Main Character Index
Protagonists | Hallownest (Groups, Assorted NPCs, Historic Characters, Bosses) | Pharloom | Expanded Universe

Denizens of Hallownest

The many friendly (or at least generally non-hostile) faces the Knight meets on its journey throughout Hallownest.

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In General

Tropes that collectively apply to a majority of NPCs listed here.

Ambidextrous Sprite: Downplayed for most of the NPCs that you can interact with, since their sprites either have fixed or mirrored orientations depending on the scene. When the Knight moves around, the NPCs' look at it, turning their heads without having to adjust their entire bodies.
Invulnerable Civilians: There's no way you can kill or damage NPCs in this game, as most attacks will simply pass through. Some few characters can be hit with the nail however, but they will just shrug it off like it's nothing. Averted with Myla after she becomes hostile, where she can be permanently killed.
Painting the Medium: Most friendly NPCs' names won't appear on the screen unless they properly introduce themselves first, with the dialogue syncing with the name card pop-up once they do so. For example, Cornifer's namecard will not appear, not even in subsequent encounters unless he is listened to again after his initial dialogue.

Base Game

Wanderers

Characters that are encountered in several locations as they wander around Hallownest.

Cornifer the Cartographer

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hollow_knight_cornifer_8.png

"I'm a cartographer by trade, and I'm working on mapping this area right now. Would you like to buy a copy of my work so far?"

-Cornifer, when first encountered

The husband in a married couple who run a cartography store in the village of Dirtmouth. Cornifer is extremely passionate about mapmaking and thus is often found in the depths of Hallownest charting the various regions, leaving Iselda to run their store.

Affectionate Nickname: Iselda usually calls her husband Corny.
Anti-Frustration Features:
- In a later update, Cornifer's trademark humming and scattered papers were added to make him much easier to find as long as you can get within a few screens of him.
- If you beat the boss of an area after failing to find Cornifer's location, or if you've destroyed all three Dreamers, he'll move away and leave the map he would've sold you in his store at Dirtmouth Town.
Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: 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.
Bold Explorer: 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.
Calling Card: 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 their store.
Developer's Foresight: If you have never spoken to him before, Cornifer will have a unique dialogue in Deepnest where he introduces himself in a paranoid tone.
Hh-hello. I'm Cornifer. I'm a m-mapper by trade. I've tried to chart the dense nest beneath here b-b-but it's proving too dangerous for a bug like me... Vicious little creatures burst out all o-over the place and the passages are a dark, twisting maze. Even with my good head for direction, I-I-I've had enough... Unless you're well prepared, I'd urge you to leave, though if you're feeling strong enough to descend, would you like to buy m-my meagre map?
Dungeon Shop: Cornifer sells you maps on the areas where you can find him (he appears in all mapped locations).
Early Personality Signs: He relates to the Knight that even as a newborn hatchling, he would wander off and explore the places around him, which would lead to a lifelong love of exploring and charting out the unknown.
Horrible Judge of Character: Implied, when the Grimm Troupe arrives, Iselda feels compelled to specifically tell Cornifer to not interact with them, because, according to her, "his heart and his mind are a little too open sometimes."
Notice This: A patch added two signs of Cornifer's presence in a room: scattered pieces of paper and the sound of him humming.
O.O.C. Is Serious Business: 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.
Post-Victory Collapse: 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.
Schrödinger's Gun: He can spawn in two different locations in Deepnest depending on where the player entered from.
Tiny Guy, Huge Girl: 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.
Took a Shortcut: For such a squat bug, Cornifer certainly knows how to get around. He shows up everywhere, even areas that have no possible access routes other than either flight or the kind of gear the Knight uses!
Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Cornifer is much older-looking and fatter compared to his curvy, feminine, and more youthful-looking wife.

Quirrel

^{Click here to see Quirrel without his hat}

"For so long I've felt drawn here. So many tales full of wonders and horrors. No longer could I resist. I just had to see it for myself."

-Quirrel, in the Temple of the Black Egg

An explorer who's fascinated by the myths of Hallownest, a place that beckons from his dreams. He's first encountered in the Temple of the Black Egg.

