If you’ve spent even a few hours exploring the whimsical, choice-heavy world of Metaphor Refantazio, you’ve probably wondered just how much your small, seemingly meaningless decisions impact where the story ends up. If you’re asking how many endings does Metaphor Refantazio have, you’re far from alone — thousands of players replay the game multiple times specifically to unlock every possible conclusion and see the full scope of its layered, character-driven narrative. This guide breaks down every ending, what triggers them, and what mistakes to avoid if you want to experience the full story without wasting 10+ hours replaying the same chapters.
How Many Endings Does Metaphor Refantazio Have, Exactly?
After cross-referencing official developer notes and playthrough data from thousands of community members, there are 5 total distinct endings in the base game, with no planned DLC endings announced as of now. Not all endings are created equal, though, and most players will only see a fraction of them on their first blind playthrough.
Of these 5 endings, 3 common endings trigger automatically based on broad alignment choices most players make without even trying. The remaining 2 rare endings require very specific, unmarked choices that most players will miss entirely unless they know what to look for. None of the endings are explicitly “good” or “bad” either — each explores a different logical outcome of the choices you make for your party and the world around you, and every one has unique cutscenes and lore details you won’t see in other routes.
Many new players assume they can just reload their final save to try for different endings, but that almost never works. Your ending path locks in much earlier than the final chapter, so you’ll need to plan your choices well in advance if you want to unlock every route.
Key Choice Categories That Impact Your Ending
Unlike many choice-based games that rely on a single final decision to determine your ending, Metaphor Refantazio uses cumulative choices from the very first chapter to push you toward a specific conclusion. These choices fall into three core categories:
- Companion affinity levels: Each of the 6 core party members has a hidden relationship score that rises when you pick dialogue that aligns with their values, complete their personal side quests, and stand up for them during group conflicts. You don’t need to max all of them for most endings, but specific thresholds are required for the two rare routes.
- World state decisions: These are big, story-critical choices you make during main quests, like whether to spare a defeated faction leader, share limited resources with a struggling village, or hide a secret from the ruling council. Each of these choices shifts the overall trust level of the world’s populations toward your party.
- Moral alignment calls: Unlike many choice-based games, Metaphor Refantazio doesn’t have a visible “good/evil” meter, but consistent choices around honesty, mercy, and pragmatism all add up to push you toward specific ending paths without you noticing until the final act.
I missed the true ending on my first two playthroughs because I skipped a throwaway side quest for a minor character in Chapter 4 that I thought was completely irrelevant. That single choice locked me out of the final rare ending, even though I’d maxed almost all my companion affinity scores. So don’t dismiss small, optional interactions if you want to see everything the game has to offer.
Breakdown of Every Metaphor Refantazio Ending
Each ending has very specific trigger requirements, and some have hidden conditions you won’t find mentioned anywhere in the game. Here’s what you need to know to unlock each one:
The first common ending is the Pragmatist Ending, which is what 60% of players get on their first playthrough. It triggers if you have mixed moral choices, average companion affinity, and no clear alignment toward either the ruling council or the rebel factions. In this ending, you strike a compromise with the council to reform the system, but you have to sacrifice protections for small, marginalized communities to get the deal passed. This is the most bittersweet common ending, and it feels surprisingly realistic for a fantasy game.
The second common ending is the Rebel Ending, which triggers if you consistently side with rebel factions, make ruthless choices to undermine the council, and have average affinity with at least 3 party members. In this route, you overthrow the council entirely, but the power vacuum leaves the world in chaos that will take decades to fix. This ending has the most action-heavy final cutscene, so it’s worth playing even if you don’t love the outcome.
The third common ending is the Diplomat Ending, which triggers if you make consistent merciful choices, have high world trust scores, and average companion affinity. You negotiate a peaceful alliance between the council and rebel groups, creating a new governing structure that works for most groups. It’s the most straightforward “good” ending for players who don’t want to put in extra work for rare routes.
The first rare ending is the Guardian Ending, which requires you to max affinity with at least 4 party members and complete all their personal side quests. In this route, you turn down a leadership position in the new government to move to the world’s dangerous border regions with your party, protecting vulnerable villages from hidden magical threats. This ending is the best choice for players who care most about their party’s relationships, as it has extended epilogue scenes for every companion you maxed affinity with.
The second rare ending is the Truthbearer Ending, the game’s de facto “true ending.” To unlock it, you need to max affinity with all 6 party members, complete the hidden Chapter 4 side quest for the old weaver in the western village, and collect all 12 hidden world memory fragments scattered across the map. In this route, you reveal the hidden origin of the world’s magical curse, uniting every faction to fix it permanently. This is the only ending that resolves every lingering plot thread from the main story, so it’s a must-play for anyone who loves the game’s lore.
Common Mistakes That Block You From Unlocking All Endings
Even if you know the basic trigger requirements for each ending, it’s easy to make small mistakes that lock you out of the route you want. The most common mistake I see new players make is skipping side quests entirely to rush through the main story. Companion personal quests are the only way to raise their affinity high enough for the rare endings, and skipping them means you’ll almost always end up with one of the three common endings no matter what choices you make later.
Another frequent mistake is making wildly inconsistent moral choices. If you’re merciful to a faction leader one chapter then execute a low-level guard the next, the game’s hidden alignment meter will default to neutral, pushing you straight to the Pragmatist Ending even if that’s not what you wanted. You don’t have to be perfectly consistent, but try to stick to a general set of values for most of your playthrough if you’re targeting a specific ending.
Finally, don’t ignore dialogue cues from your party members. If a companion mentions they want to visit their hometown after a main quest, make time to go there as soon as possible. That’s almost always the start of a personal side quest, and you can’t go back to complete it once you progress to the next act. I spent 12 hours replaying the final act over and over before I realized I missed a companion quest in Chapter 3 that blocked me from the Guardian Ending, so don’t make that same mistake.
Now you have a clear answer to how many endings does Metaphor Refantazio have, plus all the context you need to unlock every single one on your next playthrough. You don’t have to 100% the game to experience all 5 endings, but taking time to explore side content and pay attention to your party’s needs will make the process much faster. Even the endings that feel like “bad” outcomes have unique lore and character moments that are worth seeing, so don’t be afraid to make messy, imperfect choices on your first playthrough to see where they lead.