Bloodborne has three endings, all decided in one conversation with Gehrman in the Hunter's Dream after you defeat Mergo's Wet Nurse: accept his offer for Yharnam Sunrise, refuse and defeat him for Honoring Wishes, or refuse after consuming three One Third of Umbilical Cords to face a secret final boss and earn Childhood's Beginning. Each gives a gold trophy, and with a backup save you can see all three in a single playthrough. Below are the exact requirements, what happens in each, what they are thought to mean, and how to collect them efficiently.
We checked this against the Fextralife Bloodborne wiki's endings, Gehrman and umbilical cord pages, its trophy list, GosuNoob's ending walkthrough and PlayStation Support's saved data pages in November 2026.
The Three Endings at a Glance
Spoiler warning: from here on, this guide describes the final bosses, cutscenes and endings in detail. If you want only the requirements, the table below is the safest part to read.
| Ending | Requirement | Final fight | Trophy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yharnam Sunrise | Accept Gehrman's offer | None | Yharnam Sunrise (gold) |
| Honoring Wishes | Refuse, fewer than three cords consumed | Gehrman, the First Hunter | Honoring Wishes (gold) |
| Childhood's Beginning | Refuse, three cords consumed before Gehrman dies | Gehrman, then Moon Presence | Childhood's Beginning (gold) |
The three trophies are all gold, and all three are needed for the Platinum. Since they are mutually exclusive on any one save, most players either use backup saves or spread them across New Game+ cycles. Our Bloodborne trophy guide shows where this step fits into a full Platinum plan.
How the Final Choice Is Triggered
The ending sequence opens once Mergo's Wet Nurse falls in the Nightmare of Mensis. Return to the Hunter's Dream and you will find it changed, with Gehrman waiting for you outside the burning workshop. Talking to him brings up his offer, and the two options are to submit your life or refuse.
A few rules from the wiki that matter before you speak to him:
- You can back out of the conversation when the choice appears, as GosuNoob notes, which gives you a chance to use your cords first.
- Refusing is permanent. Once you refuse, the Yharnam Sunrise ending is locked off for that cycle, and Gehrman stays hostile even if he kills you.
- Attacking Gehrman after the Wet Nurse also starts the fight without the conversation.
- New Game+ follows immediately after the credits, whichever ending you get.
That last rule is why a backup is so important. Before talking to Gehrman, finish any side content you care about, such as Eileen the Crow's story, which our Eileen questline walkthrough covers, and make sure your weapon collection is complete.
Ending 1: Yharnam Sunrise
Choose to submit your life, and Gehrman says, "Farewell, my keen hunter. Fear the blood," before beheading you. You wake in Yharnam at sunrise as bells ring, while the Plain Doll prays beside what is most likely your grave.
This is the easiest ending to earn, since there is no final fight. It is also the most open to interpretation. The wiki presents two readings: that waking is a release, with everything that came before having been a dream, or that "waking" is in fact death, with Gehrman trying to prevent something worse. Either way, the hunt is over for your character.
If you want this ending and nothing else, you do not need any umbilical cords at all. If you plan to collect all three, take this one first from your backup, since it costs no extra effort.
Ending 2: Honoring Wishes
Refuse Gehrman's offer and he responds, "Dear oh dear, what was it?" before attacking. You must defeat the First Hunter in the field of flowers. If you die, you respawn at the headstones with a boss fog sealing the field and Gehrman still hostile, so there is no going back on the choice.
The fight itself has two clear halves. Gehrman opens with the Burial Blade in its scythe form, and at around a third of his health he switches to a curved sword and a blunderbuss or heavy pistol, staying close with five or six hit combos. Below half health he also stops to channel for a few seconds before releasing a large blast; the wiki suggests getting behind him for a free charged attack, or backing away if you are across the arena. He can be parried throughout, and shooting him as he charges the scythe is one of the easiest openings. The wiki also recommends Bolt Paper or Fire Paper for extra damage.
Defeating Gehrman drops 128,000 Blood Echoes on a first playthrough, according to the wiki, and opens up the Burial Blade for purchase later. Then a figure descends and takes hold of you. After a blackout, you see the Plain Doll pushing a wheelchair, and its occupant is you, not Gehrman. The Doll says, "And so, the hunt begins again."
The common reading is that the Moon Presence has made you the new guardian of the Hunter's Dream, taking Gehrman's place to watch over future hunters. The trophy description supports that: "Captivated by the moon presence, you pledge to watch over the hunter's dream."