A Day in the Limelight: There is a prequel comic that is told from Quirrel's perspective.
Ambiguous Situation: The very last scene of him in the Blue Lake, and the resulting scene which involves Quirrel planting his nail on the ground and leaving. It wasn't clear if his disappearance simply means travelling to another place but leaving his weapon behind. Or it could simply mean that he died after your last visit with him.
Beware the Nice Ones: He might be a friendly explorer who just wants to witness Hallownest's wonders, but he's skilled with the nail, and without him, you wouldn't have been able to defeat Uumuu.
- In his prequel comic, he was able to put up a good fight against Hornet.
But Now I Must Go: After the Knight's last talk to him at Blue Lake, he plants his nail on the ground and disappears.
Chekhov's Gunman: Initially a wanderer who is amazed at the sight of the Black Egg Temple, Quirrel would actually be crucial in helping you defeat Uumuu and unlocking the seal on Monomon.
Dash Attack: This is how Quirrel pops Uumuu's barrier every time, and the animation is fast enough to showcase his speed.
Establishing Character Moment: Quirrel is first seen greeting you while he examines the Black Egg temple, and then states his obsession with uncharted places. He can be found in various areas later on, relaxing on the spot or just admiring the view. He's a relaxed guy and friendly as well, to the point of helping you defeat a boss that you cannot initially hurt.
Exact Words: Early in the City of Tears, Quirrel is amazed at how it rains there despite the city being built Beneath the Earth, and he is determined to find the source of the rain before he leaves the Kingdom. He does find it later on, it's the Blue Lake which is located directly above the city, and he is amazed at the sight of it. Sadly, that's also the final encounter that you can have with Quirrel, as he leaves behind his nail in the lake's edge, but he disappears afterwards.
The rain seems to come down endlessly, though. I'd like to see where it all comes from before I leave this Kingdom. What a sight it must be!
Face Death with Dignity: It's unclear what happens to Quirrel at the end of the game, but he's last seen sitting by the edge of Blue Lake after Monomon is dead. He tells the Knight that he feels "at peace" as he abandons his nail. The implication is that he died, having seen Hallownest's wonders one last time before serenely accepting the end of his life.
Feeling Their Age: After his work is done, he start realising how old he is.
Flash Step: He zips all over the place when he helps you out against Uumuu, to the point that it seems like he's teleporting.
Foreshadowing: Quirrel's mask on his head seems to look an awful lot like a certain Dreamer's mask. It's actually the key to Monomon the Teacher's shield, which allows the knight to dream nail and then kill her.
Gameplay Ally Immortality: You can't damage Quirrel when he assists you as a Guest-Star Party Member, despite the fact that you can damage enemies, and enemies can damage their own allies.
Guest-Star Party Member: Shows up just in time to help with Uumuu.
Hero of Another Story: He's one of the adventurers who arrive in Hallownest seeking for something. His goal is to recover his memories, that he is a resident of this kingdom and used to study under Monomon.
In-Series Nickname: Boon calls Quirrel as "Mask" in the comic.
Kiai: Similar to Hornet, he'll shout whenever he attacks during the fight against Uumuu.
Kha'sa!
Laser-Guided Amnesia: He comes to remember that he used to 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.
Mask of Power: Owns a mask that looks suspiciously like the one worn by one of the Dreamers. But instead of wearing the mask on his face, he wears it like a hat. It has magical properties, like bouncing off an attack from Hornet in the prequel comic. It's the key to the additional seal Monomon placed on herself.
Mr. Exposition: Although not as quite as in-depth like others, Quirrel drops a bit of lore on the history of some places where you can encounter him, such as the Deepnest.
Mundane Utility: He wears a mask like a hat.
Older Than They Look: Quirrel has actually lived in Hallownest prior to its downfall, and is trained by Monomon. Before he leaves, Quirrel even states how he is feeling his age already.
Player Nudge: If you've wandered through the Mantis Village early on, Quirrel will appear near the entrance, reminding the player to find the Nailsmith in the City of Tears and have the nail upgraded in preparation for the Mantis Lords' boss fight. However, the player can still fight and defeat the three bosses with the Old Nail if they wish to do so.
Royal Rapier: He was mentored and educated by Monomon the Teacher. His nail weapon also resembles a rapier which is useful when he repeatedly pops the layer of Uumuu in the boss fight.
Scarred Equipment: That mask he is wearing on top (which actually belongs to Monomon) is already cracked.
Sword Plant: He plants his nail near the edge of the Blue Lake after he disappears.
Walking the Earth: Quirrel's primary motivation prior to arriving at Monomon's Archives is to travel the roads of Hallownest and see its wonders in person.

