Live A Live is a Square Enix JRPG featuring multiple protagonists in different eras and time periods, all culminating into one grand final arc. The game’s narrative ties this together with a recurring malevolent force that serves as each era’s final boss.

You can check out our spoiler-free review of Live A Live here; it’s one of this year’s best JRPG remakes made for the Nintendo Switch. It improves upon most of its game mechanics while also revving up the visuals and original score to greater heights. The game’s stellar voice acting also helps elevate it further.

As such, you can expect different outcomes for Live A Live. Here’s a guide to get each of them. Note that since we’re dealing with endings, there will be spoilers so here’s your warning.

After completing all seven selectable character’s stories, you will gain access to The Middle Ages chapter. After you complete that, you’ll unlock the final scenario called The Dominion of Hate.

False Ending Guide

To pick the evil ending, pick Oersted. For reasons obvious to you once you’ve played all eight chapters, Oersted’s final scenario is different.

Oersted will spend his finale wiping out the other seven characters in the name of evil. When the chapter starts, simply walk down from the Archon’s Roost into the Seat of the Betrayers whereupon Odio (formerly Oersted) will use his powers to ensure victory for those who were cheated out of their rightful path. Once you defeat each “boss” you’ve unlocked the false ending.

True Ending Guide

To get the regular ending, pick the other seven characters and not Orsted. Since they’re the good guys, you will unlock the good ending by defeating all versions of Oersted and Odio.

To get the true ending, do the following:

-Recruit all seven main characters, then head to the Archon’s Roost for the final battle.
-After defeating the final boss, opt to spare him.
-Then walk back the way you came. You will go through a boss gauntlet defeating all the incarnations of Odio, and then fight the Nintendo Switch exclusive final form of Odio.

Voila: you’ve triggered the best ending of Live A Live.

How To Find Each Character In The Dominion Of Hate

• Pogo: Pogo starts in a flowerbed that is just a little bit south of the Condemned Village (Fugalia Village), in the Silent Wood. To recruit him, you must play a game of hide-and-seek in the flowerbed area and then defeat him in battle. If she became the new Shifu Master, Lei doesn’t have to fight him, and skips the battle.

• Oboromaru: Oboromaru starts in the middle of the road towards Archon’s Roost. If you want to recruit him, examine the sign just right before the entrance to Archon’s Roost. Some characters will trigger combat when you try to recruit him.

• Earthen Heart Shifu (Recommended): The new Earthen Heart Shifu Master starts at the Last Hero’s Grave (AKA Hero’s Rest) summit. Recruiting Hong requires feeding him before he will join you. You can feed him Balmgrass which can be farmed in the flowerbed area south of the Condemned Village; you’ll have to feed him quite a few of them. The others just join you outright, no questions asked. Make sure you grab the sword on the tomb before you leave if you come to the summit. Regardless of which Shifu you get, they have the most skills and best stats for offense.

• Masaru Takahara: Masaru starts and is found inside the Seat of the Betrayers (Lucrece Castle) Prison Cell. Some characters will trigger combat when you try to recruit them.

• Akira: Akira will start at the base of Condemned Village (Fugalia Village) in the West. He is one of the easiest characters to recruit if he’s not your protagonist. If you say you don’t trust him, you’ll have to fight him, however.

• Cube (Recommended): Cube starts at the rooftop of the Seat of the Betrayers (Lucrece Castle). You will need to find the strange object in the Last Hero’s Grave if you want to recruit Cube – this is the battery that he requires to boot back up. Cube is the best support character in the game and is required in your party in the final dungeon.

• Sundown Kid: If you kick the Sundown Kid, his recruiting location with be random. This could be any of the location where you previously encounter him before. Sundown Kid will be marked on the map with a ?. He first appears on the mountains next to the cabin, then in the southeast of the mountains, then at the signpost towards the castle town, then in front of the throne, follow him left where he’ll be in bed and finally once you’ve exited the castle town, he’ll offer to join you.