The Dishonored games have often displayed some of the best qualities that a video game can have: open-ended levels, intriguing plots, and of course, an abundance of fun things to do. Much of this is due to the incredible design and attention to detail that goes into each title.
The main draw of the Dishonored series is the ability to play as a supernatural assassin with powers beyond the realm of the ordinary. These abilities, given to players by the mysterious Outsider, are honed and upgraded as the game progresses. Let's take a look at every supernatural ability we used through Dishonored, Dishonored 2, and Dishonored: Death of the Outsider.
14 Windblast
The lowest entry on our list is Windblast, a power first introduced in the original Dishonored game. When activated, this ability sends a massive gust of wind out in front of the player, with upgraded versions having the ability to kill enemies and send secondary gusts.
While Windblast certainly has its uses, it isn't a very versatile power. Unless you're going for an aggressive playthrough, there isn't much need for such loud, disruptive force.
13 Dark Vision
While Dishonored's earlier incarnation of Dark Vision treated it as effectively x-ray vision, the Dishonored 2 version acts more like sonar, with pulses sent out that highlight enemies and objects of interest. The second game also allows you to upgrade it to see the paths guards will take.
Dark Vision is such a useful power that it's practically impossible for players not to choose it as their first upgrade in both games. While it absolutely makes planning and devising your approach easier, it just isn't the flashiest power out there, or the most fun to use.
12 Displace
Each Dishonored game introduces some sort of new take on a traversal power, and Death of the Outsider is no different. Displace acts as Billie Lurk's main method of getting around the map, letting her set a point within line of sight that allows her to teleport there instantly. If she accidentally teleports inside an enemy, she'll take some damage—but so will the enemy, making it a risk-reward call.
Ultimately, Displace is an interesting idea, but it doesn't feel as fluid as the traversal powers from other Dishonored games. There is a bone charm that lets you mimic the snappy instant travel of Corvo and Emily, but it's still a slower power overall.
11 Doppelgänger
All rulers employ body doubles, and Emily Kaldwin is no exception—she just happens to summon them supernaturally. These simulated beings start out as little more than distractions for guards, but upgrading the skill leads to doppelgängers capable of fighting back and even killing your enemies.
AI companions are always a tricky deal, though. They may wind up absolutely decimating your foes, or they could die within a few seconds. Add that to the fact that having temporary assassins that kill without being commanded isn't quite conducive to a nonlethal playthrough.
10 Far Reach
Dishonored 2 introduced us to a grown-up Emily Kaldwin and her own unique load-out of supernatural powers, including her version of teleportation with Far Reach. This power throws out a tendril that latches onto surfaces, pulling Emily forward to her destination. It can also be upgraded to stealthily grab important items from a distance.
Far Reach takes a little bit of getting used to, especially for players who spent hours honing Corvo's movements. It's well worth the practice, though, as the uses for Far Reach are arguably greater than Corvo's Blink, which was limited solely to traversal.
9 Devouring Swarm
A power that appeared in the first game and then made an encore performance in the second, Devouring Swarm summons a huge pack of rats to feast on your enemies. In Dishonored 2, you can upgrade this power to summon more rats, have them follow you around, and even create two separate swarms. These little rodents can be used for everything from killing foes to corpse disposal after the fact.
Despite their uses, the rats still have their drawbacks. They perform best when up against one enemy, as trying to fight several will often see them getting overwhelmed and killed. They also throw the idea of a nonlethal run right out the window.
8 Foresight
Just as Dishonored 2 put its own twist on Dark Vision, so too does Death of the Outsider with Foresight. Instead of seeing through walls and spotting the paths of guards, Billie Lurk can activate this ability to pause time and send her vision out of her body to scout the area ahead. While Foresight is active, she can examine obstacles, mark objects, and even put down Displace markers, allowing her to teleport to places she can't physically reach.
For all its uses, though, Foresight just isn't Dark Vision. It is certainly a useful ability to have, but it can also be difficult to navigate out of body and the time limit on its use pressures players.
7 Blink
The classic traversal power, Blink is a powerful and versatile ability that just works seamlessly. The original iteration of Blink was fairly basic, with the only available upgrade being a longer distance traveled. Dishonored 2 expanded on this, giving Blink the ability to temporarily stop time when active and added combat mechanics.
While Blink does lack some of the additional features introduced with Far Reach and Displace, its simple nature makes it very intuitive to use and easy to master.
6 Possession
The initial version of Possession was fairly basic, allowing you to disappear into the body of an animal, and could then be upgraded, allowing you to possess humans. Dishonored 2's version allowed players to possess corpses as hiding places and chain Possession from one target to another.
Possession is an incredibly useful power, no matter the level at which it is used. For combative players, they can hide in the bodies of enemies they just slew as they wait for the heat to die down.
5 Shadow Walk
The Dishonored games don't, as of yet, have an invisibility power, but Shadow Walk is as close as they've come. While you can still be spotted if you get too close to an NPC, most won't notice you, even while crossing directly through their line of sight.
You can also instantly kill or incapacitate your foes, with upgraded versions of Shadow Walk allowing players to do so multiple times. No matter the playstyle you choose, Shadow Walk will be helpful.
4 Semblance
This power is the final ability introduced in Death of the Outsider. Using it is similar to Possession or Shadow Walk in that it renders Billie Lurk effectively undetectable by enemies as she steals the face from an NPC and wears it as her own. This can help allay suspicion, as well as give you access to restricted areas.
The ability to practically become another person is game-changing, and players are given plenty of opportunities to use it. There are even sections where impersonating a specific character unlocks special actions.
3 Mesmerize
The Void from the Dishonored world is a strange and terrifying place, although it also happens to be where you draw your powers from. This next entry takes that quite literally. Mesmerize summons a Void spirit into the world that captivates anyone who looks at it. While it can only entrance two NPCs in the beginning, upgrading the power will raise that number to four and extend the duration.
Whether you just need to slip past a few guards or you want to slow down a hectic fight, Mesmerize is exactly what you're looking for. It lasts for a long time, permitting you to get done whatever business you need to attend to, and then vanish, leaving no one the wiser.
2 Bend Time
Arguably the most powerful and impressive skill from the first Dishonored, Bend Time is exactly what it says it is. At its lowest level, the power lets players slow things down for a while, turning you into a speedster. Upgrading it lets you actually stop time to either sneak past a large group of guards or kill everything in your path risk-free.
The possibilities of Bend Time are as endless as time itself. From plucking bullets and bolts out of midair to making precision shots at grenades, there's nothing you can't do when time is your plaything.
1 Domino
Finally, this is the most powerful ability in the Dishonored games, introduced as one of Emily's powers in Dishonored 2. When fully upgraded, Domino sees you linking together up to four different people, making them share each other's fate.
The options here are just as varied as with Bend Time. You can link two characters right before one of them kills the other to enact poetic justice. Or maybe you'd like to create a Doppelgänger, link your enemies to it, and then kill your own copy to quickly take out your opponents. Whatever convoluted scheme you have planned, Domino can make it work.