Spoiler Warning
Phantom Blade Zero ships with 8 distinct endings, more than Elden Ring's six, and each conclusion reshapes the final cinematic, the post-credits stinger, and the fate of named NPCs across the Kwang-Tsze province. Getting every ending means playing through the campaign at least twice because the Red Wraith decision locks a character into a single path. This walkthrough organizes every conclusion, every prerequisite side quest, and every branch point so completionist players can unlock the full ending roster without missing the trickier routes, while casual runs get the cleanest first ending on their first playthrough.
According to the Phantom Blade Zero on Steam store page, the studio confirmed eight canonical outcomes split between the base game and the New Game Plus-exclusive ending, which makes planning before the final encounter far more important than it looks on the surface.
Understanding The Eight Endings Structure
The ending roster is split into three layers: four base-game conclusions that any first-time player can reach, three branched conclusions gated by specific side quests, and a single NG+ conclusion that requires carrying over specific items. Each ending also has a post-credits flag that affects the epilogue gallery, so the journal records every flag separately.
Base Game Versus New Game Plus Endings
The first playthrough locks players out of exactly one ending: The Phantom Unbound. Every other conclusion is reachable without starting over, although two of them require playing specific side quests in a specific order that is easy to miss. NG+ then adds a second layer to the final encounter by introducing a hidden dialogue option with the Red Wraith that only appears when the Inkwell Pendant is carried over from a prior save.
| Layer | Endings Available | Save Required | Missable |
|---|---|---|---|
| First playthrough | 7 of 8 | Fresh save | The Phantom Unbound |
| Second playthrough (NG+) | 8 of 8 | Inkwell Pendant carried | None after NG+ start |
| Third playthrough (NG+2) | 8 of 8 | All flags carried | None |
How Choices Cascade Across The Campaign
Phantom Blade Zero tracks player choices through a hidden ledger called the Judgment Log, which tallies three metrics: Order Reputation, Lotus Reputation, and Wraith Reputation. Each side quest adjusts one or two of these values, and the final encounter checks the totals against fixed thresholds before showing the relevant ending cutscene. Because the ledger only commits at the final save, mid-campaign save scumming lets players experiment with different conclusions without losing progress.
Players new to the combat layer can brush up on the basics with the Phantom Blade Zero Beginner Guide before diving into the branching narrative, because some endings also change which boss phases appear in the final arena.
Every Conclusion Ranked By Difficulty
Below is the complete list of all 8 endings sorted by how hard each one is to unlock on a blind first run. Difficulty here refers to prerequisite side quest chains, not combat, because the fights scale identically across every path.
| Ending | Prerequisites | Difficulty | Reputation Trigger |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Penitent Blade | Default path | Easy | Order ≥ 30 |
| The Wraith's Bargain | Spare Red Wraith | Easy | Wraith ≥ 40 |
| The Wraith's End | Kill Red Wraith | Easy | Order ≥ 50 |
| The Order Restored | Complete Order chain | Medium | Order ≥ 70 |
| The Lotus Path | Complete Lotus chain | Medium | Lotus ≥ 60 |
| The Broken Vow | Fail Mourner's Vow | Hard | Mixed triggers |
| The Mourner's Shadow | Complete Mourner's Vow | Hard | Mixed triggers |
| The Phantom Unbound | NG+ only, Inkwell Pendant | Very Hard | NG+ ledger |
Side Quest Dependent Endings
Five of the eight endings depend on completing optional side questlines before the final boss trigger. Three of those chains — the Order of the Black Veil chain, the Whispering Lotus chain, and the Mourner's Vow chain — each take roughly two hours and are scattered across the Sunken Chapel, the Alabaster Quarter, and the Hollowed Tunnels respectively. Skipping any chain locks the matching conclusion out of the run, and there is no in-game warning when a chain is abandoned.
The Red Wraith Decision Branch
The Red Wraith appears three times across the campaign: once in the Alabaster Quarter as an ambush, once in the Hollowed Tunnels as a mini-boss, and once in the final arena as the gatekeeper for several endings. The judgment choice happens during the second encounter, although the player's ledger values determine whether the option to spare or execute the Wraith even appears.
| Choice | Combat Change | Final Encounter | Ending Unlocked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spare Red Wraith | Wraith skips second phase | Wraith fights alongside you | The Wraith's Bargain |
| Execute Red Wraith | Bonus loot drop | Wraith replaced by Shade | The Wraith's End |
| Ignore Red Wraith | Default behavior | Standard duel | The Penitent Blade |
| Spare + high Wraith Rep | Wraith skips final phase | Hidden dialogue opens | The Phantom Unbound (NG+) |
What The Red Wraith Choice Actually Changes
Choosing to spare the Wraith alters the final encounter arena layout because the boss room splits into two zones that the Wraith patrols independently, which makes the fight easier but also locks the player out of the Red Wraith's signature weapon drop. Executing the Wraith unlocks the Crimson Brotherhood armor set and pushes the Order Reputation ledger above the threshold for The Order Restored automatically, which is why speedrunners prefer the execution route for the fastest clean ending. The Phantom Unbound path requires both sparing the Wraith AND keeping the Inkwell Pendant from the prior save, which is the only multi-save dependency in the entire game.
