Game Tips - Hollow Knight

Game Tips for Hollow Knight

This guide compiles essential tips for surviving, exploring, and mastering Hallownest. Tips are organized by category, from beginner fundamentals to advanced optimizations.

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Combat Tips

#### Beginner

Always keep moving. Standing still is a death sentence. Use quick horizontal or vertical dashes to avoid attacks while staying close enough to punish.

Learn enemy attack patterns. Each enemy telegraphs its moves with a short animation (e.g., the Moss Knight raises its sword before slashing). Memorize these tells to dodge reliably.

Use your Nail for pogoing. Press down + attack while jumping on enemies or spikes to bounce off them. This lets you reach hidden areas and control air combat (e.g., pogo on the Husk Hornhead to avoid its charge).

Heal only when safe. Great Slashes or enemy downtimes (e.g., after a boss’s combo) are ideal for healing. Never heal mid-combo unless you have Quick Focus.

Combine Spells for burst damage. Cast Vengeful Spirit (fireball) immediately after a nail hit to maximize damage windows. For example, two nail strikes then a fireball on the Mantis Lords deals heavy stun damage.

Use Desolate Dive to iframe through attacks. The spell grants temporary invincibility frames (iFrames). Time it to phase through boss charges (e.g., the Broken Vessel’s dash).

Master the parry mechanic. Hold the Focus button (heal) and release just before an enemy hits you to parry (requires skill). Successful parries stagger most enemies and create a heal window.

Charm loadout for bosses: Equip Shaman Stone (spell damage) + Spell Twister (lower soul cost) for spell-heavy builds, or Longnail + Mark of Pride for extended range.

Dunking with Dream Nail. Use the Dream Nail on bosses while they are staggered to gain extra soul without awakening them. Ideal for refilling before a crucial phase (e.g., on the Collector).

Nail Arts are movement tools. Great Slash can be charged while jumping for a precise aerial hit. Dash Slash covers distance and can hit enemies from behind. Cyclone Slash hits multiple times in midair.

Crystallized Mound technique. When fighting the Crystal Guardian, jump and pogo off its crystal shots to stay airborne and avoid ground explosions.

Overcharming combos. If you surpass your charm notch limit (overcharm), you take double damage but gain access to powerful synergies (e.g., Unbreakable Strength + Fragile Heart + Quick Slash). Use only when confident in dodging.

Exploration Tips

Buy the Lumafly Lantern early. Found in Sly’s shop in Dirtmouth for 1800 Geo. It reveals pitch-black areas like Deepnest and the Crypts, preventing deaths from invisible hazards.

Listen for audio cues. The hum of a hidden room, the chime of a bench, or the distant roar of a boss. Headphones help you locate secrets.

Break everything. Attack walls, floors, and ceilings that look cracked or suspicious. Many secret rooms contain Geo caches, health-restoring grubs, or pathways (e.g., the wall near the entrance to Greenpath hides a Grub).

Return to Stag Stations regularly. Each station unlocks fast travel. The Stag Nest in Deepnest is easy to miss; bring the Tram Pass to access it later.

Map purchase priority. Buy the map from Cornifer in every new area as soon as you hear his humming. Equip the Wayward Compass charm to see your location on the map until you memorize routes.

Use the Dream Nail on odd characters. Hit the Dream Nail on NPCs like the Hunter, the White Lady, or even some ghosts to gain lore and sometimes unique dialogue or charms.

Secret areas after boss fights. After defeating a major boss, re-explore the room—often a new path or breakable wall appears (e.g., after the False Knight, break the left wall to find the room with the Health Fragment).

The Colosseum of Fools offers Geo and rewards. Complete all three trials for a charm notch and huge Geo payout. The trial of the Warrior is easiest; save the Fool for late-game.

Shade skipping. After dying, you can leave the Shade behind and intentionally die again to trigger a respawn that shifts your shade to a more convenient spot (use only for speedrunning or saving time).

Acid swimming tech. With the Isma’s Tear upgrade, you can swim in acid. However, you can also use that same upgrade to leap across short acid pools by pogoing on enemies or platforms.

Pale Ore locations. There are exactly 6 Pale Ore pieces required for full Nail upgrades. Prioritize: one from the Seer (after 300 essence), one from the Colosseum, one in the Ancient Basin, one in Crystal Peak (hidden behind a breakable wall near the Hallown’s Crown), one in the Hive, and one from a secret room in the Royal Waterways.

Grubfather’s rewards. Free all 46 grubs to get the Grubberfly’s Elegy charm. Use the Grub map pins sold by the map shop in Dirtmouth to track missing ones.

