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Hollow Knight Silksong

This page lists all Lore Tablets found in Hollow Knight: Silksong.

Deep Docks

Tablet Dialogue Location
Lore Deep Docks 1

At the seventh bell toll, send:
- Thirty measures, four beats Smokerock
- Eight beats Sweetsmelt
- Mark of fealty, all workers

At the ninth bell toll, send:
- Twenty measures, two beats Smokerock
- Seven beats Sweetsmelt
- Mark of fealty, all workers

Deep Docks
For the playable Silksong protagonist, see Hornet (Silksong).
Hornet Hornet Protector Hornet Sentinel

Zote is a traveller from outside Hallownest who came to the Kingdom to fulfill a promise. This is ultimately revealed to be a promise of glory for himself. He named his nail "Life Ender" because names supposedly have power. Unfortunately, because it is made of shellwood, it cannot deal damage. While he claims to be the strongest warrior in the land, he is found trapped by weak enemies or claiming the glory of another bug's deeds. He regards the Knight as beneath him and accuses them of constantly getting in his way.

Found along the path leading to Greenpath. He is held in the mandibles of a Vengefly King, and the Knight has the choice to either save him or leave him. If saved, he complains that the Knight got in the way between him and his "prey", he introduces himself and boasts about his supposed mighty deeds.

If he is not saved before acquiring the Mantis Claw, he dies in this location, with his nail and shell remaining. Hitting his shell here grants the Neglect achievement.

If he is saved in Greenpath, Zote shows up in Dirtmouth, where he once again talks to the Knight in an arrogant fashion.

Zote can be found in a corridor leading back to the storerooms of the City of Tears. He has forgotten the Knight and introduces himself again.

Found stuck in spider webs, presumably having been captured by the beasts of Deepnest. Once again the Knight has the choice to either save him or leave him, though this time leaving him does not result in his death. If saved, he once again complains about the Knight meddling in his supposed heroics.

If the Knight saves him both times, he is captured and can be found in the resting area of the Colosseum of Fools, where he brags about his skills and how his capture was part of his plan. He then becomes the final boss of the first trial. As a boss, he deals no damage due to his nail being made of shellwood. He simply has to be attacked until the fight is over. He is quite inept in combat and regularly messes up his jumps. Beating him grants the Rivalry achievement.
Needle is the term used to describe the bladed weapon wielded by Hornet. The needle is attached with a thread of silk.
Skilled protector of Hallownest's ruins. Wields a needle and thread.

I have seen this nimble little creature. I thought her prey and pounced at her, but with a flash she stabbed me with her flying stinger and darted away. Could she be... a Hunter?

Shardmites are enemies in Hollow Knight. Formerly used in Crystal Peak's mining operations, these creatures now wander around on walls, feeding on crystal dust. Crawls up and down on vertical surfaces. Upon approaching it, it sprouts long crystal spikes from its shell. While those spikes are extended, it is invulnerable. By attacking quickly, it can be taken off guard and killed before it sprouts its spikes. It is also possible to Nail-bounce off its spikes by down-slashing. With repeated down-slashing, the Shardmite retracts its spikes briefly before sprouting them again, giving the Knight a chance to get in a hit between spikes while keeping distance.

Hornet is the mysterious princess-protector of Hallownest’s ruins, a major character in Hollow Knight and the protagonist of Hollow Knight: Silksong. She wields a needle and thread with deadly prowess.[3] As a boss, Hornet appears in two forms, Hornet Protector in Greenpath and Hornet Sentinel in Kingdom's Edge. She must be defeated twice to unlock her Journal entry, but this can be either by defeating both forms or by defeating her Protector form once in Greenpath and once in Godmaster content Godhome.

Lore

Hornet is the daughter of the Pale King and Herrah the Beast, the queen of Deepnest. Her birth was the result of a bargain for her mother to become a Dreamer, and as such, she spent only a short time with Herrah.[4][5] Her shared father with the Knight and the rest of the Vessels makes them siblings.[6][7]

Hornet Quirrel comic

Hornet fighting Quirrel

Raised in Deepnest,[8] Hornet survived the Infection and the fall of the kingdom. She wanders its ruins, chasing off travelers who would seek to desecrate them, but also protecting the sealing of the Black Egg. She also guards the Cast-Off Shell in the Kingdom's Edge which can grant the King's Brand, the key to the Abyss.[9] In her duties, she encountered Quirrel in the Howling Cliffs at his arrival in Hallownest. She attempted to fight him but was repelled by the mask of Monomon he wears on his head. Hornet leaves him be after recognizing the mask, knowing that he was called upon, despite him not knowing it.[10]

Like Quirrel and the Knight, she sensed the awakening of the Infection and started wandering Hallownest in search of answers. In Hollow Knight, she works to stop the impending doom looming on Hallownest. In Hollow Knight: Silksong, she ends up captured and brought to the haunted kingdom of Pharloom.

In-game events

Hornet appears at first as a wandering and recurring antagonist to the Knight. As their journey progresses, her involvement influences their quest in Hallownest.

The Protector

Screenshot HK Hornet 08

Hornet's first appearance

Hornet is first encountered at the entrance to Greenpath, where she observes the Knight before moving away. She is quickly seen two more times dashing away from them throughout the overgrown Pilgrim's Way. The Knight finally catches up with her at the standing stones marking the entrance to the Lake of Unn, standing by the body of another Vessel. Relating the Knight's quest to the awakening of the Infection, she denies them to pursue any further. They clash, and when defeated, Hornet flees without a word.

Hornet reappears briefly before the end of the Pilgrim's Way in the Fungal Wastes, going in the direction of the City of Tears. She, later on, catches up with the Knight at the Fountain Square in the middle of the drenched capital. Finally understanding the truth behind their origin and their quest, she encourages them to learn of Hallownest's sacrifice. She then asks them before leaving to find her at the Cast-Off Shell if, knowing the truth, the Knight would still want to take part in Hallownest's perpetuation. This encounter does not occur if the Knight has defeated a Dreamer or visited either of the rooms just outside the Markoth and Hornet Sentinel boss fights.

The Sentinel

Screenshot HK Hornet 01

Hornet in Kingdom's Edge

At Kingdom's Edge, Hornet wishes to test the Knight's resolve in one more battle before entrusting them with Hallownest's future. Upon her defeat at the top of her strength, she allows the Knight to have the King's Brand burned onto their shell. She believes they would still continue their quest even after learning the truth of their conception at the bottom of the Abyss. Her trust compels her to save the Knight caught in the collapse of the Cast-Off Shell, trapped under piles of white ash. She leaves again without saying a word after saving them.

Screenshot HK Hornet 05

Hornet by Herrah's bed

If the Knight defeated Hornet at Kingdom's Edge before facing Herrah the Beast in Deepnest, Hornet appears next to them as they regain consciousness. Unlike her other appearances, she allows herself a respite to mourn the passing of her mother. She also expresses regrets that in order to repay her debt to her mother and perpetuate Hallownest, she had to let the Knight end her existence.

If the Knight has not encountered Hornet in Deepnest, she also appears at the top of the Abyss after they successfully acquire the Shade Cloak and safely return. She now believes that since the Knight ascended the Abyss unscathed, they have a choice in their journey: to prolong Hallownest's stasis, or to face the heart of the Infection instead.

The Sibling

Screenshot HK Hornet 09

Hornet holding the Hollow Knight down

After the Knight acquires the Void Heart and faces all three Dreamers, Hornet waits for them at the Temple of the Black Egg in the Forgotten Crossroads. She is impressed by their feat of both breaking the seals and accepting the Void within themself, casting them as an exceptional being. Once the Black Egg is opened, she tells the Knight she cannot follow them inside as the egg, built to sustain Vessels, would drain her were she to join. She, however, promises to aid as best as she can if the moment presents itself.

She fulfils her promise once the Hollow Knight has been nearly defeated. She breaks open their shell with her needle, allowing the Knight a way to use the Dream Nail on their sibling and reach the heart of the Infection.


The Hollow Knight Beta is a beta build of Hollow Knight which was first sent to Kickstarter backers in September 2015.[11] It was also released as a sneak peek for Humble Monthly Bundle subscribers on the 3 February, 2017.[12] The beta was released to everyone on 21 September, 2020, after being posted by Team Cherry on the Hollow Knight Discord server.[13]

All of the major changes between the beta and the final release version of Hollow Knight are documented below.

The beta can be downloaded here.

Zote is a traveller from outside Hallownest who came to the Kingdom to fulfill a promise. This is ultimately revealed to be a promise of glory for himself. He named his nail "Life Ender" because names supposedly have power. Unfortunately, because it is made of shellwood, it cannot deal damage. While he claims to be the strongest warrior in the land, he is found trapped by weak enemies or claiming the glory of another bug's deeds. He regards the Knight as beneath him and accuses them of constantly getting in his way.

Found along the path leading to Greenpath. He is held in the mandibles of a Vengefly King, and the Knight has the choice to either save him or leave him. If saved, he complains that the Knight got in the way between him and his "prey", he introduces himself and boasts about his supposed mighty deeds.

If he is not saved before acquiring the Mantis Claw, he dies in this location, with his nail and shell remaining. Hitting his shell here grants the Neglect achievement.

If he is saved in Greenpath, Zote shows up in Dirtmouth, where he once again talks to the Knight in an arrogant fashion.

Zote can be found in a corridor leading back to the storerooms of the City of Tears. He has forgotten the Knight and introduces himself again.

Found stuck in spider webs, presumably having been captured by the beasts of Deepnest. Once again the Knight has the choice to either save him or leave him, though this time leaving him does not result in his death. If saved, he once again complains about the Knight meddling in his supposed heroics.

If the Knight saves him both times, he is captured and can be found in the resting area of the Colosseum of Fools, where he brags about his skills and how his capture was part of his plan. He then becomes the final boss of the first trial. As a boss, he deals no damage due to his nail being made of shellwood. He simply has to be attacked until the fight is over. He is quite inept in combat and regularly messes up his jumps. Beating him grants the Rivalry achievement.
Needle is the term used to describe the bladed weapon wielded by Hornet. The needle is attached with a thread of silk.
Mighty Hegemol... What a towering figure he was, though surprisingly soft spoken for one so large. They were all impressive in their own right, of course. Fierce Dryya, kindly Isma, mysterious Ze'mer ... erm, and the other one.
Shardmites are enemies in Hollow Knight. Formerly used in Crystal Peak's mining operations, these creatures now wander around on walls, feeding on crystal dust. Crawls up and down on vertical surfaces. Upon approaching it, it sprouts long crystal spikes from its shell. While those spikes are extended, it is invulnerable. By attacking quickly, it can be taken off guard and killed before it sprouts its spikes. It is also possible to Nail-bounce off its spikes by down-slashing. With repeated down-slashing, the Shardmite retracts its spikes briefly before sprouting them again, giving the Knight a chance to get in a hit between spikes while keeping distance.

The Five Great Knights of Hallownest once stood beneath the throne as the kingdom's protectors. They are revered figures who are often mentioned in historical records but only as a group. Information on the individual Great Knights is sparse, with Relic Seeker Lemm noting that their names and appearance seem to have been erased from history.

The Five Great Knights are:

By the time the Knight returns to Hallownest, three of the Great Knights have either died or disappeared. Only Ogrim and Ze'mer are known to be alive.


The Great Knights are depicted in Ogrim's cave below his boss arena as statues made of dung:

Five Great Knights Dung Statues
From left to right: Ze'mer, Dryya, Isma, Hegemol, and Ogrim

The silhouettes of four of them can be seen in the arena of Hidden Dreams content White Defender:

Five Great Knights Silhouettes
From left to right: Ze'mer, Dryya, Isma, and Hegemol


Ze'mer

Grey Mourner2

Located in the Resting Grounds where she is known as the "Grey Mourner", Ze'mer is the only remaining Great Knight besides Ogrim. Sheo refers to her as "mysterious Ze'mer". She is not native to Hallownest, originating from "lands serene", a location from which she also brought Delicate Flowers. There is not much known about Ze'mer when she was a Great Knight, but Ogrim remarks on how she told stories.

After her Mantis lover died, Ze'mer turned to mourning and retreated to her house in the Resting Grounds. She dissipates after the Knight delivers the Delicate Flower to the grave of her lover.


Dryya

White Knight Dead

Dryya had a hard front, and Nailmaster Sheo refers to her as "Fierce Dryya", although she is noted to have been a caring type. Ogrim mentions that he misses her wisdom. She was tasked with standing guard over the White Lady in the Queen's Gardens.

After defeating numerous Mantis Traitors, evidenced by the pile of their corpses aside Dryya's own, they eventually overwhelmed her. The White Lady is not aware of Dryya's death.

Dream Nail Dialogue Essence

  • Protect...


Isma

Isma

Referred to as "kindly Isma" by Nailmaster Sheo, there is little known about Isma, but her strength seemed to surpass that of Ogrim's, and her nature seemed to be kind and understanding. Ogrim and Isma had a very close relationship, even more so since he seems to be protecting her grove specifically. Isma’s powers and capabilities are not specifically stated but seem to have some relation to acid, as her tear or "blessing" grants acid immunity. Her grove is referred to as the "source of acid blight."

She can be found within the Royal Waterways, in Isma’s Grove. She appears to be dead and her body can be seen attached to a wall by plant growth; making the cause of her death the most questionable.

Dream Nail Dialogue Essence

  • ...Ogrim... there's no time...


Hegemol

False Knight Statue

Hegemol is the only Great Knight whose whereabouts are largely unknown. He was the favourite Great Knight of Nailmaster Sheo, who calls him "Mighty Hegemol". He was a towering figure but soft spoken, which was surprising for somebody of his stature. Ogrim mentions that he misses Hegemol's humour.

A statue of Hegemol can be found outside the City of Tears, requiring the City Crest to open the gate to the city.

While Hegemol was sleeping, his armoured shell was stolen by a Maggot who wanted to defend his siblings. It is unknown whether Hegemol is alive after this or if he was murdered by the maggot. While the False Knight who stole his shell wields a mace with an armoured bug attached to the end, Hegemol himself is always shown without any weapon.


Ogrim

Dung-Defender-2

The most loyal of the Five Great Knights, Ogrim is found in the Royal Waterways where he is known as "Dung Defender". He hopes to meet the other Great Knights again and see Hallownest be reborn. Although he misses Isma in particular, he is not able to visit her grove due to his duties and an oath that he swore. Due to this, he seems to be unaware of Isma's fate and the fate of the other Great Knights.

When he is defeated five times in his dreams as Hidden Dreams content White Defender, Ogrim wonders if the line of Hallownest's Great Knights ends with him or whether it can be passed on, mentioning that he can easily imagine the Knight standing amongst the greatest heroes of the age. Ogrim disappears after this encounter, leaving behind a statue of the Knight made of dung.

The Love Key is an Item in Hollow Knight.

Use

Opens the door inside the Tower of Love where the Collector can be fought.

Hornet is the mysterious princess-protector of Hallownest’s ruins, a major character in Hollow Knight and the playable protagonist of Hollow Knight: Silksong. She wields a Needle and thread with deadly prowess.

Hornet is captured by outsider bugs and brought to their kingdom, Pharloom, but she escapes her cage before arriving at their destination. She then must battle foes and solve mysteries to ascend on a deadly pilgrimage to this kingdom's peak.

Health is represented as Masks, shown in the upper-left corner of the screen. Hornet starts the game with 5 Masks and can obtain more. Health is lost by taking damage, either from enemies or from environmental hazards. Health can be regained by the use of the Bind ability consuming a full Silk spool.

Lifeblood Masks, granted by Lifeblood needles, are temporary masks.

Silk is represented as a spool below the health indicator. Thread is consumed when using special abilities, including a form of Focus named Bind. Striking enemies with the Needle fills the spool by two laces. When the spool is full, the symbol representing the side of the spool left to the health indicator is filled.

The Needle is Hornet's main weapon. Not only can she use it to slash or block attacks against enemies, but also to dash forward, stab, and bounce up above them. She can also use it alongside her abilities to deal greater damage or as a grappling hook.

Tools are special items classed by categories, equipped on a Crest with limited slots. They can be used as throwing weapons or defensive aids without costing Silk. Crests and Tools can be changed when sitting on a Bench similar to Charms.

Abilities consume Silk thread to use them.

Hornet can collect and keep various items throughout her journey, which are stored in her inventory. They can be related to specific quests.

The following areas have no confirmed name, although the names used were mentioned in the official announcement. Other mentioned names include "Bonebottom", "Moss Temple", and "Soaring Warlord's Tower": "Coral Forest", "Gilded City", and "Lake of Fire/Bone Forest".

Garmond and Zaza are two NPCs first revealed in the Hollow Knight: Silksong announcement trailer. They are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond appears to be the rider, while Zaza appears to be mount.

Garmond and Zaza only appear once in the announcement trailer; they are seen during the "New Quests" segment. Within a dark, murky hallway with a visible curved lattice pattern in the background, Hornet is shown leaping over the two as they charge forward through a small group of enemies, while Garmond makes a loud vocalization.

They were later revealed in a blog post, which states that the two are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond is described as being rambunctious and chatty, while Zaza is noted to possibly be "the brains" of the two.

Elder Hu was a travelling sage who sought to purify the borderlands of Hallownest from the Infection. He reached the Mantis Village, but his own Infected mind made him see the Mantis Lords and the Tribe as afflicted by the plague. The Mantises killed him after he attacked them. A memorial was erected in his name above the gates to the City of Tears, his tunic and bead necklace resting on top of it.

The spirit of Elder Hu can be fought at his memorial after acquiring the Dream Nail. Still deluded in his experience with the Mantis Tribe, he warns the Knight. After his defeat, the spirit becomes aware of his madness-driven mistake. He realizes his own death before shattering into 100 Essence to be collected by the Dream Nail.

Elder Hu has two attacks in addition to being able to teleport:

Ring Slam: Elder Hu summons a row of rings in midair, interspersed with several safe gaps, before quickly slamming them all down onto the ground simultaneously.

Ring Curtain: Elder Hu summons pairs of rings that slam down on the ground, beginning from the edges of the arena and moving towards the centre.

Teleport: Elder Hu warps from one area to another to avoid attacks or set up his own.

The ring attacks require very precise movements to dodge as they come out quickly. The Shade Cloak is highly recommended, although not completely necessary. Elder Hu remains in place during the attacks, and his floating pattern is low enough to the ground, where attacking with the Nail is possible. Dodge the rings and get in some hits in between. Eventually, the rhythm of the attacks is easy to follow and the Knight should have no problem timing dashes and attacks.

Alternatively, the Knight can use Shade Cloak to dodge the Ring Slam attack and use Howling Wraiths/Abyss Shriek along with a Spell build (such as Shaman Stone, Spell Twister, Soul Catcher, and Soul Eater) to quickly finish him off.

How to Acquire

Found on a corpse in the southeast of the Queen's Gardens above the path to the Fungal Wastes. Retrieving the key requires Isma's Tear.

Hornet is the mysterious princess-protector of Hallownest’s ruins, a major character in Hollow Knight and the playable protagonist of Hollow Knight: Silksong. She wields a Needle and thread with deadly prowess.