Zote

"Know this, cur. I am Zote the Mighty, a knight of great renown. Cross me again, and you'll find out why they call my weapon 'Life Ender'."

-Zote, after being rescued in Greenpath

A self-proclaimed mighty knight who's seeking fame in Hallownest. He's totally full of himself and calling him "quite" foolish is an understatement. He's first encountered in Greenpath, "fighting" a Vengefly King.

All Love Is Unrequited: He goes to the effort of wooing Bretta and badmouthing the Knight out of wounded pride and a desire for attention, not because he finds her attractive. It only happens after you kick his ass in the Colosseum of Fools, and even if Bretta leaves Dirtmouth, he doesn't seem to notice.
Abusive Parents: During his "57 precepts", Zote implies that his father treated him as a servant and sabotaged him, and his mother betrayed him in some way. Though this should be taken with a hefty grain of salt, as Zote isn't really a reliable source.
A Master Makes Their Own Tools: If his forty-seventh precept is true as he claims, then Zote created his own shellwood nail at a young age. Of course, the 'master' part is doubtful.
Ambiguously Related: To the Knight and the vessels as a whole. While nothing is given by the former to connect them, Zote resembles them and their siblings more than any other character in the game barring the vessels themselves, including their father the Pale King and Hornet, their half sister with the only noticeable physical difference between them being his prominently visible mouth. He also mentions a need to prove himself to his father in the Colosseum of Fools, as well as a general hatred of both his parents, and the Pale King had set a rather selective standard for their children, punishing the rest for not reaching it, and the White Lady was in on it as well. He also disproves of dreams in precept 56, calling them dangerous things, while also mentioning that ideas not of your own creation can worm their way into your head through dreams, which is exactly the main modus operandi of the Radiance, a character not of public enough knowledge for most to know. Of course, given the fact that he's an Unreliable Narrator, this should all be taken with a grain of salt, alongside facts such as his ability to speak. Had he gotten his own story as a playable character, this could have been elaborated on more.
All Webbed Up: Assuming he's rescued in Greenpath, you can later find him in Deepnest, where he's been captured and bound in silk by an unknown insect. Unlike his first appearance, you can just leave him here for as long as you like without Zote dying.
Asshole Victim: Zote the Mighty, the self-proclaimed knight, regularly finds himself in need of rescue from the player character. He insists that he needs no help and belittles the player for "getting between him and his prey". If you keep him alive until the end of the game, you have the chance to get back at him in the Colosseum of Fools, at which point he returns to Dirtmouth claiming to be the new champion and slanders the Knight to Bretta. However, you can also make Bretta lose trust in Zote by repeatedly defeating his "Grey Prince" boss version in the dream world.
Attack Its Weak Point: Discussed in his twenty-third and twenty-fourth precepts, which isn't limited to weak body parts, but also vulnerable moments like sleeping.
Badass Boast: When he returns to Dirtmouth from the Colosseum of Fools, Zote will narrate a long series of dialogue with Bretta just before he mentions his 57 precepts. All of them are lies however, since they are products of his delusion. His dream nail dialogue is also a boast, even if it isn't entirely true:
I came to this kingdom to fulfill a promise... and now I have succeeded!
That promise I made so long ago... A promise to myself...
A promise of glory! Glory for I, Zote the Mighty! I never doubted myself, never
faltered, and now I have achieved everything I desired.
Battle Cry: Instead of the usual Mighty Roar, he screams the phrase "RAAA MAREVA!" when the boss fight starts.
The Battle Didn't Count: Zote is one of the few bosses who survives his "battle" with the Knight.
Battle Trophy: After you defeat him in the Colosseum, Zote returns to Dirtmouth with a helmet of a Fool (one of the weakest enemies in that place) and brags his "achievements" to Bretta.
Big Ego, Hidden Depths: Zote has an enormous ego and is constantly talking a big game about himself, but it's implied he has a poor relationship with his family and thus talks a big game because he seeks approval from other people. If he's Dream Nailed in the Colosseum of Fools, he implies he became a "knight" just so his father (who he speaks negatively about in his precepts) would be proud of him.
Bilingual Bonus: May be just a fortunate coincidence, but "zote" is an old-fashioned Spanish word meaning "stupid" or "dim-witted".
Boisterous Weakling: Is amazingly belligerent for a guy who wins most of his battles by getting his enemies to either die laughing or facepalm themselves to death at his nonsense.
Butt-Monkey: He is first encountered in the mandibles of a Vengefly King, and then you can encounter him later suffering from various misfortunes, such as getting trapped in the web, being captured by the Fools, and then sent to fight the Knight as Zero-Effort Boss to be humiliated on public. Also, there is an achievement in the game that is obtained by leaving Zote to die. Let that sink in.
