Each Hero recruited can spend skill points in three different areas:
- Generic (Universal) Skills
- Unique Class Skills
- Unique Racial Skills
Skills may provide bonuses depending on if the Hero is assigned to a Fleet, assigned to a System/Planet, or has been elected a leadership position in your empire's Senate.
Heroes also start with two innate skills - one related to a Fleet and the other to a System/Planet. These skills are usually unique to each individual hero (although there are some duplicates). They cannot be further leveled up. These sometimes mimic skills present on the core skill tree, allowing you to boost a certain stat in a way that's otherwise unavailable in the game (for example, the UC hero, Miredo Sharp, has an innate skill boosting "Free Movement" speed, equivalent to a single point invested in the "Enhanced Astronavigation" generic skill. If you put two points in Enhanced Astronavigation, the end result is a hero that effectively has 3 points in that skill, which allows ships to move very rapidly across open space - which is a very unique asset.
These unique skills are documented on the following page, which lists all of the heroes in the game: Heroes List
Many skills can have two points invested in them, which often doubles the bonus given by the skill. The value given by the upgraded version of the skill is listed in parentheses, after the value given by a single point. I.e: +1 (+2). These "second points" don't always strictly double the value, and sometimes they introduce entirely new bonuses, like the 
Approval bonus given by "Clerical Corrections", which only exists on the second level of the skill.
Every Hero has skills in 4 Tiers, every tier after the 1st requires to have 4 points unlocked to reach the next tier skillset to be unlocked, result in 4/8/12 skill points for T2/T3/T4, respectively.
Universal Skills[]
| Tier | Title | Assignment Type | Bonuses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Optimal Operations Expert | System | +1 (+2)  Industry per Population on Planets +1 (+2)  Food per Population on Planets
|
| Cosmic Castaway | Fleet | +4 (+8) Experience per turn on Fleet +1 (+2) Vision range on Fleet | |
| 2 | Transformational Leadership | System | +10 (+20) Approval on System
|
| Conscription Genius | Senate System |
On Senate (if political leader): +25%  Manpower on Empire On System: | |
| 3 | Dust Catalyzation | Hero System |
-25% (-50%) Assignment duration -25% (-50%)  Upkeep on Hero
|
| Bespoke Arms | Fleet | +80% Damage on Hero Ship | |
| 4 | Transcendental Outlook | Hero Fleet |
On Hero: -10% Upkeep on Hero On Fleet: |
Class Skills[]
| Class | Tier | Title | Assignment Type | Bonuses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Seeker | 1 | Enhanced Astronavigation | Fleet | +1 (+2) Vision on Fleet x1.5 (x2) Free Movement (Warp) on Fleet |
| Blue Sky Speculator | System | +15 (+30)  Science on System
| |||
| 2 | Post-Relativistic Targeting | Fleet | +10% (+20%) Damage on Fleet | ||
| Startrekking Instruction | Senate Fleet |
On Senate: +1  Movement on Fleets +1 Maximum Probe stock on Hero Ship On Fleet: | |||
| Personal Militia | System | +1 (+2)  Influence per Population on Planets +10% (+20%) Defending troops Health on System | |||
| 3 | Shield of the Lost | Fleet | +40% (+80%) Shield absorption on Hero Ship | ||
| 4 | Red Tape Scyther | Hero | Hero can be assigned when Fleet is outside friendly territory -25% Assignment duration on Hero | ||
|
Guardian | 1 | By The Book | Fleet | +10% (+20%) Fleet Health on Fleet |
| Efficiency Aficionado | System | +5 (+10) Industry on System +5 (+10) Industry per Hot on System
| |||
| 2 | Papers Please | Senate Fleet |
On Senate: -50% Hostile Treaty cost on Empire -50% Peaceful Treaty Cost on Empire On Fleet: | ||
| 3 | Post-Relativistic Targeting | Fleet | +20% (+40%) Damage on Fleet | ||
| Iron Discipline | Fleet | +20% (+40%) Hull Plating Absorption on Fleet | |||
| Vox Populi | System | +15% (+30%) Industry on System
| |||
| 4 | Battlefield Grandmaster | Fleet | +33% Shield capacity on Fleet +25% Damage on Fleet "Bigger is Better" Battle Tactic available | ||
|
Overseer | 1 | Papers Please | Fleet | +20% (+40%) Manpower Refill Rate on Fleet |
| Farming Logistics | System | +10 (+20) Food per Fertile on System +10 (+20) Food on System
| |||
| 2 | Clerical Corrections | Senate System |
On Senate: +0.5 Deposit Value on Resource deposits On System: | ||
| Efficiency Aficionado | System | +10 (+20) Industry per Hot on System +10 (+20) Industry on System
| |||
| 3 | Prescient Guide | Fleet | +2 Movement on Fleet +30% Shield capacity on Fleet | ||
| Crowd Controller | System | -20% (-40%)  Overcolonization Disapproval on System -20% (-40%) Overpopulation Penalty on System | |||
| 4 | Bean Counter | System | +16%  Dust on System +16% Food on System +16% Industry on System
| ||
|
Counselor | 1 | Post-Relativistic Targeting | Fleet | +5% (+10%) Damage on Fleet |
| Person of Means | System | +5 (+10) Dust per Sterile on System +5 (+10) Dust on System
| |||
| 2 | Public Relations Expert | Senate System |
On Senate: +50 Influence per Trading Company on Empire On System: | ||
| Non-Liquid Assets | Fleet | +10% (+20%) Hull Plating Absorption on Fleet +10% (+20%) Fleet Health on Fleet | |||
| 2 | Blue Sky Speculator | System | +30 (+60) Science on System
| ||
| 3 | Sensitive Systems | Fleet | +4 (+8) Vision range on Fleet -20 (-40%) Upkeep on Fleet
| ||
| 4 | The Joy Initiative | System | System Approval is set to Ecstatic -20% Upkeep on System
| ||
Racial Skills[]
| Race | Tier | Title | Assignment Type | Bonuses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
United Empire | 1 | Rousing Orator | System | +1 (+2) Influence per Population on Planets
|
| Protective Formations | Fleet | +10% (+20%) Shield Absorption on Fleet | |||
| 2 | Pioneering Spirit | System | +10 (+20) Industry per Sterile on System +10 (+20) Industry on System
| ||
| Blood and Land | System | +20% (+40%)  Manpower Capacity on System
| |||
| 3 | Prospector's Touch | System | +2 Deposit Value on Strategic Resource Deposits | ||
| Military Spine | Fleet | +1.5% (+2%) Damage per  CP on Fleet
| |||
| 4 | Titan of Industry | Senate
System |
On Senate: +0.5% Industry per Hero level on Systems On System: | ||
|
Sophons | 1 | Galactic Sense | Fleet | +1 (+2) Vision on Fleet +1 (+2) Movement on Fleet
|
| Peer Review | System | +10 Science on System (+2 Science per Hero level on System)
| |||
| 2 | The Burning Light | Fleet | +20% (+40%) Energy weapon Damage on Fleet | ||
| 3 | Slim Probe Model | Fleet | +2 (+4) Maximum Probe stock on Exploration ships +20% (+40%) Shield Capacity on Fleet | ||
