Three Black Crows: what the pattern requires and where it fails
The bearish mirror of three white soldiers — three consecutive strong down bars — and the same exhaustion-versus-momentum caveat in reverse.
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Open the chartWhat it measures
Three black crows is three consecutive down bars, each opening within the prior bar’s body and closing at a new low with a small lower wick.
It measures sustained selling across three full bars.
How it is calculated
These are the steps Basis performs, verified against the published definition.
- 1
Each of three consecutive bars closes lower than the one before.
- 2
Each bar opens within the previous bar’s real body.
- 3
Each bar closes near its own low with a small lower wick.
How to read it
- Strongest as continuation confirmation after a top or a failed bounce; weakest when chased after an already-extended decline.
- Shrinking wicks and growing bodies across the three bars describe accelerating selling; similar-sized bodies describe steady pressure without acceleration.
Where it misleads
As with three white soldiers, this can mark either the start of a real decline or its final capitulation leg — the pattern alone cannot tell you which.
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Updated 2026-08-27 · Educational reference, not financial advice.