If you need a refresher on how the final encounter's parry windows work, the Phantom Blade Zero How To Parry guide covers the exact timing the Wraith phases demand.
Side Quests That Shape The Endings
Six optional side quests feed into the Judgment Log, and missing any of them quietly removes one ending from your run. The table below lists every quest, where to find its trigger, and which ledger value it modifies. All quest triggers are missable, so backtracking is required if a questline is abandoned.
| Side Quest | Trigger Location | Ledger Value | Ending Unlocked |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Forgotten Oath | Sunken Chapel altar | Order +15 | The Order Restored |
| Whispering Lotus initiation | Alabaster Quarter teahouse | Lotus +20 | The Lotus Path |
| Mourner's Vow part 1 | Hollowed Tunnels shrine | Mixed +10 | The Mourner's Shadow |
| Mourner's Vow part 2 | Crimson Warden's lair | Mixed +10 | The Mourner's Shadow |
| Crimson Brotherhood initiation | Capital barracks | Order +25 | The Order Restored |
| Wraith's Memory | Hidden alcove post-Wraith | Wraith +20 | The Wraith's Bargain |
Quest Order That Locks Or Unlocks Routes
Completing the Whispering Lotus chain before the Crimson Brotherhood chain causes the Order Reputation ledger to drop by 10 because the Brotherhood NPC reacts negatively to the Lotus alignment. This interaction means the cleanest first ending for a Lotus-aligned run is The Lotus Path, while the cleanest Order-aligned run is The Penitent Blade or The Order Restored depending on whether the Forgotten Oath questline is finished. The Mourner's Vow chain is the only questline that pushes both Lotus and Order values in the same direction, which is why it is the recommended starting point for completionists.
Players who want broader context on combat preparation for these quest bosses can read the Phantom Blade Zero Combat Guide to see which weapon loadouts handle each mini-boss most cleanly.
New Game Plus Endings And Replay Strategy
NG+ in Phantom Blade Zero carries over most equipment, all unlocked cosmetic items, and crucially the Inkwell Pendant if it was collected during the Sunken Chapel section of the prior run. The pendant is the single item that unlocks the hidden dialogue option with the Red Wraith in the final arena, and without it the Phantom Unbound ending cannot be reached on any save.
What Changes In New Game Plus
| Element | First Playthrough | New Game Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Enemy HP | Baseline | +50% |
| Enemy damage | Baseline | +30% |
| Item carry-over | None | Most equipment |
| Inkwell Pendant effect | Cosmetic only | Unlocks hidden dialogue |
| Boss patterns | Baseline | One new attack per boss |
| Judgment Log thresholds | Default | Same thresholds, new flags tracked |
The hidden dialogue appears after the Wraith is spared in the final arena, and choosing the second option in that conversation triggers a unique cutscene that resolves several open storylines from the base game, which is why The Phantom Unbound is treated as the canonical conclusion by the community even though it sits at slot eight.
Recommended Replay Path For Completionists
The fastest route to every ending is a three-save plan: run one focuses on Order-aligned endings (The Penitent Blade plus The Order Restored plus The Wraith's End), run two focuses on Lotus-aligned endings (The Lotus Path plus The Mourner's Shadow plus The Broken Vow), and run three is NG+ that picks up the Inkwell Pendant and unlocks The Phantom Unbound. Each run takes roughly 18 hours when the side chains are completed, which means the full completionist path lands at around 54 hours total.
For players who want to squeeze more value out of each replay, the Phantom Blade Zero Tips And Tricks article covers save-scumming strategies that cut several hours off the completionist route.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many endings does Phantom Blade Zero have?
Phantom Blade Zero has 8 distinct endings total. Seven are available on the first playthrough, and the eighth — The Phantom Unbound — is locked behind a New Game Plus run with a specific carried-over item.
Does the Red Wraith choice lock my ending?
Yes. Choosing to spare or execute the Red Wraith during the Hollowed Tunnels encounter commits your save to the Wraith Reputation ledger, which means the opposite conclusion cannot be reached without starting a new playthrough.
Do I need to do every side quest to see all endings?
No. Each of the seven first-playthrough endings requires only its own questline, but missing the Whispering Lotus, Crimson Brotherhood, or Mourner's Vow chains removes their matching ending from the run permanently.
What is the canon ending of Phantom Blade Zero?
The community treats The Phantom Unbound as the canonical conclusion because it resolves the most open storylines and requires the highest effort to unlock, although the studio has not officially confirmed a canon route.
Can I get The Phantom Unbound on a first playthrough?
No. The Phantom Unbound ending requires the Inkwell Pendant carried over from a prior save and a specific New Game Plus dialogue option, which is why it cannot be unlocked without starting NG+ first.
What's the first ending you are planning to chase on your next run, and which side quest chain are you willing to skip to lock in the Wraith route early?