Superpowers skill
Use Superpowers to plan a code change, write tests and review the result. Installation notes below cover Claude Code and Cursor. The full workflow in Claude chat has not been verified here.
Documentation checked on October 26, 2026. We have not run these plugin installations. Copying the skill folders alone does not install the plugin’s hooks.
A Premium skill. Premium opens soon.
- By
- Jesse Vincent (obra)
- Licence
- MIT
- Install notes for
- 2 apps
What Superpowers makes
Superpowers is a bundle of 15 skills that teach a coding agent to work like a careful engineer. Instead of jumping straight into code, the agent asks what you really want, writes a plan, tests as it goes, and checks its own work before it says it is finished.
The using-superpowers skill tells the agent to look for relevant skills before work begins. Automatic startup also depends on the host and its installation. Our curated snapshot contains the skills folder; the author’s plugin adds integration files that are not included in that folder.
Best for: People who let an AI agent write code and want it to slow down, plan and prove its work.
- brainstorming: asks you open questions first so the agent builds what you actually meant, not what it guessed.
- writing-plans: turns a spec into a step by step plan before any code is touched.
- test-driven-development: write a failing test first, then the smallest code that passes.
- systematic-debugging: find the root cause of a bug before proposing a fix.
- verification-before-completion: run the checks and show the evidence before claiming work is done.
Example prompts
Type something like this once the skill is added. Your app opens the skill when the request matches.
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I want to add a login page to my app. Let us brainstorm what it needs before you write anything.
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Write a plan for moving my site from one hosting provider to another, then follow it step by step.
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This test keeps failing and I do not know why. Find the real cause before changing code.
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Review the changes you just made against the original plan and tell me what is missing.
What’s inside
75 files in this pack, with its MIT licence kept inside. 7 are program files your agent can run. Read them before you install.
- brainstorming/ 8 files
- diagnosing-superpowers/ 20 files
- dispatching-parallel-agents/ 1 files
- executing-plans/ 3 files
- finishing-a-development-branch/ 1 files
- receiving-code-review/ 1 files
- requesting-code-review/ 2 files
- subagent-driven-development/ 7 files
- systematic-debugging/ 11 files
- test-driven-development/ 2 files
- using-git-worktrees/ 1 files
- using-superpowers/ 8 files
- verification-before-completion/ 1 files
- writing-plans/ 1 files
- and 2 more
Skills in this pack
- brainstorming
- diagnosing-superpowers
- dispatching-parallel-agents
- executing-plans
- finishing-a-development-branch
- receiving-code-review
- requesting-code-review
- subagent-driven-development
- systematic-debugging
- test-driven-development
- using-git-worktrees
- using-superpowers
- verification-before-completion
- writing-plans
- writing-skills
Choose an installation route
This review covers Claude Code and local Cursor. Other apps have not been checked here. Claude chat uploads do not establish support for project tools, plugin hooks or engine execution.
How to add Superpowers to your app
These routes install from the author. Downloads from Best Agent Skills are not open yet. A plugin installation may include files and hooks beyond our curated snapshot.
Claude Codeby Anthropic
- 1 Open Claude Code in the project you want to work on. In its chat, install Superpowers from the official plugin marketplace:
/plugin install superpowers@claude-plugins-official - 2 Review any plugin or hook permissions Claude Code requests. Start a fresh session after installation.
- 3 Ask Superpowers to brainstorm a small code change before editing. Check the plan and actual test output; an installation message alone does not prove the workflow ran.
This is the author’s documented plugin route, not a tested installation here. Code changes need project access, Git and the project’s test tools. Parallel work also depends on the host’s agent tools. Our curated snapshot contains skill folders, not the full plugin.
Cursor
- 1 Open Agent chat in Cursor and add the Superpowers plugin:
/add-plugin superpowers - 2 Alternatively, search the plugin marketplace for Superpowers. Review the installation and start a fresh Agent chat.
- 3 Ask it to brainstorm one small project change. Inspect the resulting plan, file changes and tests before keeping the workflow enabled.
The author documents this Cursor route; we have not installed or run it here. Git, project dependencies and tools still need to be available. Cursor’s Run Mode, sandbox and team settings can limit commands or network access.
This skill includes 7 program files. That is normal for skills that build real files, but read them first, and stop if anything asks for passwords or outside downloads.
Questions about Superpowers
Do I have to be a programmer?
Mostly yes. Most members are about building software. The brainstorming skill is the exception: it also works for non-software plans such as a talk or a renovation.
What is inside the pack?
15 skills: brainstorming, writing-plans, executing-plans, test-driven-development, systematic-debugging, verification-before-completion, requesting-code-review, receiving-code-review, subagent-driven-development, dispatching-parallel-agents, using-git-worktrees, finishing-a-development-branch, using-superpowers, writing-skills and diagnosing-superpowers.
Which licence is it under?
MIT, by Jesse Vincent. The licence file travels with the download.
Can I use this in Claude chat?
The installation routes reviewed here are for Claude Code and Cursor. We have not verified the full workflow in Claude chat. Uploading instructions does not establish that its project tools, hooks or engine can run there.
Is the Superpowers skill free?
It is a Premium skill on Best Agent Skills. Premium opens soon, with monthly, yearly and lifetime plans on the pricing page.
Who made the Superpowers skill?
Jesse Vincent (obra). We did not write it. Best Agent Skills curates skills like this one, explains them in plain words and shows how to add them to your app. It is shared under the MIT licence (Copyright (c) 2025 Jesse Vincent).
