Are you ready to unlock the secret ending in Phantom Blade Zero? Every story has its conclusion, including your journey across the Wulin as Soul. That said, there are several requirements that you need to be mindful of, including important quests and points of no return. Our guide discusses every single detail but, because of the topic at hand, you can bet that there will be major spoilers below.
Phantom Blade Zero secret ending – The point of no return and important quests
The Phantom Blade Zero secret ending, also known as the true ending, requires you to complete optional story quests throughout the campaign. It’s pretty much an overarching narrative where you discover the Secrets at the Heart of the Lake, the Herald’s Illusion, and Inanis’s role.
These tasks must be completed before you reach the game’s point of no return: Mirage Estate. Here’s a quick summary:
- After completing the main mission in Pangzhen, you learn that you have to go to the Mirage Estate. However, there’s no way to enter via the steps/thoroughfare.
- The quest then changes to The Four Serpent Houses. This is when you discern that there’s a hidden passage behind the snake door in the Green Serpent House.
- After collecting the items needed to open the doorway, you can continue onward to the Mirage Estate. However, if there are still important quests that you need to tackle, you’ll be warned that you have “unfinished business.”
You can still fast travel to other regions even if you prematurely enter the Mirage Estate. It’s just that the requirements for the true ending might fail, and you don’t want that to happen.
Early-game quests and overarching plots
There are early-game quests that you should tackle to unlock the true ending. These include Deep in the Valley, Crimson Manor, Bloodline Awakening/Long Pillars, and Quick Hand Zhang Treasures. (You can check out these guides we’ve linked for more detailed tips.)
Deep in the Valley grants you entry to the lower section of the first region, where you’ll find the Crimson Manor and Long Pillar. Quick Hand Zhang, meanwhile, has you collecting relics in various zones where he has a hideout.
From left to right: Deep in the Valley, Bloodline Awakening, and the Crimson Manor.
Secrets at the Heart of the Lake: The Village of Lu
The Phantom Blade Zero Secrets at the Heart of the Lake is an overarching quest that’s initially started in the Village of Lu.
- First, you’ll want to collect the six Firefly’s Memory Flowers scattered all over the village. These allow you to enter an optional area near the Temple of the Blue Fireflies, the settlement with a bunch of friendly puppets.
- Jump down the pit and defeat a boss named Dusk, the Puppeteer to receive rewards and trigger a cutscene.
- If you defeat an acolyte/scarecrow in the farm fields to the north, you’ll also learn that the objective is part of the quest.
Exploration and collectibles: The Illusory Pipa, the Acolyte Masks, and the Herald’s Illusion
Certain quests, such as Illusion of Inanis and Sha-Chi-Powered Boat are completed as you continue to explore other regions. For instance, Sha-Chi-Powered Boat leads you to Meigu Lake. As for Whence the Weeping and Pillars of Kunlun, you receive these quests a few hours into the campaign, and you complete them upon clearing the Mountain of Imprisonment.
Other quests also play a major factor:
- A good example is the Illusory Pipa, which lets you dispel impenetrable barriers that open up new areas for exploration.
- There’s also The Herald’s Illusion, where you seek out the Three-Eyed Puppet’s domains.
- Lastly, you should acquire all Acolyte Masks, as these items grant entry to a secret area.
Note: Completing these tasks nets you two Crystal Puppet Eye items (Yin and Yang).
From left to right: The Illusory Pipa, Herald’s Illusion, and Acolyte Masks.
Secrets at the Heart of the Lake: The Meigu Lake Discordance and Inanis’ Realm
The aforementioned Acolyte Masks are used to shatter the Four Guardians’ Mirror, a mystical location in the frozen lands in northwestern Meigu Lake. Explore the Discordance realm at your leisure and collect more loot. At the very end, you have to defeat the Blizzard Blademaster.
After the Blademaster’s fall, an ominous-looking statue will appear right in front of you. Interact with it and place the two Crystal Puppet Eyes to get transported to the Heart of the Lake. Kill all the cultists to stop their ritual, which then leads you to another encounter with Inanis. This completes the Secrets of the Heart of the Lake.
What happens when you enter the Mirage Estate and Soulrend Cliff
To summarize: If you want to get the secret ending in Phantom Blade Zero, you have to complete all story quests that aren’t tied to the main mission–i.e. those with a purple icon. Once you’ve done all of those, it’s time to enter the Mirage Estate. Doing so causes changes to certain locations, such as the Crimson Forest’s eastern part getting blanketed in snow.
Proceed deeper into the Mirage Estate, fighting enemies, taking out bosses, and picking up all sorts of loot. Along the way, don’t forget to complete the following:
- Bloodline Awakening – The fifth and final Long Pillar is in the estate grounds.
- Quick Hand’s Request – Quick Hand Zhang has another hideout in the sprawling complex.
Eventually, you’ll acquire the Tiger Cannon, a Phantom Edge that can blow up destructible walls. Use it to reach Soulrend Cliff, the last region in the game. There are still lots of enemies, bosses, and rewards in this area, so just keep forging ahead.
After defeating what’s supposed to be the final boss, it will be followed by yet another encounter. We don’t want to spoil what happens next, but it should be pretty clear that this is your last foe. Once you’ve vanquished your opponent, sit back, relax, and watch the cutscenes.
That does it for our guide on how to get the true ending in Phantom Blade Zero. Keep in mind that you can still fast travel to other locations while you’re in the Mirage Estate and also while in Soulrend Cliff (just prior to the last bell).
You should be able to find other goodies in the game world, such as the Soul Temper materials for your weapons. Also, don’t forget to battle the Three-Faced Puppet as part of the Triple Threat quest. And, if you’re up for even more challenges, you can try 66 Days Mode after beating the game.
Join Soul as he faces numerous threats in the Wulin and be sure to check out more tips in our Phantom Blade Zero guides hub.
