Lies Of P Final Boss & Ending Explained (In Detail) (2024)

Lies of P 's ending and final boss depend on various choices made throughout the course of the game. As a Soulslike, or rather a Bloodbornelike, Lies of P imitates much about the classic Dark Souls formula. Like many of the Soulslikes that came before it, Lies of P includes multiple endings, and has a regular final boss along with a "true" final boss, only unlocked in certain scenarios. What's unique about it, though, is a feature called the Lie System. Based on the 1883 Carlo Collodi novel The Adventures of Pinocchio, Lies of P repeatedly gives players the chance to tell the truth or lie at crucial moments in the story. Their responses determine the ending.

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for all possible endings of Lies of P.]

Lies of P centers around Pinocchio as he explores the city of Krat. Krat is in the early stages of a puppet uprising's aftermath. Most humans are dead, and many of those who remain, including puppets and humans, are infected by the Petrification Disease. This mysterious ailment mutates the afflicted into horrific monsters, many of whom make up the boss fights in Lies of P. With the help of his creator Gepetto, Pinocchio eventually discovers a society of researchers called the Alchemists, who claim to be developing a cure. Instead, he learns, the Alchemists want to let the disease propagate in order to usher in a new age of humanity.

Related: "Not Perfect, But It's Shockingly Close" - Lies Of P Review

Simon Manus Is (Sometimes) Lies Of P's Final Boss

In Lies of P's most common ending, the final boss is Simon Manus, the leader of the Alchemists. Prior to this sequence, Pinocchio has repeatedly run into a blue-haired woman named Sophia, occasionally accepting her aid along his journey. At some point, she reveals that she's infected, too, and Pinocchio can choose either to "Let her live" or "Give her peace" (i.e., kill her). Whatever he chose, at the end of the Isle of Alchemists sequence, the mutated Simon asks what happened to Sophia. Pinocchio can choose either to tell the truth or lie about her fate. Both of these decisions will affect the ending.

Regardless, Simon carries on about the evolution of humanity before picking up his club and starting to swing it around. For a final boss, he's surprisingly easy to beat. This is more of an extended parrying challenge than a real fight. Pinocchio should parry his attacks every chance he gets, and make sure to capitalize on openings when Simon is tired or has his back turned. There's no real trick to beating him, other than learning his attack patterns and knowing what to watch out for.

It should come as no surprise that Simon Manus has two phases: Arm of God and Awakened God. Simon can inflict Disruption in the second one, which means instant death for Pinocchio, so make sure he has plenty of Special Resistance Ampoules on hand. In time, Simon should go down pretty easily. Once the fight is over, Pinocchio can ride the lift in the center of the arena down to see the ending.

Lies Of P's "Real Boy" Ending

The "Real Boy" ending is the default conclusion to Lies of P. It doesn't much matter whether Pinocchio told the truth or lied, killed or spared Sophia, or did anything else throughout the game. It all comes down to his decision in this final confrontation with Gepetto.

Beneath the Isle of Alchemists, Gepetto praises Pinocchio for being such a good boy. He promises to free him from his constraints and make him human. He just needs Pinocchio's heart to complete the process. In order to get the "Real Boy" ending, Pinocchio will have to agree. Gepetto embraces Pinocchio and praises him, comparing him to his son Carlo before taking his heart. In an epilogue, the two are seen leaving Hotel Krat together as father and son, and they all live happily after. It's a seemingly sweet ending, but it's hard to shake the feeling that something is still unresolved.

Lies Of P's "Free From The Puppet String" Ending

In order to see the "Free from the Puppet String" ending and unlock the true final boss, players will have to tell the truth throughout the game, including in the final confrontation with Simon Manus, and spare Sophia when given the chance. The usual final boss fight progresses normally, and Pinocchio meets Gepetto beneath the arena. When Gepetto asks for his heart, Pinocchio should refuse. Gepetto clicks his tongue and scolds Pinocchio, resolving to take his heart himself.

Gepetto summons Lies of P's true final boss: the Nameless Puppet, a faceless marionette with a giant sword. It's no harder than Simon Manus, with a strong emphasis on parrying. That goes double in its second phase, when it's much faster and will punish any heavy attacks Pinocchio tries to pull off. Stick to light attacks, parry as needed, and take advantage of any and all openings, and the Nameless Puppet will be defeated.

The Nameless Puppet eventually gets the upper hand on Pinocchio, and lines up a killing blow. However, a pitying Gepetto steps in front of its sword at the last second, demonstrating that despite all his admonition and the pain he put Pinocchio through, he still cares for his creation. He dies in Pinocchio's arms, scolding him and calling him a useless puppet one last time. Pinocchio kills the Nameless Puppet and destroys its heart, and the game ends somewhat abruptly.

Lies Of P's "Rise Of P" Ending

The "Rise of P" ending is the hardest one to get in Lies of P, but it's probably the most satisfying and rewarding. The first requirement to achieve it is to lie at every possible opportunity. This may seem somewhat counter-intuitive, but per the game's lore, lying actually increases Pinocchio's humanity. Pinocchio also has to kill Sophia in order to achieve this ending. Again, it doesn't seem right, but don't worry, she can still have her happy ending.

Players must also find the painting "Portrait of a Boy" during the Black Rabbit Brotherhood sequence of the game, and return it to Gepetto at Hotel Krat. They should go through the Isle of Alchemists level as normal, lying to Simon before defeating him, and then return to the hotel to listen to all available records.

Back at the hotel, Pinocchio notices that the portrait has a long nose, and can interact with it to gain the weapon Golden Lie. Yes, it's literally Pinocchio's nose as a sword, and yes, it's one of the best weapons in Lies of P. He can then return to Gepetto beneath the Isle, and refuse to give him his heart in order to see the "Rise of P" ending. The fight with the Nameless Puppet is identical, but Gepetto has some different dialogue in the end - he apologizes to Pinocchio instead.

This ending unlocks an additional epilogue scene in which Pinocchio revives Sophia, using her Ergo to transplant her consciousness into a puppet. However, this appears to come at the cost of his own life, as the final shot of the game shows Pinocchio slumped over in puppet-Sophia's arms. A blue butterfly, representing Sophia's parallels to the original novel's Blue Fairy, takes flight as credits roll.

Lies Of P's Post-Credits Scene Explained

Regardless of which ending the player obtains, they'll also see a post-credits scene that depicts a man named Paracelsus on a train. He's on the phone with an unnamed woman, and reveals that he has the results of their "experiment" in Krat. When he gets back, he intends to start his search for the next "key", whom he calls Dorothy. A woman in red shoes is seen standing atop a building in Krat, clicking her heels three times before the scene cuts to black.

This scene is obfuscating by design. Item flavor text for the special weapon Uroboros's Eye reveals that Paracelsus is also one of the Alchemists, but it's hard to say just what else is going on. This scene appears to set up questions that may be answered in an as-yet unannounced sequel, which may be themed after L. Frank Baum's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

While it's technically possible to see more than one ending on a single playthrough, at least two runs are necessary to see all three. This is because anyone can see the "Real Boy" ending regardless of their other choices, while the other two depend on what else they've done throughout the game. Those who come to an unsatisfying ending should start a New Game Plus file and try different decisions to see if they affect the outcome in Lies of P.

Source: PlayStation/YouTube