Stellar Blade offers a multi-layered narrative that concludes in three distinct ways depending on the player's investment in side content and a final, world-altering decision. Among these, the ending titled "Making New Memories" is widely accepted as the true ending. It provides the most complete resolution to Eve's journey, the fate of Xion, and the future of humanity. Achieving this specific conclusion requires more than just combat prowess; it demands a thorough exploration of Earth’s remaining secrets and a maximum level of affinity with one of Eve's closest companions, Lily.

The Mechanics of Lily’s Affinity Meter

To unlock the path to the true ending, the primary objective is to fill Lily’s affinity bar to 100% before reaching a specific point of no return. This progress bar is represented by a small icon that appears in the top right corner of the screen whenever Eve interacts with items or completes tasks that deepen Lily’s understanding of human history and Mother Sphere’s influence.

Filling this meter is not automatic. It requires the collection of specific data entries, memory sticks, and environmental storytelling elements scattered across the semi-open world regions like the Wasteland and the Great Desert, as well as the linear stages like Matrix 11. Not every collectible contributes to this bar, but several key categories are essential:

  1. Data Bank Entries and Documents: Picking up discarded journals, citizen reports, and scientific logs often triggers a small boost to Lily’s affinity. These documents usually provide context for the fall of humanity and the rise of the Andro-Eidos.
  2. Posters and Books: Throughout Xion and ruined urban areas, Eve can find cultural artifacts. Interacting with these allows Lily to reflect on the civilization that once thrived on Earth.
  3. Specific Side Quests: While many side missions offer rewards like gold or upgrade materials, certain narrative-heavy quests are mandatory for maxing out affinity. Missions such as "Memories of Mother Sphere," "Stolen Treasure," and "Oblivion" are high-value targets. These quests often involve Lily directly or provide information that challenges her existing programming regarding the Colony.

A common misconception is that every single collectible in the game is required for the 100% threshold. In reality, there is a surplus of affinity-boosting items. However, focusing on the major side quests in Xion and meticulously searching the Great Desert is the most reliable strategy to ensure the bar is full before the finale.

The Hidden Path: Eidos 9

The most significant consequence of maxing out Lily’s affinity is the unlocking of a secret region: Eidos 9. If the affinity bar reaches 100% by the time Eve completes the "Abyss Levoire" mission and speaks to Adam to head toward the Orbit Elevator, Lily will interrupt the transition. She suggests a detour to a hidden facility to investigate a signal, leading the party to Eidos 9.

This location is crucial for several reasons. Narratively, it allows Lily to obtain a specialized hacking tool from a fallen comrade’s memory stick. From a gameplay perspective, Eidos 9 is a vibrant, water-submerged ruin filled with unique enemy encounters and high-tier loot, including Nano Suits and weapon cores. Missing this area entirely locks the player out of the "Making New Memories" ending. If Lily does not prompt the trip to Eidos 9 when you attempt to leave for the late-game areas, it means your affinity was insufficient, and the true ending is no longer accessible on that playthrough.

Completing the "Secret Garden" objective within Eidos 9 solidifies the conditions for the true ending. It provides the technological leverage necessary for Lily to survive the events that unfold at the Nest.

The Point of No Return

Strategic save management is vital for those attempting to see all endings. The definitive point of no return occurs after the boss fight with Raven and before entering the Nest to confront the Elder Naytiba. Once Eve enters the Nest, the final sequence begins.

Before this, the game provides a warning when attempting to travel to the Orbit Elevator. If your goal is the true ending, you must ensure that Eidos 9 has been cleared and your affinity bar is maxed before acknowledging this prompt. After the events in the Orbit Elevator and the return to a devastated Xion, the opportunities for free exploration effectively cease.

The Decision at the Nest

Upon reaching the heart of the Nest, Eve discovers the truth about the war, the nature of the Naytibas, and Adam’s true identity as the Elder Naytiba. Adam presents a proposal: to merge the DNA of the original humans (Naytibas) with the advanced mechanical bodies of the Andro-Eidos. This fusion is intended to create a new species capable of surviving Mother Sphere’s control and reclaiming the planet.

At this juncture, you are presented with a binary choice: Take Adam's hand or Refuse Adam's hand.

To achieve the true ending, you must choose to Take Adam's hand.

If you have met the prerequisites (100% affinity and Eidos 9), this choice leads to the "Making New Memories" sequence. If you take his hand but failed to max the affinity, you will instead trigger the "Cost of Lost Memories" ending, which is significantly more tragic as Lily does not have the tools or the bond required to survive the ensuing chaos.

The Final Battle: Providence

Choosing to merge with Adam does not lead to an immediate roll of the credits. Instead, Mother Sphere intervenes. Disappointed by Eve's deviation from the "Eve Protocol," she takes control of Lily’s powered exoskeleton, Providence, forcing a brutal final confrontation.

