---
title: "Dishonored 2: Complete Guide"
game: "Dishonored 2"
game_url: "https://qna.gg/games/dishonored-2"
author: "Qloud"
author_url: "https://qna.gg/players/Qloud"
topics: ["Achievements", "Crafting"]
summary: "A complete guide to Dishonored 2: choosing Emily or Corvo, powers and upgrade priorities, stealth and chaos, a mission-by-mission outline with non-lethal routes, achievements that need planning, and New Game+.…"
url: "https://qna.gg/g/dishonored-2-complete-guide-c5c9b7b9"
published: "2026-09-27T17:43:31.343Z"
updated: "2026-09-27T17:43:31.343Z"
source: "QnA.GG"
---

# Dishonored 2: Complete Guide

A complete guide to Dishonored 2: choosing Emily or Corvo, powers and upgrade priorities, stealth and chaos, a mission-by-mission outline with non-lethal routes, achievements that need planning, and New Game+.

*Researched September 2026 — current as of PC Game Update 5 (November 2017), the last patch, plus the free December 2018 content (Mission+, Black and White mode, Imperial Assassin's Pack). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.*

## Quick Start

1. **Pick Emily or Corvo at the start of Mission 1** — the choice locks for that playthrough. Emily's powers are subtler; Corvo's are the classic kit.
2. **You can refuse the Mark.** In the Void, you may decline the Outsider's gift for a no-powers run (the Flesh and Steel achievement). Runes you find become coin instead.
3. **Chaos tracks how violent you are.** Killing lots of people (especially non-hostile ones) raises chaos, which darkens the story, adds enemies and bloodflies, and changes the ending.
4. **Use the Heart.** It points to runes and bonecharms and whispers secrets about people you aim it at.
5. **Save often, in multiple slots.** Quick-save before every attempt at a ghost/no-kill section.
6. **Every target has a non-lethal option.** They're harder, often hidden, and worth discovering.
7. **Explore for coin.** Black market shops sell upgrades, ammo, and blueprints; you can also rob them.
8. **Climb.** Rooftops, pipes, and balconies are the default routes for both characters.

## Emily vs Corvo

| | Emily Kaldwin | Corvo Attano |
|---|---|---|
| Mobility | Far Reach (pull yourself, objects, or enemies) | Blink (teleport; upgrades freeze time while aiming) |
| Crowd control | Domino (link enemies so they share a fate), Mesmerize (sedate a group) | Bend Time, Windblast |
| Infiltration | Shadow Walk (move as a shadow creature) | Possession (humans, animals, and later corpses) |
| Utility | Doppelganger (decoy clone) | Devouring Swarm (rats) |
| Shared | Dark Vision | Dark Vision |

**For first-timers:** Corvo is more forgiving (Blink + Possession + Bend Time solve most problems). **For a second run:** Emily's Domino and Mesmerize make creative stealth and non-lethal chains very strong.

## Power and Upgrade Priorities

Runes unlock powers and upgrades. Recommended order:

**Emily (stealth/non-lethal):**
1. Far Reach
2. Dark Vision
3. Domino (link two targets, then knock one out — both go down)
4. Mesmerize
5. Shadow Walk
6. Doppelganger for distraction

**Corvo (stealth/non-lethal):**
1. Blink upgrades (Corvo starts with Blink)
2. Dark Vision
3. Possession (bypass guards and locked areas entirely)
4. Bend Time (pause time to set up takedowns)
5. Devouring Swarm / Windblast for high-chaos or emergencies

**Common upgrades worth runes early:** Vitality (extra health), Agility (higher jumps, faster movement), and Shadow Kill (bodies of killed enemies turn to ash — useful for stealth kills; no help for non-lethal runs).

### Bonecharms and crafting
Bonecharms grant passive perks (faster choke-outs, higher health from food, quieter movement, etc.). Some are corrupted — they add a strong buff with a drawback. Later you can craft custom bonecharms by spending raw whalebone and combining traits you've learned from destroying charms (Occult Carver: craft 10).

## Stealth, Combat, and Chaos

- **Chokeholds** are non-lethal and silent; you can sleep-dart as well with the crossbow.
- **Drop assassinations/knockouts** from above are the fastest takedowns (Acrobat: 10 drop assassinations).
- **Sliding** gets you under obstacles and sets up slide attacks.
- **Hide bodies** out of guard patrols — unconscious or dead bodies raise alerts if discovered.
- **Chaos:** killing guards, witches, and civilians raises chaos; killing people the game treats as murderous raises it less. High chaos means more guards, more rats and bloodflies, and grimmer dialogue and endings.
- **Combat:** block (and counter-block into a parry) with the blade, use the pistol for loud kills, and grenades/mines for crowds.

**Gadgets:** sleep darts, stun mines (non-lethal), springrazors (lethal), howling bolts, incendiary bolts, and the stun/incendiary variants unlocked via blueprints and black markets.