| Celestial Mechanics | Fleet | +6 Movement on Fleet
| |||
| Applied Nonconformist | Senate
System |
On Senate: +5 Approval on Empire On System: | |||
| 4 | Geniocrat | System | +60% Science on System
| ||
|
Horatio | 1 | Horatic Curiosity | Fleet | +1 Movement on Fleet +20% Vision range on Fleet |
| 1 | Clone Wares | System | +5 (+10) Approval on System +5% (+10%) Food on System
| ||
| 2 | Lucky Windfall | System | +10% (+20%) Influence on System
| ||
| 3 | Protective Formations | Fleet | +40% (+80%) Shield absorption on Fleet | ||
| 3 | Vanity Markets | System | +2 (+4) Deposit Value on Luxury Resource Deposit | ||
| 3 | Fecund Markets | System | +4 (+8) Food per Original Empire Population on System +4 (+8) Food per Population on System
| ||
| 4 | Restricted Supplier | Senate System |
On Senate: +33% Deposit Value on Luxury Resource Deposit On System: | ||
|
Cravers | 1 | Forced Labor | System | +10 (+20) Food per Planet on System +5 (+10) Industry on System
|
| Blunt Force Trauma | Fleet | +10% (+20%) Projectile weapon Damage on Fleet | |||
| 2 | Lucky Windfall | System | +10% Influence on System
| ||
| Deep Space Adaptation | Fleet | +1 (+2) Maximum Probe stock on Exploration ships +10% (+20%) Fleet Health on Fleet | |||
| 3 | Tunneling Defense | Senate System |
On Senate: +10% Defending troops health on Systems On System: | ||
| Blood Scent | Fleet | +40% Hull Plating Penetration on Fleet | |||
| 4 | Endless Consumption | System | +8 Depletion Points per turn on Planets +2  FIDS on Planets +200% FIDSI on Undepleted planets
| ||
|
Riftborn | 1 | Inundation of Dust | System | +5% (+10%) Dust on System
|
| Mechanical Genius | System | +15 (+30) Industry on System
| |||
| 2 | Arcane Knowledge | System | +20 Science per Anomalies on Colonized Planet on System +20 Science
| ||
| Defensive AI Integration | Fleet | +20% Shield capacity on Fleet | |||
| 3 | Peer Review | System | +40 (+80) Science on System +4 (+8) Science per Hero level on System
| ||
| Red Zone Overkill | Fleet | +40% (+80%) Shield penetration on Fleet | |||
| 4 | Tech Hubs | Senate System |
On Senate: +10 Industry per Anomalies on Colonized Planet on Systems On System: | ||
|
Lumeris | 1 | Omokar Industrial Operations | Fleet | +5% (10%) Shield capacity on Fleet +5% (10%) Fleet Health on Fleet |
| Meos Family Favor | System | +5 (+10) Dust per Planet on System +5 (+10) Dust on System
| |||
| 2 | Lucky Windfall | Senate System |
On Senate: +10% Star System Trade Value on Systems On System: | ||
| 3 | Fleet Black Market | Fleet | +50% (+100%) Probe recovery rate on  Exploration ships -20% (-40%) Upkeep on Fleet
| ||
| Destination Marketing | System | +40 (+80) Dust on System +20 (+40) Influence on System
| |||
| Personal Networking | System | +3 (+6) Industry per Population on System
| |||
| 4 | Lumerican Monopoly | System | +40% Industry from Trade Route incomes on System +40% Food from Trade Route incomes on System
| ||
|
Unfallen | 1 | Steaming Fertilizer Tricks | System | +7% (+15%) Food on System
|
| Legendary Authority | Fleet | +1% Fleet Health per current CP on Fleet
| |||
| 2 | Common Touch | System | +10 (+20) Influence on System +2 (+4) Influence per Hero level on System
| ||
| Protective Formations | Fleet | +20% (+40%) Shield Absorption on Fleet | |||
