Three White Soldiers and Three Black Crows
Three-candlestick patterns of consecutive strong same-direction candles, signaling a decisive bullish (three white soldiers) or bearish (three black crows) shift in momentum.
Three white soldiers is a bullish pattern consisting of three consecutive long up candles, each opening within the prior candle's body and closing higher, each with relatively small wicks, reflecting steady, sustained buying pressure across three full periods rather than a single sharp spike. Three black crows is the mirror-image bearish pattern: three consecutive long down candles, each opening within the prior candle's body and closing lower, reflecting steady, sustained selling pressure.
Both patterns are generally considered stronger, more convincing signals of a genuine, sustained momentum shift than a single engulfing candle (see Kaavon's "Engulfing Pattern" glossary definition) or a two-candle pattern, precisely because they reflect three consecutive periods of consistent directional conviction rather than a single period's reversal. A caveat often raised about three white soldiers specifically is that three consecutive strong up candles can also reflect an already-overextended, unsustainable rally, so some technical analysts watch for signs of slowing momentum, such as progressively smaller candle bodies, even within an apparently bullish three-candle sequence.
Examples
- Three white soldiers, three consecutive long up candles with small wicks, is generally considered a stronger bullish signal than a single bullish engulfing candle, since it reflects sustained conviction across three periods.
- Some analysts watch for progressively smaller candle bodies even within an apparently bullish three white soldiers sequence, since it can also reflect an already-overextended rally.