Providence is a formidable opponent that utilizes high-speed aerial maneuvers, heavy artillery, and devastating area-of-effect laser attacks. Because Eve has merged with the Elder Naytiba at this point, her moveset is enhanced. She gains access to a permanent "Elder" state, which significantly boosts her damage output and provides new combat animations.

The fight against Providence is divided into several phases:

  • Initial Phase: Providence uses its mechanical limbs and boosters to close the distance. Parrying its multi-hit combos is essential to building the Beta and Burst gauges.
  • Ranged Phase: The boss will frequently retreat to the edges of the arena to fire barrages of missiles and concentrated beams. Constant movement and well-timed dodges are the only way to avoid rapid health depletion.
  • Desperation Phase: Below 30% health, Providence becomes increasingly aggressive, incorporating shockwaves and unblockable grabs. This is where the Elder form's high-damage combos should be utilized to end the fight quickly.

Upon defeating Providence, the hacking tool Lily acquired in Eidos 9 allows her to eject safely from the suit, preventing her death. This is the pivotal difference between the secret ending and the standard "Accept" ending.

Narrative Implications of Making New Memories

The "Making New Memories" ending is the only one that includes a post-credits scene, suggesting it is the intended canonical path for a potential sequel. In this conclusion, Eve successfully merges with Adam to become a new type of being—a hybrid that possesses the soul and biological legacy of humanity combined with the perfection of Andro-Eidos technology.

With Mother Sphere’s direct influence over Earth temporarily severed following the destruction of the Providence unit, Eve and Lily return to Xion. They carry the final Hyper Cell, which is used to fully restore the city. The stasis pods holding the remaining human consciousnesses are reactivated, and Xion begins its transformation from a tomb into a living civilization.

However, the threat of Mother Sphere remains. The ending shows her watching from the Colony, acknowledging that while the current protocol has failed, the evolution of Eve is a variable she will continue to monitor. Eve is left as the guardian of Xion, standing as a protector against the inevitable return of Mother Sphere's forces. This ending strikes a balance between hope for the planet’s restoration and the looming shadow of an interstellar conflict.

Comparison with Other Endings

To understand why "Making New Memories" is the superior outcome, one must look at the alternatives:

  • Return to the Colony: Triggered by refusing Adam's hand. Eve kills Adam, fulfilling her original mission. While Lily survives, the cycle of violence continues. Mother Sphere welcomes Eve back to the Colony, but humanity is effectively extinct, and Earth remains a barren wasteland under machine rule. This is generally considered the "bad" ending.
  • Cost of Lost Memories: Triggered by taking Adam's hand without maxing Lily's affinity. Eve merges with Adam, but during the fight with Providence, Lily is unable to escape the exoskeleton and dies. Eve is left alone, a powerful hybrid with no companions, facing an endless army of Mother Sphere's robots. It is a hollow victory that emphasizes the cost of neglecting the human connections Eve built during her journey.

Recommendations for Completionists

For players aiming for the Platinum trophy or 100% completion, managing these endings can be tricky due to the game's autosave system. If you wish to see all three endings in a single playthrough (or two), consider the following advice:

  1. Cloud Save Backup: Before speaking to Adam at the Nest (the final camp), upload your save data to the cloud and disable auto-sync.
  2. Order of Operations: If your affinity is at 100%, you can get both "Return to the Colony" and "Making New Memories" by reloading your save after the first completion and choosing the opposite response to Adam.
  3. The Affinity Trap: To get the "Cost of Lost Memories" ending, you must not have 100% affinity. This usually requires a second playthrough (New Game Plus) where you intentionally skip side quests and collectibles. Fortunately, NG+ allows you to skip cutscenes and move through the story much faster, making this less of a chore.

New Game Plus and Beyond

Completing the game with the true ending unlocks several rewards that carry over into New Game Plus. These include the "Raven" suit—a highly coveted cosmetic based on the game’s primary antagonist—and the ability to play on Hard Mode.

In the current landscape of 2026, with the PC version's community-driven mods and enhanced graphical fidelity, the true ending has become a benchmark for the community. The detail in the final cinematic, particularly the way Eve’s model changes after the fusion, showcases the high production values of the project.

The path to the true ending in Stellar Blade is a journey of transformation. It moves from a simple mission of extermination to a complex story about what it means to be the successor to the human race. By investing in Lily’s growth and exploring the forgotten corners of Eidos 9, players are rewarded with a finale that is as emotionally resonant as it is visually spectacular. Whether you are playing for the high-octane combat or the philosophical depth of the story, "Making New Memories" provides the most satisfying closure to the saga of Eve and the reclamation of Earth.