Throughout their travels in Hollow Knight, players will battle against enemies in their multitudes, many of which are unique to specific regions of Hallownest. Because of this, it can be difficult to keep track of enemy types and how to combat them, which is where a bestiary comes in handy.
Players will not immediately have access to this compendium, and must instead seek out an NPC to obtain it and to begin the associated quest. For players that rise to the challenge, there are two achievements linked to the Hunter’s Journal up for grabs, but it is no small task and only a true hunter can see it through.
Where to Find the Hunter
The Hunter resides in a darkened cave, sequestered from the rest of Hallownest in a quiet corner of Greenpath. To the east of Greenpath, players should head south from Cornifer’s location and take a right through a narrow path, which opens into a larger area. The Hunter’s location is signaled to the player with its numerous spikes that protrude from the ground and ceiling of an otherwise lush environment.
As players approach, the Hunter will roar from within his cave as a warning, but don't be deterred by this display. Players should continue onward until they can interact with him. The Hunter then gives his Journal to the Knight, explaining that the words may be difficult to understand at first, but players can learn to read it.
Alongside Charms, the map, and inventory, the Hunter’s Journal will be added as a new tab to the player’s menu screen. Here, players can view details about enemies they have previously encountered, and it will automatically update when new enemies have been defeated. Many entries in the Hunter’s Journal are incomplete, but slaying a specific number of each will reveal the Hunter’s notes. These notes provide lore, battle tactics, and even the Hunter’s personal opinions, but most importantly they are needed to officially complete the Journal.
Completing the Hunter's Journal
There are a total of 168 entries that can be added to the Hunter’s Journal over the course of Hollow Knight. While not all of these are required for either of the associated achievements, there are still many enemies that players will need to track down to earn them. It is only possible to track how many entries have been logged after obtaining the World Sense ability, which players receive after interacting with a lore tablet in the Temple of the Black Egg.
For the achievement “Keen Hunter,” players will need to record 146 specific entries for the Hunter’s Journal, but the Hunter’s notes are not required. However, players can also earn “True Hunter” if they work towards unlocking all the Hunter’s notes in tandem with the process of filling out the Journal.
Due to the sheer number of Journal entries that players can collect while traveling around Hallownest, it’s simpler to list the enemies and entries that players do not require for either of the available achievements. They include:
- Menderbug
- White Defender
- Zote
- Grey Prince Zote
- Winged Zoteling
- Hopping Zoteling
- Volatile Zoteling
- Grimmkin Novice
- Grimmkin Master
- Grimmkin Nightmare
- Grimm
- Nightmare King Grimm
- Nailmasters Oro & Mato
- Nailmaster Sheo
- Great Nailsage Sly
- The Hollow Knight
- Pure Vessel
- The Radiance
- Hunter's Mark
- Seal of Binding
- Void Idol
- Weathered Mask
Hard-to-Find Entries
There are several entries in the Hunter’s Journal that can only be found in specific places, which can be difficult to locate unless players know where to look. Here is a handy list of the more obscure critters.
Goam
These creatures can be found in the Forgotten Crossroads, but players will quickly notice that they are impervious to damage. Instead, to unlock their Journal entry, players must travel southwest of the False Knight’s location to the Fungal Wastes entrance. Here, players can find a passage leading to the right where they can use Desolate Dive/Descending Dark to break through the unstable ground. At the bottom will be a fossilized Goam that players can interact with to add it to the Hunter’s Journal.
Mossy Vagabond
Found in a room connecting the Fungal Wastes, Deepnest, and the Queen’s Gardens, players will stumble across the Moss Prophet and their followers. Depending on when players arrive in this location, the Moss Prophet can either be found preaching to the Mossy Vagabonds accompanying them, or lifeless as the Infection has overtaken them all.
Charged Lumafly
After defeating Uumuu, players can explore the Teacher’s Archives. Here they will find that one of the Dreamers, Monomon, has many specimens stored in glass tanks for research purposes. One such tank houses several Charged Lumaflies that players can inspect to unlock their Journal entry.