Chekhov's Lecture: Precept Eighteen: 'Seek Truth in the Darkness' and Precept Twenty-Eight 'Don't Peer into the Darkness'. Zote claims that the former is self-explanatory, while he explains the latter as that point wherein staring into the darkness makes you linger over old memories. These are clues to how the Knight can recover its memories in the Abyss, the place where the player starts to make progress to towards the Golden Ending. Also, one of his percepts, Fifty-Six, is Do Not Dream. Arguably the most useful, it turns out to be why he was never infected.
Clarke's Third Law: In his forty-eighth precept, Zote believes that fire is a "type of hot spirit that dances around recklessly".
Combat Pragmatist: Discussed in his Precept Thirty-Three: 'Show the Enemy No Respect', where he claims that enemies don't deserve respect, kindness, or mercy.
Dark and Troubled Past: If his Precepts reflect his own past (and he isn't being an Unreliable Narrator again), he hasn't had the easiest home life.
Precept Four: 'Forget Your Past'. The past is painful, and thinking about your past can only bring you misery. Think about something else instead, such as the future, or some food.
Precept Eleven: 'Mothers Will Always Betray You'. This Precept explains itself.
Precept Twenty-Two: 'Abandon the Nest'. As soon as I could, I left my birthplace and made my way out into the world. Do not linger in the nest. There is nothing for you there.
Precept Thirty: 'Never Accept a Promise'. Spurn the promises of others, as they are always broken. Promises of love or betrothal are to be avoided especially.'
Precept Forty-Three: 'Never Forgive'. If someone asks forgiveness of you, for instance a brother of yours, always deny it. That brother, or whoever it is, doesn't deserve such a thing.
Precept Fifty-Two: 'Beware the Jealousy of Fathers'. Fathers believe that because they created us we must serve them and never exceed their capabilities. If you wish to forge your own path, you must vanquish your father. Or simply abandon him.
Death as Comedy: Exaggerated when you defeat Zote in the Colosseum of Fools. When you land the finishing blow, Zote will freeze with a shocked expression and then be knocked backwards, grimacing as the entire screen fills with white... only to harmlessly land on one of his horns and get stuck. All those dramatic effects yet he doesn't die. On a similar note, you're given an achievement for letting the Vengefly King eat him.
Debt Detester: Defied in his thirty-seventh precept, stating that by not repaying what you borrowed, "you gain everything".
Distressed Dude: Can be rescued from an untimely demise (or not) on two separate occasions during the story.
Dumbass Has a Point: Zote's Fifty-Seven Precepts are mostly either bad advice or totally mundane, but there's a few gems amongst them.
- Precept Eighteen states that one should "seek truth in the darkness" with no further elaboration. The Knight needs to venture into the Abyss and rediscover their past in order to defeat the Radiance.
- Precept Forty-Two states that you should spend your geo when you have it and not save up. This is a good advice gameplay-wise, since you may lose your geo upon death and the only method of securing it turns out to be a scam, and happens to fit the game's theme of money being useless in death.
- Precept Forty-Nine states to not honour statues. While his reason to not do so is petty and self-centered, the inciting event for the Radiance coming back to infect Deepnest is its denizens finding its surviving statue atop Crystal Peak.
- Precept Fifty-Six, "Do Not Dream" sounds absurd at first, but it is actually the only way of effectively fighting the Radiance and might explain why Zote never got infected throughout his ventures.
Eaten Alive: When you first meet him, he's neck-deep in a Vengefly King's gullet. If you leave him to his fate, the only thing left when you come back is his mask.
Establishing Character Moment: Zote berates you and doesn't thank you even when you rescued his life. Yeah, he's that kind of a Jerkass.
Everything Trying to Kill You: Discussed in his fifty-first precept, where everything in this world will hurt you. Interestingly, his precept's title is "Nothing is Harmless" which is a doubly-inverted deliverance of the same message.
Fake Ultimate Hero: After the player defeats him in the Colosseum of Fools, Zote returns to Dirtmouth claiming to be the new champion, and at least Bretta falls for his lies.
Fashionable Asymmetry: One of the horns in his shell is shorter than the other.
The Farmer and the Viper: Downplayed. Going by what happens to everything else the Knight faces in the Colosseum, it must be assumed that they consciously chose to spare his life at the conclusion of their "duel"; Zote repays the Knight's mercy by badmouthing them to everybody in Dirtmouth and swaying their fangirl to his side instead. However, nobody but Bretta ever acknowledges Zote or what he said.
- Precept 37 encourages this behavior, claiming that repaying debts means you gain nothing, but not repaying them means you gain everything.
Fearless Fool: 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".
Foil: Zote and the Knight. Both have quite the similar clothing choice (a dark cloak), weapon type (a nail) and a horned white "shell". However, their personalities are opposites; Zote is talkative, has pathetic swordplay, and wields a wooden nail. On the other hand, the Knight never speaks, has the potential to become a Nailmaster, and wields a nail that can be upgraded into pure form.
