Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - How To Get The Best, Worst & Secret Endings

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is packed with four different endings you can unlock. Two of the endings are standard good / bad choices, but the alternate endings are especially interesting this time around.

You’ll need to go on a quest to collect very unique items hidden around the gameworld that require you to use your ninjitsu powers in unexpected ways. We’re going to explain how to get the most secret ending, and all the other endings too. So expect MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD.

The endings are all centered around a late-game choice you can make. I won’t spoil that choice yet, but depending on the path you take, there are alternate bosses to fight, secret lore to uncover, and giant snakes to defeat. It’s all pretty awesome — there’s nothing better than discovering a hidden ending, and this game features two alternate secret endings to unlock. Check out all the steps you need to know below.

More Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice guides:

How To Get The Best, Worst & Secret Endings | All 4 Endings Guide

Depending on your choices, you can earn four different endings in Sekiro. The hardest to earn is the secret ending, which requires that you complete a lengthy quest for the Divine Child at Senpou Temple. All the endings have different bosses to fight and special encounters, so it’s worth experiencing them all — in my opinion.

Here’s how to get them all. For the secret ending, scroll down to the bottom part of the guide. It’s the strangest, so strap in for a long explanation.

Ending #1: Immortal Severance [Good Ending]

Eventually, during the course of the story, the sky will turn dark. That triggers once you’ve explored / collected most (or all) of the items asked by Lord Kuro in Ashin Castle. Return to Ashin Castle after triggering nightfall, and the area will be invaded by Shinobi.

At the top of Ashin Castle, where you previously encountered Genichiro, you’ll meet your father, The Owl. You have a choice — you can choose to side with the Owl, or stay loyal to Lord Kuro.

IMPORTANT: Choose to STAY LOYAL to Lord Kuro / Divine Heir.

After that, you will be forced to fight The Owl and defeat him. Do not return to Hirata Estate. Continue to follow the rest of the story as normal — you’ll need to collect all the items and travel to the Fountainhead Palace through the Ashina Depths – Wedding Ceremony grounds area. Follow the path as normal to get this ending.

Ending #2: Shura [Bad Ending]

Follow all the steps as stated from the previous ending, but choose to side with your father, The Owl, and follow the Iron Code. You’ll encounter The Owl at the top of Ashina Castle, after it has been invaded.

IMPORTANT: Choose to FOLLOW THE IRON CODE and work with The Owl.

Instead of fighting the Owl, you’ll fight Emma instead. Follow the rest of the story as normal to complete this bad ending.

Ending #3: Purification [Secret Ending]

NOTE: To Earn this ending, you must get the Hidden Key from The Owl in Hirata Estate and defeat Lady Butterfly.

To get this ending, you’ll need to follow all the same steps as the ‘Immortal Severance‘ ending. Reach The Owl in Ashina Castle and choose to stay loyal to Lord Kuro.

IMPORTANT: Choose to STAY LOYAL to Lord Kuro / Divine Heir.

Defeat the Owl. Then you’ll need to eavesdrop on multiple conversations to learn the truth.

Aishin Castle: Eavesdrop on Lord Isshin in his watchtower room.
Aishin Castle: Eavesdrop on Lord Kuro from around the corner in his chamber.
Refresh the area, and then speak with Emma. Talk to her about Kuro. Agree with her.

Refresh the area, and talk to her again. She’ll move to the Old Grave Idol in Ashin Castle.

Talk to Emma at the Old Grave Idol again.
Dilapidated Temple: Go to the Sculptor’s Temple and eavesdrop on Emma / Sculptor. You can listen from the back of the temple.
Talk to Emma again. She’ll give you an item — use it at the Buddha Statue.

Return to Hirata Estate and confront The Owl in the underground chamber. This is the same chamber where you encountered Lady Butterfly.

Ending #4: Dragon’s Homecoming [Super Secret Ending]

The most secret of the endings is also the most complicated. Strap yourself in, because this is going to take a lot of explaining.

NOTE: You must stay loyal to Kuro and follow the Ending #1 steps to access this ending.

