History Characters / HollowKnight

* [[Characters/HollowKnightProtagonists Protagonists]] - The playable characters.
* [[Characters/HollowKnightHallownest Hallownest]] - The bug kingdom and setting of ''Hollow Knight''.
** [[Characters/HollowKnightGroups Groups]] - The organizations, tribes and civilizations that co-exist within the Kingdom of Hallownest.
** [[Characters/HollowKnightNPCs [=NPCs=]]] - The characters who can be interacted in your journey through Hallownest.
** [[Characters/HollowKnightLoreAndHistory Historic Characters]] - The various key figures and important beings that played an important part in Hallownest's past.
** [[Characters/HollowKnightBosses Bosses]] - The characters in Hallownest who can be fought as bosses.
* [[Characters/HollowKnightSilksongPharloom Pharloom]] - The bug kingdom and setting of ''Hollow Knight: Silksong''.
* [[Characters/HollowKnightExpandedUniverse Expanded Universe]] - The characters who are first introuced in other supplementary materials.

%% [[caption-width-right:350:some caption text]]

* [[Characters/HollowKnightProtagonists Protagonists]]
* [[Characters/HollowKnightHallownest Hallownest]]
** [[Characters/HollowKnightGroups Groups]]
** [[Characters/HollowKnightNPCs [=NPCs=]]]
** [[Characters/HollowKnightLoreAndHistory Historic Characters]]
** [[Characters/HollowKnightBosses Bosses]]
* [[Characters/HollowKnightSilksongPharloom Pharloom]]
* [[Characters/HollowKnightExpandedUniverse Expanded Universe]]

This is the character page for ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'' and ''VideoGame/HollowKnightSilksong'', detailing many of Hallownest and Pharloom's bizarre bugs and ferocious foes.

** Characters/HollowKnightLoreAndHistory
** [[Characters/HollowKnightBosses Hollow Knight Bosses]]

* [[Characters/HollowKnightSilksong Pharloom]]

* [=NPCs=]
** [[Characters/HollowKnightNPCs Hollow Knight [=NPCs=]]]
** Silksong [=NPCs=]
* Bosses

** Silksong Bosses

** [[Characters/HollowKnightBossesAndEnemies Hollow Knight Bosses]]

[[foldercontrol]]

!! Main Protagonists
[[folder: The Knight]]
[[quoteright:130:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_hollow_knight_2.png]]

The titular character and our protagonist. A mysterious warrior with unclear motivations and a quiet demeanour, diving into the depths of Hallownest with nothing but the cloak on their shoulders and a blunted nail. Has no true name but is usually called "the Knight".
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* AmbiguousGender: The Knight's gender is never specified, and the Dreamers and the [[spoiler:White Lady]] call the Knight "it". Justified... in a way. The Knight is [[spoiler:a Vessel made by the King and born in the Abyss, where they are said to have died and were reborn as a Void being]].
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: [[spoiler:The Knight was one of the few Vessels that managed to climb out of the Abyss- a shame they got there second, as the Pale King already chose a pure Vessel. The Hollow Knight weakening allows them to have a second change at fulfilling their duty, and they eagerly take it.]]
* AmbiguousSituation: The Knight's [[spoiler:current status as of both Godmaster endings. After defeating the Absolute Radiance, the Knight breaks their shell and a monolithic shadow appears in their place, finishing off the Absolute Radiance. Is only the Knight in control of this being? Or are the shades of their siblings part of it too?]]
* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: [[spoiler: The Godseeker more or less allows The Knight to do this after getting past the various pantheons and defeating Radiance directly. They seem to go MadWithPower and take over Radiances' plague normally, the Godseekers physical body as a catalyst to burst from. However giving the Godseeker a Delicate Flower prevents this, allowing the two to ascend together, turning into light. After this, The Godseeker praises The Knight as the "God of Gods" she was looking for in the first place.]]
* AwesomenessByAnalysis: The Knight learns Sheo's charged attack technique by watching him paint dramatically on a canvas.
* BadassAdorable: A cute little bug, who constantly fights creatures ten times bigger than them [[spoiler:and can challenge and defeat the local Goddess]].
* CastingAShadow: The upgraded version of all of the Knight's spells are darkness-themed, overlapping with PowerOfTheVoid to a certain extent. [[spoiler:This is an early hint at the Knight being a child of the Void.]]
* CuteMute: Small, charming to the player, and doesn't say a single word throughout the entire game.
* DivineParentage: The White Lady [[spoiler:aka the Queen of Hallownest]] directly refers to the Vessel as [[spoiler:"her spawn", and recognizes a "piece of herself" within the Knight that allows her to see them clearly despite her blindness]]. Within the White Palace, there is a secret room that reveals [[spoiler:what looks like a cradle next to a tall chair with an imprint that resembles the White Lady, and a constant tune plays in the room that is the same tune played when the player approaches their Shade]]. An Ending Achievement also confirms that [[spoiler:Hornet and the Knight are siblings, with the Pale King as their father]]. By extension, [[spoiler:''all'' the thousands of Vessels and left-behind Shades in the Abyss were once the Pale King and White Lady's brood, [[OffingTheOffspring sacrificed]] in attempts to create a perfect Vessel for the infection]].
* DarkIsNotEvil: The Knight is strongly associated with darkness, and is referred to by several characters as "Ghost" and "Shadow". [[spoiler:They later turn out to be a being of the Abyss, which is also this trope; the Void is a completely neutral wellspring of potential creation that is primarily used to stop the plague, and the worst sentient product of it turns out to be a misguided WellIntentionedExtremist who may or may not have been right. This contrasts the BigBad of the game, who is firmly LightIsNotGood.]]
* DreamWalker: [[spoiler:First, the Knight is imprisoned to the Dream Realm by the Dreamers, only to escape with the Seer's help and after receiving the Dream Nail, which lets them read minds and enter the Dream Realm for special boss fights.]]
* EmptyShell: [[spoiler:The Knight's true nature as a Vessel for the infection makes them one, as the King of Hallownest intended for the Vessels to be without thoughts or emotions.]]
** [[spoiler:This is played with, however, as a certain NPC's dialogue]][[note]][[spoiler:...It refuses to trade...? It has a will... all its own.]][[/note]][[spoiler:hints that The Knight may not be completely hollow, just like their predecessor. There's also the fact that they can take part in some sidequests completely unrelated to their mission (like saving the grubs and challenging the colosseum), although it is unclear if this is an intentional hint or just a GameplayAndStorySegregation.]]
* EscapedFromHell: [[spoiler:Upon their birth, the Knight attempted to rise out of the Abyss but fell after another one was already chosen to become the Vessel by the King. Oddly, the game gives no explanation or hint of how the Knight came all the way to Howling Cliffs after that.]]
* FastballSpecial: "Vengeful Spirit" conjures and throws angry ghosts at people. The charm "Flukenest" changes it into a handful of fluke worms. This stacks with "Defender's Crest" to fire one huge fluke that explodes into a cloud of DeadlyGas.
* {{Fartillery}}: When equipped with the charm "Defender's Crest", it periodically releases a cloud of brown, poisonous gas.
* HeroicMime: Does not say a word throughout the entire game, a fact that is [[LampshadeHanging commented on]] by several characters throughout the game. [[spoiler:Turns out it's [[TheSpeechless hard to speak when you have no voice, and likely not even a mouth]].]]
* HeroesPreferSwords: Or nails, as the case may be. It starts out old and blunt, but can be upgraded by giving the Nailsmith the right materials.
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:In the normal ending, The Knight gives their life to become the new vessel for the infection, while the true ending sees them give up their individuality to become one with the void, consume the Radiance, and destroy the infection permanently.]]
* IAmLegion: [[spoiler:By transforming the Kingsoul into the Void Heart, they are the first and only Void being to unify and control the Void, commanding it to devour Radiance.]]
* IAmWhatIAm: [[spoiler:{{Downplayed}}, considering the Knight is an EmptyShell, but they accepting both their emptiness and the fact that they [[TheUnchosenOne never truly became the Hollow Knight]] during their visit to the Abyss seems to be part of how they managed to turn the Kingsoul into the Void Heart.]]
* InformedAttribute: Some characters state that [[spoiler:The Knight is an emotionless shell like they are supposed to be, depending on the players actions they have the potential to be kind, vengeful, thoughtful, heroic, curious, sad, respectful, determined, etc. In terms of story, all the player really needs to do is kill the Dreamers, then the Hollow Knight to take their place; everything else the game has can be ignored for the most part. This is reflected in other endings such as the true ending, where instead of being a new vessel, the Knight instead TakesAThirdOption and destroys the root cause of the plague instead of doing their duty and make sure they do not potentially start a new cycle of infection. In another set of endings they take the fight directly to Radiance without killing their predecessor in the process.]]
* LaserGuidedTykeBomb: [[spoiler:All of the Vessels were made to specifically counteract Radiance. The playable Knight in particular is sent off to take the place of the current Vessel.]]
* MagicKnight: Wields both a nail and powerful spells.
* MookMaker: Not on their own, but the charms "Glowing Womb" and "Weaversong" create friendly monsters of their respective types (flying mini-knights, or, when paired with "Defender's Crest", flies, and baby spiders).
* TheNecromancer: In a specific way, however. Their basic spell is to FastballSpecial an angry ghost.
* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: The Knight can carry around Fragile Flowers to help the Grey Mourner and to gift certain other characters with. However... [[spoiler:It turns out those flowers somehow amount to kryptonite for beings of void. If the Knight happens to gift one to the Godseeker, then the flower ruins their attempt to burst out of her as a mass of darkness at the end of the Godmaster campaign.]]
* PerpetualMotionMonster: [[spoiler:A heroic example, as revealed in flashbacks of the Knight's origins; although the Vessels created by the Pale King aren't invincible, they [[ImplacableMan were supposed to not have a mind or a will to break]] and will serve their [[SealedEvilInACan intended purpose]] unflinchingly and single-mindedly with nary a break for food or sleep.]]
* PoisonousPerson:
** The "Defender's Crest" charm adds DeadlyGas to some of the Knight's abilities.
** "Spore Shroom" allows it to spread toxic spores when charging Focus.
* PowerOfTheVoid: In the path to the true ending, the Knight [[spoiler:becomes one with the Void and wields it against the Radiance to defeat her for good]].
* PowersAsPrograms: Can equip badges, referred to as "Charms", to augment their abilities. These can interact in certain ways. Defender's Crest, for example, grants them {{Fartillery}}, and it interacts with "Flukenest" to turn the Knight's "Vengeful Spirit" spell into a poison gas grenade.
* ParentalAbandonment: It is eventually revealed [[spoiler:that the Knight, Hollow Knight, and all Vessels and Shades are siblings, and at one point the offspring of the Pale King and the White Lady. It is not clear exactly what the Pale King did to his children in his desperation to create the perfect Vessel to contain the infection, but he left thousands (or hundreds of thousands) of Vessel corpses and wandering Shades in the Abyss. Eventually, he sealed them away and refused to return to them once he thought he had the perfect Vessel.]] The Knight somehow managed to escape and make their way to the Howling Cliffs at some point.
* TheUnchosenOne: [[spoiler:The Knight is a vessel who tried to crawl out of the Abyss to be selected by the Pale King for their quest to seal away Radiance. Upon reaching the top, they found that a different one had been chosen and fell back into the Abyss. The game begins as they surface an indeterminate amount of time later, seeking to complete their task after being called back to Hallownest by either the Hollow Knight or the Radiance.]]
* ThousandYardStare: The Knight is noted to have a silent, stoic stare.
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: The charm "Shape of Unn" allows them to become a slug when charging up a heal. This stacks with other charms to turn them into a snail or fungal husk. [[MorphicResonance Their face always stays the same regardless of the transformation.]]
* YinYangBomb: [[spoiler:The Vessels were born from both the Void and the power of the Pale King and White Lady.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Hornet]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hornet.png]]

A mysterious wanderer wielding a needle and thread. She confronts the Knight at various points, attempting to force them to abandon their quest for unknown reasons. Also the protagonist of the second game, ''Hollow Knight: Silksong''.
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* EleventhHourRanger: [[spoiler:As mentioned above, she'll throw her life on the line to hold down the Hollow Knight to allow the Knight to strike at them with the Dream Nail, enabling them to face the source of the infection.]]
* AntiVillain: She is determined to prevent the Knight from completing their quest, because [[spoiler:she knows that simply replacing the plague's vessel is only a temporary solution that ultimately won't solve anything]].
* BoomerangComeback: An entirely justified example: After she hurls her needle at the Knight, it'll come back because she's tethered it with silk, and is winding it in.
* CounterAttack: In the second battle, she'll assume a defensive stance to block and counter the Knight's attacks.
* CharClone: Has a lot of elements of the archetype: She's TheRival to the Knight, challenging them in combat while giving them occasional advice; she wears a red cloak; her RazorFloss gives her a distinct advantage over the Knight in terms of speed and maneuverability; and, to top it all off, [[spoiler:her being the child of the Pale King and Herrah means she's the Knight's half-sister.]]
* DamselOutOfDistress: At the beginning of Silksong; A group of bugs from Pharloom capture her for unknown reasons, but she manages to break free sometime on the way to the Kingdom.
* DefrostingIceQueen: She starts out very hostile to the Knight, but becomes more civil to them as it seems more and more likely that they can actually [[spoiler:destroy the infection for good, to the point where she risks her life to help them in the final battle]]. At one point, she even reveals her parentage to the Knight, something she has kept silent about until then.
* EarlyBirdBoss: Absolutely brutal in that regard, since she guards the item that allows the Knight to dash. Without it, they cannot even access the Charm store to get any useful charms that would help you fight her. And she is much, much more relentless than the False Knight. This turns her into one of the hardest bosses in the game despite being only the second boss.
* HadToBeSharp: Implied. She's the daughter of [[spoiler:Deepnest's Queen, and given what [[MalevolentArchitecture Deepnest is like,]] it's no wonder as to why she's so nimble and skilled at fighting.]]
* HeroicBastard: She's the result of a union between [[spoiler:the King of Hallownest and Herrah the Beast]], as part of a deal [[spoiler:that made Herrah agree to become a Dreamer]]. Despite that, her loyalty to Hallownest is unwavering.
* AHeroToHerHometown: {{Downplayed}} in terms of Hallownest not knowing much about her, [[AfterTheEnd considering there aren't many bugs left in the kingdom to notice her deeds in the first place,]] but [[spoiler:she seems to be almost unanimously adored in Deepnest; Dream Nailing the [[OldRetainer Weavers]] reveals they thought of her in their dying moments, and Herrah [[GoodParents genuinely loves her and upholds her duties as a Dreamer for Hornet's sake.]]]]
* {{Kiai}}: She punctuates pretty much every single attack with a loud shout.
--> SHAH! IDINA!
* PromotedToPlayable: Hornet is the main character of the sequel, ''Silksong''.
* RazorFloss: Uses spider threads for a variety of applications.
* RecurringBoss: Fought at two separate occasions throughout the game.
* ThrowDownTheBomblet: One of her new items in ''Silksong'' is a "Pimpillo", which is thrown and explodes on impact or after a short time.
* TookALevelInBadass: Hornet is much more aggressive and uses new attacks the second time she is fought. As the protagonist of ''Silksong'', she'll have the opportunity to face an entire kingdom of foes, upgrading her gear and training herself further.
* TrapMaster: In the second battle, she will use her threads to place spikes across the arena, limiting the Knight's movement. They can be knocked down.
** She upgrades them by the time ''Silksong'' rolls around, and can now [[MundaneUtility use them as platforms]].
* YouKilledMyFather: Her mother is [[spoiler:Herrah the Beast, one of the Dreamers that the Knight has to slay to open the Black Egg]]. Subverted in that she does not hold it against it, accepting that her mother's death was necessary.
[[/folder]]

!! Denizens of Hallownest

[[folder: Quirrel]]
[[quoteright:282:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/quirrel.png]]
An explorer who's fascinated by the myths of Hallownest, a place that beckons from his dreams.
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* BadassGrandpa: He appears to be an old guy, judging from his complaints about his age, and claims to not be a warrior. Even so, he's quite skilled with a nail and helps you fight a creature you couldn't harm on your own.
* ButNowIMustGo: After the Knight's last talk to him at [[spoiler:Blue Lake, he plants his nail on the ground and leaves to parts unknown]].
* FlashStep: [[spoiler:He zips all over the place when he helps you out against Uumuu, to the point that it seems like he's teleporting.]]
* GuestStarPartyMember: [[spoiler:Shows up just in time to help with Uumuu.]]
* {{Kiai}}: Similar to Hornet, he'll shout whenever he attacks during [[spoiler:the Uumuu fight]].
--> ''Kha'sa!''
* LaserGuidedAmnesia: He comes to remember that he used to [[spoiler:live in Hallownest and studied under Monomon, but lost his memories after leaving Hallownest. He's rather thankful that he can't remember any tragedies from back then and that he got to witness the wonders of Hallownest a second time]].
* MaskOfPower: Owns a mask that [[{{Foreshadowing}} looks suspiciously like]] the one worn by one of the Dreamers. It has magic properties, like bouncing off an attack from Hornet in the prequel comic. [[spoiler:It's the key to the additional seal Monomon placed on herself.]]
* WalkingTheEarth: Quirrel's primary motivation [[spoiler:prior to arriving to Monomon's Archives]] is to travel the roads of Hallownest and see its wonders in person.
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[[/folder]]

[[folder: Zote]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/zote.png]]
A self-proclaimed mighty knight who's seeking fame in Hallownest. Full of himself, and quite foolish.
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* AbusiveParents: During his "57 precepts", Zote implies both his mother and father were abusive enough that he ran from home. [[SelfServingMemory Given Zote's biases when it comes to his own history, the accuracy of this implication can be disputed.]]
* BonusBoss:
** He becomes the [[ZeroEffortBoss "boss"]] of [[spoiler:the first course in the Colosseum of Fools]] if you keep him alive through the game. [[spoiler:As of the Hidden Dreams update, if you rescue Bretta and defeat Zote in the Colosseum, you gain the option to fight a much [[TopHeavyGuy beefier]] and [[TookALevelInBadass more lethal]] version of Zote as a dream boss.]]
** As of the Godmaster update, there is [[spoiler:a minigame called '''"The Eternal Ordeal"''' (complete with full screen splash, a right that was reserved for, until now, the TrueFinalBoss, and the game's most difficult BonusBoss), where you fight an endless army of Zotes (who can actually hurt you now), and Zotelings of various types for as long as you can, with increasing density of enemies on screen as time goes on. Kill over 57 for a new title screen]].
* BossSubtitles: "Zote the Mighty". [[spoiler:Grey Prince Zote also gets more and more adjectives added to his name the more times you defeat him.]]
* DefeatMeansFriendship: Averted. After you defeat him at [[spoiler:the Colosseum, Zote speaks ill of you in Dirtmouth and your fangirl Bretta falls for his lies]].
* DistressedDude: Can be rescued from an untimely demise ([[VideogameCrueltyPotential or not]]) on two separate occasions during the story.
* FearlessFool: He believes fear is a waste of time and is unaffected even when creatures are about to make a snack out of him.
-->"Fear can only hold you back. Facing your fears can be a tremendous effort. Therefore, you should just not be afraid in the first place".
* FightingClown: [[spoiler:His Grey Prince Zote form is only slightly less bumbling than the real thing, but far more deadly due to his sheer unpredictability.]]
* HeroOfAnotherStory: Zote goes on his own journey around Hallowest, inexpicably surviving against most of the odds on his own. He was meant to be the 3rd playable character, but his Kickstarter campaign's stretch goal wasn't funded. On one hand, the Colosseum of Fools and the Abyss weren't funded either but were still put in the game. On the other, they lack several features promised by the campaign, leaving Zote's playable appearance a question.
* HiddenDepths: Double subverted. When you read his mind at [[spoiler:the Colosseum]], he laments not being able to fulfill a promise while trapped there, only for it to be a selfish promise of glory to himself. However, it is also suggested that Zote came from an abusive home and craves the [[WellDoneSonGuy approval of his parents]].
* {{Hypocrite}}: One of his 57 rules is to show respect to those who are superior to you in strength. Considering that he treats the Knight like crap despite it being much, ''much'' stronger than him, he's blatantly breaking his own rules.
* ICallItVera: His wooden nail is named "Life Ender" because he reasons that if names have power, then naming a weapon should make it powerful.
* InsaneTrollLogic: He follows a set of 57 rules that range from surprisingly sound advice to utter nonsense (like never trusting your own reflection and statues being meaningless, which even in context don't make too much sense).
* {{Jerkass}}: A pretty insufferable guy.
* JokeCharacter: When you face Zote, you find all he does is [[spoiler:swing his sword around like a kid and fall flat on his face while doing rolling jumps]]. Even more amusingly, if you take pity on him and take a hit, [[spoiler:you discover that the so-called Life Ender ''cannot harm you'']]! Just how did this guy survive ''any'' area of the game? [[spoiler:His Grey Prince dream form is still very much a FightingClown, but he actually poses a significant threat with his shockwaves, stomps, and minions.]]
* MusicalGag: [[spoiler:The Gods and Glory update brings us a minigame where you can try and take out as many Zotes as you can. The theme that plays is called [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFRleTfv1tk&list=PL4znG1qa2uwYxW0nAESOjMNiYy-JYXipX&index=41 "Truth, Beauty and Hatred feat. Zote"]]. It's his Grey Prince boss theme with Zote humming the tune in his hoarse voice. Terribly.]]
* SoreLoser: [[spoiler:For most of the game, he can't be bothered to even remember who you are, but after you kick the crap out of him at the Colosseum of Fools, he returns to Dirtmouth and begins badmouthing you to the bugs there, telling them what a monster you are. Apparently, the only one who buys it is Bretta.]]
* SmallNameBigEgo: He's convinced that he's the most awesome guy around, but the truth is that he's a complete weakling. When he returns from the Colosseum of Fools, he proudly displays a trophy from his triumphant victory there...a helmet from the first standard enemy you fight at the beginning of the first trial in the Colosseum.
* SmugSnake: For all his arrogance, Zote has literally no fighting skills and will die like a chump if you don't help him out. To drive home just how harmless he really is, even [[BloodKnight the Hunter]] thinks he's too weak and pathetic to be worth killing.
* UngratefulBastard: He calls you a hindrance whenever you save him.
* UnskilledButStrong: [[spoiler:As Grey Prince Zote — unlocked as an optional encounter after saving Bretta from the Fungal Wastes and defeating Zote in the Colosseum of Fools — he retains his pitiful swordplay and tendency to fall flat on his face, but adds shockwaves to every one of his attacks.]]
* WellDoneSonGuy: As stated above, [[UnreliableExpositor Zote's thoughts and opinions on things are ones to be disputed as whether they are legitimate]] [[SelfServingMemory or the delusional ramblings of a self-serving egoist]], but when Dream Nailed during the "boss fight" with him in the Colosseum, one of the Dream Nail Dialogues is this:
--> ''"I'll kill a thousand more... Will that be enough, father?"''
* WoodenKatanasAreEvenBetter: His Life Ender is a hand-made wooden nail. [[spoiler:{{Averted}}, as it can't actually hurt you. DoubleSubverted in the "Bonus Boss" version of Zote, where it ''can'' hurt you.]]
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[[/folder]]

