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A powerful single-candle reversal signal that appears at the bottom of downtrends, showing buyers stepping in to reject lower prices.
The Bullish Kicker is one of the most powerful two-candle reversal patterns in technical analysis. It occurs when a bearish candle is followed by a bullish candle that opens at or above the prior candle's open — creating a dramatic gap that signals an immediate and decisive shift in sentiment.
The 'kick' comes from the force of the reversal: the market doesn't just recover, it launches from below the previous open to above it in a single bar. This pattern represents a complete rejection of the prior bearish move and is one of the highest-probability reversal signals when it appears with volume.
The Bullish Kicker represents the most violent sentiment shift possible in two candles. The first candle shows bears in control — price closes lower, confirming the downtrend.
Then overnight (or between periods), something fundamental changes. The second candle opens at or above the previous open — completely negating the entire prior session's bearish move in a single gap.
This isn't a gradual reversal; it's a regime change. The gap up past the prior open tells you that whatever caused the selling has been overwhelmed by new buying pressure. Traders who were short are immediately trapped, and their covering adds fuel to the bullish move.
Conservative: Enter long above the second candle's high.
Aggressive: Enter long at the close of the second candle — kickers are high-probability signals.
Below the low of the second (bullish) candle. If the kicker candle's low is breached, the pattern has failed.
T1: Previous swing high or resistance. T2: 2× the range of the kicker candle projected upward. Kickers often initiate extended moves.
Minimum 1:2. Kickers are among the most reliable two-candle patterns — they deserve conviction.
The Bullish Kicker is one of the strongest single-event reversal signals in candlestick analysis. Its power comes from the dramatic shift in sentiment it represents - but like any pattern, its reliability depends heavily on the context in which it appears.
The gap is non-negotiable. If the bullish candle doesn't gap up from the previous bearish candle's open, it's not a true kicker pattern.
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