Hornet is captured by outsider bugs and brought to their kingdom, Pharloom, but she escapes her cage before arriving at their destination. She then must battle foes and solve mysteries to ascend on a deadly pilgrimage to this kingdom's peak.

Health is represented as Masks, shown in the upper-left corner of the screen. Hornet starts the game with 5 Masks and can obtain more. Health is lost by taking damage, either from enemies or from environmental hazards. Health can be regained by the use of the Bind ability consuming a full Silk spool.

Lifeblood Masks, granted by Lifeblood needles, are temporary masks.

Silk is represented as a spool below the health indicator. Thread is consumed when using special abilities, including a form of Focus named Bind. Striking enemies with the Needle fills the spool by two laces. When the spool is full, the symbol representing the side of the spool left to the health indicator is filled.

The Needle is Hornet's main weapon. Not only can she use it to slash or block attacks against enemies, but also to dash forward, stab, and bounce up above them. She can also use it alongside her abilities to deal greater damage or as a grappling hook.

Tools are special items classed by categories, equipped on a Crest with limited slots. They can be used as throwing weapons or defensive aids without costing Silk. Crests and Tools can be changed when sitting on a Bench similar to Charms.

Abilities consume Silk thread to use them.

Hornet can collect and keep various items throughout her journey, which are stored in her inventory. They can be related to specific quests.

The following areas have no confirmed name, although the names used were mentioned in the official announcement. Other mentioned names include "Bonebottom", "Moss Temple", and "Soaring Warlord's Tower": "Coral Forest", "Gilded City", and "Lake of Fire/Bone Forest".

Garmond and Zaza are two NPCs first revealed in the Hollow Knight: Silksong announcement trailer. They are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond appears to be the rider, while Zaza appears to be mount.

Garmond and Zaza only appear once in the announcement trailer; they are seen during the "New Quests" segment. Within a dark, murky hallway with a visible curved lattice pattern in the background, Hornet is shown leaping over the two as they charge forward through a small group of enemies, while Garmond makes a loud vocalization.

They were later revealed in a blog post, which states that the two are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond is described as being rambunctious and chatty, while Zaza is noted to possibly be "the brains" of the two.

Elder Hu was a travelling sage who sought to purify the borderlands of Hallownest from the Infection. He reached the Mantis Village, but his own Infected mind made him see the Mantis Lords and the Tribe as afflicted by the plague. The Mantises killed him after he attacked them. A memorial was erected in his name above the gates to the City of Tears, his tunic and bead necklace resting on top of it.

The spirit of Elder Hu can be fought at his memorial after acquiring the Dream Nail. Still deluded in his experience with the Mantis Tribe, he warns the Knight. After his defeat, the spirit becomes aware of his madness-driven mistake. He realizes his own death before shattering into 100 Essence to be collected by the Dream Nail.

Elder Hu has two attacks in addition to being able to teleport:

Ring Slam: Elder Hu summons a row of rings in midair, interspersed with several safe gaps, before quickly slamming them all down onto the ground simultaneously.

Ring Curtain: Elder Hu summons pairs of rings that slam down on the ground, beginning from the edges of the arena and moving towards the centre.

Teleport: Elder Hu warps from one area to another to avoid attacks or set up his own.

The ring attacks require very precise movements to dodge as they come out quickly. The Shade Cloak is highly recommended, although not completely necessary. Elder Hu remains in place during the attacks, and his floating pattern is low enough to the ground, where attacking with the Nail is possible. Dodge the rings and get in some hits in between. Eventually, the rhythm of the attacks is easy to follow and the Knight should have no problem timing dashes and attacks.

Alternatively, the Knight can use Shade Cloak to dodge the Ring Slam attack and use Howling Wraiths/Abyss Shriek along with a Spell build (such as Shaman Stone, Spell Twister, Soul Catcher, and Soul Eater) to quickly finish him off.


Trivia

"Too long... spent together. We become as one..."
Hornet is the mysterious princess-protector of Hallownest’s ruins, a major character in Hollow Knight and the playable protagonist of Hollow Knight: Silksong. She wields a Needle and thread with deadly prowess.

Hornet is captured by outsider bugs and brought to their kingdom, Pharloom, but she escapes her cage before arriving at their destination. She then must battle foes and solve mysteries to ascend on a deadly pilgrimage to this kingdom's peak.

Health is represented as Masks, shown in the upper-left corner of the screen. Hornet starts the game with 5 Masks and can obtain more. Health is lost by taking damage, either from enemies or from environmental hazards. Health can be regained by the use of the Bind ability consuming a full Silk spool.

Lifeblood Masks, granted by Lifeblood needles, are temporary masks.

Silk is represented as a spool below the health indicator. Thread is consumed when using special abilities, including a form of Focus named Bind. Striking enemies with the Needle fills the spool by two laces. When the spool is full, the symbol representing the side of the spool left to the health indicator is filled.

The Needle is Hornet's main weapon. Not only can she use it to slash or block attacks against enemies, but also to dash forward, stab, and bounce up above them. She can also use it alongside her abilities to deal greater damage or as a grappling hook.

Tools are special items classed by categories, equipped on a Crest with limited slots. They can be used as throwing weapons or defensive aids without costing Silk. Crests and Tools can be changed when sitting on a Bench similar to Charms.

Abilities consume Silk thread to use them.

Hornet can collect and keep various items throughout her journey, which are stored in her inventory. They can be related to specific quests.

The following areas have no confirmed name, although the names used were mentioned in the official announcement. Other mentioned names include "Bonebottom", "Moss Temple", and "Soaring Warlord's Tower": "Coral Forest", "Gilded City", and "Lake of Fire/Bone Forest".

Garmond and Zaza are two NPCs first revealed in the Hollow Knight: Silksong announcement trailer. They are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond appears to be the rider, while Zaza appears to be mount.

Garmond and Zaza only appear once in the announcement trailer; they are seen during the "New Quests" segment. Within a dark, murky hallway with a visible curved lattice pattern in the background, Hornet is shown leaping over the two as they charge forward through a small group of enemies, while Garmond makes a loud vocalization.

They were later revealed in a blog post, which states that the two are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond is described as being rambunctious and chatty, while Zaza is noted to possibly be "the brains" of the two.

Elder Hu was a travelling sage who sought to purify the borderlands of Hallownest from the Infection. He reached the Mantis Village, but his own Infected mind made him see the Mantis Lords and the Tribe as afflicted by the plague. The Mantises killed him after he attacked them. A memorial was erected in his name above the gates to the City of Tears, his tunic and bead necklace resting on top of it.

The spirit of Elder Hu can be fought at his memorial after acquiring the Dream Nail. Still deluded in his experience with the Mantis Tribe, he warns the Knight. After his defeat, the spirit becomes aware of his madness-driven mistake. He realizes his own death before shattering into 100 Essence to be collected by the Dream Nail.

Elder Hu has two attacks in addition to being able to teleport:

Ring Slam: Elder Hu summons a row of rings in midair, interspersed with several safe gaps, before quickly slamming them all down onto the ground simultaneously.

Ring Curtain: Elder Hu summons pairs of rings that slam down on the ground, beginning from the edges of the arena and moving towards the centre.

Teleport: Elder Hu warps from one area to another to avoid attacks or set up his own.

The ring attacks require very precise movements to dodge as they come out quickly. The Shade Cloak is highly recommended, although not completely necessary. Elder Hu remains in place during the attacks, and his floating pattern is low enough to the ground, where attacking with the Nail is possible. Dodge the rings and get in some hits in between. Eventually, the rhythm of the attacks is easy to follow and the Knight should have no problem timing dashes and attacks.

Alternatively, the Knight can use Shade Cloak to dodge the Ring Slam attack and use Howling Wraiths/Abyss Shriek along with a Spell build (such as Shaman Stone, Spell Twister, Soul Catcher, and Soul Eater) to quickly finish him off.

Gallery

Trivia

White Knight

Dryya promotional art

  • A fight with Dryya was planned early in development but was later cut. A Kickstarter update described her as:
"One of Hallownest's five greatest Knights and defender of the Queen’s Glade. She was driven mad by her Queen lost and the garden overrun. Still she retains her honour, offering fair challenge to the Hollow Knight: Nail against nail. A duel to the death."
  • Ogrim was revealed as a boss in a Kickstarter update 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."
  • In early development, Herrah the Beast was named Hegemol. This was later changed to her current name.

The Love Key is an Item in Hollow Knight.

Use

Opens the door inside the Tower of Love where the Collector can be fought.

Hornet is the mysterious princess-protector of Hallownest’s ruins, a major character in Hollow Knight and the playable protagonist of Hollow Knight: Silksong. She wields a Needle and thread with deadly prowess.

Hornet is captured by outsider bugs and brought to their kingdom, Pharloom, but she escapes her cage before arriving at their destination. She then must battle foes and solve mysteries to ascend on a deadly pilgrimage to this kingdom's peak.

Health is represented as Masks, shown in the upper-left corner of the screen. Hornet starts the game with 5 Masks and can obtain more. Health is lost by taking damage, either from enemies or from environmental hazards. Health can be regained by the use of the Bind ability consuming a full Silk spool.

Lifeblood Masks, granted by Lifeblood needles, are temporary masks.

Silk is represented as a spool below the health indicator. Thread is consumed when using special abilities, including a form of Focus named Bind. Striking enemies with the Needle fills the spool by two laces. When the spool is full, the symbol representing the side of the spool left to the health indicator is filled.

The Needle is Hornet's main weapon. Not only can she use it to slash or block attacks against enemies, but also to dash forward, stab, and bounce up above them. She can also use it alongside her abilities to deal greater damage or as a grappling hook.

Tools are special items classed by categories, equipped on a Crest with limited slots. They can be used as throwing weapons or defensive aids without costing Silk. Crests and Tools can be changed when sitting on a Bench similar to Charms.

Abilities consume Silk thread to use them.

Hornet can collect and keep various items throughout her journey, which are stored in her inventory. They can be related to specific quests.

The following areas have no confirmed name, although the names used were mentioned in the official announcement. Other mentioned names include "Bonebottom", "Moss Temple", and "Soaring Warlord's Tower": "Coral Forest", "Gilded City", and "Lake of Fire/Bone Forest".

Garmond and Zaza are two NPCs first revealed in the Hollow Knight: Silksong announcement trailer. They are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond appears to be the rider, while Zaza appears to be mount.

Garmond and Zaza only appear once in the announcement trailer; they are seen during the "New Quests" segment. Within a dark, murky hallway with a visible curved lattice pattern in the background, Hornet is shown leaping over the two as they charge forward through a small group of enemies, while Garmond makes a loud vocalization.

They were later revealed in a blog post, which states that the two are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond is described as being rambunctious and chatty, while Zaza is noted to possibly be "the brains" of the two.

Elder Hu was a travelling sage who sought to purify the borderlands of Hallownest from the Infection. He reached the Mantis Village, but his own Infected mind made him see the Mantis Lords and the Tribe as afflicted by the plague. The Mantises killed him after he attacked them. A memorial was erected in his name above the gates to the City of Tears, his tunic and bead necklace resting on top of it.

The spirit of Elder Hu can be fought at his memorial after acquiring the Dream Nail. Still deluded in his experience with the Mantis Tribe, he warns the Knight. After his defeat, the spirit becomes aware of his madness-driven mistake. He realizes his own death before shattering into 100 Essence to be collected by the Dream Nail.

Elder Hu has two attacks in addition to being able to teleport:

Ring Slam: Elder Hu summons a row of rings in midair, interspersed with several safe gaps, before quickly slamming them all down onto the ground simultaneously.

Ring Curtain: Elder Hu summons pairs of rings that slam down on the ground, beginning from the edges of the arena and moving towards the centre.

Teleport: Elder Hu warps from one area to another to avoid attacks or set up his own.

The ring attacks require very precise movements to dodge as they come out quickly. The Shade Cloak is highly recommended, although not completely necessary. Elder Hu remains in place during the attacks, and his floating pattern is low enough to the ground, where attacking with the Nail is possible. Dodge the rings and get in some hits in between. Eventually, the rhythm of the attacks is easy to follow and the Knight should have no problem timing dashes and attacks.

Alternatively, the Knight can use Shade Cloak to dodge the Ring Slam attack and use Howling Wraiths/Abyss Shriek along with a Spell build (such as Shaman Stone, Spell Twister, Soul Catcher, and Soul Eater) to quickly finish him off.

How to Acquire

Found on a corpse in the southeast of the Queen's Gardens above the path to the Fungal Wastes. Retrieving the key requires Isma's Tear.

Hornet is the mysterious princess-protector of Hallownest’s ruins, a major character in Hollow Knight and the playable protagonist of Hollow Knight: Silksong. She wields a Needle and thread with deadly prowess.

Hornet is captured by outsider bugs and brought to their kingdom, Pharloom, but she escapes her cage before arriving at their destination. She then must battle foes and solve mysteries to ascend on a deadly pilgrimage to this kingdom's peak.

Health is represented as Masks, shown in the upper-left corner of the screen. Hornet starts the game with 5 Masks and can obtain more. Health is lost by taking damage, either from enemies or from environmental hazards. Health can be regained by the use of the Bind ability consuming a full Silk spool.

Lifeblood Masks, granted by Lifeblood needles, are temporary masks.

Silk is represented as a spool below the health indicator. Thread is consumed when using special abilities, including a form of Focus named Bind. Striking enemies with the Needle fills the spool by two laces. When the spool is full, the symbol representing the side of the spool left to the health indicator is filled.

The Needle is Hornet's main weapon. Not only can she use it to slash or block attacks against enemies, but also to dash forward, stab, and bounce up above them. She can also use it alongside her abilities to deal greater damage or as a grappling hook.

Tools are special items classed by categories, equipped on a Crest with limited slots. They can be used as throwing weapons or defensive aids without costing Silk. Crests and Tools can be changed when sitting on a Bench similar to Charms.

Abilities consume Silk thread to use them.

Hornet can collect and keep various items throughout her journey, which are stored in her inventory. They can be related to specific quests.

The following areas have no confirmed name, although the names used were mentioned in the official announcement. Other mentioned names include "Bonebottom", "Moss Temple", and "Soaring Warlord's Tower": "Coral Forest", "Gilded City", and "Lake of Fire/Bone Forest".

Garmond and Zaza are two NPCs first revealed in the Hollow Knight: Silksong announcement trailer. They are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond appears to be the rider, while Zaza appears to be mount.

Garmond and Zaza only appear once in the announcement trailer; they are seen during the "New Quests" segment. Within a dark, murky hallway with a visible curved lattice pattern in the background, Hornet is shown leaping over the two as they charge forward through a small group of enemies, while Garmond makes a loud vocalization.

They were later revealed in a blog post, which states that the two are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond is described as being rambunctious and chatty, while Zaza is noted to possibly be "the brains" of the two.

Elder Hu was a travelling sage who sought to purify the borderlands of Hallownest from the Infection. He reached the Mantis Village, but his own Infected mind made him see the Mantis Lords and the Tribe as afflicted by the plague. The Mantises killed him after he attacked them. A memorial was erected in his name above the gates to the City of Tears, his tunic and bead necklace resting on top of it.

The spirit of Elder Hu can be fought at his memorial after acquiring the Dream Nail. Still deluded in his experience with the Mantis Tribe, he warns the Knight. After his defeat, the spirit becomes aware of his madness-driven mistake. He realizes his own death before shattering into 100 Essence to be collected by the Dream Nail.

Elder Hu has two attacks in addition to being able to teleport:

Ring Slam: Elder Hu summons a row of rings in midair, interspersed with several safe gaps, before quickly slamming them all down onto the ground simultaneously.

Ring Curtain: Elder Hu summons pairs of rings that slam down on the ground, beginning from the edges of the arena and moving towards the centre.

Teleport: Elder Hu warps from one area to another to avoid attacks or set up his own.

The ring attacks require very precise movements to dodge as they come out quickly. The Shade Cloak is highly recommended, although not completely necessary. Elder Hu remains in place during the attacks, and his floating pattern is low enough to the ground, where attacking with the Nail is possible. Dodge the rings and get in some hits in between. Eventually, the rhythm of the attacks is easy to follow and the Knight should have no problem timing dashes and attacks.

Alternatively, the Knight can use Shade Cloak to dodge the Ring Slam attack and use Howling Wraiths/Abyss Shriek along with a Spell build (such as Shaman Stone, Spell Twister, Soul Catcher, and Soul Eater) to quickly finish him off.


Trivia

"Too long... spent together. We become as one..."

Area differences

The beta only contains King's Pass, Dirtmouth, and the Forgotten Crossroads. Some parts of these areas have remained the same in the release version, while some were still incomplete and are missing certain aspects. The following is a list of most major differences in the beta areas compared to the areas in the release version of Hollow Knight.

Dirtmouth

The entrance to Crystal Peak exists but cannot be entered as the level leads nowhere.
Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 01

Beta

Screenshot HK Dirtmouth 03

Release version

Iselda's shop has a different sign sprite compared to the release version.
Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 02

Beta

Screenshot HK Iselda 02

Release version

Confessor Jiji's/Steel Soul Jinn's cave is missing entirely.
Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 03

Beta

Screenshot HK Dirtmouth 02

Release version

The lever in the Stag Station to open the door does not exist.

Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 04

Beta

Screenshot HK Dirtmouth 09

Release version

Forgotten Crossroads

The Ancestral Mound is called Shrine of Souls.

Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 05
The Bench in the Hot Spring is missing.
Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 06

Beta

Forgotten Crossroads Hot Spring

Release version

The Black Egg has Infection leaking out of it, which only happens in the Infected Crossroads in the release version.
Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 07

Beta

Screenshot HK Dreamers 06

Release version

The City of Tears lift cannot be accessed, although the bottom of the lift already exists, which can be accessed by noclipping using mods. The lever to call the lift cannot be activated and the City of Tears cannot be entered as the level leads nowhere.
Hollow_Knight_Beta_-_City_of_Tears_lift

Hollow Knight Beta - City of Tears lift

The lift near Myla leading to Crystal Peak is missing.
Hollow_Knight_Beta_-_Entrance_to_Crystal_Peak

Hollow Knight Beta - Entrance to Crystal Peak

No Bench exists outside of Salubra's hut, and her hut cannot be accessed without using the Shade or noclip.
Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 08

Beta

Screenshot HK Salubra 01

Release version

The passage to Crystal Peak exists near Myla, but cannot be entered as the level leads nowhere.
Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 09

Beta

Screenshot HK Crystal Peak 19

Release version

The passage to Fog Canyon exists, but can only be accessed by using noclip with mods. Fog Canyon cannot be entered as the level leads nowhere.
Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 10

Beta

Screenshot HK Fog Canyon 12

Release version

The passage to the Fungal Wastes exists, but can only be accessed by using noclip with mods. The Fungal Wastes cannot be entered as the level leads nowhere.
Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 11

Beta

Screenshot HK Fungal Wastes 19

Release version

The secret room in the well leading to Dirtmouth is missing.
Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 12

Beta

Screenshot HK Forgotten Crossroads 14

Release version

The spiked wall near Brooding Mawlek does not exist. A Grub which is present in this area in the beta was replaced by a Soul Totem in the release version.
Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 13

Beta

Screenshot HK Forgotten Crossroads 15

Release version

A swimming section exists near the passage to Fog Canyon which was cut entirely in the release version. This section is also shown in one of the pre-release trailers.
Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 15
Hollow_Knight-_A_Weird_and_Wonderful_World_Trailer

Hollow Knight- A Weird and Wonderful World Trailer

The Tram to the Resting Grounds cannot be entered, but the tunnel exists and can be explored using noclip with mods.
Hollow_Knight_Beta_-_Tram_to_Resting_Grounds

Hollow Knight Beta - Tram to Resting Grounds

King’s Pass

The chest containing the Fury of the Fallen Charm in the release version contains Geo in the beta.

Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 14

Beta

Fury of the Fallen Chest

Release version


Audio differences

Several audio changes were made in the release version compared to the beta, although overall most audio stayed the same.

Brooding Mawlek has a different explosion sound when killed and roars when it is defeated.

Hollow_Knight_Beta_-_Brooding_Mawlek_defeated_comparison

Hollow Knight Beta - Brooding Mawlek defeated comparison

Gruz Mother has a different explosion sound when killed.
Hollow_Knight_Beta_-_Gruz_Mother_defeated_comparison

Hollow Knight Beta - Gruz Mother defeated comparison

Sly has a different voice actor.
Hollow_Knight_Beta_-_Sly_voice

Hollow Knight Beta - Sly voice

The intro cinematic has no music.
Hollow_Knight_Beta_-_Opening_cutscene

Hollow Knight Beta - Opening cutscene

Vengefly King has a different explosion sound when killed.
Hollow_Knight_Beta_-_Vengefly_King_defeated_comparison

Hollow Knight Beta - Vengefly King defeated comparison

When the Knight takes damage, a glass breaking sound is heard.
Hollow_Knight_Beta_-_Damage_sound_comparison

Hollow Knight Beta - Damage sound comparison


Dialogue differences

Most dialogue of NPCs is different in the beta.

Cornifer

Beta dialogue Current dialogue

Hmm? Oh, hello there. Come down to explore these beautiful old highways? Don't mind me. I've a fondness for exploring myself. Getting lost and finding your way again is a pleasure like no other. Actually, I'm embarassed sic to bring this up, but I also make maps as a sort of side business. This one I'm working on isn't quite finished yet, but I'd like you to have a copy anyway. Oh, don't thank me. It's a work in progress so it's terribly rough. Rest assured the final product will be of a much higher calibre.

Hmm? Ah, hello there. Come down to explore these beautiful old ruins? Don't mind me... I've a fondness for exploring myself. Getting lost and finding your way again is a pleasure like no other. We're exquisitely lucky, you and I... I'm a cartographer by trade, and I'm working on mapping this area right now. Would you like to buy a copy of my work so far?

How are you finding my map? Personally I prefer to explore without one. You see so much more of the world when you're not looking at a map.

How are you finding my map? I've tried to fill out as much as I can, but every map is a work in progress... If you'd like to fill out some of the map yourself you can purchase some mapping supplies from my wife up in Dirtmouth. We've set up a little store to help make ends meet.

Elderbug

Beta dialogue Current dialogue

The other residents, they've all disappeared. Headed down that well, one by one, into the caverns below. Used to be there was a great kingdom beneath our feet. It's long fell to ruin, yet it still draws folks down into its depths. Wealth, glory, enlightenment, that darkness seems to promise all things. I'm sure you too seek your dreams down there. Well watch out. These days, it's a sickly air down there. Creatures turn mad and travellers are robbed of their memories. Perhaps dreams aren't such great things after all, heh.

The other residents, they've all disappeared. Headed down that well, one by one, into the caverns below. Used to be there was a great kingdom beneath our town. It's long fell to ruin, yet it still draws folks into its depths. Wealth, glory, enlightenment, that darkness seems to promise all things. I'm sure you too seek your dreams down there. Well watch out. It's a sickly air that fills the place. Creatures turn mad and travellers are robbed of their memories. Perhaps dreams aren't such great things after all...

Many used to come, hoping the kingdom would fulfill their desires. Hallownest, it was once called. Supposedly the greatest kingdom there ever was, full of treasures and secrets. Hm. Now it's nothing more than a poisonous tomb full of monsters and madness. I suppose everything fades away eventually. Just the nature of things, heh heh.

Many used to come, hoping the kingdom would fulfill their desires. Hallownest, it was once called. Supposedly the greatest kingdom there ever was, full of treasures and secrets. Hm. Now it's nothing more than a poisonous tomb full of monsters and madness. Everything fades eventually, I suppose.

I hope you aren't too disappointed by our little town, traveller. Though it's now a solemn place, once we were much more welcoming. Entry to the kingdom was forbidden long ago, supposedly after some great calamity. Many gates were closed, but our old well remains as a way to creep back in. Over the years, all kinds used the well to wriggle their way into the ruins, wanderers, thieves, adventurers. Eventually there was enough activity to sustain a town, and so our predecessors built Dirtmouth. I hope you aren't too disappointed by our little town, traveller. Though it's now a solemn place, once we were much more welcoming. Entry to the kingdom was forbidden long ago, supposedly after some great calamity. Many gates were closed, but our old well remains as a way to creep back in.
So many used to come through here and down into that well, droves and swarms, seeking power and wealth, seduced by endless possibilities in the dark. Funny how few ever return to the surface. Perhaps they find what they're looking for? Heh heh, I'm not so naive. No doubt, they've all been gobbled up! There're countless dangers in those depths. Over the years, all kinds used the well to wriggle into the ruins, wanderers, thieves, adventurers. Funny how few ever come back up. Perhaps they find what they're looking for? … Bah, I'm not so naive. No doubt, they've all been gobbled up! There are countless dangers in those depths.
As bustling as this town used to be, eventually the flow of fools down the well slowed. I'd thought those times were done. But recently something's changed. There's activity in the caverns, unsettling sounds and rumblings underfoot. The creatures down there have become enraged. They say a poison drifts through the old roads and highways, sending folk mad. Travellers started to drift back here and down into the well, all talking about dreams they'd had of wealth and glory. And that allure to descend, it settled over the townsfolk as well! All of them eventually wandered down there. Except for me, of course. I'm a simple man, and I do not dream. Heh heh... Not used in release version.
I remember asking one young bug why she'd climb down the well, after it had already claimed her mother and brother. Said she'd been dreaming of that stone egg in the temple. She'd heard something stirring within it, singing in a familiar voice.I told her she was a fool, but down she went anyway. Maybe I should have held her back? Heh, I doubt it. Once a mind's set on heading down, no bug can be stopped. Not used in release version.
There's something strange about you. I've seen all types pass below, but you... You're almost familiar, though I'm sure we've never met before. Not used in release version.
Feeling tired? That bench may be iron, but I assure you it’s quite comfortable. There's no better a place to collect your thoughts before heading below. Not used in release version.
Feeling tired? That bench may be iron, but I assure you it’s quite comfortable. There's no better a place to collect your thoughts before heading below. Plus, I'd enjoy the company, even if you're not the most talkative sort. Feeling tired? That bench may be iron, but I assure you it's quite comfortable. There's no better place to collect your thoughts before heading below. Plus I enjoy the company. Not that you seem the talkative sort.
If you do meet my fellows down there you might remind them of their poor Elder, up here, back aching, abandoned to his lonesome vigil. Poor poor me!... Oh I'm fine, really, but a bit of guilt might go some way in persuading their return. Assuming they're still alive that is. Not used in release version.
I never thought I’d see the day. The Stag Station has opened! That building has lain silent since before even my time. Oh, I’ve heard all the tales of the glorious lines. A web of tunnels running all though the kingdom. Not that I’ll be travelling them, mind you! I'm quite content where I am, heh heh… I never thought I'd see such a thing. The Stag Station has opened! That building lay silent since before even my time. Oh, I've heard the tales of the glorious lines. A web of tunnels running all through the kingdom. Not that I'll be travelling them, mind you! I'm quite content where I am.
There’s something about you little traveller. The winds are changing. Not used in release version.

The Last Stag

Beta dialogue Current dialogue

Greetings, little one! It's been an age since I last heard the ringing of a station bell. It echoed down the stagways and called me to you. I've grown stiff and heavy over these many years and I've forgotten much, but the sound of the bell will always call me back. These stagways stretch the depths of Hallownest. If you want to travel them, hail me from the platform. I will take you where you need to go.

Greetings, little one! It's been an age since I last heard the ringing of a station bell. It echoed down the stagways and called me to you. I've grown stiff and tired over these many years and I've forgotten much, but the sound of the bell will always call me back. These stagways stretch the depths of Hallownest. If you want to travel them, hail me from the platform. I will take you where you need to go.

Ready to go, little one?

Not used in release version.

It was a long time ago, but I remember when these highways and crossroads pulsed with life. These are the paths I first carried passengers through when I was young. Those travellers are all gone now, moved on. Now it seems it's just you and I and the furtive creatures scratching and squirming all around us.

It was a long time ago, but I remember when these highways and crossroads pulsed with life. These are the paths I first carried passengers through when I was young. Those travellers are long gone, yet still I remain. Now it seems it's just you and I and the furtive creatures scratching and squirming all around us.

This place... we are near the surface, I believe? There is a town here, you should take the opportunity to rest. This place was once full of travellers coming and going. It seems much quieter now.

This place... we are near the surface, I believe? There is a town here. You should take the opportunity to rest. This place was once full of travellers coming and going. It seems much quieter now.

Myla

Beta dialogue Current dialogue

Ohhh, bury the knight with a broken sword, bury the... p-priest... something about a crown...? I c-can't remember the rest of that one, ha ha ha! Maybe I'll just hum it.

Ohhh, bury the knight with her broken nail, bury the... p-priest... something about a crown...? I c-can't remember the rest of that one, ha ha ha! Maybe I'll just hum it.

Oh, hello again! Are you still running about? Why not join me d-down here? There's plenty of wealth in these rocks for anyone willing to put a bit of work in! Those crystals out there are worth a fair b-b-bit, but I have a feeling that there's something even more valuable hidden just a bit deeper in! If I close my eyes I can almost smell it! Ha ha ha! Oh, hello again! Are you still running about? Why not join me d-down here? There's plenty of wealth in these rocks for anyone willing to put a bit of work in! Those crystals out there are worth a fair b-b-bit, but I have a feeling that there's something even more valuable hidden just a bit deeper in! I can almost smell it! Ha ha ha!

Ohhh, bury the knight with her velvet gloves, Bury the thief with the one she loved! Bury the priest in her tattered gown, Then bury the beggar and his golden crooooooown!

Ohh, bury the knight with her broken nail, bury the lady, lovely and pale! Bury the priest in his tattered gown, then bury the beggar with his shining croooown!

Quirrel

Beta dialogue Current dialogue
I'm Quirrel. I have something of an obsession with forgotten and uncharted places. This ancient kingdom holds many fascinating mysteries, and one of the most intriguing of them is standing right before us. I'm Quirrel. I have something of an obsession with uncharted places. This ancient kingdom holds many fascinating mysteries, and one of the most intriguing of them is standing right before us.
A great stone egg, lying in the corpse of an ancient kingdom. And who knows what other marvels lie even deeper below us… A great stone egg, lying in the corpse of an ancient kingdom. And this egg...Is it warm? It certainly gives off a unique air. Can it be opened? There are strange marks all over it… I do so love a mystery...And who knows what other marvels lie even deeper below us...
For so long I'd heard the tales of this strange, ancient kingdom, tales full of wonders and horrors. No longer could I resist. I just had to see it for myself. And what a time I chose to arrive! This dead world has sprung to life. The creatures are riled up and the earth rumbles. The air is thick. I wonder what could have brought all this about? For so long I've felt drawn here. So many tales full of wonders and horrors. No longer could I resist. I just had to see it for myself. And what a time I chose to arrive! This dead world has sprung to life. The creatures are riled up and the earth rumbles. The air is thick. I wonder what could have brought it all about?
Isn't this building a wonder? Do you think it was built around the egg, or was the egg laid within? And this egg... is it warm? I swear it seems alive somehow. It certainly gives off a unique air. What do you suppose is inside? A great beast? Fantastic treasures? Or something else entirely? Can it be opened? There are strange marks all over it… I do so love a mystery… Not used in release version.
I can't help but notice that nail you wield. It looks a fine instrument, though it's showing signs of wear. I'd wager up there it would take you far. Down here however, I suspect you'll soon meet dangers the surface world can't match. Your nail looks a fine instrument, but it's showing signs of wear. I'd wager up there it would take you far. Down here however, I suspect you'll soon meet dangers the surface world can't match.
Did you pass that town above? What a sad little place. And such majesty hidden right beneath! I suppose that's why they've all headed down here. Who could resist such possibilities? Did you pass that town above? What a gloomy little place. And such majesty hidden right beneath!I suppose that's why they've all headed down here. Who could resist such possibilities?

Sly

Beta dialogue Current dialogue

You're exploring these old ruins then? Very brave! Plenty of courageous explorers have been lost to the hunger of these old caverns. You have your nail though, and I can tell just by looking that you know how to wield it.

You're exploring then? Very brave! Plenty of courageous wanderers have been lost to the hunger of these old caverns. You have your nail though, and I can tell just by looking that you know how to wield it.

Ah, hello! I knew we'd meet again. How do you like my cosy little store? I've made myself pretty comfortable here, selling old trinkets to travellers like yourself. Except, ah, I'm not quite ready for business just yet. There's still a bit of preparation to do, I'm sure you understand. For now I'll just have to say thank you! And I look forward to doing business with you when the time comes.

Ah, hello! I knew we'd meet again. How do you like my cosy little store? I've made myself pretty comfortable here, selling old trinkets to travellers like yourself. If you're planning a trip below, I've several items that may improve your chance of survival.
There's still plenty of work for me to do before I can open the store. Very delicate, very precise work! You seem like the patient sort though. There's no need for unnecessary haste. Not used in release version.

Snail Shaman

Beta dialogue Current dialogue

Oho! Who is that creeping out of the darkness? My, you're looking solemn, friend! A strange, empty face and a wicked looking weapon! Something important has drawn you down into Hallownest's corpse, but I won't ask what. Perhaps the reason you've found me is because you need my help? Say no more, friend. I'm going to give you a gift, a nasty little spell of my own creation. It's just perfect for a little fellow like you! Ohoho!

Oho! Who is that creeping out of the darkness? My, you're looking grim! A strange, empty face and a wicked looking weapon! Something important has drawn you down into Hallownest's corpse, but I won't ask what. Perhaps the reason you've found me is because you need my help? Say no more, friend. I'm going to give you a gift, a nasty little spell of my own creation. It's just perfect for a little one like you! Ohoho!
Oho! There you are! I was watching over you while you slept, and must have slipped away myself. I woke up and found you'd disappeared! You are a surprising fellow, ohoho! Actually, I wanted to ask a small favour of you. You see, there is a certain creature lurking just above us, in the heart of this temple......oho? Well, yet another surprise! You've slain that creature before I've even asked! I scarcely deserve such a friend as you! You're a marvel! Ohohoho! Oho! There you are! I was watching over you while you slept, and must have slipped away myself. I woke up and found you'd disappeared! You are a surprising one, ohoho!

Actually, I wanted to ask a small favour of you. You see, there is a certain creature lurking just above us, in the heart of this temple… ...Oho? Well, yet another surprise! You've slain that creature before I've even asked! I scarcely deserve such a friend as you! You're a marvel! Ohohoho!

And look! The gate between us has opened. Ohoho! I'm sure you're eager to move on. Farewell, and have faith, whatever you are seeking... Ohohoho!

And look! The gate between us has opened. Ohoho! I'm sure you're eager to move on. Farewell, and have faith! Whatever you are seeking... it will find you! Ohohoho!

Zote

Beta dialogue Current dialogue
Know this, urchin. I am Zote the Mighty, a knight of the people. Cross me again, and you'll find out why they call my weapon 'Life Ender'. Know this, cur. I am Zote the Mighty, a knight of great renown. Cross me again, and you'll find out why they call my weapon 'Life Ender'.

Hmph. What a squalid little hamlet this is.The air is too thick and the townsfolk have beady eyes. I'll be heading back down below as soon as possible.

Hmph. What a squalid little hamlet this is.The air is foul and the townsfolk have beady eyes. I'll be heading back down below as soon as possible.


Enemy and boss differences

Several enemies and bosses have behaviour changes, location changes, or visual changes.

Enemies

All enemies respawn when re-entering a room, while in the release version most enemies stay dead.

Hollow_Knight_Beta_-_All_enemies_respawn_when_re-entering_room

Hollow Knight Beta - All enemies respawn when re-entering room

The Shade has different colour sprites. It has no knockback when hit, and killing the Shade shows Geo flying towards the Knight instead of Void.

Beta Shade Sprite

Sprite

Hollow_Knight_Beta_-_Shade_behaviour

Hollow Knight Beta - Shade behaviour

Hoppers are present in some rooms of the Forgotten Crossroads, instead of only being found in Kingdom's Edge and the Colosseum of Fools.

Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 16

Elder Baldur and Baldur have white eyes. Elder Baldur does not deal contact damage. The white-eyed Baldur and Elder Baldur were still used in the Hunter's Journal until the release of Voidheart Edition.

Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 17

Husk Guards only deal 1 Mask of damage instead of 2 Masks in the release version.

Hollow_Knight_Beta_-_Husk_Guard_damage

Hollow Knight Beta - Husk Guard damage

A sprite for the Maggot exists in the files, but it cannot be found in the beta itself.

Beta Maggot sprite

The Crawlid has different sprites and looks less spiky.

Beta B Crawlid

Beta

B Crawlid

Release version

Bosses

Gruz Mother's corpse shows a ribcage.

Beta Gruz Mother Corpse Sprite

Beta

Gruz Mother Corpse

Release version

Vengefly King is in the Forgotten Crossroads near the Hot Spring instead of in Greenpath.

Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 18


Gameplay differences

The gameplay of the beta has some notable differences, including different abilities and combat.

Abilities

An ability called Backdashing is possible by pressing the current SUPER DASH button. This ability was cut in the release version.

Backdash beta

Forward Dash exists and has a different animation, but it can only be activated with file editing/mods.

Forward dash beta

Focus

It takes longer to use Focus compared to the release version.

Hollow_Knight_Beta_-_Focus_time_comparison

Hollow Knight Beta - Focus time comparison

Geo

Geo is lost upon death but the SOUL meter is not broken before recovering the Shade.

Hollow_Knight_Beta_-_Death

Hollow Knight Beta - Death

Invincibility frames

Less invincibility frames are gained after being hit.

Hollow_Knight_Beta_-_Invincibility_frames

Hollow Knight Beta - Invincibility frames

Items

The inventory does not exist. No Charms or Items exist except for Mask Shards.

Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 30

Map

The Map is viewed by hitting M on keyboard or LB/L1 on controller. It is not possible to move while viewing the map. The only area that has a map is the Forgotten Crossroads and this map looks different compared to the release version.

Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 19

Masks

The Knight starts with 4 initial Masks instead of 5.

Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 20

Nail

The Knight's Nail has decreased range compared to the release version.

Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 29

The beta allows faster Nail strikes.

Hollow_Knight_Beta_-_Nail_speed_comparison

Hollow Knight Beta - Nail speed comparison

SOUL

Less SOUL is gained from hitting enemies.

Hollow_Knight_Beta_-_Soul_gain_speed_comparison

Hollow Knight Beta - Soul gain speed comparison


NPC differences

Some NPCs are missing from their location in the release version, or found in different locations. They may also have different behaviour in the beta compared to the release version.

Cornifer

Cornifer does not charge Geo for his map and the map is already drawn.

Hollow_Knight_Beta_-_Cornifer's_map

Hollow Knight Beta - Cornifer's map

Iselda

Iselda cannot be accessed normally. She and her shop exist in the beta, but can only be accessed with mods. She only uses one sprite and has no dialogue.
Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 21

Confessor Jiji

Confessor Jiji and her cave are missing in Dirtmouth.

Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 03

Last Stag

The Last Stag has an unused sleeping or resting animation which can only be found in the files. One of these sprites were later used for the corpses in the Stag Nest.

Cut Last Stag Sleeping

Cut sleeping animation

Stag Nest Corpse

Stag Nest corpse sprite

Menderbug

Menderbug exists in the beta. He can be killed with Vengeful Spirit, but drops nothing upon death. His house is inaccessible.

Hollow_Knight_Beta_-_Menderbug

Hollow Knight Beta - Menderbug

Salubra

Salubra is missing entirely. Her store exists but it cannot be entered.

Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 08

Sly

Sly does not sell items in his shop.

Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 28

Zote

Zote is first encountered in the Forgotten Crossroads instead of in Greenpath and cannot die here.

Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 22
Zote does not face the Knight when talking to them.
Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 23
Zote goes to Dirtmouth after being saved.
Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 24


Miscellaneous differences

Acid looks different. It is more transparent in the beta and contains more bubbles.

Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 25

Beta

Screenshot HK Greenpath 14

Release version

The beta ends after attempting to enter Greenpath.

Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 26
City of Tears tower background sprites can be found in the files. These sprites were incorporated in a single background image in the release version which is used for some areas in the City of Tears.
Beta City of Tears Background Sprite

Beta

City of Tears background

Release Version

The Dreamers' masks all look the same as Monomon's.
Screenshot HK Hollow Knight Beta 27

Beta

Screenshot HK Dreamers 06

Release version

Zote is a traveller from outside Hallownest who came to the Kingdom to fulfill a promise. This is ultimately revealed to be a promise of glory for himself. He named his nail "Life Ender" because names supposedly have power. Unfortunately, because it is made of shellwood, it cannot deal damage. While he claims to be the strongest warrior in the land, he is found trapped by weak enemies or claiming the glory of another bug's deeds. He regards the Knight as beneath him and accuses them of constantly getting in his way.

Found along the path leading to Greenpath. He is held in the mandibles of a Vengefly King, and the Knight has the choice to either save him or leave him. If saved, he complains that the Knight got in the way between him and his "prey", he introduces himself and boasts about his supposed mighty deeds.

If he is not saved before acquiring the Mantis Claw, he dies in this location, with his nail and shell remaining. Hitting his shell here grants the Neglect achievement.

If he is saved in Greenpath, Zote shows up in Dirtmouth, where he once again talks to the Knight in an arrogant fashion.

Zote can be found in a corridor leading back to the storerooms of the City of Tears. He has forgotten the Knight and introduces himself again.

Found stuck in spider webs, presumably having been captured by the beasts of Deepnest. Once again the Knight has the choice to either save him or leave him, though this time leaving him does not result in his death. If saved, he once again complains about the Knight meddling in his supposed heroics.

If the Knight saves him both times, he is captured and can be found in the resting area of the Colosseum of Fools, where he brags about his skills and how his capture was part of his plan. He then becomes the final boss of the first trial. As a boss, he deals no damage due to his nail being made of shellwood. He simply has to be attacked until the fight is over. He is quite inept in combat and regularly messes up his jumps. Beating him grants the Rivalry achievement.
Needle is the term used to describe the bladed weapon wielded by Hornet. The needle is attached with a thread of silk.
Mighty Hegemol... What a towering figure he was, though surprisingly soft spoken for one so large. They were all impressive in their own right, of course. Fierce Dryya, kindly Isma, mysterious Ze'mer ... erm, and the other one.
Shardmites are enemies in Hollow Knight. Formerly used in Crystal Peak's mining operations, these creatures now wander around on walls, feeding on crystal dust. Crawls up and down on vertical surfaces. Upon approaching it, it sprouts long crystal spikes from its shell. While those spikes are extended, it is invulnerable. By attacking quickly, it can be taken off guard and killed before it sprouts its spikes. It is also possible to Nail-bounce off its spikes by down-slashing. With repeated down-slashing, the Shardmite retracts its spikes briefly before sprouting them again, giving the Knight a chance to get in a hit between spikes while keeping distance.

The Five Great Knights of Hallownest once stood beneath the throne as the kingdom's protectors. They are revered figures who are often mentioned in historical records but only as a group. Information on the individual Great Knights is sparse, with Relic Seeker Lemm noting that their names and appearance seem to have been erased from history.

The Five Great Knights are:

By the time the Knight returns to Hallownest, three of the Great Knights have either died or disappeared. Only Ogrim and Ze'mer are known to be alive.


The Great Knights are depicted in Ogrim's cave below his boss arena as statues made of dung:

Five Great Knights Dung Statues
From left to right: Ze'mer, Dryya, Isma, Hegemol, and Ogrim

The silhouettes of four of them can be seen in the arena of Hidden Dreams content White Defender:

Five Great Knights Silhouettes
From left to right: Ze'mer, Dryya, Isma, and Hegemol


Ze'mer

Grey Mourner2

Located in the Resting Grounds where she is known as the "Grey Mourner", Ze'mer is the only remaining Great Knight besides Ogrim. Sheo refers to her as "mysterious Ze'mer". She is not native to Hallownest, originating from "lands serene", a location from which she also brought Delicate Flowers. There is not much known about Ze'mer when she was a Great Knight, but Ogrim remarks on how she told stories.

After her Mantis lover died, Ze'mer turned to mourning and retreated to her house in the Resting Grounds. She dissipates after the Knight delivers the Delicate Flower to the grave of her lover.


Dryya

White Knight Dead

Dryya had a hard front, and Nailmaster Sheo refers to her as "Fierce Dryya", although she is noted to have been a caring type. Ogrim mentions that he misses her wisdom. She was tasked with standing guard over the White Lady in the Queen's Gardens.

After defeating numerous Mantis Traitors, evidenced by the pile of their corpses aside Dryya's own, they eventually overwhelmed her. The White Lady is not aware of Dryya's death.

Dream Nail Dialogue Essence

  • Protect...


Isma

Isma

Referred to as "kindly Isma" by Nailmaster Sheo, there is little known about Isma, but her strength seemed to surpass that of Ogrim's, and her nature seemed to be kind and understanding. Ogrim and Isma had a very close relationship, even more so since he seems to be protecting her grove specifically. Isma’s powers and capabilities are not specifically stated but seem to have some relation to acid, as her tear or "blessing" grants acid immunity. Her grove is referred to as the "source of acid blight."

She can be found within the Royal Waterways, in Isma’s Grove. She appears to be dead and her body can be seen attached to a wall by plant growth; making the cause of her death the most questionable.

Dream Nail Dialogue Essence

  • ...Ogrim... there's no time...


Hegemol

False Knight Statue

Hegemol is the only Great Knight whose whereabouts are largely unknown. He was the favourite Great Knight of Nailmaster Sheo, who calls him "Mighty Hegemol". He was a towering figure but soft spoken, which was surprising for somebody of his stature. Ogrim mentions that he misses Hegemol's humour.

A statue of Hegemol can be found outside the City of Tears, requiring the City Crest to open the gate to the city.

While Hegemol was sleeping, his armoured shell was stolen by a Maggot who wanted to defend his siblings. It is unknown whether Hegemol is alive after this or if he was murdered by the maggot. While the False Knight who stole his shell wields a mace with an armoured bug attached to the end, Hegemol himself is always shown without any weapon.


Ogrim

Dung-Defender-2

The most loyal of the Five Great Knights, Ogrim is found in the Royal Waterways where he is known as "Dung Defender". He hopes to meet the other Great Knights again and see Hallownest be reborn. Although he misses Isma in particular, he is not able to visit her grove due to his duties and an oath that he swore. Due to this, he seems to be unaware of Isma's fate and the fate of the other Great Knights.

When he is defeated five times in his dreams as Hidden Dreams content White Defender, Ogrim wonders if the line of Hallownest's Great Knights ends with him or whether it can be passed on, mentioning that he can easily imagine the Knight standing amongst the greatest heroes of the age. Ogrim disappears after this encounter, leaving behind a statue of the Knight made of dung.

The Love Key is an Item in Hollow Knight.

Use

Opens the door inside the Tower of Love where the Collector can be fought.

Hornet is the mysterious princess-protector of Hallownest’s ruins, a major character in Hollow Knight and the playable protagonist of Hollow Knight: Silksong. She wields a Needle and thread with deadly prowess.

Hornet is captured by outsider bugs and brought to their kingdom, Pharloom, but she escapes her cage before arriving at their destination. She then must battle foes and solve mysteries to ascend on a deadly pilgrimage to this kingdom's peak.

Health is represented as Masks, shown in the upper-left corner of the screen. Hornet starts the game with 5 Masks and can obtain more. Health is lost by taking damage, either from enemies or from environmental hazards. Health can be regained by the use of the Bind ability consuming a full Silk spool.

Lifeblood Masks, granted by Lifeblood needles, are temporary masks.

Silk is represented as a spool below the health indicator. Thread is consumed when using special abilities, including a form of Focus named Bind. Striking enemies with the Needle fills the spool by two laces. When the spool is full, the symbol representing the side of the spool left to the health indicator is filled.

The Needle is Hornet's main weapon. Not only can she use it to slash or block attacks against enemies, but also to dash forward, stab, and bounce up above them. She can also use it alongside her abilities to deal greater damage or as a grappling hook.

Tools are special items classed by categories, equipped on a Crest with limited slots. They can be used as throwing weapons or defensive aids without costing Silk. Crests and Tools can be changed when sitting on a Bench similar to Charms.

Abilities consume Silk thread to use them.

Hornet can collect and keep various items throughout her journey, which are stored in her inventory. They can be related to specific quests.

The following areas have no confirmed name, although the names used were mentioned in the official announcement. Other mentioned names include "Bonebottom", "Moss Temple", and "Soaring Warlord's Tower": "Coral Forest", "Gilded City", and "Lake of Fire/Bone Forest".

Garmond and Zaza are two NPCs first revealed in the Hollow Knight: Silksong announcement trailer. They are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond appears to be the rider, while Zaza appears to be mount.

Garmond and Zaza only appear once in the announcement trailer; they are seen during the "New Quests" segment. Within a dark, murky hallway with a visible curved lattice pattern in the background, Hornet is shown leaping over the two as they charge forward through a small group of enemies, while Garmond makes a loud vocalization.

They were later revealed in a blog post, which states that the two are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond is described as being rambunctious and chatty, while Zaza is noted to possibly be "the brains" of the two.

Elder Hu was a travelling sage who sought to purify the borderlands of Hallownest from the Infection. He reached the Mantis Village, but his own Infected mind made him see the Mantis Lords and the Tribe as afflicted by the plague. The Mantises killed him after he attacked them. A memorial was erected in his name above the gates to the City of Tears, his tunic and bead necklace resting on top of it.

The spirit of Elder Hu can be fought at his memorial after acquiring the Dream Nail. Still deluded in his experience with the Mantis Tribe, he warns the Knight. After his defeat, the spirit becomes aware of his madness-driven mistake. He realizes his own death before shattering into 100 Essence to be collected by the Dream Nail.

Elder Hu has two attacks in addition to being able to teleport:

Ring Slam: Elder Hu summons a row of rings in midair, interspersed with several safe gaps, before quickly slamming them all down onto the ground simultaneously.

Ring Curtain: Elder Hu summons pairs of rings that slam down on the ground, beginning from the edges of the arena and moving towards the centre.

Teleport: Elder Hu warps from one area to another to avoid attacks or set up his own.

The ring attacks require very precise movements to dodge as they come out quickly. The Shade Cloak is highly recommended, although not completely necessary. Elder Hu remains in place during the attacks, and his floating pattern is low enough to the ground, where attacking with the Nail is possible. Dodge the rings and get in some hits in between. Eventually, the rhythm of the attacks is easy to follow and the Knight should have no problem timing dashes and attacks.

Alternatively, the Knight can use Shade Cloak to dodge the Ring Slam attack and use Howling Wraiths/Abyss Shriek along with a Spell build (such as Shaman Stone, Spell Twister, Soul Catcher, and Soul Eater) to quickly finish him off.

How to Acquire

Found on a corpse in the southeast of the Queen's Gardens above the path to the Fungal Wastes. Retrieving the key requires Isma's Tear.

Hornet is the mysterious princess-protector of Hallownest’s ruins, a major character in Hollow Knight and the playable protagonist of Hollow Knight: Silksong. She wields a Needle and thread with deadly prowess.

Hornet is captured by outsider bugs and brought to their kingdom, Pharloom, but she escapes her cage before arriving at their destination. She then must battle foes and solve mysteries to ascend on a deadly pilgrimage to this kingdom's peak.

Health is represented as Masks, shown in the upper-left corner of the screen. Hornet starts the game with 5 Masks and can obtain more. Health is lost by taking damage, either from enemies or from environmental hazards. Health can be regained by the use of the Bind ability consuming a full Silk spool.

Lifeblood Masks, granted by Lifeblood needles, are temporary masks.

Silk is represented as a spool below the health indicator. Thread is consumed when using special abilities, including a form of Focus named Bind. Striking enemies with the Needle fills the spool by two laces. When the spool is full, the symbol representing the side of the spool left to the health indicator is filled.

The Needle is Hornet's main weapon. Not only can she use it to slash or block attacks against enemies, but also to dash forward, stab, and bounce up above them. She can also use it alongside her abilities to deal greater damage or as a grappling hook.

Tools are special items classed by categories, equipped on a Crest with limited slots. They can be used as throwing weapons or defensive aids without costing Silk. Crests and Tools can be changed when sitting on a Bench similar to Charms.

Abilities consume Silk thread to use them.

Hornet can collect and keep various items throughout her journey, which are stored in her inventory. They can be related to specific quests.

The following areas have no confirmed name, although the names used were mentioned in the official announcement. Other mentioned names include "Bonebottom", "Moss Temple", and "Soaring Warlord's Tower": "Coral Forest", "Gilded City", and "Lake of Fire/Bone Forest".

Garmond and Zaza are two NPCs first revealed in the Hollow Knight: Silksong announcement trailer. They are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond appears to be the rider, while Zaza appears to be mount.

Garmond and Zaza only appear once in the announcement trailer; they are seen during the "New Quests" segment. Within a dark, murky hallway with a visible curved lattice pattern in the background, Hornet is shown leaping over the two as they charge forward through a small group of enemies, while Garmond makes a loud vocalization.

They were later revealed in a blog post, which states that the two are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond is described as being rambunctious and chatty, while Zaza is noted to possibly be "the brains" of the two.

Elder Hu was a travelling sage who sought to purify the borderlands of Hallownest from the Infection. He reached the Mantis Village, but his own Infected mind made him see the Mantis Lords and the Tribe as afflicted by the plague. The Mantises killed him after he attacked them. A memorial was erected in his name above the gates to the City of Tears, his tunic and bead necklace resting on top of it.

The spirit of Elder Hu can be fought at his memorial after acquiring the Dream Nail. Still deluded in his experience with the Mantis Tribe, he warns the Knight. After his defeat, the spirit becomes aware of his madness-driven mistake. He realizes his own death before shattering into 100 Essence to be collected by the Dream Nail.

Elder Hu has two attacks in addition to being able to teleport:

Ring Slam: Elder Hu summons a row of rings in midair, interspersed with several safe gaps, before quickly slamming them all down onto the ground simultaneously.

Ring Curtain: Elder Hu summons pairs of rings that slam down on the ground, beginning from the edges of the arena and moving towards the centre.

Teleport: Elder Hu warps from one area to another to avoid attacks or set up his own.

The ring attacks require very precise movements to dodge as they come out quickly. The Shade Cloak is highly recommended, although not completely necessary. Elder Hu remains in place during the attacks, and his floating pattern is low enough to the ground, where attacking with the Nail is possible. Dodge the rings and get in some hits in between. Eventually, the rhythm of the attacks is easy to follow and the Knight should have no problem timing dashes and attacks.

Alternatively, the Knight can use Shade Cloak to dodge the Ring Slam attack and use Howling Wraiths/Abyss Shriek along with a Spell build (such as Shaman Stone, Spell Twister, Soul Catcher, and Soul Eater) to quickly finish him off.


Trivia

"Too long... spent together. We become as one..."
Hornet is the mysterious princess-protector of Hallownest’s ruins, a major character in Hollow Knight and the playable protagonist of Hollow Knight: Silksong. She wields a Needle and thread with deadly prowess.

Hornet is captured by outsider bugs and brought to their kingdom, Pharloom, but she escapes her cage before arriving at their destination. She then must battle foes and solve mysteries to ascend on a deadly pilgrimage to this kingdom's peak.

Health is represented as Masks, shown in the upper-left corner of the screen. Hornet starts the game with 5 Masks and can obtain more. Health is lost by taking damage, either from enemies or from environmental hazards. Health can be regained by the use of the Bind ability consuming a full Silk spool.

Lifeblood Masks, granted by Lifeblood needles, are temporary masks.

Silk is represented as a spool below the health indicator. Thread is consumed when using special abilities, including a form of Focus named Bind. Striking enemies with the Needle fills the spool by two laces. When the spool is full, the symbol representing the side of the spool left to the health indicator is filled.

The Needle is Hornet's main weapon. Not only can she use it to slash or block attacks against enemies, but also to dash forward, stab, and bounce up above them. She can also use it alongside her abilities to deal greater damage or as a grappling hook.

Tools are special items classed by categories, equipped on a Crest with limited slots. They can be used as throwing weapons or defensive aids without costing Silk. Crests and Tools can be changed when sitting on a Bench similar to Charms.

Abilities consume Silk thread to use them.

Hornet can collect and keep various items throughout her journey, which are stored in her inventory. They can be related to specific quests.

The following areas have no confirmed name, although the names used were mentioned in the official announcement. Other mentioned names include "Bonebottom", "Moss Temple", and "Soaring Warlord's Tower": "Coral Forest", "Gilded City", and "Lake of Fire/Bone Forest".

Garmond and Zaza are two NPCs first revealed in the Hollow Knight: Silksong announcement trailer. They are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond appears to be the rider, while Zaza appears to be mount.

Garmond and Zaza only appear once in the announcement trailer; they are seen during the "New Quests" segment. Within a dark, murky hallway with a visible curved lattice pattern in the background, Hornet is shown leaping over the two as they charge forward through a small group of enemies, while Garmond makes a loud vocalization.

They were later revealed in a blog post, which states that the two are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond is described as being rambunctious and chatty, while Zaza is noted to possibly be "the brains" of the two.

