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

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Use the Heart. It points to runes and bonecharms and whispers secrets about people you aim it at.
• Save often, in multiple slots. Quick-save before every attempt at a ghost/no-kill section.
• Every target has a non-lethal option. They're harder, often hidden, and worth discovering.
• Explore for coin. Black market shops sell upgrades, ammo, and blueprints; you can also rob them.
• 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):

• Far Reach
• Dark Vision
• Domino (link two targets, then knock one out — both go down)
• Mesmerize
• Shadow Walk
• Doppelganger for distraction

Corvo (stealth/non-lethal):

• Blink upgrades (Corvo starts with Blink)
• Dark Vision
• Possession (bypass guards and locked areas entirely)
• Bend Time (pause time to set up takedowns)
• 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
• Dishonored 2 achievements — Steam
• Dishonored 2 — Steam news (Update 5 and free Mission+ content)