The prologue is Phantom Blade Zero’s tutorial. It has two parts: Diverging Paths, in a bamboo forest, where you learn to move and fight and finish with a practice duel against your master, Zuo Shang; and Reckless Pursuit, on a carriage bound for Pangzhen, where you fight The Hunt, Hunter of the Order. According to Vandal (Spanish guide), neither fight is a real boss and you do not need to empty The Hunt’s health bar. No guide gives the length of the prologue. When it ends, chapter 1, Against the Flow begins.
Chapter summary
The prologue teaches you the basics before letting you loose in the world. First you cross a bamboo forest practicing movement until you reach Zuo Shang, who gives you the combat lesson and puts you to the test. Then you travel on a carriage toward Pangzhen; raiders block the way and The Hunt, a hunter of the Order, appears. After that fight, a sequence of on-screen button prompts takes you to Weeping Creek Valley, where chapter 1 begins.
Prologue route
From the bamboo forest to the fall into the Valley
- Diverging PathsBamboo forest
- TutorialMovement and combat
- Practice duelZuo Shang
- Reckless PursuitCarriage to Pangzhen
- Tutorial fightThe Hunt
- Chapter 1Against the Flow
Order according to Vandal and Fextralife. The sources cite no bells in the prologue.
Step by step
- Diverging Paths: move through the bambooThe game teaches you to run, sprint, jump, move the camera and wall-run, both vertically and horizontally. Walls you can run on have slash marks. There are several detours, but only one path leads to the scene with Zuo Shang. Fextralife adds that you also practice climbing and crouching here.
- Combat tutorialAfter the scene you learn combos, Power Surge, dodging, blocking and parrying. Watch the colors: attacks with a blue flash can be parried and those with a red flash are avoided with a perfect dodge. There is more detail in combat explained.
- Practice duel with Zuo ShangYou have to beat your master in a training fight. Vandal does not count it as a boss. According to Fextralife, a scene takes you back to the past and you beat him a second time; then a character it calls the Flesh Sculptor asks you which heart you will take. If you struggle, you can lower the difficulty.
- Reckless Pursuit: defend the carriageYou travel toward Pangzhen (Fextralife says with Old Man Gen). Follow the on-screen prompts to fight off the raiders.
- Tutorial fight with The HuntThe Hunt, Hunter of the Order appears. Block his attacks and dodge when he disappears from the carriage. According to Vandal, you do not need to drain his health bar.
- Final sequenceComplete the on-screen button prompts (QTE). Soul falls into Weeping Creek Valley and Against the Flow begins.
Chapter bosses
| Boss | Type | Reward | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zuo Shang (practice duel) | Mandatory; a tutorial, not a real boss according to Vandal | None cited | Zuo Shang (his real fight comes at the end) |
| The Hunt, Hunter of the Order | Mandatory; a tutorial according to Vandal | None cited | The Hunt |
The sources do not agree on what to call them: Fextralife refers to The Hunt as “the boss” of the prologue and to Zuo Shang as the opening boss, while Vandal says there are no real bosses in the prologue.
Tales and purple quests in this chapter
| Tale or quest | Where it starts | Missable if you move on? |
|---|---|---|
| None | The sources cite no tales or purple quests in the prologue | — |
The first tales and the first purple quest start in chapter 1. You have the full list in side quests and purple quests.
Collectibles and key items
Neither Vandal nor Fextralife cite items, weapons, Edges or accessories in the prologue. Your first alternative weapon, the Sanguine Twin, and your first Phantom Edge, the Dread Axe, come in chapter 1.
Full walkthrough · Next chapter →
Frequently asked questions
Are there bosses in the Phantom Blade Zero prologue?
There are two fights, against Zuo Shang and against The Hunt, but Vandal treats them as tutorials, not real bosses. Fextralife, on the other hand, calls The Hunt a “boss”.
Do I have to empty The Hunt’s health bar on the carriage?
No. According to Vandal, it is enough to block his attacks and dodge when he disappears from the carriage. You truly defeat The Hunt later, at the Great Waterfall in chapter 2.
Can you skip the prologue?
Only in New Game Plus: when you start the new cycle you can skip the prologue and the tutorial and start in Weeping Creek Valley, according to Vandal.
What do I do if the duel with Zuo Shang is too hard?
Practice parrying the blue flashes and perfect-dodging the red ones. If it still gives you trouble, Vandal reminds you that you can lower the difficulty.
