Phantom Blade Zero tells its story across nine regions, in a fixed order, with three layers of quests on top. This walkthrough gives you the skeleton: the region order, the main quests that move the story, the purple Mysteries that gate the true ending, and the two warnings that tell you when side content is about to close.
At a glance
Nine story regions, in a fixed order, from the Prologue to Mount Soulrend.
Three quest layers: gold main quests, purple Mysteries, and Tales side quests.
11 purple Mysteries; they are the core of the true-ending checklist.
Two points of no return: entering Mirage Estate, and the Last Chance bell on Mount Soulrend.
Quick answer
Follow the region order in section 1; the game is linear across regions even though each region is open to explore.
Do purple Mysteries as you meet them; they are the ones that decide the ending.
Keep a manual save at the start and end of every region; the game gives you 20 manual slots.
1. Region order: the story path
One counting note first. Some guides say eight regions and some say nine. The game has eight hand-painted ink-style maps, but Pangzhen and Mirage Estate share one map while counting as separate story areas, which is why story-region counts reach nine. This guide uses the nine story areas, because that is the order you actually play them in.
Swipe horizontally to view all columns.
| Order | Region | Main quest spine | Key unlocks on the way |
|---|---|---|---|
0 | Prologue | Diverging Paths | The story begins; the artificial heart. |
1 | Weeping Creek Valley | Reckless Pursuit, Against the Flow, Steel and Steam | Dread Axe (breaks Chain Barriers), Hunter's Chain Sickle; bells open fast travel. |
2 | Crimson Forest | Snake's Reflection | The Fanatic's Broken Blade, Outlaw Warblade, Iron Gauntlets, White Serpent and Crimson Viper. |
3 | Village of Lu | Heartless Remnants | Bastion, Tianxuan Bronze Sword, Kuye Temple Prayer Beads, Heartrend Pipa, Wild Oriole Sword. |
4 | Pangzhen, south city, first visit | Town of Death, The Heart's Trail | Fire Meteor, Armybreaker, Wolfjaw; Tempering unlocks here (talk to Myst). |
5 | Mandate Encampment | A branch off the Pangzhen route | Bashpole, Soft Snake Sword, Baishan Stormswords; Training Grounds Key. |
6 | Meigu Lake | Sha-Chi Powered Boat, Secrets at the Heart of the Lake, Allure of Vanity, Illusory Pipa | Sundering Dual Axes, Whiteshadow; the Sha-Chi boat is the lake transport. |
7 | Mountain of Imprisonment, true-ending north section | Whence the Weeping | Juggernaut, Flying Guillotine, Crystal Puppet Eye [Yin]. |
8 | Mirage Estate, north of Pangzhen | The Four Serpent Houses, then the estate interior | Crescent Blade, Wraith Mask, Tiger Cannon; entering here triggers the first point-of-no-return warning. |
9 | Mount Soulrend | The Way Forward, then A Soul's Worth | Bonesaw, The Lady's Fan; the Last Chance bell is the second point of no return. |
Do not use any single site chapter numbering as if it were official. One guide counts 11 chapters including the Prologue, another counts the Prologue plus 8 chapters, and a third counts 9 named chapters. The game itself is best navigated by region and gold quest name, which is what this guide uses.
2. Three quest layers, not two
The journal has three pages, and the distinction matters because only one layer decides the ending.
Gold main quests (Story page, gold icon): mandatory. They move you from region to region and end at the final boss.
Purple Mysteries (Story page, purple icon): optional, but they are the true-ending core. There are 11: Deep in the Valley, Illusion of Inanis, Sha-Chi Powered Boat, Allure of Vanity, Illusory Pipa, Pillars of Kunlun, Whence the Weeping, The Herald's Illusion, Crimson Manor, Secrets at the Heart of the Lake, Bloodline Awakening.
Tales side quests (Tales page, cyan icon): NPC quests, collection errands, and treasure hunts such as the Quick Hand Zhang requests. Most do not affect the ending, but 7 of them carry missable trophies (see the achievements guide).
Tales counts differ by source: one 100 percent checklist counts 30 Side Tales, while another side-quest table counts 44 Tales plus side content, and a third phrasing reaches 48 by including the purple quests. This guide uses the 30 Side Tales figure for the Tales page and treats the purple 11 separately, because that matches the in-game journal structure.
3. Missables: Tales quests are the risk, collectibles mostly are not
After the story ends, you can roam every region and pick up almost all ordinary collectibles. The real missable risk is Tales side quests: when you advance to the next region or beat a specific boss, the quest giver or the quest itself can disappear, and a failed side quest turns red in the journal. That is why the save habit below matters more than any single collectible route.
Keep a manual save at the start and end of every region. The game gives 20 manual slots plus 3 rotating autosaves.
Finish a region missable side quests before leaving it, especially in Crimson Forest, Village of Lu, and Weeping Creek Valley, where the missable trophies cluster.
After gaining a new Phantom Edge, revisit old regions: the map marks paths that need a specific Edge, and the mark turns green once you hold it.
Bells are checkpoints, fast-travel points, and ability-training points. Touching a bell also reveals the surrounding map.
4. Two points of no return
The game warns you twice, and both warnings deserve a save. Entering Mirage Estate triggers a warning about unfinished business. Later, on Mount Soulrend, the Last Chance bell warns again, and after it you cannot leave the endgame area until the ending plays. If your true-ending checklist is incomplete at either warning, go back and finish it before proceeding.
5. After the story: free roam, then New Game Plus
After the credits, you can roam all regions to finish collectibles and non-missable side content. For a second cycle, talk to Inanis in the Puppet Cell in the Mountain of Imprisonment to start New Game Plus: gear, weapons, Edges, accessories, ability training, and Archives carry over, while quests, map exploration, key items, and remaining days reset. The full inheritance table and the 66 Days mode are in the true-ending and New Game Plus guide.
FAQ
How many regions are there, 8 or 9?
Both, by different counts. There are 8 hand-painted maps, but Pangzhen and Mirage Estate share one map while counting as separate story areas, so the story path has 9 stops.
Can I finish side quests after the story?
Most collectibles yes, most Tales side quests no. Tales quests are the main missable category: once their giver or window is gone, the quest fails and turns red in the journal.
Do I need the purple Mysteries to finish the game?
No. You can finish the game on the normal ending without them. They are required only for the true ending.
What should I do at each point-of-no-return warning?
Save first, then check your true-ending checklist and your region side quests. After the Last Chance bell, you cannot leave the endgame area until the ending plays.