Dirtcarver

Swarming predator of the Deepnest. Burrows through the ground and bursts out to surprise prey.

Springy and vicious, these hunters will try to overwhelm you with numbers in the dark, tight, twisting caverns they carve through the ground. Always be on your guard!

Dirtcarvers are enemies in Hollow Knight. They are crawling predators who dig small tunnels and burst out of them to surprise prey.^[1]^[2]

Behaviour and Tactics

Burrows out of the ground with little warning then charges at the Knight. Occasionally it burrows back into the ground only to re-emerge later. It can climb walls and jump down ledges to pursue the Knight.

The best tactic is to attack them from above as they cannot attack upwards, only angrily hiss from below.

Despite having seemingly random spawning locations, Dirtcarvers always crawl out of the same locations and multiple Dirtcarvers can crawl out of the same one.

When a Dirtcarver is killed, a new one spawns after 4 seconds. This new Dirtcarver also spawns a new one 4 seconds after it dies, leading to infinite Dirtcarvers.

Dream Nail Dialogue

...Light...Danger...
...Safe...Dark...
...Hungry...Hungry...
...Scared...
...Eat...When...
...Kill...Hurt...
...Away. Away...
...Pain...

Location

Dirtcarvers can only be found in Deepnest, mainly in its northeast portion, near the entrance to the Fungal Wastes. They can also be spawned by a Carver Hatcher.

Gallery

Trivia

There used to be a glitch where invisible Dirtcarvers would spawn.
A Dirtcarver sketch could be seen in an exhibition at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image.^[3] It shows a Dirtcarver on top of a bipedal body with a cloak.

References

↑ Wanderer's Journal, p. 90.
↑ Dirtcarver Hunter's Journal entry: "Burrows through the ground and bursts out to surprise prey."
↑ Product design in Hollow Knight at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image.

Compendium
Main Game	Crawlid • Vengefly • Vengefly King • Gruzzer • Gruz Mother • Tiktik • Aspid Hunter • Aspid Mother • Aspid Hatchling • Goam • Wandering Husk • Husk Hornhead • Leaping Husk • Husk Bully • Husk Warrior • Husk Guard • Entombed Husk • False Knight (Failed Champion) • Maggot • Menderbug • Lifeseed • Baldur • Elder Baldur Mosscreep • Mossfly • Mosskin • Volatile Mosskin • Fool Eater • Squit • Obble • Gulka • Maskfly • Moss Charger • Massive Moss Charger • Moss Knight • Mossy Vagabond • Durandoo • Duranda • Aluba Charged Lumafly • Uoma • Ooma • Uumuu Ambloom • Fungling • Fungoon • Sporg • Fungified Husk • Shrumeling • Shrumal Warrior • Shrumal Ogre • Mantis Youth • Mantis Warrior • Mantis Lords Husk Sentry • Heavy Sentry • Winged Sentry • Lance Sentry • Mistake • Folly • Soul Twister • Soul Warrior • Soul Master (Tyrant) • Husk Dandy • Cowardly Husk • Gluttonous Husk • Gorgeous Husk • Great Husk Sentry • Watcher Knight • The Collector Belfly • Pilflip • Hwurmp • Bluggsac • Dung Defender • Flukefey • Flukemon • Flukemarm Shardmite • Glimback • Crystal Hunter • Crystal Crawler • Husk Miner • Crystallised Husk • Crystal Guardian (Enraged) Furious Vengefly • Volatile Gruzzer • Violent Husk • Slobbering Husk Dirtcarver • Carver Hatcher • Garpede • Corpse Creeper • Deepling • Deephunter • Little Weaver • Stalking Devout • Nosk Shadow Creeper • Lesser Mawlek • Mawlurk • Brooding Mawlek • Lightseed • Infected Balloon • Broken Vessel (Lost Kin) Boofly • Primal Aspid • Hopper • Great Hopper • Grub Mimic • Hiveling • Hive Soldier • Hive Guardian • Husk Hive Spiny Husk • Loodle • Mantis Petra • Mantis Traitor • Traitor Lord Sharp Baldur • Armoured Squit • Battle Obble • Oblobbles • Shielded Fool • Sturdy Fool • Winged Fool • Heavy Fool • Death Loodle • Volt Twister • Zote • God Tamer Xero • Gorb • Elder Hu • Marmu • No Eyes • Galien • Markoth Wingmould • Royal Retainer • Kingsmould • Sibling • Void Tendrils Hornet (Protector • Sentinel) • Hollow Knight • Radiance • Shade • Hunter's Mark

Hidden Dreams	Grey Prince Zote • Winged Zoteling • Hopping Zoteling • Volatile Zoteling • White Defender

The Grimm Troupe	Grimmkin Novice • Grimmkin Master • Grimmkin Nightmare • Grimm • Nightmare King • Seal of Binding

Lifeblood	Hive Knight

Godmaster	Flukemunga • Pale Lurker • Sisters of Battle • Winged Nosk • Nailmasters Oro & Mato • Paintmaster Sheo • Great Nailsage Sly • Pure Vessel • Absolute Radiance • Void Idol • Weathered Mask

[1] Wanderer's Journal, p. 90.

[2] Dirtcarver Hunter's Journal entry: "Burrows through the ground and bursts out to surprise prey."

[productdesign-3] Product design in Hollow Knight at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image.

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