- Bloodborne umbilical cord locations: Only 4 Third Umbilical Cords exist in the base game.
- Missable risk: The Iosefka's Clinic and Cathedral Ward cords can be lost if story events pass their windows.
- Third cord rule: Consume at least 3 cords before the final boss to unlock the true ending.
- True ending: Fight Gehrman and then the Moon Presence to earn Childhood's Beginning.
- Best practice: Collect all 4 as insurance before triggering the endgame.
Why Third Umbilical Cords Matter
Third Umbilical Cords are the rarest and most important key items in Bloodborne. Each cord is described as a remnant of a Great One's lost child, and consuming them grants Insight while fundamentally changing how the endgame unfolds. To reach the hidden third ending, Childhood's Beginning, you must consume at least three cords before accepting or refusing Gehrman's final offer at the end of the game.
The lore ties directly into the game's cosmic hierarchy: the Great Ones lose their children and seek surrogates, and the cords are physical evidence of that cycle. Queen Yharnam, Mergo, and the Moon Presence all connect to this item, making cord collection both a mechanical and narrative milestone.
| Cord Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Total cords in base game | 4 |
| Cords required for true ending | 3 (consume 3+) |
| Insight granted per cord | +40 (total 160 for all 4) |
| Consuming window | Any time before the final boss choice |
| Related ending | Childhood's Beginning |
Two of the four cords are permanently missable. If the Blood Moon rises or certain NPCs die before you collect their cord, that cord is lost for the playthrough. Collect them during or before the mid-game to be safe.
All Four Cord Locations
Here is where every Third Umbilical Cord is found, ordered roughly by when you can secure each one during a normal playthrough.
| # | Cord Name | Location | How to Obtain | Missable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iosefka's Cord | Iosefka's Clinic, 1F | Return to the Clinic via the back entrance from Forbidden Woods; kill impostor Iosefka after the Blood Moon rises | Yes |
| 2 | Cathedral Ward Cord | Abandoned Old Workshop | Reach the abandoned workshop tower in Cathedral Ward using the elevator shaft beams near the Cathedral Ward lamp | No |
| 3 | Mergo's Cord | Mergo's Loft, Nightmare of Mensis | Drop to a hidden lower platform before Mergo's Wet Nurse arena and defeat the crib Guardian | No |
| 4 | Workshop Cord | Hunter's Dream | Only in New Game Plus: found in the old workshop building inside the Hunter's Dream | No (NG+ only) |
On a first playthrough, focus on cords 1, 2, and 3. Cord 4 only exists in New Game Plus, so it serves as a backup for players continuing into a second cycle rather than a required pickup.
Detailed Walkthrough for Each Cord
1. Iosefka's Clinic (Impostor Iosefka)
After triggering the Blood Moon by defeating Rom, the Vacuous Spider, the real Iosefka has been replaced by a Healing Church imposter who experiments on survivors. Enter the Clinic through the rear path from the Forbidden Woods — a cave with a snake-ball guardian leads to the clinic's back door. Kill the imposter (she drops as an enemy after the Blood Moon), and the cord is yours.
If you kill the impostor before the Blood Moon, she will not drop the cord. Wait until after defeating Rom, then return and defeat her.
2. Abandoned Old Workshop
Hidden above the Cathedral Ward, the Abandoned Old Workshop is the original Hunter's Dream. From the Healing Church Workshop tower route, drop carefully through the broken elevator shaft beams onto a hidden platform, then descend into the old workshop attic. The cord lies beside the Old Hunter's Bone on the altar-like crib.
3. Mergo's Loft Middle (Nightmare of Mensis)
As you climb Mergo's Loft toward the Wet Nurse, watch for a ledge where you can drop down to a lower path guarded by a crib-like creature. Defeat it to claim the cord. This pickup sits close to the endgame, so grab it before stepping through the Wet Nurse's fog gate.
How Cords Unlock Childhood's Beginning
Consume three cords
Use the Third Umbilical Cords from your inventory before reaching the final decision. Each grants 40 Insight, so expect Your hunter to hear more ambient whispers as Insight climbs.
Defeat Mergo's Wet Nurse
Complete the Nightmare of Mensis and let the closing scenes play out until you return to the Hunter's Dream.
Refuse Gehrman's offer
When Gehrman offers to release you from the dream, choose to refuse. This initiates the boss fight with Gehrman, the First Hunter.
Defeat Gehrman
With three cords consumed, the Moon Presence descends immediately after Gehrman falls — and the fight becomes winnable in a meaningful way, because the cord consumption is what lets the hunter resist the Presence's embrace.
Defeat the Moon Presence
Win the fight to trigger Childhood's Beginning, where the hunter is transformed into an infant Great One and raised by the Doll.
Yharnam Sunrise
- Accept Gehrman's offer
- Wake up in Yharnam at dawn
- Cords not required
Honoring Wishes
- Refuse and defeat Gehrman
- Take his place in the Dream
- Cords not required
Childhood's Beginning
- Consume 3+ cords
- Defeat Gehrman and Moon Presence
- Secret third ending
Endgame Collection Checklist
Before Facing Mergo's Wet Nurse:
- Defeat Rom and trigger the Blood Moon
- Collect Iosefka's Cord from the Clinic impostor
- Loot the Abandoned Old Workshop cord in Cathedral Ward
- Defeat the crib Guardian in Mergo's Loft Middle
- Consume at least three Third Umbilical Cords
- Back up your save if you want all three endings in one cycle
Childhood's Beginning is required for the Bloodborne platinum. If you want all three endings efficiently, upload a save backup to PS Plus online storage or a USB drive before the final choice, then reload for the other endings.
FAQ
Q: How many Third Umbilical Cords are in Bloodborne?
There are four in the base game: Iosefka's Clinic (post-Blood Moon), the Abandoned Old Workshop, Mergo's Loft Middle in the Nightmare of Mensis, and one in New Game Plus inside the Hunter's Dream workshop.
Q: Do I need all four cords for the secret ending?
No. You only need to consume at least three Third Umbilical Cords before the final boss decision. Collecting all four is simply insurance in case you miss one during the story.
Q: Which Bloodborne umbilical cord locations are missable?
The Iosefka's Clinic cord is the most time-sensitive: the impostor only drops it after the Blood Moon rises, and if story events remove her, the cord is lost. The other base-game cords remain available until the endgame.
Q: Can I get the true ending without cords on the first try?
No. Refusing Gehrman without consuming three cords still leads to Honoring Wishes after defeating him, not Childhood's Beginning. The Moon Presence's boss fight only leads to the secret ending when the cord requirement is met.