Three White Soldiers / Black Crows
Overview
Three white soldiers are three consecutive large bullish candles with progressively higher closes, each opening within the prior candle's body. Three black crows are the bearish equivalent. These patterns signal strong momentum shifts and conviction from buyers (soldiers) or sellers (crows).
Key Concepts
Three consecutive strong candles, Each candle opens within the previous body, Small or absent upper wicks (soldiers) or lower wicks (crows), Progressively larger volume ideal
Entry Signals
Three white soldiers breaking above resistance, Three black crows breaking below support, Volume confirmation on each successive candle
Exit Signals
Trail stops below each successive candle's low (soldiers) or above high (crows), Watch for exhaustion gaps or volume divergence on the third candle
Best Timeframes
Daily, Weekly
Pro Tips
Be cautious if the third candle has unusually long wicks or small body — this may indicate the pattern is stalling. Also watch for advanced block patterns where the candles progressively shrink.
More Topics in This Category
Bullish & Bearish Kickers
The kicker pattern is one of the most powerful two-candle reversal signals in candlestick analysis. It forms when the second candle opens at or beyond the open of the prior candle and moves aggressively in the opposite direction, effectively 'kicking' away from the previous sentiment. Kickers often occur after overnight news events or fundamental catalysts that cause an abrupt sentiment shift.
Doji & Spinning Tops
Doji and spinning top candles signal indecision between buyers and sellers. A doji has nearly identical open and close prices, while a spinning top has a small body with long wicks on both sides. These patterns are most significant at the end of extended trends where they can foreshadow reversals.
Marubozu
A marubozu is a candle with no wicks (or very small wicks) — the open and close are at the extreme ends. A bullish marubozu opens at low, closes at high. A bearish marubozu opens at high, closes at low. Marubozus represent maximum conviction and can signal the start of a strong momentum move.
Shooting Star
The shooting star is a bearish reversal candle with a small body near the low and a long upper shadow (at least 2× the body). It appears at the top of uptrends and signals that buyers pushed price higher but sellers took control. It is the inverted version of the hammer.