This guide will show you how to unlock each individual chapter in Slay the Princess (including the new ones in the Pristine Cut, so spoilers for that), how to unlock alternate voices for specific chapters, and how to finish the game with each vessel. I’m going to go through all of the Chapter 2 princesses first, then the Chapter 3’s and 4’s and everything, and then the list of vessels. This guide contains spoilers for pretty much the entire game, so I would only recommend using this guide if you’ve already played through and are just having trouble finding a specific princess. I hope you enjoy! (BTW, this guide is the first guide I'm making out of three total, so be on the lookout for those ones coming soon as well!) My Achievements Guide: All Achievements Guide

“That which cannot die cannot die…”

The Adversary’s entire chapter and character are centered around fighting, specifically the everlasting duel between the princess and the player character. Between all the chapter 2 princesses, the first decision point that differentiates between some of their paths in chapter 1 is the choice of whether to take the blade or not. In this case, you need to take it. Continue down the stairs, it doesn’t matter what you say on the way down or when you get there, but you need to say something, then agree to put the knife down and talk to her. When you talk to her, you can ask her whatever you want, as long as you don’t tell her that she is supposed to end the world. Finish talking to her by telling her that you’ve talked enough, then choose the option to slay the princess. She will fight back, and the important decision here is to “Finish the Job”. Both you and the princess will succumb to your wounds, and you will continue on to Chapter 2, The Adversary.

“That’s my good little bird. Now… why don’t we talk?”

Most of the Tower’s story has to do with dominance, specifically realizing the power that the princess can have over you. Her Chapter 1 route starts much the same as Adversary, with you taking the knife, then choosing to sit down and talk to her. From here, there are two paths to take into her chapter. The first option is to tell the princess that you’ve been told she is supposed to end the world, then choose the “Slay the Princess” option, in which case she will immediately overpower and kill you. The other option is to continue down the Adversary’s path, but instead of choosing to “Finish the Job”, choose to give up. Like the other path, she will overpower you and kill you, and you will continue on to Chapter 2, The Tower.

"Hiya, killer. I was hoping to see you again. I have some issues with how our last meeting went."

In my mind, I feel like Spectre’s chapter is mostly about recognizing your mistakes and trying to make up for them by helping those you hurt to try and heal, something like that. Spectre is another one where you need to take the knife, but when you get down to the basement, you need to make sure not to hesitate at all by choosing options that give her a chance or even talk to her at all. You want to just choose to Slay the Princess™, as the title of the game would suggest. She will die without putting up any fight, and after she does, the Voice of the Hero will question whether she is actually dead or not. In order to get the Spectre, you need to believe that she truly is, without any question. You will then return to the entry room of the cabin to receive your reward. From here, just listen to what the Hero tells you to do, and you will continue on to Chapter 2, The Spectre.

“Heart. Lungs. Liver. Nerves.”

The Nightmare’s chapter is, similar to Spectre’s, about retribution and making up for your mistakes, but it is also about overcoming your fears, specifically that of the unknown. Her chapter 1 route is unique in that there is really only one significant decision that differentiates it from other ones, that being the choice to leave her locked in the basement. It doesn’t matter whether you take the knife or not, or whatever you say to her, as long as you agree to talk to her, and then decide to turn around and leave her. After that, it doesn’t really matter what you do, as any choice you make will still lead you on to Chapter 2, The Nightmare.

“What? Noooo. No, I wouldn’t stab you. I am just a sweet innocent Princess, trapped here for no reason.”

Note: Since all of the Razor’s chapters are kind of just still more of the Razor, unlike other chapters, I’m going to cover them all in here.

