Owlboy Twig Upgrade: How to Unlock Twig's Spectral Cloak

What Is the Owlboy Twig Upgrade?

Twig is the sharp-shooting pirate who enters the story during the sky pirate arc and eventually joins Otus as one of his portable gunners. While Geddy and Alphonse pick up upgrades along the way, the Owlboy Twig upgrade is easy to miss — it is called the Spectral Cloak, and it is deliberately locked behind the game's toughest collectible challenge.

This trips up a lot of players. In a popular Owlboy Steam discussion titled "Upgrade for Twig?", one player noted they had already grabbed the scope and the Fire Drive for the other two gunners and could not figure out where Twig's upgrade was hiding. The answers point to a single requirement: collect every Buccanary Coin in the game.

How to Unlock Twig's Spectral Cloak

Once you know the steps, unlocking Twig's upgrade is straightforward, even if the grind is not:

1. Progress until Twig joins your crew. He appears during the sky pirate storyline — encounters with Dirk and Twig are covered in walkthroughs such as Owlboy Walkthrough Gameplay Part 11 - Dirk and Twig.
2. Collect all of the Buccanary Coins. These golden collectibles are scattered across Vellie and the game's dungeons, and there is no shortcut — you need the full set.
3. Return to Buccanary's shop in Vellie. This is the same shop where the earlier gunner upgrades were purchased.
4. Grab the upgrade displayed to the right of Twig. As one helpful player in the Steam thread puts it, "the upgrade to the right of him is the spectral cloak."

If you have the coins and still do not see the upgrade available, double-check your collectible count. The Spectral Cloak only appears as a purchasable item once your Buccanary Coin collection is complete.

Where to Find Buccanary Coins in Owlboy

Buccanary Coins cannot be bought — they only come from exploration. Since Twig's upgrade demands the entire set, keep these tips in mind as you hunt:

• Sweep Vellie thoroughly. The opening hub hides secrets that are easy to fly past, especially before you are actively looking for coins.
• Check suspicious nooks and alcoves. Hidden ledges, side chambers, and off-the-beaten-path corners in dungeons frequently hold a coin or the chest containing one.
• Revisit older areas. Some coins are much easier to reach once you have a fuller roster of gunners and a better feel for Otus's flight.
• Interact with everything. Owlboy rewards curiosity, and a few coins reward players who poke at the environment rather than beelining the story.

If you want a full route, pair your playthrough with a walkthrough video so you can tick off each coin's location as you go.

Twig's Upgrade vs. the Other Character Upgrades

Owlboy gives each of Otus's gunners a personal upgrade, but they are not gated equally. Here is how they stack up:

That ordering explains why players who rush the story find Geddy's and Alphonse's upgrades first and assume Twig was left out. He was not — his upgrade is simply saved for completionists who track down the entire coin set.

Is the Spectral Cloak Worth It?

Honestly? Most players treat the Spectral Cloak as a victory lap rather than a necessity. As one Steam commenter joked in the same discussion thread, "Twig is already amazing, why does he need upgrades?" Twig's rapid arrow attacks are among the strongest tools in your arsenal from the moment he joins, and the core game is fully beatable without ever touching his upgrade.

That said, the Spectral Cloak is worth pursuing if you fall into either of these camps:

• Completionists and achievement hunters who want every collectible and upgrade the game offers.
• Players who love Twig's playstyle and want to squeeze a little extra out of their favorite gunner for the tougher late-game encounters.

Think of it as Owlboy rewarding you for truly exploring its world — the journey to the cloak ends up being more meaningful than the item itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Twig's upgrade in Owlboy?

Twig's upgrade is the Spectral Cloak, his exclusive endgame upgrade. Unlike the scope and Fire Drive for the other gunners, it is only revealed at Buccanary's shop after you collect every Buccanary Coin.

How do you unlock Twig's upgrade?

Collect all of the Buccanary Coins hidden throughout the game, then visit Buccanary's shop in Vellie and purchase the Spectral Cloak — it is the upgrade displayed to the right of Twig, per players in the Steam community discussion.

Do you really need all Buccanary Coins for Twig's upgrade?

Yes. The scope and Fire Drive can be bought earlier with a partial collection, but the Spectral Cloak is explicitly tied to the full coin set, which is why so many players assume Twig has no upgrade at all.

Can you beat Owlboy without Twig's upgrade?

Absolutely. Twig is already a powerful gunner with his default attacks, and the Spectral Cloak is a bonus for completionists rather than a requirement for finishing the story.