How to Achieve the First Ending in Hollow Knight: A Comprehensive Guide

The first ending in Hollow Knight, often referred to as “The Hollow Knight” ending, is the most straightforward to achieve and the one that most new players will naturally encounter on their first playthrough. It’s a crucial step in understanding the lore and unlocking the paths to the other, more complex endings. This guide will walk you through exactly what you need to do to obtain this initial ending.

The Simple Path: Achieving “The Hollow Knight” Ending

The core requirement for achieving the first ending is to defeat the Hollow Knight without possessing the Void Heart charm. Here’s a breakdown of the steps:

1. Explore Hallownest: As you begin the game, delve deep into the interconnected world of Hallownest, progressing through different areas and defeating various bosses. This is fundamental to your overall journey, and will naturally lead you closer to your goal.

2. Defeat the Three Dreamers: To access the final boss area, you must first defeat the three Dreamers: Monomon the Teacher, Lurien the Watcher, and Herrah the Beast. These bosses are scattered across Hallownest, and reaching each of them requires you to navigate through their respective domains.

   • Monomon the Teacher: Found within the Teacher’s Archives in Fog Canyon. You’ll need to find the Desolate Dive ability to break through the floor to get to her.
   • Lurien the Watcher: Resides in the Watcher’s Spire above City of Tears. You’ll need the Mantis Claw to scale the walls of the City.
   • Herrah the Beast: Located deep in the Beast’s Den in Deepnest. This area is particularly challenging due to its maze-like layout and strong enemies. The Isma’s Tear ability is needed to get here.

3. Enter the Black Egg Temple: Once you’ve defeated all three Dreamers, the seal on the Black Egg Temple in Forgotten Crossroads will break. This temple is where the final boss encounter of the first ending takes place.

4. Defeat the Hollow Knight: Inside the Black Egg Temple, you will face the titular Hollow Knight. This boss fight is challenging but achievable with persistence and learning the attack patterns. Do NOT use the Void Heart charm. If you’ve obtained it, you must intentionally avoid using it during the fight for this ending.

5. Witness the Ending: Upon defeating the Hollow Knight without having the Void Heart charm, you will trigger the “The Hollow Knight” ending. The game will end and the Knight will become the new vessel to contain the infection.

This ending is considered the most straightforward because it’s the natural progression of the game without pursuing additional objectives related to the Void Heart or other special content. This ending will allow you to save and reload back at the bench right before the Hollow Knight boss fight to continue your journey.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Hollow Knight Endings

Here are some common questions related to the first ending in Hollow Knight, and more generally, about the game’s endings:

1. What are the original endings of Hollow Knight?

The original endings in Hollow Knight are:
* The Hollow Knight Ending: The easiest ending to obtain.
* Sealed Siblings Ending: Requires the Void Heart charm and leads to another form of containment.
* Dream No More Ending: A more complex ending involving the defeat of the Radiance, after obtaining the Void Heart charm.

2. How do you get the Void Heart?

The Void Heart is obtained after several steps that involve acquiring Kingsoul, exploring the Abyss, and completing a cutscene there. Kingsoul is acquired by collecting two white fragments, and the left half of Kingsoul is found in Queen’s Gardens, while the right half is found within the White Palace. Once you have Kingsoul, you will need to use the Dream Nail on your reflection in the Abyss and climb the abyss.

3. Can I get all endings in one playthrough?

Yes, you can achieve all endings in a single playthrough. After completing an ending, the game saves and puts you back before the boss fight. This allows you to reload and pursue other endings without starting from scratch. The only thing needed is to be mindful of not having the Void Heart equipped before the fight.

4. What should I do after beating the first ending?

After getting the “The Hollow Knight” ending, there are many things you can explore, including:
* Completing the White Palace and obtaining the Kingsoul.
* Obtaining the Void Heart.
* Exploring the Godhome area, including the Pantheons.
* Collecting all the Grubs, Charms, and Mask Shards.

5. Does killing the Hollow Knight end the game completely?

No. The game saves after the ending and puts you back before the boss, so you can re-fight the final boss as many times as you want to achieve the other endings.

6. Why does the Hollow Knight stab itself during the fight?

There are multiple interpretations of this moment. One theory is that the Hollow Knight is lucid and attempts to fight off the infection to continue the fight against the Knight. Another is that they were always damaged and trying to end it all.

7. Is the Hollow Knight alive?

The Hollow Knight is not truly “alive” in the traditional sense. It is a vessel created to contain the infection. When defeated, it “dies” and the infection attempts to find a new host in the Knight.

8. Why does Hornet fight the Knight?

Hornet fights the Knight at Kingdom’s Edge to test their resolve and strength before entrusting them with the fate of Hallownest. After her defeat, she gives the Knight the King’s Brand.

9. What is the Godmaster DLC?

Hollow Knight: Godmaster is a DLC that introduces a challenging new area, Godhome, along with new bosses and content. It’s meant for players seeking an additional challenge and to further explore the lore.

10. Why did the Hollow Knight fail in its task?

The Hollow Knight failed because it was not truly hollow. According to the White Lady, “an idea instilled” inside the Hollow Knight created a flaw that allowed the infection to take hold, rather than it being a completely empty vessel.

11. Is the Knight mute?

Yes, the Knight is a Vessel, and as such, it is physically mute, it cannot speak.

12. How long does it take to beat Hollow Knight?

The time to complete Hollow Knight varies, but it generally takes 30 to 40 hours to achieve one of the first three endings. Getting 100% completion can take significantly longer.

13. Who is the final boss in Hollow Knight?

The initial final boss is the Hollow Knight, but the true final boss is The Radiance, who can be fought after acquiring the Void Heart. This leads to a different ending.

14. What does the Void Heart charm do?

The Void Heart charm is not an ordinary charm. It replaces the Kingsoul charm and cannot be unequipped. It unlocks new dialogue with some NPCs and allows you to access the Dream No More and Embrace the Void endings.

15. Is the Hollow Knight a child?

The Hollow Knight is a Vessel, one of many children birthed by the Pale King and the White Lady in the Abyss. Like their siblings, they are genderless and designed to be hollow.

Achieving the first ending in Hollow Knight is just the start. It’s a crucial stepping stone that sets you up to explore the deeper lore and the more challenging paths this incredible game has to offer. Enjoy your journey through Hallownest!