Step #1: Get The ‘Holy Tome: Infested’ – This quest begins before you defeat Genichiro in Ashin Castle. Travel to Senpou Temple, Mt. Kongo and reach the end of the temple BEFORE you defeat Genichiro. In the Main Hall, you’ll encounter a Monk. Talk to the Monk, and he’ll give you the Holy Tome: Infested item. If you kill Genichiro before reaching the end of Senpou Temple, the monk will NOT APPEAR.

Step #2: Get The ‘Holy Chapter: Dragon’s Return’ – After getting the ‘Holy Tome: Infested’, you must defeat Genichiro. Travel to Senpou Temple, use the bell, and complete the Illusory Halls boss to unlock the Mortal Blade and encounter the Divine Child. Talk to the Divine Child, and give them the Holy Tome: Infested item.

The first time you speak with the Divine Child, she will give you rice. Consume it or give it away, so that you can ask for more after refreshing the area. Continue to eat / ask for more until the Divine Child begins to cough, and requests Persimmons.

Deliver a Persimmons to the Divine Child. You can purchase one (or more) from Memorial Mob at the Senpou Temple – Shugendo Idol. After delivering one Persimmons, the Divine Child will give you rice for Kuro. Deliver the rice to Lord Kuro and he will give you a rice ball after refreshing the area. Eat the rice ball to unlock more dialogue for the Divine Child.

Travel back to the Divine Child’s Inner Sanctum and give the Divine Child Taro’s Persimmons. To get Taro’s Persimmon, you must talk to Taro, a large monk sitting at a tree near the Senpou Temple, Shugendo Idol. He’ll ask you to kill him. Agree, and then use the Divine Abduction tool to transport Taro to the Illusory Halls, which you can access from the Divine Child’s Inner Sanctum.

Travel to the Illusory Halls and talk to Taro to gain the Tario Persimmons. Give it to the Divine Child, and then refresh — she’ll disappear, and reappear in the Illusory Halls. You may need to wait until the shinobi invade Ashin Castle. Talk to the Divine Child in the Illusory Halls and agree with her plan — she’ll deliver the Holy Chapter: Dragon’s Return to you.

Step #3: Deliver The Serpentine Fruit – Next, you’ll need to collect two rare items. The Fresh Serpentine Fruit, and the Dry Serpentine Fruit can be taken from Great Serpents around the map. To get these items, you’ll need to solve puzzles in two areas.

Getting the Fresh Serpentine Fruit: Senpou Temple, Shugendo Idol – Go toward the broken bridge on the right, and find the kite mechanism with the small enemy. Backstab and puppeteer the enemy with Ninjitsu unlocked from the Folding Screen Monkeys to mind-control him. He’ll use the mechanism to lengthen the kite string.
- Travel up the mountain until you locate the massive tree, past the first temple interior, where you can grapple onto the kite. Swing across, and you’ll find a path that leads to a sleeping Great Serpent. Jump down and deliver a deathblow to get the first heart.

The second heart is located much further in the game, at the bottom of the Sunken Valley. Go to the valley filled with monkeys, and drop down to find Memorial Mob in a poisonous swamp. That’s the cave entrance where another Great Serpent dwells.

Getting the Dried Serpentine Fruit: Sunken Valley, Bodishattva Valley Idol – Enter the cave and reach the rock bridge where the Great Serpent is protecting the path. Drop down to the left, and puppeteer the monkey with Ninjutsu. It will run up and distract the serpent. Grapple onto the bridge and run deeper inside to find the fruit.

Deliver both fruits to the Divine Child, and she’ll lock herself away.

Step #4: Get The Cold Tears – Once you unlock the Fountainhead Palace, you can return to the Divine Child. She’ll give you the Cold Tears — save them and use them at the very end of the story to unlock this optional ending. Instead of severing the Dragon’s Heritage, you’ll send the Dragon home to the west.

This is by far the most secret ending in the game, and it’s very easy to screw up. If you don’t meet the monk before defeating Genichiro, or complete Taro’s sidequest incorrectly, it may be impossible to unlock this ending.

More Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice guides: