Welcome to Hallownest, a vast, interconnected kingdom of ancient ruins and forgotten secrets. In Hollow Knight, you'll explore this fallen world as the Knight, a silent, insectoid warrior. Master challenging combat, uncover hidden paths, and piece together the kingdom's tragic history. It's a tough but rewarding Metroidvania adventure, perfect for players who love deep exploration and precise, skill-based gameplay.
This guide is your companion through Hallownest's depths. We'll help you navigate every area, from the fungal wastes to the deepest caverns, and conquer its formidable bosses. Whether you're aiming to find every collectible, unlock all the game's endings, or simply survive the toughest encounters, we've got you covered.
General Info
New to Hallownest? This guide covers the basics of Hollow Knight: movement, combat, currency, and essential mechanics to get you started on your journey.
General Info: Your First Steps in Hallownest
Welcome, little ghost! So, you've found yourself in the fallen kingdom of Hallownest. It's a big, mysterious place, and honestly, a bit dangerous. Don't worry, though, I'm here to help you get your bearings. Think of me as that friend who's already explored a bit and can point out the obvious pitfalls.
Movement and Exploration
You'll start with basic movement: walking and jumping. Get used to these; you'll be doing a lot of them. As you explore, you'll find new abilities that open up previously inaccessible areas. Keep an eye out for breakable walls and hidden paths – Hallownest loves its secrets!
Combat Basics
Your primary tool for dealing with the... *residents* of Hallownest is your Nail. It's not much to look at, but it's effective. You'll attack by pressing the attack button (usually X on a controller). Timing is key, especially against tougher foes. Don't just button mash; learn enemy patterns!
SOUL and Focus
Defeating enemies fills up your SOUL meter. You can use this SOUL for two main things: healing yourself or casting spells. To heal, hold down the Focus button (usually B on a controller) when you're safe. This will restore one Mask of health. Spells, like the Vengeful Spirit, are a great way to deal extra damage from a distance. You'll learn more spells as you go.
Geo: The Currency of Hallownest
You'll collect Geo, the shiny currency of this kingdom, from defeated enemies and found in the environment. You'll need Geo to buy items from vendors like Cornifer the cartographer (get his maps!) and Salubra the charm vendor. Don't lose all your Geo at once – dying causes you to drop it, and you'll need to retrieve it from your Shade before it's lost forever!
Masks and Health
Your health is represented by Masks. You start with three. Finding Mask Shards will increase your maximum health. If all your Masks break, you'll die and respawn at the last bench you rested at, leaving your Shade behind to guard your dropped Geo.
Benches: Your Sanctuary
When you find a Bench, make sure to sit on it! Resting at a Bench replenishes your health, refills your SOUL, and sets your respawn point. It's also where you equip Charms, which give you special abilities. Be warned: resting at a Bench also respawns most enemies in the area.
Charms
Charms are equippable items that grant you passive bonuses. You can equip a limited number of Charms at a time, based on your Charm Notches. You'll find Charms from various characters and in different locations. Experiment with different Charm builds to suit your playstyle!
Maps and Navigation
Hallownest is a labyrinth. Getting lost is easy. Your first priority should often be to find Cornifer. He sells maps of the areas you're in. Buy them! They're invaluable. Even with a map, remember that it only updates as you explore, so you'll need to be in a new area for the map to show it.
A Word of Caution
This world is unforgiving. Don't get discouraged if you die. Every death is a lesson. Pay attention to your surroundings, learn from your mistakes, and don't be afraid to backtrack or explore a different path. You've got this!
Game Basics
Learn about Hollow Knight's health system, Geo currency, and 107% completion rate. Essential tips for new players.
Hit Points
Health is represented with little white masks on the top left corner of the screen (the HUD (heads-up display — the on-screen icons showing health, ammo and the minimap) - Heads-Up Display). You start with 5 masks. Every time you are hit by an enemy, touch spikes, or any other damage-dealing structure, you lose one mask. Being hit with only one mask left means death. Upon death, you will be teleported to your last Bench (a type of checkpoint (an auto-save point you restart from on death)) and lose all your Geo (the game's currency). You will leave a 'Shade' behind, which is a ghost that you must defeat to recover your lost Geo. Killing enemies replenishes your Soul bar, which is used to 'Focus' and recover hit points. Check your configurations to find the key that triggers Focus. You must press and hold this key, and your character will charge and recover hit points.
Geo
Geo is the game's currency. You can obtain it by defeating enemies or by hitting Geo rocks, which are scattered all over the world.
Completion Rate
Hollow Knight features a 107% completion rate. Many items, abilities, spells, quests, and bosses contribute towards this percentage.
Basic Tips
- Do not worry too much about grinding Geo early in the game. The Geo drop rate progressively scales as you make progress. Focus on acquiring enough Geo to purchase a Map, Compass, and Quill, which will aid your exploration. Grinding for more Geo beyond these essentials may be a waste of time, as you will inevitably earn more Geo later.
- Jump and attack. This technique allows you to reach areas that are otherwise inaccessible. When you jump and aim downwards before attacking, you can perform a pogo-bounce depending on what you hit. Bouncing off spikes and other structures can help you reach higher altitudes with your jumps.
- Explore. The game does not provide explicit directions, and progression is achieved through exploration. Discover keys, items, and trigger events that will help you advance.
- Avoid death. If you have masks remaining but are facing difficult enemies or wish to avoid risk, you can quit the game and load your save. This action preserves your progress and respawns you at the last Bench you rested at.
Charms & Spells
Learn about Charms, Spells, and Notches in Hollow Knight. Find Wayward Compass for 220 Geo and Gathering Swarm for 300 Geo.
- 1Charms provide various bonuses and are equipped using Charm Notches.
- 2You start with three Notches, but more can be found throughout Hollow Knight.
- 3There are 45 Charms in total, but only 40 can be held at once as 5 can be replaced.
- 4There are 11 Notches available in total.
- 5If you attempt to equip a Charm without enough Notches five times, it will eventually work, but you will become Overcharmed.
- 6While Overcharmed, your health bar gains a purple aura, and you take double damage.
- 7To remove the Overcharmed effect, unequip the Charm that exceeded the Notch limit.
- 8Only one Charm can be equipped past the Notch limit.
- SOUL is a white energy gained by hitting enemies and Soul Totems, visible as a circular meter in the top left of the HUD (Heads-Up Display).
- SOUL is used for Spells and Abilities.
- Charms can only be equipped and unequipped while resting on a bench.
List of Charms:
Wayward Compass
- Notches Required: 1.
- Effect: Shows your location on the minimap (a small map usually displayed in a corner of the screen).
- How to Acquire: Buy from Iselda in Dirtmouth for 220 Geo.
Gathering Swarm
- Notches Required: 1.
- Effect: Collects dropped Geo (the in-game currency), preventing loss into hard-to-reach places.
- How to Acquire: Buy from Sly in Dirtmouth for 300 Geo.
Stalwart Shell
- Notches Required: 2.
- Effect: Increases invincibility duration after being hit to 2 seconds.
- How to Acquire: Buy from Sly in Dirtmouth for 200 Geo.
Soul Catcher
- Notches Required: 2.
- Effect: Gain an additional +3% SOUL with each hit.
- How to Acquire: Found at the end of the Ancestral Mound, after killing the Elder Baldur.
Shaman Stone
- Notches Required: 3.
- Effect: Increases the damage, size, and hitbox of spells casted.
- How to Acquire: Buy from Salubra in Forgotten Crossroads for 220 Geo.
Dashmaster
- Notches Required: 2.
- Effect: Halves the cooldown of Dash, allowing more frequent use, and enables dashing downwards.
- How to Acquire: Found beneath a statue in the Fungal Wastes, down from the Mantis Village.
Fragile Heart
- Notches Required: 2.
- Effect: Adds two masks of health while in use.
- How to Acquire: Buy from Leg Eater in Fungal Wastes for 350 Geo; can be repaired for 200 Geo if it breaks.
Fragile Greed
- Notches Required: 2.
- Effect: Causes enemies to drop more Geo, with the amount varying.
- How to Acquire: Buy from Leg Eater in Fungal Wastes for 250 Geo; can be repaired for 150 Geo if it breaks.
Fragile Strength
- Notches Required: 3.
- Effect: Increases the strength of the Nail (your primary weapon) while in use.
- How to Acquire: Buy from Leg Eater in Fungal Wastes for 600 Geo; can be repaired for 350 Geo if it breaks.
Steady Body
- Notches Required: 1.
- Effect: You won’t get pushed back after attacking an enemy.
- How to Acquire: Buy from Salubra in Forgotten Crossroads for 120 Geo.
Longnail
- Notches Required: 2.
- Effect: Increases the range of the Nail, allowing you to keep distance from dangerous enemies.
- How to Acquire: Buy from Salubra in Forgotten Crossroads for 300 Geo.
Mark of Pride
- Notches Required: 3.
- Effect: Increases the range of the Nail, more so than Longnail.
- How to Acquire: Found in Mantis Village in a chest after defeating the Mantis Lords.
Fury of the Fallen
- Notches Required: 2.
- Effect: Dramatically increases Nail strength when on one mask of health.
- How to Acquire: Found in King’s Pass inside a chest behind a cave full of spikes.
Thorns of Agony
- Notches Required: 1.
- Effect: When you take damage, it deals damage to nearby enemies for double the base Nail damage.
- How to Acquire: Found in Greenpath beyond many thorns; the Mothwing Cloak (a dash ability) is needed to reach it.
Quick Focus
- Notches Required: 3.
- Effect: Allows the Focus ability (healing) to be used twice as fast.
- How to Acquire: Buy from Salubra in Forgotten Crossroads for 800 Geo.
Deep Focus
- Notches Required: 4.
- Effect: Allows the Focus ability to heal 2 masks of health, but slows down the ability's speed.
- How to Acquire: Found in Crystal Peak after breaking a fake wall; the Crystal Heart (a dash ability) is needed to get to it.
Lifeblood Heart
- Notches Required: 2.
- Effect: Adds 2 Lifeblood masks to your constitution after resting on a bench.
- How to Acquire: Buy from Salubra in Forgotten Crossroads for 250 Geo.
Spore Shroom
- Notches Required: 1.
- Effect: Releases a cloud of spores after using Focus that deals small damage with each particle.
- How to Acquire: Found in Fungal Wastes, near alternate routes to Deepnest and Queen’s Garden; the Mantis Claw (a wall-climbing ability) is needed to reach it.
Dreamshield
- Notches Required: 3.
- Effect: Creates a shield that follows you and tries to protect you.
- How to Acquire: Found in Resting Grounds behind a fake wall underneath the Seer’s room.
NPCs
Discover all NPCs in Hollow Knight, including vendors like Cornifer, Iselda, Sly, and Salubra, and their locations and inventory.
Cornifer
Cornifer is a travelling merchant who sells maps of Hallownest. You first meet him at the bottom of Forgotten Crossroads. He explains his profession and directs you to his wife, Iselda, in Dirtmouth for mapping supplies.
Iselda
Iselda resides in Dirtmouth and runs a shop selling mapping tools and maps. Her store opens after you meet her husband, Cornifer. She sells maps you may have missed purchasing from Cornifer, but at a higher price.
Sells:
- Mapping tools
- Quill for 120 Geo.
- Wayward Compass for 220 Geo.
- Map Pins
- Bench Pin for 100 Geo. (Requirement: Meet Cornifer)
- Cocoon Pin for 100 Geo. (Requirement: Meet Cornifer)
- Hot Spring Pin for 100 Geo. (Requirement: Meet Cornifer)
- Stag Station Pin for 100 Geo. (Requirement: Open the first Stag Station)
- Vendor Pin for 100 Geo. (Requirement: Meet Cornifer)
- Maps
- Ancient Basin for 150 Geo.
- City of Tears for 120 Geo.
- Crystal Peak for 150 Geo.
- Deepnest for 50 Geo.
- Fog Canyon for 200 Geo.
- Forgotten Crossroads for 40 Geo.
- Fungal Wastes for 100 Geo.
- Greenpath for 80 Geo.
- Howling Cliffs for 100 Geo.
- Kingdom’s Edge for 150 Geo.
- Queen’s Gardens for 200 Geo.
- Resting Grounds for 75 Geo.
- Royal Waterways for 100 Geo.
The Last Stag
The Last Stag is a fast travel mechanic found at Stag Stations. He transports the Knight to unlocked Stag Stations and shares lore about each station upon first visit.
Sells:
- Stag Station Prices
- Dirtmouth – open after the first Stag Station is opened.
- Forgotten Crossroads – 50 Geo.
- Greenpath – 140 Geo.
- Fungal Wastes, Queen’s Station – 120 Geo.
- City of Tears, City Storeroom – 200 Geo.
- Resting Grounds – free.
- City of Tears, King’s Station – 300 Geo.
- Queen’s Gardens – 200 Geo.
- Deepnest, Distant Village – 250 Geo.
- Hidden Station, Palace Grounds – 300 Geo.
- Howling Cliffs, Stag Nest – unlocked when all Stag Stations are open.
Sly
Sly is a resident of Dirtmouth who opens a shop after you defeat the Gruz Mother in Forgotten Crossroads and talk to him. He sells various items, with more available after you give him the Shopkeeper’s Key.
Sells:
- Simple Key for 950 Geo.
- Rancid Egg for 60 Geo.
- Lumafly Lantern for 1800 Geo.
- Gathering Swarm for 300 Geo.
- Stalwart Shell for 200 Geo.
- 1st Mask Shard for 150 Geo.
- 2nd Mask Shard for 500 Geo. (Requirement: Buying the first Mask Shard)
- 3rd Mask Shard for 800 Geo. (Requirement: Shopkeeper’s Key and buying the previous Mask Shard)
- 4th Mask Shard for 1500 Geo. (Requirement: Shopkeeper’s Key and buying the previous Mask Shard)
- 1st Vessel Fragment for 550 Geo.
- 2nd Vessel Fragment for 900 Geo. (Requirement: Shopkeeper’s Key and buying the first Vessel Fragment)
- Heavy Blow for 350 Geo. (Requirement: Shopkeeper’s Key)
- Sprintmaster for 400 Geo. (Requirement: Shopkeeper’s Key)
- Elegant Key for 800 Geo. (Requirement: Shopkeeper’s Key)
Confessor Jiji
Confessor Jiji lives in Dirtmouth beyond the graveyard. Her home is initially locked and requires a Simple Key (purchasable from Sly for 950 Geo) to enter. Jiji can summon the Knight’s Shade from anywhere in Hallownest, which then leads to a fight to recover lost Geo and repair the SOUL meter.
Sells:
- Shade summon for 1 Rancid Egg.
Salubra
Salubra is found in Forgotten Crossroads. You need the Mothwing Cloak (a dash ability) to reach her shop after defeating the Gruz Mother. She sells Charms and Charm Notches, and offers a Blessing after you collect 40 Charms.
Sells:
- Charms
- Lifeblood Heart for 250 Geo.
- Longnail for 300 Geo.
- Quick Focus for 800 Geo.
- Shaman Stone for 220 Geo.
- Steady Body for 120 Geo.
- Notches
- 1st Charm Notch for 120 Geo. (Requirement: Own 5 Charms)
- 2nd Charm Notch for 500 Geo. (Requirement: Own 10 Charms)
- 3rd Charm Notch for 900 Geo. (Requirement: Own 18 Charms)
- 4th Charm Notch for 1400 Geo. (Requirement: Own 25 Charms)
- Salubra’s Blessing for 800 Geo. (Requirement: Own 40 Charms)
Millibelle
Millibelle operates a bank in Fog Canyon. Opening an account costs 100 Geo, and stored Geo is safe from loss upon death. However, if more than 2500 Geo is stored, Millibelle will disappear after you rest at a bench or fast travel. She can be found again at the hot spring in the Pleasure House, and your stolen Geo can be retrieved by striking her.
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