When players reach the Resting Grounds in Hollow Knight, they will enter the Dream World for the first time after interacting with a statue. Upon returning to the waking world, a new NPC known as the Seer will bestow the Dream Nail to the Knight.
While awakening the Dream Nail is optional, it is required for players that are aiming to see the different endings available in Hollow Knight. To do so, players must collect Essence, which can be done in various ways; one of which is to battle the Warrior Dreams.
These Warriors are lingering spirits of strong insects that players can challenge and receive Essence for each defeated combatant. It is possible to buy a pin from Iselda in Dirtmouth to mark each of the Warrior Graves on the players’ map, or save the Geo and find out where to locate each of the Warrior Dreams here.
Elder Hu
Elder Hu can be found in the Fungal Wastes in a room directly above the bridge leading to the City of Tears. This Warrior Dream can teleport around the arena, which is used to either dodge incoming attacks or set up his own, alongside two other attacks that are fairly predictable.
One attack is a set of levitating rings that slam down into the ground, with safe gaps for players to use to avoid damage, and the other is a long row of rings that will slam down from the outside moving inwards.
Players can attack Elder Hu during these attacks as he remains stationary, leaving him susceptible to Nail and Spell attacks. Defeating Elder Hu will award players with 100 Essence.
Galien
Located south of the Failed Tramway, Galien’s grave can be found in a room that leads off to the west in the central section of Deepnest. Galien uses spinning scythes to attack the player and will use his two attacks in tandem.
The main scythe will bounce across the arena and tracks the player as they dodge, and as Galien’s health depletes, he will summon two smaller scythes that move independently to the other.
Similar to Elder Hu, Galien will be defenseless in the air, and it is possible for players to use Howling Wraiths/Abyss Shriek to deal huge amounts of damage. Using the Shade Cloak to dash through Galien’s attacks will give players the best chance to dodge without taking damage. Players will earn 200 Essence for bringing Galien down.
Gorb
Gorb’s grave can be found in the northeast section of the Howling Cliffs, close to Mato’s hut. Gorb is able to teleport and uses one attack that can be difficult to dodge as the battle goes on.
A series of spears encircles them and will fire out, traveling through the environment, making it impossible for players to take cover. As Gorb takes damage, they will release up to three waves of spears.
For this battle, it is recommended for players to keep their distance from Gorb, providing more space to effectively dodge, and spells such as Vengeful Spirit/Shade Soul provide ranged attack options. Players gain 100 Essence after defeating Gorb.
Markoth
Located to the east of Kingdom’s Edge, players will require the Shade Cloak to pass the Shade Gate that leads to Markoth’s arena. Alongside the ability to teleport, Markoth will use three different attacks throughout the battle.
Markoth will summon up to two shields during the fight that constantly orbits around him and will deal damage to the player if they make contact with them and block incoming attacks. One of the shields will also be used to spin quickly around Markoth in an increasingly wider radius before returning to its usual position.
The final attack is a Nail that will briefly home in on the Knight before expelling outwards, and as Markoth takes damage, he will fire Nails more frequently. Defeating him will reward players with 250 Essence.
Marmu
Marmu can be found in the Queen’s Gardens and can be reached through a hidden passage in the wall to the left of the Stag Station room. Like other Warrior Dreams, Marmu can teleport, but her only attack is to curl into a ball and bounce around the arena. When Marmu has been successfully beaten, players will earn 150 Essence.
If players use Nail attacks against Marmu while she bounces, she will be knocked back slightly, making it possible to juggle her.
This strategy is easier to execute when using Charms to increase speed and range, such as Quick Slash, Longnail or Mark of Pride. Marmu is not particularly accurate with her attacks, which can make them somewhat unpredictable, meaning that opportunities for healing are risky.
No Eyes
This Warrior Dream can be found in a sub-area of Greenpath known as the Stone Sanctuary, to the southeast, just below the Hunter’s location. Alongside the Dream Nail, players will also need to have acquired the Lumafly Lantern from Sly to initiate this battle. No Eyes can teleport and does not directly attack the Knight, but instead summons spirits that fly across the arena and deal contact damage.
Because No Eyes will teleport around the arena, it can be difficult to find windows to attack her. Players should also be cautious of the spikes at the bottom of the enclosed space as they dodge the flying spirits and move from one platform to another.
However, the slower speed makes it easier to dodge and heal during the fight. Defeating No Eyes will grant 200 Essence to the player.
Xero
Xero is likely the first Warrior Dream that players will encounter as he is located in the Resting Grounds, to the west of the Seer’s room, and appears immediately after the player obtains the Dream Nail.
His only attack is summoning nails that will shoot out from his position and retract again, dealing damage both ways. As Xero’s health depletes, he will summon more Nails, giving him a total of three.
Healing can be troublesome during this fight as Xero moves around and will begin to fire his Nails at a faster rate as the battle goes on. Using Charms to heal will be beneficial, or using ones such as Quick Focus or Baldur Shell to heal faster and provide cover is another viable strategy.
Bringing Xero down will grant 100 Essence.
Hollow Knight is available on PC, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.