Bearish Kicker candlestick pattern
A bullish candle followed by a bearish candle that gaps down below the prior candle's open and keeps falling. Sentiment flipped overnight.
Illustrative shape. Real patterns vary in proportion.
How to identify a Bearish Kicker
- First candle is bullish
- Second candle opens at or below the first candle's open, gapping down
- Second candle is a strong bearish body
- The two bodies don't overlap
What the Bearish Kicker tells you
Kickers usually reflect a major surprise, such as an earnings miss or downgrade. Everyone who bought the prior day is instantly trapped, which can fuel further selling.
How traders use it
Traders treat bearish kickers as strong signals, often acting on the close of the second candle with a stop above the gap. The gap zone tends to act as resistance afterward.
Before taking any pattern-based trade, decide your stop first and size the position from it with the position size calculator.
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Frequently asked questions
Is the Bearish Kicker bullish or bearish? +
The Bearish Kicker is a bearish reversal pattern. A bullish candle followed by a bearish candle that gaps down below the prior candle's open and keeps falling. Sentiment flipped overnight.
How reliable is the Bearish Kicker? +
No candlestick pattern works every time. Patterns are more reliable when they form at a meaningful level (support, resistance, a moving average), after a clear trend, on higher volume, and when the next candle confirms them.
Do I need confirmation to trade the Bearish Kicker? +
Most traders want it. Waiting for the next candle to move in the expected direction filters out many false signals, at the cost of a slightly worse entry price.
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