Dung Defender

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 form, faster and stronger.

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 stands guard to the pump control that allows entry to Isma's Grove on the other side of the sewers. The 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 again.

Hollow Knight
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, the 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 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 Dream Nail will send 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 will accompany each attack with jovial laughter:
 * Dung Toss: Dung Defender will gather up and throw exactly one dung ball, then, he will do any other move. The ball will bounce around the arena randomly in large arcs, reaching to the top of the arena. Each ball will persist for about 4.5 seconds but can be broken if the Knight deals enough damage to them. These dung balls will continue to bounce even if they hit the Knight.
 * Burst: Dung Defender will dive underground, disrupting the ground as he travels underground back and forth across the battleground. After being underground for about five seconds, Dung Defender will burst 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 will not bounce, instead, they will break once they hit the floor or the Knight. Dung Defender can burst up anywhere on the battleground.
 * Toss Combo: Dung Defender will gather up and throw two dung balls one after the other. These dung balls will 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 possibles outcomes:
 * Curl: After Dung Defender throws the two balls, he will sometimes curl up into a ball and bounce around the battleground with the dung balls for about four seconds.
 * Burst: Dung Defender will dive underground, disrupting the ground as he travels underground back and forth across the battleground. Exactly like the normal Burst movement.
 * Dive: Dung Defender will dive in and out of the ground as if in water, moving across the battleground.
 * Zeal: At a point during the fight, Dung Defender will let out a shout as he did at that beginning of the fight and go into a temporary hyper mode lasting about twelve seconds. During this time, Dung Defender will chain together multiple, faster Burst Attacks, bursting from the ground once every half second. After this ends, he will also detect where the Knight is on the ground when he dives and will try to re-emerge close to them. Dung Defender will only do this attack once at 350 hp.
 * Evade: When the Knight is too close Dung Defender will sometimes quickly curl into a ball and roll back a short distance.

The Defender does a variety of attacks: 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 can't be destroyed by the player's Nail in one hit, can be destroyed by any spells such as Howling Wraiths.

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

During the Burst attack, if the player 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 doesn't perform it again. This is an opportune time to use a Nail Art or a Spell against him, as he will go right back into 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 player staggers Dung Defender in 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.



Trivia

 * Dung Defender is based on a Dung beetle.
 * 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."


 * Dung Defender used to have the following Dream Nail dialogue when sleeping in his cave, which is inaccessible since the Hidden Dreams update:
 * "...Isma... So strong... Teach me..."


 * He is also one of eight bosses to survive his boss battle, the others being Hornet, Zote the Mighty, Mantis Lords, Brothers Oro & Mato,  Paintmaster Sheo,  Great Nailsage Sly and  Grimm.
 * While sleeping, he can be heard occasionally muttering the name of Isma, among other indecipherable phrases.