Hollow Knight - A Comprehensive Guide

First released in 2017 for PC, Hollow Knight is a Metroidvania action-adventure game where a tiny protagonist embarks on a journey through a decaying underground kingdom. In this interconnected world, players will utilize their abilities to explore, fight, and uncover long-hidden secrets.

Since its release, Hollow Knight has received four additional DLCs, all of which could be installed for free and were collected in the Voidheart Edition for the releases on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. A fifth DLC was planned, which was intended to focus on the character Hornet but evolved into a full-fledged sequel due to its massive scope.

Here is the place where players can find guides on where to go, how to find important items, and tips to defeat the many bosses in the game. Don't forget to check back regularly, as this page will be regularly updated with more hints and the latest news about Hollow Knight.

• Hallownest

  

  Located in the middle of a wasteland is Hallownest, the world of Hollow Knight. This kingdom was ruled by the Pale King, and its inhabitants thrived. Trade was booming, the City of Tears and the surrounding villages thrummed with life, and the world was calm — but such peace would not last.
  

  
  

  Players will explore the cadaverous husk of the once-great kingdom, a shadow of its former glory, through dark paths and twisting roads. The story of Hallownest will be revealed as players travel to different locations and speak to those that remain within its borders, learning about the politics between the different clans and history of the kingdom.
  

  Along the way, players will piece together the answers to the gnawing questions: how did Hallownest fall, and why did the Knight come to this decrepit place?

  • Hollow Knight: Tips for Beginners
  • The World and History of Hollow Knight
  • Essential Hollow Knight Lore
  • Hollow Knight's Infection Explained
  • Who is the Pale King?
    • The Five Great Knights, Explained
    • The Five Great Knights, Explained
  • The Void, Explained
  • What Are Relics For?
  • All Merchant Locations
  • How to Unlock All Endings

• Traversal

  

  As a metroidvania, Hollow Knight has many interconnected routes between major areas of the map. Players will be able to travel across Hallownest by several means over time, but to begin with they will only have their small feet to carry them.

  • Where to Find Every Map
  • All Bench Locations
  • All Stag Station Locations
  • The Best Spells and Abilities
  • How to Get the Tram Pass

  • Area Guides

    • How to Enter the City of Tears
    • The King's Brand and Entering the Abyss
    • Kingdom's Edge Facts and Lore

• Combat

  

  Travelers should beware of the dangers that lurk around Hallownest, but they won’t have to only rely on their wits to make their way through. Over the course of Hollow Knight, players can learn new offensive abilities to devastate their opponents in battle, including magic and special melee attacks. Furthermore, they can equip powerful charms that power up the Knight both in and out of battle.

  • How to Get Every Spell
  • Hollow Knight: All Charm Locations
    • ↳ The Best Charm Combos
  • How to Unlock All Nail Arts

• Surviving

  

  Here are some guies for everything a tiny Knight could need to live to fight another day. Players will get the chance to upgrade their gear and health over time, but many of these upgrades require finding specific materials, a large sum of Geo, or owning a certain amount of something to unlock the next tier.

  • Hollow Knight Pro Tips
  • Beginner Mistakes to Avoid Making
  • Geo Farming Locations
  • Where to Find Every Mask Shard
  • Where to Find Every Vessel Fragment
  • Where to Find All the Charm Notches
  • How to Get Pale Ore
  • Rancid Eggs: What They Do and Where to Find Them
  • Hollow Knight's Unwritten Rules
  • Hollow Knight's Unwritten Rules

• Quests and Challenges

  

  Hollow Knight is not heavy on quests and specific challenges, but there are a handful to take on. Here are the guides we have to the game's few quests and challenges. 

  • Delicate Flower Quest Walkthrough (and Tips)
  • How to Open the Lifeblood Door (All Lifeblood Cocoon Locations)
  • Trial of the Warrior Guide
  • Trial of the Conqueror Guide
  • Trial of the Fool Guide
  • Should You Spare or Kill the Nailsmith?
  • How to Find and Complete the Hunter's Journal
  • This Incredible Hollow Knight Mod Adds Tons of New Content
  • This Incredible Hollow Knight Mod Adds Tons of New Content

• Collectibles and the Dream Nail

  

  Throughout Hallownest are various items of interest that can lead to treasures, unlock certain doors, and even be traded for specific services.
  

  Additionally, when players reach a certain point in the story, they will unlock the Dream Nail; a powerful item that allows the Knight to cut through the veil between reality and dreams. It is possible to listen to the thoughts of friendly NPCs and even enemies during battle, but the Dream Nail is also required to collect Essence, which players need if they wish to fully awaken this divine weapon.

  • How to Get the Collector's Map
  • How to Find and Use Every Simple Key
  • Where to Find All the Warrior Dreams
  • All Whispering Root Locations

• Boss Guides

  

  Each area of Hallownest is guarded by powerful foes that players must overcome to earn the rewards or passages that they defend.

  • Boss Guide: The Radiance
  • Boss Guide: Nosk
  • Boss Guide: The Hollow Knight
  • Boss Guide: The Watcher Knights
  • Boss Guide: Uumuu
  • Boss Guide: The Broken Vessel
  • Boss Guide: Dung Defender
  • Boss Guide: Soul Master
  • Boss Guide: Mantis Lords
  • Boss Guide: Hornet
  • Boss Guide: False Knight

• Characters

  

  For as many dangers as there are in Hallownest, friendly faces are a welcomed sight. Players can interact with multiple NPCs throughout Hollow Knight, some of which can progress their individual stories and lead to special outcomes.

  • Should You Save Zote?
  • How to Complete Cloth's Quest Line
  • How to Complete Quirrel's Quest Line
  • How to Save Bretta

• Silksong: What We Know So Far

  

  First announced in 2019, Hollow Knight: Silksong originally began as a DLC for Hollow Knight before morphing into a fully-fledged sequel. Developers, Team Cherry, have provided sporadic information about the progress of the game, leaving fans to speculate and tie threads together where they can. Here's the info we have on Silksong so far.

  • Latest News

    • Every Hornet Ability in Hollow Knight: Silksong's Xbox/Bethesda Showcase Trailer
    • Hollow Knight: Silksong's Game Pass Reveal is Great, but Still Needs a Date
    • A Short History of Hollow Knight: Silksong Development Updates
    • Hollow Knight: Silksong is Now a Day One Xbox Game Pass Game
    • Every Hollow Knight: Silksong Environment Seen So Far
    • Everything Known About Hornet Before Hollow Knight: Silksong's Release
    • Hollow Knight: Silksong Confirmed for PlayStation Consoles

  • Theories

    • Every Fan Theory About Hollow Knight: Silksong So Far
    • How Silksong is Improving on Hollow Knight
    • Predicting Hollow Knight: Silksong's Main Antagonist
    • How Hollow Knight: Silksong's Hallownest May Relate to Pharloom

  • Rumors

    • Silksong Could Explore an Official Multiplayer Mode
    • Hollow Knight Fans Might Know More About Silksong Than They Realize