In Dynasty Warriors 8, skills amplify particular aspects of a character's fighting ability or provide beneficial effects when equipped. They are acquired by achieving specific conditions such as defeating an enemy officer while retaining full health. In the case of ability augmenting skills, they can be upgraded up to 20 points by repeating their requirements precisely over and over. The chances of upgrading a skill are determined by difficulty level. Up to four can be equipped at a time, though players can alternate between different skills right in the middle of a battle.