Thorns of Agony is a Charm in Hollow Knight. It causes the Knight to sprout thorny vines when taking damage which damage nearby enemies.
Usefulness
The Thorns of Agony will deal damage equal to the base damage of the nail, capable of hitting twice if within range (Fragile Strength will not affect this). The main downside of this charm is that it deals damage without collecting SOUL, and, in some situations, it may kill easier enemies that would have been useful for regaining SOUL.
The animation for Thorns of Agony will also take up invincibility frames as the player has no control over the Knight until the animation is over. This reduces the number of invincibility frames that the Knight has to move or reposition.
This charm is particularly useful when fighting multiple enemies at the same time, especially in the Colosseum of Fools.
This charm is not recommended for use in Fog Canyon as damaging Oomas will make them burst, releasing their explosive core that home in on the Knight, dealing two masks of damage.
How to Acquire
Found in Greenpath in a maze of thorns featuring Charged Lumaflies. Requires Mothwing Cloak to reach.
Charm Interactions and Combo Tips
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Stalwart Shell Decreases the time taken for thorns to activate after being hit. Increases the animation speed and leaves extra invincibility frames after the ones consumed by the animation. |
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Baldur Shell Thorns of Agony will activate if the Baldur Shell is triggered, even if the Knight has not taken damage. |
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Carefree Melody Thorns of Agony will still trigger even if damage was negated by Carefree Melody. |
