Phantom Blade Zero offers two story endings, and achieving the true ending requires more than just completing the main quests. You’ll also need to complete a series of side quests, explore hidden areas, collect special items, and complete the Moon Pillars trials. If you skip important objectives and progress past a certain point in the story, the game will return to the normal ending.
Conditions for getting the true ending
In Phantom Blade Zero, to reach the hidden true ending, you will have to go through certain side storylines and complete several seemingly optional tasks.
The main reference point is the purple-iconed quests in the story menu; these are the ones associated with achieving the perfect ending. Gold-colored quests are mandatory story missions that must be completed to progress the game. Purple-colored quests primarily represent additional content, but some must be completed before certain story events occur.
Additionally, it’s worth paying attention to quests from important characters, finding Quick Hand Zhang’s treasure, collecting four Acolyte Masks, and obtaining two Crystal Puppet Eyes. If you complete all the necessary requirements, after defeating the regular final boss, you’ll face another battle that unlocks the true ending.
What quests need to be completed before reaching Mirage Estate?
The first time the game will check for the necessary conditions will be in Panzhen, during the completion of the main quest “ The Four Serpent Houses”.
During this quest, you’ll need to collect one item each from three estates—the White, Black, and Red Viper Houses. Once collected, you’ll be able to open a passage in the back of the Green Viper House, leading to the Mirage Estate.
Don’t rush through this door; if you haven’t completed the necessary quests for the true ending by this point, the game will warn you of any unfinished objectives. You can return and resolve them, but if you ignore the message and continue your journey, you won’t be able to achieve the true ending.
Before visiting the Mirage Estate, you must complete the following ten quests:
- Deep in the Valley
- Illusion of Inanis
- Sha-Chi Powered Boat
- Allure of Vanity
- Illusory Pipa
- Pillars of Kunlun
- Whence the Weeping
- The Herald’s Illusion
- Crimson Manor
- Secrets at the Heart of the Lake
Some quests span multiple regions, so completing one stage doesn’t necessarily complete the entire chain. For example, after discovering three portals during “ The Herald’s Illusion,” you’ll need to return and explore Crimson Manor, and to access Mountain of Imprisonment, you’ll need to collect all the pieces of the Illusory Pipa.
Also, don’t forget about Quick Hand Zhang’s treasures—they’re scattered throughout various areas, so it’s best to pick up finds as you explore rather than save them for the endgame. Additional treasures can also be found in Mirage Manor.
How to complete the trials of all five Lunar Pillars
One of the key requirements for the true ending is completing the “Bloodline Awakening” quest. This requires finding and completing five Long Pillars trials. These trials also reveal details of Soul’s past and his connection to the mysterious masked figure. As you complete each Long Pillar, you’ll learn new details about this story.
Look for challenges in the following locations:
- The First Pillar – Weeping Creek Valley
- The Second Pillar – Crimson Forest
- The Third Pillar – Meigu Lake
- The fourth pillar is the Meigu Lake Hidden Realm. To reach it, collect four Acolyte masks, head west of the lake, and land on the snowy area. Proceed deeper into the area and find the entrance to the hidden area, where the pillar awaits.
- The Fifth Pillar – Crimson Mano
After completing the final trial, the “Bloodline Awakening” quest will be considered complete. It is important to complete this after visiting the Mirage Estate, but before advancing to Mount Soulrend.
How to unlock the “Secrets of the Heart of the Lake” quest
To obtain the true ending, you’ll also need to complete the side quest “Secrets at the Heart of the Lake.” To unlock it, find six Firefly’s Memory Flowers in the Village of Lu. The necessary items can be found using the game’s interactive map .
Later, you’ll have to return to exploring Lake Meigu. In the later stages of the quest, you’ll need to collect four Acolyte Masks, which will open a passage in the northwestern part of the lake leading to the Phantom Illusionist Realm, where the fourth Moon Pillar is located.
How to fix the illusory pipa and open the Mountain of Imprisonment
The Illusory Pipa itself is not a direct requirement for the true ending, but its restoration is necessary to access certain hidden areas and items needed to complete other requirements.
To obtain the Phantom Edge weapon and use its fog-dispelling ability, collect three Pipa pieces found in the following locations:
- Village of Lu – Reward for defeating a hidden boss
- Mandate’s Encampment – Drops after the story boss fight
- Ruined Theater at Meigu Lake – Obtainable by defeating another hidden boss
Once you have all three parts, head to Panzhen’s Inn and find Myst, she can repair the weapon.
Use the acquired ability in the north of Lake Meigu, where the fog blocks the further path; after it dissipates, access to the Mountain of Imprisonment will open.
Where to find all four Acolyte masks
Acolyte Masks are needed to open a hidden area in Lake Meigu. Interact with them and then defeat the enemies that appear. Defeating each one will reward you with the corresponding mask.
In total, you need to collect four items:
- Yanru’s Blazing Mask – Village of Lu
- Leiting’s Thunder Mask – Panzhen
- Guhe’s Venom Mask – Meigu Lake
- Hansui’s Frost Mask – Crimson Manor in Weeping Creek Valley
How to get into Crimson Manor and obtain the Crystal Puppet’s eyes
You’ll need Crimson Manor not only for one of the masks, but also to find the Crystal Puppet Eye. To get inside, you’ll first need to obtain the Puppet’s Tongue.
This item drops after defeating the story boss in Mandate’s Encampment, and will allow you to open the estate door and continue exploring.
In total, two eyes are needed to complete this step:
- The first eye is obtained by defeating the story boss in the Village of Lu.
- The tongue will be a reward for defeating the story boss in Mandate’s Encampment. It is also used to open Crimson Manor.
- The second eye is located in Crimson Manor in Weeping Creek Valley. It can be obtained after defeating the Mountain of Imprisonment boss.
Once you’ve collected both eyes, return to the Meigu Lake Hidden Realm to defeat the story boss. After the battle, a statue will appear, into which you’ll need to insert both items.
What to do in Mirage Manor before heading to Soul Slice Mountain
After completing the above requirements, you can head to the Mirage Estate, but don’t leave this area right away. Another Moon Pillar and additional Quick Hand Zhang treasures are located here. Use this opportunity to complete the remaining challenges and collect any missing items. Before proceeding to the next area, make sure:
All required purple story quests completed
- All five Lunar Pillars have been completed
- The “Bloodline Awakening” quest is closed.
- The necessary treasures of Zhang’s Swift Hand have been collected.
- Completed quests related to Acolyte masks and crystal doll eyes
In addition to the mandatory requirements, it’s recommended to complete other side quests, especially those involving important NPCs. Some of these can be missed if you progress too far in the Mount Soulrend storyline.
How to activate the true ending of Phantom Blade Zero
Before the final part of the game, you’ll need to travel to Mount Soulrend. Look for the bell called “The Last Chance,” located before the entrance to the final boss area. Interacting with it will display a final warning about any unfinished quests.
This message will appear even if you’ve already completed all the requirements for the true ending. This is because, after progressing further, you won’t be able to leave the final area until the story is complete. You can only return to exploring the remaining regions after the credits roll.
Before continuing, pay attention to Inanis’ words; if she no longer mentions any important unresolved matters, then it’s time to move on to the final battle.
After this, you’ll have to defeat the final enemies. First, you’ll face Meng Hua, a familiar boss from the standard final route. If you’ve met all the necessary requirements, defeating him will unlock an additional battle with the true final boss, which isn’t present in the standard version of the story. Win this additional battle to activate the true ending and earn the corresponding achievement.
What is the true ending and what rewards can you get?
The True Ending differs from the regular ending in that there is an additional battle after defeating Meng Hua; this battle completes the special storyline and allows you to earn the “With Heart and Blood” achievement .
For completing the true ending you will receive the following rewards:
- Aurit Weapons
- Broken Long Body
- Legacy Outfit. If you already received it for pre-ordering the game, you won’t be able to receive it again.
If you’ve already completed Phantom Blade Zero and seen the standard ending, you don’t have to start the game over. After the credits roll, you’ll have the option to start NG+ or load your save at the Last Chance bell. Choose the latter to return to the moment before the final point of no return. Now you can complete any missed requirements, replay the final battles, and unlock the true ending. Also, don’t forget that the game’s interactive map can help you find items and bosses .
