True Ending & Postgame

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Peace Walker Battle 3 isn't the end of the game. If you need help on unlocking the final (true) ending, all of the information is listed here. If you've beaten the true ending and are looking for more to do, this includes useful tips, farming locations, and really useful weapons/items you can use to dominate the entire game.

Table of Contents

How To Get the True Ending

Once you beat Main Ops 26 (Peace Walker Battle 3), you will enter Chapter 5 "Outer Heaven". This will be made up of six "search" missions, where you go back to previous maps you visited throughout the story. Once you've completed all of the search missions, and met the extra requirements, you'll need to go to a specific Extra Ops mission to trigger the final Main Ops mission.

After completing the game, play a few Extra Ops missions. You'll eventually get a cutscene of Kaz informing you that Zadornov has escaped from his cell. You'll then get a new Main Ops mission to find him and bring him back. There are six of these missions in total that you'll have to complete. Once you complete a search mission, the next one will be available after completing a few more different missions. Since this is completed over time, I suggest that you work on completing the extra requirements at the same time as completing the search missions, to save time.

Each mission will have you search the entire map to find Zadornov, who is hidden somewhere. For most missions, his hiding spot is randomly picked, and you'll have to search everywhere while also avoiding getting spotted. This IGN guide has lots of possible locations if you are having trouble finding him. He isn't a threat once you find him; either hold him up or knock him out, then fulton him.

The last three search missions are slightly different than just random spawns, and he is easier to find in these missions. Number 4 has him hiding in one of the houses, and you'll need to look through each blue door like the Chico mission. Number 5 has him hiding in one of the trucks at the end of the map, like the mission where you look for the trucks carrying the nukes. Number 6 has him hiding in a cardboard box somewhere in the map.

Extra Requirements

In addition to completing the six search missions, you must also fulfill these requirements in order to unlock the true ending:

To get parts for ZEKE, replay some of the AI Weapon fights. To give yourself a better chance of getting the parts that you want, don't damage the AI Weapon's body parts; only focus on damaging the AI Pod. To get the Railgun, replay the Chrysalis fight until you get it. For a guide on beating the AI bosses, have a look at my AI Weapon guide. Once you've assembled ZEKE, it should not be currently deployed in OUTER OPS. If ZEKE is in OUTER OPS, trying to open the ZEKE menu displays the message "Metal Gear ZEKE is currently deployed on an OUTER OPS mission". To make the final mission easier, don't install other Optional Parts if you have them, only equip the Railgun.

To check your Mission Support rank, go to Mother Base -> Database -> Mother Base Data. To improve your Mission Support rank, recruit soldiers, increase your Intel Team level, and complete more missions.

Unlocking the Final Mission

Once all six search missions are complete, and you've met the extra requirements, completing a mission will result in another cutscene. It's (yet again) of Kaz telling Snake that Zadornov has escaped, but this time Kaz will say that his tracker was removed, so there is no way to tell where he went. You won't get another Main Ops mission appear, and the game won't give you any more hints about what to do.

To progress, start Extra Ops 001 as Snake. When the missions starts, you should hear someone laugh. Turn around and head up the stairs, a cutscene will play, and the final mission will be unlocked.

If you are having trouble beating the final mission, check out this guide.

Postgame

Peace Walker offers much more after getting the true ending, including lots of powerful weapons and items. This Reddit guide recommends a course of action to get the Infinity Bandana which can then be used to easily S rank boss fights and get other powerful weapons/items; I agree with this guide but would also like to lay out exactly how to get these items.

I've made guides for beating mech bosses and AI Weapons.

If you need to find out which missions to complete in order to unlock a specific mission, check the Field Guide.

S Rank Soldier Locations

There aren't any naturally-occuring S rank Combat or R&D soldiers, however you can get A rank soldiers that, with high morale, can be boosted to an S rank.

To complete the Recruit mission quickly, grab a soldier and throw him into another. Do consecutive attacks if it prompts you to do so, and avoid punches / chokes as they are too slow. If there's just one soldier left, it's quicker to just do regular CQC throws instead of grabbing them first and then throwing them.

Grinding R&D, Mess Hall and Intel soldiers with Stealth Camo (when you develop it) makes grinding much quicker and easier, however Stealth Camo requires an R&D and Intel level of 88. I recommend getting both teams to this level, developing the stealth camo, then getting both of those levels (and Mess Hall) to 99 with the help of the Stealth Camo.

Powerful Weapons/Items

Fulton Mines / Fulton Launcher

Some of the best non-lethal weapons are the Fulton Mine and Carl Gustav M2 (Fulton Recovery). These weapons are essentially the same as the Anti-tank Mine and Carl Gustav missile launcher, except any soldiers caught in the blast radius will not get damaged, but instead get instantly fultoned. The Fulton Launcher is much better for non-lethally taking out soldiers in missions where you need to defeat a certain amount of them, e.g. mech fights or "Base Defense" missions, as tranq guns or the Rubber Slug shotgun don't immediately get rid of downed enemies. Combined with the Infinity Bandana, the Fulton Launcher can get rid of every mech soldier non-lethally and is the best way to S rank mech missions.

You should get the Fulton Mine first, as it is the easier of the two to get. You can get it by completing Extra Ops 064 (Pooyan Mission). You'll need an Intel level of 63 to get it, however after you develop it you can get loads of S rank Intel soldiers. Detonating Fulton Mines allows you to fulton soldiers in high places that you would not be able to recruit normally, including the two S rank Intel snipers in Main Ops 08 (Destroy the Barricade). You can also use Fulton Mines to S rank mech battles stealthily, however this is quite hard to do, especially since you can't get more Fulton Recoveries or Fulton Mines from resupply drops.

Your next objective should be to get the Fulton Launcher. You'll need to complete Extra Ops 045, 046, 102, 047, 048, 091, 037, and 098 in that order to get the design specs. This chain of missions includes some difficult mech fights, however also matches up with getting the infinity bandana, so it might be worth working towards both at the same time or getting the M47 missile launcher for use against the difficult Extra Ops 098 Tank fight. See below for a guide on getting the Infinity Bandana. The Fulton Launcher starts at rank 3 and can be upgraded to rank 5.

Battle Dress w/ Helmet

There is an upgraded version of the Battle Dress, the Battle Dress with Helmet, which offers even more defense than the normal version. There are two ways to get this. The first method is by completing Extra Ops 22-27 and 38-44 with an S rank. These missions are quite hard to S rank, especially when you don't have a good weapon to take out loads of soldiers non-lethally like the Rubber Slug shotgun or the Fulton Launcher.

The second (and easier) method is by getting it as a reward for completing a high-level OUTER OPS mission. The outfit has a low chance of dropping from completing Capture the Enemy Base 03, 04, 05 or 06, with higher-level missions having a better chance of dropping it. One method to get the outfit is:

  1. Send a full team to do Capture the Enemy Base 06. I prefer to have a team of my strongest Combat soldiers alongside ZEKE, but you can also use mechs if you'd like. Only send soldiers and mechs you are willing to possibly lose.
  2. Complete a mission to advance the OUTER OPS mission. The best mission to complete fast is either of the date missions (Extra Ops 067 or 068) by simply equipping the box and standing in front of your date. Extra Ops 001 is the absolute fastest to complete, however does NOT advance Outer Ops completion, nor other in-game values like weapon/item development.
  3. Once you've completed a mission, return to Mother Base and save the game.
  4. Open OUTER OPS. To save time, do not open the dispatch results; it won't affect the outcome of the fight.
  5. The game will show you any injuries / deaths, then show you your reward (if you won). If the reward isn't the Battle Dress w/ Helmet, exit out of OUTER OPS, return to the title menu and reload your save. Repeat 4-5 until you get it.

The outfit isn't the best, however. In my experience the jump in defense from a regular outfit -> Battle Dress is much greater than the jump from Battle Dress -> Battle Dress w/ Helmet. Even with the helmet and a soldier with max health, a direct cannon shot from a high-level tank can still one-shot you if you don't have rations equipped.

Stealth Camo

The Stealth Camo is an item that, when equipped, can make you invisible. This is perfect for grinding missions to get high-rank soldiers, but can also just be used to mess around. However, Stealth Camo does have some drawbacks:

To get the Stealth Camo, you'll need to complete Extra Ops 050 (Perfect Stealth) with an S rank. You can get to 050 by completing 045, 046, 102, 047, 048, 091, 049 and 075. You'll also need a staff member with the Metamaterials Technology skill. You can find a soldier with this skill in 049; it's the POW on the catwalk in the first map.

This mission is one of the hardest to get an S rank in, because of the extremely strict time limit of 3 minutes or less. If you try and beat the mission normally, you'll only barely make it in time to get the S rank. However, with this method you'll make it with time to spare even if you make some mistakes or take a while. Bring the sneaking suit, the cardboard box, and high-rank Mate Tea. You'll also need a tranq gun. A high-level Mk.22 can tranq the soldiers in a few hits, but a rank 5 Mosin-Nagant can take down the soldiers in just one hit. Lower-ranked Mosin-Nagants aren't sufficient as they don't have a suppressor. If you have a rank 5 rifle then great, but you'll also need to take Mk.22 for the final map.

