TL;DR
- Skia is an A-Rank Lakshana frontline DPS in NTE who fights using shadow manipulation and martial arts.
- His core mechanic is Fang Thrust — shadow follow-up attacks that lock onto enemies.
- His Redirect Skill puts him into a Tailed state, keeping Fang Thrusts on the field longer.
- Best Arc: Watch Your Heads! | Alternative: Failing You, Heavy in My Heart.
- Best Cartridge: Street Boxer | Alternative: Shadow Creed.
- Awakening Priority: A1 > A2 > A3 > A4 > A6 > A5.
- He thrives in long fights and pairs well with Stain and Remora reaction teams.
Who Is Skia in Neverness to Everness?
Skia is a playable A-Rank Lakshana DPS in Neverness to Everness. He is the lieutenant of the Bureau of Anomaly Control’s ETD-4 and often mistaken for the squad captain. His fighting style blends disciplined martial arts with shadow manipulation, letting him pursue and suppress targets with relentless, almost eerie efficiency.
In combat, Skia does not rush in and out. He is built for sustained on-field time, stacking Fang Thrusts on enemies and letting his shadow follow-up attacks do the heavy lifting. The longer you keep him in a fight, the more his kit opens up. He is a steady, technical DPS who rewards good positioning and timing.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Role | DPS (Frontline) |
| Element | Lakshana |
| Rarity | A-Rank |
| Faction | Bureau of Anomaly Control – ETD-4 |
| Birthday | January 10 |
| Gender | Male |
| Voice Actor (EN) | Bill Butts |
| Voice Actor (JP) | Tomokazu Sugita |
Skia Skills – NTE
Skia’s whole kit is designed around one thing: keeping Fang Thrusts on the target for as long as possible. Every skill plays into that loop.
Skill Priority: Skill = Ultimate > Support Skill > Basic Attack
Basic Attack – Arresting Art
Skia uses steady martial arts to perform up to 5 consecutive strikes that deal Lakshana DMG. Every single hit splits 1 Fang Thrust from his shadow to pursue the target. Up to 3 Fang Thrusts can lock onto a single target at the same time. This is the engine of his damage — the more you hit, the more shadows pile on.
Basic Attack (Air) – Territory Control
A mid-air strike followed by a plunge that deals 1 instance of Lakshana DMG to an area on impact. Damage scales with fall height, maxing out at 200%. Good for opening an engage from elevation.
Basic Attack – Fang Thrust
These are the shadow follow-ups that define Skia. They split from his shadow, look like the fangs of a giant beast, and automatically track and latch onto targets. Each one deals 1 instance of Lakshana DMG before disappearing. The goal is to stack 3 on the same enemy and keep them there.
Critical Riposte – Pen to Paper
Triggers after a Critical Dodge during Arresting Art. Skia counters with ink-splash shadows, dealing 1 instance of Lakshana DMG to an area and reducing the enemy’s Break bar. A strong defensive counter that also keeps pressure up.
Redirect Skill – Shadow Hound Chase
This is Skia’s most important skill. He sinks into his own shadow and enters the Tailed state, dealing 6 instances of Lakshana DMG to the surrounding area. For every target hit, 3 Fang Thrusts are immediately deployed. He then enters Shadow Hound Gnaw mode.
While in Shadow Hound Gnaw, Skia moves freely across ground and wall surfaces and becomes invisible to nearby enemies. He gains immunity to most normal attacks — though area damage will cancel the mode. The critical mechanic here: while Tailed is active, Fang Thrusts stay locked onto the target instead of disappearing after dealing damage. Every time Skia collides with a Fang Thrust-locked enemy in this mode, that Fang Thrust fires an extra attack. Press Basic Attack or switch characters to exit early.
Ultimate – The Pack
Skia flicks a spinning lighter. His shadow surges outward in all directions, dealing 1 instance of Lakshana DMG to a wide area. The shadows then converge back to a single point like a pack of attack dogs, dealing 3 additional instances of Lakshana DMG. After The Pack is cast, Fang Thrusts deal increased damage — including collision damage in Shadow Hound Gnaw mode — and each strike applies a control effect to the target. Use this before entering Shadow Hound Gnaw for maximum damage.
Support Skill – Arrest Warrant
Skia commands his shadow to lunge at the target like a trained police canine, dealing 1 instance of Lakshana DMG to an area. Clean, reliable damage that fits naturally into his rotation.
Skia Passives – NTE
Suppression (Remora Enhancement)
When a Fang Thrust locks onto a target that is already in the Remora state, Skia automatically inflicts an additional Remora stack. This passive is what makes Skia especially dangerous in Remora-focused team compositions. Extra Remora stacks mean more control and more debuff pressure on the enemy without any extra input from you.
Apprehension
After casting The Pack (his Ultimate), Fang Thrust damage increases by 10% for 15 seconds. This also applies to collision damage during Shadow Hound Gnaw mode. Always cast your Ultimate before entering Shadow Hound Gnaw to take full advantage of this window.
