Hollow Knight is a popular Metroidvania video game from the independent developer Team Cherry. The game invites players to take on the role of the Knight, a silent warrior traversing the depths of Hallownest. He must wield a Nail and special abilities to combat creatures and find out about the infection affecting Hallownest. Hollow Knight, released in 2017 for PC and the following year for consoles, has been expanded with four DLCs that add more content and new chapters to the story. Here we’re taking a look at what the game offers in terms of gameplay and characters as well as what sort of cheats, tricks, and exploits there are to enjoy.
Hollow Knight Premise
The Hollow Knight is all about exploration and combat within the expansive, interconnected world of Hallownest. Players control the Knight, whose journey through this underground realm is filled with challenges, combat, and mysteries. Each area within the game presents a distinct ecosystem with insectoid inhabitants and complex boss fights. The Knight must navigate this environment by using new abilities it gains during the journey and uncovering what is behind the infection affecting Hallownest.
The game’s design is based on the Metroidvania genre and features non-linear progression. Players are encouraged to explore the world and find the best way for them to access the final battle against the Hollow Knight and find out how it all ends.
Hollow Knight Characters
Hollow Knight is a Metroidvania that brings along exciting characters in addition to compelling gameplay. The game features a protagonist in the Knight who is seeking to find out what is ailing the formerly glorious kingdom of Hallownest. In his journey in the fallen lands, the Knight interacts with both friendly and hostile characters. This cast of characters is a big part of the game’s success with unique personalities and well-built boss fights. Let’s take a look at some of the more important characters in the game.
Key Characters
- The Knight: The Knight is the silent protagonist and player character tasked with discovering the secrets of Hallownest. This creature is born into the bleak world of the Abyss, below Hallownest. The Knight starts off by wielding only an Old Nail and an ability to heal himself but gains new abilities and items during the journey.
- The Last Stag: The Last Stag is a beetle and the final one of his species. He still operates the Stagways, a network of tunnels that once were an important transportation network, although in a much-reduced capacity. This aging beetle allows the Knight to transport between locations.
- Quirrel: Quirrel is a traveling NPC who shares the Knight’s journey through Hallownest, providing information and context to the player at various points. As the Knight advances in the quest, Quirrel reveals more of Hallownest’s lore. Listening to Quirrel is probably a wise idea.
- Hornet: Hornet is a key character in the game. She is a princess calling the ruins of Hallownest her home. The Hornet is one of the bosses in Hollow Knight, although has a more complex relationship with the Knight. Speaking of the importance of the characters, she is the protagonist in the upcoming sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong.
- Myla: Myla is a miner found near the entrance to Crystal Peak. She is known for her singing and cheerful attitude. However, the inflection plaguing Hallownest takes hold of Myla, transforming her and making her hostile towards the Knight.
- White Lady: The White Lady is a mysterious figure of great power, encountered in the Queen’s Gardens. She gives the Knight half of the Kingsoul. The White Lady once used to be the Queen of Hallownest, making her the wife of the Pale King and mother of the Hornet. Now she lives in the gardens that she used as a retreat in the golden age of Hallownest.
- Dung Defender: The Dung Defender is a former member of the Five Great Knights of Hallownest, known previously as Ogrim. After the infection spread, he moved to the Royal Waterways. There, he maintains the sewage system. The Dung Defender is one of the main bosses in the game and as an experienced combatant is a handful.
- Cornifer: Cornifer is key to the player’s navigation, selling maps that reveal the geography of Hallownest’s various regions. After completing his mapping duties, Cornifer can be found at the Dirtmouth shop. Can’t find him? Listen and follow the whistles.
Games in the Series
Hollow Knight is currently just a single game, although one can call it already a series since a sequel has been announced. The franchise was launched in 2017 with the launch of Hollow Knight. There are also four expansions for the first title. In 2019, the company behind the game, Team Cherry, announced that they are working on a successor. This upcoming game has been revealed as Hollow Knight: Silksong, which features the Hollow Knight character Hornet as the protagonist.
- Hollow Knight (2017)
- Hollow Knight: Silksong (In development)
Hollow Knight Cheats
Hollow Knight does not officially support in-game cheats or codes. However, we have included some help in terms of tips that might help you on your journeys in Hallownest and with achievements and trophies.
Drop the Chandelier on the Watcher Knights
There’s a neat trick that will make the fight against the Watcher Knight a little bit easier. After you take the elevator up and exit into the room before the Watcher Knights fight, you can break the ceiling and go up. From this small area, you can find the chain holding the chandelier in the Watcher Knights room. After breaking the chain, the chandelier will drop and eliminate one of the Knights and you’re left with just 5 to fight.
