It can be very confusing to unlock all six endings in Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake. You might wonder if you need to replay the entire game four times. To save you time, I combined data from gameplay testing, steam discussions and reddit community reports to create this complete guide. This guide covers the exact requirements and ways to avoid known quest bugs.
In this guide:
Here is a quick summary of what you need for each ending before we dive into the details.
| Ending Name | Difficulty / Mode | Key Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Lonely Road Home | Any | Escape alone from Kureha Shrine |
| Crimson Butterfly | Normal (First Run) | Default ending |
| The Promise | New Game+ | Equip Yae’s Spirit Stone |
| The Abyss | New Game+ | Equip Kusabi’s Sparkling Spirit Stone |
| Sprouting Wings | New Game+ | Equip Sae’s and Mayu’s Spirit Stones |
| Remaining Sun | Nightmare | Equip Mio’s Spirit Stone and beat boss fast |
The Optimal Playthrough Route
You don’t need to replay the game five times. You can unlock every ending efficiently by following this exact sequential order:
- Play your first run on Normal or Hard. Get the Crimson Butterfly ending.
- Start a New Game+ on Nightmare difficulty.
- Complete Yae’s side story and get The Promise.
- Reload the final chapter, complete Kusabi’s side story, and get The Abyss.
- Reload chapter 8, complete Sae and Mayu’s side stories, and get Sprouting Wings.
- Finally, complete Mio’s side story and finish the Nightmare run to get Remaining Sun.
All 6 Endings Explained
Now that you have the route, let’s look at the exact steps, side quest locations and boss tips for each ending.
1. Lonely Road Home Ending
This is the easiest alternative ending to unlock. Actually, it acts more like a game over screen. You can get this during your first playthrough without ruining your main save. You need to reach the Kureha shrine with Mayu. After the pinwheel puzzle, she gets taken away. Defeat the three wraiths outside. Then, go inside the shrine and escape through the secret door alone. You leave mayu behind and escape the village. The game forces you to reload your previous save after this. But you still earn the achievement for it.
2. Crimson Butterfly Ending
This is the standard ending for your first run on normal difficulty. You must complete this ending to unlock New Game Plus (NG+). Follow the crimson butterfly to the Kurosawa house. You will eventually reach the hall of ropes and fight the kurosawa matriarch boss.
Boss Tip: Equip the Chrysocolla charm for the Matriarch. Knock him down from the rafters with a special shot. Always keep at least one regular priest alive or the boss will respawn more.
Once you defeat him, head through the deep path tunnel to the Ritual Altar. Here, you fight the Kusabi boss. After you win, Mio sacrifices Mayu, who turns into a crimson butterfly.
3. The Promise Ending
You can only unlock this ending in New Game Plus mode. You also need Yae’s Spirit Stone. You can start Yae’s side story during Chapter 7 by visiting the Kurosawa House courtyard.
Once you have her stone, progress to the final boss room. Before you enter the Ritual Altar room, you must equip Yae’s Spirit Stone. You will see Mayu running toward the Torii gates instead of standing on the altar. Defeat Kusabi and walk through the gates. Many players consider this the true happy ending. Both sisters survive and the spirits of Yae and Sae are finally reunited.
4. The Abyss Ending
This is another dark New Game Plus ending. You need the Kusabi sparkling spirit stone for this one. You can trigger the Kusabi side story starting in Chapter 4. You must find journals left by the folklorist.
Follow the standard route to the ritual altar. Make sure to equip the Kusabi spirit stone before entering the room. You will see Mayu crying on the altar before she turns into Sae. Defeat Kusabi in a two wave fight. Then, enter the Abyss to fight Sae. Once you defeat her, Mio catches Mayu but looks into the Abyss. Mio goes blind as a result.
5. Sprouting Wings Ending
Things get a bit more complicated here. You need both Sae’s spirit stone and Mayu’s spirit stone. You must unlock The Promise and The Abyss first to spawn their quests. Mayu’s side story spawns in chapter 8. You have limited time, so head straight to the heavenly bridge when the chapter begins.
Play through the final chapter normally. Equip both stones right before you reach the ritual altar. You will see Mayu standing calmly on the altar. Defeat Kusabi and then fight Sae near the Abyss. Once you win, run to Mayu and hold her hand. They both fall but the spirits of Yae and Sae save them.
6. Remaining Sun Ending
This is the hardest ending to achieve. You must play the entire game on nightmare difficulty. You also need Mio’s spirit stone. You get this at Misono hill by finishing all other side stories first. Progress to the ritual altar and equip Mio’s spirit stone.
You face Sae at the Abyss as the final boss. You must defeat her in less than one minute.
1-Minute Boss Tip: Equip your most powerful radiant lens. When Sae summons three blood tornadoes, use your camera indicator. The red arrow points to the tornado she is hiding inside. Hit it with a Type-Zero or Type-90 film for a Fatal Frame shot. If you fail the time limit, the game gives you The Promise ending instead.
Bug Warning: Sae Kurosawa 2 Quest
Many players on reddit report getting stuck on the Sae Kurosawa 2 side quest. The quest log might tell you to complete chapter 8 and Sae Kurosawa 3, which makes no sense. You don’t always need a full new playthrough to fix this. Load your “The Promise” clear save, go to the final chapter via chapter select and check if the quest appears. Go to the Kurosawa house main hall and take a photo expose of Sae’s revenant to progress.
How to Farm Endings Fast
You don’t have to replay the whole game from scratch every time. The chapter select feature is your best friend. Follow these steps to farm the endings efficiently:
- Load your completed New Game Plus save file.
- Use chapter select to start directly from the final chapter.
- Play until you reach the deep path tunnel.
- Save your game right before entering the Ritual Altar.
- Equip the specific spirit stone for the ending you want.
- Enter the room and beat the bosses. Then watch the ending.
- Reload that exact save, switch your spirit stone and repeat the process.
FAQs
Do required items carry over in chapter select?
Yes. Chapter select carries over all your items, progress and unlocked spirit stones. This makes getting the alternate endings much easier.
Can I use chapter select for the remaining sun ending?
No. The remaining sun ending requires you to be on nightmare difficulty. You cannot switch to nightmare via chapter select. You must start a fresh playthrough on nightmare mode to get this specific ending.
Do I have to get the Lonely Road Home ending?
No. It is completely optional. It functions as an alternative game over. However, you should do it once if you want to unlock all the achievements in the game.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake
