Overview
Spirit cultivation is the process of developing your spirits to their full competitive potential in Roco Kingdom: World. Raw level alone is not enough to succeed in high-level combat; trainers must also optimize natures, individual values (IVs), effort values (EVs), bloodlines, species traits, and awakenings to get the most out of every spirit on their team.
Cultivation starts the moment you catch or hatch a spirit and continues well beyond the level cap. Early on, simply gaining experience and evolving your spirits is the primary focus. In the mid-game, effort values and bloodline selection become available, offering meaningful stat customization. At the endgame, awakening and type extremization push your spirits to peak performance. This article walks through each system in the order you will typically encounter them.
Evolution System
Most spirits in Roco Kingdom: World evolve through three distinct phases: Phase I (base form), Phase II (first evolution), and the Final Form (second evolution). Evolution is triggered by reaching a specific level threshold and does not require any special items unless otherwise noted in a spirit's entry.
Evolution Milestones
Stage | Level Required | What Changes |
|---|---|---|
Phase I to Phase II | Level 16 | Significant stat increases across all categories; appearance changes; may learn a new move |
Phase II to Final Form | Level 32 | Major stat boost; final appearance; unlocks full move pool; may gain a new species trait |
After each evolution, the game presents a stat comparison screen showing exactly how much each stat improved. Take note of these changes, as they can inform your EV investment decisions later. For example, if a spirit's Attack stat jumps sharply at evolution but its Special Attack barely moves, that is a strong signal to invest EVs into Attack rather than Special Attack.
Move Management After Evolution
Evolution may unlock new moves or alter existing ones. After evolving, visit the spirit's move summary screen to review the full move pool. If you want to replace a current move with a newly available one, you will need a Skill Stone. Skill Stones are relatively rare resources, so plan move replacements carefully. You do not want to consume a Skill Stone only to realize the replaced move was needed for a specific matchup.
Effort Values (努力値)
Effort values (EVs) are a stat customization layer that allows you to fine-tune your spirit's strengths. Each individual stat (HP, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, Speed) can hold between 0 and 255 EVs, and the combined total across all six stats is capped at 510. This means you can max out two stats completely (255 + 255 = 510) or spread your investment across several stats at the cost of peak performance in any one area.
EVs are earned primarily through consuming fruit items. Different fruit types grant EVs in different stats. This is mainly a mid-to-late game system; early on, you will not have access to enough fruit to make meaningful investments. Once you do begin training EVs, think about your spirit's role on the team. A physical sweeper benefits most from maxing Attack and Speed, while a defensive wall should prioritize HP and Defense (or Special Defense, depending on the threats it needs to check).
Stat | Recommended Role | EV Spread Example |
|---|---|---|
Attack + Speed | Physical sweeper | 255 Attack / 255 Speed |
Special Attack + Speed | Special sweeper | 255 Sp. Atk / 255 Speed |
HP + Defense | Physical wall | 255 HP / 255 Defense |
HP + Special Defense | Special wall | 255 HP / 255 Sp. Def |
HP + Speed | Utility / support | 252 HP / 252 Speed / 6 Def |
Resetting EVs is possible but costly, so it is best to plan your distribution before you start feeding fruit. If you are unsure what spread to use, the two-stat max approach (255/255) is almost always safe for offensive spirits.
Bloodline System (血脉)
Every spirit carries a bloodline, an innate property that influences its abilities in combat. There are four distinct bloodline categories, each offering a different strategic benefit.
Bloodline Type | Effect | Strategic Use |
|---|---|---|
Leader Bloodline | Enables evolution cooperation magic, allowing the spirit to trigger special combo effects during evolution sequences | Best for spirits that serve as the centerpiece of your team and evolve during key story battles |
System Bloodline | Grants type-specific abilities that enhance moves matching the spirit's element type | Ideal for spirits with a strong same-type attack bonus (STAB) strategy, amplifying their primary damage output |
Corrupted Bloodline | Initially dormant; once purified through a special process, the spirit gains access to uncommon skills not normally in its move pool | Valuable for coverage: a Fire-type spirit with a purified Corrupted Bloodline might learn an Ice move to handle its Dragon weakness |
Anomalous Bloodline | Allows the spirit to permanently retain one foreign skill from another spirit, learned through a special interaction | Enables creative tech options by grafting a single unexpected move onto a spirit, catching opponents off-guard in PvP |
Modifying Bloodlines
You can change a spirit's bloodline using Bloodline Secret Medicine. The modification costs:
1 Bloodline Medicine (primary reagent)
10 Spirit Shards (gathered from releasing duplicate spirits)
30,000 Roco Coins (the main in-game currency)
Because the cost is relatively steep, especially the Spirit Shards, plan bloodline modifications carefully. Switching a spirit's bloodline resets any progress tied to the previous bloodline, so only commit to a change when you are certain the new bloodline better fits your team strategy.
Species Traits (特性)
Each spirit possesses an innate species trait: a passive ability that is always active in battle. Traits are tied to the spirit's species and cannot be changed through normal means. They range from simple stat adjustments to complex conditional effects that can reshape how a spirit is used entirely.