Elder Hu was a travelling sage who sought to purify the borderlands of Hallownest from the Infection. He reached the Mantis Village, but his own Infected mind made him see the Mantis Lords and the Tribe as afflicted by the plague. The Mantises killed him after he attacked them. A memorial was erected in his name above the gates to the City of Tears, his tunic and bead necklace resting on top of it.

The spirit of Elder Hu can be fought at his memorial after acquiring the Dream Nail. Still deluded in his experience with the Mantis Tribe, he warns the Knight. After his defeat, the spirit becomes aware of his madness-driven mistake. He realizes his own death before shattering into 100 Essence to be collected by the Dream Nail.

Elder Hu has two attacks in addition to being able to teleport:

Ring Slam: Elder Hu summons a row of rings in midair, interspersed with several safe gaps, before quickly slamming them all down onto the ground simultaneously.

Ring Curtain: Elder Hu summons pairs of rings that slam down on the ground, beginning from the edges of the arena and moving towards the centre.

Teleport: Elder Hu warps from one area to another to avoid attacks or set up his own.

The ring attacks require very precise movements to dodge as they come out quickly. The Shade Cloak is highly recommended, although not completely necessary. Elder Hu remains in place during the attacks, and his floating pattern is low enough to the ground, where attacking with the Nail is possible. Dodge the rings and get in some hits in between. Eventually, the rhythm of the attacks is easy to follow and the Knight should have no problem timing dashes and attacks.

Alternatively, the Knight can use Shade Cloak to dodge the Ring Slam attack and use Howling Wraiths/Abyss Shriek along with a Spell build (such as Shaman Stone, Spell Twister, Soul Catcher, and Soul Eater) to quickly finish him off.

Gallery

Trivia

White Knight

Dryya promotional art

  • A fight with Dryya was planned early in development but was later cut. A Kickstarter update described her as:
"One of Hallownest's five greatest Knights and defender of the Queen’s Glade. She was driven mad by her Queen lost and the garden overrun. Still she retains her honour, offering fair challenge to the Hollow Knight: Nail against nail. A duel to the death."
  • Ogrim was revealed as a boss in a Kickstarter update 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."
  • In early development, Herrah the Beast was named Hegemol. This was later changed to her current name.

The Love Key is an Item in Hollow Knight.

Use

Opens the door inside the Tower of Love where the Collector can be fought.

Hornet is the mysterious princess-protector of Hallownest’s ruins, a major character in Hollow Knight and the playable protagonist of Hollow Knight: Silksong. She wields a Needle and thread with deadly prowess.

Hornet is captured by outsider bugs and brought to their kingdom, Pharloom, but she escapes her cage before arriving at their destination. She then must battle foes and solve mysteries to ascend on a deadly pilgrimage to this kingdom's peak.

Health is represented as Masks, shown in the upper-left corner of the screen. Hornet starts the game with 5 Masks and can obtain more. Health is lost by taking damage, either from enemies or from environmental hazards. Health can be regained by the use of the Bind ability consuming a full Silk spool.

Lifeblood Masks, granted by Lifeblood needles, are temporary masks.

Silk is represented as a spool below the health indicator. Thread is consumed when using special abilities, including a form of Focus named Bind. Striking enemies with the Needle fills the spool by two laces. When the spool is full, the symbol representing the side of the spool left to the health indicator is filled.

The Needle is Hornet's main weapon. Not only can she use it to slash or block attacks against enemies, but also to dash forward, stab, and bounce up above them. She can also use it alongside her abilities to deal greater damage or as a grappling hook.

Tools are special items classed by categories, equipped on a Crest with limited slots. They can be used as throwing weapons or defensive aids without costing Silk. Crests and Tools can be changed when sitting on a Bench similar to Charms.

Abilities consume Silk thread to use them.

Hornet can collect and keep various items throughout her journey, which are stored in her inventory. They can be related to specific quests.

The following areas have no confirmed name, although the names used were mentioned in the official announcement. Other mentioned names include "Bonebottom", "Moss Temple", and "Soaring Warlord's Tower": "Coral Forest", "Gilded City", and "Lake of Fire/Bone Forest".

Garmond and Zaza are two NPCs first revealed in the Hollow Knight: Silksong announcement trailer. They are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond appears to be the rider, while Zaza appears to be mount.

Garmond and Zaza only appear once in the announcement trailer; they are seen during the "New Quests" segment. Within a dark, murky hallway with a visible curved lattice pattern in the background, Hornet is shown leaping over the two as they charge forward through a small group of enemies, while Garmond makes a loud vocalization.

They were later revealed in a blog post, which states that the two are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond is described as being rambunctious and chatty, while Zaza is noted to possibly be "the brains" of the two.

Elder Hu was a travelling sage who sought to purify the borderlands of Hallownest from the Infection. He reached the Mantis Village, but his own Infected mind made him see the Mantis Lords and the Tribe as afflicted by the plague. The Mantises killed him after he attacked them. A memorial was erected in his name above the gates to the City of Tears, his tunic and bead necklace resting on top of it.

The spirit of Elder Hu can be fought at his memorial after acquiring the Dream Nail. Still deluded in his experience with the Mantis Tribe, he warns the Knight. After his defeat, the spirit becomes aware of his madness-driven mistake. He realizes his own death before shattering into 100 Essence to be collected by the Dream Nail.

Elder Hu has two attacks in addition to being able to teleport:

Ring Slam: Elder Hu summons a row of rings in midair, interspersed with several safe gaps, before quickly slamming them all down onto the ground simultaneously.

Ring Curtain: Elder Hu summons pairs of rings that slam down on the ground, beginning from the edges of the arena and moving towards the centre.

Teleport: Elder Hu warps from one area to another to avoid attacks or set up his own.

The ring attacks require very precise movements to dodge as they come out quickly. The Shade Cloak is highly recommended, although not completely necessary. Elder Hu remains in place during the attacks, and his floating pattern is low enough to the ground, where attacking with the Nail is possible. Dodge the rings and get in some hits in between. Eventually, the rhythm of the attacks is easy to follow and the Knight should have no problem timing dashes and attacks.

Alternatively, the Knight can use Shade Cloak to dodge the Ring Slam attack and use Howling Wraiths/Abyss Shriek along with a Spell build (such as Shaman Stone, Spell Twister, Soul Catcher, and Soul Eater) to quickly finish him off.

How to Acquire

Found on a corpse in the southeast of the Queen's Gardens above the path to the Fungal Wastes. Retrieving the key requires Isma's Tear.

Hornet is the mysterious princess-protector of Hallownest’s ruins, a major character in Hollow Knight and the playable protagonist of Hollow Knight: Silksong. She wields a Needle and thread with deadly prowess.

Hornet is captured by outsider bugs and brought to their kingdom, Pharloom, but she escapes her cage before arriving at their destination. She then must battle foes and solve mysteries to ascend on a deadly pilgrimage to this kingdom's peak.

Health is represented as Masks, shown in the upper-left corner of the screen. Hornet starts the game with 5 Masks and can obtain more. Health is lost by taking damage, either from enemies or from environmental hazards. Health can be regained by the use of the Bind ability consuming a full Silk spool.

Lifeblood Masks, granted by Lifeblood needles, are temporary masks.

Silk is represented as a spool below the health indicator. Thread is consumed when using special abilities, including a form of Focus named Bind. Striking enemies with the Needle fills the spool by two laces. When the spool is full, the symbol representing the side of the spool left to the health indicator is filled.

The Needle is Hornet's main weapon. Not only can she use it to slash or block attacks against enemies, but also to dash forward, stab, and bounce up above them. She can also use it alongside her abilities to deal greater damage or as a grappling hook.

Tools are special items classed by categories, equipped on a Crest with limited slots. They can be used as throwing weapons or defensive aids without costing Silk. Crests and Tools can be changed when sitting on a Bench similar to Charms.

Abilities consume Silk thread to use them.

Hornet can collect and keep various items throughout her journey, which are stored in her inventory. They can be related to specific quests.

The following areas have no confirmed name, although the names used were mentioned in the official announcement. Other mentioned names include "Bonebottom", "Moss Temple", and "Soaring Warlord's Tower": "Coral Forest", "Gilded City", and "Lake of Fire/Bone Forest".

Garmond and Zaza are two NPCs first revealed in the Hollow Knight: Silksong announcement trailer. They are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond appears to be the rider, while Zaza appears to be mount.

Garmond and Zaza only appear once in the announcement trailer; they are seen during the "New Quests" segment. Within a dark, murky hallway with a visible curved lattice pattern in the background, Hornet is shown leaping over the two as they charge forward through a small group of enemies, while Garmond makes a loud vocalization.

They were later revealed in a blog post, which states that the two are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond is described as being rambunctious and chatty, while Zaza is noted to possibly be "the brains" of the two.

Elder Hu was a travelling sage who sought to purify the borderlands of Hallownest from the Infection. He reached the Mantis Village, but his own Infected mind made him see the Mantis Lords and the Tribe as afflicted by the plague. The Mantises killed him after he attacked them. A memorial was erected in his name above the gates to the City of Tears, his tunic and bead necklace resting on top of it.

The spirit of Elder Hu can be fought at his memorial after acquiring the Dream Nail. Still deluded in his experience with the Mantis Tribe, he warns the Knight. After his defeat, the spirit becomes aware of his madness-driven mistake. He realizes his own death before shattering into 100 Essence to be collected by the Dream Nail.

Elder Hu has two attacks in addition to being able to teleport:

Ring Slam: Elder Hu summons a row of rings in midair, interspersed with several safe gaps, before quickly slamming them all down onto the ground simultaneously.

Ring Curtain: Elder Hu summons pairs of rings that slam down on the ground, beginning from the edges of the arena and moving towards the centre.

Teleport: Elder Hu warps from one area to another to avoid attacks or set up his own.

The ring attacks require very precise movements to dodge as they come out quickly. The Shade Cloak is highly recommended, although not completely necessary. Elder Hu remains in place during the attacks, and his floating pattern is low enough to the ground, where attacking with the Nail is possible. Dodge the rings and get in some hits in between. Eventually, the rhythm of the attacks is easy to follow and the Knight should have no problem timing dashes and attacks.

Alternatively, the Knight can use Shade Cloak to dodge the Ring Slam attack and use Howling Wraiths/Abyss Shriek along with a Spell build (such as Shaman Stone, Spell Twister, Soul Catcher, and Soul Eater) to quickly finish him off.


Trivia

"Too long... spent together. We become as one..."

References

  1. Hornet Hunter's Journal entry: "I have seen this nimble little creature. I thought her prey and pounced at her, but with a flash she stabbed me with her flying stinger and darted away."
  2. Tweet by Team Cherry
  3. Official manual
  4. White Lady: "It faced the Gendered Child? She's a fierce foe, strong in mind and body, striking reflection of her mother, though the two were permitted little time together. I never begrudged the Wyrm's dalliance as bargain. In fact, I feel some affection for the creature birthed."
  5. Herrah: "...Bound... For brood... For child..." "...Fair bargain made..."
  6. Hornet to the Knight: "Would you supplant our birth-cursed sibling, or would you transcend it?"
  7. Team Cherry blog post referring to the Knight, the Hollow Knight, and Hornet as siblings.
  8. Midwife: "Pale gift to the Nest and the Beast, and fair trade for sacrifice made. Long she's been distant. It'd do our spirits well were she to grace us a visit home..."
  9. Midwife: "You wear that bright mark of relationship. Then you've met her perhaps? Her who'd guard the mark, the Gendered Child."
  10. Hollow Knight Comic's First Chapter: Quirrel
  11. Blog post of 1 September, 2015.
  12. Tweet by Team Cherry on 24 January, 2017.
  13. Message with the Beta download link. 21 September, 2020. Retrieved 26 June, 2021.
Godmaster Icon Godmaster Content

Godhome

Hornet can be fought in both her forms in the Pantheons of Godhome. Like a few other beings partaking in the ritual of the Godseeker, she is conscious of her mind being invaded and her dream battle shared with the Knight.

Endings

Hornet's fate depends on the Knight's actions. If the Knight never acquires the Void Heart and seals the Radiance by themself, she does not get involved at the end of their journey. If they continue to fight the Hollow Knight or fail to enter their mind despite her aid, Hornet is knocked unconscious and sealed within the Black Egg along with her sibling.

Ending H

Hornet in the Embrace the Void endings

If the Knight successfully enters the mind of the Hollow Knight and defeats the Radiance, the Black Egg disappears, leaving behind Hornet and her needle, along with the cracked shell of her sibling.

Alternatively, if the Knight completes instead the ritual of the Godseeker and defeats the Absolute Radiance, she witnesses the disappearance of the Infection's tendrils outside the Black Egg. Startled by the sudden appearance of the Hollow Knight coming out of their prison, she readies herself for battle.

The Love Key is an Item in Hollow Knight.

Use

Opens the door inside the Tower of Love where the Collector can be fought.

Hornet is the mysterious princess-protector of Hallownest’s ruins, a major character in Hollow Knight and the playable protagonist of Hollow Knight: Silksong. She wields a Needle and thread with deadly prowess.

Hornet is captured by outsider bugs and brought to their kingdom, Pharloom, but she escapes her cage before arriving at their destination. She then must battle foes and solve mysteries to ascend on a deadly pilgrimage to this kingdom's peak.

Health is represented as Masks, shown in the upper-left corner of the screen. Hornet starts the game with 5 Masks and can obtain more. Health is lost by taking damage, either from enemies or from environmental hazards. Health can be regained by the use of the Bind ability consuming a full Silk spool.

Lifeblood Masks, granted by Lifeblood needles, are temporary masks.

Silk is represented as a spool below the health indicator. Thread is consumed when using special abilities, including a form of Focus named Bind. Striking enemies with the Needle fills the spool by two laces. When the spool is full, the symbol representing the side of the spool left to the health indicator is filled.

The Needle is Hornet's main weapon. Not only can she use it to slash or block attacks against enemies, but also to dash forward, stab, and bounce up above them. She can also use it alongside her abilities to deal greater damage or as a grappling hook.

Tools are special items classed by categories, equipped on a Crest with limited slots. They can be used as throwing weapons or defensive aids without costing Silk. Crests and Tools can be changed when sitting on a Bench similar to Charms.

Abilities consume Silk thread to use them.

Hornet can collect and keep various items throughout her journey, which are stored in her inventory. They can be related to specific quests.

The following areas have no confirmed name, although the names used were mentioned in the official announcement. Other mentioned names include "Bonebottom", "Moss Temple", and "Soaring Warlord's Tower": "Coral Forest", "Gilded City", and "Lake of Fire/Bone Forest".

Garmond and Zaza are two NPCs first revealed in the Hollow Knight: Silksong announcement trailer. They are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond appears to be the rider, while Zaza appears to be mount.

Garmond and Zaza only appear once in the announcement trailer; they are seen during the "New Quests" segment. Within a dark, murky hallway with a visible curved lattice pattern in the background, Hornet is shown leaping over the two as they charge forward through a small group of enemies, while Garmond makes a loud vocalization.

They were later revealed in a blog post, which states that the two are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond is described as being rambunctious and chatty, while Zaza is noted to possibly be "the brains" of the two.

Elder Hu was a travelling sage who sought to purify the borderlands of Hallownest from the Infection. He reached the Mantis Village, but his own Infected mind made him see the Mantis Lords and the Tribe as afflicted by the plague. The Mantises killed him after he attacked them. A memorial was erected in his name above the gates to the City of Tears, his tunic and bead necklace resting on top of it.

The spirit of Elder Hu can be fought at his memorial after acquiring the Dream Nail. Still deluded in his experience with the Mantis Tribe, he warns the Knight. After his defeat, the spirit becomes aware of his madness-driven mistake. He realizes his own death before shattering into 100 Essence to be collected by the Dream Nail.

Elder Hu has two attacks in addition to being able to teleport:

Ring Slam: Elder Hu summons a row of rings in midair, interspersed with several safe gaps, before quickly slamming them all down onto the ground simultaneously.

Ring Curtain: Elder Hu summons pairs of rings that slam down on the ground, beginning from the edges of the arena and moving towards the centre.

Teleport: Elder Hu warps from one area to another to avoid attacks or set up his own.

The ring attacks require very precise movements to dodge as they come out quickly. The Shade Cloak is highly recommended, although not completely necessary. Elder Hu remains in place during the attacks, and his floating pattern is low enough to the ground, where attacking with the Nail is possible. Dodge the rings and get in some hits in between. Eventually, the rhythm of the attacks is easy to follow and the Knight should have no problem timing dashes and attacks.

Alternatively, the Knight can use Shade Cloak to dodge the Ring Slam attack and use Howling Wraiths/Abyss Shriek along with a Spell build (such as Shaman Stone, Spell Twister, Soul Catcher, and Soul Eater) to quickly finish him off.

How to Acquire

Found on a corpse in the southeast of the Queen's Gardens above the path to the Fungal Wastes. Retrieving the key requires Isma's Tear.

Hornet is the mysterious princess-protector of Hallownest’s ruins, a major character in Hollow Knight and the playable protagonist of Hollow Knight: Silksong. She wields a Needle and thread with deadly prowess.

Hornet is captured by outsider bugs and brought to their kingdom, Pharloom, but she escapes her cage before arriving at their destination. She then must battle foes and solve mysteries to ascend on a deadly pilgrimage to this kingdom's peak.

Health is represented as Masks, shown in the upper-left corner of the screen. Hornet starts the game with 5 Masks and can obtain more. Health is lost by taking damage, either from enemies or from environmental hazards. Health can be regained by the use of the Bind ability consuming a full Silk spool.

Lifeblood Masks, granted by Lifeblood needles, are temporary masks.

Silk is represented as a spool below the health indicator. Thread is consumed when using special abilities, including a form of Focus named Bind. Striking enemies with the Needle fills the spool by two laces. When the spool is full, the symbol representing the side of the spool left to the health indicator is filled.

The Needle is Hornet's main weapon. Not only can she use it to slash or block attacks against enemies, but also to dash forward, stab, and bounce up above them. She can also use it alongside her abilities to deal greater damage or as a grappling hook.

Tools are special items classed by categories, equipped on a Crest with limited slots. They can be used as throwing weapons or defensive aids without costing Silk. Crests and Tools can be changed when sitting on a Bench similar to Charms.

Abilities consume Silk thread to use them.

Hornet can collect and keep various items throughout her journey, which are stored in her inventory. They can be related to specific quests.

The following areas have no confirmed name, although the names used were mentioned in the official announcement. Other mentioned names include "Bonebottom", "Moss Temple", and "Soaring Warlord's Tower": "Coral Forest", "Gilded City", and "Lake of Fire/Bone Forest".

Garmond and Zaza are two NPCs first revealed in the Hollow Knight: Silksong announcement trailer. They are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond appears to be the rider, while Zaza appears to be mount.

Garmond and Zaza only appear once in the announcement trailer; they are seen during the "New Quests" segment. Within a dark, murky hallway with a visible curved lattice pattern in the background, Hornet is shown leaping over the two as they charge forward through a small group of enemies, while Garmond makes a loud vocalization.

They were later revealed in a blog post, which states that the two are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond is described as being rambunctious and chatty, while Zaza is noted to possibly be "the brains" of the two.

