Hollow Knight features many challenging boss fights, and it is often the case that players’ progression is hindered by these powerful foes. The first of these bosses is the False Knight, found in the Forgotten Crossroads.
After defeating him, players will be awarded 200 Geo and the City Crest. The latter is described as a “stone slab bearing the crest of the Hallownest capital city” and has an insert on the back that can fit into a specific slot. But where can players place the City Crest?
It is recommended to have defeated the boss in Greenpath before undertaking the journey, as the reward is the first of many helpful mobility upgrades for the Knight.
Finding the Queen's Station
Players need to travel to the south-east of Greenpath and go through the opening at the bottom of this area (see map). This will lead players to an area of greenish-looking bubbles and a sign with an arrow guiding them to continue down the path south.
Dropping through this next area, players will be greeted with the text to indicate that they have entered a new area of the map called Fog Canyon. These caverns are filled with bubbles, acid lakes, and dangerous jellyfish-like enemies. The larger of the two types of enemies here, called Oomas, have explosive cores that will home in on the Knight if they are hit and deal two masks of damage. Either avoid making contact with them or take shots at them from a safe spot.
Naturally, players will not yet have access to the map for the Fog Canyon, and it will not become available until later into the game. For now, players are only passing through and will need to progress downwards. Once they have reached the bottom of this section, players should go right here to progress. If players decide to go left here, they will meet an NPC named Millibelle who runs a bank for players to store Geo.
The Way to the Fungal Wastes
When players go to the right, they will discover the Queen’s Station and a friendly face will be there to greet them. To the south-west of the Queen’s Station, players can unlock the Stag Station here for 120 Geo and will be able to sit on the bench here.
Next, head up to the top right of the Queen’s Station, using the platforms to ascend again. Players will see (and hear) a mask shard behind a wall as they go up, but this is cannot be reached until the player obtains an upgrade. Progressing along the path, players will find the next area of the map that they will need to become familiar with; the Fungal Wastes.
Unlike Fog Canyon, players can rest assured that Cornifer is not far and can be found by taking the first path down and to the left. The Fungal Wastes map will run the player 75 Geo, and upon opening it they will see a large figure outlined over on the far right. This is the goal, but it is not currently possible to head down and continue to the right as the path is blocked. Instead, players will need to go up and over to reach their destination.
Through the Fungal Wastes
Return to the original path by bouncing on the mushrooms with a down slash. Players will then next need to head east and ascend the next chamber with the acid pit at the bottom. Be careful of the Sporgs here that will emerge from the walls and spit explosive spores, which also inflict two masks of damage if they make contact with the Knight or if the player is within the blast range. At the top of this area where the patrolling Ambloom is, players should spot a blocked shortcut here, which can be opened in the next room to the right.
Here, players will be confronted with Shrumal Warriors, who will either roll directly towards the Knight or jump at them. Either avoid or kill these enemies to build up Soul and go towards the top left of this room to find a path back into the previous room and a route up. Before taking this path, players should hit the switch to open the shortcut.
Head up and enter the area with the two completely inconspicuous Shrumal Ogres that will not immediately spring to action as the player tries to go too far to the right. These enemies have two attacks; a long-range spit that leaves a trail of goo in a small area of the ground for a short time and a devastating head pound that will be triggered when the Knight gets too close to them.
Try to focus on one enemy at a time; avoiding the projectile attacks of the one behind the Knight and using a combination of nail attacks and spells to whittle down the other before turning to deal with the second. Note that Shrumal Ogres are impervious to nail attacks from above and the Knight will instead simply bounce off of their heads.
The Pilgrim's Way
Players will be awarded a Charm Notch for defeating the Shrumal Ogres and the path ahead will unlock for them. Continue traveling right into another acid pool area, but before going all the way to the right where the signpost is pointing towards, players can jump up the small platforms past the acid pits to find a path leading to the right where another bench is and Leg Eater, another vendor that can sell the Knight fragile charms.
Continuing upward will lead players back to the Forgotten Crossroads, but their destination is back down below. Carefully travel back down, avoiding the acid, and proceed to the right into a room with more Shrumal Warriors. Players must head through the path at the bottom right before descending in the next chamber with the Sporgs and advance through the path to the bottom left. Here, players will run into another NPC named Cloth who can aid the Knight in a future fight if her questline is followed.
In this next room, players will need to use the pink mushrooms to bounce across an acid pit (and reach a cache of Geo if they want). It is possible to open a shortcut here if players stop at the first few platforms on the way down and use the mushrooms over on the right over another acid pool where they can destroy some wooden planks to open the way. As players head further down, they will spot Hornet running towards their destination.
Following Hornet will lead players to an area with an unavoidable acid pit, out-of-reach platforms, and a large sign to indicate the end of the Pilgrim’s Way.
The Outskirts of the Mantis Village
As a Metroidvania game, it’s only natural that players will be hindered by blocked paths until they find certain upgrades. Players must restore the bridge to the Pilgrim’s Way, and to reach the platforms above they will need another item to increase the Knight’s mobility.
Exit the room, head directly to the west and head down the passage into the room with two Amblooms and a Geo deposit. The player will then need to descend to the bottom of this chamber and go through the path to their right. From this point on, players should be on their guard as they have entered the territory of the Mantis Tribe; a fiercely territorial warrior clan that will attack on sight. Use the mushrooms to bounce up to the platform to face the first of many Mantis Warriors and Youths.
Continue traveling to the right until spotting a path down, then head left and through a lower passage. Here, players will find themselves in a large chamber teeming with Mantises and a few Geo deposits. There is a bench all the way at the bottom of this area and players should take care not to drop down without looking as there are acid pools surrounding the bench. Directly to the left of this bench is a path to the Dashmaster charm and an NPC that cannot currently be reached. Players should head back up the chamber to the platform that is just above the bench sign and head left into the next area.
Welcome to the Mantis Village. Here, players will need to fight their way through Mantises to reach the coveted Mantis Claw. All the way to the left is a switch that needs to be hit to open the upper level on the right for the Knight to jump up to. Players will find the Mantis Claw at the top left section, allowing them to climb walls.
Using the City Crest
There are walls that can be climbed to the right, where players must avoid spikes by using the newly acquired Mantis Claw and dash, leading to another switch. Hitting this will open the way to the Mantis Village proper, and it’s up to the player if they want to take on the boss here now or later. It is highly advised to have unlocked the bench in the previous area as it is the closest one to this boss.
To finally use the City Crest, players will need to make their way back to the Pilgrim’s Way sign where they can now use the Mantis Claw to climb up the walls. The objective is to hit two levers along this platforming challenge to bring the bridge back, while avoiding being hit by spikes or falling into the acid below. At around the halfway point, players can take a path up to find a Soul Totem, which will replenish their Soul for healing if they have taken a few hits along the way.
Once the player reaches the other side and hits the final switch, they will be able to approach the large statue and place the City Crest within its chest and the way before them will open. This leads to the next major area of Hollow Knight and where players will discover more of Hallownest’s lore, invaluable NPCs, and tougher enemies than they’ve previously faced.
Hollow Knight is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
