cost a different amount of Ability Points and require that you unlock prerequisite skills. Navigate to the Skills tab on Batcomputer to view and unlock your Skills.

A note on switching characters: Your XP progress is shared between the four characters. If you decide to switch at any point in the game, you will have access to the same number of Ability Points that you have earned on your most played character.

How to Respec

Unfortunately, you can’t reset your Skill Tree points in the game. You should definitely give each skill you are about to purchase a thought. Our guide should help you plan ahead.

Of course, you still have New Game + to look forward to, with additional 10 levels to help you further progress in your Skill Trees.

For now, if you aren’t happy with the build you are playing, and would rather just have more points to unlock better skills — switch to a different character! The XP progress is shared, so by the time you come back to the character you switched from, you will have some Ability Points you can invest into new Skills to get you past the bump.

Knighthood Skill Trees

Aside from the 3 Skill Trees, each of the characters has a Knighthood Skill Tree, which will become available to unlock for all your characters as part of the game’s main story. A lot of Knighthood Skill Tree upgrades affect your Ultimate Momentum ability, while others serve as final upgrades for your character’s primary strengths.


batgirl gk character summaries 22Batgirl Skill Trees

Batgirl’s skill trees are diverse, with Justice making her one-on-one combat skills stronger, Grit making her tougher, and Oracle adding a multitude of useful passive effects.

This tree lets Batgirl deal significantly more damage to opponents, and improves her ability to Stun and interrupt foes.

AP CostIconAbilityRequirement(s)Description
n/aperfect evadePerfect EvadeNoneBatgirl performs a perfectly-timed evade that generates Momentum and allows for a perfect attack follow-up.
1critical expertiseCritical ExpertisePerfect EvadeIncreases Batgirl’s Critical damage by 20%.
2heavyweightHeavyweightPerfect EvadeIncreases Batgirl’s Heavy Melee Attack damage by 10% and stun Elemental Effect buildup by 20%.
1elite beatdownElite BeatdownPerfect EvadeBeatdown can’t be interrupted by most enemy attacks. Batgirl’s defense increases by 20% while using the Ability.
2precise strikesPrecise StrikesCritical ExpertiseIncreases Batgirl’s chance of landing a critical hit by 10%.
2piercing beatdownPiercing BeatdownElite BeatdownThis upgraded version of Beatdown can interrupt enemies’ Armored Attacks.
3critical focusCritical FocusPiercing Beatdown or Precise StrikesIncreases Batgirl’s chance of landing a Critical hit by 10%. Increases Critical damage by 10%.

This is the tree to use if you find yourself dying a lot — Grit skills add health and defensive bonuses, allow Batgirl to revive, and let her heal when defeating an enemy.

AP CostIconAbilityRequirement(s)Description
1hp +HP +NoneIncreases Batgirl’s base health by 40%. Does not apply to bonus health provided by gear.
1enemy counter focusEnemy Counter FocusHP +Batgirl receives a 75% defense bonus when hit by an enemy counter-attack.
1unflinching heavy strikeUnflinching Heavy StrikeHP +Most enemy attacks can’t interrupt Batgirl’s Heavy Melee Attacks.
3second windSecond WindEnemy Counter Focus or Unflinching Heavy StrikeBatgirl can revive herself once after her health is depleted. Restores 50% health.
2second wind +Second Wind +Second WindSecond Wind also grants Batgirl a full Momentum segment and 10% increased chance of landing a Critical hit for 15 seconds.
2vigilante resolveVigilante ResolveSecond WindBatgirl can now use Second Wind twice.
2sense of victorySense of VictorySecond Wind + or Vigilante ResolveBatgirl regains 4% health upon defeating an enemy or 8% health upon defeating an enemy with a Grab Strike or a Takedown.

The skills in this tree vary wildly in function: some let Batgirl disable electronics or even overload enemy weapons, or prevent Batgirl from being seen by cameras. Hacking Overload makes Batgirl’s abilities do more damage, while Super Health Packs make healing items provide more health and an extra temporary defensive boost.

AP CostIconAbilityRequirement(s)Description
1remote hackingRemote HackingNoneUsing AR Mode, Batgirl can disable certain devices, like cameras, turrets, mines, electronic panels, and laser control modules.
1shocking devicesShocking DevicesRemote HackingBatgirl 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).
2digital ghostDigital GhostShocking DevicesElectronic devices, such as sensors and cameras, cannot detect Batgirl.
2gear overclockingGear OverclockingShocking DevicesBatgirl 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.
2hacking overloadHacking OverloadDigital Ghost or Gear OverclockingBatgirl’s Hacking changes the function of security systems and makes electrical panels explode.
2super health packsSuper Health PacksHacking OverloadHealth Packs provide an extra 20% health and grant a 50% Defense increase for 10 seconds.
2health packs +Health Packs +Hacking OverloadHealth Pack efficiency increases by 20%. Health Packs now also affect allies close to Batgirl.

Batgirl’s Knighthood tree adds a number of quality-of-life improvements, like letting her use her grapple in combat and improving her out-of-combat health regeneration. It also buffs her drone’s damage, and improves Batgirl’s ranged and melee combos. Naturally, this tree comes with a Heroic Traversal, the ability to Glide using Batgirl’s cape.

AP CostIconAbilityDescription
n/aglideGlideBatgirl uses her cape to glide through the air. She can adjust her pose to turn and gain or reduce her glide speed.
1grapple pullGrapple PullBatgirl uses her grapple to pull an enemy towards her. When used of a large enemy, Batgirl pulls herself toward the enemy.
1fear takedownFear TakedownAmbush Takedown inflicts Fear in nearby enemies. Critical damage and Critical chance increase by 15% for 10 seconds.
1health regen +Health Regen +When outside of combat, Batgirl’s health automatically regenerates up to 40%.
2enhanced comboEnhanced ComboIncreases the number of attacks in Batgirl’s Melee and Ranged Attack combo by 1. The last Melee hit is a knockdown.
3drone firepowerDrone FirepowerIncreases firing rate of Batgirl’s drone.
3drone ambush blastDrone Ambush BlastOnce per summon, Batgirl’s drone unleashes a large burst of damage on all nearby enemies.

nightwing gk character summariesNightwing Skill Trees

Nightwing is an acrobatic character, and the Raptor and Acrobat skill trees lean into that archetype. The Pack Leader tree has skills that improve Nightwing’s Co-Op strength, allowing him to share bonuses with his allies.

The Raptor tree is all about Nightwing’s deadly strikes: it’s filled with boosts to his critical chance and damage, and upgrades to his Pounce Ability.

AP CostIconAbilityRequirement(s)Description
n/aperfect evadePerfect EvadeNoneNightwing performs a perfectly-timed evade that generates Momentum and allows for a perfect attack follow-up.
1critical expertiseCritical ExpertisePerfect EvadeIncreases Nighwing’s Critical damage by 20%.
2assassins markAssassin’s MarkPerfect EvadeMarks an enemy, increasing Nightwing and his allies’ damage to the foe by 10%. Hold the prompt while aiming at an enemy.
1trampolineTrampolinePerfect EvadeNightwing’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.
2precise strikesPrecise StrikesCritical ExpertiseIncreases Nightwing’s chance of landing a critical hit by 10%.
2aerial bounceAerial BounceTrampolineNightwing bounces off an enemy following an aerial attack to propel himself back into the air. Can be used up to 3 times in succession.
3critical distanceCritical DistanceAerial Bounce or Precise StrikesHitting an enemy with a Melee Attack from a large distance increases the Critical chance and Critical Damage by 15%.

The Acrobat Tree boosts Nightwing’s sustain (momentum and, later, health), as well as his mobility skills around the battlefield, rewarding him for evading attacks.

AP CostIconAbilityRequirement(s)Description
1aerial damage +Aerial Damage +NoneIncreases Nightwing’s aerial attack damage by 20%.
1extra momentum barExtra Momentum BarAerial Damage +Grants Nightwing an extra Momentum bar.
1momentum gain +Momentum Gain +Aerial Damage +Increases Nightwing’s Momentum gain by 15%.
3evade chainEvade ChainExtra Momentum Bar or Momentum Gain +Nightwing chain evades by performing a quick succession of back jumps.
2halys favoriteHaly’s FavoriteEvade ChainCompleting an Evade Chain knocks down all nearby enemies.
2evade chain momentumEvade Chain MomentumEvade ChainPerforming an evade chain during combat restores a portion of Nightwing’s Momentum.
2mind and bodyMind and BodyHaly’s Favorite or Evade Chain MomentumUsing Momentum Abilities restores a portion of Nightwing’s Health.

