Chapter 9: Farewell

**Chapter 9: Farewell** is the ninth and final chapter of Celeste, and was introduced as a free update to the game. The chapter introduces several new objects and utilizes highly technical mechanics, most notably, wavedashing and wall bouncing (see Moves). In spite of its lack of a B-Side or C-Side, Farewell is intended to be the longest and most challenging chapter of the game. It is unlocked when Chapter 8 is completed, though depending on the player's progress, subchapters five and onward may be inaccessible.

## **Gameplay**

Chapter 9: Farewell features 9 subchapters and 100 screens on the main path as well as a few secret optional screens, making it the longest overall Chapter in the game.

### **Change in Dashing**

In the first sub-chapter, Start, Madeline can dash twice mid-air. However, just before the second sub-chapter, Singular, Madeline loses this ability. However, Double Dash Crystals can be found across the chapter to temporarily grant Madeline a second dash mid-air.

### **Objects**

#### Start

* Purple Orbs
* White Clouds
* Moon Blocks

#### Singular

* Springs
* Double Dash Crystals
* Crystals
* Dash Crystals
* Swap Blocks
* Spikes
* Skull Binoculars
* Falling Platforms
* Shields
* Shield-Activated Platforms
* Pufferfish
* Space Blocks
* Disappearing Platforms

#### Power Source

* Springs
* Moon Blocks
* Jellyfish
* Barriers
* Dash Crystals
* Falling Platforms
* Crystals
* Wind
* Double Dash Crystals
* Red Bubbles
* Locks
* Smashable Walls
* Skull Binoculars
* Utility Vaults
* Dash Switches
* Temple Gates
* Keys
* Triggered Platforms
* Spikes
* Shields
* Shield-Activated Platforms
* Starblades

#### Remembered

* Crystals
* Moon Blocks
* White Clouds
* Pufferfish
* Double Dash Crystals
* Shields
* Shield-Activated Platforms
* Skull Binoculars
* Jellyfish
* Springs
* Falling Platforms
* Spikes
* Barriers
* Dash Switches
* Temple Gates
* Starbelts
* Swap Blocks
* Triggered Platforms

#### Event Horizon

* Moon Blocks
* Double Dash Crystals
* Space Blocks
* Spikes
* Springs
* Crystals
* Falling Platforms
* Conveyor Walls
* Skull Binoculars
* Angry Platforms
* Sludge-Spawning Tiles
* Shields
* Shield-Activated Platforms
* Starbelts
* Dash Crystals
* Triggered Platforms
* Green Bubbles
* Disappearing Platforms
* White Clouds
* Feathers

#### Determination

* Crystals
* Feathers
* Double Dash Crystals
* Swap Blocks
* Spikes
* Moon Blocks
* Dash Crystals
* Skull Binoculars
* Triggered Platforms
* Springs
* Sludge-Spawning Tiles
* Wind
* Red Bubbles
* Disappearing Platforms
* Shields
* Shield-Activated Platforms
* Launching Blocks
* Starblades
* Falling Platforms
* Ice Balls
* Fire Balls
* Green Bubbles
* Conveyor Walls
* Ice Walls
* Angry Platforms
* Semi-Smashable Walls
* Purple Orbs

#### Stubbornness

* Moon Blocks
* Cassette Blocks
* Springs
* Spikes
* Skull Binoculars
* Double Dash Crystals
* Dash Crystals
* Shields
* Shield-Activated Platforms
* Red Bubbles

#### Reconciliation

* Cassette Blocks
* Spikes
* Dash Crystals
* Purple Orbs
* Utility Vaults
* Falling Platforms
* Jellyfish
* Double Dash Crystals
* Springs
* Barriers
* The Bird
* Pufferfish
* Feathers
* Moon Blocks
* Space Blocks
* Swap Blocks
* Triggered Platforms
* Wind
* Starbelts
* Angry Platforms

#### Farewell

* Skull Binoculars
* Jellyfish
* Pufferfish
* Barriers
* Moon Blocks
* Springs
* Purple Orbs
* Spikes
* The Bird
* Falling Platforms
* Dash Crystals
* Double Dash Crystals
* Wind
* Starblades
* Crystals
* Shield-Activated Platforms
* Shields
* Feathers
* Utility Vaults

