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
Inside Bars
An inside bar is a candle completely contained within the range (high to low) of the previous candle. It represents a contraction of volatility and indecision. Inside bars are used as breakout setups — traders wait for price to break above or below the inside bar's range (or the 'mother bar' range) to enter.
Harami Patterns
A harami (Japanese for 'pregnant') is a two-candle pattern where a small candle is completely contained within the prior candle's body. A bullish harami appears in downtrends; a bearish harami in uptrends. Haramis signal fading momentum but require confirmation before trading.
Three-Line Strike Patterns
The three-line strike is a four-candle pattern where three consecutive candles move in one direction, followed by a single large candle that engulfs all three. Despite appearing as a reversal, statistical analysis shows the bullish three-line strike actually has a high probability of continuing the prior uptrend, making it a continuation signal. The bearish variant behaves similarly as a continuation of the downtrend.
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.