# Three White Soldiers and Three Black Crows > Three white soldiers are three strong rising candles; three black crows are three strong falling ones. Learn the rules, context and signs of exhaustion. Source: https://learn.tradelabsai.com/candlesticks/three-white-soldiers/ Track: Candlesticks · Level: Beginner · Updated: 2026-10-03 Publisher: TradeLabs AI (https://tradelabsai.com). Education, not financial advice. Cite as: TradeLabs Learn, "Three White Soldiers and Three Black Crows", https://learn.tradelabsai.com/candlesticks/three-white-soldiers/ Three white soldiers and three black crows are three candle patterns that show a decisive shift in control. **Three white soldiers** are three consecutive long green candles, each closing higher than the last, often appearing after a decline. **Three black crows** are three consecutive long red candles, each closing lower, often appearing after a rise. They signal strong, sustained pressure from one side. ## The rules *Figure: Each candle opens within the prior body and closes near its own extreme.* | Rule | Three white soldiers | Three black crows | |---|---|---| | Candles | Three long green candles | Three long red candles | | Opens | Each opens within the previous candle's body | Each opens within the previous candle's body | | Closes | Each closes progressively higher, near its high | Each closes progressively lower, near its low | | Wicks | Small | Small | | Ideal location | After a decline or consolidation | After a rise or at resistance | ## What the patterns mean Three white soldiers show buyers pushing price higher for three periods in a row without meaningful pullbacks, a sign of strong, broad demand. Three black crows show the same for sellers. After a downtrend or a long consolidation, soldiers can mark the start of a new uptrend; crows after an uptrend can mark the start of a decline. **Example: Soldiers after a base** A stock has been basing between $20 and $22 for a month after a long decline. Then three days in a row it prints long green candles: $21.60 to $22.40, $22.30 to $23.20, and $23.10 to $24.10, each closing near its high on rising volume. The pattern breaks the base with conviction and suggests a shift from accumulation to an advance. ## When the pattern means exhaustion Context changes the message: - **After an already long trend,** three large candles can be a final burst of buying or selling rather than a fresh start. Very long candles far from moving averages often lead to pullbacks. - **Shrinking bodies or growing wicks** on the third candle suggest the push is fading, sometimes called an "advance block" for soldiers. - **Into major resistance or support,** the pattern's momentum may run out at the level. ## Trading the patterns Because the pattern is already three strong candles, entering at the close often means buying an extended price with a distant stop. Common approaches: 1. **Wait for a pullback** after the pattern, towards the second candle's body or a broken level, then enter in the pattern's direction. 2. **Use the pattern as trend confirmation** rather than an entry signal, and switch to a pullback strategy. See [Impulse and Correction](https://learn.tradelabsai.com/price-action/impulse-and-correction/). 3. **Stop placement:** below the first soldier's low (aggressive traders use the second or third candle's low), or above the first crow's high. 4. **Check reward:** if the next resistance is close, the move may already be largely done. ## Confirming with volume Volume rising across the three candles supports the pattern: more participants joined each day. Falling volume while the candles keep rising suggests fewer buyers are pushing price higher, which weakens the signal. See [Volume Analysis Basics](https://learn.tradelabsai.com/volume/volume-analysis-basics/). ## Common mistakes - **Chasing the third candle** at the extreme of the move. - **Treating any three green candles** as the pattern; size and closes near the highs matter. - **Ignoring where the pattern forms;** late in a trend, it can warn of exhaustion. ## Frequently asked questions ### What are three white soldiers? Three consecutive long green candles that each open within the previous body and close higher near their highs, signalling strong buying pressure. ### What are three black crows? The bearish counterpart: three consecutive long red candles, each closing lower near its low, signalling strong selling. ### Should I buy after three white soldiers? Many traders wait for a pullback rather than buying the third candle's close, because price is often extended and the stop would be far away. Next, learn two candle patterns that close past the midpoint: the [Piercing Pattern and Dark Cloud Cover](https://learn.tradelabsai.com/candlesticks/piercing-pattern/) and dark cloud cover. ## Continue learning - Next lesson: [Piercing Pattern and Dark Cloud Cover](https://learn.tradelabsai.com/candlesticks/piercing-pattern/) - Previous lesson: [Morning Star and Evening Star](https://learn.tradelabsai.com/candlesticks/morning-star-and-evening-star/) - Related: [Morning Star and Evening Star](https://learn.tradelabsai.com/candlesticks/morning-star-and-evening-star/): The morning star and evening star are three candle reversal patterns. Learn their structure, what each candle shows, how to confirm them and how to trade them. - Related: [Momentum Candles](https://learn.tradelabsai.com/candlesticks/momentum-candles/): Momentum candles have large bodies and small wicks, showing one side in control. Learn to spot them, what they signal at key levels and how to trade them. - Related: [Engulfing Patterns](https://learn.tradelabsai.com/candlesticks/engulfing-patterns/): An engulfing pattern is a two candle reversal where the second body fully covers the first. Learn bullish and bearish engulfing rules, context and trade setups. - Related: [Impulse and Correction](https://learn.tradelabsai.com/price-action/impulse-and-correction/): Trends move in strong impulse legs and weaker corrective pullbacks. Learn to tell them apart, measure pullbacks and enter trends at better prices. - Related: [How to Read Candlesticks](https://learn.tradelabsai.com/candlesticks/how-to-read-candlesticks/): Learn to read candlestick charts: open, high, low and close, bodies and wicks, timeframes, and what a candle tells you about buyers and sellers.