Triple candlestick patterns are widely used in technical analysis to spot trend reversals. They typically appear at the end of a trend and gain reliability when confirmed by volume or support/resistance levels. This guide covers Morning Star/Evening Star, Abandoned Baby, Three White Soldiers/Three Black Crows, and Three Inside Up/Down.
Morning Star and Evening Star: Reversal Twins
The Morning Star forms after a downtrend: a long bearish candle, followed by a small-bodied candle (bullish, bearish, or Doji), and then a long bullish candle whose close exceeds 50% of the first candle's body. It signals a potential upward reversal. Larger gaps between candles strengthen the signal. A Doji in the middle highlights indecision more clearly than a thicker middle candle. Volume confirmation is critical — the third candle should see rising volume.
The Evening Star is the bearish counterpart: a long bullish candle, a small-bodied candle or Doji, and a long bearish candle closing below at least 50% of the first candle's body. It warns of a downward reversal. Bigger gaps and a third candle larger than the first increase reliability.
Abandoned Baby: Rare but Powerful
The Abandoned Baby pattern resembles Morning/Evening Star but requires the middle Doji to gap completely above or below the shadows of the surrounding candles. The Bullish Abandoned Baby appears in a downtrend: the Doji gaps below the first candle's low, then a bullish candle gaps above the Doji, signaling seller exhaustion and buyer entry. The Bearish Abandoned Baby occurs in an uptrend: the Doji gaps above the first candle's high, followed by a bearish candle that gaps down, indicating a shift to seller control. These patterns are rare but offer clear entry (long or short) and exit signals.
Three White Soldiers and Three Black Crows: Momentum Confirmations
Three White Soldiers consist of three consecutive long bullish candles with each open within the previous body and close higher. This pattern after a downtrend suggests strong buyer dominance and a bullish reversal. However, watch for overbought conditions or resistance near the third candle. Volume must be robust — low volume patterns may reflect a continuation of the existing trend rather than a reversal.
Three Black Crows are three long bearish candles with opens lower and closes lower each time. They appear after an uptrend and signal a bearish reversal. Similar volume considerations apply. Oversold conditions or support levels can lead to consolidation, so context matters.
Three Inside Up and Three Inside Down: Early Trend Exhaustion
Three Inside Up forms at the bottom of a downtrend: a long bearish candle, a smaller bullish candle that closes above the midpoint of the first, and a third bullish candle closing above the first candle's high. It shows that sellers are losing momentum and buyers are stepping in, signaling a bullish reversal. The second candle may trigger short covering, and the third attracts new longs.
Three Inside Down is the opposite: a long bullish candle, a smaller bearish candle closing below the midpoint of the first, and a third bearish candle closing below the first candle's low. Found at the top of an uptrend, it warns of a bearish reversal. The second candle alarms buyers, and the third confirms the shift to sellers.