Resources & Economy Tips

Geo management. Save Geo for key items: Lumafly Lantern (1800), Simple Key (not sold but found; one key is in the Tolomath shop for 400 Geo—buy it early). Avoid wasting Geo on unnecessary map pins or charms you won’t use.

Grubs are Geo mines. Each freed grub gives Geo (e.g., early grubs give 15 Geo, later ones 50+). Always break grub jars when you find them.

Chests in the City of Tears. The floating platforms above the city’s main fountain hide chests with 800 Geo. Use Mantis Claw to wall jump up.

Geo farming spots. Kill the Great Husk Sentries in the City of Tears for 50 Geo each. Equip the Fragile Greed charm (double Geo from kills) if you can avoid dying—it breaks when you die.

Selling Relics. The Relic Seeker Lemm in the City of Tears buys Wanderer’s Journals, Hallownest Seals, King’s Idols, and Arcane Eggs. Sell only the journals and seals early; keep eggs for the “Dreamer” fight later.

Use the Dream Nail on enemies during exploration. Dream enemies (bright glowing) drop double soul and often Geo. Focus on dream variants of Soldiers and Warriors.

Boss rush profit. Defeating the Pantheons in Godmaster rewards massive Geo (e.g., Pantheon of the Master gives 500 Geo each run). Use this to farm after building skill.

Firefly farming. In the Queen’s Gardens, kill the orange fireflies: each drops 30 Geo. Equip Joni’s Blessing for extra health, then use the Dream Nail on the corpses to respawn them endlessly.

Shade Soul upgrade. Requires 2 Arcane Eggs and essence. Eggs are plentiful (12 total). Only sell one; keep the rest for upgrades.

Movement & Platforming Tips

Master wall jumping. Tap the jump button again when clinging to a wall to launch away. Practice in the tutorial area with the Moss Charger.

Dash is your best friend. The Mothwing Cloak dash gives a short horizontal burst. Use it to cross gaps and dodge attacks. Rebind dash to a comfortable button (e.g., L2 or RB).

Jump and pogo on spikes. Spikes kill on contact, but you can pogo off them with down + attack. This bypasses many spike-filled rooms (e.g., the path to the Soul Master).

Crystal Dash skip. Charge the Crystal Heart by holding focus while on a flat surface, then release to zoom horizontally. Use it to bypass the long Corridor in Crystal Peak or reach the Hive early.

Double jump + dash combos. Combine Mantis Claw (wall cling), Mothwing Cloak (dash), and Monarch Wings (double jump) to cross huge gaps. For example, from the top of Kingdom’s Edge to the Hive entrance requires a wall jump, dash, and double jump.

Downward pogo chain. In areas like the White Palace, use downward pogo on buzzsaws to ascend vertically. Time your pogo precisely to avoid landing on spikes.

Dive into Dream Gates. Use the Dream Gate (from the Dream Warrior without a name) to teleport to a marked location. Great for backtracking to save after collecting a key item.

Speedrun movement tech. ”Crystal Dash insta-charge” – hold focus and press down + jump at the same time to charge faster. Practice against a wall.

Invincibility frames on spikes. The Desolate Dive’s iFrames can protect you through spike corridors. Use it as an emergency escape in the Path of Pain.

Charm Builds Tips

”Balanced Starter” – Wayward Compass, Gathering Swarm, Stalwart Shell, Longnail (if notches permit). Focuses on survival and easy exploration.

”Geo Farmer” – Fragile Greed, Gathering Swarm, Steady Body (optional). Use when farming in safe areas.

”Spell Caster” – Shaman Stone, Spell Twister, Soul Catcher, and optionally Flukenest (for fluke bomb). High damage output especially against multi-hit enemies. Best for bosses like The Collector.

”Nail Master” – Mark of Pride (range), Quick Slash (speed), Unbreakable Strength (damage), and Longnail (range). Use for aggressive melee play against slow bosses.

”Summoner” – Glowing Womb, Weaversong, Grubsong, and Sprintmaster (for Weaver movement). Passive damage while you focus on dodging. Good for exploration but weak against bosses.

”Overcharm Glass Cannon” – Overcharm with Unbreakable Strength, Quick Slash, Shaman Stone, Spell Twister, and Fury of the Fallen (to deal double damage when on 1 mask). Equip Fragile Heart to survive one more hit. Only for high-skill boss fights.

”Heal Tank” – Quick Focus, Shape of Unn, Deep Focus, Grubsong, and Stalwart Shell. Allows rapid healing while moving. Ideal for boss endurance fights like the Watcher Knights.

”Dream Nail Regen” – Dream Wielder, Soul Eater, and Grubsong. Use the Dream Nail frequently to generate massive soul for unlimited spell spam and healing. Pair with Shaman Stone.