Foregone Victory: Zote doesn't damage the player; his fight in the Colosseum of Fools is only a joke. There is quite literally no way for him to damage you.
Freudian Trio: With the main playable characters, the Knight and Hornet. Zote himself is the egotistical glory seeking Id, the Knight is the mostly emotionless goal driven Superego, and Hornet is the stoic, calm minded Ego. Fittingly, Zote had a stretch goal to get his own expansion, in which he'd become a playable character, making him fit more into this trio.
Frequently-Broken Unbreakable Vow: Discussed in his thirtieth precept: 'Never Accept a Promise', where he believes that promises are always broken, especially romantic promises.
Funny Background Event: Wanna have a proof of how a "nobody" Zote is, even in the Godhome? Well, nobody (not even the Godseeker herself) is watching the Eternal Ordeal in the background.
Gravity Is a Harsh Mistress: He is very distrustful of gravity, though he doesn't know its proper name.
Precept Thirty-Eight: 'Beware the Mysterious Force'. A mysterious force bears down on us from above, pushing us downwards. If you spend too long in the air, the force will crush you against the ground and destroy you. Beware!
Hard Levels, Easy Bosses: The true challenge isn't defeating Zote but making your way to him by surviving the Trial of the Warrior.
Hero of Another Story: For a given value of "hero," anyways. Zote goes on his own journey around Hallowest, inexplicably 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. Now that Hornet is getting her own game, it seems that Zote will never be playable in Hollow Knight.
Hidden Depths:
- Double subverted. When you read his mind at 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 approval of his parents.
- Speaking of the Colosseum, despite his weakness, he survived it somehow.
- He might be weak and egoistical, but he is no coward, and his percepts allowed him to never be infected.
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, even once it defeats him personally in the Colosseum of Fools, he's blatantly breaking his own rules.
I Know Your True Name: Lampshaded in his Precept Thirty-Two: 'Names Have Power', where he believes that giving a name to something grants it powers, hence why he calls his weapon the "Life Ender". Of course, this doesn't acknowledge the fact that his weapon is made of a harmless material that could only be useful for blocking attacks,
Immune to Mind Control: Zote is one of the few characters in the game who completely shrugs off Radiance's attempts at brainwashing. Reading his precepts implies that his ego is so massive and that he trusts no one but himself that he just simply ignored Radiance, possibly without even realizing it since he somehow willed himself to not have dreams.
Inexplicably Identical Individuals: Less to a specific individual and more to an entire species. It's never explained why Zote looks exactly like a Vessel despite acting nothing like them. His Dream Nail dialogue suggesting he knew, and has a troubled relationship with, his parents heavily suggests that he isn't one. It may be because he was originally meant to be a playable character, but it's anybody's guess what the real story is now.
Infallible Babble: His fifty-sixth precept has a truth in it when it comes to the game's greater plot – the Radiance invades and infects other bugs through their dreams, and she can implant strange ideas into the victims' minds. The only thing he has a chance of getting wrong is the latter half, because the infection really does wrack the victims' bodies.
Precept Fifty-Six: 'Do Not Dream'. Dreams are dangerous things. Strange ideas, not your own, can worm their way into your mind. But if you resist those ideas, sickness will wrack your body! Best not to dream at all, like me.
Insane Troll Logic: 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 either).
It's a Small World, After All: Discussed in his forty-sixth precept, but he's talking about the world in a physical sense, and claims that he has travelled everywhere already.
I Work Alone: Zote's Precept Eight: 'Travel Alone', where he claims that you can rely on nobody and nobody would always be loyal.
Jerkass: Zote is an arrogant bumbler who gets in mortal danger and insults the Knight when they help him. Several of the precepts indicate he lives his life by being a jerk and taking advantage of others.
Precept Thirty-Seven: 'Borrow, But Do Not Lend'. If you lend and are repayed, you gain nothing. If you borrow but do not repay, you gain everything.
Precept Forty-Three: 'Never Forgive'. If someone asks forgiveness of you, for instance a brother of yours, always deny it. That brother, or whoever it is, doesn't deserve such a thing.
Jerkass Has a Point: A few of his precepts, such as precept 9 (Keep your home tidy) are simply good advice. One of them, Precept 56 ('Do not dream') actually hints at the source of the Infection plaguing Hallownest itself.
Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: Between his comically abrasive personality, his total harmlessness and the amount of times the Knight rescues him, it can be easy for savvy players to think that Zote would eventually show a soft side and thank the Knight or at least appreciate its undeniable strength, even if just internally, but nope; he remains a jerk all the way to the end.
Jigsaw Puzzle Plot: This trope gets lampshaded and defied by Zote in his fiftieth precept:
Precept Fifty: 'Don't Linger on Mysteries'. Some things in this world appear to us as puzzles. Or enigmas. If the meaning behind something is not immediately evident though, don't waste any time thinking about it. Just move on.'"
Joke Character: When you face Zote, you find all he does is 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, you discover that the so-called Life Ender cannot harm you! Just how did this guy survive any area of the game? His Grey Prince dream form is still very much a Fighting Clown, but he actually poses a significant threat with his shockwaves, stomps, and minions, thanks to Bretta falling for his lies painting him as something like the boss found in her dreams.
Karmic Butt-Monkey: Zote is a fool who blunders his way through life and grossly overestimates his combat skills, resulting in him repeatedly getting into less than ideal situations. He'd be dead if the Knight didn't show up to help him.
Living Lie Detector: Invoked in his Precept Forty-One, suggesting that one should learn how to detect lies. He mentions scrutinizing and repeatedly asking the same question as effective methods to pry out the truth.
The Magnificent: "The Mighty" (Although, it's only self-proclaimed).
Mirror Boss: Hilariously subverted by Zote, who resembles the knight but displays very underwhelming skills when finally seen in action.
Mirror Character: Interestingly enough, the way he speaks of his parents draws parallels to the Pale King and White Lady. In his precepts, Zote heavily implies his mother betrayed him and his father tried to use him. The White Lady tries to encourage the Knight to become the next Hollow Knight and seal the Radiance within itself, while the Pale King abandoned the Knight to rot in the Abyss in favor of training the Pure Vessel.
Mood Whiplash: How Zote appears in the Colosseum of Fools - The background music suddenly stops, the audience falls silent, a single cage appears, accompanied with loud thuds as the cage shakes. Then when the cage releases the next opponent, it turns out to be Zote, and he falls in a non-spectacular and awkward manner. Cue the Fools laughing in the background.
Mundane Made Awesome: Some of Zote's precepts are just practical everyday advice.
Precept Three: 'Always Be Rested'. Fighting and adventuring take their toll on your body. When you rest, your body strengthens and repairs itself. The longer you rest, the stronger you become.
Precept Twelve: 'Keep Your Cloak Dry'. If your cloak gets wet, dry it as soon as you can. Wearing wet cloaks is unpleasant, and can lead to illness.
Precept Thirty-Four: 'Don't Eat Immediately Before Sleeping'. This can cause restlessness and indigestion. It's just common sense.
Precept Forty-Four: 'You Can Not Breathe Water'. Water is refreshing, but if you try to breathe it you are in for a nasty shock.
Murder by Inaction: Zote can die if you leave him to be killed by a Vengefly. The game will call you out on it with an achievement if you think to return to the scene of the crime.
Musical Gag: The Godmaster update brings us a minigame where you can try and take out as many Zotes as you can. The theme that plays is called "Truth, Beauty and Hatred feat. Zote". It's his Grey Prince boss theme with Zote humming the tune in his hoarse voice. Terribly. Once you kill at least 57 Zotes in the Eternal Ordeal, you get to unlock a new title screen of Zote with him also terribly humming the main menu theme "Hollow Knight".
Named Weapons: Zote named his sword "Life Ender" because names have power. Ironically but predictably enough, it can't actually end anyone's life; it's made of the same wood shields are made from, so it does zero damage, and even if it were useful for parrying, Zote sucks too much with it to try.
No Sense of Direction: Defied in his twenty-ninth precept: 'Develop Your Sense of Direction'.
Not Worth Killing: The Hunter considers hunting him to be a waste of time.
Numerological Motif: 57. The amount of his self-written precepts, and the threshold for the enemies you need to kill in the Eternal Ordeal Mini-Game to unlock a new Zote-themed title screen.
Oddball Doppelgänger: While he seemingly has no connection to the Knight, he looks like a weird, grumpy version of the protagonist.
Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Downplayed since it's not given very much attention, but Zote somehow managed to make his way through Deepnest and live, which is something not many people manage to do. Of course, he's All Webbed Up by the time the Knight arrives, but the fact that he managed to last in a place like Deepnest is a little awe-inspiring.
Optional Boss: He becomes the "boss" of the first course in the Colosseum of Fools if you keep him alive through the game.
Overly Long Gag: If Zote survives all the way to the end of the game, you find him listing to Bretta a series of 57 precepts, ranging from surprisingly sound advice to utter nonsense. When he's finally done, he starts over again.
Parental Betrayal: Discussed in his eleventh precept, but is aimed specifically at mothers.
Pathetically Weak: He is unbelievably weak. Every time he's encountered by the Knight, he is in need of rescuing, and in his boss fight in the Colosseum of Fools, his attacks cannot inflict any sort of damage. Even the Hunter considers him to be Not Worth Killing due to how weak he is.