Elder Hu was a travelling sage who sought to purify the borderlands of Hallownest from the Infection. He reached the Mantis Village, but his own Infected mind made him see the Mantis Lords and the Tribe as afflicted by the plague. The Mantises killed him after he attacked them. A memorial was erected in his name above the gates to the City of Tears, his tunic and bead necklace resting on top of it.

The spirit of Elder Hu can be fought at his memorial after acquiring the Dream Nail. Still deluded in his experience with the Mantis Tribe, he warns the Knight. After his defeat, the spirit becomes aware of his madness-driven mistake. He realizes his own death before shattering into 100 Essence to be collected by the Dream Nail.

Elder Hu has two attacks in addition to being able to teleport:

Ring Slam: Elder Hu summons a row of rings in midair, interspersed with several safe gaps, before quickly slamming them all down onto the ground simultaneously.

Ring Curtain: Elder Hu summons pairs of rings that slam down on the ground, beginning from the edges of the arena and moving towards the centre.

Teleport: Elder Hu warps from one area to another to avoid attacks or set up his own.

The ring attacks require very precise movements to dodge as they come out quickly. The Shade Cloak is highly recommended, although not completely necessary. Elder Hu remains in place during the attacks, and his floating pattern is low enough to the ground, where attacking with the Nail is possible. Dodge the rings and get in some hits in between. Eventually, the rhythm of the attacks is easy to follow and the Knight should have no problem timing dashes and attacks.

Alternatively, the Knight can use Shade Cloak to dodge the Ring Slam attack and use Howling Wraiths/Abyss Shriek along with a Spell build (such as Shaman Stone, Spell Twister, Soul Catcher, and Soul Eater) to quickly finish him off.


Trivia

"Too long... spent together. We become as one..."

Dialogue

General
Greenpath, before the fight Come no closer, ghost.

I've seen you, creeping through the undergrowth, stalking me.
This old kingdom... A terrible thing awakens. I can smell it in the air...
I know what you are. I know what you'd try to do. I can't allow it.

Dream Nailed During the fight:
  • Too weak, little ghost...
  • No shadow will haunt me...
  • Only pity for your cursed kind.
At the Fountain Memorial of City of Tears Again we meet little ghost.

I'm normally quite perceptive. You I underestimated, though I've since guessed the truth.
You've seen beyond this kingdom's bounds. Yours is resilience born of two voids.
It's no surprise then you've managed to reach the heart of this world. In so doing, you shall know the sacrifice that keeps it standing.
If, knowing that truth, you'd still attempt a role in Hallownest's perpetuation, seek the Grave in Ash and the mark it would grant to one like you.

Before the fight in Kingdom's Edge So you'd pursue the deeper truth? It isn't one the weak could bear.

Prove yourself ready to face it. I'll not hold back. My needle is lethal and I'd feel no sadness in a weakling's demise.
Show me you can accept this Kingdom's past and claim responsibility for its future.

After the fight ...So strong...

You could do it, if you had the will.
But could you raise your nail once knowing its tragic conception? And knowing yourself?...
Then do it, Ghost of Hallownest! Head onward. Burn that mark upon your shell and claim yourself as King.

Dream Nailed Throughout the encounter:
  • From where does it draw this strength?
  • Could this one succeed?
  • Is it strong enough?
Listening after acquiring the Shade Cloak in the Abyss Ghost. I see you've faced the place of your birth, and now drape yourself in the substance of its shadow.

Though our strength is born of similar source, that part of you, that crucial emptiness, I do not share.
Funny then, that such darkness gives me hope. Within it, I see the chance of change.
A difficult journey you would face, but a choice it can create. Prolong our world's stasis or face the heart of its infection.

Exhausted dialogue I'd urge you to take that harder path, but what end may come, the decision rests with you.
Dream Nailed ...It faced the void, and ascends unscathed... Could it unite such vast darkness?..
Listening after defeating Herrah So you've slain the Beast... and you head towards that fated goal.

I'd not have obstructed this happening, but it caused me some pain to knowingly stand idle.
...What? You might think me stern but I'm not completely cold.
We do not choose our mothers, or the circumstance into which we are born. Despite all the ills of this world, I'm thankful for the life she granted me.
It's quite a debt I owed. Only in allowing her to pass, and taking the burden of the future in her stead, can I begin to repay it.

Exhausted dialogue Leave me now, ghost. Allow me a moment alone before this bedchamber becomes forever a shrine.
Dream Nailed ...Mother... Forgive my inaction... but another path may be possible...
Listening outside the sealed Black Egg, exhausted dialogue I'm impressed little ghost. You've burdened yourself with the fate of this world, yet you still stand strong.

To break the Dreamer's seals would alone be considered an impossible task, but to accept that void inside yourself, that casts you as something rather exceptional.

Listening outside the unsealed Black Egg The path is opened. One way or another an end awaits inside.

I won't be joining you in this. That space is built to sustain your likes. Its bindings would drain me were I to join.
Don't be surprised. I'll not risk my own life in your attempt, though if the moment presents I'll aid as I'm able.

Exhausted dialogue Ghost of Hallownest, you possess the strength to enact an end of your choosing. Would you supplant our birth-cursed sibling, or would you transcend it?
Dream Nailed ...Could it achieve that impossible thing? Should it?
Dream Nailed in Godhome Godmaster content In any of her fights:
  • ...Do they watch us struggle?..
  • Do you haunt my dreams... Or I yours?
  • Little Ghost... What dreams we share...

Locations

Hornet can be found in several locations across Hallownest. However, she may not appear in some due to events within the game.

Hornet is the mysterious princess-protector of Hallownest’s ruins, a major character in Hollow Knight and the playable protagonist of Hollow Knight: Silksong. She wields a Needle and thread with deadly prowess.

Hornet is captured by outsider bugs and brought to their kingdom, Pharloom, but she escapes her cage before arriving at their destination. She then must battle foes and solve mysteries to ascend on a deadly pilgrimage to this kingdom's peak.

Health is represented as Masks, shown in the upper-left corner of the screen. Hornet starts the game with 5 Masks and can obtain more. Health is lost by taking damage, either from enemies or from environmental hazards. Health can be regained by the use of the Bind ability consuming a full Silk spool.

Lifeblood Masks, granted by Lifeblood needles, are temporary masks.

Silk is represented as a spool below the health indicator. Thread is consumed when using special abilities, including a form of Focus named Bind. Striking enemies with the Needle fills the spool by two laces. When the spool is full, the symbol representing the side of the spool left to the health indicator is filled.

The Needle is Hornet's main weapon. Not only can she use it to slash or block attacks against enemies, but also to dash forward, stab, and bounce up above them. She can also use it alongside her abilities to deal greater damage or as a grappling hook.

Tools are special items classed by categories, equipped on a Crest with limited slots. They can be used as throwing weapons or defensive aids without costing Silk. Crests and Tools can be changed when sitting on a Bench similar to Charms.

Abilities consume Silk thread to use them.

Hornet can collect and keep various items throughout her journey, which are stored in her inventory. They can be related to specific quests.

The following areas have no confirmed name, although the names used were mentioned in the official announcement. Other mentioned names include "Bonebottom", "Moss Temple", and "Soaring Warlord's Tower": "Coral Forest", "Gilded City", and "Lake of Fire/Bone Forest".

Garmond and Zaza are two NPCs first revealed in the Hollow Knight: Silksong announcement trailer. They are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond appears to be the rider, while Zaza appears to be mount.

Garmond and Zaza only appear once in the announcement trailer; they are seen during the "New Quests" segment. Within a dark, murky hallway with a visible curved lattice pattern in the background, Hornet is shown leaping over the two as they charge forward through a small group of enemies, while Garmond makes a loud vocalization.

They were later revealed in a blog post, which states that the two are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond is described as being rambunctious and chatty, while Zaza is noted to possibly be "the brains" of the two.

Elder Hu was a travelling sage who sought to purify the borderlands of Hallownest from the Infection. He reached the Mantis Village, but his own Infected mind made him see the Mantis Lords and the Tribe as afflicted by the plague. The Mantises killed him after he attacked them. A memorial was erected in his name above the gates to the City of Tears, his tunic and bead necklace resting on top of it.

The spirit of Elder Hu can be fought at his memorial after acquiring the Dream Nail. Still deluded in his experience with the Mantis Tribe, he warns the Knight. After his defeat, the spirit becomes aware of his madness-driven mistake. He realizes his own death before shattering into 100 Essence to be collected by the Dream Nail.

Elder Hu has two attacks in addition to being able to teleport:

Ring Slam: Elder Hu summons a row of rings in midair, interspersed with several safe gaps, before quickly slamming them all down onto the ground simultaneously.

Ring Curtain: Elder Hu summons pairs of rings that slam down on the ground, beginning from the edges of the arena and moving towards the centre.

Teleport: Elder Hu warps from one area to another to avoid attacks or set up his own.

The ring attacks require very precise movements to dodge as they come out quickly. The Shade Cloak is highly recommended, although not completely necessary. Elder Hu remains in place during the attacks, and his floating pattern is low enough to the ground, where attacking with the Nail is possible. Dodge the rings and get in some hits in between. Eventually, the rhythm of the attacks is easy to follow and the Knight should have no problem timing dashes and attacks.

Alternatively, the Knight can use Shade Cloak to dodge the Ring Slam attack and use Howling Wraiths/Abyss Shriek along with a Spell build (such as Shaman Stone, Spell Twister, Soul Catcher, and Soul Eater) to quickly finish him off.
Hornet is the mysterious princess-protector of Hallownest’s ruins, a major character in Hollow Knight and the playable protagonist of Hollow Knight: Silksong. She wields a Needle and thread with deadly prowess.

Hornet is captured by outsider bugs and brought to their kingdom, Pharloom, but she escapes her cage before arriving at their destination. She then must battle foes and solve mysteries to ascend on a deadly pilgrimage to this kingdom's peak.

Health is represented as Masks, shown in the upper-left corner of the screen. Hornet starts the game with 5 Masks and can obtain more. Health is lost by taking damage, either from enemies or from environmental hazards. Health can be regained by the use of the Bind ability consuming a full Silk spool.

Lifeblood Masks, granted by Lifeblood needles, are temporary masks.

Silk is represented as a spool below the health indicator. Thread is consumed when using special abilities, including a form of Focus named Bind. Striking enemies with the Needle fills the spool by two laces. When the spool is full, the symbol representing the side of the spool left to the health indicator is filled.

The Needle is Hornet's main weapon. Not only can she use it to slash or block attacks against enemies, but also to dash forward, stab, and bounce up above them. She can also use it alongside her abilities to deal greater damage or as a grappling hook.

Tools are special items classed by categories, equipped on a Crest with limited slots. They can be used as throwing weapons or defensive aids without costing Silk. Crests and Tools can be changed when sitting on a Bench similar to Charms.

Abilities consume Silk thread to use them.

Hornet can collect and keep various items throughout her journey, which are stored in her inventory. They can be related to specific quests.

The following areas have no confirmed name, although the names used were mentioned in the official announcement. Other mentioned names include "Bonebottom", "Moss Temple", and "Soaring Warlord's Tower": "Coral Forest", "Gilded City", and "Lake of Fire/Bone Forest".

Garmond and Zaza are two NPCs first revealed in the Hollow Knight: Silksong announcement trailer. They are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond appears to be the rider, while Zaza appears to be mount.

Garmond and Zaza only appear once in the announcement trailer; they are seen during the "New Quests" segment. Within a dark, murky hallway with a visible curved lattice pattern in the background, Hornet is shown leaping over the two as they charge forward through a small group of enemies, while Garmond makes a loud vocalization.

They were later revealed in a blog post, which states that the two are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond is described as being rambunctious and chatty, while Zaza is noted to possibly be "the brains" of the two.

Elder Hu was a travelling sage who sought to purify the borderlands of Hallownest from the Infection. He reached the Mantis Village, but his own Infected mind made him see the Mantis Lords and the Tribe as afflicted by the plague. The Mantises killed him after he attacked them. A memorial was erected in his name above the gates to the City of Tears, his tunic and bead necklace resting on top of it.

The spirit of Elder Hu can be fought at his memorial after acquiring the Dream Nail. Still deluded in his experience with the Mantis Tribe, he warns the Knight. After his defeat, the spirit becomes aware of his madness-driven mistake. He realizes his own death before shattering into 100 Essence to be collected by the Dream Nail.

Elder Hu has two attacks in addition to being able to teleport:

Ring Slam: Elder Hu summons a row of rings in midair, interspersed with several safe gaps, before quickly slamming them all down onto the ground simultaneously.

Ring Curtain: Elder Hu summons pairs of rings that slam down on the ground, beginning from the edges of the arena and moving towards the centre.

Teleport: Elder Hu warps from one area to another to avoid attacks or set up his own.

The ring attacks require very precise movements to dodge as they come out quickly. The Shade Cloak is highly recommended, although not completely necessary. Elder Hu remains in place during the attacks, and his floating pattern is low enough to the ground, where attacking with the Nail is possible. Dodge the rings and get in some hits in between. Eventually, the rhythm of the attacks is easy to follow and the Knight should have no problem timing dashes and attacks.

Alternatively, the Knight can use Shade Cloak to dodge the Ring Slam attack and use Howling Wraiths/Abyss Shriek along with a Spell build (such as Shaman Stone, Spell Twister, Soul Catcher, and Soul Eater) to quickly finish him off.

Gallery

Achievements

Ellina is an expanded universe character who appears only within the Hollow Knight Wanderer's Journal- acting as the fictional author of the book. Her book details her experiences within the kingdom of Hallownest and acts as an outside source providing some unique reflections, accounts, and opinions on her findings. Ellina's character beyond her time spent in Hallownest is not explored and is unknown.

A brief summary by the author of the book states the following:

"The book is written from the perspective of Ellina the Chronicler, an "outsider" who is documenting her observations as she travels through Hallownest. She only knows what she's learned from others during her journey, so she doesn't pick up on any deep lore."

In addition, Ellina herself provides a small introduction in her journal:

"Greetings, fellow wanderer, and welcome to Hallownest!" "It would seem you’ve happened upon my journal. This volume contains a record of my observations and musings, transcribed as I travelled into the kingdom’s depths and-through a miracle of either luck or sheer willpower-returned safely to the surface. My travels brought me to Hallownest purely out of curiosity; though I expected to find naught but a desolate ruin down below, what awaited me was quite possibly the adventure of a lifetime. To that end, I’ve chosen to leave my completed journal behind, in hopes that another brave explorer might use it to piece together the myriad of mysteries of this forsaken kingdom."

The contents of the Wanderer's Journal include images and descriptions drawn and written by Ellina detailing a variety of enemies, characters, and environments. The main descriptions are typed out and are accompanied by Ellina's "quotes" - which are written out in a handwriting style font.

Ellina's story and adventure canonically occur at the same time as the events of Hollow Knight; the Knight's quest would have been currently in progress during the time Ellina was writing her journal. Evidence of this includes an account of Bretta first encountered by Ellina stuck in the Fungal Wastes, but later on noted to be in Dirtmouth: implying that Bretta was saved by the Knight as it occurs in the game.

Despite her story happening parallel to the game's events, Ellina never meets or runs into the Knight in person during her exploration of Hallownest. The closest instance Ellina comes to encountering the Knight underground is only through noticing the painting of the Knight by Nailmaster Sheo.

However, at the very end of the novel, when Ellina plans to leave the kingdom, she does catch a glimpse of the Knight as she's returning to the surface.
Achievement Test of Resolve Test of Resolve
Defeat Hornet in Greenpath.
5G
Ellina is an expanded universe character who appears only within the Hollow Knight Wanderer's Journal- acting as the fictional author of the book. Her book details her experiences within the kingdom of Hallownest and acts as an outside source providing some unique reflections, accounts, and opinions on her findings. Ellina's character beyond her time spent in Hallownest is not explored and is unknown.

A brief summary by the author of the book states the following:

"The book is written from the perspective of Ellina the Chronicler, an "outsider" who is documenting her observations as she travels through Hallownest. She only knows what she's learned from others during her journey, so she doesn't pick up on any deep lore."

In addition, Ellina herself provides a small introduction in her journal:

"Greetings, fellow wanderer, and welcome to Hallownest!" "It would seem you’ve happened upon my journal. This volume contains a record of my observations and musings, transcribed as I travelled into the kingdom’s depths and-through a miracle of either luck or sheer willpower-returned safely to the surface. My travels brought me to Hallownest purely out of curiosity; though I expected to find naught but a desolate ruin down below, what awaited me was quite possibly the adventure of a lifetime. To that end, I’ve chosen to leave my completed journal behind, in hopes that another brave explorer might use it to piece together the myriad of mysteries of this forsaken kingdom."

The contents of the Wanderer's Journal include images and descriptions drawn and written by Ellina detailing a variety of enemies, characters, and environments. The main descriptions are typed out and are accompanied by Ellina's "quotes" - which are written out in a handwriting style font.

Ellina's story and adventure canonically occur at the same time as the events of Hollow Knight; the Knight's quest would have been currently in progress during the time Ellina was writing her journal. Evidence of this includes an account of Bretta first encountered by Ellina stuck in the Fungal Wastes, but later on noted to be in Dirtmouth: implying that Bretta was saved by the Knight as it occurs in the game.

Despite her story happening parallel to the game's events, Ellina never meets or runs into the Knight in person during her exploration of Hallownest. The closest instance Ellina comes to encountering the Knight underground is only through noticing the painting of the Knight by Nailmaster Sheo.

However, at the very end of the novel, when Ellina plans to leave the kingdom, she does catch a glimpse of the Knight as she's returning to the surface.
Achievement Proof of Resolve {S} Proof of Resolve
Defeat Hornet in Kingdom's Edge.
10G
Ellina is an expanded universe character who appears only within the Hollow Knight Wanderer's Journal- acting as the fictional author of the book. Her book details her experiences within the kingdom of Hallownest and acts as an outside source providing some unique reflections, accounts, and opinions on her findings. Ellina's character beyond her time spent in Hallownest is not explored and is unknown.

A brief summary by the author of the book states the following:

"The book is written from the perspective of Ellina the Chronicler, an "outsider" who is documenting her observations as she travels through Hallownest. She only knows what she's learned from others during her journey, so she doesn't pick up on any deep lore."

In addition, Ellina herself provides a small introduction in her journal:

"Greetings, fellow wanderer, and welcome to Hallownest!" "It would seem you’ve happened upon my journal. This volume contains a record of my observations and musings, transcribed as I travelled into the kingdom’s depths and-through a miracle of either luck or sheer willpower-returned safely to the surface. My travels brought me to Hallownest purely out of curiosity; though I expected to find naught but a desolate ruin down below, what awaited me was quite possibly the adventure of a lifetime. To that end, I’ve chosen to leave my completed journal behind, in hopes that another brave explorer might use it to piece together the myriad of mysteries of this forsaken kingdom."

The contents of the Wanderer's Journal include images and descriptions drawn and written by Ellina detailing a variety of enemies, characters, and environments. The main descriptions are typed out and are accompanied by Ellina's "quotes" - which are written out in a handwriting style font.