I’m not sure what to say about the Razor that couldn’t be said about a different princess. I could say her chapter is about trust/betrayal and suspicion, but I feel like the Witch is more heavily about that. I could say her chapter is about fighting and rivalry and the beauty in violence, but I feel like the Adversary is more heavily about that. I think her chapter is a mix of those, but also has to do with the illusion of choice, as well as doubt and fear. The Razor’s chapter 1 route, like the Tower’s, has two distinct paths that can be taken to get there. The first path is very similar to the Spectre, with you needing to slay her without hesitating, but when Hero questions whether she is alive, you need to question it as well and either say that “There’s no way it was that easy” or you need to check her pulse. Both choices lead to the same result, so it doesn’t matter which one. The other path has you follow the Spectre path as well, except when the narrator tells you that she is unarmed (make sure you pay attention to the dialogue), choose the explore option that questions whether she truly is unarmed. Then, attack her, and she will attack back with her own weapon, killing you and allowing you to continue on to Chapter 2: The Razor.

From here, there are two pairs of Chapter 3 and 4’s: Arms Race and Mutually Assured Destruction, or No Way Out and The Empty Cup. While there appear to be many different choices and dialogue options to take in this chapter, none of them really matter much, as they all result in the Razor killing you over and over. There is really only one option in this chapter that differentiates between the chapter pairs, and that is the choice of whether to take the knife or not. Taking the knife eventually leads you to Mutually Assured Destruction, while choosing to leave it will lead you to The Empty Cup. It’s that simple.

“You cannot fool me by draping yourself in decay. I know your true nature and it is suffering.”

The Beast is about returning to primal urges and instincts and basing your actions off of fear and instinct rather than logic and reason. This is the first route on the list in which you are required to not take the knife. So, you need to start with that and head on down to see the princess. You can talk to her here if you want, but you need to tell her you will try and free her. After attempting to return upstairs, she will begin chewing her arm off. When given the choice, choose to slay her. After that, choose to slay her again, and then give up. You will bleed out and die, and continue on to Chapter 2, The Beast.

“Something nasty finds itself on my stairs. Come on down, don’t be scared. I probably won’t bite.”

The Witch’s chapter is about betrayal and deception, learning to keep secrets and lie. This route is mostly the same as the one for the Beast, where you need to leave the knife, try to free her, then slay her. However, instead of choosing to give up, you need to “Finish the Job”. This will cause both you and the princess to die, and you will continue on to Chapter 2, The Witch.

“You take a step forward. Your foot lands. But it lands… different. You experience a firm footfall, a gentle tread, a confident stride.”

The stranger is about death and hate. The stranger is about love and kindness. The stranger is about hurting and forgiving. The stranger is about nothing. The stranger is about everything. This chapter is about the vast array of possibilities for how the princess could turn out to be, and it is all based on the reality of not even knowing her. This is the last Chapter 2 princess on the list, and it has the simplest Chapter 1 route. All you need to do is, once you finish listening to the narrator give his “You are on a path in the woods…” monologue, just turn around and leave. He will pull a few tricks to get you to follow his orders, but as long as you keep turning away from the cabin, He will be overwhelmed, and you will continue on to Chapter 2, The Stranger.

“I am not a damsel to be helplessly murdered!”

The Prisoner is about confidence and patience, and trying to keep a strong face once all control has been taken away from you. The Prisoner’s chapter 1 route is almost exactly the same as the Damsel’s, except for one key difference: the knife. For the Prisoner, you must take the knife, head downstairs, talk to the princess, and agree to let her out. Pick up the knife and cut her arm free. As you’re exiting the basement, scroll through all the “Slay the Princess” options and choose the ones that do not say that. She will take the blade from and swiftly end your life, moving you on to Chapter 2, the Prisoner.

“I just want to make you happy!”

It’s kind of hard for me to say what exactly the Damsel’s chapter is about. I think it’s about being gentle and soft and trying to help as much as you can. That said, there are parts of the chapter that have more to do with control and disregarding others’ feelings. The chapter 1 route for this princess also involves not taking the knife. Once you go down to the basement, you need to tell the princess you will try to help her out of the chains. When given the option to slay her, you must instead choose to save her. While you’re walking out of the basement with her, it may look like your only option is to slay her, but if you scroll down far enough, you will see options to “Resist” and “Warn Her”. Choose these options, and she will slay you. You will bleed out, and continue on to Chapter 2, The Damsel.

“You and I are always going to end in violence, so why bother to run? I know what I am. Why can’t you be the same?"

Eye of the Needle is a direct continuation of the Adversary, building on her themes of rivalry and pain. There are a few paths leading to the Eye of the Needle, and there are a couple alternate voices for this chapter, those being Hunted and Skeptic. For Hunted, starting in The Adversary’s chapter, head into the cabin and take the knife. Go down to the basement to face the Adversary. Choose the option to attack her. It is important here not to listen to the Voice of the Stubborn, and instead do what the Hero tells you to do. For Skeptic, you need to take the knife, then tell the Adversary that you’re there to free her. After that, take every option to free her, until she finally attacks you. The chapter will end quickly after this, with you dying by the Adversary’s hands and continuing on to Chapter 3, The Eye of the Needle.

“Show me what you think it takes to end that which is destined to end everything.”

The Apotheosis goes to show just how powerful the princess can really become, with only the power of others’ perception of her. It follows the Tower, and has two alternate voices, those being the Voice of the Contrarian, and the Voice of the Paranoid. As far as I can tell, this does somewhat depend on the route you take to get Tower. If you get to Tower without telling her that she will end the world, you can get either voice, but if you get to Tower by telling her she will end the world, then you can only get the Contrarian. If you go through the first route, the difference in paths between the voices is, again, the choice of whether to take the blade or not. Taking the blade eventually leads you to Contrarian, while leaving it can lead you to Paranoid. In either route, you need to resist the Tower at any given opportunity, and slay yourself when given the chance. You need to not give in to her or try to slay her, as those lead to different endings. With either path, you will slay yourself, and continue on to Chapter 3, The Apotheosis.

“And the story’s not over yet. We might still find a happy ending. But I think it’s time we start a new chapter.”

This is one of the brand new chapters added in The Pristine Cut, and follows the Spectre’s chapter. It shows the connection between the protagonist and the princess, and reveals to players just how unsettling said protagonist can truly be to an observer. Starting in the Spectre’s chapter, you must enter the cabin and take the blade. Head on down to the basement and see the Spectre in all her ghastly glory. After talking to her for a bit, accept the deal that she proposes between the two of you. Once this deal has taken full effect, take the option to slay yourself, ending both the Spectre and the chapter, letting you continue on to Chapter 3, The Princess and the Dragon.

“Do you think a single moment of bravery changes you into something you’re not? I am what I am, and you’re always going to be a coward.”

This chapter follows along the Nightmare’s path, and reveals to the player horrors beyond human comprehension. To unlock this chapter, start in the Nightmare’s chapter, entering the cabin and taking the knife. Head down the stairs, and choose any direction to meet the Nightmare. After talking with her for a bit, you can take the option to throw the blade away into the void, losing it forever. Most of the rest of the events play out on their own, and you continue on to the Moment of Clarity.

“Her eyes look up at yours. Wide. Pleading. ‘Come back,’ you can imagine them saying. ‘Don’t leave me here!’”

The Den follows the story of the Beast, and shows the power of compassion and understanding in the face of base animal instincts. There are two voices you can get in this chapter: Skeptic and Stubborn. For Stubborn, you need to take the knife with you and enter the basement to face the Beast. Start dodging her attacks, but also use the knife to attack her back when you do. Continue doing this until you run out of energy and can’t anymore. For Skeptic, you must do the same thing, only without attacking her back, just keep dodging her attacks until you can’t anymore. In either case, you will die and continue on to Chapter 3, The Den.

“So. Did you mean it? Or was I a fool to hand my life to you?”

The Thorn’s story is that of repeated betrayal, committed by both sides upon each other. Ultimately, this betrayal leads to a common understanding, and trust. There are two different voices you can get for this chapter, and they are Cheated and Smitten. Both require mostly the same path. You must start in the Witch’s chapter. Take the blade and walk down to the basement. You can talk to her, but the decision you must make is to hand over the blade as a sign of trust. The factor that decides which voice you get in Chapter III is what you decide to say to the Witch when you hand over the blade. If you take the dialogue option that starts with "You're beautiful.", or the one that starts with "We're both scared and we're both hurting.", you will get the Smitten. If you choose any of the other dialogue options, you will get the Cheated. Things end about how you would probably expect with handing over a weapon to a suspicious character, and you continue on to Chapter 3, The Thorn.

“I wake up in chains. You come to me, knife in hand. You give me your implement. I cut myself free.”

This is another new addition with the Pristine Cut, and shows a loss of control taken to the extreme, but proves that kindness is still a choice, even in these circumstances. There are three different options for voices for this chapter: Broken, Cheated, and Paranoid. This chapter follows the Prisoner, so that is where you need to start. Take the knife and head down to the basement. Once you meet the princess, you can either sit with her and talk, or attack her but give up, but both lead to the same outcome. If you talk with her, you need to choose to give her the knife. In either path, she will free herself from her chains. After this, you need to leave her in the basement and leave the cabin to accept the Narrator’s amazing reward. This is where the decision between voices comes in. If you want Paranoid, you need to choose to slay yourself. If you want Cheated, you need to keep trying to accept the gift and be happy until the control is taken out of your hands. For Broken, accept the gift until Skeptic pulls you away from the Good Ending screen, then tell him you don't want to do it yourself, and give him the knife. Either way, you will die, and continue on to Chapter 3, The Cage.

“It’s our happy ending. Just like you asked for. It’s everything we’re supposed to have ever wanted.”

This is the third and final new chapter added with Pristine Cut, and it shows that you cannot force someone into being happy with what your ideal situation is, and sometimes you have to let those you care about go. There are two paths for different voices here, and those voices are Skeptic and Opportunist. Starting in the Damsel’s chapter, head down to the basement, either with or without the blade. Speak to the princess for a bit and free her of her chains. For Opportunist, walk upstairs with her, and then ask her to stay in the cabin with you. For Skeptic, while still in the basement, begin asking the Damsel what exactly it is she wants. Repeatedly ask her this question until you are given the option to ask her to stay in the cabin with you. On either path, you will die, and continue on to Chapter 3, Happily Ever After.

“Are you still there? Are you still you?”

This chapter is about blood and death and decay and viscera, and fiery rage, following the desecration of something amazing. This is the first chapter on the list that can be accessed from two different chapters, and all the rest of the chapters on the list will be too. To get here from the Tower, take the knife with you into the basement. Resist as much as you can, and when given the option, slay the Tower.

If you want to access the Fury from the Adversary, there are three different voices you can get: Broken, Cold, and Contrarian. For Broken, you need to go down into the basement without the knife. When you see the Adversary, turn around and run away back up the stairs. Once you’re back up there, do not pick up the knife. The chapter will end soon after. For Cold, it doesn’t matter if you take the blade or not. Head down to the basement, then pick the option that says “I haven’t decided what to do yet”. Step closer to her to talk, then tell her that you aren’t going to fight her, then let her kill you. For Contrarian, go down to the basement unarmed. Attack the Adversary without a weapon once you get down there. Continue getting up and fighting as many times as it takes before you finally continue on to Chapter 3, The Fury.

“You think you are numb, but you are hopeless and paranoid. You are afraid of me.”

This chapter is about having your will broken by a spirit that seeks revenge at any cost. The two chapters for this are Spectre and Nightmare. To reach the Wraith from Spectre, you need to take the blade and continue down to the basement. When you’re able to talk to her and ask her questions, choose to leave her locked in the basement. After that, once given the option, slay the Spectre.

To reach her from Nightmare, take the blade and head to the basement. Choose any direction and meet the NIghtmare. When given the option, choose to slay her. After that, you need to slay yourself. You will die, and continue on to Chapter 3, The Wraith.

“We can’t go back to that! We can’t go back to the fear and the hunger and the pain. Not after being something as beautiful as this.”

