Short answer
What is the three white soldiers pattern?
Three white soldiers is a bullish candlestick pattern of three long green candles in a row after a fall or a base. The second and third open inside the previous body, and each closes near its high, above the previous close. It shows buyers in control for three periods. By the 50% rule all three are exciting candles, often a strong leg out of a demand zone.
Key takeaways
- Three long green candles in a row after a fall or a base, each closing higher than the one before.
- Candles 2 and 3 open inside, or close to, the previous candle's body, and every candle closes near its high with a short upper wick.
- By the 50% rule all three are exciting candles; after a base they form a strong leg out of a demand zone.
- Shrinking bodies with growing upper wicks (advance block) or a small third candle (stalled pattern) show buying losing force.
- Three black crows is the bearish mirror: three long red candles after a rise, each opening inside the previous body and closing near its low.
- The stop below the first candle's low or the zone's distal line is often wide, so many traders wait for a pullback and size the trade from the actual risk.
What is the three white soldiers pattern?
The pattern gets its name from three tall green candles marching up in step. In each period, buyers let price dip a little near the open, then push it to a new closing high. Three such periods in a row show buying that did not fade from one session to the next, which is why the pattern is read as a sign that buyers have taken control after a fall.
- Before it: a fall, or a base after a fall.
- Three long green candles: each with a body of more than half its range and a close above the previous close.
- Opens: candles 2 and 3 open inside, or close to, the previous candle's body.
- Closes: each candle closes at or near its high, so the upper wicks are short.
- Size: the three bodies are of similar size; none is tiny.
How do three white soldiers relate to a demand zone?
By the 50% rule, a candle whose body is more than half of its range is an exciting candle, and all three soldiers pass easily. When they leave a base after a fall, they are the leg out of a Drop-Base-Rally demand zone: a red leg in, a short base, then three exciting green candles. Two or more exciting leg-out candles in a row point to a stronger departure than a single one.
In the example above, the fall ends with a long red candle that closes at ₹415, and one base candle opens at ₹415, dips to ₹404 and closes at ₹412. The zone runs from the proximal line at ₹415, the highest base body, to the distal line at ₹404, the lowest base wick.
Location matters more than the shape. Soldiers that leave a fresh demand zone, ideally inside a higher-timeframe zone, show buyers acting where orders were waiting. Soldiers that appear far from any zone, or that run straight into a fresh supply zone, have little behind them and little room ahead.
What is the three black crows pattern?
Three black crows is the bearish mirror image: three long red candles in a row after a rise, or after a base near the top. Each opens inside, or close to, the previous candle's body and closes at or near its low, below the previous close. It shows sellers in control for three periods, and it matters most when it leaves a fresh supply zone as the leg out of a Rally-Base-Drop.
| Feature | Three white soldiers | Three black crows |
|---|---|---|
| Forms after | A fall or a base | A rise or a base |
| Candles | Three long green candles | Three long red candles |
| Opens | Inside or near the previous body | Inside or near the previous body |
| Closes | At or near the high, each one higher | At or near the low, each one lower |
| Zone role | Leg out of a demand zone | Leg out of a supply zone |
| Stop loss | Below the first candle's low or the zone's distal line | Above the first candle's high or the zone's distal line |
Shorting in the Indian cash market is intraday only, so holding a short for days after three black crows needs futures or options. Most cash-market swing traders use three black crows at a supply zone to exit or protect a long position rather than to open a short.
When are three white soldiers a warning sign?
Not every run of three green candles shows healthy buying. Watch the bodies and the upper wicks.
- Advance block: the bodies shrink from candle 1 to candle 3 and the upper wicks grow. Buyers are still winning, but by less each period.
- Stalled pattern (deliberation): two long green candles followed by a small-bodied third candle near the high. The third candle is a base candle, which shows buying pausing.
- Overextended: three very long candles after an already long rise leave price far above any demand zone and often close to a fresh supply zone, with little room for a 1:2 target.
- Inside an established uptrend: three green candles there are a continuation, not the reversal pattern.
How do you trade three white soldiers?
- Check the location: the soldiers should leave a base at a fresh demand zone after a fall.
- Let the third candle close, and check that none of the warning variants applies.
- Wait for confirmation: the next candle closes above the third candle's high.
- Enter just above that close, or wait for a pullback towards the first candle's close or the zone's proximal line.
- Place the stop loss below the first candle's low or the zone's distal line, whichever is lower.
- Set the target at least twice the risk, check it is clear of the next supply zone, and size the trade from the stop distance.
The wide stop is the main cost of this pattern. With ₹2,000 of risk allowed per trade, the confirmation entry allows only 23 shares, while the pullback entry allows 58. Run the numbers in the position size calculator before placing the order.
What are common mistakes with three white soldiers?
- Chasing the third candle: the entry ends up far from the stop, so the risk per share is large.
- Ignoring shrinking bodies: an advance block shows buying fading, not growing.
- Tightening the stop to the third candle's low: that stop sits inside normal movement; the pattern's real invalidation is the first candle's low or the zone's distal line.
- Ignoring the next supply zone: after a long run, a fresh supply zone may be too close for a 1:2 target.
- Holding a cash-market short after three black crows: cash-market shorts must be squared off the same day.
Frequently asked questions
Is three white soldiers a bullish pattern?
Yes. It is read as a bullish sign when three long green candles form after a fall or a base, each closing near its high. It is not a buy signal by itself: location at a fresh demand zone, the room to the next supply zone and the stop distance decide whether there is a trade.
What is the difference between three white soldiers and three black crows?
They are mirror images. Three white soldiers are three long green candles after a fall, each closing near its high and above the previous close. Three black crows are three long red candles after a rise, each closing near its low and below the previous close. The first is bullish and the second is bearish.
Must each candle open inside the previous candle's body?
In the classic definition, candles 2 and 3 open inside the previous candle's body. On Indian stock charts small gaps are common, so many traders accept an open close to the previous body. Each candle closing higher and near its high matters more than the exact open.
What is an advance block?
An advance block is a weak version of three white soldiers. The three candles are green and close higher, but the bodies shrink and the upper wicks grow. It shows buying losing force and is treated as a warning rather than a bullish sign.
Where is the stop loss for a three white soldiers trade?
Below the first candle's low, or below the demand zone's distal line if that is lower. Because the pattern covers three long candles, the stop is often wide, so many traders wait for a pullback before entering and size the position from the actual risk.
Can you short three black crows in the cash market?
Only intraday. In the Indian cash market, short positions must be squared off the same day. Traders who want to hold a short for days use stock futures or options, and most cash-market swing traders use three black crows at a supply zone to exit or protect a long position instead.
Put this into practice
Work out the numbers before the market moves, then let an alert bring you back to your own plan.
Educational content only. Nothing here is investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Chart diagrams use illustrative prices, not market data. Trading involves risk of loss; verify prices independently and apply your own risk process.