## Mission Outline

| # | Mission | Key target / goal |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Long Day in Dunwall | The coup; escape the palace and choose your character |
| 2 | Edge of the World | Arrive in Karnaca aboard the Dreadful Wale; investigate the Crown Killer |
| 3 | The Good Doctor | Addermire Institute; the Crown Killer and Dr. Alexandria Hypatia |
| 4 | The Clockwork Mansion | Kirin Jindosh's shifting mansion |
| 5 | The Royal Conservatory | Breanna Ashworth, Curator of the conservatory |
| 6 | Dust District | The Howlers vs the Overseers, and the Jindosh Lock |
| 7 | A Crack in the Slab | Stilton's Manor, past and present, with the Outsider's Timepiece |
| 8 | The Grand Palace | Duke Luca Abele |
| 9 | Death to the Empress | Delilah Copperspoon in Dunwall |

### Non-lethal routes (spoilers)
- **Crown Killer (The Good Doctor):** find Hypatia's counter-serum in her lab and use it to cure her — both the Crown Killer threat and Hypatia are dealt with without a death. Chatting with her aboard the Dreadful Wale unlocks Counter-serum.
- **Kirin Jindosh (Clockwork Mansion):** knock him out and use his own electroshock chair in the lab. Doing it with Jindosh never knowing you were there earns Silence.
- **Breanna Ashworth (Royal Conservatory):** there is a non-lethal option that cuts her off from the Void; explore her quarters and the conservatory's archives.
- **Paolo / Vice Overseer Byrne (Dust District):** side with the Howlers (Howlers 'til the End) or the Overseers (Faithful to the Abbey), or deal with both leaders non-lethally. The Jindosh Lock guards Aramis Stilton's apartment; Eureka rewards solving it yourself (the solution is randomised each playthrough).
- **A Crack in the Slab:** use the Timepiece to travel to the past. Knocking out Stilton in the past (before the séance) changes the present.
- **Duke Luca Abele (Grand Palace):** replace the Duke with his body double for a non-lethal resolution.
- **Delilah (Death to the Empress):** trap her in her own painting via the Outsider's hint, rather than killing her.

## Achievements That Need Planning

| Achievement | Requirement | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Clean Hands | Complete the game without killing anyone | Includes accidental kills (falls, rats, mines). Reload immediately |
| Shadow | Finish the game without being spotted | Alerted search states count; quick-save constantly |
| Flesh and Steel | Complete the game without supernatural powers | Refuse the Mark in the Void |
| In Good Conscience / Empire in Chaos | Low chaos / high chaos endings | Two runs, or a chaos-management run |
| The Empress / The Royal Protector | Finish with each character | Two runs |
| Ghostly | A full mission unseen | Try Mission 2 or 4 |
| Alternative Approach | A mission with no casualties | Earned automatically on a careful non-lethal mission |
| Art Collector | Acquire all collectible paintings | Many are in houses and shops; check behind locked doors |
| Souvenirs / Royal Spymaster | Decorations for the Dreadful Wale; read all Sokolov/Meagan journals aboard | Explore the Wale between missions |
| Eureka | Crack the Jindosh Lock without finding the solution elsewhere | Solve the logic puzzle yourself |
| Place of Three Deaths | Kill Paolo three times | High-chaos route in Dust District |
| Stay of Execution | Stop the Grand Guard from pushing someone into the Wall of Light | Listen for guards harassing a civilian near a Wall of Light |
| Under the Table | Get Stilton's Master Key from under the table, guards conscious and unalerted | A Crack in the Slab, in the past |
| Circle of Life | Possession chain: human, hound, rat, fish, bloodfly | Corvo only |
| The Lovers | Domino-link two characters just before one kills the other | Emily only |

**Efficient plan:** Run 1: Corvo, low chaos, non-lethal (Clean Hands) and Shadow if you're patient. Run 2: Emily with no powers (Flesh and Steel) and high chaos — or use New Game+ for power-combo achievements.

## New Game+, Custom Difficulty, and Mission+

- **New Game+** (added December 2016): keep your powers and play the other character — you can combine Emily and Corvo powers.
- **Custom Difficulty** and **mission select** (added January 2017) let you tune detection, damage, and resources.
- **Mission+** (free, December 2018): replay any completed mission with all powers and weapons available. It, Black and White mode, and the Imperial Assassin's Pack were unlocked by logging in with a Bethesda.net account from the main menu; Bethesda's account systems have changed since, so availability may vary.

## Common Mistakes to Avoid

- **Killing by accident on a non-lethal run** — rats eating unconscious bodies, falls, and springrazors all count.
- **Dropping unconscious bodies in water** — they drown.
- **Leaving bodies in patrol paths** — discovered bodies raise alarms.
- **Ignoring the Heart** — you'll miss most runes and bonecharms.
- **Buying lethal ammo on a stealth run** — invest in sleep darts and stun mines.
- **Forgetting to explore the Dreadful Wale** between missions.
- **Spending all coin early** — some black markets carry key blueprints later.

## Advanced Tips

- **Emily's Domino + a single sleep dart** knocks out a whole linked group.
- **Corvo's Bend Time + Possession** lets you walk past entire rooms.
- **Use Far Reach on objects** to pull keys, coins, and bottles from a distance.
- **Rob black markets** (Black Market Burglar) — they have multiple entry points and safe codes.
- **Look for safe codes** in notes, journals, and environmental clues; many safes contain runes or bonecharms.
- **Clockwork Soldiers** are tough in melee; take them apart from range or avoid them — collecting three of their numbered plates earns Clockwork Collector.
- **Play once without the HUD objective markers** for a more immersive run.

## FAQ

**Should I play the first Dishonored first?**
It helps with the story (Emily and Corvo's history) but isn't required.

**Can I switch between Emily and Corvo?**
Not within a playthrough. New Game+ lets you combine their powers.

**Does the Jindosh Lock solution change?**
Yes, it is randomised per playthrough.

**How do I get the low chaos ending?**
Minimise kills, especially of non-hostile characters; use non-lethal target resolutions.

**How do I play without powers?**
Refuse the Mark when the Outsider offers it early in the campaign.

**Is Death of the Outsider a DLC?**
It's a standalone follow-up sold separately.

## Sources

- [Dishonored 2 — Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dishonored_2)
- [Dishonored 2 achievements — Steam](https://steamcommunity.com/stats/403640/achievements)
- [Dishonored 2 — Steam news (Update 5 and free Mission+ content)](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/403640)