[[folder: Cloth]]
[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cloth.png]]

A cicada warrior who's working up the courage to battle the beasts of Hallownest.
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* CarryABigStick: Wields a club.
* DamselInDistress: If you spare her the encounter with the Traitor Lord, [[spoiler:you can find her cornered by several Aspid Hunters and Lesser Mawleks (signified by her Club lying on the ground), and can save her. This too inspires her to be braver.]]
* DeathSeeker: [[spoiler:Wants to die in battle and reunite with someone named Nola in the afterlife.]]
* GhostAmnesia: [[spoiler:Averted. If Cloth dies, then she is one of the few ghosts in the game who realizes she just died and will leave the area on her own to be TogetherInDeath with a friend. If you don't absorb her first, that is.]]
* GuestStarPartyMember: She shows up to help you with the Mantis Traitors and the Traitor Lord. [[spoiler:She'll die in the battle, though, and the only way to prevent that is to go out of your way to avoid meeting her before the fight.]]
* MutualKill: [[spoiler:Gets fatally impaled by the Traitor Lord, but crushes his head in return. This does not happen if you don't meet her in Ancient Basin first.]]
* TookALevelInBadass: During her first encounters, she reveals herself as not that strong and a bit of a scaredy cat. But, if you get her key encounter in the Ancient Basin, then Cloth will gather up enough courage to fight the Traitor Lord alongside the Knight.
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[[/folder]]

[[folder: Tiso]]
[[quoteright:128:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tiso.png]]

A warrior who's looking for the Colosseum of Fools.
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* BloodKnight: He wants to find the colosseum as soon as possible and find glory there.
* ButtMonkey: [[spoiler:Is built up for the majority of the game as a tough opponent to face in the Colosseum, only to be killed offscreen, and unceremoniously dumped down the pit for you to discover later.]] His status as one is fully cemented in the Godmaster campaign: [[spoiler:when it seems [[HopeSpot he's finally got his chance to shine]] as a full fledged Boss Fight...[[YankTheDogsChain they literally drop a Brooding Mawlek on him.]]]]
* DroppedABridgeOnHim: [[spoiler:For all his [[SmugSnake bluster]], Tiso suffers an ignominious offscreen death after he arrives at the Colosseum.]]
* FamousLastWords: [[spoiler:Or rather thoughts. "…Why?…"]]
* HeroOfAnotherStory: Much of his adventure goes unseen aside from meeting him in a few specific areas (Dirtmouth, Blue Lake, etc.) but considering he's having no trouble with enemies like Zote, it seems like he has enough skill to justify his smug behavior at least.
* ImprobableWeaponUser: Uses a [[ShieldBash shield]] as a weapon, and it has some sort of trick. [[spoiler:You never find what it is, but the sketch of the person who made him states its like a boomerang.]]
* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: What his "special trick" presumably entailed. [[spoiler:Whatever it was, it didn't protect him in the long run.]]
* SmugSnake: He boasts a lot about his combat ability and insults the Knight often. Reading his thoughts with the Dream Nail reveal less-than-positive things, such as musing about killing the Knight but refusing to do so because it would be a "pitiful end".
* TheUnfought: The game sets him up as a big obstacle in the big colosseum, but in the end [[spoiler:he's a RedHerring since he dies before you even meet during a trial in the colosseum. Subverted now that the gods and glory update has been made, as he is a full-fledged boss...who gets killed again by a Brooding Mawlek in a hilarious double subversion, which seems to go against everything about the point of the campaign (bringing planned-but-unused bosses to the forefront).]]
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[[/folder]]

[[folder: Cornifer and Iselda]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cornyselda.png]]

A married couple who run a cartography store in the village. Cornifer is extremely passionate about mapmaking and thus is often found in the depths of Hallownest charting the various regions, leaving Iselda to run the store.
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* AffectionateNickname: Iselda usually calls her husband Corny.
* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Iselda behaves very surly and depressed when you meet her at first, miffed at being left behind to tend the counter in a tiny shop while Cornifer is off charting ruins. When you get the Dream Nail, though, you discover that not only did she willingly abandon a prestigious warrior career to settle down with her beloved Corny, she’s literally never been happier in her whole life and never regretted it even a single bit. Aw.
* BoldExplorer: Cornifer is by his own admission getting on in years, and every map you buy from him is incomplete, but he still arrives to every new location in the game world well before the Knight does.
* CallingCard: If you clear a region without finding Cornifer and buying his map, he'll leave behind a card with a symbol of his glasses inviting you to buy the region map at his store.
* TheCynic: Iselda is considerably more jaded and cynical than her husband.
* NoticeThis: A patch added two signs of Cornifer's presence in a room: scattered pieces of paper and the sound of him humming.
* RetiredBadass: The Dream Nail reveals that Iselda used to be a soldier or an adventurer. Although she dislikes working retail, ultimately she doesn't regret "hanging up the nail to settle down with [[AffectionateNickname Corny]]."
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: A good hint of the dangers Deepnest has is that when you find Cornifer, instead of humming happily while scribbling away at his map he's visibly terrified and quiet.
* PostVictoryCollapse: Once you've bought all of Cornifer's maps, and he has nothing left to explore, he'll go back home and finally collapse into his bed, sleeping until you finish the game. According to Iselda, this is a common happening and he'll likely be asleep for a long time.
* TinyGuyHugeGirl: Iselda towers over her husband and most other [=NPCs=], to the point where Elderbug expresses concern about whether the doorway to her house is tall enough for her to get in and out comfortably.
* UglyGuyHotWife: Cornifer is much older-looking and fatter compared to his curvy, feminine, and more youthful-looking wife.
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[[/folder]]

[[folder: Elderbug]]
[[quoteright:141:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/elderbugsmol.png]]

One of the oldest bugs in Dirtmouth. He welcomes any adventurers willing to brave the ruins of Hallownest, regaling them with stories about the kingdom's glory days.
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* {{Foil}}: Has this in the Grey Mourner and The Last Stag, as described in their entries.
* TheEeyore: Downplayed, he's obviously a little depressed over how Dirtmouth has gradually been abandoned, but he doesn't let that get in the way of helping people and enjoying company when it comes.
* HintSystem: Whichever location he's bringing up when you talk to him is usually the one you should be exploring next.
* TheLostLenore: Mentions and thinks about someone close to him who died and is now in the nearby graveyard. At one point he tries to visit, but Jiji accidentally scares him off.
* MrExposition: The man has a lot to say about the various regions of Hallownest and the people the Knight meets during his quest.
* StepfordSmiler: A light example, he dislikes that adventurers are constantly going down to their near-certain demise, but he does what he can to guide them regardless. [[spoiler:Upon receiving the Delicate Flower, he reveals that he basically believed he should carry on being considerate because no one else would.]]
* WastelandElder: One of Dirtmouth's original residents, Elderbug watched as many among the quiet hamlet's population descended into the well, never to return.
* VideoGameCaringPotential: [[spoiler:You can give Elderbug one of the Grey Mourner's Delicate Flowers (at no risk to the quest itself). It doesn't seemingly unlock anything or give an achievement, but it brightens up the Elder's mood considerably and he holds it from then on.]]
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[[/folder]]

[[folder: Bretta]]
[[quoteright:137:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bretta.png]]

A rotund beetle girl whom the player character can rescue in the Fungal Wastes. Quiet and withdrawn, she nevertheless expresses an unmistakable crush towards her "White Saviour".
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* {{Adorkable}}: Introverted and pathologically quiet, but has a penchant for writing romantic prose shipping herself with the player character. Notably, has a plush in the knight's likeness resting next to her bed.
* BrokenPedestal: [[spoiler:If Zote makes it back to Dirtmouth, he badmouths the Knight to her and causes her to get over it in favor of Zote.]]
** [[spoiler:As the player repeatedly defeats [[BonusBoss Grey Prince Zote]], she starts to recognize Zote for the faker he truly is, to the point where she'll leave Dirtmouth if Grey Prince Zote is defeated four times.]]
* CannotSpitItOut: Often found sitting on the bench in Dirtmouth, and clearly seen sneaking peeks at the player character as it passes, but has no 'Listen' prompt. Sitting next to her has her blushing brightly.
* CharacterDevelopment: It's small, but after [[spoiler:realizing that The Knight doesn't actually feel anything for her, and seeing through Zote's deceptions (with some help from the player), Bretta comes to the conclusion that you can't just wait for love to come to you, and she gains the self-confidence and bravery to set out on an adventure of her own, this time as the KnightInShiningArmor rather than TheDamselInDistress.]]
* CovertPervert: If dream nailed while she sleeps, she turns out to be having an apparently saucy dream involving the Knight.
-->''White Wanderer...don't be shy....cold outside....bed is soft...''
* CrushBlush: Starts to develop one whenever you sit next to her on the bench in Dirtmouth.
* DamselInDistress: Fancies herself one to the player's KnightInShiningArmor, if the prose found in her room is any indication. Technically true, considering the Knight has no real reason to save her in the Fungal Wastes.
* LongingLook: One of her sitting animations.
* RescueRomance: Unreciprocated due to the Knight's outwardly apathetic disposition.
** [[spoiler:If you defeat Grey Prince Zote four times, she'll eventually leave Dirtmouth intending to start one of her own.]]
* ShipperOnDeck: She writes embarrassingly mushy romance starring herself and the Knight.
* ShrinkingViolet: When you encounter her for the first time, she expresses surprise that anybody would come looking for "Bretta, the girl that everybody ignores". Thereafter, the only character in Dirtmouth lacking a 'Listen' prompt.
* StalkerShrine: As mentioned, she keeps a few items in the image of the Knight in her room, [[spoiler:which she later changes when looking up to Zote instead. Bretta also adds a statue in her basement in the likeness of an idealized Zote. She grows so obsessed about him that the statue holds dream power you can access to find her surrounded by a harem of Zotes and a fearsome, bulky "Grey Prince Zote" whom you must fight]].
* ThinksLikeARomanceNovel: She thinks of herself as a maiden who needs to be saved by the hero, falls in love very easily and completely idealizes her crush, even if she barely knows them. Then again, [[spoiler:until you defeat Zote in the Colosseum, what other reason does the Knight have to visit her room while she's seemingly sleeping there?]]
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[[/folder]]

[[folder: Grubs and Grubfather]]
A colony of Grubs and their apparent patriarch who are among the first friendly creatures the Knight meets in Hallownest's Forgotten Crossroads. The animals and plague seem to leave them alone, but [[spoiler:the Collector]] has captured all of them in glass jars and left them in hard to reach nooks and crannies, or well guarded areas. The Grubfather rewards you as you get more and more grubs back home.
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* AllThereInTheManual: The Indiebox for Hollow Knight comes with a pdf called "Grub Care Instructions". In it, it explains all their habits and how to raise one.
* AmbiguousSituation: The Care Instructions also have some indications that [[spoiler:The Grubs might be connected to Moths and Radiance, or are at least are much more than they seem. among them are flag raising details that they gain an "unseemly appetite" for eggs and flesh when presented with it, that their song has restorative, invigorating properties (proven by the Grubsong charm) and the last paragraph, which is as follows:]]
--> [[spoiler:As with all things, your time together with your adopted grub will come to an end at some point, when your grub moves on to the next stage of its life, do not try to stop it or mourn on the event as a loss. Everything has its time, and everything obeys its nature. Hold onto the happy memories you shared with your grub. Perhaps you will meet each other again, in your dreams...]]
** [[spoiler:Also of note are that several Moth Larvae are green in RealLife, such as Luna moths and Winter moths.]]
* BizarreAlienBiology: After saving all the grubs, getting the rewards, and resting at a bench, its almost alarming to find the Grubfather [[spoiler:bloated and sitting in the middle of the room, having apparently ''eaten'' all 46 other grubs whole. They're still alive -- and happy, apparently. The Grubberfly charm suggests that this is the next natural step in a Grub's life, and the Grubfather is simply acting as a protective cocoon of sorts for their development.]] Even so, for an insect this is is a strange sight.
* ChestMonster: There are enemies that imitate grubs, jar and all, and they are really convincing until released. [[spoiler:Reading their minds with the Dream Nail is how you pick out a faker.]]
* LivingMacGuffin: What the Grubs function as.
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[[/folder]]

[[folder: Confessor Jiji]]
[[quoteright:254:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/confessor_jiji.png]]

An ancient bug in a turban who lives in a cave past the graveyard of Hallownest after unlocking it with a Simple Key. She's able to pull your Shade (which she calls a Stain of Regret) over to her cave in exchange for her favorite food -- Rancid Eggs.

[[spoiler:In Steel Soul Mode, since her services are not needed in a [[FinalDeathMode permanent death run]], she is replaced by Steel Soul Jinn.]]
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* ByTheLightsOfTheirEyes: The only thing you can see of her until you get close enough is her big orange eyes, it can come as a JumpScare when she hops out of the darkness to talk to you face-to-face.
* CoolOldLady: Either extremely old, or TheAgeless, since she states that she's been sleeping in that cave until the Knight Unlocks it. The service she provides is an essential if you feel like your next run in the ruins will end in you dying before you find the Shade you left behind again.
* DarkIsNotEvil: In a recurring trend, she has powers associated with darkness in her drawing your Shades to you, but this service is probably one of the best AntiFrustrationFeatures the game has to offer, and she only wants bugs to come to terms with past regrets.
* HiddenDepths: Hitting her with the dream nail seems to imply that she (ironically) regrets being asleep for so long, and fears that whatever darkness is present now will destroy her if she somehow falls asleep in such a way again. For added irony [[spoiler:while there is a ton of darkness and void that spawns Siblings and Tendrils in The Abyss that do pose a very real threat to her, the more immediate danger that could consume her is a LightIsNotGood plague.]]
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Rancid Eggs, which other bugs are noted to ''die'' from trying to eat, mind you.
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[[/folder]]

[[folder: Relic Seeker Lemm]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lemm_desk.png]]

A grumpy, long haired old bug with a fondness for the history of Hallownest that lives in the City of Tears in his curio shop. He doesn't sell anything from his collection, but he's not above paying you for the ones you find instead.
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* CollectorOfTheStrange: Averted, collectors interested in history are both fairly important and not actually that uncommon, both in-game and in RealLife. In fact, he's probably actually one of the most level-headed characters you can meet in Hallownest as a whole.
* OlderThanTheyLook / VagueAge: Actually hard to say if he's that old, since he is looking into Hallownests history in the first place, but the reason behind the fact that he thinks the Knight looks familiar is subject to discussion.
* VendorTrash: The relics you can find are this to you, but since he loves to spend his time finding the meanings and history in them, they hold great value to him, which is dependent on what relics you find.
** Wanderer's Journals are semi-common stone messages written by various bugs in Hallownest, typically as they lay dying. They come in various languages that Lemm likes to decipher.
** Hallownest Seals are ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin, and are more prized for rarity alone.
** King's Idols are mysterious figures bugs worshipped the king through, no two are exactly alike, and they may be clues to finding out who he was.
** Arcane Eggs are the rarest of rare finds, coming from before Hallownest's time. They too have some messages etched into them that Lemm is interested in.
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[[/folder]]

[[folder: Snail Shaman]]
[[quoteright:178:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/snail_shaman.png]]

An eccentric snail mystic who lives by a place called the Ancestral Mound. He gives the Knight a spell before forcing him into clearing out a creature that has made its home in the Mound.
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* ActionSurvivor: [[spoiler: In a way. Once the plague overruns the Crossroads, the easiest route to get to him is walled off by an obscene amount of boils. However going through the original left-most route reveals that he is fine and his mound is unafflicted.]]
* AmbiguousGender: Given that snails are hermaphrodites, it's possible that the snail shaman isn't actually male, but merely has a masculine voice.
* AmbiguousSituation: The game states that he's a snail, but visually he appears to have more in common with characters like The Collector and Kingsmoulds, further strengthened by the spells and spell upgrades you get from him and his kin being based around the void. However, nothing ever confirms this or if the snails had anything to do with the Pale King's efforts to keep Radiance away and forgotten, barring [[spoiler:the Soul Sanctum experimenting on one in their own efforts.]]
* ButtMonkey: A non-humorous example: his family appears to have all died out before the events of the game, and you get their powers from what remains of them. The Shaman never seems to become suspicious and believes they are all voluntary gifts (which may or may not be true in two cases).
** You do not get Desolate Dive from a Snail, rather you get it from Soul Master, who likely experimented on one -- considering how the Shaman mentions an ill-tempered third uncle. [[spoiler:It's more or less confirmed when you find the apparently ''undead'' snail strapped to a dissection table in an optional area, which -- fittingly -- gives you the Vengeful Spirit upgrade.]]
** The Cousin in the Overgrown Mound is dead of some kind of fungus and shrubbery growing on it. you get the Howling Wraiths from her.
** The fourth aunt in the Crystallized Mound is trapped in a prison of crystal, and upon shattering it and her, gives the Descending Dark upgrade.
** A snail's sarcophagus can be found in the Resting Grounds, which gives you the Soul Eater Charm. The Snail Shaman makes no mention of a buried relative, but its not out of the question if they are related.
* {{Foil}}: To the Seer, both are mystics who are apparently the LastOfTheirKind of their tribes. The snails are centered around the void/black magic focused on damaging foes and affecting things in the waking world; the moths are worshippers of the light whos powers are typically uncombative and affect dreams.
* LastOfTheirKind: The only snail in Hallownest by the time the Knight gets there.
* SinkOrSwimMentor: Essentially, after giving you the spell, which causes the Knight to pass out, he puts you in the Ancestral Mound (gate barring your exit) to take care of the Elder Baldur, forcing you to use it in the mini-boss fight.
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[[/folder]]

[[folder: Seer]]
[[quoteright:182:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/seer.png]]

A moth who watches over the Resting Grounds and the Glade of Hope. She tasks the Knight with collecting enough essence to strengthen the Dream Nail.
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* AmbiguouslyEvil: Well, ''evil'' may be stretching it, but her tribe [[spoiler:were the main worshippers of Radiance, and she finds shame in the way they turned from her. Her choosing a wielder for the dream nail also helps Radiance in the end since it breaks the seals holding the Hollow Knight. However, the Seer seems to be looking for a worthy wielder for the sake of having someone master it after she's gone, and expresses no desire to release anything.]]
* AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: [[spoiler:A unique case, in that it seems at least partially involuntary. She remembers Radiance, glows with red Dream energy, asks for forgiveness and vanishes. The achievement for doing this is even called "Ascension".]]
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Hints at several late-game revelations in many of your conversations with her, [[spoiler:with her final dialogue telling you who the TrueFinalBoss is, albeit vaguely.]]
* LastOfHerKind: The last of her tribe, further confirmed by the Dream Nail dialogue for the altar holding the Dreamshield charm underneath her home. [[spoiler:In your final conversation with her after collecting enough essence, she remembers Radiance and vanishes.]]
* MsExposition: Collect enough essence for the Dream Nail and she'll tell you the backstory of the setting in clear detail.
* MyGreatestFailure: [[spoiler:Considers her kind turning away from both Radiance and then the Pale King (once they started dreaming of the original Light all over again) to be one for her whole race, to the point that she openly asks the Knight that they not be remembered or honored because they don't deserve it.]]
* PsychicStatic: Prying into her mind with the Dream Nail will not get you any thoughts beyond a small admonishment that you'll find nothing interesting in a "dusty old mind" like hers, followed by an encouragement to keep being that curious with it.
* {{Seers}}: It's even in the name.
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[[/folder]]

