Phantom Blade Zero's main story has nine chapters, running from Against the Flow to A Soul's Worth, after a short two-part prologue. Guides count them differently because some fold the prologue in, some split chapters by region, and one count reaches 11, so you will see eight, nine and eleven quoted online. Below is the full chapter list in order with the region each one covers, why the numbers differ, and where the story quietly locks content away.
We compared the chapter lists published by AllThingsHow, Metabot, KeenGamer and Gaming Deputy after the 29 October 2026 launch, and matched the cutoffs and trophies against PowerPyx's trophy and collectible guides, in November 2026.
The Short Answer, and Why Guides Disagree
Two independent chapter lists, from AllThingsHow's story walkthrough and Metabot's walkthrough, agree on nine named chapters in the same order with the same titles. That is the most reliable count available, and it is the one we use below. The other numbers come from different ways of slicing the same campaign rather than from missing content.
- Prologue plus eight: KeenGamer's complete walkthrough groups the story by region, listing a prologue and eight main chapters, with the Mirage Estate treated as a separate late-game stretch.
- Eleven: Gaming Deputy counts a two-part prologue (Diverging Paths and Reckless Pursuit) and then nine chapters, but its list uses some different titles, such as Steel and Steam and Stalemate, which match quest names in other guides rather than chapter headings.
- Nine regions: PowerPyx's collectibles guide says the game has eight regions, yet links nine region guides, because the Mirage Estate is listed as part of Pangzhen.
S-GAME has not published an official chapter count, and Gaming Deputy notes the same. If you want one number, nine chapters after the prologue matches what two separate guides recorded in-game. If you are counting play sessions, it is more useful to think in regions, because that is how the map, the bells and the collectibles are organised.
Every Chapter in Order
Spoiler warning: the list below names each chapter's region and its headline boss, including the final chapter. Skip to the next section if you want to go in blind.
The setup comes straight from the Steam store page: Soul is framed for murdering his master and left with a wound to the heart that gives him sixty-six days to live. The prologue covers how he gets there in two parts. According to Gaming Deputy, Diverging Paths is a flashback to Soul's training sixteen years before the main story, and Reckless Pursuit follows the road toward Pangzhen and ends with a fall into Weeping Creek Valley. KeenGamer lists Zuo Shang as the prologue's boss, and he is also the name that hangs over the whole story. After that, the chapters run as follows:
- Against the Flow in Weeping Creek Valley. Bosses include Jagged Steel, the Frenzied Brute, Peng Meng, the Axemaster, and The Hunt.
- Snake's Reflection in the Crimson Forest, ending with Bai Chilian, Lady of the Twin Serpents.
- Heartless Remnants in the Village of Lu, ending with Mu Xiaokui, Young Mistress of the Order.
- Town of Death in Pangzhen, which has the most bosses in Metabot's list, including Wu Xuan, Chang Hong and Flame, the Lion Dance Grandmaster.
- Hero or Heretic in the Mandate Encampment, with Wan Jun, Wu Lengshuang and Yubi.
- Treason and Confinement in the Mountain of Imprisonment, with Bi Feng, Jade-Face and Huangxing.
- The Lake in Meigu Lake, with Heartpiercer, Acolyte Guhe and Yan Qiansui.
- The Way Forward in the Mirage Estate, ending with Lei Dang.
- A Soul's Worth on Mount Soulrend, the finale.
Region assignments follow Metabot's walkthrough. AllThingsHow's list matches the chapter names but does not attach every region, and KeenGamer places the Mountain of Imprisonment after Meigu Lake, so the middle chapters may feel slightly different depending on which optional routes you take first.
Chapters Versus Regions on the Map
The map you actually travel is split into regions, and PowerPyx lists them in story order: Weeping Creek Valley, the Crimson Forest, the Village of Lu, Pangzhen, the Mandate Encampment, Meigu Lake, the Mountain of Imprisonment, the Mirage Estate and Mount Soulrend. That is nine areas, each with its own bells, Memory Flowers and tales.
The scale is bigger than nine chapters suggests. Across all of them, PowerPyx counts 573 collectible locations and 32 side tales, including 161 bells and 129 Memory Flowers. The early regions alone are dense: PowerPyx records 23 bells in Weeping Creek Valley and 22 in the Village of Lu, which is why exploring a chapter properly takes far longer than simply following the main quest marker to its boss. If you are counting chapters to plan your evenings, count regions and bells instead.
Regions are the better unit for planning a playthrough. The first three are covered in detail elsewhere on this blog: our Weeping Creek Valley map guide walks the opening region bell by bell, and our Village of Lu walkthrough covers chapter three. Some side chains run across several regions instead of one chapter. Quick Hand Zhang's relic request, for example, spans five regions, and our Quick Hand Zhang hideout guide shows where each set lands.
