Dung Defender

"Skilled combatant living at the heart of the Waterways. Assails intruders with balls of compacted dung. Fighting for 'honour', or for 'loyalty'... you may as well be fighting for dust. If you want to kill, do it for your own sake. That is the nature of a true Hunter."

The Dung Defender is one of the main bosses in Hollow Knight. This champion of the past defends the access to Isma's Grove. The White Defender is his dream variant.

Lore The Dung Defender used to be known as Ogrim, the most loyal of the Five Great Knights of Hallownest. As such, he participated in many battles and adventures. He was also equally renowned for his bad scent, although that did not keep him from enjoying the company of the White Lady and his fellow knights. He was particularly fond of the knight Isma.

Ogrim survived the Infection but isolated himself in a part of the Royal Waterways where refuse gathers. There, as the Dung Defender, he guards the pump control that allows entry to Isma's Grove on the other side of the sewers. The Dung Defender defies any who would enter the place to challenge him. He also passes time by rolling dung around and moulding statues out of it.

The Dung Defender seems unaware of the fate of his king and the other knights. In his isolation, he deludes himself into thinking they will return and that Hallownest can be reborn.

In-game events The Dung Defender can first be heard at the entrance of his dirty domain. He mistakes the Knight for a mindless husk and attacks them. Once defeated, he leaves behind his Defender's Crest before burying underground in the background.

When returning to his area after sitting on a Bench, the Dung Defender pops his head out of the ground to greet the Knight. He apologizes for attacking them and remarks on how they have proven their honour in battle. He notices when the Knight has acquired Isma's Tear and explains that he is unable to visit his fellow knight's grove due to his oath and duties.

Using Desolate Dive or Descending Dark on the ground below the pump's lever reveals a hidden cave where the Dung Defender rests. There he moulded dung statues of the Five Great Knights, and one of the Pale King on the other side with a King's Idol on it.

When all three Dreamers have been defeated, the Dung Defender can be found asleep in his cave. Striking him in his sleep with the Dream Nail sends the Knight inside his dreams. There they may challenge the White Defender, a stronger version of the Dung Defender from the Kingdom's golden past. With each defeat of the White Defender, Ogrim comforts himself with his oath to Hallownest and the Pale King.

After defeating the White Defender five times, the Dung Defender notices the Knight's presence in his dream. He wakes up and explains how he can easily see them stand amongst the age's greatest heroes. Upon leaving the area and returning, the Dung Defender will have left his resting place after making a new dung statue in the Knight's image.

Behaviour and Tactics
Dung Defender accompanies each attack with jovial laughter:
 * Dung Toss: Dung Defender gathers up and throws exactly one dung ball, then, he uses another move. The ball bounces around the arena randomly in large arcs, reaching to the top of the arena. Each ball persist for about 4.5 seconds but can be broken if the Knight deals enough damage to it. These dung balls continue to bounce even if they hit the Knight.
 * Burst: Dung Defender dives underground, disrupting the ground as he travels underground back and forth across the arena. After being underground for about five seconds, Dung Defender bursts from the ground, sending 4 dung balls into the air to rain down on the Knight at set distances away from Dung Defender, 2 on either side with him in the centre. These dung balls do not bounce, instead, they break once they hit the floor or the Knight. Dung Defender can burst up anywhere on the battleground.
 * Toss Combo: Dung Defender gathers up and throws two dung balls, one after the other. These dung balls bounce around the battleground for about six seconds before disappearing. These balls do not disappear when they hit the Knight. After Dung Defender throws the two balls, there are two possible outcomes:
 * Curl: After Dung Defender throws the two balls, he sometimes curls up into a ball and bounces around the battleground with the dung balls for about four seconds.
 * Burst: Dung Defender dives underground, disrupting the ground as he travels underground back and forth across the arena. Exactly like the normal Burst attack.
 * Dive: Dung Defender dives in and out of the ground as if he were swimming in water, moving across the battleground.
 * Zeal: Once at 350 HP, Dung Defender lets out a shout as he did at the beginning of the fight and goes into a temporary hyper mode lasting about twelve seconds. During this time, Dung Defender chains together multiple, faster Burst Attacks, bursting from the ground once every half second. After this ends, he also detects where the Knight is on the ground when he dives and attempts to re-emerge close to them. Dung Defender only uses this attack once.
 * Evade: When the Knight is too close, Dung Defender sometimes quickly curls into a ball and rolls back a short distance.

At the beginning of the fight, try to dodge the balls as best as possible. When he stops to conjure the two balls of dung, stand next to him, hit him once, step back when he throws the ball, step forward to hit him again and quickly step back when he throws the second one. This is the safest way to damage him with the Nail. His thrown dung balls, which cannot be destroyed by the Knight's Nail in one hit, can be destroyed by any spells such as Howling Wraiths.

Towards the end of the fight, he uses his attacks more frequently, particularly the Burst attack. Staying against the left side of the arena is almost completely safe as he always attempts to re-emerge from the ground close to the Knight. The balls bounce off of the wall, giving a safe spot to damage him.

During the Burst attack, if the Knight uses Desolate Dive/Descending Dark while he is burrowing, he will be knocked out of the ground and stunned for a few seconds. This is especially useful during the Zeal Attack, where usually he does not perform it again. This is an opportune time to use a Nail Art or a Spell against him, as he goes right back to attacking as soon as he is hit.

Standing in a corner while he throws his dung balls typically provides lengthy opportunities to heal.

There is a glitch where, if the Knight staggers Dung Defender at the moment he bursts from the ground, he will fall beneath the arena. This is not a soft-lock, however, as he will return to the arena the next time he burrows into the ground for his Burst attack.

Location
Dung Defender is located in the east part of the Royal Waterways.

Trivia

 * The Kickstarter reveal page first described Dung Defender with a different backstory:
 * "Deep in the Waterways beneath the City of Tears lurks a shunned being. Once a knight, now lost to puerile obsession: The Dung Defender."
 * "Despite his exile, the Dung Defender has for centuries maintained a self-conferred charge: the protection of his mysterious gleaming 'beloved'."
 * "Stalwart and full of bravado, The Dung Defender eagerly challenges all who would enter his noxious realm."
 * According to Team Cherry, Dung Defender is quite furry underneath his exo-shell.
 * Dung Defender used to have the following Dream Nail dialogue when sleeping in his cave, which has since become inaccessible following the Hidden Dreams update:
 * "...Isma... So strong... Teach me..."
 * This is due to the introduction of White Defender, whose fight is entered through using the Dream Nail on Dung Defender in this state.
 * While sleeping, he can be heard occasionally muttering the name of Isma, among other indecipherable phrases.
 * Dung Defender releases brown dung particles upon defeat.

Навозный защитник Difensore Stercorario Gnojowy Obrońca Défenseur Bousier