[[folder: Sly]]
[[quoteright:100:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sly_2.png]]

A firefly merchant who the Knight saves from succumbing to the plague in the Forgotten Crossroads. He runs Dirtmouth's main shop.
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* AdamSmithHatesYourGuts: He sells each health and soul upgrade shard at a higher price than the last. At first he argues that those are rare enough that he undersold the first few, but he eventually drops the excuses and starts joking about it. Justified by the Elderbug, who says Sly can afford to be so greedy because he is the only merchant in Dirtmouth.
* AllYourPowersCombined: During the first phase of his boss fight, he utilizes all nail arts from his pupils.
* {{BFS}}: The sword seen in his storeroom is larger than he is by a fair margin. The ''Godmaster'' update confirms that it is indeed his sword and that he is very capable of wielding it.
* BonusBoss: A dream version of himself is now one, as of the Godmaster update.
* HiddenDepths: It is repeatedly hinted that he's more than he seems, even before his identity as the Great Nailsage is revealed.
* KillerRabbit: How badass could this tiny firefly be? Enough to be the Nailmasters' teacher.
* OldMaster: Unbeknownst to the residents of Dirtmouth, Sly acted as a teacher to all three of the reclusive Nail Masters the player character can encounter in the game world. He rewards you with a charm to reduce start-up on charge attacks after you've studied with each of his pupils.
* PintSizedPowerhouse: He is tiny, about the same size as the Knight, but he is also a master of the art of combat who has trained some of the most skilled Nail wielders in the world.
* RetiredBadass: Once one of the deadliest warriors in Hallownest and beyond, now a greedy merchant.
* SpinAttack: One of his staple attacks when fought is to take his [[{{BFS}} massive sword]] and turn himself into a living buzzsaw that follows the Knight around the room.
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[[/folder]]

[[folder: Salubra]]
[[quoteright:245:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/salubra.png]]

A morbidly obese mollusk living at the bottom of the Crossroads with a passion for charms; will enthusiastically sell charms and slots to the player character.
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* AbhorrentAdmirer: Not necessarily, since the Knight can't really object, but based on her thoughts, flirtatious remarks and [[spoiler:the way she administers her blessing (a big sloppy kiss),]] she finds the Knight attractive, mysterious and dashing.
* AdamSmithHatesYourGuts: To a lesser extent than Sly, since most of her merchandise is unique. Nevertheless, every charm slot you buy from Salubra will be substantially more expensive than the last.
* BunnyEarsLawyer: She's a giggling doofus obsessed with charms sitting in technical isolation, but she's, well, obsessed with charms, so she know a great deal about them, giving sound advice like talking about how specific charms complement each others effects. In addition [[spoiler:her blessing confirms that she knows how to perform magic without using SOUL, the void, light, or dreams.]]
* EverythingsSparklyWithJewelry: Even discounting her necklace and affinity for selling accessories to the player, Salubra's shop appears well-stocked with jewelry and shiny trinkets.
* GonkyFemme: Salubra cuts a large, flabby figure, with a [[HeavyVoice tonality to match]]; this doesn't discourage her from wearing jewelry or tending to her eyelashes.
* TheHyena: Can be heard laughing constantly until business is made with her. Her Blessing also causes her to appear by you in spirit.
* WhileRomeBurns: Upon encountering the player character for the first time, Salubra asks if the neighbors recommended her services. Considering that the village she's situated in appears to be ruined and deserted save for a few shambling Husks, she may not have left her cabin in a long time.
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[[/folder]]

[[folder: Leg Eater]]
[[quoteright:220:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/legeatersmol.png]]

A carnivorous, milky-eyed termite taking residence on the outskirts of the Fungal Wastes. Offers home-made fragile charms to the player, for a price.
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* BreakableWeapons: Leg Eater sells the only charms in the game that break if the player character dies while wearing them. He will gladly offer to repair them in exchange for another payment.
* DroppedABridgeOnHim: [[spoiler:If you have Divine upgrade all his fragile charms, he will venture to the surface to investigate, attracted by her scent. Returning to Divine's tent sometime later will reveal his severed claws littered on the floor, with the implication that Divine ''ate'' him.]]
* EvilSoundsRaspy: Has dry, strained-sounding vocals in keeping with his character design.
* {{Greed}}: Coerces the Knight into paying a fee before he even deigns to show his merchandise, and is implied to intentionally make them breakable in order to get more Geo out of you.
* TheNoseKnows: Leg Eater will compliment your scent and offer a discount on his wares if you have the [[{{Fartillery}} Defender's Crest]] equipped when you speak to him.
* PickyPeopleEater: Leg Eater probably didn't get his name for his interior decorating skills.
* ScavengersAreScum: Preys (both economically and literally) on the travelers passing through the Fungal Wastes. He never attempts to physically harm the Knight, though, so whether the corpses strewn about his hollow are his victims is left ambiguous.
* TragicDream: The Dream Nail reveals that Leg Eater is hoarding Geo out of the misguided belief that if he gathers enough, he'll become a king.
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[[/folder]]

[[folder: The Nailsmith]]
[[quoteright:210:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nailsmith.png]]

An old rhino beetle and blacksmith who still toils away in his workshop on the outskirts of the City of Tears. As his name suggests, he can upgrade the Knight's nail for the right price and with enough materials. The Knight is first directed to him by Quirrel, who strongly advises it to get its nail upgraded before facing the Mantis Lords.
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* DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife: After he's done forging the Pure Nail, the smith suddenly grows weary and [[spoiler:asks the Knight to kill him with the very weapon he's perfected. If you ignore him instead, you'll later find that he came across Nailmaster Sheo and started learning how to craft things other than weapons]].
* SuicideByCop: [[spoiler:He attempts this if you fully upgrade your nail. Can either be played straight or subverted.]]
* UltimateBlacksmith: A reclusive blacksmith who knows how to unlock the true potential of your nail.
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[[/folder]]

[[folder: The Last Stag]]
[[quoteright:240:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/laststag.png]]

During the height of Hallownest's prosperity, legions of stag beetles served as mounts and taxis for the citizens. Now, only one stag remains, but despite his age he is still willing to ferry the Knight across the kingdom as more routes are reopened.
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* {{Foil}}: One to Elderbug and the Grey Mourner. All are old creatures, who are relics of their times. The Grey Mourner has completely succumbed to her sadness unless helped (which she expects no one to do). Elderbug likes company and helps, but refuses to leave Dirtmouth out of fear, and sees his virtue as a duty. but The Old Stag is a constant helpful companion who revels in exploring now that he has company and in the end is a very hopeful character.
* JobStealingRobot: Is annoyed to see the Knight holding a pass for the tramways.
* LastOfHisKind: It's in his name. [[spoiler:However, after you find a hatched egg in the Stag Nest, he decides to hold onto hope that other stags are out there. His name changes to "Old Stag" when this happens.]]
* MrExposition: Tells you how each area used to be in the old days.
* NiceGuy: It wouldn't be a stretch to call him the game's friendliest character. The Stag is helpful, protective, and loyal towards the Knight, and is one of the few characters to be optimistic about the future. If the two of you talk while in Deepnest, he admits that he's afraid for your safety and wishes you would leave as soon as possible. Even when [[spoiler:he discovers the Stag Nest]], he refuses to abandon his duty as a transport and will only go if you choose to take him there.
* NonindicativeName: While he's called a stag beetle, he bears a much closer resemblance to a rhinoceros beetle.
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[[/folder]]

[[folder: The Hunter]]
[[quoteright:240:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hunter_83.png]]

A mysterious, bloodthirsty bug warrior obsessed with battle and war. He tasks the Knight with cataloguing the many monsters that infest the ruins of Hallownest, promising rewards the more he kills and discovers.
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* TheAce: It has comments on every monster in the game, which implies it is aware of every single creature in Hallownest and still hunts with impunity, as though none are a threat to him. Once you complete the journal (which requires defeating the Final Boss), it makes you think it will face you in a Boss Battle for a moment, theme music and all. Even though he doesn't fight you, the fact the game highlughted how threatening he was even post-Final Boss suggests that he would be a strong opponent even by comparison.
* BaitAndSwitch: [[spoiler:Upon completing the monster compendium, he breaks the floor underneath himself and stands up to reveal a monstrous true form (face still hidden by the bush around his head) and roar as if he's initiating a boss battle… only to hold his hand out with the reward he promised. The battle music even starts, but [[LettingTheAirOutOfTheBand peters out in seconds]].]]
* BloodKnight: He ''really'' enjoys the hunt, and welcomes anyone who shares his enthusiasm. He is not particularly picky about whose blood is spilled, either—[[CrueltyIsTheOnlyOption you have to kill several completely harmless creatures to complete the journal]]. [[spoiler:When you finally complete the Journal and use the Dream Nail on him, his thoughts reveal that he inwardly admits you're stronger than he is now, wondering and ''hoping'' you'll come back to hunt him for both your sake and his own]].
* BraggingRightsReward: [[spoiler:As far as anyone knows, the Hunter's Mark does nothing except proving that you have competed the bestiary and giving you an achievement.]]
* EvenEvilHasStandards: The Hunter has no problems killing defenseless creatures, but even he considers Zote too pathetic to kill.
* ExtremeOmnivore: True to its name, it will eat almost anything it can kill - and there don't seem to be many creatures that it can't. One Journal Entry notes it and its siblings used to hunt each other in the nest, and now it hunts alone. This could be reminiscing about family nostalgia now that the siblings are split up... or the Hunter ate its own siblings.
* FaceFramedInShadow: All we ever see of him is his glowing eyes. [[spoiler:He stands up when granting the Knight a Hunter's Mark.]]
* HiddenDepths: He's not just a murderous feral beast; several completed journal entries show that he's quite eloquent when he wants to be, has a solid understanding of the world around him, knows the plague isn't worth the cost of his free will for the extra power, and muses about the desire to find someone special and have children.
* MonsterCompendium: He's the one who gives you it and tasks you with filling it out.
* WarriorPoet: Several of his comments on the journal are either contemplating the big questions of life or explaining why Hallowest was doomed to ruin from the beginning.
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[[/folder]]

[[folder: Nailmasters Sheo, Oro, and Mato]]
[[quoteright:341:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sheoromato.png]]

Three warrior brothers who live at certain corners in Hallowest, spending their days in quiet introspection of their art. They will teach the Knight three types of charged attacks.
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* BonusBoss: As of the Godmaster update, the dream versions of all three nailmasters are now able to be fought. Sheo still uses his artist tools to fight rather than his nail, though.
* ChargedAttack: Sheo teaches the normal charged attack, Oro teaches a charged DashAttack, and Mato teaches a charged SpinAttack that deals less damage but strikes several times.
* NiceGuy: Sheo and Mato are happy to teach the Knight and have its company. Oro, however, prefers to be left alone and charges you for the lesson.
* MrExposition: If Sheo and the Nailsmith become friends, you can meet the two making figurines of the King's knights. Sheo talks at length about the five greatest, though he doesn't seem to remember (or doesn't care for) the last one, Ogrim the Dung Defender, who ironically appears to be the last living great knight.
* NoodleIncident: Oro has done something in the past that [[CainAndAbel caused bad blood between him and Mato]], but neither of them explain what it was. Sheo has no idea either, and wishes they'd just get along.
* RetiredBadass: Sheo has put down his nail to become an artist.
* TheUnfought: According to the Kickstarter campaign, these three were supposed to be beaten in duels in order to learn their skills. In the original release they amounted to [[CutsceneBoss cutscene bosses]], and Sheo doesn't want to fight anymore anyway. Thankfully, all three eventually got battles put in the game.
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[[/folder]]

[[folder: The Grey Mourner]]
[[quoteright:298:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/greymourner.png]]

A mysterious bug dwelling in the Resting Grounds. She asks the Knight to deliver a Delicate Flower to the grave of her mantis lover.
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* ActionGirl: If that giant broken nail beside her is any indication, she was one once.
* BuryYourGays: When you complete her quest, [[spoiler:she fades into nothing and leaves behind a mask shard. Presumably, her desire to honor her departed lover was all that was keeping her alive, and now that it's done, she can finally be TogetherInDeath with her.]]
* DespairEventHorizon: She clearly crossed it a long time ago with the death of her lover. She's not even surprised if you don't want to help her, believing the world is nothing but heart-ache and generally just wanting to be done with this life as quickly as possible, since there's nothing left but pain.
* {{Foil}}: Is this to Elderbug, who can [[spoiler:receive one of her flowers if you so choose and become more of her opposite in the process.]] Both are old, fairly dour and have had bad experiences of an unfair life, but while the Elderbug finds satisfaction in making an effort being helpful despite the worlds challenges and how values of virtue are no longer held high, the Grey Mourner seems to only want to wallow in her isolated misery until the Knight comes by and offer to help her.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: The flower will disintegrate if the player should take any damage during the journey; although the Grey Mourner claims that the Delicate Flower is rare and one of a kind, she will provide the Knight with as many of them as necessary until a successful attempt is made.
* IndoEuropeanAlienLanguage: The Grey Mourner's dialogue is liberally sprinkled with vaguely Celtic words and phrases to reinforce her foreign origins.
* TheLostLenore: She mourns the loss of a long-deceased love far beyond her reach, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin hence her title]].
* RetiredBadass: There's a large nail propped on the wall behind her, and she is possibly [[spoiler:Ze'mer, one of the five legendary knights of Hallownest]].
* StarCrossedLovers: She and her [[spoiler:mantis]] lover, whose kin hated their union because she was an outsider.
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[[/folder]]

[[folder: The White Lady]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/whitelady2.png]]

A large treelike being dwelling in the Queen's Gardens. She gives the Knight half of the Kingsoul.
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* BlindSeer: For all her wisdom, the White Lady is nearly completely blind, and will believe that Ogrim the Dung Defender is with the Knight if they enter her chamber while wearing the [[{{Fartillery}} Defender's Crest]]. She also does not know that Dryya, the Great Knight protecting her has long-since died just outside her hut.
* GirlInABox: The White Lady is confined to a solitary hut on the outer rim of the Queen's Gardens, unable to move and protected only by the motionless corpse of one of her loyal knights, seemingly not even aware of the other's passing.
* HappilyMarried: Heavily implied to have been this with [[spoiler:the Pale King]]. If she is talked to [[spoiler:after obtaining the Kingsoul, she'll refer to the Pale King as her "beloved Wyrm".]]
* LightIsGood: She's literally glowing.
* MotherOfAThousandYoung: An extremely rare non-monstrous example. We never get to see what exactly her "seeds" are, because she chose to bind herself to suppress her voracious desire to breed out of regret for something she did in the past. [[spoiler:She was the mother of the thousands of Vessels left in the Abyss, and recognizes the Knight as one of her 'spawn'.]]
* PlantPerson: She is sometimes referred to as "the Root", and she speaks of herself using plant-like terms, such as sensing things through her roots or spreading seeds.
* PsychicStatic: Dream Nailing her will not yield thoughts beyond her noticing it, though you being able to use it in the first place gives her hope you'll be able to break the seals you need to.
* TinyGuyHugeGirl: If the implications about [[spoiler:her being the Queen of Hallownest]] are true. She is enormous compared to [[spoiler:the Pale King]] who is relatively normal-sized.
* WillfullyWeak: She explains to the Knight that the bindings preventing her from moving were fashioned by her own hand, as she fears that her instinct to spread and reproduce would overpower her judgment.
* UselessBystanderParent: While she likely [[spoiler:did not participate as directly as the Pale King in the conversion of their children into empty Vessels, she did know and [[OffingTheOffspring seemingly allowed thousands of her spawn to die]] and be reborn in the Abyss.]] On the other hand, she is one of the most important and useful [=NPCs=] in explaining the plot and does aid the player-Knight by providing [[spoiler:half of the King's Soul, and directing them to the Birthplace.]]
* ThatThingIsNotMyChild: Played with. The White Lady is never hostile or outright cold to the Knight, but she speaks to them very formally rather than [[spoiler:addressing them like one of her children.]] Justified in that while [[spoiler:she acknowledges that "there's a part" of herself in the Knight, and even calls them her "spawn", the process of becoming a Vessel basically killed and ripped out the insides of that child to be replaced by Void.]] She may also be deliberately keeping herself emotionally distant as [[spoiler:the failure of the original Hollow Knight was because they were tarnished by "an idea instilled", which is implied to be because the Pale King bonded with the Hollow Knight while raising them to adulthood and they began to have a mind, will, and purpose of their own.]] In that case, for the greater good, she cannot fully acknowledge the Knight.
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[[/folder]]

[[folder: The Godseeker]]
[[quoteright:164:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/godseeker.png]]

A seemingly immortal bug wearing a golden mask that is found sealed in the Junk Pit by the Royal Waterways. She performs a mysterious ritual that takes the form of a BossRush in her dreams. Said bosses are "imprints" of various strong creatures and warriors of Hallownest, which she describes as "Gods".
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* AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: Her ultimate goal. By gathering the imprints of Hallownest's strongest individuals, she hopes to ascend and meet with a "God of Gods". [[spoiler:She eventually gets to that point as she watches the Knight fight Absolute Radiance.]]
* AGodAmI: Unusually, she's not actually going for this, she is content to ascend in order to serve the gods, rather than be one.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: [[spoiler:Once the Knight defeats Radiance in her real turf in Godhome, it ascends instead of her and seems to overtake her with the void. If she is holding the Delicate Flower when this happens, she disappears in a brief flash of light, implying it allowed her and the knight to ascend at the same time. If not, the Void bursts out of her as a catalyst and seems to take control of Radiance's plague.]]
* BigBeautifulWoman: Possibly. based on her dialog, her hibernation causes her to physically increase in mass somehow, In spite of it she still essentially calls herself strong, graceful and majestic. hard to say if this is by bug standards though, as no one else meets her.
** IWasQuiteTheLooker: Her form in Godhome by comparison is much more petite and slim, giving off a bit of this trope.
* HiveMind: Her mind is seemingly shared among multiple bodies. Particularly evident in the Godhome, where she fills entire colosseum stands with similar looking bugs.
* {{Jerkass}}: Spends most of her time insulting the Knight, calling them a "Crawler", hoping they're struck down, and generally just acting high and mighty even as you make your way through the Pantheons. [[spoiler:[[DefrostingIceQueen She lightens up a little bit when you give her the Delicate Flower, again once you get to the Pantheon of Hallownest, since she's really close to reaching her goal and attuning to other gods (Unn, The White Queen, and the Pale King), and is outright admiring your strength in Godseeker Mode, calling the Knight the God of Gods she constantly went on about and implying both of them ascended.]]]]
* RealityWarper: Her abilities with her Godtuner allow her to attune with imprints. This allows her to create alternate versions of existing warriors and monsters, such as a flying version of Nosk in a Hornet disguise, fights against otherwise non-hostile characters like Sly and the Nailmasters, and a version of [[spoiler:the previous Hollow Knight from before its corruption. This all culminates in a fight against the actual Radiance on her home turf as Absolute Radiance.]]
* YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe: Speaks very theatrically
-----
[[/folder]]

[[folder: The Pale King]]
[[quoteright:190:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pale_king.png]]
-->"No cost too great..."