The game also rewards returning to earlier regions. PowerPyx notes that progression is largely linear by region, but some tales and hidden areas need backtracking once you have new Phantom Edges, and enemies do not respawn when you return. PC Gamer's review describes the same Metroidvania streak: Phantom Edges open paths in earlier regions, though the reviewer found the game fairly linear overall because of its quests and map markers.
Where the Story Locks Content Away
The chapter count matters most because some chapters close quests behind them. These are the cutoffs reported by PowerPyx and KeenGamer:
- End of Snake's Reflection: defeating Bai Chilian permanently closes several Crimson Forest and Weeping Creek Valley quests. PowerPyx marks Purge the Sect, Festering Secrets and the Feather Bow as failing after the Crimson Forest main boss.
- Jing Ye fight: Apprentice Healer and the Medicine Case fail after you beat Jing Ye, the Outlaw, which matters for The Healer's Legacy trophy. The Crimson Forest is also where the Gentle Thief's letter quest sits, covered in our Nimble Thief answers guide.
- Entering the Mirage Estate: KeenGamer calls this the first major cutoff for the quests the true ending needs.
- The Last Chance bell: on Mount Soulrend, KeenGamer describes this as the final point of no return, after which you stay in the final boss sequence until the ending plays.
AllThingsHow adds that your ending is effectively decided before the final region, so do not count on fixing anything during A Soul's Worth. For what the true ending needs, see our endings guide.
Story Trophies, Chapter by Chapter
PowerPyx lists 36 trophies on PlayStation: one platinum, three gold, 14 silver and 18 bronze. Most of the story ones are tied to chapter bosses, so they double as a progress tracker:
- The Heart's Journey, for escaping the pursuers on the main road.
- The Axe's Grudge (Axemaster Peng Meng) and The Hunt (the Hunt, Hunter of the Order) in chapter one.
- A Thousand Cups Drained (Hua Qianxiao) and The Shattered Mirror (Bai Chilian) in chapter two.
- Will We Meet Again? (Mu Xiaokui) in chapter three.
- The Lion's Spirit Lives On (Flame) and Three Wardens Fall (Cavalrybane, Soulclaimer and Heartpiercer) across Pangzhen and Meigu Lake.
- All Return to Dust (Lei Dang), Saw It Through (the Saw and the Crusher) and All Dreams Must End for the closing chapters.
The gold trophy With Heart and Blood, for the true ending, is one of seven missable trophies on PowerPyx's list. PowerPyx estimates 30 to 40 hours for the platinum, one playthrough minimum, and no difficulty-related trophies.
Planning Saves Around the Chapters
Because chapters close content, the best habit is a manual save at the start and end of every region. PowerPyx recommends exactly that and notes the game offers 20 manual save slots, which is plenty for one per region with room for a few before big decisions. Name them by chapter in your head: a save at the start of Heartless Remnants, for instance, lets you redo the Village of Lu ribbons if you miss one.
If you do miss something, the next cycle is your fallback. PC Gamer's review notes New Game Plus lets you keep your weapons, Phantom Edges and accessories while bosses get tougher, so a second run is the natural place to pick up a missed tale or ending. Our trophy guide covers the full platinum route if you are planning one clean run.
If the Platinum Is the Goal
A nine-chapter campaign with seven missable trophies and cutoffs at three points in the story is a lot to track on one save. If the trophy list is what you are after and you would rather not plan every chapter around it, the store offers a Phantom Blade Zero platinum trophy service for PS5 that covers every bronze, silver and gold trophy plus the platinum on your own account, with a choice between realistic spaced-out timestamps and instant ones.
It is PS5 only. Other services for the game, including the mega modded save for PS5 and PC, are on the Phantom Blade Zero store page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many chapters are in Phantom Blade Zero?
Nine, from Against the Flow to A Soul's Worth, after a two-part prologue. Some guides count eight or eleven depending on how they treat the prologue and regions.
What is the last chapter in Phantom Blade Zero?
A Soul's Worth, set on Mount Soulrend. The Last Chance bell there is the final point of no return.
How many regions or maps are there?
PowerPyx lists nine areas in story order, from Weeping Creek Valley to Mount Soulrend, though it describes the Mirage Estate as part of Pangzhen and calls the total eight regions.
Can you go back to earlier chapters?
You can fast travel between bells to revisit earlier regions, and enemies you killed stay dead. Quests a cutoff has closed need an older manual save or a New Game Plus run, which keeps your weapons, Phantom Edges and accessories.
What is the point of no return?
The Last Chance bell on Mount Soulrend. Entering the Mirage Estate is an earlier cutoff for true ending quests.
How many trophies does Phantom Blade Zero have?
Thirty-six on PlayStation: one platinum, three gold, 14 silver and 18 bronze, with seven missable.