Ending 3: Childhood's Beginning
This is the hidden ending, and it requires preparation. Consume three One Third of Umbilical Cords before Gehrman dies. The wiki notes the timing is flexible: you can even use them after losing to him or during his fight, as long as he is still alive. Each cord also grants 3 Insight, and our guide to Insight explains how that affects the world around you.
After you defeat Gehrman, the figure descends as before, but this time it is repelled. The Moon Presence then fights you directly, and defeating it shows "NIGHTMARE SLAIN" rather than the usual "PREY SLAUGHTERED." In the final scene, the Plain Doll lifts a small, slug-like creature resembling the Moon Presence and says, "Oh, good hunter."
The Moon Presence has one signature move worth knowing in advance. Its Gaze of the Moon is a cone that cannot be dodged and drops you to exactly 1 HP, no matter your Vitality or defenses, though it can never kill you outright. Below 30 percent health, it also stops you from healing with items for a short time. The answer is Rally: the boss pauses after the gaze, and the wiki says that window is long enough to win back the lost health by attacking. It is weak to bolt and fire, susceptible to visceral attacks, and if you die you do not have to fight Gehrman again. Defeating it pays 230,000 Blood Echoes on a first playthrough plus 5 Insight, with another 5 for discovering it.
The trophy text spells out the transformation: "You became an infant Great One, lifting humanity into its next childhood." The wiki also notes the title echoes Arthur C. Clarke's novel Childhood's End. There are four cords in the game but you need only three; our umbilical cord locations guide lists each one and the two you can miss.
What the Endings Mean
FromSoftware never explains its endings directly, so every interpretation is a reading of item descriptions, dialogue and imagery. These are the common readings:
- Yharnam Sunrise is an escape. You leave the cycle without changing it.
- Honoring Wishes continues the cycle. You replace Gehrman, which suggests the role of watcher passes from one hunter to the next.
- Childhood's Beginning breaks the cycle in an alien way. Having consumed a full cord, you are no longer something the Moon Presence can bind, and you become a Great One yourself. The wiki ties this to notes in the game about a child born under a full blood moon.
Which is the "true" ending is a matter of taste, though Childhood's Beginning is the one that requires the most deliberate effort and the one most often called the secret ending.
Getting All Three in One Playthrough
You can do it in one cycle by restoring a backup save twice. Here is the cleanest order:
- Prepare. Defeat Mergo's Wet Nurse with three cords in your inventory, uneaten.
- Back up. Upload your save to PlayStation Plus cloud storage, or copy it to a USB drive. On PS5, PS4 saves live under Settings, Saved Data and Game/App Settings, Saved Data (PS4).
- Take Yharnam Sunrise. Submit to Gehrman and watch the credits.
- Restore and take Honoring Wishes. Download the backup, refuse Gehrman without eating cords, and defeat him.
- Restore again for Childhood's Beginning. Eat three cords, refuse, defeat Gehrman, then the Moon Presence.
Remember that PlayStation Support says auto-uploaded PS4 saves must be downloaded to a PS5 manually, so do the download step deliberately each time.
The alternative is to collect one ending per cycle across New Game+, which suits players who want to keep leveling anyway. It takes longer, but each cycle pays more Blood Echoes, and you keep your gear between runs.
Jump Straight to the Final Choice
If you have already played through once and simply want to see the endings again on a fresh file, the store's Bloodborne modded save is described as saved at the final fight in the Hunter's Dream, ready to face Gehrman, with a full inventory that includes four Third Umbilical Cords for multiple endings. It is for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, applied directly to your profile, and requires that you own the game and The Old Hunters, with active PlayStation Plus. Other services are on the Bloodborne page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many endings does Bloodborne have?
Three: Yharnam Sunrise, Honoring Wishes and Childhood's Beginning. The Old Hunters DLC does not add another.
What is the true ending of Bloodborne?
Childhood's Beginning is usually called the secret or true ending, since it needs three umbilical cords and an extra boss.
When does the ending choice happen?
After you defeat Mergo's Wet Nurse and return to the Hunter's Dream, where Gehrman makes his offer.
Can I still get the secret ending after refusing Gehrman?
Yes, as long as he is alive. You can eat the three cords after losing to him or during the fight.
Does Bloodborne go to New Game+ after the ending?
Yes. New Game+ starts right after the credits for every ending, so back up first.
Which ending should I get first?
With a backup, take Yharnam Sunrise first, then Honoring Wishes, then Childhood's Beginning, restoring the save between each.