Gorgeous Husk
The only Gorgeous Husk that can be found in Hallownest is in a secret room in the City of Tears. Players will need to travel east from the Fountain Square until reaching an area with several platforms and rooms that they can enter. Directly above and to the right of the Hot Springs sign, players should enter this room and defeat the enemies inside before going to the far right and jumping through a hidden gap in the wall to find the Gorgeous Husk.
Flukemunga
To the northeast of the Flukemarm’s location in the Royal Waterways, players can find a breakable wall that leads to the Junk Pit where the players can access the Godhome content. However, blocking their passage is a nest of Flukemunga, surprisingly strong creatures that can deal two Masks of damage if players aren’t careful in their approach.
Crystal Guardian
Players will certainly find this enemy sitting on the central-most bench in the Crystal Peaks, but obtaining the Hunter’s notes for this entry will require defeating their stronger counterpart, the Enraged Guardian. After defeating the Crystal Guardian the first time, they will flee by jumping off-screen and players can follow them to a higher platform by using the Monarch Wings to challenge them to a rematch.
Garpede
Similar to Goams, Garpedes are found in Deepnest and cannot be damaged. Players will need to locate the body of a Garpede to complete the entry for the Hunter’s Journal. One such specimen can be found in the southeast, close to the Tram and Nosk’s arena. When traveling from the Tram, players will need to navigate through the living Garpedes until reaching the far left and dropping into the next room. Immediately to the left, there is a lantern and a hidden entrance to a room containing the Garpede corpse.
Brooding Mawlek
From Cornifer’s location in the Forgotten Crossroads, players should head up into the chamber with the Tiktiks and Gruzzers and go to the first doorway on the left wall. Following the path around, avoiding spikes along the way, will lead players to the Brooding Mawlek.
Lightseed
Predominantly found in the Ancient Basin, players will encounter these tiny beings while on the path leading to the Broken Vessel, but they will run away as the player approaches. Using Vengeful Spirit/Shade Soul as they flee will ensure the player can add their entry to the Hunter’s Journal. During the battle against the Broken Vessel, Lightseeds will also appear but killing these do not count towards the Journal.
Players can also find Lightseeds in the Forgotten Crossroads after it becomes Infected near the elevator leading to the City of Tears. However, they will no longer appear in this location after the Broken Vessel has been defeated.
Infected Balloon
While in the Ancient Basin, players will notice an area along the route to the Broken Vessel that is inaccessible until obtaining the Monarch Wings. Several Infected Balloons will spawn in here, making the platforming challenge more difficult to pass. Similar to the Lightseeds, any Infected Balloons defeated during the battle against Broken Vessel or Winged Nosk do not count towards the Hunter’s Journal.
Oblobbles
These enemies can be found in the Colosseum of Fools to the north of Kingdom’s Edge. During the Trial of the Conqueror, players will encounter two Oblobbles, which can be repeated as often as players like to rack up the numbers needed for the Hunter’s notes.
Pale Lurker
Located in a secret area of the Colosseum of Fools, players can travel right from the bench inside and use the Mantis Claw to climb up the shaft. This will lead to the caged-off area to the far right of the Colosseum arena, and players will be able to break through the wall to the right. Players will then need to proceed onwards before falling down a large cliff where the Pale Lurker will become startled and run away. Players must defeat her to add her entry to the Hunter’s Journal and collect a Simple Key from her body.
Void Tendrils
Void Tendrils can only be found in the Abyss, which is accessible to the player after obtaining the King’s Brand. Once reaching the bottom of the main chamber of the Abyss, players should head to the right until reaching the lighthouse. Players must turn the lighthouse back on to calm the sea of Void before traveling across and following the path to gain the Shade Cloak, allowing them to pass through the Shade Gate above. Players can then interact with a mural on the wall to earn the Void Tendrils entry along this path.
Achievements
Recording all 146 entries necessary for the Hunter’s Journal will automatically award players with the “Keen Hunter” achievement, but unlocking each of the Hunter’s notes does not immediately grant players with “True Hunter.” Instead, players must go back to Greenpath to speak to the Hunter to receive the Hunter’s Mark, a token of recognition and respect from one hunter to another.
Hollow Knight is available on PC, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.