There’s a special surprise at the end of Live A Live, the remake of the cult classic JRPG that never saw release in NA until now. Live A Live has a secret ending to unlock — and this isn’t just a cutscene, this is a lengthy sequence with new battles and a unique final boss fight. If you’re ready for the ultimate ending in Live A Live, we’ll explain everything you need to know below.
Before you can reach the Final Chapter, you’ll need to finish all 8 chapters. Once the Final Chapter unlocks, you’re given the option of choosing one of the eight heroes as your starting party member. You’ll find more as you progress through the chapter — all the heroes from each scenario return and can be recruited into your time-travelling party. It isn’t enough to “save” a few. For the true ending, we need to find all of them.
More Live A Live guides:
Endings Guide | Best Chapters To Start | O. Dio Boss Guide | Wild West Chapter | Odie O’Bright Boss Guide | Present Chapter | Secret Mimic Party Member | Edo Period Chapter | Lord Iwama Boss Guide | Edo Period Chapter | All Item Combinations | Prehistory Chapter | How To Beat Lord of Darkness & Streibough | Medieval Chapter | What To Do After Beating The Lord of Darkness | Medieval Chapter | Where To Find All Party Members | Final Chapter Guide
True Ending Path | Secret Final Boss
To unlock the true ending, you need to follow these steps.
- How To Trigger The True Ending:
- Choose any character except Oerstred as your first party member.
- Recruit all 7 party members: Akira, Oboromaru, Masaru, Sundown, Cube, Shifu’s Disciple, and Pogo.
- After defeating the final boss, choose to spare him. Leave the area after saying no twice.
As you leave, the true ending will be triggered in the statue room if you’ve fulfilled all requirements. It counts as recruiting a character if they offer to join your party. You can refuse to let them join your party, and they’ll still count toward the true ending. As long as they ask to join and you refuse, the True Ending path will continue.
Finding All Characters
To trigger the true ending, you need to find all seven characters. Here’s where to find them all.
- Akira: Located in the Abandoned Village, in front of Uranus’s house.
- Oboromaru: Will ambush you outside the Forbidden Lands in the Silent Forest.
- Masaru: Located in the dungeons to the left of the castle entrance.
- Sundown: Found outside Hasshe’s shack on Last Hero’s Grave mountain. Follow him to the next locations and interact.
- South Last Hero’s Grave on a high east ledge -> sign post south of the castle entrance -> throne room of the castle -> bedroom to the left of the throne room -> appears as you exit the castle town.
- Cube: Located in the castle. Reach the upper level, and go down to find it on the balcony. Requires a key item.
- The key item is located on Last Hero’s Grave, south of the peak entrance. Look for a glowing green marker.
- Shifu Disciples: Found at the peak of Last Hero’s Grave.
- Pogo: In the Balmgrass Grove. Cross the bridge to Silent Wood and look for a semi-hidden path leading down.
Complete these steps to recruit everyone. Be prepared — some of them might want to fight!
Surviving The Lord of Darkness
In the True Ending path, you may have to use all your characters — even the ones that you haven’t leveled up. Characters like Sundown and Cube are in the most danger here.
- In the Sundown boss battle, if you’re dying — remember that you can move to avoid getting hit by O. Dio’s gatling attack. O. Dio’s charge meter will turn red. This means he’s prepared a powerful attack. Simply move up and out of the spot. He won’t be able to hit you if you keep moving.
- Stay out of his line of sight. He can shoot you if you’re in his horizontal / vertical / diagonal sight lines. Watch when he attacks. If you stay one space outside his diagonal sights, he won’t be able to hit you. Ever! He can only hit you with his far weaker attacks.
I recommend going into the final battle at Level 20+. If you’re planning on attempting the True Ending, you’ll also want to get some of the Ultimate Weapons. Complete the trials to earn them. Completing trials is also a great way to easily gain levels. I didn’t finish all the trials and ended up at Level 25 — much higher than you’ll need to be to defeat the Lord of Darkness forever.
