Medicine is an important part of surviving difficult fights in Phantom Blade Zero. While your weapons and combat skills help you defeat enemies, the right Medicine can restore your health, reduce incoming damage, improve your Phantom Edge damage, or help you manage Sha-Chi during combat.
In this guide, I’ll cover the different types of Medicine, their effects, how many uses they have, and where you can find them. I’ll also explain how the Medicine system works, because you do not permanently lose an item when its uses run out.
You can equip up to two Medicine at a time, so choosing the right combination is important. Some options focus on healing, while others provide temporary combat bonuses that can make boss fights easier. You can refill their uses by resting at a Bell, allowing you to keep using the Medicine you have already collected.
Phantom Blade Zero Medicine Guide – Effects, Uses, How to Get
The Medicine collection includes items that restore health, reduce damage, improve Phantom Edge attacks, and support Sha-Chi management.
The following table covers the six Medicine entries with complete effects and use counts in the available list. Longevity Tonic is also mentioned separately because it is a reward from a Tale, but its effect and use count are not provided here.
| Medicine | Uses | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Focus Pill | 3 | Reduces Sha-Chi consumption by 30% for 15 seconds and gradually restores 30% HP over the same duration. |
| Forbidden Concoction | 2 | Increases Phantom Edge damage by 10% for 15 seconds and restores 20% HP. |
| Healing Gourd | 3 | Restores 40% HP. |
| Kuye Dew | 4 | Reduces damage taken by 20% for 15 seconds and restores 40% HP over 10 seconds. |
| Simmering Brew | 3 | Continuously generates Sha-Chi for 15 seconds and gradually restores 30% HP over the same duration. |
| Spirit Returning Broth | 3 | Increases Guard Break by 10% for 30 seconds and restores 20% HP. |
Each item serves a different purpose, so the best choice depends on the encounter. If you need immediate healing, Healing Gourd is a straightforward option. If you want to improve your damage or survivability during a boss fight, one of the other Medicine options may be more useful.
Best Medicine Effects Explained
1. Focus Pill
Focus Pill reduces Sha-Chi consumption by 30% for 15 seconds and gradually restores 30% HP during that time.
This Medicine is useful when you want to maintain pressure on an enemy without spending as much Sha-Chi on your actions. The healing effect also helps you recover while continuing to fight.
Best use: Encounters where you expect to use Sha-Chi frequently and need some health recovery at the same time.
2. Forbidden Concoction
Forbidden Concoction increases Phantom Edge damage by 10% for 15 seconds and restores 20% HP.
This is a useful offensive option when you want to deal additional damage with your Phantom Edges. The healing effect provides some recovery without requiring you to equip a purely defensive option.
Best use: Short damage windows against bosses or other tough enemies, particularly when you can safely use Phantom Edge attacks during the effect.
3. Healing Gourd
Healing Gourd restores 40% HP immediately.
It is a simple and reliable choice when you need to recover health during exploration or combat. Unlike Medicine that restores health gradually, the Healing Gourd provides its listed recovery without requiring you to wait for a healing-over-time effect.
Best use: Recovering a significant amount of health when you need it immediately.
4. Kuye Dew
Kuye Dew reduces damage taken by 20% for 15 seconds and restores 40% HP over 10 seconds.
This combination makes Kuye Dew a strong defensive option. It provides healing while also reducing incoming damage, giving you an opportunity to recover during a difficult encounter.
Best use: Boss fights where you expect to take damage while trying to heal or survive a dangerous attack sequence.
5. Simmering Brew
Simmering Brew continuously generates Sha-Chi for 15 seconds and gradually restores 30% HP over the same duration.
This Medicine supports both resource management and health recovery. It can be useful when you need more Sha-Chi for combat actions but also want to recover health during the encounter.
Best use: Longer fights where maintaining your Sha-Chi supply is important.
6. Spirit Returning Broth
Spirit Returning Broth increases Guard Break by 10% for 30 seconds and restores 20% HP.
It is a good option when you want to put additional pressure on an enemy’s guard while recovering some health. The longer duration also gives you more time to take advantage of its Guard Break bonus.
Best use: Encounters where breaking an enemy’s guard is an important part of your combat strategy.
How to Get Medicine in Phantom Blade Zero
Medicine can be obtained through exploration and side quests. Some items are easy to overlook if you only follow the main story, so it is worth checking optional routes and completing Tales as you progress.
1. Explore Optional Paths and Treasure Chests
You can find Medicine throughout the world by exploring areas away from the main route.
When visiting a new region, make sure you:
- Investigate side paths and hidden areas.
- Open treasure chests you find during exploration.
- Check rooms and optional areas before moving to the next objective.
- Return to locations you could not fully explore earlier.
For example, Focus Pill can be found inside a chest in Weeping Creek Valley. Other Medicine may require additional exploration or progression before you can reach it.
2. Complete Tales and Side Quests
Some Medicine is awarded for completing Tales, which are optional quests found throughout the Wulin.
One example is Longevity Tonic, which is awarded for completing the Kin Against Kin Tale in Meigu Lake.
Completing Tales can therefore be worthwhile even when you are primarily focused on the main story. You may receive useful items that support your future encounters.
What Is Medicine in Phantom Blade Zero?
Medicine is a category of equippable items that provides healing and other beneficial effects. Depending on which item you choose, it can restore health, reduce damage taken, improve offensive abilities, or support your Sha-Chi supply.
The important difference between Medicine and a straightforward healing item is that some Medicine provide additional combat benefits. This means you can choose an item based on the challenges you expect to face rather than focusing only on health recovery.
Medicine Is Not Permanently Consumed
Medicine has a limited number of uses, but using those charges does not permanently remove the item from your inventory.
Once you obtain a particular Medicine, you keep it even after all its uses have been depleted. You do not need to find another copy every time you run out.
Instead, you can replenish its uses by resting at a Bell.
This makes Medicine a reusable part of your loadout rather than a collection of items you must constantly replace.
How to Use Medicine
1. Equip Up to Two Medicine
You can equip up to two Medicine at a time in Phantom Blade Zero.
To equip your preferred options:
- Open the equipment menu.
- Select the Medicine you want to use.
- Assign it to an available Medicine slot.
- Choose a second Medicine if you want another healing or support option.
Since you have only two slots, think about the benefits you need most. You might choose one item for healing and another for defense, damage, or Sha-Chi management.
2. Rest at Bells to Refill Medicine Uses
Bells act as checkpoints throughout the world. Resting at a Bell restores Soul’s health and replenishes your Medicine uses.
This allows you to reuse the same items without searching for additional copies.
Before entering a difficult boss encounter, consider returning to a nearby Bell if your health or Medicine charges are low. Starting a fight with your resources replenished can give you more flexibility during the encounter.
3. Combine Medicine With the Healing Gourd
The Healing Gourd is useful for immediate health recovery, while other Medicine can provide additional benefits such as damage reduction or improved combat performance.
For example, you could equip Healing Gourd alongside Kuye Dew if you want a direct healing option and another item that combines gradual healing with damage reduction.
Alternatively, Forbidden Concoction can be useful when you want to improve Phantom Edge damage while still receiving some health recovery.
Choose your combination based on the enemy and your playstyle rather than using the same setup for every encounter.
Tips for Choosing the Right Medicine
- For immediate healing: Use Healing Gourd to restore 40% HP.
- For defensive encounters: Consider Kuye Dew for its damage reduction and gradual healing.
- For Phantom Edge damage: Use Forbidden Concoction to increase Phantom Edge damage by 10% for 15 seconds.
- For Sha-Chi management: Focus Pill reduces Sha-Chi consumption, while Simmering Brew generates Sha-Chi over time.
- For breaking enemy guards: Spirit Returning Broth increases Guard Break by 10% for 30 seconds.
- Before boss fights: Rest at a Bell to restore your health and replenish Medicine uses.
- While exploring: Search optional areas and complete Tales to discover additional Medicine.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Medicine can you equip in Phantom Blade Zero?
You can equip up to two Medicine at a time. Choose options with complementary effects to improve your survivability and combat performance.
Does Medicine disappear after you use all its charges?
No. Medicine remains in your inventory after its uses are depleted. Resting at a Bell replenishes its uses.
How do you refill Medicine?
Rest at a Bell. This restores Soul’s health and refills your Medicine uses.
Which Medicine restores the most health?
Among the listed items, Healing Gourd restores 40% HP immediately, while Kuye Dew restores 40% HP over 10 seconds and also reduces damage taken by 20% for 15 seconds.
Which Medicine is best for dealing more damage?
Forbidden Concoction increases Phantom Edge damage by 10% for 15 seconds. Spirit Returning Broth is another offensive option because it increases Guard Break by 10% for 30 seconds.
Where can you find Medicine?
You can find Medicine in treasure chests and hidden areas throughout the world. Some items are also rewards for completing Tales, such as Longevity Tonic from the Kin Against Kin Tale in Meigu Lake.
Medicine in Phantom Blade Zero is more than just a way to restore health. The different options let you adjust your loadout for damage, defense, Guard Break, and Sha-Chi management.
For straightforward recovery, Healing Gourd is a useful choice. For more specialized encounters, Focus Pill, Forbidden Concoction, Kuye Dew, Simmering Brew, and Spirit Returning Broth each provide a different benefit.
Remember to equip up to two Medicine before a difficult fight and rest at Bells to replenish their uses. Since you keep the Medicine you have already collected, you can continue using your preferred options throughout your journey.