There are four endings and every one of them is triggered at the final fight by which weapon you use. Nothing else about the fight matters at that point — the choice of weapon is the whole mechanism.
What triggers each ending
| Ending | Trigger |
|---|---|
| 1 | Beat the final boss with any damage at all — this is the plain one, and it has its own achievement, Most Unfortunate |
| 2 | The True Holy Sword Akunra accounts for at least 25 to 50 percent of the damage you deal |
| 3 | The Okbujo sword, the blue fire sword, accounts for at least 25 to 50 percent of the damage you deal |
| 4 | Deliver all 69 Strange Silver Etched Skulls to open the door for the dark ritual first, then repeat Ending 3 |
The final boss and the fights leading to it are in the bosses guide.
You keep playing the same savefile for all four endings — there is no need to start a new game. After the first ending you still have to backtrack for the other four statues.
Queen's Domain endings: the two that depend on your weapon
Endings 2 and 3 are the same fight with a different sword in your hand, and the threshold is a damage share, not a damage total:
- Ending 2 — the True Holy Sword Akunra has to land 25 to 50 percent of your damage.
- Ending 3 — the Okbujo, the blue fire sword, has to land 25 to 50 percent instead.
The Okbujo is a late-game blue fire sword; the endgame weapon list is in the endgame weapons guide.
The triggers are described as finicky, and the reason is mechanical: players going for the third ending kept getting the first and second again because they mixed weapons. A second weapon in the fight means the share splits and the condition is not met.
The last one needs the dark ritual
Ending 4 is the one players miss, because the collectibles that unlock it are optional:
- Deliver all 69 Strange Silver Etched Skulls to the NPC at the door in the Petrified Garden.
- The door opens for the dark ritual.
- Then repeat Ending 3 with the Okbujo.
There is no counter for how many skulls you have already handed in, so you hunt them blind and hope your last one really is the last one. The skulls and the rest of the post-game list are in the endgame challenges guide.
The Memento Mirror is the other optional piece, and it is required for Endings 3 and 4 if you want the game at 100 percent. Its clue reads Seek the souls you once knew.
How to land the ending you want
Damage and survivability are not the problem at that point — level 84 is more than enough. The reliable method is:
- Wind-dash straight through the first phase.
- In phase 2, use only the weapon tied to the ending you want. Phase 2 is a single-weapon phase, so the damage share is entirely yours to control.
Doing it in that order avoids the mixed-weapon problem that sends people back to Ending 1 or 2. If you are going for Ending 2, the reforged Akunra comes from the Holy Sword upgrade path, which is in the Holy Sword upgrade guide.