The lowest depths of the map in Hollow Knight harbor the greatest secrets. The Ancient Basin is one such place, devoid of almost all life and an eerie silence permeates the zone. Players can find a Tram station that connects to Deepnest here, as well as a sealed doorway that can only be accessed if players have met certain requirements. The Ancient Basin is also home to one of the main bosses of Hollow Knight, the Broken Vessel.
Close to the center of the Ancient Basin is a toll station that players must use to unlock a bench for 150 Geo. As this is the only bench available in the Ancient Basin (until the Hidden Station is unlocked) and the closest checkpoint to the Broken Vessel’s location, it is imperative for players to spend their Geo here. Players will also need the Crystal Heart ability to travel across the spikes to the left of the bench to reach the boss’s arena.
Broken Vessel's Attacks & How to Counter Them
Slash
Broken Vessel will dash forwards and slash with their Nail. This attack can be performed while they are grounded, or as part of a jump where they will dash through the air. This attack is telegraphed by the Broken Vessel rearing backwards momentarily before lunging forwards, allowing players a brief moment to judge when to jump over them to avoid the attack.
Players should aim to arrive at the spot where Broken Vessel will end up after using this attack, as they can deal damage as soon as they come to a halt. Upgrading the Knight’s Nail will also help as players can whittle down their health faster in these moments.
Cascade
This area of effect attack will see the Broken Vessel shake their head back and forth, generating several blobs of Infection that rise from the ground. They will only use this attack when players reduce their health to a certain point, and it will occur three times in total.
As the blobs in this attack cover a wide area, players should focus on avoiding them. To provide extra insurance, players can utilize Charms such as Fragile/Unbreakable Heart or Joni’s Blessing to provide a temporary boost to their health. Additionally, gathering Mask Shards will permanently increase the Knight’s health and overall survivability.
Slam
Jumping up into the air, the Broken Vessel will bring their Nail straight back down, and four blobs of Infection will emerge from the point of impact. The blobs will spread outwards, making it easier to avoid them by staying at close range with the Broken Vessel.
Leap
Either by leaping directly onto the player or repositioning, this maneuver will allow the Broken Vessel to cross the length of the arena. Players can either dash or walk to avoid them as they land.
Flail
The Broken Vessel will wildly swing their Nail overhead four times, which provides a window of opportunity for players to use a ranged Spell, such as Vengeful Spirit/Shade Soul, to get in some damage. Although the window is small, players can also heal here, which is easier to pull off when the Quick Focus Charm is equipped.
Infected Balloons
Throughout the battle, Infected Balloons will be spawned at various points in the arena. Players should be careful not to let too many of them be active at once as they take up space, making it difficult to dodge the Broken Vessel’s attacks. Destroying these Infected Balloons will also generate Soul.
Players can equip Charms like Spore Shroom and Defender’s Crest to deal area of effect damage, providing a passive solution to dealing with the Infected Balloons while focusing on Broken Vessel.
Backstep
Broken Vessel will quickly reposition themselves to line up another attack. Players will need to be mindful of their footing as Broken Vessel moves around the arena.
After Defeating Broken Vessel
Players will be rewarded with the Monarch Wings after defeating the Broken Vessel, which can be found in a chamber further on from the boss arena. This new ability will allow the player to use a double jump, opening up various new paths for players to explore throughout Hallownest, such as the Palace Grounds in the Ancient Basin.
Dream Battle: Lost Kin
When the Broken Vessel has been defeated and players have obtained the Dream Nail, they will be able to challenge their stronger Dream variant, Lost Kin. Stronger than their base counterpart, the Lost Kin also has slight differences in their move set. While they no longer use the Cascade attack, their other attacks occur at a much faster rate. Their Slam attack now generates six Infection blobs, and Infected Balloons will spawn quicker than before.
Charms such as Longnail or Mark of Pride and Quick Slash are hugely beneficial during this fight, as players will be able to get in more hits while also maintaining a safer distance from both Lost Kin and the Infected Balloons. Additionally, players can use Fragile Charms without fear of breaking them as the Knight will not die in a Dream.
Players should also take the opportunity to heal during Lost Kin’s staggered phases as their newfound speed and rate of attacks make healing much more difficult while they are actively pursuing the Knight. Bringing the Lost Kin down will award players with 400 Essence, which is needed to awaken the Dream Nail and unlock the true secrets of Hallownest.
Hollow Knight is available on PC, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.