Bloodborne - Understanding Insight, How to Farm and Where to Use

Insight is a special kind of currency/stat in Bloodborne that is gained in limited numbers by performing certain key tasks in the game. Though its value seems enigmatic at start, towards the later stages of the game Insight can offer quite a few useful things.

Understanding Insight, How to Farm

Technically and lore-wise, Insight is the amount of inhuman knowledge you have, and is gained by exploring the game in several ways. Functionally, Insight is extremely important if you want to summon players into your world, or to go in theirs (either for invasion or co-op).

For this reason, Insight immediately becomes a very important stat for those looking for some help defeating certain tough bosses in the game, or for going through an immensely difficult part of a certain area (it happens to all of us).

For more help on Bloodborne, read our Caryll Runes Locations Guide, Blood Gems Locations Guide and Key Items Locations Guide.

Gaining Insight
The following are various ways that you can acquire Insight:

• Insight is gained by entering Boss arenas (+1)
• Insight is gained by beating bosses (+3)
• Insight is gained by consuming a Madman’s Skull (+1)
• Insight is gained in Cathedral Ward by being grabbed by the Lesser Amygdala. (+1)
• Insight is gained by defeating bosses as a summoned guest in multiplayer. (+1)
• Insight is gained by sending quest NPCs to the safe haven at Iosefka’s Clinic.
• Insight is gained by successfully killing another player using the Sinister Bell (+1)
• Insight is gained by interacting with Master Willem. (+2)
• Insight is gained by using One third of Umbilical Cord.

Losing Insight
In addition to gaining Insight, it is also highly possible to lose Insight in the game.

• Dying after invading via the Sinister Bell (-1)
• Insight is consumed to use the Beckoning Bell (-1)
• Certain enemies can steal Insight from you.
• You can spend Insight on equipment at the Messengers after reaching 10 points.

Farming Insight
As you may have noticed from the ‘Gaining Insight’ section, the optimum way to actually gain lots of Insight is to invade players or to help them through co-op. You can also acquire Madman’s Knowledge from all over the world. The sewers (Yharnam Aqueducts) tend to have enemies that drop a lot of Insight.

Effect of Insight
Having lots of Insight has several effects to your game. The most obvious is the first one, which is the activation of the Plain Doll in Hunter’s Dream, which is the sole source of leveling up in the game.

You need exactly 1 Insight to start leveling, and you usually acquire it when you fight the Cleric Beast. Additionally, each point of Insight will reduce your Beasthood stat, and spending Insight will increase it.

Insight also seems to make the game more difficult; certain enemies will gain additional abilities after you exceed 20 Insight, which will make them much more unpredictable and much harder to kill.

At 40 Insight, the Lesser Amygdala in the Cathedral Ward become visible as well.

Purchasing Items with Insight
The most common use of Insight will be as a secondary currency to Blood Echoes.

Insight can be used as currency for purchasing things from the Insight Bath Messengers, who are only available once you have accumulated 10 Insight.

The following items can be purchased for Insight from these Messengers:

Pungent Blood Cocktail
A mature blood cocktail, thrown to attract beasts.

Small Resonant Bell
Join another player’s game, becoming a guest.

Sinister Resonant Bell
Used to invade another Hunter’s world.

Fire Paper
Coat weapon in fire.

Bolt Paper
Coat weapon in lightning.