Quick answer: Resonance Talisman ranks first, Talisman of Despair second and Ultimate Talisman third. Mother’s Talisman, Shieldbreaker Talisman, Livingwood Talisman and Congeal Talisman follow in that order.
How these talismans are ranked
Phantom Blade Zero has seven accessories with Talisman in the name: Resonance Talisman, Talisman of Despair, Ultimate Talisman, Mother’s Talisman, Shieldbreaker Talisman, Livingwood Talisman and Congeal Talisman. None of them gets a dedicated slot. They use the same accessory slots as every other accessory, so each talisman you equip pushes something else out.
Talismans that work in every fight with no condition rank highest. The ones with the biggest numbers come next. Talismans that only help against certain enemies or status effects come last. Each entry below lists the card effect, the value after one polish, and where to find it.
1. Resonance Talisman
Resonance Talisman is a Support accessory whose card reads “Increases Sha-Chi by 15%.” One polish turns it into Resonance Talisman+1 for 8,096 Remnant Dust, and the card then reads “Increases Sha-Chi by 25%.” It has no condition attached. More Sha-Chi means more Sha-Chi Combos and more weapon arts that spend Sha-Chi, so it pulls its weight in every fight and can stay equipped the whole way through.
You can get it early. Defeat Bai Chilian beyond the Threadbound Great Tree bell in Crimson Forest, and the talisman is your reward.
2. Talisman of Despair
Talisman of Despair is an Offensive accessory, and its card reads “The next attack gains up to 25% damage over 4 seconds. Hitting an enemy resets the effect.” A polish raises the bonus to 35% for 28,800 Remnant Dust, the largest damage number on any talisman. Because every hit wipes the build-up, it pays you for holding back, waiting for an opening, and landing one heavy blow.
Song Xiaowu hands it to Soul if you open his cage while he is still alive. The cage sits about 69 m from the Iron Butcher’s Camp bell in the Mountain of Imprisonment.
3. Ultimate Talisman
Ultimate Talisman is an Offensive accessory that makes Power Surge deal 20% more damage to Guard Broken enemies, rising to 30% after one polish for 35,200 Remnant Dust plus a Tainted Crystal Shard. The bonus only lands when Soul breaks a guard and follows with Power Surge, so it belongs in builds that lean on Guard Break.
It is the reward for the side quest Don’t Forget Me, which starts with Yu Ling on the inn roof in Pangzhen near the Marketplace bell. You can miss it. In the Mountain of Imprisonment, open Zhou Ping’s cage and talk to him before you pick up the Tiger-Head Switch item, or he gives no letter and the quest ends without the talisman.
4. Mother’s Talisman
Mother’s Talisman restores 10% HP when Soul is Guard-Broken, and 20% after one polish for 9,152 Remnant Dust. A broken guard is when Soul is most exposed, so it works as a safety net if you block a lot.
The Village Auntie drops it in the shrine hall in the Village of Lu during the quest A Dream of Motherhood.
5. Shieldbreaker Talisman
Shieldbreaker Talisman adds 50% damage against Shield Durability and cuts damage taken from Spiked Shields by 30%. One polish doubles both, to 100% and 60%, for 6,624 Remnant Dust, the cheapest polish of the seven. Swap it in for areas packed with shield carriers rather than wearing it everywhere.
Look for it in a chest in Crimson Forest near the Abandoned Main Road bell.
6. Livingwood Talisman
Livingwood Talisman lets Bleed and life-draining effects work at 50% against Puppets and Golden Bodies, which Bleed does not affect otherwise. The polished version pushes that to 70% for 21,824 Remnant Dust. It only matters if you run a Bleed build and keep meeting Puppets and Golden Bodies.
It sits in a red and gold chest in a storeroom beneath the bandit courtyard at Statue Grounds in the Village of Lu. Start at the Smuggler’s Treasure Cellar bell and reach the storeroom by a rope and a ladder.
7. Congeal Talisman
Congeal Talisman lowers Soul’s chance of Bleeding and the Bleed Gauge buildup rate by 50%, or by 80% after one polish for 10,560 Remnant Dust. It does nothing for offense and only earns a slot against enemies that cause Bleeding.
Find it in a chest in Pangzhen near the Narrow Alley Residence 2nd Floor bell.
Preservation Jar, the talisman made from fragments
Two Preservation Talisman fragments lie in the Butcher’s camps in Crimson Forest near the Outlaw Trap bell. Once the first is in your bag, picking up the second combines them into the Preservation Jar.
The Preservation Jar card reads “Reduces poison damage taken by 50%”. One polish at Jewel lifts it to 80% for 1 Tainted Crystal Shard and 8,096 Remnant Dust, after which the card shows Max Polish Reached. Treat it like Congeal Talisman and swap it in for poison-heavy areas.
Polishing talismans and freeing accessory slots
Polishing happens at Jewel in the Village of Lu and costs Remnant Dust plus a Tainted Crystal Shard. Quick Hand Zhang sells the shard for 7,440 Remnant Dust. A polish raises the number on the card and leaves the rest of the effect unchanged.
Two accessory slots are open from the start, and you open more by training Boundless Capacity with Remnant Dust. While you only have two, the simplest pairing is Resonance Talisman plus one damage or survival accessory from the best accessories.
