Phantom Blade Zero Beginner Guide
Phantom Blade Zero is a single-player action RPG with 66 achievements and nine quests you can lose for good. Follow this order and you will finish the Platinum in one playthrough.
Your first hour
The game has no difficulty selection problem for trophy hunters — every achievement can be earned on the easiest setting, and the director has confirmed that all of them can be earned in a single playthrough. Difficulty is not where this run is won or lost.
What is lost is order. Eight side quests fail permanently if you trigger the story past them, and the true ending is tied to those same quests. Everything else is a matter of collecting and upgrading at a reasonable pace.
Begin by clearing the first region completely: every side quest, every Memory Flower, every accessory you can pick up on the way. Then push the story. That single habit accounts for most of the achievement list.
Do these before you advance the story
In every region, finish the side quests before you move the main story forward. The eight missable quests all trigger on story beats — talking to a character, picking up an item, or defeating a boss in a particular order. If you have already triggered the story past one, it is gone for the run.
Where to save
The game offers 20 manual saves on top of 3 automatic ones. Save at the start of a region and again at the end, before you trigger anything irreversible. When a quest fails, your only recovery is a save from before the failure.
Mistakes that cost achievements
Defeating an optional boss too early
Several of these fights end a side quest permanently. Check the boss page for the quests it is tied to before you engage.
Leaving a region with a quest trigger open
Return the first stone to the Shadow Sentinel at the top of the Sha-Chi Tower before you leave the 1st region, or the sequel moves out of reach.
Skipping the Banyan rematches
Heart of the Banyan is five waves followed by a rematch against a former boss. You resume from the wave you died on, so partial progress is not lost here.
Forgetting the collectible counts
Accessories need 30 out of more than 60 in the game, so that one is forgiving. Tempering needs 10 weapons and 10 Phantom Edges, and every weapon needs a unique material.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need DLC for 100%?+
No. Every achievement can be unlocked without DLC.
Do you need New Game+ or the 66-day mode?+
No. Neither is required for any achievement. A single playthrough is enough.
Can you catch up on a failed side quest after the final boss?+
No. You can go back for collectibles, but a failed quest stays failed. Only an earlier save recovers it.
How many saves should I make?+
Use the 20 manual saves the game gives you. Saving at the start and end of every region is the pattern that prevents almost every loss.
Next: work through the bosses in order and note which trophy each one awards.