Ellina's story and adventure canonically occur at the same time as the events of Hollow Knight; the Knight's quest would have been currently in progress during the time Ellina was writing her journal. Evidence of this includes an account of Bretta first encountered by Ellina stuck in the Fungal Wastes, but later on noted to be in Dirtmouth: implying that Bretta was saved by the Knight as it occurs in the game.

Despite her story happening parallel to the game's events, Ellina never meets or runs into the Knight in person during her exploration of Hallownest. The closest instance Ellina comes to encountering the Knight underground is only through noticing the painting of the Knight by Nailmaster Sheo.

However, at the very end of the novel, when Ellina plans to leave the kingdom, she does catch a glimpse of the Knight as she's returning to the surface.
Achievement Sealed Siblings {S} Sealed Siblings
Defeat the Hollow Knight with Hornet by your side.
30G

Trivia

"Quick with her deadly needle, relentless in battle, Hornet is exploring Hallownest to find the answer to a riddle that has plagued her. She has so far resisted the infection, but will still cut you down if you stand in her path."
"You may catch glimpses of Hornet during your exploration of Hallownest, although she always seems to be one or two steps ahead of you. If you do manage to catch up with her, be wary! Her needle can cut a bug down from thirty yards."[1]
  • Team Cherry explained in a Reddit comment that an unused concept for Hornet had her be the "Child of Three Queens": born to Herrah, raised by the White Lady and trained under and named by Hive Queen Vespa. They cannot confirm so far if that aspect of her story is still canon.[2]
  • When questioned about which species Hornet is, Team Cherry explained that she is either a spider, related to spiders, or spiderlike.[3]
  • Hornet's needle was made especially for her, and not many other bugs are skillful enough to wield it.[4]
  • On Hollow Knight: Silksong's steam page, Hornet is called a "Princess Knight".[5]
Zote is a traveller from outside Hallownest who came to the Kingdom to fulfill a promise. This is ultimately revealed to be a promise of glory for himself. He named his nail "Life Ender" because names supposedly have power. Unfortunately, because it is made of shellwood, it cannot deal damage. While he claims to be the strongest warrior in the land, he is found trapped by weak enemies or claiming the glory of another bug's deeds. He regards the Knight as beneath him and accuses them of constantly getting in his way.

Found along the path leading to Greenpath. He is held in the mandibles of a Vengefly King, and the Knight has the choice to either save him or leave him. If saved, he complains that the Knight got in the way between him and his "prey", he introduces himself and boasts about his supposed mighty deeds.

If he is not saved before acquiring the Mantis Claw, he dies in this location, with his nail and shell remaining. Hitting his shell here grants the Neglect achievement.

If he is saved in Greenpath, Zote shows up in Dirtmouth, where he once again talks to the Knight in an arrogant fashion.

Zote can be found in a corridor leading back to the storerooms of the City of Tears. He has forgotten the Knight and introduces himself again.

Found stuck in spider webs, presumably having been captured by the beasts of Deepnest. Once again the Knight has the choice to either save him or leave him, though this time leaving him does not result in his death. If saved, he once again complains about the Knight meddling in his supposed heroics.

If the Knight saves him both times, he is captured and can be found in the resting area of the Colosseum of Fools, where he brags about his skills and how his capture was part of his plan. He then becomes the final boss of the first trial. As a boss, he deals no damage due to his nail being made of shellwood. He simply has to be attacked until the fight is over. He is quite inept in combat and regularly messes up his jumps. Beating him grants the Rivalry achievement.
Needle is the term used to describe the bladed weapon wielded by Hornet. The needle is attached with a thread of silk.
Mighty Hegemol... What a towering figure he was, though surprisingly soft spoken for one so large. They were all impressive in their own right, of course. Fierce Dryya, kindly Isma, mysterious Ze'mer ... erm, and the other one.
Shardmites are enemies in Hollow Knight. Formerly used in Crystal Peak's mining operations, these creatures now wander around on walls, feeding on crystal dust. Crawls up and down on vertical surfaces. Upon approaching it, it sprouts long crystal spikes from its shell. While those spikes are extended, it is invulnerable. By attacking quickly, it can be taken off guard and killed before it sprouts its spikes. It is also possible to Nail-bounce off its spikes by down-slashing. With repeated down-slashing, the Shardmite retracts its spikes briefly before sprouting them again, giving the Knight a chance to get in a hit between spikes while keeping distance.

The Five Great Knights of Hallownest once stood beneath the throne as the kingdom's protectors. They are revered figures who are often mentioned in historical records but only as a group. Information on the individual Great Knights is sparse, with Relic Seeker Lemm noting that their names and appearance seem to have been erased from history.

The Five Great Knights are:

By the time the Knight returns to Hallownest, three of the Great Knights have either died or disappeared. Only Ogrim and Ze'mer are known to be alive.


The Great Knights are depicted in Ogrim's cave below his boss arena as statues made of dung:

Five Great Knights Dung Statues
From left to right: Ze'mer, Dryya, Isma, Hegemol, and Ogrim

The silhouettes of four of them can be seen in the arena of Hidden Dreams content White Defender:

Five Great Knights Silhouettes
From left to right: Ze'mer, Dryya, Isma, and Hegemol


Ze'mer

Grey Mourner2

Located in the Resting Grounds where she is known as the "Grey Mourner", Ze'mer is the only remaining Great Knight besides Ogrim. Sheo refers to her as "mysterious Ze'mer". She is not native to Hallownest, originating from "lands serene", a location from which she also brought Delicate Flowers. There is not much known about Ze'mer when she was a Great Knight, but Ogrim remarks on how she told stories.

After her Mantis lover died, Ze'mer turned to mourning and retreated to her house in the Resting Grounds. She dissipates after the Knight delivers the Delicate Flower to the grave of her lover.


Dryya

White Knight Dead

Dryya had a hard front, and Nailmaster Sheo refers to her as "Fierce Dryya", although she is noted to have been a caring type. Ogrim mentions that he misses her wisdom. She was tasked with standing guard over the White Lady in the Queen's Gardens.

After defeating numerous Mantis Traitors, evidenced by the pile of their corpses aside Dryya's own, they eventually overwhelmed her. The White Lady is not aware of Dryya's death.

Dream Nail Dialogue Essence

  • Protect...


Isma

Isma

Referred to as "kindly Isma" by Nailmaster Sheo, there is little known about Isma, but her strength seemed to surpass that of Ogrim's, and her nature seemed to be kind and understanding. Ogrim and Isma had a very close relationship, even more so since he seems to be protecting her grove specifically. Isma’s powers and capabilities are not specifically stated but seem to have some relation to acid, as her tear or "blessing" grants acid immunity. Her grove is referred to as the "source of acid blight."

She can be found within the Royal Waterways, in Isma’s Grove. She appears to be dead and her body can be seen attached to a wall by plant growth; making the cause of her death the most questionable.

Dream Nail Dialogue Essence

  • ...Ogrim... there's no time...


Hegemol

False Knight Statue

Hegemol is the only Great Knight whose whereabouts are largely unknown. He was the favourite Great Knight of Nailmaster Sheo, who calls him "Mighty Hegemol". He was a towering figure but soft spoken, which was surprising for somebody of his stature. Ogrim mentions that he misses Hegemol's humour.

A statue of Hegemol can be found outside the City of Tears, requiring the City Crest to open the gate to the city.

While Hegemol was sleeping, his armoured shell was stolen by a Maggot who wanted to defend his siblings. It is unknown whether Hegemol is alive after this or if he was murdered by the maggot. While the False Knight who stole his shell wields a mace with an armoured bug attached to the end, Hegemol himself is always shown without any weapon.


Ogrim

Dung-Defender-2

The most loyal of the Five Great Knights, Ogrim is found in the Royal Waterways where he is known as "Dung Defender". He hopes to meet the other Great Knights again and see Hallownest be reborn. Although he misses Isma in particular, he is not able to visit her grove due to his duties and an oath that he swore. Due to this, he seems to be unaware of Isma's fate and the fate of the other Great Knights.

When he is defeated five times in his dreams as Hidden Dreams content White Defender, Ogrim wonders if the line of Hallownest's Great Knights ends with him or whether it can be passed on, mentioning that he can easily imagine the Knight standing amongst the greatest heroes of the age. Ogrim disappears after this encounter, leaving behind a statue of the Knight made of dung.

The Love Key is an Item in Hollow Knight.

Use

Opens the door inside the Tower of Love where the Collector can be fought.

Hornet is the mysterious princess-protector of Hallownest’s ruins, a major character in Hollow Knight and the playable protagonist of Hollow Knight: Silksong. She wields a Needle and thread with deadly prowess.

Hornet is captured by outsider bugs and brought to their kingdom, Pharloom, but she escapes her cage before arriving at their destination. She then must battle foes and solve mysteries to ascend on a deadly pilgrimage to this kingdom's peak.

Health is represented as Masks, shown in the upper-left corner of the screen. Hornet starts the game with 5 Masks and can obtain more. Health is lost by taking damage, either from enemies or from environmental hazards. Health can be regained by the use of the Bind ability consuming a full Silk spool.

Lifeblood Masks, granted by Lifeblood needles, are temporary masks.

Silk is represented as a spool below the health indicator. Thread is consumed when using special abilities, including a form of Focus named Bind. Striking enemies with the Needle fills the spool by two laces. When the spool is full, the symbol representing the side of the spool left to the health indicator is filled.

The Needle is Hornet's main weapon. Not only can she use it to slash or block attacks against enemies, but also to dash forward, stab, and bounce up above them. She can also use it alongside her abilities to deal greater damage or as a grappling hook.

Tools are special items classed by categories, equipped on a Crest with limited slots. They can be used as throwing weapons or defensive aids without costing Silk. Crests and Tools can be changed when sitting on a Bench similar to Charms.

Abilities consume Silk thread to use them.

Hornet can collect and keep various items throughout her journey, which are stored in her inventory. They can be related to specific quests.

The following areas have no confirmed name, although the names used were mentioned in the official announcement. Other mentioned names include "Bonebottom", "Moss Temple", and "Soaring Warlord's Tower": "Coral Forest", "Gilded City", and "Lake of Fire/Bone Forest".

Garmond and Zaza are two NPCs first revealed in the Hollow Knight: Silksong announcement trailer. They are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond appears to be the rider, while Zaza appears to be mount.

Garmond and Zaza only appear once in the announcement trailer; they are seen during the "New Quests" segment. Within a dark, murky hallway with a visible curved lattice pattern in the background, Hornet is shown leaping over the two as they charge forward through a small group of enemies, while Garmond makes a loud vocalization.

They were later revealed in a blog post, which states that the two are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond is described as being rambunctious and chatty, while Zaza is noted to possibly be "the brains" of the two.

Elder Hu was a travelling sage who sought to purify the borderlands of Hallownest from the Infection. He reached the Mantis Village, but his own Infected mind made him see the Mantis Lords and the Tribe as afflicted by the plague. The Mantises killed him after he attacked them. A memorial was erected in his name above the gates to the City of Tears, his tunic and bead necklace resting on top of it.

The spirit of Elder Hu can be fought at his memorial after acquiring the Dream Nail. Still deluded in his experience with the Mantis Tribe, he warns the Knight. After his defeat, the spirit becomes aware of his madness-driven mistake. He realizes his own death before shattering into 100 Essence to be collected by the Dream Nail.

Elder Hu has two attacks in addition to being able to teleport:

Ring Slam: Elder Hu summons a row of rings in midair, interspersed with several safe gaps, before quickly slamming them all down onto the ground simultaneously.

Ring Curtain: Elder Hu summons pairs of rings that slam down on the ground, beginning from the edges of the arena and moving towards the centre.

Teleport: Elder Hu warps from one area to another to avoid attacks or set up his own.

The ring attacks require very precise movements to dodge as they come out quickly. The Shade Cloak is highly recommended, although not completely necessary. Elder Hu remains in place during the attacks, and his floating pattern is low enough to the ground, where attacking with the Nail is possible. Dodge the rings and get in some hits in between. Eventually, the rhythm of the attacks is easy to follow and the Knight should have no problem timing dashes and attacks.

Alternatively, the Knight can use Shade Cloak to dodge the Ring Slam attack and use Howling Wraiths/Abyss Shriek along with a Spell build (such as Shaman Stone, Spell Twister, Soul Catcher, and Soul Eater) to quickly finish him off.

How to Acquire

Found on a corpse in the southeast of the Queen's Gardens above the path to the Fungal Wastes. Retrieving the key requires Isma's Tear.

Hornet is the mysterious princess-protector of Hallownest’s ruins, a major character in Hollow Knight and the playable protagonist of Hollow Knight: Silksong. She wields a Needle and thread with deadly prowess.

Hornet is captured by outsider bugs and brought to their kingdom, Pharloom, but she escapes her cage before arriving at their destination. She then must battle foes and solve mysteries to ascend on a deadly pilgrimage to this kingdom's peak.

Health is represented as Masks, shown in the upper-left corner of the screen. Hornet starts the game with 5 Masks and can obtain more. Health is lost by taking damage, either from enemies or from environmental hazards. Health can be regained by the use of the Bind ability consuming a full Silk spool.

Lifeblood Masks, granted by Lifeblood needles, are temporary masks.

Silk is represented as a spool below the health indicator. Thread is consumed when using special abilities, including a form of Focus named Bind. Striking enemies with the Needle fills the spool by two laces. When the spool is full, the symbol representing the side of the spool left to the health indicator is filled.

The Needle is Hornet's main weapon. Not only can she use it to slash or block attacks against enemies, but also to dash forward, stab, and bounce up above them. She can also use it alongside her abilities to deal greater damage or as a grappling hook.

Tools are special items classed by categories, equipped on a Crest with limited slots. They can be used as throwing weapons or defensive aids without costing Silk. Crests and Tools can be changed when sitting on a Bench similar to Charms.

Abilities consume Silk thread to use them.

Hornet can collect and keep various items throughout her journey, which are stored in her inventory. They can be related to specific quests.

The following areas have no confirmed name, although the names used were mentioned in the official announcement. Other mentioned names include "Bonebottom", "Moss Temple", and "Soaring Warlord's Tower": "Coral Forest", "Gilded City", and "Lake of Fire/Bone Forest".

Garmond and Zaza are two NPCs first revealed in the Hollow Knight: Silksong announcement trailer. They are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond appears to be the rider, while Zaza appears to be mount.

Garmond and Zaza only appear once in the announcement trailer; they are seen during the "New Quests" segment. Within a dark, murky hallway with a visible curved lattice pattern in the background, Hornet is shown leaping over the two as they charge forward through a small group of enemies, while Garmond makes a loud vocalization.

They were later revealed in a blog post, which states that the two are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond is described as being rambunctious and chatty, while Zaza is noted to possibly be "the brains" of the two.

Elder Hu was a travelling sage who sought to purify the borderlands of Hallownest from the Infection. He reached the Mantis Village, but his own Infected mind made him see the Mantis Lords and the Tribe as afflicted by the plague. The Mantises killed him after he attacked them. A memorial was erected in his name above the gates to the City of Tears, his tunic and bead necklace resting on top of it.

The spirit of Elder Hu can be fought at his memorial after acquiring the Dream Nail. Still deluded in his experience with the Mantis Tribe, he warns the Knight. After his defeat, the spirit becomes aware of his madness-driven mistake. He realizes his own death before shattering into 100 Essence to be collected by the Dream Nail.

Elder Hu has two attacks in addition to being able to teleport:

Ring Slam: Elder Hu summons a row of rings in midair, interspersed with several safe gaps, before quickly slamming them all down onto the ground simultaneously.

Ring Curtain: Elder Hu summons pairs of rings that slam down on the ground, beginning from the edges of the arena and moving towards the centre.

Teleport: Elder Hu warps from one area to another to avoid attacks or set up his own.

The ring attacks require very precise movements to dodge as they come out quickly. The Shade Cloak is highly recommended, although not completely necessary. Elder Hu remains in place during the attacks, and his floating pattern is low enough to the ground, where attacking with the Nail is possible. Dodge the rings and get in some hits in between. Eventually, the rhythm of the attacks is easy to follow and the Knight should have no problem timing dashes and attacks.

Alternatively, the Knight can use Shade Cloak to dodge the Ring Slam attack and use Howling Wraiths/Abyss Shriek along with a Spell build (such as Shaman Stone, Spell Twister, Soul Catcher, and Soul Eater) to quickly finish him off.


Trivia

"Too long... spent together. We become as one..."
Hornet is the mysterious princess-protector of Hallownest’s ruins, a major character in Hollow Knight and the playable protagonist of Hollow Knight: Silksong. She wields a Needle and thread with deadly prowess.

Hornet is captured by outsider bugs and brought to their kingdom, Pharloom, but she escapes her cage before arriving at their destination. She then must battle foes and solve mysteries to ascend on a deadly pilgrimage to this kingdom's peak.

Health is represented as Masks, shown in the upper-left corner of the screen. Hornet starts the game with 5 Masks and can obtain more. Health is lost by taking damage, either from enemies or from environmental hazards. Health can be regained by the use of the Bind ability consuming a full Silk spool.

Lifeblood Masks, granted by Lifeblood needles, are temporary masks.

Silk is represented as a spool below the health indicator. Thread is consumed when using special abilities, including a form of Focus named Bind. Striking enemies with the Needle fills the spool by two laces. When the spool is full, the symbol representing the side of the spool left to the health indicator is filled.

The Needle is Hornet's main weapon. Not only can she use it to slash or block attacks against enemies, but also to dash forward, stab, and bounce up above them. She can also use it alongside her abilities to deal greater damage or as a grappling hook.

Tools are special items classed by categories, equipped on a Crest with limited slots. They can be used as throwing weapons or defensive aids without costing Silk. Crests and Tools can be changed when sitting on a Bench similar to Charms.

Abilities consume Silk thread to use them.

Hornet can collect and keep various items throughout her journey, which are stored in her inventory. They can be related to specific quests.

The following areas have no confirmed name, although the names used were mentioned in the official announcement. Other mentioned names include "Bonebottom", "Moss Temple", and "Soaring Warlord's Tower": "Coral Forest", "Gilded City", and "Lake of Fire/Bone Forest".

Garmond and Zaza are two NPCs first revealed in the Hollow Knight: Silksong announcement trailer. They are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond appears to be the rider, while Zaza appears to be mount.

Garmond and Zaza only appear once in the announcement trailer; they are seen during the "New Quests" segment. Within a dark, murky hallway with a visible curved lattice pattern in the background, Hornet is shown leaping over the two as they charge forward through a small group of enemies, while Garmond makes a loud vocalization.

They were later revealed in a blog post, which states that the two are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond is described as being rambunctious and chatty, while Zaza is noted to possibly be "the brains" of the two.

Elder Hu was a travelling sage who sought to purify the borderlands of Hallownest from the Infection. He reached the Mantis Village, but his own Infected mind made him see the Mantis Lords and the Tribe as afflicted by the plague. The Mantises killed him after he attacked them. A memorial was erected in his name above the gates to the City of Tears, his tunic and bead necklace resting on top of it.