God Mode
There’s a glitch in the game that allows players to start a new game while also using a save file. This essentially lets players access a new game with all the abilities and charms, and even fly through obstacles. This PC-only glitch is achieved by using the buttons and the mouse simultaneously. It is a very hard glitch to perform and requires specific save games, so perhaps not the one everyone should attempt.
Skip the False Knight
Those who want a faster and easier way to get past the boss known as False Knight are in luck. After you enter the fight and deliver the first blows to the unconscious False Knight, he starts hammering the ground and raining down rocks. This will also weaken the wall on the left side of the room, which can now be destroyed. Simple as that, now you’ve escaped and skipped the fight.
Shaman Skip
After accessing the Vengeful Spirit upgrade, you come across a section that is skippable with a fairly simple interaction. This slow and annoying part of the game is no longer a worry of yours with these simple instructions. As you approach the Shaman, stop on the right side of the bench as close to the Shaman as possible while the bench still reading Rest. At this point, attack with the nail while also pressing up and right. Now, you should be in a state where the Rest remains even when you aren’t close to the bench. After getting the upgrade and waking up behind the game, you can simply press up to transport to the bench.
Fireball Skip
Players encounter Hornet, one of the key characters and a boss in the game. However, Hornet runs away as you try to pursue her. Unfortunately, a regular jump won’t cut it as you can’t quite reach the platform. This means that you need to go around the long way unless you know the Fireball Skip. This allows players to follow Hornet through the same short pathway. This requires a little bit of finger dexterity but shouldn’t be too hard for most players. Simply jump towards the Hornet’s platform and perform two Vengeful Spirit casts at the apex of the jump and hold left. It’s worth noting that the Vengeful Spirit casts need to be fairly precise, so try to perform the second one as soon as the first one’s animation is at the end. Too soon or too late, and the trick might fail.
Achievements
| Achievement | Description | Gamer Points |
| Charmed | Acquire your first Charm. | 5G |
| Enchanted | Acquire half of Hallownest’s Charms. | 10G |
| Blessed | Acquire all Charms and receive Salubra’s Blessing. | 15G |
| Protected | Acquire 4 Mask Shards. | 5G |
| Masked | Acquire all Mask Shards. | 15G |
| Soulful | Acquire 3 Vessel Fragments. | 5G |
| Worldsoul | Acquire all Vessel Fragments. | 15G |
| Falsehood | Defeat the False Knight. | 5G |
| Strength | Defeat the Failed Champion. | 10G |
| Test of Resolve | Defeat Hornet in Greenpath. | 5G |
| Proof of Resolve | Defeat Hornet in Kingdom’s Edge. | 10G |
| Illumination | Defeat the Soul Master. | 5G |
| Mortality | Defeat the Soul Tyrant. | 10G |
| Release | Defeat the Broken Vessel. | 5G |
| Peace | Defeat the Lost Kin. | 10G |
| Honour | Defeat the Dung Defender. | 5G |
| Respect | Defeat the Mantis Lords. | 10G |
| Obsession | Defeat the Collector. | 10G |
| Execution | Defeat the Traitor Lord. | 5G |
| Rivalry | Defeat Zote in the Colosseum of Fools. | 10G |
| Attunement | Collect 600 Essence. | 5G |
| Awakening | Collect 1800 Essence and awaken the Dream Nail. | 10G |
| Ascension | Collect 2400 Essence and hear the Seer’s final words. | 15G |
| Grubfriend | Rescue half of the imprisoned grubs. | 5G |
| Metamorphosis | Rescue all of the imprisoned grubs. | 15G |
| Connection | Open half of Hallownest’s Stag Stations. | 5G |
| Hope | Open all of Hallownest’s Stag Stations and discover the Stag Nest. | 15G |
| Neglect | Leave Zote to die. | 5G |
| Witness | Spend a final moment with Quirrel. | 10G |
| Purity | Slay the Nailsmith with the Pure Nail. | 10G |
| Happy Couple | Allow the Nailsmith to find a new calling. | 10G |
| Solace | Bring peace to the Grey Mourner. | 5G |
| Void | Remember the past and unite the Abyss. | 20G |
| Teacher | Destroy Monomon the Teacher. | 5G |
| Watcher | Destroy Lurien the Watcher. | 5G |
| Beast | Destroy Herrah the Beast. | 5G |
| Cartographer | Acquire a map of each area. | 15G |
| Completion | Achieve 100% game completion and finish the game. | 50G |