Permanently Missable Content: If you have already obtained the mantis claw but fail to rescue Zote from his moment of peril right before the Vengefly King fight, he will die, and later interactions with him will be closed off, including the Grey Prince fight (except in the Boss Rush of Godhome).
Perpetual Frowner: Zote's face/mask is permanently fixed in a moody scowl, matching his perpertually nasty attitude.
Save the Jerk: You can potentially do this twice. He'll complain if you do so.
Screw Destiny: Zote's Precept Six: 'Choose Your Own Fate', where he disagrees on the elders' teachings about pre-determined fate even before one is born.
Self-Proclaimed Knight: Self proclaimed "Zote the Mighty". He's actually inexperienced (as he keeps on getting himself trapped). And when you do get to face him, his fighting skills are laughable.
Shaped Like Itself: Some of his precepts are just that redundant in nature. Like Precept Thirty-Five which states "Up is Up, Down is Down".
Single-Stroke Battle: Discussed in his fifteenth precept (One Foe, One Blow), where any additional blow is a waste.
Small Name, Big Ego: 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. He is only a challenge as his dream self, which is based on how he presents himself to Bretta.
Smug Snake: 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 the Hunter thinks he's too weak and pathetic to be worth killing.
Sore Loser: 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.
Speak Ill of the Dead: Zig-zagged. Zote's Precept Seven: 'Mourn Not the Dead', where he believes that people should not cry nor even celebrate about someone else's death because it's a waste of time and mourning has no effect for the deceased.
Stealing the Credit: Zote will wrongfully accuse the Knight with this once he gets rescued from the Vengefly King, claiming that, when the Knight killed the Vengefly King, it interrupted the fight between Zote and his "prey" (when in reality, Zote is in danger).
Zote: Just what do you think you're doing?! You dare to come between me and my prey? Is it a habit of yours to scurry about, getting in the way and causing bother?
Take Your Time: Unlike in Greenpath, Zote won't die in Deepnest nor the Colosseum of Fools no matter how long it takes you to rescue him. You can come back after an extended period of adventuring but he will remain there until he's rescued.
Troperrific: A majority of Zote's Precepts are basically just discussing, lampshading, invoking or defying some tropes and common knowledge, but passing them as if they're valuable life lessons.
The Unfettered: Discussed in his sixteenth precept (Don't Hesitate), wherein by not looking back, you can achieve more once you've made a decision.
Ungrateful Bastard: He calls you a hindrance whenever you save him.
Unskilled, but Strong: This doesn't apply to Zote himself (he's unskilled and weak), but precept 5, 'Strength Beats Strength', sees him encourage this.
Is your opponent strong? No matter! Simply overcome their strength with even more strength, and they'll soon be defeated.
Vague Age: He's about the same size as the Knight who is heavily implied to be a child with the reveal of the Hollow Knight's origins where it is shown to look almost identical to the former back in the day. However, Zote has the voice of a grown man. Most characters who are implied to be adults are usually at least a little taller than the Knight.
Video Game Caring Potential: Zote can be rescued in several places like in Greenpath, in Deepnest, or in the Colosseum of Fools.
Video Game Cruelty Potential: Leaving Zote to die in Greenpath after you've progressed far enough earns you the achievement "Neglect".
Walking the Earth: If his Precept Twenty-Two: 'Abandon the Nest' is really about Zote sharing his past, then he had abandoned his birthplace as soon as he could to make his way out to the world.
Wall of Text: In a meta sense, Zote holds the highest number of written dialogue for a single character - he has over 2,600 words, much more than the Mr. Exposition kinds of Elderbug and the Last Stag. To be more specific with the trope, his 57 precepts can make paragraphs when compiled in full.
"Well Done, Son" Guy: As stated above, Zote's thoughts and opinions on things are ones to be disputed as whether they are legitimate 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?"
What the Fu Are You Doing?: Even if he wields a wooden nail, he doesn't have a refined fighting style, but simply flails his weapon up and down while moving forward. And he can trip while moving, falling flat on the ground. This pathetic swordplay carries over to his Grey Prince Zote version, but his weapon can now damage you and his belly flops can now produce shockwaves.
Will Not Tell a Lie: Precept 20 advises speaking only the truth. Of course, Zote is a massive liar, although given how delusional he seems to be it's possible he genuinely doesn't think he's ever lying.
Wooden Katanas Are Even Better: His Life Ender is a handmade wooden nail. It can't actually hurt you at all. Double Subverted with Grey Prince Zote, whose nail can hurt you.
Wrong Genre Savvy: Zote is just a self-proclaimed mighty warrior. He's delusional and possesses no strength, abilities, nor swordplay to back it up. Despite all of this, he sets off adventuring on his own. Alas, he ends up being the resident Asshole Victim among the wanderers – Zote gets chewed on by a Vengefly King (he can die from this if you don't rescue him), gets webbed up in Deepnest, and gets himself captured by the Fools to be used for their Gladiator Games.

