How to 'observe this skill in action to learn it' in Crimson Desert

Crimson Desert observe skills - Kliff fighting
(Image credit: Pearl Abyss)

The whole idea that you can 'Observe this skill in action to learn it' in Crimson Desert is a lot of fun, since it's basically like unlocking an ability for free without having to use one of your precious Abyss Artifacts. All you need to do is observe the enemy, or boss in many cases, to learn their trick and turn it against them.

Skills that you can watch and learn are indicated in the skill tree, so maybe hold off purchasing these unless they feel vital to your playstyle. I guess if you found an enemy that performs the skill, you could always respec and learn it that way, giving you an extra point to spend, but it's probably better to just hold off. Here's how to watch and learn skills, and also all of the opportunities I've found so far to get them.

How to 'Observe this skill in action to learn it' in Crimson Desert

During many fights in Crimson Desert, an enemy will perform an attack, and the game suddenly slows down. A little "Learning" bar will appear in the top left, giving you a skill name and a number such as 1/3. This indicates the number of times you need to see that skill performed in order to learn it—once you reach that number, a pop-up will appear explaining how to do the skill.

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Obviously, if you see a regular enemy perform a skill you can learn, you'll want to slow-roll the fight as much as possible. I suggest killing all the other enemies and then just hanging around baiting them until you've learned it. For boss fights, chances are you'll learn the skill more easily, since it's unlikely you'll defeat a boss so fast you won't see the skill enough.

Here are all of the observable skills I've encountered so far:

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Skill

Location

Pump Kick

During the fight with Matthias in Hernand during Chapter 2.

Drop Kick

Learned from one of the bandits keeping Wooly the sheep hostage during the Missing Companion quest in Chapter 2.

Evasive Roll

Learned during the fight with Kailok the Hornsplitter in Chapter 2.

Swift Stab

Learned during the Reed Devil fight in Chapter 3.

Focused Force Palm

Learned en route to Scholastone in Chapter 4.

Aerial Roll

Learned during the Crowcaller fight in Chapter 5.

Clothesline

Learned from many of the Black Bear enemies you encounter in Chapter 6 and 7.

As you can see, most major bosses give you a chance to learn at least one skill, but there are some random enemies who can teach you skills when fighting them.

Sean Martin
Senior Guides Writer

Sean's first PC games were Full Throttle and Total Annihilation and his taste has stayed much the same since. When not scouring games for secrets or bashing his head against puzzles, you'll find him revisiting old Total War campaigns, agonizing over his Destiny 2 fit, or still trying to finish the Horus Heresy. Sean has also written for EDGE, Eurogamer, PCGamesN, Wireframe, EGMNOW, and Inverse.

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