- Bloodborne endings are decided by your final choices with Gehrman in the Hunter's Dream.
- Yharnam Sunrise: accept Gehrman's mercy — the simplest ending.
- Honoring Wishes: refuse Gehrman, defeat him, and inherit the Dream.
- Childhood's Beginning: consume three Third Umbilical Cords, then beat Gehrman and the Moon Presence.
- Save backup before the final choice to earn all three trophies efficiently.
How Bloodborne Endings Work
Bloodborne has three endings, all triggered after you defeat Mergo's Wet Nurse in the Nightmare of Mensis. Once the nightmare crisis ends, return to the Hunter's Dream and speak with Gehrman, whose offer determines which ending you receive. Your relationship to Gehrman, the Dream, and the Great One presence behind the night — the Moon Presence — is what the endings actually resolve.
The endings present three responses to the hunter's cycle: release, inheritance, and transcendence. None of them require a special moral route during the main game, but the secret third ending does require specific key items collected beforehand.
Video Highlights:
- Official story context for the hunt and the Hunter's Dream
- Gehrman's role as caretaker of the Dream
- The finale follows the defeat of Mergo's Wet Nurse
The ending sequence begins only after Mergo's Wet Nurse falls. Finish optional areas like Cainhurst Castle and Upper Cathedral Ward before this point, since several missable trophies lock out afterward.
| Ending | Trophy | Core Requirement | Boss Fight | Difficulty to Unlock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yharnam Sunrise | Yharnam Sunrise | Accept Gehrman's offer | None | ★ Easy |
| Honoring Wishes | Honoring Wishes | Refuse Gehrman's offer | Gehrman, the First Hunter | ★★★ Moderate |
| Childhood's Beginning | Childhood's Beginning | Consume 3 Third Umbilical Cords, refuse | Gehrman + Moon Presence | ★★★★★ Hard |
Where to Find All Four Third Umbilical Cords
Only three Cords are needed, but four exist in the base game. Each is tied to an optional area or questline, and several are missable.
| Cord Location | How to Obtain | Missable? |
|---|---|---|
| Abandoned Workshop | Found in the old Hunter's Workshop below the Hunter's Dream | No |
| Iosefka's Clinic | Defeat Iosefka after the Blood Moon (drop) | Yes |
| Arianna | Complete her questline, then visit her after the Blood Moon | Yes |
| Forbidden Woods / Clinic path | Reach Iosefka's rear entrance via the woods | Route-dependent |
Grab the Abandoned Workshop Cord
From the Hunter's Dream, find the path down to the abandoned workshop replica. This Cord is the safest pickup and can be collected early.
Secure Arianna's Cord
Rescue Arianna in Cathedral Ward, send her to the Oedon Chapel, and return after the Blood Moon rises. Her questline yields a Cord if completed correctly.
Collect Iosefka's Cord
After triggering the Blood Moon, defeat the transformed Iosefka in her clinic to obtain her Cord. Do this before the endgame sequence.
Consume exactly three
Use the items from your inventory before speaking to Gehrman. Consuming three satisfies the secret ending condition; the fourth is a backup.
You must consume the Cords before Gehrman makes his offer. Eating them after refusing him is too late — the Moon Presence fight only appears if the condition is already met.
Ending Walkthrough: Sunrise, Inheritance, and Transcendence
Yharnam Sunrise
- Accept Gehrman's mercy
- Wake from the Hunter's Dream
- No boss fight required
- Clean, quiet conclusion to the hunt
Honoring Wishes
- Refuse Gehrman's offer
- Defeat Gehrman, the First Hunter
- Take his place as the Dream's caretaker
- A challenging one-on-one duel
Childhood's Beginning
- Consume 3 Third Umbilical Cords first
- Refuse and defeat Gehrman
- Then defeat the Moon Presence
- The hunter begins a transformation into a higher being
Gehrman, the First Hunter — Quick Strategy
Gehrman is a fast hunter-style boss with a scythe, wide sweeps, and quickstep movement. Parries work against many of his readable attacks, but mistimed attempts are punished severely. Bring a fully upgraded weapon, a reliable firearm, and a full stock of Blood Vials. Stay at mid-range, punish his recovery windows, and avoid trading hits during his fastest combos.
Moon Presence — Quick Strategy
The Moon Presence appears immediately after Gehrman falls. It uses sweeping claws, area attacks, and a signature move that reduces your health to a sliver while disabling healing for a period. Keep pressure on, respect its area bursts, and use short attack strings rather than greedy combos.
The double boss finale of Childhood's Beginning is among the toughest fights in the base game. A weapon at high upgrade level and a build around level 70+ makes the sequence far more manageable.
All-Three-Endings Trophy Route
The three ending trophies are missable, but you do not need three full playthroughs. The standard route uses a save backup or careful sequence planning.
Ending Trophy Route:
- Complete optional areas (Cainhurst, Upper Cathedral Ward) before Mergo's Wet Nurse
- Collect and consume 3 Third Umbilical Cords
- Create a save backup before speaking to Gehrman
- Refuse Gehrman — defeat him, then the Moon Presence (Childhood's Beginning)
- Reload backup — accept Gehrman's offer (Yharnam Sunrise)
- Reload again — refuse and defeat Gehrman only (Honoring Wishes)
Because the ending choice happens at a single conversation, a backup save placed right before Gehrman lets you unlock all three trophies without repeating the campaign.
Endings FAQ and Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Consequence | Prevention |
|---|---|---|
| Consuming Cords after refusing Gehrman | Secret ending unavailable | Consume before the offer |
| Killing Arianna or sending her to the wrong place | Cord lost | Follow her questline carefully |
| Missing Iosefka's post-Blood Moon window | Cord lost | Visit the clinic after the Blood Moon |
| Starting New Game Plus too early | Optional trophies missed | Finish optional content first |
Q: How many Bloodborne endings are there?
There are three endings: Yharnam Sunrise (accept Gehrman), Honoring Wishes (refuse and defeat him), and Childhood's Beginning (consume three Third Umbilical Cords, then defeat Gehrman and the Moon Presence).
Q: Do I need the Third Umbilical Cords for all endings?
No. The Cords are only required for Childhood's Beginning, the secret ending. The other two endings depend entirely on whether you accept or refuse Gehrman's offer.
Q: Can I get all three ending trophies in one playthrough?
Yes. Back up your save immediately before speaking to Gehrman at the end of the game, earn one ending, then reload the backup and choose differently for the other two.
Q: What is the hardest ending to unlock?
Childhood's Beginning, because it requires collecting missable Third Umbilical Cords and defeating both Gehrman and the Moon Presence back to back.
Before the finale, confirm your Cord count in the inventory and double-check optional-area trophies. A two-minute check saves a full extra playthrough.