#### Moon Berry Path

* Crystals
* Springs
* Skull Binoculars
* Double Dash Crystals
* Jellyfish
* Ice Walls
* Moon Blocks
* Disappearing Platforms
* Dash Crystals
* Wind
* Shields
* Shield-Activated Platforms
* Purple Orbs

#### Golden Strawberry Room

* Skull Binoculars
* Crystals
* Ice Walls
* Jellyfish
* Double Dash Crystals
* Springs
* Pufferfish
* Moon Blocks
* Barriers
* Purple Orbs

### **Crystal Heart**

A white Crystal Heart - entitled "Empty Space", exists at the end of the fourth sub-chapter: Remembered. However, this Crystal Heart only serves as a plot device. There are no obtainable Crystal Hearts in Chapter 9: Farewell.

### **Crystal Heart Gate**

Similar to the one found in Chapter 8: Core, a Crystal Heart Gate will block the path of the player until certain conditions are met. This gate appears at the beginning of sub-chapter 5: Event Horizon, and requires 15 Crystal Hearts to be satisfied. This is the same number required to access Chapter 8: Core's B-side, which effectively means that the player must acquire all blue Crystal Hearts, and all but one red Crystal Hearts. Unlike the Heart Gates seen elsewhere in the game, this one can be skipped with a precise trick to allow Madeline to move faster than the Heart Gate comes down to block the path.

## **Plot**

**I tried to warn you.**

This section contains spoilers for Chapter 9: Farewell. Do not read the following section if you wish to avoid spoilers for Chapter 9: Farewell.

In the future, Madeline visits the Gravestone of the Old Woman (now referred to as Granny). Madeline had developed a strong relationship with Granny as pen-pals. Her death was enough to break Madeline's heart, and she started becoming in denial about her death. Madeline starts to see the Bird as part of Granny and sets off on a journey to chase it in space, in hopes of any explanation. Badeline begins protesting against the idea of chasing the bird, and she eventually abandons Madeline.
Madeline starts to become more stubborn about her motive, and she goes as far as to reject a Crystal Heart, breaking the space environment, in favor of pursuing the Bird.

She catches the bird a couple times, but to no avail. Badeline returns and tries to convince Madeline to stop chasing the bird. Badeline explains that this is all a dream, and that Madeline should wake up. She doesn't want to. After her futile effort to find any explanation, Madeline begins to accept that Granny will be truly gone forever. Together, they decide to help free the Bird that Madeline had cornered, as a sort of tribute to Granny.

After Madeline frees the Bird, she starts to dream of a bright and cloudy horizon, and she meets Granny for the last time. Madeline apologizes to her for not attending her funeral and thanks her for helping Madeline on her journey up Celeste Mountain. Granny disintegrates, and shortly after, Madeline wakes up.

Madeline starts chatting with Theo, who had tried contacting her for a long time. Theo then shows her an old photograph of Granny and Theo's Grandpa. Madeline is happy that her experience climbing the mountain with Theo was just like that of Theo's Grandpa and Granny.
**Show/Hide Content**

## **Quotes**

* Madeline: That bird was always looking out for me on the Mountain, just like Granny did.
* Old Lady: Funerals are for all you suckers stuck living without me.
* Theo: Long time no see, Strawberry.
* Badeline: Say goodbye to her for me.

## **Secrets**

### **Moon Berry**

There is a unique variation of the strawberry - dubbed the Moon Berry, that can be found in Chapter 9: Farewell. When collected, the game rewards you with the 'Wow' achievement.

**I tried to warn you.**

This section contains spoilers for the Moon Berry. Do not read the following section if you wish to avoid spoilers for the Moon Berry.

The Moon Berry is located in the last sub-chapter: Farewell.
Solid platforms can be seen inside the electricity fields near the very end. After destroying the Utility Vault these platforms can be landed on. Instead of dashing right toward the Bird, dashing left at an upward angle can land you onto the first platform. Checkpoints are provided if you reach high enough, and you'll have to clear an additional few rooms, before you are rewarded with the Moon Berry. A Purple Orb exists at the end, and will take you to the same ending cutscene. Note that one room in the moon berry section involves intentionally killing yourself, to respawn in the next area. That death, however, does not reset the chapter if you have the golden strawberry.
**Show/Hide Content**

### **Debug Mode**

In the very first room, past the old lady. A large sign exists with "Debug Mode :)" displayed. Usually, it would cut to the scene of the gravestone before you see this, but if you have Debug Mode enabled, you can spawn on top of the sign, behind the Old Lady, and past the cutscene trigger. Talking to the Old Lady will have her say "I see you have discovered Debug Mode."