| 3 | Fecund Gardens | System | +4 (+8) Food per Original Empire Population on Planets +4 (+8) Food per Population on Planets
| ||
| Rousing Orator | System | +2 (+4) Influence per Population on Planets +2 (+4) Influence per Population on Planets where Happy
| |||
| 4 | Symbiotic Repair | Senate Fleet |
On Senate: +5% Health Regeneration ratio on Fleets On Fleet: | ||
|
Vodyani | 1 | Mantle Projection | Hero | +20% (+40%) Shield capacity on Ship |
| Ascetic Sustenance | System | +10 (+20) Food on System +1 (+2) Food per Hero level on System
| |||
| 2 | The Burning Light | Fleet | +20% (+40%) Energy weapon Damage on Fleet | ||
| Inundation of Dust | System | +10% (+20%) Dust on System
| |||
| 3 | Infallible Authority | Senate System |
On Senate: +0.5 FIDSI per Population on Planets On System: | ||
| Celestial Mechanics | Fleet | +6 Movement on Fleet
| |||
| 4 | Righteousness of the Ordained | Hero Fleet |
+80% Damage on Ship +25% Fleet Health on Fleet | ||
|
Vaulters | 1 | Celestial Mechanics | Fleet | +1 (+2) Movement on Fleet
|
| Resource Scrounger | System | +0.5 (+1)  on Empire +0.5 (+1)  on Empire
| |||
| 2 | Geniocrat | System | +15% (+30%) Science on System
| ||
| Overclocked Scanners | Fleet | +6 Vision Range on Fleet | |||
| 3 | Hardened Carapace | Fleet | +120 (+240) Hull Plating Absorption on Fleet | ||
| Native Recruits | System | +500 (+1000) Damage done to attacker during ground battle on system +10% (+25%) Defending troops health | |||
| 4 | Resource Scanning | Senate System |
On Senate: +5% Science per Strategic Deposit on Systems On System: | ||
|
Hissho | 1 | Forced Labour | System | +10 (+20) Food per Planet on System +5 (+10) Industry on System
|
| Grease the Wheels | Fleet | -10% (-20%) Upkeep on Fleet
| |||
| 2 | Inundation of Dust | System | +10% (+20%) Dust on System
| ||
| Red Zone Overkill | Fleet | +20% (+40%) Shield penetration on Fleet | |||
| 3 | Behemoth Secrets | Senate System |
On Senate: +1 Behemoth Production Limit on Empire On System: | ||
| Celestial Mechanics | Fleet | +6 Movement on Fleet
| |||
| 4 | The Book of Five Wings | Fleet | +10% Critical hit chance on Ships +5% Damage per Ship Level on Ships | ||
|
Umbral Choir | 1 | Masterful Feint | Fleet | +10% (+20%) Evasion on Fleet |
| Dark Bandwidth | System | +5 (+10)  Bandwidth on Empire
| |||
| 2 | Overclocked Scanners | Fleet | +3 (+6) Vision range on Fleet | ||
| Vox Populi | System | +5% (+10%) Industry on System
| |||
| 3 | Eagle Eyed | Fleet | Set Fleet Anti-Cloaking Level to 3 on Fleet | ||
| Fast and Furious | Senate System |
On Senate: -10% Bandwidth cost on Hacking Programs On System: | |||
| 4 | Nocturnal Sleepers | System | +1% FIDSI per Sleepers on System
| ||
|
Nakalim | 1 | Prophetic Power | System | +5 (+10) Approval on System +5% (+10%) Food on System
|
| Prophetic Probes | Fleet | +1 (+2) Maximum Probe stock on Exploration ships +20% (+40%) Probe recovery rate on Exploration ships | |||
| 2 | Lucky Windfall | System | +10% (+20%) Influence on System
| ||
| Holy Cause | System | Set minimum to 2 (4) on Planets -20% (-40%) Initial Disapproval on Planets | |||
| Orbital Artillerist | Fleet | +15% (+25%) Siege Damage on Fleet On Hostile Systems Orbited by this Hero: +400 (+800) Offensive Bombardment Damage on System | |||
| 3 | Vision of the Lost | Fleet | Unlocks new fleet action, Divine Sentry: +10 (+20) Fleet Vision on Fleet -50% Consumes all Movement while Active | ||
| 4 | Prophetic Production | Senate System |
On Senate: +25% Hero Unlock points on Empire +25% recovery rate from assignment on Heroes On System: +5% FIDSI per Empires in Alliance
| ||
|
Eusocials | 1 | Hive Mind | System | +1 (+2) Approval per Population on System
|
| Hardened Carapace | Fleet | +30 (+60) Hull Plating absorption on Fleet | |||
| 2 | Forced Labor | System | +20 (+40) Food per Planet on System +10 (+20) Industry on System
| ||
| Zero Tolerance | System | +1% (+2%) Defending troops health per Population on System
| |||
| 3 | Rousing Orator | Senate System |
On Senate: -50% Election Action cost on Senate On System: | ||
| Ultra Houseproud | System | -40% Upkeep on System
| |||
| 4 | Legendary Authority | Fleet | +2% Fleet Health per current CP on Fleet
| ||
|
Technologists | 1 | Overclocked Scanners | Fleet | +3 (+6) Vision range on Fleet |
| Blood Scent | Fleet | +10% (+20%) Hull Plating Penetration on Fleet | |||
| 2 | Mantle Projection | Hero | +40% (+80%) Shield capacity on Ship | ||
| 3 | Expedition Management | System | +40 (+80) Science per Cold on System +40 (+80) Science on System
| ||
| Geniocrat | System | +30% Science on System
| |||
| Defensive AI Integration | Fleet | +25% (+50%) Shield capacity on Fleet | |||
| 4 | Red Zone Overkill | Senate Fleet |
On Senate: +10% Shield Penetration on Fleets On Fleet: | ||
|
Scavengers | 1 | Common Touch | System | +5 (+10) Influence on System +1 (+2) Influence per Hero level on System
|
| 2 | Fleet Black Market | Fleet | +50% Probe recovery rate on Exploration ships (-20% Upkeep on Fleet)
| ||
| Blood Scent | Fleet | +20% (+40%) Hull Plating Penetration on Fleet | |||
| 3 | Steaming Fertilizer Tricks | System | +30% (+60%) Food on System
| ||
| Scrapyard Economics | Senate System |
On Senate: -5% Ship Industry cost on Systems On System: | |||
| Patchwork Defenses | Fleet | +40 (+80) Hull Plating absorption on Fleet +10% (+20%) Fleet Health on Fleet | |||
| 4 | Renegade Master | System | +5 Approval per Foreign Population on System +2 FIDS per Foreign Population on System
| ||
|
Primitives | 1 | Fecund Gardens | System | +1 (+2) Food per Original Empire Population on Planets +1 (+2) Food per Population on Planets
|
| Military Spine | Fleet | +0.5% (+1%) Damage per CP on Fleet
| |||
| 2 | Ascetic Sustenance | System | +10 (+40) Food on System +1 (+4) per Hero level on System
| ||
| Mechanical Genius | System | +30 Industry on System
| |||
| 3 | Blood and Land | System | +40% (+80%) Manpower Capacity on System
| ||
| Authoritarian Leadership | Fleet | +25% (+50%) Manpower maximum stock on Ships +10% (+20%) Siege Damage on Fleet | |||
| 4 | Personal Networking | Senate System |
On Senate: +1 Industry per Population on Planets On System: | ||
|
Virtual Endless | 1 | Galactic Sense | Fleet | +1 (+2) Vision Range on Fleet +1 (+2) Movement on Fleet
|
| Arcane Knowledge | System | +5 (+10) Science per Anomalies on Colonized Planet +5 (+10) Science on System
| |||
| 2 | Defensive AI Integration | Fleet | +10% Shield Capacity on Fleet | ||
| Grease the Wheels | Fleet | -20% (-40%) Upkeep on Fleet
| |||
| 3 | Chrono Ordinance | Fleet | +20% (+40%) Shield Penetration on Fleet | ||
| 4 | Endless Charisma | Fleet | +40% Manpower refill rate on Fleet +40% Manpower Capacity on Fleet
| ||