Dung Defender

Dung Defender is a boss found in the Royal Waterways. He used to be one of the Five Great Knights of Hallownest with his real name being Ogrim. Dung Defender is described as the most loyal of the Five Great Knights, and he still believes that Hallownest can be reborn again.

Initially mistaking the Knight as a mindless husk and attacking them, he will talk to the Knight in his boss arena after he is defeated. He apologizes for attacking and will remark on how he believes that the Knight has proven their honour. After Isma's Tear has been acquired, he explains that he is unable to visit her grove due to his oath and his duties.

Using Desolate Dive or Descending Dark on the ground below the lever to the east of his boss arena will reveal a hidden cave that contains dung statues of the Five Great Knights. To the east of these statues is a dung statue of the Pale King with a King's Idol on it.

When all three Dreamers have been defeated, Dung Defender can be found asleep in his cave. Striking him here with the Dream Nail will send the Knight inside the Defender's dreams, where they may fight the White Defender, a stronger version of the Dung Defender in white armour who served while the Pale King and the Five Great Knights were all still alive.

After defeating White Defender five times, Dung Defender will wake up and explain how he can easily see the Knight stand amongst the age's greatest heroes. Upon leaving the area and returning, Dung Defender will have disappeared, leaving behind a new dung statue made 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.

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."


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


 * In his White Defender Dream Nail dialogue, he mentions Isma, one of the other Great Knights. This, combined with the fact that the Defender is guarding Isma's Grove, along with Isma's Dream Nail dialogue, all suggest that the two had some form of relationship before Isma died.


 * 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.


 * White Defender's armour may imply that all five of the Great Knights likely dressed in white while serving the King.


 * Dung Defender is based on a Dung beetle.

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