### **g-06 (Nightmare Fuel Kevin Room)**

In sub-chapter 5: Event Horizon, in the very last level, a small room can be found if you detour north-west partway along the path of Feathers, as you are chasing the Bird. 3 Kevin Blocks are displayed above the room, and upon entering, an ambient noise - dubbed Nightmare Fuel, can be heard.

When this noise is placed under a spectrogram, the phrase: "not so empty" can be seen written in cursive. Initially, it was speculated that this was related to the Crystal Heart - entitled "Empty Space", along with the track in the 'Celeste: Farewell OST' titled: "The Empty Space Above'.

After some time passed, community members solved the riddle of this secret room which seems to show various images hidden inside a spectrogram.. Putting all glitch audio files together in a specific order reveals a large dedication list with many names from the Celeste community.

In addition, the game has 10 unique sounds for collecting Empty Space Crystal Heart, and it cycles through them in turn each time you re-collect this heart. The spectrograms of each of these sounds (except the first) also contain images. These include a real-life bird (that looks similar to the bird in the corner of a speedrun), a Kevin block with "FWAHAHA" written over the top as a reference to speedrunner CovertMuffin, Granny laughing while standing on top of the intro car, the Celeste Mountain icon, TASBot, and four pieces of a picture of the Celeste team. You can find these spectrogram images linked here.

### **Golden Strawberry Room**

If the player completes Chapter 9 with the golden strawberry, they will be transported to a special room instead of the ending cutscene with Granny. This room serves as a final challenge for those attempting the golden strawberry. Naturally, dying here will reset the player back to the beginning. Completing this room will transport the player to the ending cutscene and the player will collect the golden strawberry.

### **Hidden Intro Car**

At the end of the part in Remembered in which the player has to climb on tall falling blocks with springs, going to the right corner at the end of the room reveals a tiny room with a hidden intro car.

## **Speedrunning Record Progression**

Clear

Full Clear

## **Major Strategies**

### **Key Room Skip**

The hidden top entrance which normally leads to a key, can be used as a speed strat to avoid the entire key search during the Power Source checkpoint and skip straight up to Remembered. When the player takes the pink crystal, breaks the Vault and grabs a jellyfish, they can skip the entirety of this section with skillful jelly boosts. When the player gets to the vertical room leading to the transition into Remembered, they can take a shortcut by performing a precise diagonal dash between spinners in order to find a hidden room. It requires the player to do a little bit of jumping and wallbouncing in order to skip straight to the next checkpoint.

### **Demodash Room**

In the vertical falling section with the moving starfish during the Determination checkpoint, if the player manages to do a demodash through a wall of spinners, they will access a small room with pink diamonds and two small rooms enclosed in spikes. This section serves as a practice room for people who want to learn demodashes. It's also an alternate room for TAS (Tool Assisted Speedruns) or very dedicated speedrunners.

### **Heart Gate Skip**

The falling Heart Gate at the very beginning of Event Horizon can be skipped if the player is fast enough. In order to do it, the player has to get into a precise location and follow up with a dash into a hyperdash in order to slide under the gate. The player has to be very quick though, as being too slow may result with getting crushed by it, this may take a couple of tries.

## **Trivia**

* The name of the 12th section of the soundtrack, "Vovô e Vovó", means "grandfather and grandmother" in Portuguese, suggesting Celia is indeed Madeline's grandmother.
* If the player goes to the Moon Berry room while carrying a Golden Strawberry, it will detach and wait for them in the next room due to the fact the player has to take a mandatory death in order to access the next section. This was made because normally the player has to complete the entire chapter without dying.
* The green flag in the Golden Berry Room and the sound it plays when the player touches it are references to the end flag in the Pico-8 version of Celeste.
* Even though Chapter 9 can be accessed right after completing Core, the player appears at the place where 7C ends despite not needing to complete any C-Sides.
	+ When Chapter 9 was during development, Maddy hinted that the DLC chapter would be accessible only after completing the C-Sides, however that was later changed to only require collecting 15 hearts.
* When Maddy started building Chapter 9, it was supposed to be a collection of various ideas that didn't make it into the main story. Eventually a plot was made, and the chapter turned out to be much longer than it was planned to be at first.

1. ↑ Kevin Room puzzle