In the first map, there will be two soldiers walking next to a truck. Quickly equip the box, run forward and spam the attack button; you will do a "dash" move, which is much faster than running, however uses up PSYCHE. Once you're behind them, get out of the box, hold them up, then continue along the right path. Don't dash into enemies that you've just held up, as they will get up and enter caution phase.

The next map is the boathouse, with lots of enemies. Dash to the left, and keep following the path until you see a soldier straight ahead of you and a spotlight on the left of the path. Tranq the soldier (with body shots) then keep dashing along the path. There will be two soldiers to your right that might catch a glimpse of you; just keep going along the path until you reach the next area. These soldiers MAY spot you if you are too fast; if you want to be sure that they won't, then tranq them both.

By this point, depending on your PSYCHE, it may be almost fully depleted; You can check it in the bottom-left corner next to your health. Check it regularly, and if you ever run out, drink some Mate Tea until it's back at full again.

In the next map, there will be three soldiers; one looking out to the river on the right, one in the middle walking away from you, and one on the left walking up a hill. Tranq the middle soldier, then go straight ahead and you'll reach the next map.

In the next map, there will be one soldier directly ahead and above you, behind a log. It's hard to hit him because of how much cover he has; an option is to go all the way to the left and wait, and you should be able to get a shot at his torso. You could wait until you get a good shot at his head, then keep shooting him until his helmet falls off. Once he's taken care of, head north along the path until you get to the bridge, where there will be two soldiers on either side heading towards each other. Tranq the soldier that is furthest away, then hold up the soldier that is the closest. Head along the bridge and follow the path.

In the next map, there will be three soldiers you need to look out for. You'll see the first walking left, to the north. Walk around so that you can see where he's going to, and you'll see another soldier. Tranq the second soldier, then hold up the first. Get to the second soldier and you'll see the third to your right; wait until he turns left, then hold him up.

You'll then be in the final map. Go along the right side, and hold up the first soldier you come across. There will be two soldiers on the other side of the gate; you need to take them out quickly, before they walk behind the wall. Take out the Mk.22 and tranq both of them; the sound of bullets going across the fence will make them go on alert status, but you won't get spotted or lose the mission. The Mosin-Nagant will often just hit the fence instead of going through it so shouldn't be used here. Once they are both taken care of, go all the way to across the fence (keeping on the right side to avoid the other soldiers) and you'll be at the finish line.

If you're having trouble with the final map and tranqing the guards before they go around the corner, there is a slightly different method you could use. Do everything the method says up to holding the first soldier up in the final map. Follow along the right side of the map, past the fence, and to the doorway behind the wall (where the soldiers are on the other side). Throw a smoke grenade through the doorway to conceal yourself. Then, step into the smoke, equip NVGs to see through the smoke, and tranq the two guards. This is safer than tranqing them through the fence but takes longer.

If you've completed the mission fast enough, you'll get an S rank and the design specs for the Stealth Camouflage. Using this method and a rank 5 Mk.22, I'm able to complete the mission in just over 2 minutes. If you bump into an enemy while you have Stealth Camo equipped, it will automatically be unequipped and the soldier will likely spot you; however, if you are fast enough you can equip it before they can react. Stealth Camo works a bit weirdly in mech fights; you can still be seen by the mech if you fire a weapon, but only if you're close enough. This means that you could do the mission stealthily as long as you don't get too close to the mech, but you'll still get locked out of an S rank. AI Weapons aren't fooled by Stealth Camo.

M134

The M134 is a very powerful machine gun. While an armor-piercing machine gun can kill soldiers instantly with one bullet to the head, the M134 does so much damage that it can easily tear through hordes of enemies. It can even quickly take down lesser-powerful mechs, and is useful against Peace Walker's EM Pulse.

To get the M134, you'll first need a staff member with the M134 Design skill. You can find a staff member with this skill in Extra Ops 048 (Perfect Stealth); unlock this mission by completing 045, 046, 102 and 047. The soldier should be somewhere in the second map. After that, you'll need to get the design specs by completing 091, 049 and then getting an S rank in 075.

Getting the Infinity Bandana

To get the bandana, you need to complete Extra Ops 119 (Peace Walker Custom) with an S rank. The easiest way to do this is with the M47 missile launcher, and the easiest way to get that is with the PTRS1941. You can get an S rank without needing the M47, however it is absolutely the best missile launcher in the game and will save you a lot of trouble.