The Pack Leader tree is fantastic for co-op play. Not only do Nightwing and his allies benefit from higher damage and faster regeneration, but Nightwing himself becomes much harder to take down, and can even instantly revive an ally from a distance with enough points invested.

AP CostIconAbilityRequirement(s)Description
1family tiesFamily TiesNoneIncreases 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%.
1health bolstered defenseHealth Bolstered DefenseFamily TiesWhen Nightwing’s Health is at least 70% or more, he gets a +5% Defense bonus scaling up to 20% when at full health.
2momentum regenMomentum RegenHealth Bolstered DefenseNightwing’s Momentum regenerates over time. Regeneration stops after filling 1 Momentum segment. Gaining any Momentum activates regeneration again. Working with allies increases regeneration speed.
2shared skillShared SkillHealth Bolstered DefensePassive Skills increasing Damage, Critical Chance, Defense, Momentum Regeneration, and Ultimate Cooldown are shared with allies at 50% of their value.
2elemental smart dartsElemental Smart DartsMomentum Regen or Shared SkillNightwing’s darts inflict Elemental Effect build up on enemies or heal allies over time.
2elemental smart darts +Elemental Smart Darts +Elemental Smart DartsNightwing’s darts also reduce enemies’ defense by 10% and increase damage inflicted by allies by 5% for 10 seconds.
2revive dartsRevive DartsElemental Smart DartsNightwing’s darts can be used to instantly revive an ally from afar. Maximum 1 use per night.

Nightwing’s Knighthood Tree boosts his Nest Ability, his darts, melee attack distance, and gives him an additional attack for the Melee combo. When this tree becomes available, so does the Flying Trapeze, a glider which regains speed when Nightwing bounces from walls.

AP CostIconAbilityDescription
n/aflying trapezeFlying TrapezeNightwing uses his Flying Trapeze to glide through the air. He can also rebound off of walls to gain altitude and speed.
1triple dartsTriple DartsNightwing shoots 3 darts at once instead of 1.
1strike distance +Strike Distance +Nightwing’s Melee Attacks can strike enemies from farther away.
1guardianGuardianDefeating an enemy reduces Nest Ability cooldown by 15%.
2combat expertiseCombat ExpertiseIncreases the number of attacks in Nightwing’s Melee combo by 1. The last hit is a knockdown.
3nest buffs +Nest Buffs +Nest damage is increased by 150%, and the healing effect is increased by 100%.
3bigger nestBigger NestIncreases the size of Nightwing’s Nest.

red hood gk character summariesRed Hood Skill Trees

Red Hood’s skill trees are all relatively similar, in that they’re mainly focused on dealing more damage — the Marksman tree buffs ranged damage, the Brawler tree improves his grappling, and Vengeance adds general DPS.

This tree focuses on ranged damage output per second, speeding up your attacks, boosting your critical attacks, or rewarding longer aim time with increased damage.

AP CostIconAbilityRequirement(s)Description
n/aevadePerfect EvadeNoneRed Hood performs a perfectly-timed evade that generates Momentum and allows for a Perfect Attack follow-up.
1focused fireFocused FirePerfect EvadeRed Hood can aim longer at a target to deal 4x more damage.
2lucky roundsLucky RoundsPerfect EvadeEvery round Red Hood shoots has a small chance to deal 5x the damage. Only applies to Ranged Attacks and Precision Aim.
1critical expertiseCritical ExpertisePerfect EvadeIncreases Red Hood’s critical damage by 20%.
2precise strikesPrecise StrikesCritical ExpertiseIncreases Red Hood’s chance of landing a critical hit by 10%.
2focused fire +Focused Fire +Focused FireAiming time of Focused Fire is reduced by 50%.
3quickfire expertQuickfire ExpertFocused Fire + or Precise StrikesThe critical chance and critical damage of Red Hood’s Range Attack combo is increased by 15%.

This tree boosts Red Hood’s melee capabilities, with a particular emphasis on grappling. This skills below improve his grab ability as well as their damage.

AP CostIconAbilityRequirement(s)Description
3human bombHuman BombNoneWhen Red Hood throws an enemy, he attaches a concussion mine to them that explodes when shot.
1large grabLarge GrabHuman BombRed Hood can perform grab moves on large enemies.
1extended grab windowExtended Grab WindowHuman BombEnemies can now be grabbed at 50% health or less.
2human bomb enhancedHuman Bomb EnhancedLarge Grab or Extended Grab WindowIncreases damage and radius of the concussion mine explosion.
1grip expertiseGrip ExpertiseHuman Bomb EnhancedIncreases Red Hood’s damage when performing a grab move by 10%.
2iron gripIron GripHuman Bomb EnhancedGrabbing an enemy prevents Red Hood from being interrupted by most attacks.
2human bomb multipliedHuman Bomb MultipliedGrip Expertise or Iron GripDetonating the concussion mine deploys 6 additional concussion proximity mines on the ground.

A strictly DPS tree, with some skills focused on doing damage to a specific type of enemy. Notably, Combined Fire lets Red Hood do more damage when aiming at the same foe as an ally.

AP CostIconAbilityRequirement(s)Description
1coup de graceCoup De GraceNoneRed Hood inflicts 10% more damage on enemies with 30% health or less.
1freak justiceFreak JusticeCoup De GraceIncreases Red Hood’s damage by 15% and critical damage by 5% when fighting Freaks.
2regulator justiceRegulator JusticeFreak JusticeIncreases Red Hood’s damage by 15% and critical damage by 5% when fighting the Regulators.
2mob justiceMob JusticeFreak JusticeIncreases Red Hood’s damage by 15% and critical damage by 5% when fighting the Mob.
2combined fireCombined FireRegulator Justice or Mob JusticeRed Hood and his allies inflict increased damage when focused on a single target. Only applies to Ranged Attack combos and precision aim.
2unrestricted fireUnrestricted FireCombined FireAfter using Two-Fisted Reload, Red Hood can shoot unlimited rounds for a short period of time.
2double vortexDouble VortexCombined FireAfter using Two-Fisted Reload, Red Hood shoots double the number of rounds for a short period of time.

Red Hood’s Knighthood tree adds some crowd-control to his kit, causing both his grabs and his knock-out ranged attacks to inflict Fear in nearby enemies. It also adds some oomph to his headshots and weak spot targeting, and improves his ranged attack combo and his Ultimate Momentum Ability. With this tree comes the Heroic Traversal Mystical Leap, which allow Red Hood to use Spirit Platforms to leap through the air.

AP CostIconAbilityDescription
n/amystical leapMystical LeapRed Hood traverses through the air using spirit platforms.
1ranged terrorRanged TerrorEvery shot that knocks out a target inflicts Fear in nearby enemies.
2weak spot damage+Weak Spot Damage +Increases headshot and weak spot damage by 15%.
1grab dreadGrab DreadGrabbing a target inflicts Fear in nearby enemies.
2combat masteryCombat MasteryIncreases the number of attacks in Red Hood’s Ranged Attack combo by 1. The last hit is a knockdown.
2ducra's trainingDucra’s TrainingMystical Rounds requires 50% less time to lock on targets.
3shadow vengeanceShadow VengeanceMystical Rounds shoots 2 rounds instead of 1.

robin gk character summariesRobin Skill Trees

Robin’s skill trees are all very different, with Slugger boosting damage, Shadow improving stealth tactics, and Tinkering buffing Robin’s elemental and Pellet attacks.

This tree significantly increases Robin’s damage — especially when attacking enemies from behind — and also contains improvements to his decoy that allow it to reflect damage and/or explode.

AP CostIconAbilityRequirement(s)Description
n/aperfect evadePerfect EvadeNoneRobin performs a perfectly-timed evade that generates Momentum and allows for a perfect attack follow-up.
1critical expertiseCritical ExpertisePerfect EvadeIncreases Robin’s Critical damage by 20%.
2back damage +Back Damage PlusPerfect EvadeRobin deals 20% more damage when attacking enemies from behind.
1elemental decoyElemental DecoyPerfect EvadeWhen attacked, Robin’s decoy inflicts a large amount of Elemental Effect damage on the attacking enemy.
2precise strikesPrecise StrikesCritical ExpertiseIncreases Robin’s chance of landing a critical hit by 10%.
2exploding decoyExploding DecoyElemental DecoyRobin’s decoy explodes, leaving behind Elemental residue that deals Elemental Effect damage to any enemy that walks into it.
3elemental focusElemental FocusExploding Decoy or Precise StrikesRobin’s Critical damage and chance of landing a Critical Hit increase by 20% on targets with an active Elemental Effect.

This stealth-focused tree lets Robin move unheard and unseen. It also adds some unique takedowns, and allows Robin to heal significantly from sucessful takedowns.

AP CostIconAbilityRequirement(s)Description
1light footedLight FootedNoneRobins produces no sound while running and moves faster while crouched. (Does not apply to while sprinting.)
1stealth damage +Stealth Damage +Light FootedRobin’s damage is increased while undetected. Melee and Ranged attacks by +10%. Takedowns and Stealth Strikes by 20%.
3turnabout takedownTurnabout TakedownLight FootedRobin can perform Takedowns and Stealth Strikes on large enemies.
2vantage hanging takedown mineVantage Hanging TakedownStealth Damage +, or Turnabout TakedownRobin can perform a special takedown that suspends enemies from a vantage point. While perched on a vantage point, tap the prompt when an enemy is below Robin.
2reduced visual stimReduced Visual StimVantage Hanging TakedownRobin is harder to spot and enemies take longer to notice him.
2vantage hanging takedown mineVantage Hanging Takedown MineVantage Hanging TakedownPerforming a Vantage Hanging Takedown also drops a proximity mine that lures enemies.
2shadow renewalShadow RenewalReduced Visual Stim or Vantage Hanging Takedown MineSuccessful takedowns restore 25% of Robin’s health.

This tree, which syngergizes with the Slugger tree, boosts Robin’s elemental damage, and improves his ranged attacks, modifying them to work like a temporary mine when they hit surfaces.

AP CostIconAbilityRequirement(s)Description
1elemental chargeElemental ChargeNoneElemental Effect build up inflicted by Robin is increased 25% faster.
1sticky pelletSticky PelletElemental ChargeIn Precision Aim, Robin’s pellet can stick to surfaces, creating a temporary mine. Placing a second mine deactivates the first.
2sticky pellets x3Sticky Pellets x3Sticky PelletRobin can place up to 3 sticky pellets at once.
2enhanced sticky pelletsEnhanced Sticky PelletsSticky PelletSticky pellets inflict 33% more damage and last up to 10 seconds.
2elemental resistanceElemental ResistanceSticky Pellets x3 or Enhanced Sticky PelletsRobin’s Elemental Effect resistance increases by 40%.
2elemental burstElemental BurstElemental ResistanceWhen 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.
2enhanced elemental effectsEnhanced Elemental EffectsElemental ResistanceElemental Effects inflicted by Robin last twice as long.

Robin’s Knighthood tree further improves and encourages the use of his takedowns, granting him buffs for sucessful ones. It also gives him a tool to reenter stealth after attacking from above, improves his microbots ability, and makes his combos stronger. Robin’s Heroic Traversal Slideways (teleportation) also unlocks when this tree becomes available.

AP CostIconAbilityDescription
n/aslidewaysSlidewaysRobin activates and enters a temporary portal, which he can use to relocate to a new position.
1stealth takedown +Stealth Takedown +Performing a Takedown increases Robin’s damage, Critical Chance, Defense and Elemental Effect build up for 15 seconds.
1aerial attack smokeAerial Attack SmokeRobin’s aerial attacks are followed by a small cloud of smoke, allowing him to re-enter stealth.
1microbots cooldown reductionMicrobots Cooldown ReductionRobin’s Microbots Ability cooldown is reduced by 20%, allowing Robin to call them more often.
2combat expertiseCombat ExpertiseIncreases the number of attacks in Robin’s Melee and Ranged combos by 1. The last Melee hit is a knockdown.
3slideways takedownSlideways TakedownRobin opens a small portal and pulls an enemy through it to perform a takedown (not applicable on bosses).
3microbot target +Microbot Target +Robin improved the particle accelerator in the microbots’ core engine. He can now call 5 microbots instead of 3.
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Mila Grish
Mila Grish

Dedicated contributor at EIP Gaming and a part-time collector of books she will never have time to actually read. Jumps on the newest releases just as quickly as on the uncovered dusty collections from the basement. For her, shiny graphics can never be an excuse to not have a polished player experience or an immersive story.

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