| Speed Completion | Achieve 100% game completion and finish the game in under 20 hours. | 50G |
| Keen Hunter | Record all of Hallownest’s creatures in the Hunter’s Journal. | 10G |
| True Hunter | Receive the Hunter’s Mark. | 15G |
| Steel Soul | Finish the game in Steel Soul mode. | 50G |
| Steel Heart | Achieve 100% game completion and finish the game in Steel Soul mode. | 50G |
| Speedrun 1 | Complete the game in under 10 hours. | 20G |
| Speedrun 2 | Complete the game in under 5 hours. | 50G |
| Warrior | Complete the Trial of the Warrior. | 5G |
| Conqueror | Complete the Trial of the Conqueror. | 15G |
| Fool | Complete the Trial of the Fool. | 20G |
| The Hollow Knight | Defeat the Hollow Knight and become the Vessel. | 30G |
| Sealed Siblings | Defeat the Hollow Knight with Hornet by your side. | 30G |
| Dream No More | Defeat the Radiance and consume the light. | 50G |
| Passing of the Age | Aid the Herald in moving on. | 15G |
| Memory | Defeat White Defender. | 10G |
| Dark Romance | Defeat Grey Prince Zote. | 10G |
| Grand Performance | Defeat Troupe Leader Grimm. | 10G |
| Ritual | Defeat the Nightmare King and complete the Ritual. | 10G |
| Banishment | Banish the Grimm Troupe from Hallownest. | 10G |
| Brotherhood | Complete the Pantheon of the Master. | 10G |
| Inspiration | Complete the Pantheon of the Artist. | 10G |
| Focus | Complete the Pantheon of the Sage. | 10G |
| Soul & Shade | Complete the Pantheon of the Knight. | 10G |
| Embrace the Void | Ascend the Pantheon of Hallownest and take your place at its peak. | 50G |
| Pure Completion | Achieve 112% game completion and finish the game. | 70G |
PlayStation Trophies
| Trophy | Description | Trophy Type |
| Heart of Hallownest | Acquire all other trophies. | Platinum |
| Falsehood | Defeat the False Knight. | Bronze |
| Test of Resolve | Defeat Hornet in Greenpath. | Bronze |
| Proof of Resolve | Defeat Hornet in Kingdom’s Edge. | Bronze |
| Watcher | Destroy Lurien the Watcher. | Bronze |
| Beast | Destroy Herrah the Beast. | Bronze |
| Teacher | Destroy Monomon the Teacher. | Bronze |
| The Hollow Knight | Defeat the Hollow Knight and become the Vessel. | Gold |
| Charmed | Acquire your first Charm. | Bronze |
| Enchanted | Acquire half of Hallownest’s Charms. | Bronze |
| Blessed | Acquire all Charms and receive Salubra’s Blessing. | Silver |
| Protected | Acquire 4 Mask Shards. | Bronze |
| Masked | Acquire all Mask Shards. | Silver |
| Soulful | Acquire 3 Vessel Fragments. | Bronze |
| Worldsoul | Acquire all Vessel Fragments. | Silver |
| Connection | Open half of Hallownest’s Stag Stations. | Bronze |
| Hope | Open all of Hallownest’s Stag Stations and discover the Stag Nest. | Silver |
| Grubfriend | Rescue half of the imprisoned grubs. | Bronze |
| Metamorphosis | Rescue all of the imprisoned grubs. | Silver |
| Cartographer | Acquire a map of each area. | Silver |
| Attunement | Collect 600 Essence. | Bronze |
| Awakening | Collect 1800 Essence and awaken the Dream Nail. | Bronze |
| Ascension | Collect 2400 Essence and hear the Seer’s final words. | Silver |
| Keen Hunter | Record all of Hallownest’s creatures in the Hunter’s Journal. | Bronze |
| True Hunter | Receive the Hunter’s Mark. | Silver |
| Solace | Bring peace to the Grey Mourner. | Bronze |
| Warrior | Complete the Trial of the Warrior. | Bronze |
| Conqueror | Complete the Trial of the Conqueror. | Silver |
| Fool | Complete the Trial of the Fool. | Gold |
| Grand Performance | Defeat Troupe Leader Grimm. | Bronze |
| Nightmare’s End | Complete the tale of the Grimm Troupe. | Gold |
| Soul & Shade | Complete the Pantheon of the Knight. | Silver |
| Embrace the Void | Ascend the Pantheon of Hallownest and take your place at its peak. | Gold |
| Pure Completion | Achieve 112% game completion and finish the game. | Gold |
| Passing of the Age | Aid the Herald in moving on. | Silver |
Hallow Knight Cheats FAQ
What platforms is Hollow Knight available on?
Hollow Knight is available on various platforms. These include Windows, Linux, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Are there expansions available for Hollow Knight?
Yes, Team Cherry released four free expansions after the launch of the base game, bringing new content and features to Hollow Knight. The last of them, Godmaster, was released in 2018.