This chapter is about becoming one with someone else, and the choice of whether to forget and move on, or to remember and seek retribution. The Wild can be accessed from either the Beast or the Witch. To access it from the Beast, you need to go down to the basement and do something that gets you eaten by the Beast. Playing dead and standing still will both accomplish this goal, but you need to make sure you down try and dodge her attacks for too long or you will go down a different path. Once you are in the belly of the Beast, pick explore options to advance the time until you dissolve in her stomach.

For the Witch, there are a few different ways to unlock the Wild from there, but there are no significant differences between them. For one of these paths, take the knife and go down to the basement. Talk for a bit, and when given the option, choose to slay the Witch. A fight will go down, but you will eventually die, and continue on to Chapter 3, The Wild.

“Dying apart kept us apart. Dying together will keep us together.”

This chapter is about facing an inescapable fate as payback for what you’ve done. The Grey actually has two different versions: Drowned Grey for the Prisoner, and Burned Grey for the Damsel. For Drowned Grey, you need to start in the Prisoner’s chapter and take the knife. Once down in the basement, attack the Prisoner and don’t give up until both of you are dead.

For Burned Grey, start in the Damsel’s chapter and take the knife. Once down in the basement, slay the Damsel, and a certain voice will make sure you pay the price for what you’ve done, letting you continue on to Chapter 3, The Grey.

A Bold Heart: This is the name for the Adversary. To get her as a vessel, you need to take the knife into the basement and attack her. Keep attacking and listen to Stubborn’s advice on how to. Continue fighting and getting up until the chapter eventually ends.

An Overwhelming Heart: This is the name for the Tower. To get her, you need to just listen to the Tower, submitting to her will and breaking her chains, against the advice of the Narrator.

A Yearning Heart: This is the name for the Spectre. To get her, you need to go down to her basement, either with or without the blade. Talk to her until she proposes a deal with you. Accept this deal, and walk out of the cabin with her.

A Tender Heart: This is the name for the Nightmare. To get her, you need to go down to her basement. Choose any direction to meet her, then agree to leave the cabin with her. Do this without betraying or attacking her.

A Piercing Heart, Beating Free: This is one of the names for the Razor. To get it, you need to enter her basement without the knife, then the rest of the chapter mostly play out on their own.

A Piercing Heart in a Cage of Iron: This is the other name for the Razor. To get it, you need to do the same as the other version of the Razor, except you do need to take the knife with you, instead of leaving it.

A Cunning Heart: This is the name for the Beast. To get her, you need to do something in her chapter that will get you eaten by her. From there, you need to tell her that she can leave. She will exit the cabin and spit you out, ending the chapter.

A Righteous Heart: This is the name for the Witch. To get her, you need to enter the Witch’s basement with the knife. Talk to her for a bit, then agree to leave the cabin together. Tell her to go in front of you, then walk up the stairs together. There are two different choices here that will give you different results during the ending, but they give the same achievement. You can either walk up the stairs together, peacefully, or stab her in the back. Both result in getting her as a vessel.

A Rich and Vibrant Heart: This is the name for the Stranger. This is a fairly easy vessel to get, as there isn’t much real choice in the chapter. Choose any stairway to get down to the basement. Take multiple explore options to fracture her as much as you can, then choose the combined option of slaying her, rescuing her, and leaving her. The chapter will end soon after this.

A Patient Heart: This is one of the names for the Prisoner. To get her, you need to enter her basement, then sit down with the Prisoner and agree to talk. Choose the explore option that asks about the empty shackle, then choose to inspect it. After this, wait for a while, listening to the Narrator and other voices talk, until you are able to leave with the Prisoner.

A Clever Heart: This is the other name for the Prisoner. To get her, you need to enter her basement and give her the knife. She will cut herself free, and then you need to take her out of the cabin with you to end the chapter.

A Gentle Heart: This is one of the names for the Damsel. To get her is fairly easy, you just need to enter her cabin, free her of her chains, and then leave the cabin together. No violence necessary.

A Pliable Heart: This is the other name for the Damsel. To get her, you need to enter the basement and free her of her chains. Then, you need to start asking her what she wants. Repeatedly do this until she is taken as a vessel and the chapter ends.