Boss Strategies Tips

False Knight: Stay close to his right side. When he swings, dash under him. Hit his head after he falls to stagger him four times. Avoid his shockwaves by jumping.

Hornet (Greenpath): She dashes and throws her needle. Pogo off her when she swings. Heal only after she does a long charge attack. Use spells to interrupt her aerial moves.

Soul Master: Phase 1: dodge his orbs and dash attacks. Hit him twice then retreat. Phase 2: he summons flying guards and teleports. Stay in the center and use Desolate Dive to avoid his dive-bomb.

Mantis Lords: Treat as a dance. Stay in the middle of the arena. Dodge their dashes by jumping and pogoing. Attack only after they finish a combo. Use spells when they group.

Broken Vessel: Equip Stalwart Shell to avoid knockback. Focus on dodging the orange goop. Use the Dream Nail during his stagger to refill soul. Descending Dark (upgrade of Desolate Dive) deals massive damage and iFrames.

Dung Defender: He is slow. Pogo off his head when he dives. Avoid his orange clouds by staying airborne. Use spells after he lands.

The Hollow Knight: Parry his scream attack. When he stabs himself, heal freely. Use spells when he is recovering from a charge. Be patient; he has long openings.

Radiance: Phase 1: climb the platforms and avoid beams. Use Quick Slash to hit her fast. Phase 2: spells are essential. Use Shaman Stone and Descending Dark to clear the screen of orbs. Always watch your feet for spikes.

Nightmare King Grimm: Equip Sharp Shadow + Dashmaster to deal damage while dashing through his attacks. Learn his “firebat” pattern: jump over the first bat, dash under the rest. Never greed for extra hits.

NPC Interactions Tips

Iselda (Map Shop): Buy all map pins for better navigation. The “Custom Maps” option allows marking notes (e.g., “breakable wall here”).

The Nailmaster (in the hut near Kingdom’s Edge): Pay him twice to learn ALL three Nail Arts. The Great Slash is unlocked first, then Cyclone Slash, then Dash Slash.

The Seer (Queen’s Gardens): Collect essence (from Dream Warriors, Dream Trees, and dream bosses) to unlock upgrades: 1800 Essence for Awoken Dream Nail. This reveals hidden dream dialogues and secret endings.

Bretta (hidden in the City of Tears): Rescue her from the Brooding Mawlek to learn the “Bretta’s Secret” achievement. She also sells a charm not talked about openly.

The Stag: After you unlock all Stag Stations, talk to the Stag in Dirtmouth to learn his backstory and get the “Noskey soul” achievement (not relevant but nice lore).

Progression & Upgrades Tips

Nail upgrades first. Invest in the Nail (weapon) upgrades from the Nailsmith. Each upgrade doubles your damage. Priority: 1st upgrade (best before Deepnest), 2nd before Watcher Knights.

Soul Vessel upgrades. Every two Soul Shards you collect raise your max soul. Seek out shards in hidden rooms (e.g., near the Ancestral Mound in the Forgotten Crossroads). Max soul = 99.

Mask Shards for health. 4 shards = 1 extra mask. Essential for survival. One shard is in the Howling Cliffs (in a hidden room above the stag station).

Pale Ore locations: List earlier. The fastest obtainable is the one from the Seer after 300 Essence (early game if you find Dream Warriors).

Charm notches. There are 11 total. Two are from the Colosseum (Trial of the Warrior and Trial of the Conqueror), one from defeating the Dreamer in the Teacher’s Archive, and so on. Use a guide if stuck.

Advanced Techniques

Bouncing on enemies for infinite air. If you have Monarch Wings and pogo correctly, you can stay in the air indefinitely by alternating pogo and double jump. Useful for exploring vertical shafts.

Quick charge spells. Hold focus and press attack to charge Nail Art. If you release focus while holding attack, you’ll release the art. Practice the timing to chain attacks.

Shade Soul over Vengeful Spirit. The upgraded spell pierces enemies and covers more distance. Unlocked at the Shade Lord dream area after obtaining the Dream Nail. This is a major power spike.

The White Palace tunnel shortcuts. In the White Palace, you can break certain walls (even without the Dream Nail) to bypass difficult sections. Use the downward pogo on spikes to reach hidden switches.

Godmaster bosses in Pantheons have altered patterns. For example, in Pantheon of Hallownest, the Pure Vessel’s attacks are faster. Practice the individual bosses in the Hall of Gods before attempting the full gauntlet.

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This guide covers all aspects of Hollow Knight. Use these tips to uncover every secret, defeat every boss, and master the kingdom of Hallownest.