S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl endings

Get out of here stalker! This page contains spoilers to the game's final plot. It is advised you skip this section or page if you haven't completed the game yet!

I don't know whether I was right or wrong, I guess I'll never know... But I made it. And I guess I should be thankful for that.
― Strelok

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl Endings

Like a number of modern games, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl features multiple endings. These endings are achieved based on the actions of the player throughout the course of the game. The protagonist can be greedy and self-serving, a goody two-shoes or the most evil bastard to ever walk the planet. All of the 'false' endings are shaped by how you play the game from start to finish; while two of the requirements can be tailored to your liking, the last cannot (to a degree). If you insist upon a given 'false' ending, you will need to play from the beginning accordingly. The 'true' endings can be achieved regardless of play style, as long as you accomplish two specific quests.

There are 7 endings in the game; 2 true endings and 5 "false" endings.

The False Endings

When you enter the inner parts of the Sarcophagus, you reach the wondrous Reactor #4, which was the cause of the real Chernobyl disaster. Here you find a large monolithic crystalline structure (about 5-7 meters high); the so-called Wish Granter, a legend in its own. If the protagonist activates the Wish Granter, one of the 5 endings are shown, based on your actions throughout the course of your campaign. The thing about the Wish Granter is that, although it fulfills your wish, it does so in an unexpected fashion, which always ends with the Protagonist being punished rather than rewarded; sort of "corrupting" your wish.

The 'Positive' ending

Shadow of Chernobyl Ending - I Want The Zone To Disappear

You may achieve this ending if you have "excelent", less than 50000 Rubles on your person, and the leaders of both Duty and Freedom are still alive.

As The Protagonist asks for a wish, he says:

I want the zone to disappear.

A blinding white light surrounds him, and he appears to be standing in a field of grass and trees. He stands still for a moment and lets his senses take over, only to open his eyes, which are now gray, to discover that he is blind. The Zone has disappeared, but only because he can't see it anymore, since he is blind. As mentioned earlier, this is an example of the Wish Granter´s sick irony.

The 'Greedy' ending

Shadow of Chernobyl Ending - I Want To Be Rich

To achieve this ending, you simply have to have at least 50000 RU, making this a very common ending for first time players. This ending will replace all other endings.

The protagonist simply utters:

I want to be rich.

Suddenly, the bolts and screws of the roof structure start to loosen and fall to the ground. The Protagonist, affected by the Monolith´s spell, believes it is gold coins falling. Reaching out, with a greedy laugh, the roof falls onto him, killing him in an instant. The irony of it all, is that it really is the greed of the protagonist that is his downfall, as he is crushed by gold (or at least that's what he thinks).

The 'Ruler' ending

Shadow of Chernobyl Ending - I Want To Rule The World

To achieve this ending you have to kill both faction leaders, and have less than 50000 RU on you.

The Protagonist walks up to the Monolith and says:

I want to rule the world.

As he says this, he starts bending over in cramps. All of a sudden, he is raised into the air, and blue light shoots from his arms and head. Now with him being in an almost spastic state, the Monolith emits a small pulse, and the Protagonist disappears. It would seem that he has been consumed by the Monolith. This can mean only one thing: since the Monolith is part of C-Consciousness, which wants to rule the world, becoming part of the Monolith is like becoming part of the C-Consciousness; so he got his wish, just not in the way he hoped.

The 'Immortality' ending

Shadow of Chernobyl Ending - I Want Immortality

This can be achieved, if you do not fulfill any of the other criteria. So you must have less than 50 000 RU, between and doesn't have "terrible" or  "excellent" reputation, and at least one faction leader must survive.

The Protagonist says to the Wish granter:

I want immortality.

In a somewhat anti-climatic fashion, he is quickly turned into a metal statue. Thus being indestructible and therefore immortal, yet dead at the same time.

The 'Negative' ending

Shadow of Chernobyl Ending - Humanity Is Corrupt

You may achieve this ending if you have "terrible" reputation,and less than 50000 RU on your person, and the leaders of both Duty and Freedom are still alive.

As The Protagonist ask for a wish, he says:

Humanity is corrupt, mankind must be controlled.

Note: in Russian he says destroyed, not controlled.

