Unlocking all secret characters and completing companion side quests in Nine Sols requires careful progression through the interconnected areas of Penglai, delivering specific items to key NPCs like Kuafu, Shennong, and Chiyou before advancing main story flags. While the core narrative focuses on protagonist Yi's revenge against the Sols, fully exploring the Nine Sols Official Wiki reveals that missing specific dialogue prompts or ignoring township bulletin boards will permanently lock you out of crucial character arcs and alternate endings. If you are looking for similar deep-dive progression tracking, check out our guide on how to level up fast in Metaphor: ReFantazio or explore character rankings in our Content Warning tier list.
Unlocking Shennong and Acquiring Agriculture Upgrades
Shennong is one of the most critical secret characters to unlock early because his herbalism shop provides essential healing upgrades and pipe medicinal concoctions. To find Shennong, you must first venture into the Apemen Facility and locate him trapped behind a barricade. Clear the surrounding mutant enemies, break the obstruction using your charged strike, and speak to him. He will relocate to the Four Seasons Pavilion, your central hub.
Once Shennong is settled in the Pavilion, you must supply him with rare seeds found throughout the biomes, such as Gourd Seeds and Mystic Seeds. For deeper optimization guides on managing your base resources, refer to our breakdown on Frostpunk 2 heathens and financial reserves or learn how to farm gold fast in V Rising. Bringing these botanical items to Shennong allows him to brew powerful passive buffs and permanently expand your health pool, which is vital for surviving punishing encounters against boss tiers comparable to what you experience when you beat the secret boss in Persona 3 Reload.
Completing Chiyou's Arena and Upgrading Combat Modules
Chiyou serves as the game's resident weaponsmith and pugilist, hiding within the Grotto of Scriptures. Finding him requires navigating platforming puzzles involving cloud-step boots and precision wall-jumping. When you first encounter Chiyou, he demands a spar to test your prowess with the Tai Chi Parry mechanic. Successfully deflecting his heavy-bladed combos without breaking your posture will earn his respect.
After the initial duel, Chiyou relocates to the Four Seasons Pavilion, where he opens up weapon upgrading services. You must scour the world for Electronic Components and AP (Ability Points) modifiers to unlock advanced jade slots. For players tackling high-difficulty hardware setups, make sure you know how to beat the final boss on Steam Deck OLED without frame drops. Maxing out Chiyou's affinity unlocks hidden dialogue regarding the ancient Tianhuo epidemic, which heavily mirrors the mechanical progression depth seen in our Destiny 2 character and class tier list.
Recruiting Shuanshuan and Unlocking Township Lore
Shuanshuan is an adorable yet tragic robotic child located deep within the Factory zones. To recruit him, you must first clear out the hostile automated defense turrets surrounding his safe room. Interact with him repeatedly until he gives you the broken toy side quest. Returning the repaired toy requires exploring the Empyrean District and defeating minor elite guards.
Recruiting Shuanshuan transforms the Four Seasons Pavilion into a bustling community hub. He posts daily notes on the township bulletin board, giving you hints about hidden collectibles, secret lore datapoints, and unmarked vendor locations. If you enjoy games with rich narrative choices and companion management, you will also love our recommendations for the Dave the Diver best starting build guide and our breakdown on Honkai Star Rail best skills to unlock first. Keeping Shuanshuan happy by fulfilling his narrative requests is mandatory if you intend to lock in the prerequisites for the game's canonical true ending.
Uncovering Kuafu's True Fate and Engineering Quests
Kuafu is the master engineer of the Solarians and plays a pivotal role in constructing the devices needed to breach Eigong's inner sanctum. Finding Kuafu requires exploring the Research Center and overriding electronic door locks using your hacking tool. Once freed, Kuafu retreats to the Pavilion workbench to help you upgrade your hack-and-slash capabilities and missile launcher projectiles.
To fully complete Kuafu's storyline, you must monitor his health decline resulting from the Tianhuo infection. Deliver special medical tonics crafted by Shennong to slow down his progression. Neglecting Kuafu's health will cause him to perish before the endgame sequence, locking you out of the true final boss confrontation. For players managing intricate character progression paths across multiple platforms, be sure to check our tips on how to respec skill points in Lords of the Fallen or see our console-specific guide for how to respec skill points on PS5 Pro.
Securing the True Ending and Final Secret Character State
The ultimate reward for unlocking and maxing out all secret characters in Nine Sols is access to the game's secret true ending sequence. As detailed by Red Candle Games developers, the fate of Penglai's inhabitants rests entirely on Yi's ability to unite his fellow Solarians rather than seeking solitary vengeance. Ensure every companion has received their requested gifts, all pavilion conversations are exhausted, and the Heavenly Seal is fully powered before initiating the point of no return in the Solar Pavilion.
By following this comprehensive companion route, you will not only secure all achievements and trophies associated with Penglai's residents, but you will also master the exact parry timings and internal node upgrades required to dismantle Eigong once and for all. Keep pushing your mastery forward, experiment with different jade passive combinations, and immerse yourself fully in this masterpiece of industrial Taoist sci-fi lore.