The mysterious ruler and founder of Hallownest, venerated by his subjects. By the time the player character arrives, much of his kingdom has been in ruins for over a century following a [[HatePlague devastating]] [[ZombieApocalypse plague]], and the King himself has long since departed for parts unknown.
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* AbusiveParent: Subverted. While the details of what he was like as a person before the infection are unknown, his plan to create the perfect hollow Vessel to contain the infection required [[spoiler:the sacrifice of thousands of his own spawn until one of them became perfectly "hollow" enough to contain Radiance.]] Ironically, [[spoiler:it was because he wasn't heartless ''enough'' that doomed the plan, as he became attached to the Hollow Knight and raised them into adulthood, causing them to gain an "idea instilled" and become no longer truly hollow.]]
* AFormYouAreComfortableWith: His original form is [[spoiler:of a gigantic Wyrm, specifically the giant discarded shell at Kingdom's Edge is actually his old corpse, containing a broken pod that is implied to be where his current form was birthed from and where the Knight obtains the King's Brand.]] It is unknown how many of the regular Hallownest citizens actually know the true origin of their King, and only the more ancient beings seem to be aware, [[spoiler:such as his mate and Queen the White Lady, who only ever refers to him as the "Wyrm".]]
* AGodAmI: Revered by his people as a deity, and called himself one. [[spoiler:The fact that his crown is virtually identical to the one worn by the Radiance — extra point notwithstanding -- is unlikely to be coincidence.]]
* AmbiguousSituation: Just what happened to the Pale King? [[spoiler:While the Knight finds a corpse in White Palace, it's unclear what the White Palace the Knight visited really ''was''. The Godseeker in the Pantheon in Hallownest also never explicitly states that he died -- rather that he was "erased completely".]]
* BrokenPedestal: Eventually the lengths he went to in his desperation to contain the infection is revealed -- [[spoiler:he used thousands of his own children as the basis for the Vessels, a plan so "cruel" that it even turned off Ogrim, the King's most loyal Knight]].
* CoolCrown: The King's shell doubles as a crown. His [[ArcSymbol four-pronged crown sigil]] can be found [[SigilSpam everywhere you look]]. [[spoiler:Its points are quite similar to the three horns that decorated his archenemy, the Radiance. It also resembles the maw of the dead Wyrm from which he was born.]]
* FounderOfTheKingdom: Founded Hallownest and reigned as its king.
* GodIsFlawed: Powerful, wise and otherworldly, the King was not perfect. His initiative to tame Deepnest and his plot to seal the plague ultimately failed. [[spoiler:He chose to sacrifice his own spawn by the thousands in order to save the rest of the Kingdom. However the plan failed when he ultimately could not be cold enough to the original Hollow Knight while raising them to adulthood.]]
* GoodIsNotSoft: The Pale King [[spoiler:brought sapience to some of the bugs and guided them as their monarch. Despite being a reclusive figure, he was worshipped by his people. He was willing to go to any lengths to ensure the survival of his kingdom, even if it meant doing unsavory things.]]
* HumanoidAbomination: [[spoiler:He was apparently a reincarnation or a spawn of the dead Wyrm, and he had [[LovecraftianSuperpower Lovecraftian Superpowers]] such as being able to manipulate the Void. More benevolent than the norm, but he did chain hundreds of Void spawn to do his bidding against the Radiance.]]
* LightIsGood: [[spoiler:It was said that he shone with a pure white light that could blind somebody if they look for too long. If the White Palace is any indication, it might be true.]]
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Despite the lengths he was willing to go to, the inscription in front of the entrance to the Abyss indicates that the King was so disgusted with what he had to do to [[spoiler:seal the Radiance]] that, after [[spoiler:creating the Hollow Knight]], he sealed the Abyss up and never set foot in it again.
--> [[spoiler:''Higher beings, these words are for you alone. Our pure Vessel has ascended.'']]
--> [[spoiler:''[[MyGreatestFailure Beyond lies only the refuse and regret of its creation. We shall enter that place no longer.]]'']]
* PosthumousCharacter: [[spoiler:''Possibly.'' His corpse can be found still sitting on his throne at the end of the White Palace, but the game keeps it ambiguous on whether the White Palace the Knight visits is a memory, or was the real deal transported to the dream world.]]
* PowerOfTheVoid: [[spoiler:The King had a knack for shaping the Void and making it do his bidding, and using it as a power source for constructs like the Kingsmoulds and Wingmoulds. Trouble is, the game also suggests it wasn't the safest thing to deal with, if the occasional corpses bleeding black from the eyes are any indication.]]
* RoyalWe: Spoke like this, judging by the inscriptions written for "higher beings" being written by him.
* SympatheticAdulterer: Though he was married to [[spoiler:the White Lady]], the Pale King had to give [[spoiler:Herrah the Beast a child]] if he wanted Deepnest's loyalty. [[spoiler:The White Lady]] not only feels no spite towards [[spoiler:Herrah]], she's actually very fond of the child that was born; [[spoiler:that child being Hornet]].
* TheUsurper: [[spoiler:A lore tablet in White Palace reveals he wanted to rule as the only god by granting intelligence to certain bugs so they would worship him.]]
* WalkingSpoiler: Learning about the king and his actions reveal major parts of the game's backstory.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler:As Hallownest was taken by the plague, he was willing to [[OffingTheOffspring sacrifice anything]] to keep it at bay. Using the Dream Nail on his corpse reveals his final thoughts: ''"…No cost too great…"'']]
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[[/folder]]

[[folder: Mister Mushroom]]
[[quoteright:130:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mister_mushroom.png]]

A strange fungoid being that only appears late in the game, in secluded spots that must be tracked down. Finding out what he is or is after is another story...
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* AmbiguouslyEvil: [[spoiler:Finishing his quest unlocks a new bit to the ending cinematic where he is shown still flying over Dirtmouth. The camera zooms in close to his face, making him seem particularly intimidating with the Sketch-Swirl style eyes and emphasized shadow on his face.]]
* ItsTheJourneyThatCounts: In the final conversation with him, he expresses this sentiment after noting it took a long journey just to find him every time.
* MushroomMan: His name is Mister Mushroom. [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin What else did you expect?]]
* MythologyGag: His first conversation is a nod to the simple game ''Hungry Knight'', Team Cherry's previous game which in many ways was the prototype for ''Hollow Knight''.
* SignsOfTheEndTimes: Going by the tablet that gives hints on where to find him, [[spoiler:he IS the sign, called the "Master Herald, he who would signal an Age's end". Considering he only appears once you have slain all three Dreamers, well...]]
* TalkativeLoon: How he comes off, between his multiple strange lines and the fact that he's talking to himself up until you approach him. [[spoiler:His final conversation indicates he isn't a total CloudCuckoolander, though.]]
* TimeAbyss: Going by his Dream Nail lines, [[spoiler:Hallownest was just the most recent kingdom to be founded by a spawn of the Wyrm, and he's witnessed an unknown number of them rise and fall, unaffected every time]].
* WordSaladPhilosophy: Most of his lines are vague advice that have no obvious relevance, if any, on what you're doing or have done in-game.
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[[/folder]]

[[folder: Minor [=NPCs=]]]
!! Willoh
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/willoh.png]]

Some kind of Giraffe Weevil that lives in Queen's Station around Greenpath, munching on something and seemingly unaware of the Plague.
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* BitchInSheepsClothing: States that she likes your company, but reading her mind reveals [[spoiler:that she is contemplating eating the Knight. The only reason she doesn't is because the Husks she's eaten have tasted bland and she's found something already good to eat. Furthermore, the nook above her head contains a dead bug whose final moments were apparently spent begging Willoh not to eat him while he cowered just out of her reach.]]
* SatelliteCharacter: She serves no purpose other than being a random NPC who's position gives you a hint towards a collectible [[spoiler:hidden in the nook she sticks her head into for her food.]]
* SeldomSeenSpecies: A Giraffe Weevil.
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!!Tuk
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tuk.png]]

A big bug digging through garbage in the Royal Waterways of Hallownest. Fairly protective of his belongings, but is willing to share his "food" with the Knight for some geo.
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* DistressedDude: Possibly. Wearing the Defender's Crest charm while talking to him has him essentially say that the Dung Defender helped him at some point.
* DeathByAdaptation: A unique case because it's in the same game. [[spoiler:Since Rancid eggs are more akin to VendorTrash in Steel Soul Mode, Tuk is sadly dead of the plague when the Knight goes to his location, his final thoughts being a plea to help him find what he was looking for.]]
* HiddenDepths: Stays in the Waterways [[spoiler:searching around and praying that someone will come back to him eventually, apparently after they got into a fight where the other left him alone. This bug is implied to be Boon, another bug Quirrel meets in the tie-in comic. He also really values friends, which is the reason he's staying put and looking around at all.]]
* GoMadFromTheIsolation: Implied to be what's happened to him.
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!! Mask Maker
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mask_maker.png]]

A strange creature that lives by Deepnest, making masks for those in the world that need them.
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* DarkIsNotEvil: States that it's his duty to make faces for those that do not have any of their own, and isn't even mad if the Knight hits him in the face with a spell. [[spoiler:He also knows what the Vessels are.]]
* ExcuseMeWhileIMultitask: Is constantly painting and using a pick to make masks. He doesn't stop, even when talking to you.
* NightmareFace: knocking off whatever mask he's wearing reveals a bird-like face with flared nostrils and two huge -- apparently ''bleeding''- eyes that have constantly moving, sketchy swirls in them.
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!! Midwife
[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/midwife.png]]

A shady resident of Deepnest with a suspiciously over-happy mask on her face. She explains the history of the area bit-by-bit to you, but has a nasty surprise that interrupts her each time...
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* AbusiveParents: [[WildMassGuessing Maybe.]] Her name would imply she was Herrah's midwife [[spoiler:and thus likely Hornet's ParentalSubstitute, but given that the Midwife is a ravenous lunatic, [[{{Understatement}} it's unlikely she was much of a role model for Hornet if that was the case.]]]]
* BitchInSheepsClothing: Talks calmly, and acts polite, but she will [[spoiler:take a bite out of you if you get too comfy around her.]]
* {{Expy}}: Bears an uncanny resemblance to No-Face from ''Anime/SpiritedAway''.
* FauxAffablyEvil: It's obvious there's something off about her from her appearance alone, [[spoiler:and it's confirmed every time she's done giving you some information.]]
* [[MrExposition Mrs. Exposition]]: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed,]] but she does give the Knight a few nuggets of info about Deepnest's history [[spoiler:in between her attempts to eat them.]]
* NightmareFace: [[spoiler:Her mask splits open to reveal this to you in order for her to attack, and you can't talk to her until you drive her back or run away and reset the area.]]
* NotSoStoic: She seems a smooth talker, but reading the spoilers above and reading her mind reveals that she's a violent paranoid loony who's terrified of having her mind read.
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!! Moss Prophet
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/moss_prophet.png]]

A large Moss covered bug in Greenpath in the early stages of being infected by the plague. He preaches about [[spoiler:a being of light]] to a bunch of Mossy Vagabonds and pushes for them to accept the light.
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* AntiFrustrationFeatures: Since it's very possible that his Vagabonds will be dead and un-fightable by the time you get to him, once you examine their corpses, the entry for them is given to you then and there.
* BodyHorror: Not only is he covered in the plague's boils to the point that he can't move, but it also seems as though a fungus is growing and overtaking him too. [[spoiler:Once you beat the Broken Vessel, both leave him in a state of AndIMustScream, along with his followers, both of which look like nothing more than infected foliage at that point.]]
* DirtyCoward: Hides away once his Vagabonds attack you, and once they're dead, he continues to sing the Light's praise.
* MadOracle: The Moss Prophet himself is harmless, but clearly the infection has left him a bit off his rocker. His ramblings are extremely vague.
* PosthumousCharacter: If you beat the Broken Vessel and haven't gone to his area yet.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: He and the Vagabonds who listen to his every word are so far out of the way of where you are going in Greenpath that the player is likely to find them all dead on an initial run. However, the Prophet sets up that there is a [[spoiler:higher being]] causing this HatePlague Hallownest is being infected by, and his death reveals just how bad even those who try accept the infection, [[spoiler:and therefore the BigBad,]] are afflicted by it.

!!Unn
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/unn.png]]

A gigantic slug that lives in a secret cavern beyond the Lake of Unn.
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* FlatCharacter: [[spoiler:Stares at you, spits out a charm for you, then leaves for good.]]
* GreenThumb: [[spoiler:Implied to be the source of Greenpath's vegetation.]]
* MoreThanMindControl: [[spoiler:Implied that the Mosskin are defending Unn and Greenpath rather than going after the Knight for the Radiance's sake, which is hinted at by the fact that their eyes don't glow when hostile, and that they are constantly thinking about protecting Unn. Despite that, they are still infected]]
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!!Millibelle
[[quoteright:185:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/millibelle.png]]

A humble bug who runs a bank in Fog Canyon, offering a way to keep some money safe in the event you die.
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* BitchInSheepsClothing: [[spoiler:She's actually trying to scam you out of geo, and succeeds if you put at least half the money cap in her "bank".]]
* EvilDetectingDog: [[spoiler:Any charms that summon allies or objects for you, such as Grimmchild or Dreamshield, will attempt to attack Millibelle if you approach her, scaring her and locking the "bank" until you change charms.]]
* LaserGuidedKarma: [[spoiler:She can be found in the Pleasure House after stealing your geo, where you can beat her up to your heart's content and get back the money she stole, and then some.]]
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!!Little Fool
[[quoteright:108:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/little_fool.png]]

A little Bug hanging upside down from the ceiling in chains in the Colosseum of Fools' entrance. By paying him, you unlock the trials the colosseum has to offer.
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* TragicDream: He desperately wants to get back into the Lord Fool's good graces. [[PosthumousCharacter The Lord Fool is long dead by the time you reach the Colosseum of Fools.]]
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!![[spoiler:Steel Soul Jinn]]
[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/steelsouljinn.png]]

A mysterious, stark white creature that replaces Confessor Jiji if you play the HarderThanHard Steel Soul Mode. Since Rancid Eggs aren't useful in a Permadeath mode, Jinn buys them with geo instead.
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* SingleTaskRobot: Jinn mentions being that her only purposes seems to be to trade geo, discusses how much sturdier her body is than the Knight's, and has a highly unusual voice.

!!Myla
[[quoteright:140:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/myla.png]]

A carefree, jovial bug girl toiling away in the mines of Crystal Peak. Although friendly and cheerful, it quickly becomes apparent that there's something not quite right about her.
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* AndIMustScream: [[spoiler:If you hit her with the dream nail after her infection, you find she's still thinking about the song she sung when she first met you.]]
* CloudCuckooLander: She acts rather odd, [[spoiler:even before she becomes infected]].
* TheCorruption: [[spoiler:She becomes infected sometime after the player defeats the Soul Master, and her condition rapidly deteriorates until she becomes a husk.]]
* {{Foreshadowing}}: If you hit her with the Dream Nail right before [[spoiler:the point she goes mindless, you find there is ''someone'' commanding her to "kill the empty one"]].
** [[spoiler:The fact that she shares the same basic model and look of the standard Husk Miner enemies in Crystal Peak (found just beyond her) hints at her final fate.]]
* TheInsomniac: She offhandedly mentions skipping sleep while she labors in her mine, seeming to consider it a perk of her solitude.
* KillTheCutie: [[spoiler:She does not survive the events of the game, catching the infection and becoming a [[OurZombiesAreDifferent husk]], forcing the player to put her down.]]
* MusicalChores: Sings and hums a somewhat morbid song to herself while she works, though she occasionally forgets the lines.
-->''Ohhh, bury the knight with her velvet gloves,\\
Bury the thief with the one she loved!\\
Bury the priest in her tattered gown,\\
Then bury the beggar and his golden crooooooown!''\\
'''(...)'''\\
''Ohhh, bury my mother, pale and slight,\\
Bury my father with his eyes shut tight!\\
Bury my sisters, two by two,\\
And when you're done, let's bury me too!''
** MadnessMantra: She continues to try singing as [[spoiler:her infection worsens, ominously lingering and stuttering on the verses. Upon becoming a relatively-silent husk, using the Dream Nail reveals that she is still thinking of the song, [[SurvivalMantra possibly out of a failed attempt to preserve her crumbling sanity]].]]
--->[[spoiler:''...Bury my body... c-cover my shell,\\
What meaning in darkness? Yet here I remain...\\
I'll wait here forever...till light blooms again...\\
...Bury... body... cover... shell,\\
Darkness. No meaning... [[AC:DANGEROUS]]... Still, remain...\\
[[AC:LIGHT]].... again...'']]
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: She constantly hums her song to herself while she eagerly chips away at the crystals in her mine. She eventually stops both due to [[spoiler:catching the plague, and being [[SanitySlippageSong unable to sing coherently]] due to the voice in her head. When she succumbs and becomes a husk, she resumes working, but is eerily silent.]]
* SanitySlippage: Starts becoming increasingly unhinged as the plot progresses [[spoiler:due to her infection]].
* SpeechImpediment: Stutters constantly in normal conversation (likely due to not having many people to talk to), [[StutterStop though it mostly disappears when she sings]].
* TragicMonster: [[spoiler:She gets infected early on and eventually becomes a husk.]]
* UniqueEnemy: [[spoiler:Infected Myla shares the attacks and appearance of a Husk Miner, though she has unique lines when hit with the Dream Nail, as well as a unique death cry. She also does not respawn upon being slain.]]
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!!Eternal Emilitia
[[quoteright:150:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/emilitia.png]]

An unjustly (according to her) disavowed member of Hallownest's social upper crust. Although untouched by the plague, Emilitia seems rather eccentric.
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* BitchInSheepsClothing: If the Knight uses the Dream Nail on her, we can see that beneath her polite speech, she looks down on the Knight, calling it a ''litte grub'' and assumes that it will die from the bugs outside.
* DancinInTheRuins: She's overjoyed at the disintegration of the society from which she was outcast. Upon breaking into her home, the player finds her giggling merrily to herself with nary a concern for the Husks wandering out in the street.
* IdleRich: In a literal sense, given that she likely hasn't ventured outside her house since the kingdom's collapse.
* NoodleIncident: The circumstances surrounding Emilitia's expulsion from her socialite cliques are never made clear.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: Emilitia claims to have witnessed the collapse of Hallownest; given that the event in question occurs over a hundred years prior to the start of the game, her 'title' may be justified. [[spoiler:She momentarily confuses the Knight for the Pale King if you talk to her after having obtained the King's Brand.]]
* {{Socialite}}: Formerly.
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!!Bardoon
[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bardoon.png]]

A prodigious grub found dozing at Kingdom's Edge.
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* AnOddPlaceToSleep: Bardoon scaled the lofty crags of Kingdom's Edge to escape harassment from [[HatePlague simple minds, lost to light]].
* MrExposition: Tells the Knight about the Wyrm and the Pale King.
* NighInvulnerable: He just sees the Infected as bothersome rather than a threat, and hitting him with your nail ''literally'' just tickles him.
* GentleGiant: The great caterpillar's gigantic, serpentine body is visible in the background as the Knight makes its way up the treacherous cliffs towards the Colosseum of Fools. Despite his size, Bardoon is non-confrontational and only seeks some peace and quiet while he hibernates.
* PsychicBlockDefense: You can't pry into his mind much with the Dream Nail, you'll only get a polite warning that's a fairly rude thing to do.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: Bardoon recounts the arrival of the [[spoiler:Wyrm and his transformation into the Pale King]] as though he'd witnessed it himself. He is likely among the most oldest still-living characters within Hallownest.
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!! Fluke Hermit
[[quoteright:146:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fluke_hermit.png]]

A sentient female Fluke wearing a cloth that can be found in a secret room in the Junk Pit as of the Gods and Glory update. Prodding a smaller fluke in her room, she becomes worried and heads to higher ground once the Godseeker is awakened.
----
* CuteMonsterGirl: In comparison to her mindless violent family members, yes.
* HiddenDepths: Seems to hide away in the Junk Pit not just because she thinks its safe, but because her mother's treasures are there too and she is protecting them as a responsibility. Her dialog also suggests that she is raising her siblings now.
* MotherOfAThousandYoung: [[spoiler:Wearing the flukenest charm has her recognize it as part of the Flukemarm, as well as an epiphany that she might become the next Flukemarm in her mother's place.]]
* MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch: Downplayed, she's the only friendly Fluke the Knight meets, as well as the only one developing speech, but she doesn't seem to acknowledge the Knight unless they have the Flukenest charm equipped.
* VerbalTic: "gla gla" and variations of it dot her dialog.
[[/folder]]

!! The Dreamers
[[folder:In General]]
-->''To protect the Vessel, the Dreamers lay sleeping.''\\
''Through their devotion, Hallownest lasts eternal.''

