The minimalist nature of some games lends the whole title to a beautiful simplicity that gamers can experience and appreciate. While having tons of weapons, characters, and special powers usually benefits an action-adventure game, sometimes having a few of each with the right amount of details can immerse players equally as well, if not more so.
Hollow Knight, by indie developer Team Cherry, is very much the latter kind of game. Players venturing forth as the eponymous Knight will wield but a single weapon for their entire journey, and it is known simply as the Knight's Nail. One can upgrade the Knight's Nail as they progress through the realm of Hallownest and beyond by obtaining Pale Ore from around the map and bringing it to the Nailsmith on the border of the City of Tears.
Paying the smith with Geo will result in a stronger blade that can help one beat tougher bosses and the more resilient foes in the game. To fully upgrade the Knight's Nail, one will need to acquire a total of 6 Pale Ore, which may be a bit more challenging than it sounds due to the fact that there are only 6 pieces of this resource in the game. Players seeking to fully reforge their weapon will need to scour Hallownest and the surrounding areas for these precious stones.
Where To Find Pale Ore In The Ancient Basin
West of the tram station and the main entrance to the area, the Knight will need to proceed to a chamber with 2 Lesser Mawlek enemies to spot the ore.
Defeating the many-toothed fiends will allow one to collect what should be the first piece of Pale Ore that the player should find in any given playthrough.
Where To Find Pale Ore In The Resting Grounds
Toward the east of this area, players will come across a vertical shaft-like room that will lead upward. On the west of the upper part of this shaft-like room, players will meet the Seer, who will trade the player items for Essence.
This ethereal resource can be collected in dreams with the help of the Dream Nail, and the player will need to bring the Seer 300 Essence to trade for the next piece of Pale Ore.
Where To Find Pale Ore On Crystal Peak
For this next bit of Pale Ore, players will need to ascend to the highest part of the map upon Crystal Peak. When reaching this high-altitude locale, the Knight will need the help of the Mantis Claws to reach the piece of Pale Ore stuck into a part of the massive statue overlooking the area.
While the Monarch Wings and Crystal Heart are not needed, they can make the task of retrieving this resource a bit easier, as they can while traveling around the map in most other areas.
Where To Find Pale Ore In Deepnest
Located at the end of a long passage at the bottommost part of the region, this bit of Pale Ore is guarded a bit more fiercely than most. In the deepest part of Deepnest, there is a breakable wall located at the far east of the aforementioned passage beyond which is yet another breakable wall.
After bashing through these obstacles, one will come to the lair of the lanky and terrifying boss Nosk, who must be defeated to obtain the piece of Pale Ore and some other rewards. Players will need the Monarch Wings and Crystal Heart to reach this area properly.
Where To Find Pale Ore In The Forgotten Crossroads
This chunk of Pale Ore will require exploring more than combat prowess, though, finding this resource is not all that is required to obtain it in the Forgotten Crossroads. In the upper west-most room of the area, the Knight can meet the Grubfather and learn of the plight facing his children.
Grubs that are scattered and trapped around the world can be rescued, which, will make the Grubfather immensely grateful. Players will need to find and free 31 out of the 46 Grubs in the game before the Grubfather will bestow a piece of Pale Ore onto the Knight.
Where To Find Pale Ore In Kingdom's Edge
While the final bit of Pale Ore seems accessible on the map, it requires arguably the most work to acquire out of all the obtainable resources for upgrading the Knight's Nail. In the upper east part of Kingdom's Edge, players will find the Colosseum of Fools, where gamers can test their might for a sum of Geo in order to attain rare rewards.
Out of all the separate trials, it is only the second one that yields a chunk of Pale Ore. This one, known as the Trial of the Conquerer, will test the Knight's mettle by launching 17 waves of increasingly powerful foes at the player. If victorious, one will likely be able to fully reforge the Knight's Nail to become the deadliest warrior in the Hallownest.