Spirit | Trait Name | Effect |
|---|---|---|
Crystal Snail | Crystal Shell | Takes reduced damage from moves that match its own equipped skill type |
Sonic Dog | First Strike | Deals 100% bonus damage on the first turn it is on the field |
Species traits are one of the main reasons certain spirits stand out in competitive play. A spirit with average base stats but an exceptional trait can outperform a statistically superior spirit that has a mediocre trait. When evaluating a new spirit for your team, always check its trait first. If the trait does not synergize with the spirit's role or your team strategy, it may not be worth the investment to cultivate.
Spirit Awakening (觉醒)
Awakening is the endgame cultivation system, available once a spirit reaches level 60 and has achieved 5-star growth (the maximum growth rating). Awakening pushes a spirit beyond its normal stat ceiling and unlocks powerful new effects.
Each spirit can undergo up to 5 awakenings. Each awakening consumes Soul Ring Marks (灵魂环印), a rare material obtained from high-level content. The awakenings are sequential: you must complete the first before attempting the second, and so on.
Awakening Abilities
Awakening unlocks special abilities that are not available through normal leveling or evolution. Two of the most impactful categories are:
Type Extremization: Maximizes the spirit's same-type attack bonus, making its primary element moves hit significantly harder. This is the go-to choice for spirits that rely on raw damage output.
Type Dulling: Reduces the damage the spirit takes from types it is normally weak to. This is invaluable for spirits that fill defensive roles or need to survive hits from common offensive types in the meta.
Choosing between Type Extremization and Type Dulling depends on the spirit's role. Offensive sweepers almost always prefer Extremization, while walls and pivot spirits often benefit more from Dulling. Some spirits with balanced stat lines can viably use either option depending on team needs.
Nature Modification
A spirit's nature determines which stats receive a 10% bonus and which take a 10% penalty. While natures are assigned when a spirit is first obtained, two items allow you to modify how those stat effects apply.
Broken Magic Mirror (残缺魔镜)
The Broken Magic Mirror removes the nature's negative stat penalty while preserving the positive bonus. This effectively turns any nature into a pure stat gain, which is invaluable for competitive builds.
Cost: 15 Wish Stars + 200,000 Locke Coins.
Source: Crafted through Alchemy.
Limit: One craft per week. Save these for your most important spirits.
Mirror Frame (镜面相框)
The Mirror Frame removes both the positive and negative stat effects of a nature, making the spirit behave as if it had a neutral nature. This is a niche option for spirits that need perfectly balanced stats.
Source: Available from the shop in the Spirit Cultivation Advancement Pack.
For a complete list of all 25 natures and their stat modifiers, as well as recommended natures for each combat role, see the full Natures article.
Key Resources
Spirit cultivation relies on a variety of resources, each tied to a specific aspect of development. Below is a reference table of the most important materials and their uses.
Resource | Primary Use | How to Obtain |
|---|---|---|
Roco Coins | Main currency used for bloodline modification, item purchases, and most cultivation processes | Quests, wild encounters, daily tasks, selling items |
Experience Fruits | Grant EXP directly to a spirit, speeding up leveling | Story rewards, exploration, daily login bonuses |
Stat Fruits | Add effort values (EVs) to a specific stat | Fruit gardens, event rewards, shop purchases |
Skill Stones | Allow a spirit to replace one of its current moves with another from its move pool | Boss drops, rare exploration finds, event shops |
Spirit Shards | Used in bloodline modification and other advanced cultivation recipes | Releasing duplicate spirits |
Prism Balls | Used to capture wild spirits in the overworld | Shops, quest rewards, exploration chests |
Magic Dust | Crafting ingredient for consumables and cultivation materials | Disassembling unwanted items, dungeon rewards |
Soul Ring Marks (灵魂环印) | Required for each awakening stage (up to 5) | High-level dungeons, weekly boss challenges, ranked PvP rewards |
Ability Keys | Improve individual values (IVs) on a specific stat, raising the spirit's innate potential | Rare event rewards, endgame content |
Bloodline Medicine | Primary reagent for changing a spirit's bloodline type | Crafting, boss drops, limited event shops |
Cultivation Roadmap
Below is a recommended order for cultivating your spirits from fresh catch to fully optimized competitive form.
Level to 16 and evolve to Phase II. Note stat changes and decide on a role (attacker, wall, support).
Level to 32 and evolve to Final Form. Review the full move pool and plan which four moves to keep.
Invest EVs using stat fruits. Focus on two stats that match the spirit's intended role (e.g., Attack + Speed for a physical sweeper).
Select or modify the bloodline to complement the spirit's role and your overall team strategy.
Replace moves using Skill Stones if needed. Prioritize coverage moves that handle the spirit's worst matchups.
Reach level 60 and 5-star growth to unlock awakening eligibility.
Awaken using Soul Ring Marks. Choose Type Extremization for attackers or Type Dulling for defenders.
Improve IVs with Ability Keys to squeeze out the last few stat points.
For information on hatching and breeding spirits, which can produce offspring with favorable natures and IVs, see the dedicated breeding guide.