In order to contain the infection plaguing Hallownest, the Pale King enlisted the help of three renowned bugs, placing each of them into a deep sleep in order to seal the Black Egg Temple. If the Knight hopes to bring the infection to an end, they must seek out each of the Dreamers, enter their dreams, and slay them in their sleep.
----
* BlackCloak: All of them wear black garbs to indicate their status as Dreamers.
* DreamWeaver: The deep sleep they've been put in not only grants them the power to each place a seal on the egg of the Black Egg Temple, but also forms a protective barrier around their unconscious bodies, lets them project their voices and images to the Knight, and allows them to trap the Knight in the dream world until the Seer guides them to the Dream Nail.
* FinalSpeech: Dream Nailing each of them multiple times in the dream realm before ending their lives provides their final thoughts. Their Dream Nail dialogue is notable for being much longer than any other NPC in the game.
-->'''Monomon''': ''For diversity, a Seal...''\\
''...A world forever unchanging...''\\
''...the Seals, must break...''\\
''...Forever...''\\
''...Forever...''\\
''...Better, an end...''
-->'''Lurien''': ''...For King beloved...''\\
''...To sleep. To serve...''\\
''...Bonds must remain...''\\
''...Remain...''\\
''...Remain...''\\
''...Remain...''
-->'''Herrah''': ''...Bound...For brood...For child...''\\
''...Fair bargain made...''\\
''...Give all...''\\
''...For her..''\\
''...For her..''\\
''...For her..''
* SlainInTheirSleep: Using the Dream Nail, the Knight enters their dreams in order to end their lives and break their seals on the Black Egg Temple.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Judging by their dialogue, Lurien, at the very least, seem to believe that the Knight's quest to break the seals and confront the source of the infection will only end up making things worse, and attempt to discourage the Knight from going further in Greenpath before trapping them in the dream world when they reach the Resting Grounds. Monomon, on the other hand, can tell that the infection is worsening and that it would be better to risk Hallownest's destruction than leave it and its people in such dire straits, but begrudgingly follows along with Lurien nonetheless. Herrah does not seem to have any opinion on this.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Monomon the Teacher]]
[[quoteright:213:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/b_monomon.png]]

The chief researcher of Hallownest who makes her home in the Teacher's Archives, located in Fog Canyon. The Oomas and Uomas that populate the Canyon are creations of hers.
----
* BatmanGambit: Implied to be why she [[spoiler:gave Quirrel her mask before he left Hallownest. She knew that sooner or later, even with LaserGuidedAmnesia, she would call Quirrel back to Hallownest, allowing her to be restored and her seal broken when the time was right.]]
* TheSpock: Fitting for Hallownest's chief researcher, she's the most intelligent of the three Dreamers. She appears to be the only Dreamer that logically recognizes it is time for the seals to be broken, is responsible for many of the artificial lifeforms in Hallownest, and even sets up some extra protection for herself and her seal by [[spoiler:entrusting her mask to Quirrel before he leaves Hallownest, [[BatmanGambit knowing he'll return eventually.]]]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lurien the Watcher]]
[[quoteright:131:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/b_lurien.png]]

A bug who watches over the City of Tears from the Watcher's Spire, protected by his force of Watcher Knights.
----
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Herrah the Beast]]
[[quoteright:147:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/b_herrah.png]]

Chief of the beasts of Deepnest, and [[spoiler:mother of Hornet. Her cooperation and enlistment as a Dreamer was part of a deal she made with Hallownest, in exchange for the Pale King fathering Hornet with her.]] She is secluded away in the Beast's Den.
----
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Heavily implied. You can't be the chief of a place like [[MalevolentArchitecture Deep]][[WretchedHive nest]] for nothing, after all.
* DealWithTheDevil: {{Subverted}}. Herrah demanded that [[spoiler:the Pale King father a child with her]] in exchange for her becoming a Dreamer, but not only do both the Pale King and the White Lady not mind the cost of this deal, Herrah upholds her end of the bargain without any treachery whatsoever.
* GoodParents: [[spoiler:[[DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou While she wasn't allowed much time with Hornet due to her duties as a Dreamer,]] her FinalSpeech indicates that, if nothing else, she genuinely loved her daughter and upheld her deal with the Pale King almost solely for her sake.]]
* NobleDemon: She may have been the leader of one of the most dangerous and psychotic areas of Hallownest, but she upheld her end of the deal with the Pale King until her death, [[spoiler:and she genuinely loved her daughter Hornet.]]
[[/folder]]

!! Grimm Troupe
[[folder: Divine]]
[[quoteright:340:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/divine2.png]]

Ostensibly a queen termite and a member of the Grimm Troupe, she occupies the tent adjacent to that of Troupe Master Grimm. She will strengthen Leg Eater's breakable charms into unbreakable ones for a substantial donation of Geo.
-----
* AmbiguouslyEvil: If you talk to the denizens of Dirtmouth, they all comment that there's something "sinister" about the Troupe, but it's not entirely clear what it is.
** Divine is a follower of Grimm, and is therefore already keeping morally dubious company. [[spoiler:Whether her cannibalism of Leg Eater at the conclusion of her quest line is altogether consensual is also unclear, because it happens off-screen.]]
* ExtremeOmnivore: Upon her arrival to Dirtmouth, Divine appears more than eager to consume charms, Geo [[spoiler:and potential love interests]].
* LiteralManeater: [[spoiler:If the player character approaches Leg Eater after having upgraded all of his charms, Leg Eater will comment on their irresistible scent and travel to Dirtmouth to seek out Divine. He is eaten off-screen, leaving nothing behind save his disembodied claws in the corner of Divine's tent.]]
* MoneySink: Cumulatively amounting to 36 grand, Divine's prices for upgrading Leg Eater's charms are easily the highest in Hallownest, and are intended as a post-game sink for players that have accumulated a surplus after buying everything else. [[spoiler:By the time you finish the process of strengthening the charms, Divine will be incredibly wealthy, which Leg eater takes as a symbol of leadership and is implied to be part of the reason he's drawn to her.]]
* ToiletHumour: Her method of strengthening your charms is eating them and then pooping them out. It works, though.
* TwoFaced: May very well be the case, considering that Divine is never seen without her trademark half-mask.
-----
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Brumm]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brumm_circle.png]]

A gruff, top-heavy member of the Grimm Troupe, Brumm plays the accordion at the entrance to Troupe Master Grimm's tent. Initially withdrawn, Brumm's motivations become clearer as the Knight starts collecting flame for Grimm's ritual.
-----
* BambooTechnology: If you look closely, the accordion that Brumm plays appears to be another, smaller bug.
* CreepyCircusMusic: The accordion leitmotif gives the Grimm Troupe a decidedly more French-sounding interpretation of this trope.
* DefectorFromDecadence: [[spoiler:If the Knight meets Brumm in the Distant Village before defeating Nightmare King Grimm and completing the ritual, Brumm will profess that although he is still loyal to Grimm, he has grown disillusioned with The Ritual. He bids that the Knight extinguish the Nightmare Lantern to banish the Grimm Troupe from Hallownest. This leads to the Banishment ending and allows the player to complete the Grimm Troupe questline without beating Nightmare King Grimm.]]
* HeroWithBadPublicity: [[spoiler:He very much wants to stop the Grimm Troupe's ritual from taking place, which is presented in the game as a good thing. Brumm himself, however, speaks cryptically and doesn't communicate his goals well, making him come across as creepy despite his good intentions.]]
* LaserGuidedAmnesia: [[spoiler:If the player should proceed to extinguish the Nightmare Lantern, the Grimm Troupe will disappear from Dirtmouth without a trace, save for an accordion-playing bug named Nymm. Nymm appears visually similar to Brumm, but is shorter, more verbose and lacks his mask. He has no recollection of how he'd arrived to Dirtmouth, but offers the Knight a charm that bears a peculiar resemblance to Brumm's mask, and comments that the charm seems oddly familiar if equipped. It's therefore quite likely that Brumm became Nymm after being freed of the ritual, losing his memories in the process.]]
-----
[[/folder]]

!!Bosses

[[folder: Gruz Mother]]
[[quoteright:186:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gruzmother.png]]

A large fly-like being that's found sleeping within the Forgotten Crossroads. You can later fight two stronger Gruz Mothers simultaneously within the Colosseum of Fools.
-----
* BonusBoss: Like all encounters in the Colosseum of Fools, the second two Gruz Mothers aren't necessary for beating the game.
* DualBoss: Inside the Colosseum of Fools.
* FlunkyBoss: A weird variation, where her children burst out of her body after she dies and have to be fought separately. This only happens during the first encounter, though.
* KingMook: A larger version of the regular Gruzzers you find within the game.
* MonsterIsAMommy: As is obvious from the name.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: False Knight]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/falseknight_8.png]]

A maggot who inhabits a stolen armored shell. He guards a room in the Forgotten Crossroads.
-----
* AntiVillain: After defeating [[spoiler:his Dream Boss version,]] you'll find out that [[spoiler:he wasn't actually evil or infected (at least at first), and stole the armour just because he wanted to protect his siblings, who are among the weakest creatures in Hallownest.]]
* BonusBoss: The first encounter with this boss is mandatory, but a stronger variant can be fought by [[spoiler:striking his corpse with the Dream Nail]].
* CarryABigStick: Slams his mace on the ground, causing shockwaves and making rocks fall from above.
* ClothesMakeTheSuperman: Maggots are the weakest creatures in all of Hallowest, but he's still putting this huge stolen suit of armor—one that belonged to one of the five legendary knights, no less—to good use.
* CrueltyIsTheOnlyOption: After you get the maggot to fall out of the armor, he just lies defeated on the floor, but you can't continue until you kill him. [[spoiler:And once you find two other maggots holding a funeral for him, you have kill the poor guys if you want to fill out the Journal.]]
* GrievousHarmWithABody: His mace's head is actually another bug, who escapes after the Knight's defeated.
* InsaneNoMore: The maggot was supposedly driven mad by some force, but [[spoiler:after his Failed Champion form is defeated, he reveals he wasn't crazy and stole the armor out of determination to protect his fellow maggots]] [[AllForNothing (who, again, you likely killed for the journal entries.)]]
* LivingWeapon: If the player stays a few second besides the False Knight after its boss battle, they can see that the False Knigh's mace is actually a bug that will flee to safety.
* SkippableBoss: Not immediately evident, but [[spoiler:the left side of the arena can be destroyed after the first phase of the boss fight.]] The player only needs access to the Vengeful Spirit beyond the False Knight in order to progress to Greenpath and the City Crest the False Knight drops isn't necessary to enter the City of Tears (which can be accessed from several other areas), so it's not necessary to ever finish the fight.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Brooding Mawlek]]
[[quoteright:289:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/broodingmawlek.png]]

This massive beast is found in a hidden area in the Forgotten Crossroads, [[LoneSurvivor alone in a room full of dead Mawleks]]. It can also be fought in the Colosseum of Fools.
-----
* BonusBoss: Only found in optional areas, and you can easily complete the entire game without fighting one.
* DeathFromAbove: Its specialty, whether it's slamming down on you with its weight or vomiting acid into the air to fall down on you.
* EarlyBirdBoss: If you end up fighting it before you're supposed to with the SequenceBreaking described below, the thing has a monstrous amount of health and very difficult to avoid attacks. The ability to dash in particular is almost required to jump over it (something you have to do to avoid its acid vomit). It's not quite a HopelessBossFight without it, but damn if it doesn't come close.
* InformedKindness: The Hunter's Journal implies that it's only violent because it's been left alone, but at several points in the game you may enter areas full of Mawleks that will happily try to tear you apart and liquefy your sorry guts anyways. Maybe this only applies to the Brooding subspecies or even this particular individual specimen.
* LoneSurvivor: The one you fight in the Forgotten Crossroads seems to be the only survivor of its colony, hence why it's so violent. Mind you, Lesser Mawleks elsewhere will still attack you in groups.
* MonsterSobStory: Apparently it's an extremely social creature that becomes aggressive if isolated from its kind. You find it alone with all the other Mawleks dead. The Hunter's journal mentions how it keeps calling out for other Mawleks but is never answered.
* SequenceBreaking: The room it's in seems designed to only be reachable once you have the Mantis Claw. However, with some well-timed nail jumps, you can reach it before fighting any other boss in the game.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Mantis Lords]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d4fdd2b77453b1a6e03952453225c161_original_6.png]]

The chiefs of the Mantis Village, they are intensely xenophobic and hostile to outsiders. The Knight must face them in order to gain access to (one entrance of) the Deepnest.
-----
* ActionGirl: Given that they're referred to as sisters.
* {{BFS}}: All three of them wield nails as tall as they are.
* DualBoss: After defeating one, the other two battle the Knight simultaneously.
* DefeatMeansFriendship: They acknowledge the Knight's strength after it beats them, and the other mantis villagers won't attack it anymore.
* EarlyBirdBoss: To the point where Quirrel explicitly tells you to upgrade your nail before facing them. You can battle them as soon as you get to Mantis Village, but compared to all of the bosses you have faced up to Fungal Wastes, the Mantis Lords are ruthlessly fast and give you very few chances to attack them due to their rapid movement and aggression, all of which gets taken UpToEleven when you battle two of them at once. If you return to them after upgrading your nail and gathering a couple more charms and possibly another HeartContainer, they'll be a lot easier to manage, going from [[LightningBruiser Lighting Bruisers]] to [[FragileSpeedster Fragile Speedsters]].
* FlashStep: Their preferred method of combat. They'll appear in one end of the arena or above you, dash at you, and then jump away quickly before doing it all over again.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: There is a destroyed throne in their room in addition to the three they are sitting on. [[spoiler:You end up facing that throne's former occupant in the Queen's Gardens in the form of the Traitor Lord.]]
* GracefulLoser: While they are notorious for their insular and hostile nature, they show a lot of respect for those able to best them. After defeating them, they and their warriors will all bow to the Knight whenever it passes them.
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: The mantises found in the Fungal Wastes fit this trope as a whole. The Hunter's Journal implies that this may be the reason they weren't affected by the same tragedy that befell their civilized neighbors in Hallownest.
* SequentialBoss: The battle against them is split into two parts. In the first, you face a single Mantis Lord, and two of them in the second part.
* SheIsTheKing: According to the Hunter's Journal entry for the [[spoiler:Traitor Lord]], the Mantis Lords are all sisters. [[FridgeBrilliance This makes a lot of sense]] when you remember that female mantises tend to be MoreDeadlyThanTheMale and in fact often eat the male after mating.
* SlayingMantis: It's right there in the name, and this trope is the theme of their entire tribe to boot.
* ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks: The Mantis Lords can throw their nails at you, which even fly back at them so the player should be wary of them.
* WolfpackBoss: In the Godhome challenge you have to fight all three of them in their second phase.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Soul Master]]
[[quoteright:316:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/soulmaster_9.png]]

The head of the Soul Sanctum. He hoarded soul hoping to stave off Hallownest's affliction, but eventually became intoxicated by its power.
-----
* BonusBoss: The first encounter with this boss is mandatory, but a stronger variant can be fought by [[spoiler:striking its corpse with the Dream Nail]].
* GroundPound: Uses the desolate dive skill during his fight, teleporting above the knight before slamming into the ground and causing a shockwave. After his defeat, the knight gains the same ability (without the teleportation.)
* ImmortalitySeeker: He and his fellow researchers hoped to find a way to live forever, but they were all driven mad and deformed by misusing the power of souls.
* MadScientist: The Soul Master hoped to use soul power as a means to end the plague, but the king, for reasons never explained to him, opposed his methods. Then again, if the Master was getting his inspiration from prophetic dreams, [[spoiler:wouldn't that also be the work of Radiance]]?
* OrbitingParticleShield: Can summon four projectiles to orbit around him.
* SequentialBoss: Even after one exaggerated death animation, the Soul Master regenerates and the battle continues on the floor below. The same goes for the rematch, sans fake-out.
* ShockwaveStomp: The Soul Master uses the spell Desolate Dive a lot, teleporting right above the Knight to then slam the ground and cause a wave of energy on both sides.
* SquishyWizard: He's got a lot of speed and offense, but can't take too many hits. Soul Tyrant, [[DamageSpongeBoss on the other hand...]]
* PlayingPossum: The Desolate Dive spell ''actually appears'' as a collectable reward after the Soul Master's drawn-out death animation. The Soul Master reappears to interrupt the player with his second phase before they can actually absorb it, however.
* TeleportSpam: Utilises this ''a lot.'' He often teleports away just before he the Knight can strike him, even teleporting in the middle of his own attacks to psych the player out. Taken UpToEleven by the [[spoiler:Soul Tyrant]], who teleports to an insane degree, never staying still for more than a second.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Crystal Guardian]]
[[quoteright:206:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/crystalguardian.png]]

Found sitting on a bench in the Crystal Peak, this bug has not only been infected by the plague, but has also had its head and arms encased in the crystal that gives the area its name. After being defeated by the Knight, it flees to the room directly above, where it can be rematched and killed for good.
-----
* BeamSpam: Mostly content to fire individual beams from its arm, it can also [[{{DeathFromAbove}} conjure multiple searing rays from the ceiling at once]].
* BonusBoss: Defeating it once gives you access to the bench it was sitting on; defeating it twice rewards you with a Mask Shard.
* CrystalPrison: It is only partially encased, however.
* FrickinLaserBeams: This is the Crystal Guardian's primary method of attack.
* GlowingEyesOfDoom: Like all bugs taken by the infection, its eyes glow orange.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Flukemarm]]
[[quoteright:148:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/flukemarm.png]]

Found hanging from the ceiling in a secluded room in the Royal Waterways, this giant worm covered in orifices will immediately start launching its children at you should you disturb it.
-----
* BonusBoss: Its room lies off to the side, and you only need to fight it if you want the Flukenest Charm that it drops.
* CurbStompBattle: If you have a fully upgraded Nail by the time you find her (which you have a good chance of) she'll go down in just a few charged hits.
* FlunkyBoss: The most extreme example in the game. Unable to attack or even move itself, it instead has to constantly shoot Flukefeys at you in order to kill you.
* HellIsThatNoise: Constantly makes a bunch of gurgling, slobbering sounds with its "mouths" as you fight it.
* MotherOfAThousandYoung: Apparently, it is the source of all the Flukefeys and Flukemons you find in the Royal Waterways.
* NonMaliciousMonster: She won't attack you unless you start it.
* StationaryBoss: Being stuck to the ceiling and lacking any limbs to move with, it's unable to do anything but spawn Flukefeys at you.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Dung Defender]]
[[quoteright:321:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dung_defender.png]]

Once one of the five Great Knights of Hallownest, this proud warrior now guards the Royal Waterways against intruders.
-----
* BigFun: Large, rotund, and jolly. And unlike most of the other bugs, he's not been driven insane by the infection. He just likes chucking dung around.
* BloodKnight: This guy ''loves'' to fight. He leaps into battle with gusto and continues laughing jubilantly the entire time. He bears no hatred for his opponent, [[spoiler:and if you talk to him later he will apologize for his preemptive attack. He also offers heartfelt thanks for giving him such a challenge, congratulates the Knight for an impressive victory, and declares it was the most thrilling bout he's fought in years.]] Like many denizens of Hallownest he is surrounded by death and ruin, and he guards his post in solitude [[spoiler:with only wistful memories for company]]. The joy he finds in combat might be the only thing keeping him in high spirits.
* BoisterousBruiser: Just listen to the jovial tone of his voice as he challenges you while you approach his boss room.
* BonusBoss: [[spoiler:As of the Hidden Dreams update, hitting him with the Dream Nail initiates a rematch with an upgraded version called the White Defender.]]
* ButNowIMustGo: [[spoiler:As of the Lifeblood update, defeating the White Defender five times causes Ogrim to wake up and greet the Knight. In his thoughts, Ogrim ponders if he can prevent the line of Great Knights from ending with himself. When you next visit the room you find he's built a statue in the likeness of the Knight and left to parts unknown.]]
* DefeatMeansFriendship: [[spoiler:After defeating him, he can later be found again and will apologize for attacking you, explaining that he mistook you for a Husk.]]
* [[SandIsWater Dung Is Water]]: He burrows and occasionally even swims in the floor of his room, though he can also stand on it and the Knight cannot sink into it.
* DungFu: He's a ''dung beetle''. Of ''course'' he's skilled at this.
* FurryReminder: When you defeat the Dung Defender, his explosion sends him flying into the background, where he lands on his back and starts flailing his limbs, struggling to get up—much like a real beetle. Not to mention the fact that he does roll balls of dung.
* KnightInShiningArmor: If you discount the fact that his armor is anything but shining, he is a textbook example—a noble, honor-bound hero, [[UndyingLoyalty loyal beyond death]] to his king.
* LargeHam: Even in a setting that employs SpeakingSimlish, he still manages to stand out as one.
--> BAAAA HUNDAA!
* LastOfHisKind: He's the only Great Knight left, as far as we know.
* PinballProjectile: His dung balls. Sometimes, the Defender himself will curl into a ball and join them in bouncing around the room.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: He's been around since (presumably) the founding of Hallownest, which is stated to have been at least a century ago.
* RedBaron: Dung Defender is his title. Certain dialogue reveals his name is Ogrim.
* StepfordSmiler: His thoughts and dreams are less jolly than his demeanor. [[spoiler:The dialogue earned by defeating or Dream Nailing the White Defender states that he ''severely'' misses his king and companions and desperately wants to reunite with them.]]
* TheHyena: He laughs a lot in and out of his fight. If you enter his room, he'll sometimes do it in his sleep.
* TheLostLenore: [[spoiler:His fellow knight Isma, [[HerosMuse platonic]] or [[LoverAndBeloved otherwise.]] He'll sometimes mutter her name in his sleep. The gate he guards leads to Isma's Grove, which is, if not a tomb, a sort of monument to her memory.]]
* ToiletHumor: As heroic as he is, he's still a dung beetle—not the most dignified of insects. When he is defeated, he emits [[{{Fartillery}} a massive explosion of noxious gas]] that sends him flying into the background.
* UndyingLoyalty: The description of his Defender's Crest states it was a gift from the king himself to his most loyal knight. You can also find that the Defender keeps dung statues of his Great Knight comrades on his room and a statue of the King with a idol next to it on the opposite room.
* YouShallNotPass: He guards a device that drains the acid blocking the way to Isma's Grove. Using the Dream Nail on him later while he's sleeping reveals [[HeroWorshipper he holds her in high regard]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Broken Vessel]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dfa5e2c0875e306ab758ce8661660235_original.png]]