To get the PTRS1941 you will need to complete Extra Ops 045, 046, 102, 047, 048 and 091 in that order. 045-048 are Perfect Stealth missions, in which you must sneak across the whole region, and if you get spotted it's an immediate game over. 102 and 091 are difficult mech bosses. If you're having trouble beating these, have a look at my mech guide, and/or play them in CO-OPS.

Once you beat 091, you'll unlock 049 (Perfect Stealth), which you must get an S rank in. This mission has a very strict time limit in order to get an S rank. Take the Mk.22 (or a rank 5 Mosin-Nagant). In the first map, you'll need to get to the other side and take the elevator. There will be two people near the elevator, and one person walking along the catwalk. Tranq all three of them, then get to the elevator.
In the next map, you'll see a soldier walking to the right. Follow along the left wall, and you'll see two soldiers to your left and right. Tranq them both, them keep moving forward. You'll then see a POW being guarded by two people; tranq the first one you see, then slowly peek around the corner to tranq the next soldier coming up.
In the final map, you'll see a soldier with his back to you, and a POW on a table. Go to the left of the pillar in the middle, and hold the soldier up. Then, slowly peek around the doorway, and tranq the second soldier as he walks out of it. These soldiers have helmets, so you'll need to hit them in the torso to avoid them going on alert and slowing you down. There will be a soldier on the other side of the window. Avoid getting spotted by him, then as he passes by the doorway hold him up. Next, you'll see a soldier with a shield walking away from you on the other side of the map; tranq him. Then, a soldier will walk out from the right; tranq him too. This will attract the attention of the final soldier, who is behind a pillar in the top-right. When the final soldier goes to wake up the one that you just tranqed, run towards the end of the map, and if you did it quickly enough should get an S rank and the design specs for the PTRS1941.

The PTRS1941 is an anti-tank sniper rifle, specifically the rapid-fire version of the PTRD1941. However, before you can develop the rifle, you need a staff member with the Anti-tank Rifle Design skill. You can find a staff member with this skill in Extra Ops 055 (U.S. Soldier Rescue), the soldier you have to fulton is the soldier with the skill. To get to 055, you'll need to complete 044, 020 and 089. Only 089 may be a problem as it is a mech fight, however it is with one of the easiest choppers to dodge. With the design specs and the required skill, you will now be able to develop the PTRS1941.

Your next goal is to get the M47 dragon by completing 064, 065 and 087, then beating 111 with an S rank. I mention the method to beating any chopper easily in the mech guide, and now that you have the anti-tank rifle, you'll be able to do it. There are two different strategies you could use for 087, the "stealth" approach (holding up the soldiers, then shooting out the cockpit without alerting the commander), or the more aggressive approach (holding up the soldiers, then shooting out the cockpit while fighting the chopper). I suggest the stealth approach for completing 087, and the aggressive approach for completing 111.

Here is how I would complete 111. Take the Battle Dress (or the Battle Dress w/ Helmet if you have it), PTRS1941, Mk.22, smoke grenades, and supply markers. Take as many health recovery items as you can, and take NVGs. When the mission begins, start throwing smoke grenades to avoid getting spotted; the goal is make a chain of smoke all the way to the four soldiers. Once you get to them, throw a smoke grenade between them, and hold them all up with the Mk.22. If you're having trouble seeing through the smoke, use the NVGs. Once they're all down, go to the south-west corner of the map. Don't got back to the soldiers, as the chopper could try and hit you and accidentally kill one of the soldiers.

Once you've made it to the south-west, get the sniper rifle out and start shooting the cockpit. As long as you stay in cover, moving to the side when the mech does its bombing run attack, you'll be safe. The sniper rifle allows you to be very accurate when shooting out the cockpit, and is much easier than using any missile launcher. Be mindful that you cannot move while reloading the PTRS1941, so keep an eye on your ammo and reload only when you're in cover. When you run out of ammo, call for a resupply. Eventually (after about 2 health bars in my testing), the cockpit will explode; switch to the Mk.22 and tranq the commander to get an S rank and the M47 design specs.

The M47 takes a long time to develop, but you can make yourself busy by getting your Combat and R&D levels to 88, which is needed to develop the bandana. Use the tips in the S rank soldier guide to help you. Once development of the M47 is complete, you can use it alongside another high-rank missile launcher and a machine gun to S rank Peace Walker Custom. Once you get an S rank, you'll unlock the design specs for the bandana. This also takes a long time to develop, but once you have it, gives you infinite ammo when equipped. It can be hard to balance the bandana and healing items, as you can't hold both at the same time. The bandana + M47 can S rank any AI Weapon easily, and the bandana + fulton launcher can S rank any mech mission easily.

What next?

If you're still wanting to do more, you could: