If you want to dominate the end-game PvP meta and shred through raid bosses in Bizarre Lineage, you need Dark Determination. This powerful Edict (sub-mode) grants you a massive temporary power spike, buffing your damage, defense, and eventually granting lifesteal.
However, earning it isn’t a walk in the park. To get Dark Determination, you must speak to the Determination NPC at Bus Stop 14, complete seven brutal PvP and PvE trials, and finally Prestige your character at the Arch Mage.
Here is the complete, no-nonsense breakdown of how to track down the quest, cheese the hardest requirements, and max out your new transformation.
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The Dark Determination Quest Cheat Sheet
| Trial Name | The Objective | The Gamer Pro-Tip |
| Selflessness | Beat Yoshikage Kira (Bites the Dust) using the Bloodlust Perk. | You must Prestige before starting this to buy Bloodlust (5 Shards). Equip it right before he spawns at Bus Stop 1. |
| Reticence | Win a 1v1 match with over 90% HP remaining. | Don’t do this legitimately. Ask a friend in a private server or a random to kill-trade. |
| Piety | Win a Gang War. | Join an active clan, or create a dummy gang with friends specifically to throw the match. |
| Faith | Defeat “The Self” while your HP is at 5% or lower. | Access your Inner World via Yoga Mats at the Bus Stop 2 Gym. Whittle the boss down, let it hit you to red, then finish it. |
| Hate | Grip and defeat 5 members of your own Gang. | Again, use a dummy gang with friends who are willing to let you farm them. |
| Purity | Win 3 (or 5) consecutive 1v1s via the PvP Board. | A winning streak is required. Highly recommend kill-trading to save your sanity. |
| Repose | Defeat 10 (to 100) players who are Level 40+. | Farm this in the open world if you have a high-level friend willing to let you grip them repeatedly. |
Phase 1: Initiating the Quest
First things first, you need to actually trigger the questline. Fast travel to Bus Stop 14. Walk behind the bus stop area and head toward the beach (right in front of the Avdol Raid spawn). Look for the NPC named Determination standing near a large boulder. Speak to him to accept the quest.
Note: You must officially accept the quest from him before doing any of the trials, or your progress will not track. You can check your progress at any time by speaking to him and selecting the “What am I missing?” dialogue option.
Phase 2: Surviving the Seven Trials
As outlined in the table above, the seven trials (Selflessness, Reticence, Piety, Faith, Hate, Purity, and Repose) can be completed in any order.
As an experienced player, my biggest piece of advice is to not do the PvP requirements fairly unless you have to. Bizarre Lineage’s combat can be unpredictable, and trying to get a 3+ game win streak on the PvP board or finishing a fight with over 90% HP naturally is going to cost you hours of frustration. Coordinate with a friend or your gang to trade kills.
For the PvE side, the hardest bottleneck is Selflessness. Beating Kira requires the Bloodlust perk, which means you must already have access to the Prestige Shop. If you are on your first playthrough, you have to hit Level 50, pay the $10k to the Arch Mage at Bus Stop 10 to Prestige, buy Bloodlust for 5 Prestige Shards, and then fight Kira.
Phase 3: The Final Prestige
Once the Determination NPC confirms you have cleared all seven trials, he will give you your final directive: Prestige.
Head to Bus Stop 10, enter the massive TG Hospital building, and speak to the Arch Mage. Assuming you are Level 50 and have $10,000 cash, confirm your Prestige. The moment you do, you will receive a notification that the Edict is unlocked. Your name in the server list will turn blue, and Dark Determination will be permanently added to your keyboard in slots 1-9.
Phase 4: Upgrading Dark Determination
The base version of Dark Determination is honestly underwhelming. It lasts for 15 seconds, gives a minor 5% damage buff, and hits you with a debuff when the timer runs out. To make it a top-tier ability, you need to upgrade it using Prestige Shards at the Arch Mage’s Edicts tab.
- Tier 1 (Base): +5% damage buff.
- Tier 2 (Upgrade 1): Adds a +5% defense buff.
- Tier 3 (Upgrade 2): Grants flat passive healing over time (restores ~25 HP).
- Tier 4 (Upgrade 3): Unlocks Lifesteal (heals you when attacking enemies with a lower HP percentage than you).
- Tier 5 (Upgrade 4): Increases duration to 20 seconds and completely removes the end-of-mode debuff.
Once maxed out, popping this mode turns you into an absolute tank with incredible sustain.
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FAQs
Q: Do I lose Dark Determination if I Prestige again later?
A: No. Once you unlock an Edict like Dark Determination, it stays with your character permanently through all future Prestiges.
Q: Can I use Dark Determination at the same time as my Stand?
A: Yes, it acts as a sub-mode/Edict, meaning it stacks with your current Stand and Fighting Style. This is why it’s so lethal in the end-game PvP meta.
Q: Why isn’t my progress for “Repose” tracking when I kill players?
A: Ensure the players you are gripping are strictly Level 40 or higher. If they are Level 39, it won’t count. Also, double-check with the Determination NPC to ensure you actually started the quest line before farming kills.
