The Banner Saga 3 Endings Guide: How to see every conclusion to Stoic's trilogy

The Banner Saga 3 marks the end of Stoic’s trilogy, but there’s more than one end to this strategy RPG. There are five different endings to see, but thankfully these endings are not tied to three games’ worth of decisions--instead, it all boils down to the answers given during Chapter 22: Only We Few Remember It Now. If you know the right choices to make, you can see most of these endings relatively quickly. This guide will help you experience all the ending to The Banner Saga 3.

Note: This guide will have endgame spoilers. Want to learn more about Stoic’s latest title? Read our Banner Saga 3 review.

The End of Chapter 21

Before getting into the endings themselves, there’s a quick note to make involving the ending of Chapter 21. In front of the white tower, you’re forced to face Bolverk in a difficult wave battle. This battle, which is also the final fight in the game, can actually be lost. If you fail, Bolverk will slaughter all of the Ravens, but Iver, Juno, and Eywind will climb the tower alone while the Ravens provide a “distraction”.

The results of this battle will have an effect on a couple of the endings. However, it will not stop the player from viewing what are arguably the good endings. We will note which endings are affected by the battle results below.

Eywind’s Mindset

The other important thing to keep in mind when getting the endings is Eywind’s mindset when Iver is speaking with him. It’s revealed earlier in the game that the mender is not always sound of mind, and Iver’s tone when speaking to Eywind will affect his mood, and by extension what endings you get.

Generally, picking the more positive choices while speaking to Eywind (which also tend to be at the top of the choices), will help convince Eywind of the worth of life, and open up the better endings. Being more cynical and agreeing with Eywind, however, will upset the mender, forcing you into the less favorable outcomes. Generally, there's a bit of wiggle room in your answers before the game locks you into one path or the other, but you won't know which way you'll fall until you get to the final choice, so better safe than sorry.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the endings below.

The “Best” Ending - Everything Goes As Planned

The arguably best ending in the game is getting Eywind to finish what he set out to do--sealing Juno into the black sun for all of eternity to save the world. Needless to say, the mender is less than happy about the fate of the person he loves, so it takes a lot of convincing from Iver in order for him to do the right thing.

First and foremost, you must choose the more positive options when talking to Eywind--you must have the man relatively stable to convince him of his actions. Being too cynical or neutral when answering Eywind will lock you out of this ending.

Eventually, you’ll have the final decision, “If you’re going to do something, it has to be now”. Here is where you’ll make your ending choice. For the best ending, you’ll have to have Iver speak up:

“Eywind, this isn’t what Juno wanted.”

At hearing this, the mender finally gives up the fight and resists the serpent’s tempting offer, and finishes the ritual. Juno is sealed into the black sun, and Arberrang is saved.

The Good Ending - The Serpent Only Has a Snack

While speaking to Eywind, the serpent will chime in with an offer for the mender. Taking a page from Thanos’ playbook, he offers to only devour half of the world, in exchange for Juno's freedom. Obviously to Eywind, who has lost faith in humanity, finds this a good deal. It is his fault Juno was resurrected and linked to the serpent in the first place, and this prevents her from having to face a grim fate.

To obtain this ending, pick the first dialogue options like the Best ending, and go through the rest of the dialogue. At the final choice, “If you’re going to do something, it has to be now”, choose…

Trust Eywind and wait.

Eywind will accept the serpent’s deal. Arberrang is saved, though obviously not the entire world. Juno moves on to the next life in peace and is not doomed to eternal imprisonment in the black sun. Depending on your viewpoint, you might find this the best ending.

The Okay/Bad Ending - Getting Someone Else to Do It

This is the set of endings that will depend on if you won the battle with Bolverk or not. If you won, you will get the Okay ending; if you lost and the Ravens are dead, you will get the Bad ending.

For these endings, it doesn’t matter what choices you make during the conversation, though for your own conscience it may be better to pick the more negative choices.

After going through the motions above and getting to the final choice, you’ll see one of two options. If you won the battle against Bolverk and the Ravens are still alive, you can choose…

Strike down Eywind, leaving the ritual to Alfrun

So instead of trusting Eywind to do the right thing, you kill him and ask the witch to complete the ritual. She does so at the cost of her own life, sealing Juno within the black sun and saving Arberrang.

If you lost the battle to Bolverk and the Ravens are dead, you’ll have a slightly different choice:

Cut down Eywind while he’s distracted

Of course, by killing the only person left that can complete the ritual, Iver has sealed the world’s fate. Arberrang and all life is destroyed, leaving Juno to wander the desolate remains alone.

The Worst Ending - He Can’t Go Through With It

Getting the worst possible ending isn't too hard to guess. Eywind is not the most sound of mind, and the risk of losing his lover forever to eternal imprisonment for his actions is hard for the man to bear. To get this ending, you simply have to pick the more negative options, upsetting the mender instead of convincing him of the right choice.

The final choice is the same as the best ending:

“Eywind, this isn’t what Juno wanted.”

This pushes the mender over the edge, driving him mad. Between his destruction and the ritual not being completed, the serpent devours the world and Arberrang is destroyed.