This article is part of a directory: Hollow Knight: A Complete Guide
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The combat system of Hollow Knight can be a bit tough to get used to at first. To conquer this Kickstarter darling's difficulty and make it much easier, one of the best things the player can do is increase their HP or 'Masks' as the game calls them. This way, at least the Knight will be able to take a few more hits since every enemy seems to take so many themselves in the early game.

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The more Masks the Knight has, the more hits they'll be able to take before they are destroyed, sent back to the bench, and must defeat their Shade before regaining their Geo. To increase the number of Masks the player has, they'll need to collect items called Mask Shards. Think of them like Heart Containers from the Zelda series, collect enough, and they'll combine to make a new 'heart'. From the starting point of Health in Hollow Knight of 5 Masks, players can bump that all the way up to 9 after collecting every Mask Shard.

Updated July 3rd, 2023 by Jacob Buchalter: As Hollow Knight fans wait evermore in what feels like purgatory for news related to the sequel, Silksong, new players are just starting this adorable-yet-dark Metroidvania and other games like it for the very first time. And, when a player first starts Hollow Knight and gets into combat, they may be surprised to see just how many hits every enemy seems to take. The starting stats of the player character, AKA the Knight are pretty weak, and that includes their Health. But, as with all the other stats, if players seek out the right items, such as certain combinations of Charms or Mask Shards, they can increase their odds little by little.

What Are Mask Shards & How Many Are There?

Hollow Knight - Mask Shard Description In-Game

Again, to compare it to Zelda, 4 Heart Pieces equals one Heart Container, and in the same way with Hollow Knight, four Mask Shards equals one Mask Container or 'Ancient Mask'. There are 16 Mask Shards in the game to find while waiting for Silksong to come out, which means the player can gain a total of four additional Mask Slots, totaling out to 9. Of course, this doesn't even include the extra health available through Charms or Lifeblood Cocoons.

While collecting every Mask Shard, players will unlock two achievements or trophies. One is called 'Protected', which is obtained after the Knight completes their first Ancient Mask. The second achievement is called 'Masked', ironically enough, and this is unlocked once every single Mask Shard has been obtained.

All Mask Shard Locations

Hollow Knight - Getting The Last Mask Shard To Complete An Ancient Mask

Now, actually finding Mask Shards in Hollow Knight requires some work, and they're not always found in the same situations or locations. Some of these Mask Shards are bought from Merchants, some of them are rewards after a boss fight, and there are even some that are just found seemingly at random in one of Hollow Knight's many secret locations. So, with that in mind, all the entries below detailing their locations are pretty different from each other.

Purchased From Sly's Shop

Hollow Knight - Shopping At Sly's Shop

Sly is a merchant NPC in Hollow Knight, who sells the player all kinds of goods after he is rescued in the Forgotten Crossroads. Funnily enough, he's also part of the Godmaster content pack released for the game in 2018, though not as a merchant.

That said, at his shop, the Knight can immediately purchase two Mask Shards from him once it's unlocked. Then, after giving him the Shopkeeper's Key (which is found in Crystal Peak) there are another two that can be bought:

Name

Price

Mask Shard 1

150 Geo

Mask Shard 2

500 Geo

Mask Shard 3

800 Geo

Mask Shard 4

1500 Geo

Granted By The Grubfather

Hollow Knight - The Grubfather With His Grubs-1

Grubs are these adorable little critters in jars scattered throughout Hallownest, and players can determine their presence by the squeaky little noises that they make when they're in the same room the Knight is in. It's easy to miss these slight sounds when exploring, but if players are keeping their ears open for it, Grubs are relatively easy to find.

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Once the player frees five of them, they must return to the Grubfather, their patriarch of sorts. The Grubfather, worrying himself sick about his Grubs in the Forgotten Crossroads, is absolutely distraught with worry for his Grubs, so he gives the Knight a variety of rewards such as Geo, Mask Shards, or other items for bringing his children back, and the reward for five rescued Grubs is a Mask Shard.

Defeat The Brooding Mawlek

Hollow Knight - Fighting Brooding Mawlek

West of the Forgotten Crossroads, at the lower left of the Ancestral Mound bench (easily reachable with the Mantis Claw), is the hidden boss the Brooding Mawlek, surrounded by the fossilized remains of its kind.

This enemy isn't too tough of an opponent compared to many of Hollow Knight's other boss fights, but it can still send the player back to the bench if they're not careful. Once the boss is defeated, the Knight will be rewarded with a Mask Shard.

Forgotten Crossroads

Hollow Knight - Forgotten Crossroads Mask Shard Map Location

Another Mask Shard located in the Forgotten Crossroads is in a room just under the only hot spring on this level. The tight path leading to this Mask Shard is also one filled with Goams going in and out that the Knight will have to expertly move past.

Navigate through this area, following the tunnel of Goams, and at the end of it a Mask Shard awaits them.

Bretta's House

Hollow Knight - Talking To Bretta About Forgetting Her

Bretta's house in Dirtmouth contains another Mask Shard (as well as a variety of diaries, drawings, and dolls of the Knight and then Zote not long after). However, before players can access Bretta's house, they will need to go to the very bottom of the Fungal Wastes (just a bit right of the Mantis Village) and save her.

Once approached and freed from her entrapment, she will return to Dirtmouth. Her house will now be accessible, and as soon as the Knight walks in they should see the Mask Shard floating in front of them.

Queen's Station

Hollow Knight - Mask Shard In The Fungal Wastes Map Location

To start with, head to the Stag Station in this area, as marked on the map above. From this spot, head out of the Station into the next room and continue going right until the Knight comes up against a spike-covered wall leading upward. Carefully follow this winding path leading up to a large lever, avoiding the spikes that are spread throughout it.

The Knight will require the Mantis Claw to get through this tunnel, which can be obtained in the Mantis Village of the Fungal Wastes.

At the top players can hit the lever to open the door leading out (instead of having to return through the spike-infested tunnel) and a Mask Shard will be floating right in front of the lever as well.

Stone Sanctuary

Hollow Knight - Mask Shard In Greenpath Map Location

First, players will want to Fast Travel to Greenpath using the Stag Station. From this Stag Station, they'll want to head out, down the large vertical room of winding tunnels, and then head as far right as they can until they come in the last 'room' of this level, which should put them directly above a large rectangular room leading to Fog Canyon. Drop down into this rectangular room and immediately head right.

To get the Mask Shard in the Stone Sanctuary, the player will first almost assuredly need the Lumafly Lantern, which can be bought from Sly in Dirtmouth for only 1800 Geo.

Players should pass by a Bench in this room, sit here to make a checkpoint, and then head back into the last room. continue down a bit in this room and look for the next exit to the right. Follow this path heading right until it leads all the way to the entrance of the Stone Sanctuary. In here is the No Eye's boss fight, one of many Warrior Dream battles in this incredibly long game, so the Knight must defeat them first. After emerging victorious, check the top-right corner of the arena to find a new path that has opened up, follow this path and players should come face to face with the next Mask Shard.

Royal Waterways

Hollow Knight - Mask Shard In Royal Waterways Map Location

The Royal Waterways area is covered is also covered in darkness, so like with the previous Mask Shard players will likely need the Lumafly Lantern to navigate this level. They'll find the Mask Shard left of where Cornifer is found here, just a bit below.

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To easily find this one, head to the room where Cornifer is first found (essentially the room to the right of where Bretta is rescued). Just below the tunnel where Cornifer is found, if players take the lower option, head left, and avoid the water, they should come across the Mask Shard.

Deepnest

Hollow Knight - Mask Shard In Deepnest Map Location

They'll find the path leading to this next Mask Shard on the eastern part of the map, just above the passage left of the Mantis Lords' boss room.

Players will need both the Monarch Wings and the Mantis Claw to get this Mask Shard in Deepnest.

More specifically, the area where the Mask Shard is located lies in Deepnest territory, but the way to actually reach this room is to drop down from the Fungal Core, a sub-area of the Fungal Wastes biome. Essentially just head to the tunnel heading left which is right above the Mantis Village. Follow this tunnel and look for a drop leading downward. Keep heading down and left as much as possible, dealing with all sorts of enemies along the way such as Shrumal Ogres. Players are looking for a drop downward at the bottom of this area that should be wider than most exits and will have beams of light coming out of it. Drop down this path and the Mask Shard should be in clear view.

The Hive

Hollow Knight - The Hive Mask Shard Location On Map

Players can find the Mask Shard in the Hive approximately in the center area of its map. It is situated in a room that the Knight can only access after it is broken by a Hive Guardian. To be more specific, it's on the far left-hand side of the large chamber in between the Grimmkin Nightmare room and the room where the Knight can talk to Hive Queen Vespa's spirit.

Once players are actually in the room themselves, it's hard to miss as the only thing separating the Knight from the Mask Shard in clear view is a bit of honeycomb wall. With that in mind, the player must bait a Hive Guardian into bouncing around into this wall to break it. As soon as it does they'll be able to grab the Mask Shard

Defeat The Enraged Guardian

Hollow Knight - Encountering The Enraged Guardian

In Crystal Peak, the Enraged Guardian guards another Mask Shard. This room is easy to find, as it's just the topmost Bench Room of the area, right nearby where Cornifer can be found. When players walk in, they'll see the Crystal Guardian sleeping on the bench, so wake it up. After doing so, it'll become enraged (understandably so) and the battle will begin.

This is another Mask Shard that will require the Monarch Wings in order to reach it.

During the fight and after the first 'phase', the boss will jump up to the second level and players can follow it to fight the second form there. Once defeated, a room on the left of the arena will open, revealing yet another Mask Shard.

Collect 1,500 Essence

Hollow Knight - Talking To The Seer NPC

In Hollow Knight, the player will start to collect Essence after receiving the Dream Nail. They can collect Essence on their own by activating Whispering Roots, defeating Warrior Spirits inside Warrior Dreams, and beating Dream Bosses.

Once the player collects 1,500 Essence, head back to the Seer NPC and she will reward the player for their Essence-hoarding achievement with one Mask Shard.

Deliver The Delicate Flower To The Traitor's Child

Hollow Knight - Giving The Delicate Flower

The Delicate Flower side quest is one of the game's most tedious tasks hands down. The player must deliver a Delicate Flower from the Grey Mourner (one of Hallownest's 5 Great Knights) located near the bottom of the Resting Grounds, to the grave of the Traitor's Child in the Queen's Garden. This essentially involves crossing from one end of the map to the other.

They must do this without being hit, using a Stag Station, or even using a Dreamgate, as any one of these three results in the Flower being destroyed, in which case they'll need to return to the Grey Mourner and start again.

The easiest way to complete this quest is to open a Dreamgate outside the Grey Mourner's hut. The player must then find a route to the Traitor's Child and travel that route, killing every enemy along the way without sitting on a bench. Then, travel back to the Grey Mourner using the Dreamgate. Players can then get the flower and take the path again, without any enemies to damage them. Be careful, though, as environmental damage will also destroy the flower. While using a Dreamgate will destroy the flower, if players simply use it to clear the path before even obtaining the flower, it works equally as well. In any case, once this is done

Hollow Knight is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, and Xbox One.

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