An eerily familiar figure found in the Ancient Basin, consumed by the plague that has spread throughout Hallownest.
-----
* BonusBoss: Not the regular version, but they can be rematched by [[spoiler:striking its corpse with the Dream Nail. Curiously, this version of the boss has their name changed to Lost Kin]].
* CainAndAbel: The Knight and them are siblings, but their reanimated body has to be defeated to unlock the Monarch Wings.
* DyingAsYourself: All of the infected pus explodes off their body after they are defeated, giving them enough time to reach out desperately towards the Knight before falling dead to the ground. [[spoiler:The Lost Kin version is still infected, and upon being defeated, instead of being able to "Listen" to their last thoughts, instead the Knight can "Accept" which makes Lost Kin nod in thanks to the Knight. The achievement for this is called "Peace".]]
* {{Foreshadowing}}: [[spoiler:A Vessel that was also consumed by the infection, like the Hollow Knight, and shrieks in much the same way as them as well.]]
* FlunkyBoss: The [[spoiler:Lost Kin]] spawns floating blobs of infection pus at a rapid rate, forcing the player to divide their attention between these Infected Balloons and the boss.
* GracefulLoser: Bows their head politely to the Knight after [[spoiler:they are defeated in the dream world]].
* MirrorBoss: Their attacks and movement abilities are strikingly similar to the Hollow Knight's, [[spoiler:which is fitting since they are both Vessels]].
* PuppeteerParasite: They are actually lying down on the ground when they are encountered, but then a swarm of Lightseeds gathers inside of their hollowed out shell to reanimate them and push them to battle the Knight.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Uumuu]]
[[quoteright:195:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/uumuu.png]]

A giant, jellyfish-like creature that guards Monomon the Teacher. Quirrel aids you in your battle against it.
-----
* ElectricJellyfish: Uses electric attacks during its boss battle.
* {{Expy}}: The orange nucleus surrounded by translucent membrane brings to mind [[Franchise/{{Metroid}} another fictional jellyfish-like species]].
* KingMook: To the Ooma and Uoma.
* SeeminglyHopelessBossFight: The membrane protecting the core prevents the Knight from attacking it with spells or the nail. [[spoiler:After a while of dodging, Quirrel will come in and pop it.]]
* ShockAndAwe: Uumuu's primary method of attack. It has two main attacks, the first is to cover 90% of the boss room in electrical sparks, forcing the player to seek a safe spot, and the second one is to continuously summon electricity on the Knight's position, forcing the player to constantly move.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Watcher Knights]]
[[quoteright:290:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/watcherknightcropped.png]]

Formerly the elite guards of Lurien the Watcher, they are reanimated by infected flies to fight against you.
-----
* AnimatedArmor: The Watcher Knights consist of nothing but hollowed out remains controlled by swarms of infected lumaflies circling above the arena.
* {{Expy}}: Of the [[VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII Abyss Watchers.]] Though mercifully, the last one will not get supercharged.
* FallingChandelierOfDoom: [[spoiler:A hidden room lets you drop one on one of the sets of armor, bringing the total number of knights to be fought down to a slightly more manageable five.]]
* PraetorianGuard: The location of their armor, their collective name, and their combat skills all imply that they were the elite guard of Lurien the Watcher.
* RollingAttack: Although the Watcher Knights are not the only opponents to use this technique, their penchant for doing so in unison makes them a particularly memorable example.
* SequentialBoss: You fight one at first, then the rest in pairs. There are six of them in total, though you can destroy one preemptively by dropping a chandelier from the hidden room above.
* WolfpackBoss: [[DownplayedTrope While you don't fight them all at once,]] the player still has to take on ''at least'' five of them to make it through the battle. This is emphasized by their attack patterns: they don't have any flashy tricks or fancy maneuvers, they just gang up on the player relentlessly.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Traitor Lord]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/traitorlord_3.png]]

While the Mantis Tribe has by and large fared ''much'' better than Hallownest against the plague, not even they are fully immune to its effects. Those Mantises who succumb to the plague are exiled to the Queen's Gardens, and the Traitor Lord rules over these corrupted husks.
-----
* FinalExamBoss: A non-final version; you need the Shadow Cloak to face it, and he'll make darned sure you know how to use it in combat.
* GroundPound: He can slam the ground to unleash an immense shockwave that cannot be avoided without the Shade Cloak.
* KingMook: He uses the same moves used by the grounded mantises in the area, but is twice their size.
* MaleMightFemaleFinesse: In sharp contrast to the Mantis Lords, the Traitor Lord is slower and bulkier, and forgoes using a weapon. Justified, as if he had style, it's likely been cast away due to the plague affecting his mind.
* MutualKill: If [[spoiler:Cloth]] shows up for the fight, it will end with them killing each other regardless of how much damage you deal.
* PowerAtAPrice: The Lord deliberately embraced the plague to become more powerful. This should have the cost of [[PsychoSerum turning him feral]], but he and the other exiled appear to still function as a society in the Gardens.
* SlayingMantis: Like his sisters, but comes off as more of a brute given that he uses his bare claws rather than nails. As of the ''Lifeblood'' update he can now also throw glaives similar to the ones used by Mantis Petra and the Mantis Lords, but his seem to be lathered in infection and he can throw them in a much trickier pattern.
* TookALevelInBadass: Previously, the Traitor Lord was basically a resized Mantis Traitor with a souped-up health pool. As of the ''Lifeblood'' update, however, he has gained two new ranged attacks and now deals two masks of damage with most attacks and on contact.
* {{Unperson}}: His broken throne in the Mantis Village suggests he's received this treatment from his sisters.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: The Collector]]
[[quoteright:226:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/collector_4.png]]

A strange, shadowy figure that enjoys collecting bugs.
-----
* CollectorOfTheStrange: Responsible for the bottled grubs you find across the world. It has other bug types bottled up in its tower.
* FlunkyBoss: Drops glass bottles on the Knight that contain enemies during its boss fight.
* GigglingVillain: It can be heard giggling in its tower, and during its boss fight it constantly laughs. It even laughs ysterically when it's dying.
* ImMelting: Its death animation.
* {{Leitmotif}}: While most bosses share a similar boss theme, the Collector gets a unique, heavily distorted version. Probably to emphasize its deranged mental state.
* LivingShadow: Interestingly enough, it seems to be another being born of the Void, and has some similarities to Shades. [[spoiler:A unique four-armed cast found in a secret chamber within the White Palace which is a mold for the Kingsmoulds implies that the Collector is possibly an escaped Kingsmould.]]
* MadLove: It actually loves everything it preserves in its jars, but of course being prisoner of it is quite a terrible fate.
* MultiArmedAndDangerous: It has four arms but they aren't the main threat as it will only occasionally claw the Knight, preferring to jump around.
* OptionalBoss: It is found in a side area, and beating gives a map marker reward that shows all grubs that have not yet been found.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Bottling living things is its way of protecting and conserving them, and it's no coincidence that it has a fixation on capturing grubs…
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Nosk]]
[[quoteright:240:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nosk_4.png]]

A predatory arthropod that lures bugs into the Deepnest by mimicking their loved ones.
-----
* AlluringAnglerfish: Uncommon terrestrial example; the impostor knight is revealed to be a puppet mounted on Nosk's head once the Knight confronts it inside its lair.
* BaitAndSwitchBoss: Winged Nosk uses Hornet's form as a disguise.
* BigCreepyCrawlies: To an even greater extent than many other enemies encountered in Hallownest. Its primary methods of attack are to skitter back and fourth across its arena and to leap at the player.
* BonusBoss: Found in a hidden area in the lower Deepnest. It isn't necessary for game completion, but rewards the player with a Pale Ore if slain.
* BullfightBoss: Its main form of attack is to charge, priming it by roaming before.
* ConfrontingYourImposter: When it's initially encountered in the depths of the Deepnest, Nosk is disguised as a mirror image of the Knight.
* DamageSpongeBoss: Its attack patterns are pretty simple but it can take a lot of hits.
* DeadPersonImpersonation: Implied by the dying dreams of the corpses left outside its lair, and confirmed by its Hunter's Journal entry: many of Nosk's victims believed they were pursuing their long-deceased companions.
* DeathFromAbove: For one of its attacks, the Nosk jumps up to the ceiling and drops acid bolts on its prey.
* EmpathicShapeshifter: The bugs strung up in Nosk's lair aren't all Vessels like the Knight; a few are of different species, meaning that Nosk can improvise a convincing disguise tailored to its prey.
* HollywoodAcid: The Nosk has gained two acid attacks as of a patch. The blobs stick around for a while after hitting the floor, restraining movement.
* OffscreenTeleportation: During the first few sightings, Nosk will always appear around a bend that will allow it to disappear deeper into its tunnels before the player is able to catch up to it.
* SpiderLimbs: As visible once it reveals its true nature.
* TookALevelInBadass: A post-launch patch added two acid-based attacks to the Nosk. And again in another update as Winged Nosk.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: God Tamer]]
[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/godtamer_5.png]]

A veteran gladiator of the Colosseum of Fools, and the final encounter of its most challenging course; a female cockroach who fights alongside a mount resembling a prehistoric trilobite.
-----
* BeastOfBattle: The crustacean mount bears all the hallmarks.
* TheBeastmaster: Upon entering the arena, the cockroach immediately dismounts and engages the player character in tandem with her beast.
* BloodKnight: The Hunter’s Journal refers to the God Tamer as a veteran warrior of the Colosseum, implying that she participates in the games for the [[BloodSport sport of it]].
* BonusBoss: Awards the player with no items or upgrades upon her defeat, and is only a required battle in a [[HundredPercentCompletion completionist run]].
* CheckPointStarvation: Because the encounter occurs at the conclusion of the Trial of the Fool, if you fail to dispatch the boss, you'll have to replay the entire lengthy gauntlet to take another stab at the fight.
* DualBoss: The cockroach rider isn’t terribly imposing on her own, but her aggressive partner serves to keep the player on their toes.
* JoustingLance: The rider fights with a slender lance, even after dismounting.
* OnlyTheChosenMayRide: Jury’s still out on whether the trilobite qualifies as a ‘god’, but it seems to be the only remaining specimen of its kind, and isn’t particularly friendly.
* VillainousBSOD: If the trilobite is killed before the rider, she will fall to her knees and give up.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: The Final Boss (Spoilers)]]
!!The Hollow Knight
[[quoteright:282:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hollowknight_9.png]]

The original Vessel for the plague, created by the king of Hallownest and sealed away in an attempt to protect the kingdom. With their ability to contain the plague weakening, they must be defeated to take their place as the new Vessel to keep the plague from fully breaking free.
-----
* AmbiguousGender: Just like the Knight and other Vessels, WordOfGod says that the Hollow Knight doesn't have a gender and is often referred to as an "it".
* AnArmAndALeg: While it could be obscured by the cloak they wear, the Hollow Knight's second arm is never visible. [[spoiler:The Pure Vessel fought in the Godhome very clearly has two arms, confirming that the Hollow Knight lost one arm at some unknown point after this, presumably due to containing the infection.]]
* BadassCape: [[spoiler:Used to wear a long, white cape with armored padding around the neck area in their Pure Vessel form. It gets ripped off as they start fighting though.]]
* BodyHorror: They have several attacks that involve a large amount of glowing cysts exploding out of their chest. One attack has them being flung into the air and slammed into the ground in an attempt to crush the Knight.
* BonusBoss: The Godmaster update gives us [[spoiler:The Pure Vessel, which is the Hollow Knight in their prime in the dream world, uncorrupted by The Infection. They can perform some dangerous new moves and uses a [[YinYangBomb combination of soul and void]] elements for each.]]
* CainAndAbel: The Cain to the player Knight's Abel, though how much control the Hollow Knight still has over their actions and how much is the plague controlling their body by the time they are reached is left mostly up to debate.
* CliffHanger: In the new ending added in "Godmaster", [[spoiler:the Hollow Knight, newly freed from the Radiance, is seen advancing towards Hornet right before a SmashToBlack.]]
* CombatBreakdown: A rare example of this happening to the ''boss''. About halfway through the fight, they become visibly fatigued and start stabbing themselves in a desperate attempt to either destroy the infection or themselves as the plague begins to overtake them. By the end of the battle, they can hardly attack without collapsing and can barely even be considered a proper fight anymore.
* CounterAttack: They have a distinct animation during which they block all nail slashes thrown their way, eventually resulting in one of these if the player keeps attacking anyway.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: ''Hooo, boy''. First, there was their creation by the Pale King [[spoiler:via sacrificing his and the White Lady's children]]. Then they were raised with the sole purpose of sacrificing themselves for the world. But the Pale King ended up forming a father-child bond with it, inadvertently sabotaging the Hollow Knight's potential. When the Knight finally faces them, they are a broken mess due to the Infection taking over their body and threatening to burst forth.
* {{Determinator}}: All the Vessels were created with this in mind to better keep the Infection contained. However, the Hollow Knight gets a special mention for this trope. Despite the Infection being on the verge of breaking free, the Hollow Knight does everything in their power to fulfill their purpose. First, they repeatedly maim themselves in order to aid the Knight. Then, [[spoiler:when the Knight beats the Radiance]], they appear in Shade form to help the former kill [[spoiler:her]] once and for all.
* EleventhHourRanger: In the Dream No More ending, [[spoiler:they return as a Shade to help the Knight defeat the Radiance]].
* {{Expy}}: Bears more than a few similarities to two separate characters from VideoGame/DarkSoulsI: Artorias and Gwyn.
** With Artorias they share the status of [[FallenHero a hero fallen]] to the force they were meant to oppose, a {{BFS}} wielded with one hand while [[HandicappedBadass the other is injured]] (or missing in the Hollow Knight's case), and a fighting style that channels the force they were corrupted with.
** Meanwhile, like Gwyn they sacrificed themselves to protect their world, is the FinalBoss who the player aims to replace in their duties, and is in a rather sorry state when encountered.
* FightingFromTheInside: In the second half of the fight, the Hollow Knight starts resisting the control of the plague, stabbing themselves in the chest in an attempt to help the Knight. These suicidal fits don't damage them, but they do represent huge openings for the Knight to heal themselves, openings that the otherwise-highly-aggressive Hollow Knight rarely presents.
* FlashStep: It'll appear and vanish with blinding speed throughout the first half of the fight to get an angle for attacking the Knight, verging on TeleportSpam at times. [[spoiler:In the Pure Vessel variant, their FlashStep has the same visual effects as Shade Cloak, highlighting the link between them and the Void.]]
* {{Foreshadowing}}: A minor one, but [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgqIVe6FF1U in the cinematic where you encounter the Hollow Knight's statue in the City of Tears]], the statue appears to [[TearsFromAStone shed a few tears]]. When they are encountered later in the game, we see that they are FightingFromTheInside, desperate to contain the infection, but they are unable to hold on much longer.
* GrewBeyondTheirProgramming: Certain NPC dialogue—along with a cutscene at the conclusion of the Path of Pain—implies that the Hollow Knight could not completely contain the infection due to [[spoiler:being raised as a child by the Pale King]].
* HeroicSacrifice: They tried to pull one by serving as the Vessel for the infection and sealing it away. It worked for a while.
* IGotBigger: Flashback cutscenes reveal that when they were younger they used to look pretty similar to the far smaller Knight, with the only difference being the shape of their horns and the colour of their cloak.
* KnightInShiningArmor: [[spoiler:The Pure Vessel's long, white, armored cape gives them this appearance.]]
* LeakingCanOfEvil: They ''are'' the leaking can! Some of their attacks even incorporate firing blobs of glowing liquid just like some other infected creatures do.
* PeoplePuppets: In their final phases, they are so unable to contain the plague that it takes completely over, lifts them up, and slams them in the Knight's direction like a rag-doll.
* PoweredByAForsakenChild: They are the forsaken child, in a very literal sense.
* ReverseGrip: Always holds their nail this way.
* SadBattleMusic: Their battle music, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdWkZOo-p0M Sealed Vessel]], starts out imposing and grand but turns heartbreakingly tragic in the second part of the fight, as they are slowly reduced to a wreck, turning their blade on themselves and eventually growing so weak they can barely swing their nail without collapsing.
* {{Seppuku}}: The way they stab themselves with their own nail has shades of this, especially how it coincides with the soundtrack's shift to SadBattleMusic. Of course, [[MadeOfIron even this doesn't finish them off]] and the Hollow Knight periodically stabs themselves throughout the rest of the fight.
* TheSpeechless: They were meant to have no voice as part of the qualities that would help them contain the infection. "No voice to cry suffering". They appear to roar during the boss battle, but this is the voice of the Radiance seeping out through the infected parts of the Hollow Knight. In Godhome, [[spoiler:the Pure Vessel is entirely speechless. The start of the fight uses the start of the music in place of the roar that starts the battle with the Hollow Knight in the main game.]]
* TragicMonster: During the battle, they are clearly fighting the infection that's driving them mad as much as they are fighting the Knight.
* TykeBomb: There's something poignant about finding out the Hollow Knight was once kid-sized like the Knight and that the King regarded all the Vessels as mere tools.
* UnPerson: Which is particularly odd since there's a giant fountain homaging them in the kingdom's capital. As Lemm points out, no one in Hallownest has ''any'' clue who the Hollow Knight is or why there's a large statue of them at the center of the City of Tears. Outside of that fountain, they're never mentioned in any historical records.
* WreckedWeapon: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]], as the nail they wield is still usable but appears to be in pretty terrible condition. [[spoiler:Like the Hollow Knight themselves, their nail appears in a restored form when fighting Pure Vessel and is capable of dealing ''twice'' as much damage.]]
* YinYangBomb: Downplayed, [[spoiler:but more present in the Pure Vessel variant, which uses a combination of the Void and white-themed magic projectiles and spells themed off the Nail.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: True Final Boss (Spoilers)]]
!!The Radiance
[[quoteright:345:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/theradiance.png]]

A god-like entity of light. She spawned the plague that destroyed Hallownest after being shunned and forgotten by bugs in favor of the Pale King.
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* AnimalisticAbomination: In general looks, she has a lot of Moth-like elements in her design, but its obvious she's far beyond anything like that.
* BackgroundBoss: Stays in the background and is one of the few enemies that doesn't deal CollisionDamage.
* BigBad: She's responsible for the infection that killed Hallownest.
* BossSubtitles: While all the bosses have these, the Radiance is a notable case due to her Boss Subtitle covering the entire screen in white except for the words "The Radiance". This was unique among bosses in the game until Nightmare King Grimm came along and used it as well.
* CheckPointStarvation: Every time the Knight is bested by the Radiance, they return to the bench outside of the Hollow Knight's chamber. The Hollow Knight must be defeated again before being able to fight the Radiance again. Even more extreme in the Godhome version of the fight, where losing means having to [[MarathonLevel refight 41 previous bosses]] for another shot.
* TheCorruption: The Radiance's influence manifests as the HatePlague that blights the kingdom of Hallownest. According to the Hunter, the Radiance actually tempts her victims (though HearingVoices) with power and strength, at the cost of BodyHorror and a DeathOfPersonality.
* CrystalDragonJesus: In her actions and backstory, she bears some resemblance to Abrahamic God. She created and ruled over moths, her people, until a foreign king lured them to abandon her and worship him instead (through idols, no less). Then, in her attempt to be remembered, she caused a plague that decimated her enemy's kingdom.
* DraggedOffToHell: How she's ultimately defeated, consumed by the Abyss following a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown from both Vessels.
* DreamWalker: The plague is the product of Radiance "invading the dreams" of Hallownest's inhabitants.
* DrivenByEnvy: Furious with the population of Hallownest for ceasing worship in favor of her usurper, the Pale King. Hitting her with the Dream Nail reveals bitter proclamations such as [-"THE LIGHT CANNOT BE CONSUMED"-] and [-"I WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN".-]
* EvilIsBurningHot: Her motif. Her plague leaves its victims in simultaneous pain and reverence due to her hot, orange light. It's telling that normally peaceful animals are driven into frenzied fear, their thoughts expressing fear over the light.
* EvilIsVisceral: The orange of the Radiance and her plague is also the color of infected bug blood. Furthermore, areas heavily overtaken by plague (such as the Infected Crossroads) are full of [[MeatMoss throbbing boils of orange fluid connected by thick, pumping veins]].
* {{Expy}}: Very reminiscent of the final form of [[VideoGame/MegaManX8 Lumine]]. Both are true final bosses after besting an infected swordsman, both are angelic in appearance and fought against a cloudy yellow background, and both rely on screen-filling light-beam attacks.
* GodIsEvil: Her response to being shunned by bugkind was to send a plague upon them that essentially caused a ZombieApocalypse.
* GodsNeedPrayerBadly: A variation: The Radiance needs to be ''remembered'' to exist, and was originally suppressed by the Pale King [[{{Unperson}} destroying all traces of her existence and doing everything in his power to ensure bug-kind forgot her]]. Unfortunately, he wasn't thorough enough, and [[DugTooDeep the discovery of a statue in her image at the top of Crystal Peak]] was all it took to revive her.
* GoodColorsEvilColors: Symbolized by orange, compared to the Pale King's stark white.
* HatePlague: Victims, when struck with the Dream Nail, display primitive but hateful comments such as "''Your smell…Kill you…''"
* HiveMind: Under her rule, some bugs were united in mind, but also reduced to their base instincts. Now they also get some BodyHorror as a result of resisting her memory and single mindedly fighting the Knight in order to keep her coming back from being interrupted.
* HoistByTheirOwnPetard: The Seer, a member of the tribe that worshipped her, pretty much gave the Vessels the means of destroying her once and for all by giving one the Dream Nail.
* IfICantHaveYou: The Radiance destroyed her own civilization for rejecting her.
* ItsAllAboutMe: She doesn't seem to care how much suffering she causes by forcing the bugs of Hallownest to remember her.
* LightEmUp: Many of her attacks manifest as this, such as homing spheres of light or pillars of light raining down from the sky.
* LightIsNotGood: She's a being of pure white with a distinctly angelic appearance, and she's the sole cause of all the horror that befell Hallownest.
* MacabreMothMotif: She's associated with moths, from the general shape of her body to the Seer being the one providing the way to her by proxy. A developer note says that the Moth race is descended from her.
* PlatformBattle: The battle starts out in a platform with pits on each side. Either half of the platform will be covered in spikes during the second phase. The fourth phase then takes place over a bunch of scattered small platforms. The final phase has the Knight ascend a column of small platforms while the Radiance tries to swat them down with FrickinLaserBeams, fleeing from the [[AdvancingWallOfDoom Void rising up below the Knight]].
* {{Plaguemaster}}: The plague, and all the BodyHorror that comes with it, is the Radiance's influence.
* TheOldGods: The Seer implies that she created the moths and did so long before the King came and founded his kingdom.
* SealedEvilInACan: Containing her and therefore the infection is the true purpose of the Vessels, and the King went to great lengths to find a way to do so.
** SealedInsideAPersonShapedCan
* SequentialBoss: The battle against the Radiance has five distinct phases, each one altering her arena and moveset. The first stages involve the Radiance raining death on the Knight with her StormOfBlades and FrickinLaserBeams; during the final leg, she tries to disengage from the fight as the Knight gives chase—dodging EyeBeams along a path of floating platforms—to deliver a well-deserved NoHoldsBarredBeatdown.
* StormOfBlades: Several of her attacks spawn waves of long nails that fly in horizontal, vertical, and radial patterns, bordering on BulletHell. The third phase of the fight consists of an endless rain of them; luckily, they are only of the vertical variety, which is easiest to avoid.
* TeleportSpam: She warps around the arena regularly, which becomes rather frustrating when she decides to hover over the side of the arena she just covered in spikes.
* ThatsNoMoon: When first entering the Hollow Knight's dream to fight her, the only thing seen there is a couple of platforms against a sunny sky. Jumping to the top platform gives a "Challenge" prompt, and activating it causes the Knight to turn towards the sun and draw their blade, shortly after which the sun ''grows wings'' before the Radiance reveals her true form.
* TrueFinalBoss: Defeating her inside the Hollow Knight's mind grants Dream No More ending. Defeating Absolute Radiance at the Pantheon of Hallowest results in a SequelHook ending that ends in a cliffhanger.
* {{Unperson}}: The King took pains to erase all remnants of Radiance ever existing, making the moths forget her and burying every possible reference to her existence, [[GodsNeedPrayerBadly because she needs memory in order to manifest]]. Unfortunately, the miners at the Crystal Peak DugTooDeep and unearthed a statue that now sits atop the mountain, and caused her to awaken and spread the Infection once more.
[[/folder]]

