Charms

Charms are a special type of item in Hollow Knight that give various bonuses to the Knight. Charms use Notches when equipped and can only be equipped and unequipped while sitting on a bench.

There are a total of 45 Charms, though only a max of 40 can be kept at one time, as 5 Charms are replaced with different ones throughout the game:

Kingsoul for Void Heart
Fragile Greed for Unbreakable Greed
Fragile Heart for Unbreakable Heart
Fragile Strength for Unbreakable Strength
Grimmchild for Carefree Melody

Notches

Charm Notches are required to equip Charms. Different charms require a different amount of notches. The Knight starts with 3 Notches. 8 more can be found throughout the game.

Picking up a Charm Notch will heal the Knight up to full HP.

Source	Conditions / Requirements
1. Sold by Salubra in Forgotten Crossroads for 120	Collect 5 Charms
2. Sold by Salubra in Forgotten Crossroads for 500	Collect 10 Charms
3. Sold by Salubra in Forgotten Crossroads for 900	Collect 18 Charms
4. Sold by Salubra in Forgotten Crossroads for 1400	Collect 25 Charms
5. Found north-east of Cornifer in Fog Canyon (hidden area)	Unlock Isma's Tear or Monarch Wings
6. Found in Fungal Wastes	Defeat 2 Shrumal Ogres
7. Reward in Colosseum of Fools	Complete the Trial of the Warrior
8. In Dirtmouth, inside the tent of the Grimm Troupe	Defeat Grimm

Hollow Knight- All Charm Notch Locations Guide

Overcharmed

If the Knight tries to equip a charm that takes more notches to equip than they have, it will eventually be equipped after 5 tries. However, the Knight will become Overcharmed. While in this state, the health bar will have a purple aura and the Knight will take twice as much damage from all sources. To remove the effect, simply remove the charm that broke the notch limit. Subsequent attempts to Overcharm will immediately equip the Charm and cause the effect instead of requiring 5 attempts.

It should be noted that this cannot be performed if the Knight has used all Notches (for example: If the Knight has 3 available notches and have Gathering Swarm + Stalwart Shell, 3/3 is used and no additional charm may be equipped), and only one charm can be equipped past the notch limit. As such, if the Knight wishes to play while Overcharmed, it is advantageous to equip a high-notch charm in the final slot, as the amount of notches over the limit does not affect the Overcharm penalty.

Being Overcharmed is very advantageous for Radiant fights in the Hall of Gods as there is no drawback to doubling what is already a one-hit defeat.

List of Charms

Icon	Name & Effect	Notches
	Wayward Compass Whispers its location to the bearer whenever a map is open.
	Gathering Swarm A swarm will follow the bearer and gather up any loose Geo.
	Stalwart Shell When recovering from damage, the bearer will remain invulnerable for longer.
	Soul Catcher Increases the amount of SOUL gained when striking an enemy with the nail.
	Shaman Stone Increases the power of spells, dealing more damage to foes.
	Soul Eater Greatly increases the amount of SOUL gained when striking an enemy with the nail.
	Dashmaster The bearer will be able to dash more often as well as dash downwards.
	Thorns of Agony When taking damage, sprout thorny vines that damage nearby foes.
	Fury of the Fallen When close to death, the bearer's strength will increase.
	Fragile Heart Increases the health of the bearer. This charm is fragile, and will break if its bearer is killed.
	Fragile Greed Causes the bearer to find more Geo when defeating enemies. This charm is fragile, and will break if its bearer is killed.
	Fragile Strength Strengthens the bearer, increasing the damage they deal to enemies with their nail. This charm is fragile, and will break if its bearer is killed.
	Spell Twister Reduces the SOUL cost of casting spells.
	Steady Body Keeps its bearer from recoiling backwards when they strike an enemy with a nail.
	Heavy Blow Increases the force of the bearer's nail, causing enemies to recoil further when hit.
	Quick Slash Allows the bearer to slash much more rapidly with their nail.
	Longnail Increases the range of the bearer's nail.
	Mark of Pride Greatly increases the range of the bearer's nail.
	Baldur Shell Protects its bearer with a hard shell while focusing SOUL.
	Flukenest Transforms the Vengeful Spirit spell into a horde of volatile baby flukes.
	Defender's Crest Causes the bearer to emit a heroic odour.
	Glowing Womb Drains the SOUL of its bearer and uses it to birth hatchlings.
	Quick Focus Increases the speed of focusing SOUL, allowing the bearer to heal faster.
	Deep Focus The bearer will focus SOUL at a slower rate, but the healing effect will double.
	Lifeblood Heart When resting, the bearer will gain a coating of lifeblood that protects from a modest amount of damage.
	Lifeblood Core When resting, the bearer will gain a coating of lifeblood that protects from a large amount of damage.
	Joni's Blessing The bearer will have a healthier shell and can take more damage, but they will not be able to heal themselves by focusing SOUL.
	Grubsong Gain SOUL when taking damage.
	Grubberfly's Elegy Imbues weapons with a holy strength. When the bearer is at full health, they will fire beams of white-hot energy from their nail.
	Hiveblood Heals the bearer's wounds over time, allowing them to regain health without focusing SOUL.
	Spore Shroom When focusing SOUL, emit a spore cloud that slowly damages enemies.
	Sharp Shadow When using Shadow Dash, the bearer's body will sharpen and damage enemies.
	Shape of Unn While focusing SOUL, the bearer will take on a new shape and can move freely to avoid enemies.
	Nailmaster's Glory Increases the bearer's mastery of Nail Arts, allowing them to focus their power faster and unleash arts sooner.
	Dream Wielder Allows the bearer to charge the Dream Nail faster and collect more SOUL when striking foes.
	Kingsoul Holy charm symbolising a union between higher beings. The bearer will slowly absorb the limitless SOUL contained within. Opens the way to a birthplace.
	Void Heart Unifies the void under the bearer's will. This charm is a part of its bearer and can not be unequipped.	-

The Grimm Troupe Content

Icon	Name & Effect	Notches
	Unbreakable Heart Increases the health of the bearer. This charm is unbreakable.
	Unbreakable Greed Causes the bearer to find more Geo when defeating enemies. This charm is unbreakable.
	Unbreakable Strength Strengthens the bearer, increasing the damage they deal to enemies with their nail. This charm is unbreakable.
	Dreamshield Conjures a shield that follows the bearer and attempts to protect them.
	Weaversong Summons weaverlings to give the lonely bearer some companionship and protection.
	Sprintmaster Increases the running speed of the bearer, allowing them to avoid danger or overtake rivals.
	Carefree Melody Contains a song of protection that may defend the bearer from damage.
	Grimmchild Worn by those who take part in the Grimm Troupe's Ritual. The bearer must seek the Grimmkin and collect their flames. Uncollected flames will appear on the bearer's map.