What is Three white soldiers?
Uchta oq askar
In short
Three long green candles in a row, each opening inside the previous body and closing near its high. A sign that buyers are holding the initiative.
Three white soldiers is a bullish pattern of three long green candles in a row. Each candle opens inside the previous body and closes near the top of its own range. "White" is the rising-candle colour on old Japanese charts.
Conditions
- All three candles have long bodies and small upper wicks.
- Each close is higher than the one before.
- Each open is inside the previous candle's body — no big gaps; the advance climbs steadily like a staircase.
What it means
A single sharp up day can be a fluke. Three strong closes in a row show buyers holding the initiative consistently. Especially after a long decline or a sideways phase, it hints at a trend change. The opposite pattern is three black crows.
The trap
The problem is that by the time the pattern completes, price is already well up. Entering at the third close often means a wide stop, and a short-term pullback is normal. That is why many traders wait for a small pullback after the pattern. If the third candle shrinks or leaves a long upper wick, momentum may be fading.
A big red candle (closed $50.80), a small "star" (low $49.90) and a big green candle ($52.30 — above the middle of the first body, $51.70). Then three strong green candles in a row — buyers keep the initiative. Volume is highest on the third candle of the star.
Example
Illustrative: a stock spent several weeks between $19 and $20.
- Day 1: open $20.00, close $21.20 (high $21.30)
- Day 2: open $20.80, close $22.30 (high $22.40)
- Day 3: open $21.90, close $23.50 (high $23.60)
Each open is inside the previous body ($20.80 within $20.00–$21.20; $21.90 within $20.80–$22.30). Gain over three days: ($23.50 − $20.00) ÷ $20.00 = 17.5%.
If a trader enters at $23.50 with a stop below day 1's open, at $19.90, the risk is $3.60 per share. With a $10,000 account and 1% risk ($100): $100 ÷ $3.60 ≈ 27.8 → 27 shares. Wide stop, small size.
Mistakes and tips
Don't chase at the third close — the stop ends up very far away. Plan with a pullback and a position size calculation.
"Soldiers" appearing after a long rally are often a sign of exhaustion; the pattern means more at the end of a decline or a base.
If the candles shrink and the upper wicks grow, the "soldiers" are weakening; be careful.
Frequently asked questions
- Should I buy after three white soldiers?
- The pattern shows buyer strength, but by the time it completes price has already risen a lot. Many traders wait for a small pullback and set the stop in advance.
- How reliable is the three white soldiers pattern?
- Fairly reliable after a decline or a long consolidation, especially with volume. At the end of an extended rally it often appears close to a short-term top.
Learn it in the Academy
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