How to spare the bosses in Sifu and get the secret ending

Sifu protagonist facing the camera
(Image credit: Sloclap)

Did you know about Sifu’s secret ending or that you can spare bosses? It’s a brutal game when you shoot for the regular finale, so we’ve put together this guide on reaching the alternate ending.

Be warned, though, this is a spoiler-heavy guide, as we’re going to show you how to spare all of the bosses in Sifu and achieve the coveted secret ending.

How to get the secret ending in Sifu

If you want to get the secret ending in Sifu, the first thing you’re going to have to do is beat the game. This means re-beating all five bosses, from Fajar in The Squats to Yang in The Sanctuary. 

Sifu’s ending cutscene will roll once you manage this, but don’t get too comfortable, as there’s another trial to go through. The ending cutscene hints that there is shame in your vengeful killing spree and that there is another way to deal with the bosses.

The path to the alternate (or ‘true’) ending of Sifu is now unlocked. You can spare bosses during combat and have the unenviable task of beating Sifu all over again. Of course, you can always tap out if you’ve had enough, but the actual ending is worth the challenge.

How to spare bosses in Sifu

To spare bosses in Sifu you have to make your way to each level’s boss arena. The good news is that the game saves your progress, so you can use the shortcuts you’ve unlocked and all of the skills you’ve permanently picked up along the way. 

Once you’re in the boss arena, you have to get to their second phase and break their structure like you did last time, but, crucially, do not initiate the killing blow takedown when the game prompts you. 

It sounds ridiculous, but you’re going to let them recover. The boss will recover their structure bar back into the orange zone, and you’ll have to deflect or attack the boss to break their structure for the second time in the second phase. 

Sparing a boss in Sifu

(Image credit: SloClap)

Once you’ve managed this, you will get the prompt to kill them, but also the ability to spare them. Tap Left on the D-Pad and you’ll let the boss live. It can feel like muscle memory to initiate the takedown, so just be careful when they’re close to death, and keep your fingers away from Triangle and Circle. There’s no worse feeling than accidentally killing a boss you’ve worked so hard to spare.

Once you’ve spared all of the game’s bosses you’ll see the alternate ending. As to what that is, we’re hardly going to tell you now, are we?

Jordan Oloman

Jordan Oloman is a journalist and documentarian with experience across the pop culture/tech spectrum writing reported features, reviews. news, guides, op-eds and more for a wide variety of outlets. He is also an affiliate streamer on Twitch and have previous experience in scriptwriting, podcasting, game consultation and creating video content.