!!Post-Launch Bosses

[[folder:Grimm]]
[[quoteright:230:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/grimm01.png]]

Introduced in the ''Grimm Troupe'' campaign, Grimm is the leader of the titular Grimm Troupe. He requests that the Knight go and collect flames from his kin.
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* OneHundredPercentAdorationRating: By his Troupe. [[spoiler:Even the guy trying to stop the ritual really wants to free him from being enslaved to the cycle and means no ill will towards him.]]
* AmbiguouslyEvil: While Grimm is outwardly polite enough to constitute as DarkIsNotEvil, there's a plethora of questions the more you go in the sidequest. What does Grimm gain when supplying the Knight with a Grimmchild? What exactly does his "ritual" entail? [[spoiler:The fact that he appears to know about the Wyrm and the Vessels brings up even more questions, not to mention his upgraded form is known as the "Nightmare King". The White Lady has special dialogue for having the Grimmchild equipped and speaking to her, saying that it would be "naive" to call it a friend.]] It doesn't help that many characters feel that something is off about him.
* AffablyEvil: [[AmbiguouslyEvil Assuming he even is evil in the first place,]] Grimm is still unfailingly polite and cordial to the Knight, and [[OneHundredPercentAdorationRating his Troupe's adoration for him]] certainly suggests he's a [[BenevolentBoss Benevolent Boss.]]
* BadassCape: His [[CapeWings leathery wings serve as a cape]], and he can use it to [[ClothingCombat attack]] by [[ShapingYourAttacks transforming it into a drill or spikes.]]
* BadassFingersnap: Does this on a few occasions, namely to power up the Grimmchild and to turn on the lights in his arena.
* BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind: [[spoiler:You have to Dream Nail a sleeping Grimm to access his Nightmare battle.]]
* BerserkButton: Grimm does not take kindly to rudeness, especially when he's being gracious. [[spoiler:You find that out the hard way when you hit him as he's bowing during his boss fight.]]
* BonusBoss: He is not connected to the main story, and [[spoiler:his Nightmare battle is a bonus within a bonus, as it's possible to banish Grimm and his Troupe without ever fighting it; doing so yields a different reward.]]
* BossSubtitles: His Nightmare King Grimm form has the entire screen black except for the his name centered and colored red, in a similar manner to how the name of The Radiance is displayed.
* CircusOfFear: His building seems to be a circus tent. His fight also has an audience up on podiums observing it.
* DarkIsNotEvil: Probably. Despite his main color scheme being crimson and red and the dim lights of where you find him, he's awfully polite and only fights the Knight to mature his "child", and his Troupe seems to universally love him. However, the mystery surrounding the true nature of his "Ritual", the fact that many characters feel uneasy around him and that he's deeply connected to nightmares makes this trope all the more [[AmbiguouslyEvil ambiguous]].
* DisproportionateRetribution: Hit him when he's bowing to the audience? [[spoiler:He'll screech like a banshee and unleash his strongest attack.]]
* {{Expy}}: His color scheme and cloak may invoke the image of a bug Literature/{{Dracula}}. [[spoiler:He also hangs upside down like a bat when asleep.]] Many of his attacks when you fight him are based on attacks a [[Franchise/{{Castlevania}} different Dracula]] uses, particularly launching a volley of three fireballs from his cloak, suddenly teleporting in as he makes a lunging attack from across the room, dissolving into a flock of bats (or swarm of bugs, in his case), and summoning columns of fire.
* {{Foil}}: Could be considered one to [[spoiler:the Radiance. Both are powerful, [[MacabreMothMotif moth-like ]] creatures [[DreamWalker tied to the dreaming world,]] but while the Radiance is an [[GodIsEvil evil,]] [[GreenEyedMonster petty]] entity of [[LightIsNotGood light]] that acts as the god of "good" dreams, Grimm is a [[AffablyEvil polite]], theatrical creature of [[DarkIsNotEvil dark]] and [[PlayingWithFire fire]] known as the "Nightmare King", which may make him the Main/{{Satan}} to the Radiance's Main/{{God}}.]]
* GoodParents: It seems that way when it comes to the Grimmchild. Much of the "Ritual" involves making his child stronger. When you return to Grimm after gathering the flames the first time and after the boss fight, he praises the Knight and the Grimmchild.
-->'''Grimm:''' [Returning with three flames for the first time] I can feel it. The warmth of the flame you've gathered together. A masterful opening act. The air hums with excitement. [[SoProudOfYou Dear child, you've done so well]]. Let your fire burn even brighter!
-->[[[BadassFingersnap After upgrading the Grimmchild]]]
-->Beautiful, yes. The child has grown, from idle youth to deadly companion. About these dangerous lands, its aid will no doubt be welcome. Just don't neglect our dance, for it too continues! Keep hunting that scattered, scarlet essence. When the child is filled with flame once more, return to the stage and the performance will begin.
* GracefulLoser: Will congratulate the Knight upon defeating him.
-->'''Grimm:''' [Post-boss fight] Bravo, my friend. Hear how the crowd adores you! They've not seen such a show in a long time. Look here! How our child has grown, nourished and strengthened by the heat of our passionate dance! The two of you will feature in many tragedies and triumphs together, I'm sure.
* HiddenDepths: [[spoiler:His dream nail quote seems to state that he's fully aware of what the Vessels are and that the Wyrm made them.]] Also, in the Godmaster update: [[spoiler:he is the only rematched boss that ''directly acknowledges'' Godseeker's presence, bowing to ''her'' instead of you during your rematch with him. And upon dream nailing, him in the rematch, gives quotes further solidifying his awareness of the situation, talking about how it's an honor to attend "the seeker's call", and what a pleasure it is to be a part of this "charming ritual".]]
* KickThemWhileTheyAreDown: Grimm will bow during the first few seconds of his fight, allowing the Knight a free hit. [[spoiler:Defied, as hitting him while he's bowing causes him to scream and immediately start one of his stronger attacks. Nightmare King Grimm, on the other hand, lacks this bow and attacks from the get-go.]]
* LetsDance: He refers to his fight with the Knight as this.
* LetsFightLikeGentlemen: Grimm does a bow to the Knight at the start of the battle, [[spoiler:and gets ''angry'' if the Knight [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown takes this as an opportunity to hit him]]. Averted in the Nightmare King battle, where he attacks immediately.]]
* LightningBruiser: He is constantly teleporting from place to place and attacking at a rapid pace, leaving no time to heal and little time to even approach him. And yet he also boasts a respectable amount of health. If you are not able to dodge every single one of his attacks with perfect precision, he ''will'' outlast you easily.
* MacabreMothMotif: [[CartoonCreature While his species is not explicitly named in-game]], it's possible that he's a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calyptra_(moth) Calyptra moth]], AKA the vampire moth, given that he resembles a classic vampire and is [[spoiler:hanging upside-down like a vampire]] when the player returns with the final flames for the Grimmchild. [[spoiler:Reinforced by the fact that moths are connected to the Dream, and Grimm is associated with the Nightmare]], though this leaves several questions related to the history of the moths unanswered.
* MadArtist: Grimm views himself as a performer first and foremost, and is quite prone to theatrics between bouts of acrobatic violence that he and the Troupe refer to as "dancing".
* NamesToRunFromReallyFast: [[spoiler:You enter his final boss arena, and you are treated to a terrifying flame-wreathed entrance while "Nɪɢʜᴛᴍᴀʀᴇ Kɪɴɢ Gʀɪᴍᴍ" flashes on the screen in red text. You'd better run.]]
* OrchestralBombing: Appropriately for his appearance, his boss theme is an orchestral piece that features an OminousPipeOrgan and unintelligible chanting. [[spoiler:Both of his boss themes, in fact.]]
* PlayingWithFire: As appropriate for someone requesting flames, a lot of Grimm's attacks are noticeably fire-based. [[spoiler:Taken UpToEleven with Nightmare King Grimm where all of his normal attacks leave trails of flame in their wake.]]
* PoliteVillainsRudeHeroes: Comes into play if you hit him while he's bowing to you. Grimm is sincerely polite and genteel, but he does not take kindly to rudeness.
* RepulsiveRingmaster: Though he lacks the trademark top hat, Grimm fits the character archetype owing to his penchant for dramatic spotlights, flamboyant showmanship and striking color scheme.
* VideoGameCrueltyPunishment: Land a cheap shot on Grimm while he's bowing politely to you? [[spoiler:He screeches like a banshee and retaliates with his ultimate attack, which he normally doesn't start using until about halfway into the battle.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Hive Knight]]
[[quoteright:305:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hiveknight.png]]

A flightless warrior of the Hive added in the Lifeblood Update. He arrives to defend the Hiveblood charm and his queen when the Knight comes to her chamber.
-----
* AnimalSpeciesAccent: His vocalizations in his fight have a pronounced buzzing sound to them.
* BonusBoss: You can go through the entire game without ever fighting him, and the area he's in is [[GuideDangIt pretty out of the way.]]
* TheFettered: Eternally loyal to Vespa the Hive Queen; he will defend her ideals and kingdom to his dying breath.
* FlashStep: Uses this liberally, and most of his attacks begin with him appearing next to the knight before swinging his nail, accompanied by his [[AnimalSpeciesAccent buzz-filled vocalization.]]
* FlunkyBoss: Summons smaller bees as the fight goes on.
* HiveCasteSystem: Fits in the "big warrior" caste.
* {{Kiai}}: Does a buzz-accented version of this before many of his attacks.
* KnightInShiningArmor: He's the only bee that wears any armor, in fact.
* SlidingScaleOfAnthropomorphism: The only biped in the hive.
* SoProudOfYou: His Dream Nail dialogue indicates that this is what he wants from Queen Vespa.
* BornIntoSlavery: [[spoiler:The Hunter's Journal indicates that his UndyingLoyalty to Queen Vespa was "marked indelibly" into his mind from birth, and Queen Vespa's spirit mentions his newfound freedom after his death.]]
* UndyingLoyalty: [[spoiler:Queen Vespa appears to be long dead,]] yet the Hive Knight serves her all the same.
* YouShallNotPass: Guards the Hiveblood charm by suddenly shutting the entrances to his room before appearing.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Paintmaster Sheo]]
Fought as a boss in the Gods and Glory update, Sheo is the final boss of the second [[BossRush Boss Rush]] challenge in the Godhome.
----
* ArtAttacker: He uses his paintbrush and globs of paint to attack.
* ChargedAttack: Watch out for his charged paint blasts. One is what he taught you, but he can also perform another that reaches all across the arena.
* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: the color of his paintbrush telegraphs what kind of attack he's about to use.
* GracefulLoser: Bows when defeated.
* UnnecessaryCombatRoll: Regularly rolls away to start charging a slash.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Brothers Oro and Mato]]
Fought as bosses in the Gods and Glory update.
----
* ChargedAttack: Oro can [[DashAttack dash]] and Mato can [[SpinAttack spin]] (which thankfully can't combo you).
* DeathGlare: When Mato comes to Oro's aid, they briefly glare at each other.
* DualBoss: Oro fights alone for the first phase, but then Mato shows up and they set their differences aside to defeat the Knight.
* GracefulLoser: Both bow before the Knight when defeated.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Great Nailsage Sly]]
Another boss fought at the end of a Godrealm challenge.
----
* {{BFS}}: even considering his size that thing is enormous.
* ChargedAttack: Naturally uses variants of all three charged skills he taught to his students.
* GracefulLoser: Bows when defeated.
* KillerRabbit: Even knowing he trained the other nailmasters, the guy opens up the fight with a loud roar and carries a positively collossal nail.
* RollingAttack: Performs one as a Shoryuken at the end of his standard combos. In his second phase, Sly will instead zip all around the room and then attempt to smash-roll you into a corner.
[[/folder]]

* RudeHeroesPoliteVillains: Comes into play if you hit him while he's bowing to you. Grimm is sincerely polite and genteel, but he does not take kindly to rudeness.

A mysterious, bloodthirsty bug warrior obsessed with battle and war. He tasks the Knight with cataloging the many monsters that infest the ruins of Hallownest, promising rewards the more he kills and discovers.

* EleventhHourRanger: [[spoiler:As mentioned above, she'll throw her life on the line to hold down the Hollow Knight to allow the Knight to strike at them with the Dream Nail, enabling them to face the source of the infection.]]

* [[AHeroToHisHometown A Hero To Her Hometown]]: {{Downplayed}} in terms of Hallownest not knowing much about her, [[AfterTheEnd considering there aren't many bugs left in the kingdom to notice her deeds in the first place,]] but [[spoiler:she seems to be almost unanimously adored in Deepnest; Dream Nailing the [[OldRetainer Weavers]] reveals they thought of her in their dying moments, and Herrah [[GoodParents genuinely loves her and upholds her duties as a Dreamer for Hornet's sake.]]]]

* PromotedToPlayable: Hornet is the main character of the sequel, ''Silksong''.

* TookALevelInBadass: During her first encounters, she reveals herself as not that strong and a bit of a scaredy cat. But, if you get her key encounter in the Dark Basin, then Cloth will gather up enough courage to fight the Traitor Lord alongside the Knight.

* CannotSpitItOut: Often found sitting on the bench in Dirtmouth, and clearly seen sneaking peeks at the player character as he passes, but has no 'Listen' prompt. Sitting next to her has her blushing brightly.

* AmbiguousSituation: The Care Instructions also have some indications that [[spoiler:The Grubs might be connected to Moths and Radiance, or are at least are much more than they seem. among them are flag raising details that they gain an "unseemly appetite" for eggs and flesh when presented with it, that their song has restorative, invigorative properties (proven by the Grubsong charm) and the last paragraph, which is as follows:]]

* CainAndAbel: The Knight and them are siblings, but their reanimated body has to be defeated to unlock the Mothwings.

* FurryReminder: When you defeat the Dung Defender, his explosion sends him flying into the background, where he lands on his back and starts flailing his limbs, struggling to get up—much like a real beetle. [[CaptainObvious Not to mention the fact that he does roll balls of dung.]]

* ActionSurvivor: [[spoiler: In a way. Once the plague overruns the Crossroads, the easiest route to get to him is walled off by an obscene amount of boils. However going through the original left-most route reveals that he is fine and his moumd is unafflicted.]]

** A Snail's Sarcophagus can be found in the Resting Grounds, which gives you the Soul Eater Charm. The Shaman Snail makes no mention of a buried relative, but its not out of the question if they are related.
* {{Foil}}: To the Seer, both are mystics who are apparently the LastofTheirKind of their tribes. The snails are centered around the void/black magic focused on damaging foes and affecting things in the waking world; the moths are worshippers of the light whos powers are typically uncombative and affect dreams.

[[folder:Nailmaster Sly]]

* BuryYourGays: [[spoiler:When you ([[ThatOneSidequest finally]]) complete her quest, she will fade into nothing and leave behind a mask shard. Presumably, her desire to honor her departed lover was all that was keeping her alive, and now that its done, she can finally be TogetherInDeath with her.]]

* GameplayAndStorySegregation: The flower will disintegrate if the player should take any damage during the journey; although the Grey Mourner claims that the Delicate Flower is rare and one of a kind, she will provide the Knight with as many of them as necessary until [[ThatOneSidequest a successful attempt is made]].

* RollingAttack: Although the Watcher Knights are not the only opponents to use this technique, their penchant for [[ThatOneAttack doing so in unison]] makes them a particularly memorable example.

* NamesToRunFromReallyFast: [[spoiler:You enter his final boss arena, and you are treated to a terrifying flame-wreathed entrance while "Nɪɢʜᴛᴍᴀʀᴇ Kɪɴɢ Gʀɪᴍᴍ" flashes on the screen in red text. [[ThatOneBoss You'd better run.]]]]

The titular character and our protagonist. A mysterious warrior with unclear motivations and a quiet demeanour, diving into the depths of Hallownest with nothing but the cloak on their shoulders and a blunted nail. Has no true name but is usually called "the Knight."

* AmbiguousGender: The Knight's gender is never specified, and the Dreamers and the [[spoiler:White Lady]] call the Knight "it". Justified… in a way. The Knight is [[spoiler:a Vessel made by the King; born in the Abyss where they are said to have died and were reborn as a Void being]].

* {{Fartillery}}: When equipped with the charm "Defender's Crest," it periodically releases a cloud of brown, poisonous gas.

* MookMaker: Not on their own, but the charms "Glowing Womb" and "Weaversong" create friendly monsters of their respective types (flying mini-knights, or, when paired with "Defender's Crest," flies, and baby spiders).

* AllThereInTheManual: The Indiebox for Hollow Knight comes with a pdf called "Grub Care Instructions." In it, it explains all their habits and how to raise one.

* BizarreAlienBiology: After saving all the grubs, getting the rewards, and resting at a bench, its almost alarming to find the Grubfather [[spoiler:bloated and sitting in the middle of the room, having apparently ''eaten'' all 46 other grubs whole. They're still alive - and happy, apparently. The Grubberfly charm suggests that this is the next natural step in a Grub's life, and the Grubfather is simply acting as a protective cocoon of sorts for their development.]] Even so, for an insect this is is a strange sight.

** You do not get Desolate Dive from a Snail, rather you get it from Soul Master, who likely experimented on one - considering how the Shaman mentions an ill-tempered third uncle. [[spoiler:It's more or less confirmed when you find the apparently ''undead'' snail strapped to a dissection table in an optional area, which - fittingly - gives you the Vengeful Spirit upgrade.]]

* AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: [[spoiler:A unique case, in that it seems at least partially involuntary. She remembers Radiance, glows with red Dream energy, asks for forgiveness and vanishes. The achievement for doing this is even called "Ascension."]]

A seemingly immortal bug wearing a golden mask that is found sealed in the Junk Pit by the Royal Waterways. She performs a mysterious ritual that takes the form of a BossRush in her dreams. Said bosses are "imprints" of various strong creatures and warriors of Hallownest, which she describes as "Gods."