Skia Awakening Guide – NTE
Skia’s Esper Ability is called Faust, which allows him to manipulate shadows for pursuit and suppression. His Awakenings all build around improving Fang Thrust damage and his Tailed state uptime.
Awakening Priority: A1 > A2 > A3 > A4 > A6 > A5
| Awakening | Name | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Process of Elimination | Increases the auto-attack DMG Ratio for Fang Thrust by 60%. Huge damage boost. Top priority. |
| A2 | Law and Order | After casting Shadow Hound Chase, Skia gains +10% Crit Chance and +50% Resistance to Interruptions for 15 seconds. Keeps him stable during Shadow Hound Gnaw. |
| A3 | Solution | Damage to Fang Thrust-locked targets increases by 4%. If only one target is locked onto by Fang Thrust on the field, damage increases by an additional 4% (up to 8% total). Great for single-target boss fights. |
| A4 | Resolution | Extends Tailed duration to 12 seconds. Attachment DMG increases by 2% per second a target is attached, up to 40%. Strong if you can maintain long Fang Thrust locks. |
| A5 | Social Contract | Each Fang Thrust locked onto an enemy increases that enemy’s mass by 50 and reduces its Movement Speed by 20%. Useful for control but lower combat priority. |
| A6 | Unbothered Appearance | While in Shadow Hound Gnaw mode, Fang Thrust’s Extra DMG Ratio increases by 20% when colliding with a locked target. Directly boosts his best mode. |
Resonance Nodes
- Cubical Survival Manual: Raises skill level of Arresting Art, Shadow Hound Chase, and The Pack by 1. Standard damage improvement — unlock this.
- Employee of the Month: Reduces the locked-on target’s Lakshana RES per Fang Thrust. More Fang Thrusts means more Lakshana RES shred. Excellent for sustained single-target DPS.
Best Arc (Weapon) for Skia – NTE
Watch Your Heads! – Best Overall
This is Skia’s top Arc. It increases his ATK by 10% and boosts his Lakshana DMG against targets affected by Remora and Stain by 10% for 15 seconds after he uses his Redirect Skill. Since Skia will almost always trigger his Redirect Skill the moment he enters the field during an Esper Cycle, this buff is essentially always active. Straightforward, reliable, and perfect for how he plays.
Failing You, Heavy in My Heart – Best Alternative
A solid second option. Every Basic Attack hit gives Skia 1 stack of Spider Knowledge, up to 8 stacks. When he casts his Ultimate, all stacks are consumed and increase the entire team’s ATK by 1% per stack for 10 seconds. If you hit all 8 stacks, the team gets an extra 2% ATK on top. It rewards consistent Basic Attack use and adds a nice team utility element to his rotation.
Best Cartridge and Modules for Skia – NTE
Street Boxer – Best Cartridge
Street Boxer is Skia’s best cartridge. It gives him a direct boost to Lakshana DMG and increases his CRIT Rate by up to 28%. Skia deals damage frequently through Fang Thrusts, so stabilizing his crit procs per hit has a big impact on his overall output. The more consistently he crits, the more damage he squeezes out of every shadow follow-up. This cartridge turns that frequency into real numbers.
Shadow Creed – Alternative Cartridge
A decent fallback option if Street Boxer is not available. It still gives Skia useful Lakshana-focused stats and keeps him competitive. Not the ceiling, but it works.
Module Priority
- Main Stats to prioritize: CRIT DMG, CRIT Rate, DMG%, ATK%, Cycle Intensity.
- Sub Stats: Stack CRIT Rate first until you are comfortable, then push CRIT DMG and ATK%.
- Skia does not need HP or defensive stats. Every module slot should be contributing to his damage output or crit consistency.
Best Team Comps for Skia – NTE
Skia works best in teams that trigger the Stain or Remora reactions, since both increase Lakshana damage taken — which feeds directly into his kit. His passive also doubles up Remora stacks automatically, making Remora teams especially efficient with him.
For more on how team reactions work in NTE, check out our individual build guides for teammates like Haniel, Fadia, and Sakiri.
F2P Stain Team – Best Starter Comp
- Skia – Main DPS
- Esper Zero – Esper Cycle trigger / Off-DPS
- Sakiri – Crowd control / Buffer
- Edgar – Healer
This team is simple, beginner-friendly, and does not require rare S-Rank pulls. Skia handles sustained on-field damage. Esper Zero gives instant Esper Cycle procs so you are never waiting around. Sakiri keeps enemies locked down and adds team buffs through her weapon passive. Edgar steps in to heal when HP drops. The Stain reaction is already built into the rotation — enemies take 50% more Psyche and Lakshana damage for 12 seconds without you doing anything special to set it up. If survival is an issue in harder content, swap Edgar for Fadia — she redirects damage away from the team and does not disrupt the elemental lane.
