How to spare bosses in Sifu and break the cycle of revenge

Knowing how to spare bosses in Sifu means you can forge a different path through this beat ’em up adventure, one that diverges from the standard revenge route of killing all those who have wronged you in the past. If you’ve completed the game already then you’ll have seen this alluded to somewhat cryptically, but understanding this process is key to reaching the Sifu true ending rather than continuing to repeat the cycle forever. To be clear, you don’t need to have finished the game already for this option to appear, though narratively it makes more sense on subsequent playthroughs. If you’re ready to spare bosses in Sifu and reach the true ending, then here’s what you need to do.

Visit our 12 essential Sifu tips, along with our Sifu skills recommendations and Sifu age system explanation, to improve your Martial Arts abilities.

How to spare bosses in Sifu

How to spare bosses in Sifu

(Image credit: Sloclap)

To spare bosses in Sifu you need to reach the second phase of the boss fight, then break your opponent’s Structure twice. Structure is represented by their top bar that gradually fills and turns from yellow to red, and you can add to this by getting hits in on the boss or parrying their attacks by tapping Deflect (L1) at the moment of impact. Weapon hits can also fill your opponent’s Structure bar more quickly, depending on the rewards you’ve been investing in at Shrines. Once you max it out and a further hit or parry reveals the Takedown prompt for the first time, ignore it and do nothing.

How to spare bosses in Sifu

(Image credit: Sloclap)

After a few seconds they will recover, and their Structure bar will partially empty. To finish sparing the boss in Sifu, you now need to max it out once again without letting their health bar get to zero, otherwise you will automatically finish them off. Continue with parries along with light hits until the Structure bar is filled a second time, and at this point when the Takedown prompt appears there will also be a dialogue option to spare the boss, so choose this to end the encounter on a different cutscene and receive your reward.

Rewards unlocked when you spare bosses in Sifu

How to spare bosses in Sifu

(Image credit: Sloclap)

Every time you spare bosses in Sifu you’ll unlock one of the five Talismans, along with a shiny trophy if you’re on PlayStation. These rewards are as follows:

  • Wood Talisman:
    Spare Fajar in the Squats – Muk Yan Master trophy
  • Fire Talisman:
    Spare Sean in the Club – Tiger on Fire trophy
  • Water Talisman:
    Spare Kuroki in the Museum – Source of Flying Daggers trophy
  • Metal Talisman:
    Spare Jinfeng in the Tower – Iron Money trophy
  • Earth Talisman:
    Spare Yang in the Sanctuary – Legendary Talismans of Wuxing trophy

How to get the Sifu true ending

Sifu true ending

(Image credit: Sloclap)

To reach the Sifu true ending, you have to spare all five bosses so you can fully break the cycle of revenge. By doing this, you will attain Wude and not be forced to repeat history over and over again, instead achieving enlightenment. We won’t say any more than that, but make sure you stick around for the quick post-credits scene to form your own opinion of what happens next.

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