* AFormYouAreComfortableWith: His original form is [[spoiler:of a gigantic Wyrm, specifically the giant discarded shell at Kingdom's Edge is actually his old corpse, containing a broken pod that is implied to be where his current form was birthed from and where the Knight obtains the King's Brand.]] It is unknown how many of the regular Hallownest citizens actually know the true origin of their King, and only the more ancient beings seem to be aware, [[spoiler:such as his mate and Queen the White Lady, who only ever refers to him as the 'Wyrm'.]]
* AGodAmI: Revered by his people as a deity, and called himself one. [[spoiler:The fact that his crown is virtually identical to the one worn by the Radiance — extra point notwithstanding — is unlikely to be coincidence.]]
* AmbiguousSituation: Just what happened to the Pale King? [[spoiler:While the Knight finds a corpse in White Palace, it's unclear what the White Palace the Knight visited really ''was''. The Godseeker in the Pantheon in Hallownest also never explicitly states that he died--rather that he was "erased completely."]]
* BrokenPedestal: Eventually the lengths he went to in his desperation to contain the infection is revealed - [[spoiler:he used thousands of his own children as the basis for the Vessels, a plan so "cruel" that it even turned off Ogrim, the King's most loyal Knight.]].

* NightmareFace: knocking off whatever mask he's wearing reveals a bird-like face with flared nostrils and two huge - apparently ''bleeding''- eyes that have constantly moving, sketchy swirls in them.

* DyingAsYourself: All of the infected pus explodes off their body after they are defeated, giving them enough time to reach out desperately towards the Knight before falling dead to the ground. [[spoiler:The Lost Kin version is still infected, and upon being defeated, instead of being able to "Listen" to their last thoughts, instead the Knight can "Accept" which makes Lost Kin nod in thanks to the Knight. The achievement for this is called "Peace."]]

* {{Foil}}: Could be considered one to [[spoiler:the Radiance. Both are powerful, [[MacabreMothMotif moth-like ]] creatures [[DreamWalker tied to the dreaming world,]] but while the Radiance is an [[GodIsEvil evil,]] [[GreenEyedMonster petty]] entity of [[LightIsNotGood light]] that acts as the god of "good" dreams, Grimm is a [[AffablyEvil polite]], theatrical creature of [[DarkIsNotEvil dark]] and [[PlayingWithFire fire]] known as the "Nightmare King," which may make him the Main/{{Satan}} to the Radiance's Main/{{God}}.]]

[[quoteright:265:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ci_wiiuds_hollowknight_hollowknight_cmm_big.jpg]]

* FastballSpecial: "Vengeful Spirit" conjures and throws angry ghosts at people.
** The charm "Flukenest" changes it into a handful of fluke worms. This stacks with "Defender's Crest" to fire one huge fluke that explodes into a cloud of DeadlyGas.

* PoisonousPerson: The "Defender's Crest" charm adds DeadlyGas to some of the Knight's abilities.

** Becomes the [[ZeroEffortBoss "boss"]] of [[spoiler:the first course in the Colosseum of Fools]] if you keep him alive through the game. [[spoiler:As of the Hidden Dreams update, if you rescue Bretta and defeat Zote in the Colosseum, you gain the option to fight a much [[TopHeavyGuy beefier]] and [[TookALevelInBadass more lethal]] version of Zote as a dream boss.]]

A rotund beetle girl whom the player character can rescue in the Fungal Wastes. Quiet and withdrawn, she nevertheless expresses an unmistakable crush towards her 'White Saviour'.

A colony of Grubs and their apparent patriarch who are among the first friendly creatures the Knight meets in Hallownest's Forgotten Crossroads. The animals and plague seem to leave them alone, but [[spoiler:The Collector]] has captured all of them in glass jars and left them in hard to reach nooks and crannies, or well guarded areas. The Grubfather rewards you as you get more and more grubs back home.

An ancient bug in a turban who lives in a cave past the graveyard of Hallownest after unlocking it with a Simple Key. She's able to pull your Shade (which she calls a Stain of Regret) over to her cave in exchange for her favorite food - Rancid Eggs.

----

A strange fungoid being that only appears late in the game, in secluded spots that must be tracked down. Finding out what he is or is after is another story…

* SignsOfTheEndTimes: [[spoiler:Going by the tablet that gives hints on where to find him, he IS the sign, called the "Master Herald, he who would signal an Age's end". Considering he only appears once you have slain all three Dreamers, well…]]

* TimeAbyss: [[spoiler:Going by his Dream Nail lines, Hallownest was just the most recent kingdom to be founded by a spawn of the Wyrm, and he's witnessed an unknown number of them rise and fall, unaffected every time.]]

-->''To protect the Vessel, the Dreamers lay sleeping.''
-->''Through their devotion, Hallownest lasts eternal.''

** -->'''Monomon''': ''For diversity, a Seal...''
-->''...A world forever unchanging...''
-->''...the Seals, must break...''
-->''...Forever...''
-->''...Forever...''
-->''...Better, an end...''
** --->'''Lurien''': ''...For King beloved...''
-->''...To sleep. To serve...''
-->''...Bonds must remain...''
-->''...Remain...''
-->''...Remain...''
-->''...Remain...''
** -->'''Herrah''': ''...Bound...For brood...For child...''
-->''...Fair bargain made...''
-->''...Give all...''
-->''...For her..''
-->''...For her..''
-->''...For her..''

[[folder:Monomon The Teacher]]

[[folder:Lurien The Watcher]]
[[quoteright:131:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/b_lurien.png]]

[[folder:Herrah The Beast]]
[[quoteright:147:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/b_herrah.png]]

This massive beast is found in a hidden area in the Forgotten Crossroads, [[LoneSurvivor alone in a room full of dead Mawleks.]] It can also be fought in the Colosseum of Fools.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dungdefender.jpg]]

A flightless warrior of the Hive added in the Lifeblood Update. Arrives to defend the Hiveblood charm and his queen when the Knight comes to her chamber.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: A minor one, but [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgqIVe6FF1U in the cinematic where you encounter the Hollow Knight's statue in the City of Tears]], the statue appears to [[ManlyTears shed a few tears]]. When they are encountered later in the game, we see that they are FightingFromTheInside, desperate to contain the infection, but they are unable to hold on much longer.

* CheckPointStarvation: Every time the Knight is by the Radiance, they return to the bench outside of the Hollow Knight's chamber. The Hollow Knight must be defeated again before being able to fight the Radiance again. Even more extreme in the Godhome version of the fight, where losing means having to [[MarathonLevel refight 41 previous bosses]] for another shot.

A seemingly immortal bug wearing a golden mask that is found sealed in the Junk Pit by the Royal Waterways. She performs a mysterious ritual that takes the form of a BossRush in her dreams. Said bosses are "imprints" of various strong creatures and warriors of Hollownest, which she describes as "Gods."

* AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: Her ultimate goal. By gathering the imprints of Hollownests strongest individuals, she hopes to ascend and meet with a "God of Gods". [[spoiler:She eventually gets to that point as she watches the Knight fight Absolute Radiance.]]

* {{Jerkass}}: Spends most of her time insulting the Knight, calling them a "Crawler", hoping it's struck down, and and generally just acting high and mighty even as you make your way through the Pantheons. [[spoiler:[[DefrostingIceQueen She lightens up a little bit when you give her the Delicate Flower, again once you get to the Pantheon of Hollownest, since she's really close to reaching her goal and attuning to other gods (Unn, The White Queen, and the Pale King), and is outright admiring your strength in Godseeker Mode, calling the Knight the God of Gods she constantly went on about and implying both of them ascended.]]]]

* MoreThanMindControl: [[spoiler:Implied that the Mosskin are defending Unn and Greenpath rather than going after the Vessel for Radiance's sake, which is hinted at by the fact that their eyes don't glow when hostile, and that they are constantly thinking about protecting Unn.]]

* SingleTaskRobot: Jinn mentions being that their only purposes seems to be to trade geo, discusses how much sturdier their body is than the Knight's, and has a highly synthesized voice.

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Judging by their dialogue, Herrah and Lurien, at the very least, seem to believe that the Knight's quest to break the seals and confront the source of the infection will only end up making things worse, and attempt to discourage the Knight from going further in Greenpath before trapping them in the dream world when they reach the Resting Grounds. Monomon, on the other hand, can tell that the infection is worsening and that it would be better to risk Hallownest's destruction than leave it and its people in such dire straits, but begrudgingly follows along with Herrah and Lurien nonetheless.

* BatmanGambit: Implied to be why she [[spoiler:gave Quirrel her mask before he left Hallownest. She knew that sooner or later, even with LaserGuidedAmnesia, Quirrel's inquisitive mind would make him grow curious about Hallownest and lead him back to her , allowing her to be restored and her seal broken when the time was right.]]

* BonusBoss: Not the regular version, but it can be rematched by [[spoiler:striking its corpse with the Dream Nail. Curiously, this version of the boss has its name changed to Lost Kin]].
* CainAndAbel: The Knight and him can be considered siblings, but you have to kill it to unlock the Mothwings.
* DyingAsYourself: All of the infected pus explodes off its body after you defeat it, giving it enough time to reach out desperately towards the Knight before falling dead to the ground. [[spoiler:The Lost Kin version is still infected, and upon being defeated, instead of being able to "Listen" to its last thoughts, instead it "Accepts" its death and nods int hanks to the Knight. The achievement for this is called "Peace."]]
* {{Foreshadowing}}: [[spoiler:A Vessel that was also consumed by the infection, like the Hollow Knight, and shrieks in much the same way as it as well.]]
* FlunkyBoss: The [[spoiler:Lost Kin]] spawns floating blobs of infection pus at a rapid rate, forcing the player to divide their attention between them and it.
* GracefulLoser: Bows its head politely to the Knight after [[spoiler:you defeat it in the dream world]].
* MirrorBoss: Its attacks and movement abilities are strikingly similar to the Hollow Knight's, [[spoiler:which is fitting since they are both Vessels]].
* PuppeteerParasite: It is actually lying down on the ground when you meet it, but then a swarm of Lightseeds gather inside of its cracked skull to reawaken it and push it to battle you.

* CollectorOfTheStrange: Responsible for the bottled grubs you find across the world. He has other bug types bottled up in his tower.
* FlunkyBoss: Drops glass bottles on you that contain enemies during his boss fight.
* GigglingVillain: You can hear him giggling in his tower, and during his boss fight he constantly laughs. He even laughs ysterically when he's dying.
* ImMelting: His death animation.
* {{Leitmotif}}: While most bosses share a similar boss theme, the Collector gets a unique, heavily distorted version. Probably to emphasize his deranged mental state.
* LivingShadow: Interestingly enough, he seems to be another being born of the Abyss, and has some similarities to Shades. [[spoiler:A unique four-armed cast found in a secret chamber within the White Palace seems to imply that the Collector was an early prototype for the Vessels intended to contain the Radiance.]]

* OptionalBoss: He's found in a side area, and beating him rewards you with map markers of all grubs you have yet to find.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Bottling living things is his way of protecting and conserving them, and it's no coincidence that he has a fixation on capturing grubs…

* BullfightBoss: Its main form of attack is to charge at you, priming it by roaming before.

* DamageSpongeBoss: Its' attack patterns are pretty simple but it can take a lot of hits.

The original Vessel for the plague, created by the king of Hallownest and sealed away in an attempt to protect the kingdom. With its ability to contain the plague weakening, you must defeat it and take its place as the new Vessel to keep the plague from fully breaking free.

* AmbiguousGender: Just like the Knight and other Vessels, WordOfGod says that the Hollow Knight doesn't have a physical gender and is often referred to as an "it".
* AnArmAndALeg: While it could be obscured by the cloak it wears, the Hollow Knight's second arm is never visible. [[spoiler:The Pure Vessel fought in the Godhome very clearly has two arms, confirming that the Hollow Knight lost one arm at some unknown point after this, presumably due to containing the infection.]]
* BadassCape: [[spoiler:Used to wear a long, white cape with armored padding around the neck area in its Pure Vessel form. It gets ripped off as it starts fighting you though.]]
* BodyHorror: It has several attacks that involve a large amount of glowing cysts exploding out of its chest. One attack has it being flung into the air and slammed into the ground in an attempt to crush the Knight.

* CainAndAbel: The Cain to the player Knight's Abel, though how much control the Hollow Knight still has over its actions and how much is the plague controlling its body by the time you reach it is left mostly up to debate.
* CliffHanger: In the new ending added in "Godmaster", [[spoiler:the Hollow Knight, newly freed from the Radiance, is seen advancing threateningly towards Hornet right before a SmashToBlack.]]
* CombatBreakdown: A rare example of this happening to the ''boss''. About halfway through the fight, it becomes visibly fatigued and starts stabbing itself in a desperate attempt to either destroy the infection or itself as the plague begins to overtake it. By the end of the battle, it can hardly attack without collapsing and can barely even be considered a proper fight anymore.
* CounterAttack: It has a distinct animation during which it blocks all nail slashes thrown its way, eventually resulting in one of these if you keep attacking anyway.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: ''Hooo, boy''. First, there was its creation by the Pale King [[spoiler:via sacrificing his and the White Lady's children]]. Then it was raised with the sole purpose of sacrificing itself for the world. But the Pale King ended up forming a father-child bond with it, inadvertently sabotaging the Hollow Knight's potential. When the Knight finally faces it, it's a broken mess due to the Infection taking over its body and threatening to burst forth.
* {{Determinator}}: All the Vessels were created with this in mind to better keep the Infection contained. However, the Hollow Knight gets a special mention for this trope. Despite the Infection being on the verge of breaking free, the Hollow Knight does everything in its power to fulfill its purpose. First, it repeatedly maims itself in order to aid the Knight. Then, [[spoiler:when the Knight beats the Radiance]], it appears in Shade form to help the former kill [[spoiler:her]] once and for all.
* EleventhHourRanger: In the true ending, [[spoiler:it returns as a Shade to help the Knight defeat the Radiance]].

** With Artorias it shares the status of [[FallenHero a hero fallen]] to the force it was meant to oppose, a {{BFS}} wielded with one hand while [[HandicappedBadass the other is injured]] (or missing in the Hollow Knight's case), and a fighting style that channels the force they were corrupted with.
** Meanwhile, like Gwyn it sacrificed itself to protect its world, is the FinalBoss who the player aims to replace in its duties, and is in a rather sorry state when encountered.
* FightingFromTheInside: In the second half of the fight, the Hollow Knight starts resisting the control of the plague, stabbing itself in the chest in an attempt to help the Knight. These suicidal fits don't damage it, but they do represent huge openings for the Knight to heal itself or attack, openings that the otherwise-highly-aggressive Hollow Knight rarely presents.
* FlashStep: It'll appear and vanish with blinding speed throughout the first half of the fight to get an angle for attacking the Knight, verging on TeleportSpam at times. [[spoiler:In the Pure Vessel variant, its FlashStep has the same visual effects as Shade Cloak, highlighting the link between it and the Void.]]
* {{Foreshadowing}}: A minor one, but [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgqIVe6FF1U in the cinematic where you encounter the Hollow Knight's statue in the City of Tears]], the statue appears to [[ManlyTears shed a few tears]]. When it is encountered later in the game, we see that it's FightingFromTheInside, desperate to contain the infection, but it's unable to hold on much longer.

* HeroicSacrifice: It tried to pull one by serving as the Vessel for the infection and sealing it away. It worked for a while.
* IGotBigger: Flashback cutscenes reveal that when it was younger it used to look pretty much identical to the far smaller player Knight with the only difference being the shape of its horns.
* KnightInShiningArmor: [[spoiler:The Pure Vessel's long, white, armored cape gives it this appearance.]] It's also willing to subject itself to containing the infection for all eternity if that's what it takes to protect Hallownest.
* LeakingCanOfEvil: It ''is'' the leaking can! Some of its attacks even incorporate firing blobs of glowing liquid just like some other infected creatures do.
* PeoplePuppets: In its final phases, it's so unable to contain the plague that it takes completely over, lifts it up, and slams it in the Knight's direction like a rag-doll.
* PoweredByAForsakenChild: It is the forsaken child, in a very literal sense.
* ReverseGrip: Always holds its nail this way.
* SadBattleMusic: Its leitmotif, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdWkZOo-p0M Sealed Vessel]], starts out imposing and grand but turns heartbreakingly tragic in the second part of the fight, as it is slowly reduced to a wreck, turning its blade on itself and eventually growing so weak it can barely swing its nail without collapsing.
* {{Seppuku}}: The way it stabs itself with its own nail has shades of this, especially how it coincides with the soundtrack's shift to SadBattleMusic. Of course, [[MadeOfIron even this doesn't finish it off]] and the Hollow Knight periodically stabs itself throughout the rest of the fight.
* TheSpeechless: It was designed to have no voice as part of the qualities that would help it contain the infection. "No voice to cry suffering". It appears to roar at you during the boss battle, but this could be the voice of the Radiance seeping out through the infected parts of the Hollow Knight. In Godhome, [[spoiler:the Pure Vessel is entirely speechless. The start of the fight uses the start of the music in place of the roar that starts the battle with the Hollow Knight in the main game.]]
* TragicMonster: During the battle, it is clearly fighting the infection that's driving it mad as much as it is fighting the Knight.
* TykeBomb: There's something poignant about finding out the Hollow Knight was once kid-sized like the Knight and that the King regarded all the void siblings as mere tools.
* UnPerson: Which is particularly odd since there's a giant fountain homaging them in the kingdom's capital. As Lemm points out, no one in Hallownest has ''any'' clue who the Hollow Knight is or why there's a large statue of them at the center of the City of Tears. Outside of that fountain, they're never mentioned in any historical records. [[spoiler:Since the Radiance itself had to be deleted from history, the Knight's own achievements probably had to go with it; though it's also possible that as a soulless being specifically made to contain the infection, they just didn't really do anything else in life.]]
* WreckedWeapon: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]], as the nail it wields is still usable but appears to be in pretty terrible condition. [[spoiler:Like the Hollow Knight itself, its nail appears in a restored form when fighting the Pure Vessel and is capable of dealing ''twice'' as much damage.]]

* BigBad: She's responsible for all the bad things that happen to Hallownest.

* CheckPointStarvation: Every time you're bested by the Radiance, you return to the bench outside of the Hollow Knight's chamber. You must defeat the Hollow Knight again before you're permitted another attempt at the Radiance. Even more extreme in the Godhome version of the fight, where losing means you have to [[MarathonLevel refight 41 previous bosses]] for another shot.
* TheCorruption: The Radiance's influence manifests as the HatePlague that blights the kingdom of Hallownest. According to the Hunter, the Radiance actually tempts its victims (though HearingVoices) with power and strength, at the cost of BodyHorror and a DeathOfPersonality.
* CrystalDragonJesus: In her actions and backstory, she bears some resemblance to Abrahamic God. She created and ruled over moths, her people, until a foreign king lured them to abandon her and worship him instead (through idols, no less). Then, in her jealousy and wrath, she sent a plague to decimate her enemy's kingdom.
* DraggedOffToHell: How she's ultimately defeated, consumed by the Abyss following a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown from both Hollow Knights.

* EvilIsBurningHot: Her motif. Her plague leaves its victims in simultaneous pain and reverence due to her hot, orange light. Its telling that normally peaceful animals are driven into frenzied fear, their thoughts expressing fear over the light.
* EvilIsVisceral: The orange of the Radiance and her plague is also the color of bug blood, even in those who aren't infected. Furthermore, areas heavily overtaken by plague (such as the Infected Crossroads) are full of [[MeatMoss throbbing boils of orange fluid connected by thick, pumping veins]].

* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: The former ruler of Hallownest wasn't the kindest towards those who went against her.

* HiveMind: Under her rule, the bugs were all united in mind, but also reduced to their base instincts. Now they also get some BodyHorror as punishment for forgetting her and single mindedly fighting the Knight in order to keep her coming back from being interrupted.

* MacabreMothMotif: She's associated with moths, from the general shape of her body to the Seer being the one providing the way to her by proxy. A developer commentary implies that the Moth race is descended from her.
* PlatformBattle: The battle starts out in a platform with pits on each side. Either half of the platform will be covered in spikes during the second phase. The fourth phase then takes place over a bunch of scattered small platforms. The final phase has you ascend a column of small platforms while the boss tries to swat you down with FrickinLaserBeams, fleeing from the [[AdvancingWallOfDoom Abyss rising up behind you]].

* TheOldGods: The Seer implies that she created bugkind and did so long before the King came and enlightened them.

* ThatsNoMoon: When you first enter the Hollow Knight's dream to fight her, the only thing you find there is a couple of platforms against a sunny sky. Jumping to the top platform gives you a "Challenge" prompt, and activating it causes the Knight to turn towards the sun and draw its blade, shortly after which the sun ''grows wings'' before the Radiance reveals her true form.
* TrueFinalBoss: Defeating her inside the Hollow Knight's mind grants you the original good ending. Defeating Absolute Radiance at the Pantheon of Hallowest results in a SequelHook ending that retcons the previous one.
* {{Unperson}}: The King took pains to erase all remnants of Radiance ever existing, specifically instructing the moths to forget her and burying every possible reference to her existence, [[GodsNeedPrayerBadly because she needs memory in order to manifest]]. Unfortunately, the miners at the Crystal Peak DugTooDeep and unearthed a statue that now sits atop the mountain, and caused her to awaken and spread the Infection once more.