Comparison
Doji vs Shooting Star
A doji has almost no body and on its own only shows indecision. A shooting star has a small body near the bottom of its range and a long upper wick, and after an advance it shows buyers pushed higher and were rejected. A gravestone doji sits between them: a doji with a long upper wick.
Doji
neutral bias
A doji is a candle whose open and close are almost the same, leaving a very thin body. It records a session where neither buyers nor sellers won.
Shooting Star
bearish bias
A shooting star has a small body near the bottom of its range and a long upper wick, appearing after an advance. Buyers pushed price higher but sellers drove it back down before the close.
Side by side
| Aspect | Doji | Shooting Star |
|---|---|---|
| Body | Almost none | Small, near the bottom of the range |
| Wicks | Any length, either side | Long upper wick, little or no lower wick |
| Bias | Neutral | Bearish after an advance |
| Confirmation | The next candle's direction | A next candle closing below the shooting star's body |
How to tell them apart on a chart
- Check for a body. A small body at the bottom with a long upper wick is a shooting star.
- Almost no body with a long upper wick is a gravestone doji.
- A shooting star needs an advance before it.
Doji: confirmation and invalidation
Confirms: The direction of the next candle's close relative to the doji's range.
Invalidated: Because a doji is neutral, there is no single invalidation; the confirming candle sets the bias.
Shooting Star: confirmation and invalidation
Confirms: A next candle that closes below the shooting star's body.
Invalidated: A close above the shooting star's high.
Frequently asked questions
Is a doji at a high bearish?
It is a warning that momentum has stalled. It becomes bearish only if the next candle closes lower.
What invalidates a shooting star?
A close above its high.
Full guides
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Educational content only, not financial advice. Chart patterns describe probabilities, not certainties, and every pattern can fail. See our disclaimer.