The spirit of Elder Hu can be fought at his memorial after acquiring the Dream Nail. Still deluded in his experience with the Mantis Tribe, he warns the Knight. After his defeat, the spirit becomes aware of his madness-driven mistake. He realizes his own death before shattering into 100 Essence to be collected by the Dream Nail.

Elder Hu has two attacks in addition to being able to teleport:

Ring Slam: Elder Hu summons a row of rings in midair, interspersed with several safe gaps, before quickly slamming them all down onto the ground simultaneously.

Ring Curtain: Elder Hu summons pairs of rings that slam down on the ground, beginning from the edges of the arena and moving towards the centre.

Teleport: Elder Hu warps from one area to another to avoid attacks or set up his own.

The ring attacks require very precise movements to dodge as they come out quickly. The Shade Cloak is highly recommended, although not completely necessary. Elder Hu remains in place during the attacks, and his floating pattern is low enough to the ground, where attacking with the Nail is possible. Dodge the rings and get in some hits in between. Eventually, the rhythm of the attacks is easy to follow and the Knight should have no problem timing dashes and attacks.

Alternatively, the Knight can use Shade Cloak to dodge the Ring Slam attack and use Howling Wraiths/Abyss Shriek along with a Spell build (such as Shaman Stone, Spell Twister, Soul Catcher, and Soul Eater) to quickly finish him off.

Gallery

Trivia

White Knight

Dryya promotional art

  • A fight with Dryya was planned early in development but was later cut. A Kickstarter update described her as:
"One of Hallownest's five greatest Knights and defender of the Queen’s Glade. She was driven mad by her Queen lost and the garden overrun. Still she retains her honour, offering fair challenge to the Hollow Knight: Nail against nail. A duel to the death."
  • Ogrim was revealed as a boss in a Kickstarter update 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."
  • In early development, Herrah the Beast was named Hegemol. This was later changed to her current name.

The Love Key is an Item in Hollow Knight.

Use

Opens the door inside the Tower of Love where the Collector can be fought.

Hornet is the mysterious princess-protector of Hallownest’s ruins, a major character in Hollow Knight and the playable protagonist of Hollow Knight: Silksong. She wields a Needle and thread with deadly prowess.

Hornet is captured by outsider bugs and brought to their kingdom, Pharloom, but she escapes her cage before arriving at their destination. She then must battle foes and solve mysteries to ascend on a deadly pilgrimage to this kingdom's peak.

Health is represented as Masks, shown in the upper-left corner of the screen. Hornet starts the game with 5 Masks and can obtain more. Health is lost by taking damage, either from enemies or from environmental hazards. Health can be regained by the use of the Bind ability consuming a full Silk spool.

Lifeblood Masks, granted by Lifeblood needles, are temporary masks.

Silk is represented as a spool below the health indicator. Thread is consumed when using special abilities, including a form of Focus named Bind. Striking enemies with the Needle fills the spool by two laces. When the spool is full, the symbol representing the side of the spool left to the health indicator is filled.

The Needle is Hornet's main weapon. Not only can she use it to slash or block attacks against enemies, but also to dash forward, stab, and bounce up above them. She can also use it alongside her abilities to deal greater damage or as a grappling hook.

Tools are special items classed by categories, equipped on a Crest with limited slots. They can be used as throwing weapons or defensive aids without costing Silk. Crests and Tools can be changed when sitting on a Bench similar to Charms.

Abilities consume Silk thread to use them.

Hornet can collect and keep various items throughout her journey, which are stored in her inventory. They can be related to specific quests.

The following areas have no confirmed name, although the names used were mentioned in the official announcement. Other mentioned names include "Bonebottom", "Moss Temple", and "Soaring Warlord's Tower": "Coral Forest", "Gilded City", and "Lake of Fire/Bone Forest".

Garmond and Zaza are two NPCs first revealed in the Hollow Knight: Silksong announcement trailer. They are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond appears to be the rider, while Zaza appears to be mount.

Garmond and Zaza only appear once in the announcement trailer; they are seen during the "New Quests" segment. Within a dark, murky hallway with a visible curved lattice pattern in the background, Hornet is shown leaping over the two as they charge forward through a small group of enemies, while Garmond makes a loud vocalization.

They were later revealed in a blog post, which states that the two are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond is described as being rambunctious and chatty, while Zaza is noted to possibly be "the brains" of the two.

Elder Hu was a travelling sage who sought to purify the borderlands of Hallownest from the Infection. He reached the Mantis Village, but his own Infected mind made him see the Mantis Lords and the Tribe as afflicted by the plague. The Mantises killed him after he attacked them. A memorial was erected in his name above the gates to the City of Tears, his tunic and bead necklace resting on top of it.

The spirit of Elder Hu can be fought at his memorial after acquiring the Dream Nail. Still deluded in his experience with the Mantis Tribe, he warns the Knight. After his defeat, the spirit becomes aware of his madness-driven mistake. He realizes his own death before shattering into 100 Essence to be collected by the Dream Nail.

Elder Hu has two attacks in addition to being able to teleport:

Ring Slam: Elder Hu summons a row of rings in midair, interspersed with several safe gaps, before quickly slamming them all down onto the ground simultaneously.

Ring Curtain: Elder Hu summons pairs of rings that slam down on the ground, beginning from the edges of the arena and moving towards the centre.

Teleport: Elder Hu warps from one area to another to avoid attacks or set up his own.

The ring attacks require very precise movements to dodge as they come out quickly. The Shade Cloak is highly recommended, although not completely necessary. Elder Hu remains in place during the attacks, and his floating pattern is low enough to the ground, where attacking with the Nail is possible. Dodge the rings and get in some hits in between. Eventually, the rhythm of the attacks is easy to follow and the Knight should have no problem timing dashes and attacks.

Alternatively, the Knight can use Shade Cloak to dodge the Ring Slam attack and use Howling Wraiths/Abyss Shriek along with a Spell build (such as Shaman Stone, Spell Twister, Soul Catcher, and Soul Eater) to quickly finish him off.

How to Acquire

Found on a corpse in the southeast of the Queen's Gardens above the path to the Fungal Wastes. Retrieving the key requires Isma's Tear.

Hornet is the mysterious princess-protector of Hallownest’s ruins, a major character in Hollow Knight and the playable protagonist of Hollow Knight: Silksong. She wields a Needle and thread with deadly prowess.

Hornet is captured by outsider bugs and brought to their kingdom, Pharloom, but she escapes her cage before arriving at their destination. She then must battle foes and solve mysteries to ascend on a deadly pilgrimage to this kingdom's peak.

Health is represented as Masks, shown in the upper-left corner of the screen. Hornet starts the game with 5 Masks and can obtain more. Health is lost by taking damage, either from enemies or from environmental hazards. Health can be regained by the use of the Bind ability consuming a full Silk spool.

Lifeblood Masks, granted by Lifeblood needles, are temporary masks.

Silk is represented as a spool below the health indicator. Thread is consumed when using special abilities, including a form of Focus named Bind. Striking enemies with the Needle fills the spool by two laces. When the spool is full, the symbol representing the side of the spool left to the health indicator is filled.

The Needle is Hornet's main weapon. Not only can she use it to slash or block attacks against enemies, but also to dash forward, stab, and bounce up above them. She can also use it alongside her abilities to deal greater damage or as a grappling hook.

Tools are special items classed by categories, equipped on a Crest with limited slots. They can be used as throwing weapons or defensive aids without costing Silk. Crests and Tools can be changed when sitting on a Bench similar to Charms.

Abilities consume Silk thread to use them.

Hornet can collect and keep various items throughout her journey, which are stored in her inventory. They can be related to specific quests.

The following areas have no confirmed name, although the names used were mentioned in the official announcement. Other mentioned names include "Bonebottom", "Moss Temple", and "Soaring Warlord's Tower": "Coral Forest", "Gilded City", and "Lake of Fire/Bone Forest".

Garmond and Zaza are two NPCs first revealed in the Hollow Knight: Silksong announcement trailer. They are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond appears to be the rider, while Zaza appears to be mount.

Garmond and Zaza only appear once in the announcement trailer; they are seen during the "New Quests" segment. Within a dark, murky hallway with a visible curved lattice pattern in the background, Hornet is shown leaping over the two as they charge forward through a small group of enemies, while Garmond makes a loud vocalization.

They were later revealed in a blog post, which states that the two are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond is described as being rambunctious and chatty, while Zaza is noted to possibly be "the brains" of the two.

Elder Hu was a travelling sage who sought to purify the borderlands of Hallownest from the Infection. He reached the Mantis Village, but his own Infected mind made him see the Mantis Lords and the Tribe as afflicted by the plague. The Mantises killed him after he attacked them. A memorial was erected in his name above the gates to the City of Tears, his tunic and bead necklace resting on top of it.

The spirit of Elder Hu can be fought at his memorial after acquiring the Dream Nail. Still deluded in his experience with the Mantis Tribe, he warns the Knight. After his defeat, the spirit becomes aware of his madness-driven mistake. He realizes his own death before shattering into 100 Essence to be collected by the Dream Nail.

Elder Hu has two attacks in addition to being able to teleport:

Ring Slam: Elder Hu summons a row of rings in midair, interspersed with several safe gaps, before quickly slamming them all down onto the ground simultaneously.

Ring Curtain: Elder Hu summons pairs of rings that slam down on the ground, beginning from the edges of the arena and moving towards the centre.

Teleport: Elder Hu warps from one area to another to avoid attacks or set up his own.

The ring attacks require very precise movements to dodge as they come out quickly. The Shade Cloak is highly recommended, although not completely necessary. Elder Hu remains in place during the attacks, and his floating pattern is low enough to the ground, where attacking with the Nail is possible. Dodge the rings and get in some hits in between. Eventually, the rhythm of the attacks is easy to follow and the Knight should have no problem timing dashes and attacks.

Alternatively, the Knight can use Shade Cloak to dodge the Ring Slam attack and use Howling Wraiths/Abyss Shriek along with a Spell build (such as Shaman Stone, Spell Twister, Soul Catcher, and Soul Eater) to quickly finish him off.


Trivia

"Too long... spent together. We become as one..."

References

  1. Kickstarter update of December 9th, 2014.
  2. Reddit AMA comment regarding Hornet.
  3. A Profound Waste Of Time Issue 2, p. 121.
  4. Reddit AMA comment regarding Hornet's needle.
  5. Silksong Steam page
Compendium Broken Vessel Idle
Main Game
CrawlidVengeflyVengefly KingGruzzerGruz MotherTiktikAspid HunterAspid MotherAspid HatchlingGoamWandering HuskHusk HornheadLeaping HuskHusk BullyHusk WarriorHusk GuardEntombed HuskFalse Knight (Failed Champion) • MaggotMenderbugLifeseedBaldurElder Baldur

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Furious VengeflyVolatile GruzzerViolent HuskSlobbering Husk


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Hornet (ProtectorSentinel) • Hollow KnightRadianceShadeHunter's Mark
Hidden Dreams content Hidden Dreams
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Grimm Troupe content The Grimm Troupe
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Lifeblood content Lifeblood
Hive Knight
Godmaster content Godmaster
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The Love Key is an Item in Hollow Knight.

Use

Opens the door inside the Tower of Love where the Collector can be fought.

Hornet is the mysterious princess-protector of Hallownest’s ruins, a major character in Hollow Knight and the playable protagonist of Hollow Knight: Silksong. She wields a Needle and thread with deadly prowess.

Hornet is captured by outsider bugs and brought to their kingdom, Pharloom, but she escapes her cage before arriving at their destination. She then must battle foes and solve mysteries to ascend on a deadly pilgrimage to this kingdom's peak.

Health is represented as Masks, shown in the upper-left corner of the screen. Hornet starts the game with 5 Masks and can obtain more. Health is lost by taking damage, either from enemies or from environmental hazards. Health can be regained by the use of the Bind ability consuming a full Silk spool.

Lifeblood Masks, granted by Lifeblood needles, are temporary masks.

Silk is represented as a spool below the health indicator. Thread is consumed when using special abilities, including a form of Focus named Bind. Striking enemies with the Needle fills the spool by two laces. When the spool is full, the symbol representing the side of the spool left to the health indicator is filled.

The Needle is Hornet's main weapon. Not only can she use it to slash or block attacks against enemies, but also to dash forward, stab, and bounce up above them. She can also use it alongside her abilities to deal greater damage or as a grappling hook.

Tools are special items classed by categories, equipped on a Crest with limited slots. They can be used as throwing weapons or defensive aids without costing Silk. Crests and Tools can be changed when sitting on a Bench similar to Charms.

Abilities consume Silk thread to use them.

Hornet can collect and keep various items throughout her journey, which are stored in her inventory. They can be related to specific quests.

The following areas have no confirmed name, although the names used were mentioned in the official announcement. Other mentioned names include "Bonebottom", "Moss Temple", and "Soaring Warlord's Tower": "Coral Forest", "Gilded City", and "Lake of Fire/Bone Forest".

Garmond and Zaza are two NPCs first revealed in the Hollow Knight: Silksong announcement trailer. They are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond appears to be the rider, while Zaza appears to be mount.

Garmond and Zaza only appear once in the announcement trailer; they are seen during the "New Quests" segment. Within a dark, murky hallway with a visible curved lattice pattern in the background, Hornet is shown leaping over the two as they charge forward through a small group of enemies, while Garmond makes a loud vocalization.

They were later revealed in a blog post, which states that the two are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond is described as being rambunctious and chatty, while Zaza is noted to possibly be "the brains" of the two.

Elder Hu was a travelling sage who sought to purify the borderlands of Hallownest from the Infection. He reached the Mantis Village, but his own Infected mind made him see the Mantis Lords and the Tribe as afflicted by the plague. The Mantises killed him after he attacked them. A memorial was erected in his name above the gates to the City of Tears, his tunic and bead necklace resting on top of it.

The spirit of Elder Hu can be fought at his memorial after acquiring the Dream Nail. Still deluded in his experience with the Mantis Tribe, he warns the Knight. After his defeat, the spirit becomes aware of his madness-driven mistake. He realizes his own death before shattering into 100 Essence to be collected by the Dream Nail.

Elder Hu has two attacks in addition to being able to teleport:

Ring Slam: Elder Hu summons a row of rings in midair, interspersed with several safe gaps, before quickly slamming them all down onto the ground simultaneously.

Ring Curtain: Elder Hu summons pairs of rings that slam down on the ground, beginning from the edges of the arena and moving towards the centre.

Teleport: Elder Hu warps from one area to another to avoid attacks or set up his own.

The ring attacks require very precise movements to dodge as they come out quickly. The Shade Cloak is highly recommended, although not completely necessary. Elder Hu remains in place during the attacks, and his floating pattern is low enough to the ground, where attacking with the Nail is possible. Dodge the rings and get in some hits in between. Eventually, the rhythm of the attacks is easy to follow and the Knight should have no problem timing dashes and attacks.

Alternatively, the Knight can use Shade Cloak to dodge the Ring Slam attack and use Howling Wraiths/Abyss Shriek along with a Spell build (such as Shaman Stone, Spell Twister, Soul Catcher, and Soul Eater) to quickly finish him off.

How to Acquire

Found on a corpse in the southeast of the Queen's Gardens above the path to the Fungal Wastes. Retrieving the key requires Isma's Tear.

Hornet is the mysterious princess-protector of Hallownest’s ruins, a major character in Hollow Knight and the playable protagonist of Hollow Knight: Silksong. She wields a Needle and thread with deadly prowess.

Hornet is captured by outsider bugs and brought to their kingdom, Pharloom, but she escapes her cage before arriving at their destination. She then must battle foes and solve mysteries to ascend on a deadly pilgrimage to this kingdom's peak.

Health is represented as Masks, shown in the upper-left corner of the screen. Hornet starts the game with 5 Masks and can obtain more. Health is lost by taking damage, either from enemies or from environmental hazards. Health can be regained by the use of the Bind ability consuming a full Silk spool.

Lifeblood Masks, granted by Lifeblood needles, are temporary masks.

Silk is represented as a spool below the health indicator. Thread is consumed when using special abilities, including a form of Focus named Bind. Striking enemies with the Needle fills the spool by two laces. When the spool is full, the symbol representing the side of the spool left to the health indicator is filled.

The Needle is Hornet's main weapon. Not only can she use it to slash or block attacks against enemies, but also to dash forward, stab, and bounce up above them. She can also use it alongside her abilities to deal greater damage or as a grappling hook.

Tools are special items classed by categories, equipped on a Crest with limited slots. They can be used as throwing weapons or defensive aids without costing Silk. Crests and Tools can be changed when sitting on a Bench similar to Charms.

Abilities consume Silk thread to use them.

Hornet can collect and keep various items throughout her journey, which are stored in her inventory. They can be related to specific quests.

The following areas have no confirmed name, although the names used were mentioned in the official announcement. Other mentioned names include "Bonebottom", "Moss Temple", and "Soaring Warlord's Tower": "Coral Forest", "Gilded City", and "Lake of Fire/Bone Forest".

Garmond and Zaza are two NPCs first revealed in the Hollow Knight: Silksong announcement trailer. They are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond appears to be the rider, while Zaza appears to be mount.

Garmond and Zaza only appear once in the announcement trailer; they are seen during the "New Quests" segment. Within a dark, murky hallway with a visible curved lattice pattern in the background, Hornet is shown leaping over the two as they charge forward through a small group of enemies, while Garmond makes a loud vocalization.

They were later revealed in a blog post, which states that the two are on a quest to find a new home. Garmond is described as being rambunctious and chatty, while Zaza is noted to possibly be "the brains" of the two.

Elder Hu was a travelling sage who sought to purify the borderlands of Hallownest from the Infection. He reached the Mantis Village, but his own Infected mind made him see the Mantis Lords and the Tribe as afflicted by the plague. The Mantises killed him after he attacked them. A memorial was erected in his name above the gates to the City of Tears, his tunic and bead necklace resting on top of it.

The spirit of Elder Hu can be fought at his memorial after acquiring the Dream Nail. Still deluded in his experience with the Mantis Tribe, he warns the Knight. After his defeat, the spirit becomes aware of his madness-driven mistake. He realizes his own death before shattering into 100 Essence to be collected by the Dream Nail.

Elder Hu has two attacks in addition to being able to teleport:

Ring Slam: Elder Hu summons a row of rings in midair, interspersed with several safe gaps, before quickly slamming them all down onto the ground simultaneously.

Ring Curtain: Elder Hu summons pairs of rings that slam down on the ground, beginning from the edges of the arena and moving towards the centre.

Teleport: Elder Hu warps from one area to another to avoid attacks or set up his own.

The ring attacks require very precise movements to dodge as they come out quickly. The Shade Cloak is highly recommended, although not completely necessary. Elder Hu remains in place during the attacks, and his floating pattern is low enough to the ground, where attacking with the Nail is possible. Dodge the rings and get in some hits in between. Eventually, the rhythm of the attacks is easy to follow and the Knight should have no problem timing dashes and attacks.

Alternatively, the Knight can use Shade Cloak to dodge the Ring Slam attack and use Howling Wraiths/Abyss Shriek along with a Spell build (such as Shaman Stone, Spell Twister, Soul Catcher, and Soul Eater) to quickly finish him off.


Trivia

"Too long... spent together. We become as one..."
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