The Protagonist now stands in darkness. Suddenly, pictures begin to rush through his mind. The protagonist himself acts, during this, as if his brain is receiving too much information. As the pictures stop rushing by, the camera zooms out, to confirm that The Protagonist is indeed standing in total darkness.

This is one of the most metaphorical endings in the game. The pictures that roll by the screen consist mostly of nuclear detonations, desolate landscapes, sickness and death. The ending may thus refer to two different possibilities. Either the Protagonist altered the course of history, or he simply saw a glimpse of the future. When he asked for a controlled humanity, it would appear that instead death and destruction spread out across the world. Humanity was indeed controlled numberwise, but, ultimately, this led to our complete destruction (which, according to the Russian translation may be the original intent of the Protagonist). The Protagonist now literally floats around the nether, because the world no longer exists.

Another interpretation could be that the monolith implants all of humanity's knowledge and history into the protagonist's mind, only to leave him by himself in a dark and endless void - he therefore controls humanity by virtue of the fact that he is humanity.

The True Endings

To get these endings there are several criteria. First of all, you must speak with Guide after disabling the Psi-emitter in Lab X-16. You must then follow his questline, which leads you to Doctor, who hides out in Strelok's hiding place. He informs you that the Wish Granter is simply an illusion, and it was created in a secret laboratory next to the Sarcophagus. He also gives you the coordinates of a stash in Pripyat. The stash contains a decoder made by Fang, which must be used to decrypt the lock on a peculiar door inside the Sarcophagus. The stash also contains some notes from Strelok's Group, and a SKAT-9M Military Armored Suit. However, there is a way of opening the locked door without getting the decoder by using the Gauss Gun glitch and still get the good endings without meeting either the Guide or the Doctor.

After opening the peculiar door in the Sarcophagus, Strelok discovers the Monolith Control Center, a place where no stalker has ever set foot. After fighting through hordes of Monolith soldiers, Strelok arrives at a hologram, which has an image of the Wish Granter. After destroying orbs that surround it (which supplies some sort of power to something), the hologram shows a man, which is indeed the C-Consciousness. The hologram tells Strelok about the goal of the C-Consciousness, the formation of the Zone, the use of the acronym "S.T.A.L.K.E.R.", and about Strelok's past. In the end, Strelok had to make a very difficult decision. He had to either join the C-Consciousness by devoting his mind to it, or he could refuse to join the C-Consciousness.

Accepting the offer

Shadow of Chernobyl Ending - Joining C-Consciousness

Mhh... I haven't seen Strelok in a long time, is he dead already? Although he's hardy as a cat, he should be OK I think. But well... (looks at his dog) well let's leave this place pal, let's have some dinner. I know that you are more interested in that, than our old friend.
― Doctor

The hologram will, at the end of your conversation, offer you a place among them. If you choose to accept, you will see Marked One being put into some sort of stasis tube and having electrodes placed on his head. He is now part of the C-Consciousness. After this, Doctor is shown in some remote swamp, with his pet Pseudodog. He was expressing his anxiety about Strelok, saying he hasn't seen him for a long time.

Declining the offer

STALKER Shadow Of Chernobyl True Good Ending HD

I don't know whether I was right or wrong, I guess I'll never know... But I made it. And I guess I should be thankful for that.
― Strelok

If you choose to decline, the hologram will have you teleported outside. You are forced to walk around outside the Chernobyl NPP on various platforms. Portals have appeared, and to get this ending, you must pass through all 15. You will also encounter some resistance on your way there in form of Monolith troopers and a few Snorks. Finally breaching the last of the portals, you achieve the real ending. Marked One enters a room and discover the stasis tubes that contain the bodies of the C-Consciousness. He pulls out his AKM-74/2U and destroys the tubes, destroying the C-Consciousness. Afterwards, Marked One is shown in a peaceful field, with the Zone seemingly gone. He will always wonder whether he made the right choice or not. This is the ending that actually occurred, according to the events of Call of Pripyat. It should also be noted that the 'S.T.A.L.K.E.R.' mark on his right arm is seemingly gone as well.

Trivia

The way wish granter fulfill protagonist wishes is same as Calypso from twisted metal series,By granting it and ended by punishing protagonist