Phantom Blade Zero · Missables

Phantom Blade Zero True Ending & Missables

Phantom Blade Zero has two endings, and only the true ending has a trophy (With Heart and Blood). It also decides most of the platinum: six of the seven missable trophies come from side tales that fail if you push the story past them. Here is everything, in the order the cut-offs arrive.

Golden rule: talk to every NPC, finish tales before leaving each region, and keep a manual save at the start and end of every region (there are 20 slots). Failed tales turn red at the bottom of the journal's tale list: if you see one, reload.

How the true ending works

Your journal marks story tales in gold (the main path, all required) and some side tales in purple. Finish every purple tale and, after you beat Meng Hua on Soulrend Cliff, a gold portal opens at the top of the cliff and leads to the real final boss, Zho Shang. Miss any and you get the normal ending (no trophy). The game checks at two points: when you go through the Green Serpent House into the Mirage Estate (it warns you if purple tales are unfinished) and at The Last Chance Bell on Mount Soulrend (it always warns you there, because you can't leave until the ending).

Purple tale	Where	What to do
Deep in the Valley	Weeping Creek Valley	Main purple tale of the opening region; done by following the story through the valley.
Illusion of Inanis	Crimson Forest onward	Your meetings with the Illusion of Inanis. The second meeting also starts Heart of the Banyan (the Banyan Trees).
Sha-Chi Powered Boat	Pangzhen → Meigu Lake	Getting the Sha-Chi powered boat running at the Pangzhen docks, which opens Meigu Lake.
Allure of Vanity	Meigu Lake	Find all six of Yan'er's Memory Flowers around the Meigu Songhouse Dock, then beat Yan Qiansui at the Bell.
Illusory Pipa	Meigu Lake / Mandate Encampment / Pangzhen	Collect every piece of the Pipa (the Backplate after Yubi, the Strings from Yan Qiansui) and have Myst repair it at Myst's Tavern.
Pillars of Kunlun	Meigu Lake → Mountain of Imprisonment	Moves on when you clear the mist north of the Weeping Mistgate and head into the Mountain of Imprisonment. It's tied to the two Blade Masters: Zhu Yuan (Pangzhen Sha-Chi Tower) and Bi Feng (Cavern Passage).
Whence the Weeping	Mountain of Imprisonment	Finished at The Lady's Shrine around the Huangxing fight; rewards Inanis' Radiant Fan.
The Herald's Illusion	Village of Lu → Mountain of Imprisonment	Step through the portal at the Puppet Testing Grounds (Village of Lu), then at the Puppet Cell use the hanging statue after visiting every gate. Gives the Puppet's Tongue and Crystal Puppet Eye (Yin).
Crimson Manor	Weeping Creek Valley	Open the Crimson Manor with the Puppet's Tongue and beat the Puppet Scavenger and Acolyte Hansui.
Secrets at the Heart of the Lake	Whole game	The four acolyte masks, the mirror wall, the Phantom Illusionist Ruins, the Blizzard Blademaster and the elders. See below.
Bloodline Awakening	Five regions	All five Long Pillars. The only purple tale you may still finish inside the Mirage Estate.

Every cut-off, in order

Before leaving Weeping Creek Valley

A Severed Mindseal, step 1: crank from the enemy down the roof ladder at the Valley Sha-Chi Tower Summit, Primal Stone from the 1st-floor furnace, back to the Shadow Warden (Spectral Blade).
Optional but worth it: the Feather Bow (Brooding Old Archer) and Medicine Case (Yu'er), which fail later.

Before beating Jing Ye, the Outlaw (Crimson Forest)

Apprentice Healer: all three herbs handed to Yu'er (The Healer's Legacy).

Before beating Bai Chilian (end of the Crimson Forest)

A Healer's Mercy: all four thieves healed, reward collected.
Flesh Lily: the lily from Hua the Bride's arena given to Yu'er.
Secrets of the Baishan Sect: accepted from Lanlan on the big wooden bridge (The Last of Baishan).
Purge the Sect, Festering Secrets (Weeping Creek Valley), Honor Among Thieves and the Gentle Thief's Silent Wrap also fail here.

Before entering Pangzhen (end of the Village of Lu)

The Journey Home and Young Master Lan: both accepted, and both NPCs revisited after you open the smugglers' tunnel (Together Till the End, A Wanderer's Honor).
Young Mistress before taking the lift to Mu Xiaokui (extra phase and rewards), and the Arrowward for the Wounded Thief as early as possible.

Before beating Yubi (Mandate Encampment)

Examine the body in the field of flowers past Wu Lengshuang (The Last of Baishan).

Before entering the Mirage Estate

Every purple tale except Bloodline Awakening, including Secrets at the Heart of the Lake (Forbidden Arts Beneath the Lake).
Do every other side tale you can see, too: some become missable once you push through Mount Soulrend.

At The Last Chance Bell (Mount Soulrend)

Bloodline Awakening (all five Long Pillars) must be finished for the true ending.
Finish Cui before The Saw and the Crusher for the Baishan Headband.

The 7 missable trophies, step by step

With Heart and Blood

The true ending. Finish every tale with a purple icon in your journal before the two cut-off points (entering the Mirage Estate through the Green Serpent House, and the final Bell, The Last Chance). If you did, a gold portal opens at the top of Soulrend Cliff after Meng Hua and you fight the real last boss, Zho Shang. The ten purple tales before the Mirage Estate are: 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 and Secrets at the Heart of the Lake; Bloodline Awakening (the five Long Pillars) can be finished inside the Mirage Estate. The game warns you before each cut-off. Full checklist: true ending guide.

Forbidden Arts Beneath the Lake

Finish the purple tale Secrets at the Heart of the Lake. It starts when you pick up one of Firefly's Memory Flowers in the Village of Lu, then runs through the whole game: beat the four masked acolytes at their scarecrows (Yanru in the Village of Lu, Lei Ting in Pangzhen, Guhe in Meigu Lake, Hansui in the Crimson Manor) for their masks, open the mirror wall in Meigu Lake, clear the Phantom Illusionist Ruins and the Blizzard Blademaster, then place both Crystal Puppet Eyes in the red statue and kill the elders inside. It's only missable because it must be done before the Mirage Estate. Step by step.

The Last of Baishan

Talk to Lanlan on the giant wooden bridge near the Thieves' Camp Bell in the Crimson Forest and accept Secrets of the Baishan Sect before beating Bai Chilian. Then grab the Cellar Crank on the Cliffside Lodge balcony, open the cellar, drop onto the plank between the two platforms for the Secret Chamber Crank, open the bottom door and talk to the girl. Later, in the Mandate Encampment, beat Wu Lengshuang (from The Confinement Bell) and examine the body in the field of flowers up the path before you beat Yubi. Yubi's cutscene then pops the trophy.

Together Till the End

Finish The Journey Home. Talk to Old Man Gen at his hideout Bell in the Village of Lu, and once you've opened the smugglers' tunnel into Pangzhen, go back and accept his next request (do this before entering Pangzhen). In Pangzhen burn the branches past the Pond of Fading Song to reach Old Man Gen's house, open the door on the left of the Bell, examine the body for the Dusty Old Wooden Comb and take it back to him. Bonus: he waits for you later at the Frozen Lake Dock in Meigu Lake with the War Wagon.

A Wanderer's Honor

Finish Young Master Lan. Talk to him at his hideout Bell in the Village of Lu, and go back to him after you open the smugglers' tunnel into Pangzhen (before entering Pangzhen). In Pangzhen, walk across the road at the Pavilion of Knowledge Crossroads and he hands you the Lan Manor Key. Rest at any Bell, come back, kill the enemies there, talk to him again and enter the manor: the trophy pops after the scene.

Spectral Blade

Finish A Severed Mindseal for the friendly Shadow Warden, in three visits to three Sha-Chi Towers. 1) Weeping Creek Valley: take the tale at the Valley Sha-Chi Tower Summit Bell, get the Furnace Inspection Crank from the enemy down the ladder off the roof, open the furnace at the 1st Floor for the Primal Stone and hand it over before leaving the region (the fail trigger isn't clear, so do it straight away). 2) The Pangzhen Sha-Chi Tower (east along the docks) for the second stone. 3) After the Mirage Estate the Crimson Forest lake freezes: climb that Sha-Chi Tower for the last stone.

The Healer’s Legacy

Three of Yu'er's tales, all on a timer. Flesh Lily: take the lily from Hua the Bride's arena to Yu'er at the Outpost Bell, then use it to save the old man after Chang Hong in Pangzhen. Apprentice Healer: after Peng Meng, bring Yu'er the three herbs (Blood-Stopper Vine in the river under the bridge near the Axemaster's Holding Cell, Congealeaf by the Rusted Loong Key door, Blemish Goldweed at the end of the river from the Long Pillar) before beating Jing Ye. A Healer's Mercy: heal four wounded thieves in the Crimson Forest (two caves by the Outlaw Trap Bell, down the ladder by the Cliffside Lodge, and behind the dungeon door at the Thieves' Camp) before beating Bai Chilian. Full route.