How to Fight the Secret Final Boss in Bloodborne

Bloodborne has multiple endings, depending on a number of different factors.  There are three different ways to watch the end credits roll, and this guide will tell you exactly what happens, and how to get each of them.  Be warned, this guide contains spoilers for Bloodborne.  

Ending One:  The Easy Way Out

Upon defeating Margo’s Wet Nurse, you’ll have the ability to unlock two of the three possible outcomes in Bloodborne.  This is the natural progression of the game, and upon returning to Hunter’s Dream, you’ll be able to speak with Gehrman under the Great Tree.  At that point, Gehrman tells you that “The night is near its end,” congratulating you on a job well done.  He says that he’ll show you mercy and that you will wake up, freeing you from the Hunter’s Dream.

At that point you are given two options:  Submit your Life or Refuse.

If you choose Submit Your Life, the game will end and start new game plus.

Ending Two: The Hard Way

Following the same exact progress, if you choose option two, refusing Gehrman, you’ll be forced into a boss encounter with him under the Great Tree. Gehrman will get out of his wheelchair, and you’ll have to fight him to see the credits roll.  Upon beating him, you’ll be treated with an additional cutscene where you then take the place of Gehrman and are introduced to the Moon Presence.  The credits then roll, and new game plus starts.

Ending Three:  The True Ending

To get the third ending, and what many are calling the true ending for Bloodborne, you’ll need to collect three parts of an umbilical cord.  The first part of the umbilical cord you’ll get from beating Mergo’s Wet Nurse boss fight.  The others can be found throughout the world.  Getting the second piece requires some exploration in the Healing Church Workshop where you must take a long fall to open a door which brings you to the Abandoned Old Workshop. The Abandoned Workshop contains a number of treasures, but most importantly another piece of the umbilical cord. The third piece is located in Iosefka’s Clinic.  You can speak with Iosefka early on in the game, but you’ll need to return later to access the clinic fully.  Exploring the clinic you’ll find a character on an operating table that will give you a piece of the cord if you kill them while they are lying on the table (Do not kill them if they aren’t on the table).  A fourth piece is also said to be located in the Chapel if you tell Arianna from the Cathedral Ward to return there, she’ll give birth and you’ll be able to get a cord there as well.

Once you have all the cords, you’ll want to use them.  Specifically, you’ll want to use them before heading to meet Gehrman for the final encounter.  Normally, the Moon Presence being will grab you, and then you’ll end up in a wheelchair taking Gehrman’s place (see ending #2 The Hard Way).  If you’ve consumed the umbilical cords, you’ll reject the Moon Presence, and a boss fight will begin instead of seeing the credits roll.