A Burning Heart: This is the name for the Eye of the Needle. To get her, you need to take the knife and descend into her basement. Lure her out, and then run away back up to the cabin. Keep running until you make out the door, with her following after. Here, you can either fight her until she gives in, or make her realize that she is outside now, and the chapter will end. But either one is fine.

A Terrifying and Divine Heart: This is the name for the Apotheosis. There are a few different ways to get her, but the easiest way is to go towards the cabin, then jump towards her once she emerges. Agree to join her, and from here on, any of the choices you make will still lead you to having her as a vessel.

An Empathetic Heart: This is one of the names for the Princess and the Dragon. To get it, you need to sit with the Princess at the beginning of the chapter and wait for the rest of the voices to come into the basement. Once they make their choice and fulfill their mission, give the knife to the Princess so she can cut herself out, and leave the cabin together.

An Empathetic Heart, Held in Stencil: This is the other name for the Princess and the Dragon. To get it, you need to sit and wait with the Princess. Once the other voices come in and fulfill their mission, either try to cut the Princess out yourself, or stab her. Both of the options will result in her being taken as a vessel.

A Wise Heart: This is the name for the Moment of Clarity. This is a relatively short chapter on its own, with not many branching paths or different options to take in it, so I don’t have much to say on this one. Just play through the chapter, and you will eventually reach the end.

A Ravenous Heart: This is the name for the Den. Like with the Apotheosis, there are a few ways to end this chapter. One of the easiest is to enter the basement, then try to lure her out. Once you run for a bit, you will turn around and see her stuck. Give her your hand to try and help her out of it. After that, you both need to dig out together until you make it out of the cabin.

A Cautious Heart: This is the name for the Thorn. To get her, enter the basement and approach her. Talk with her for a bit and be nice to her, until she trusts you enough to hand over the blade. Use it to cut her out, then leave the cabin together.

An Open Heart, or a Watchful One: This is the name for the Cage. Like others before, this chapter has multiple ways you can get the same vessel. Probably the easiest one is to enter the cabin, and once you are in the basement, keep choosing explore options to advance the time, until the Cage approaches you fully. From there, watch the rest of the events unfold until she is taken away.

An Honest Heart: This is the name for Happily Ever After. To get her, walk up to where the Princess is, and sit down with her. Ask for dinner and enjoy, but eventually express to her that you are unhappy with. Continue doing things with her and expressing your unhappiness as the torches continue to go out. Once the final torch goes out, walk over to her and leave the cabin together.

A Weathered Heart: This is one of the names for the Fury. To get it, enter the Fury’s chamber and choose whatever option you want, as they all result in her exacting her will upon you. After this, wait through the long process of her unraveling you, before you snap back together. Give her your hand and leave together.

A Weathered Heart, Held in Ribbons: This is the other name for the Fury. To get it, go into the Fury’s chapter with the Voice of the Contrarian. Enter her chamber, and select “Round 3”. As you’re approaching her, instead of continuing, give up. She will unravel you, like the other path, but once you snap back together, you can see the difference between these two paths. The chapter will end soon after.

A Driven Heart: This is the name for the Wraith. To get her, enter the cabin and approach the mirror. Once she attacks you, let her in to her body. You can either jump into the void with her, or leave with her, but both lead to the same vessel.

A Curious and Beautiful Heart: This is one of the names for the Wild. To get this, you need to listen to what the Princess says, and do what she wants you to do, searching all around you until you find the way out. The chapter ends shortly after.

A Fragile and Beautiful Heart: This is the other name for the Wild. To get it, you need to listen to what the Narrator says, remembering your past with the Princess until you can finally come face to face with her again. From here, you can either cut her free and leave together, or slay her, as either will lead to the same result.

A Bright/Deep Heart: These are the names for the Burned and Drowned Grey. Both chapters are very similar, and both lack many differing options. In both cases, you can play through the chapter in whatever way you want, and you will end up with either the Burned or Drowned Grey as your vessel.