Since the release of Team Cherry's seminal Hollow Knight, fans have clamored for any information on the dark, insectoid world of Hallownest. As a Metroidvania, Hollow Knight rewards players for exploring its vast subterranean tunnels with a variety of charms, items, and abilities.
As a game that has an official full completion of 112%, it’s natural that there are going to be details that many of those who play Hollow Knight miss. Whether it be hidden rooms or subtle easter eggs referencing its gaming heritage, Hollow Knight is packed with charming little details that players can easily miss throughout their time with the game, be it their first or fifth playthrough.
10 False Knight’s Mace Bug
The False Knight is the first boss players come up against in Hollow Knight. Defeating the boss gives the Knight the City Crest, an important item that gives access to the City of Tears, the capital of Hallownest. But if players wait around they can see the head of False Knight’s mace start to crawl away, revealing it to be its own bug.
The Knight can then hit the bug and send it rolling across the arena before it eventually scurries off the screen. Players can even hit the mace head with the Dream Nail where it says, ‘Free at last!’ which provides some odd implications about the boss fight that just happened.
9 Shape Of Unn Combinations
The Shape of Unn is a curious charm that has very niche usage. Whilst using the charm allows the player to use Focus in order to heal, it also alters the Knight’s shape by turning him into a slug-like being, and so can potentially avoid attacks from enemies.
What players may not know, however, is that when combined with other charms the Knight’s slug form can change appearances. When combined with either the Baldur Shell or Spore Shroom Charm (both Charms that aid a player when focusing Soul), the Knight gains a shell or mushroom growths, or both if both are equipped.
8 The Fluke Hermit’s Room
The Fluke Hermit is a truly unique NPC amongst Hollow Knight’s roster of characters. Where all the other Flukes players will encounter are Infected enemies for the Knight to slay, the Fluke Hermit is a peaceful member who appeared with the Godmaster content pack.
The Fluke Hermit is initially found in a secret room behind a fake wall within the Junk Pit, and then later looking down upon the Junk Pit. Being the only Fluke with sentience, players a treated to a rare look to before the Infection spread across Hallownest.
7 The Mask Maker Unmasked
Hidden away in Deep Nest is the enigmatic Mask Maker, who, as the name suggests, makes masks for those who are deemed faceless in Hallownest. The Mask Maker also seems to know about the true nature of the game’s protagonist, the Knight, whose shrouded past is one of the greatest mysteries the game has to offer.
Whenever a player enters the Mask Maker’s room, they have a chance to be wearing one of three different masks, however, if the player uses either the Descending Dark or Desolate Dive, they knock the mask off of the Maker and reveal his true face. Although the Mask Maker does suggest that this could be yet another Mask still.
6 Delicate Flower Recipients
During a player’s adventure through Hallownest, they can receive the Delicate Flower to deliver to the grave of the Traitor’s Child. If they choose to though, players can also deliver the flower to a number of NPCs throughout the world. One such NPC is the Elderbug, the friendly old resident of Dirtmouth who provides advice to players throughout their playthrough. He even seems surprised that someone would reward him for providing such advice.
Following the Godmaster update, players can deliver the flower to the Godseeker and Nailmaster Oro. Nailmaster Oro displays the flower in his hut, despite having said that he would simply throw it out. Giving the Godseeker the Delicate Flower undoubtedly provides the most significant reward, as it unlocks an ending (provided the other prerequisites have been fulfilled).
5 Dung Defender’s Room
When the player first encounters the Dung Defender, they must face him in order to access Isma’s Grove. However, when returning to his area following his defeat he apologizes for attacking the Knight.
Players can even find his secret room if they use either Desolate Dive or Descending Dark on the ground below the pump that allows access to Isma’s Grove. The Knight can find the Dung Defender resting here, in addition to statues of the Five Great Knights (of which the Dung Defender is one) and the Pale King, though, appropriately, he has made them all out of dung.
4 The Pale King’s Throne
The Pale King is one of the most significant characters in Hallownest’s deep lore. When exploring the game’s world, players can make their way into the White Palace, the old home of the Pale King prior to the Infection.
Once players have overcome the platforming challenges of the White Palace, they will arrive in the throne room of the Pale King. After knocking the body of the Pale King off of the throne, they can collect half of the Kingsoul Charm. If players take a minute before they receive the Charm half, they can sit on the throne, and after a short time a song plays, the Royal Hollow Knight theme. This can only be done the first time in the room, before taking the Kingsoul Charm half.
3 Golden Statue Of Zote
Zote the Mighty is an NPC that the Knight can meet throughout Hallownest, claiming to be the strongest warrior around, though he is often found trapped by lower-tier enemies. With the Hidden Dreams content update, players can face a powered-up (although imagined) version of Zote called Grey Prince Zote.
Players access the Grey Prince Zote boss fight through a statue, and with each defeat, a candle will appear on the statue, up to four. If players struggle through ten separate boss fights with Grey Prince Zote then they are rewarded with a golden statue of the character. Although technically meaningless, it does allow players to show off their achievements by conquering one of the game's hardest bosses multiple times.
2 Menderbug And Menderbug’s House
Despite being an enemy from the beginning of the game, spawning just beneath Dirtmouth, many players have never encountered this simple foe. The enemy has very specific conditions for appearing: the sign at the entrance of the Forgotten Crossroads must be destroyed, and the Knight must have just re-entered the room. Even then, Menderbug only has a 2% chance to spawn.
If a player manages to kill Menderbug before he runs away, his house is then unlocked for the Knight to visit and then read through his diary. Though the journal may just make players feel guilty for killing such a peaceful character.
1 Godseeker Memory Room
Godseeker’s memory room is particularly easy to miss, as there is only a 2% chance in order to trigger the Godseeker’s forbidden memory. By using the Dream Nail on the Godseeker, the Knight is usually transported to Godhome in order to participate in the core content added by Godmaster.
Once players have entered Godseekers memory, and then subsequently kicked out of the memory they can never return and so this is a truly unique encounter that a player could just as easily miss as they could stumble upon when progressing through the game.
Hollow Knight is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, and Xbox One.