Remora Team – Reaction Focused
This team leans into Skia’s Suppression passive. When a Fang Thrust locks onto a Remora-afflicted enemy, Skia adds another Remora stack automatically. More stacks mean more control and more vulnerability on the target. Chiz sets up the initial Remora, Skia multiplies it with every Fang Thrust, and Haniel keeps the whole team hitting harder. Edgar provides the sustain layer to let Skia stay on-field through longer fights where Fang Thrust uptime really matters.
Stain + Hathor Team – AOE Burst
- Hathor – Burst DPS
- Skia – On-field DPS / Lakshana support
- Haniel – Stain trigger / ATK buffer
- Adler – Shield / DoT support
Haniel adds Psyche element to trigger Stain, which inflicts Psyche and Lakshana vulnerability that both Skia and Hathor benefit from. Skia handles sustained single-target pressure while Hathor covers AOE burst during Break windows. Adler provides shields so the team can play more aggressively. This is a strong AOE-clearing comp for players who want to main Hathor but still get value from Skia’s Lakshana DPS.
How to Play Skia in NTE – Rotation Guide
Skia is a frontline DPS who needs time on the field to reach his damage ceiling. His rotation is not complicated, but it requires discipline — especially knowing when to stay in Shadow Hound Gnaw and when to exit.
- Step 1: Enter the field during an Esper Cycle proc. Use his Redirect Skill — Shadow Hound Chase — immediately. This deploys 3 Fang Thrusts per target hit and drops him into Shadow Hound Gnaw mode. The Tailed state keeps those Fang Thrusts alive.
- Step 2: While in Shadow Hound Gnaw, move into enemies locked by Fang Thrusts. Each collision triggers an extra Fang Thrust hit. Stay mobile — touching locked targets is how you maximize damage in this mode.
- Step 3: Before entering Shadow Hound Gnaw, cast The Pack (Ultimate) if it is ready. The post-Ultimate buff raises Fang Thrust damage by 10% for 15 seconds, including collision hits during Shadow Hound Gnaw. Always pop it first for the damage window.
- Step 4: Use Arresting Art (Basic Attack) in between to stack more Fang Thrusts. Each hit adds one, up to 3 per target. Keep refreshing the lock as older Fang Thrusts fall off.
- Step 5: Weave in Arrest Warrant (Support Skill) when off cooldown. It deals damage and fits naturally between Basic Attack chains.
- Step 6: When the team needs a heal or a swap for the Esper Cycle, rotate out — then bring Skia back in and restart from Step 1.
The most common mistake with Skia is swapping him out too early. Fang Thrusts disappear when he leaves the field. Every time you rotate him out unnecessarily, you reset your Fang Thrust stacks and lose momentum. Plan your swaps around the Esper Cycle and heal windows, not random habit.
One more tip: Skia can move through walls and along surfaces during Shadow Hound Gnaw without spending stamina. This also makes him surprisingly useful for exploration — use it to scale buildings or cross gaps quickly. See our best PC settings guide if you want to make the most of his mobility visually.
Skia Life Skills – NTE
Skia’s Life Skills are tied to shop and cafe management in NTE’s open world. They help with traffic, ingredient efficiency, and customer patience during Owner’s Selection.
| Level | Effect |
|---|---|
| Lv. 1 | Skia increases traffic by 18. |
| Lv. 2 | Reduces ingredient consumption rate by 1%. |
| Lv. 3 | Customer patience is boosted by 50% during Owner’s Selection. More time to handle orders and keep combo chains going. |
| Lv. 4 | Reduces ingredient consumption rate by 1%. |
| Lv. 5 | Skia increases traffic by 27. |
The Level 3 boost is especially useful — extra customer patience during Owner’s Selection makes it much easier to hit high scores. If you are running a cafe, Skia is a great staff pick. Check out our full cafe ownership guide for how to maximize these bonuses. You can also explore the City Tycoon guide for more ways to build your in-game economy.
Is Skia Worth Building in NTE?
Skia sits in C-tier in the current meta, mainly because his Fang Thrust mechanic can be clunky. Fang Thrusts disappear when you swap characters, which means rotating for team reactions constantly works against him. Other DPS units maintain their damage cycles more smoothly during standard quickswap rotations.
That said, he is still worth building if you like his playstyle. In long fights where he can stay on-field, his Fang Thrust stacking and Shadow Hound Gnaw damage add up well. He is an A-Rank character, so he is easier to obtain than S-Rank units and fits into F2P Stain teams without any issues. His Remora passive also gives him a unique role in specific reaction comps that no other character fills the same way.
If the meta shifts to favor Lakshana or Remora-heavy teams more in future updates, Skia has the tools to climb significantly. He is not a throw-away character — he just needs the right context to shine.
For more character builds, check out our guides for Jiuyuan, Baicang, Daffodil, Mint, and Haniel. See every available character in our full NTE character unlock guide, and grab free pulls from our NTE redeem codes page.
Download Neverness to Everness on Google Play or get it on PlayStation Store.