Cloth

Backer: Noah Sturtridge

"You act so confident in battle. You show no fear before your foes. I'll try my best to do the same."

-Cloth, in the Ancient Basin

A cicada warrior who's working up the courage to battle the beasts of Hallownest. She's first encountered in the Fungal Wastes.

Action Girl: When you first meet her, she's initially working her way to becoming a badass. After a certain interaction, she can decide to assist you in killing the Traitor Lord.
All There in the Manual: The official manual and a pre-release Kickstarter update revealed that Cloth is a cicada.
Carry a Big Stick: Wields a club as her weapon.
Character Development: Starts out as a coward, but eventually gains courage later on, enough to help you fight the Traitor Lord. She's actually a Death Seeker, wanting to die in battle just so that she could meet her friend Nola.
Chekhov's Gunman: Initially just a coward bug hiding beneath the floor in the Fungal Wastes, your choices in the game could lead to her helping you defeat the Traitor Lord.
Damsel in Distress: 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 inspires her to be braver.
Death from Above: She only attacks via a jumping overhead smash.
Death Seeker: Wants to die in battle and reunite with someone named Nola in the afterlife.
Developer's Foresight: If Cloth dies in the Traitor Lord boss fight before the player has acquired the Dream Nail, her ghost will be invisible but can still be interacted with through her corpse.
Dynamic Entry: If you meet the conditions to make her join the fight against the Traitor Lord, Cloth will make her entrance by dropping in from the ceiling, smashing the second mantis traitor with her club.
Establishing Character Moment: Cloth is hiding beneath the ground when you first meet her in the Fungal Wastes. She's a coward for like three-fourths of the story.
Furry Reminder: She makes a clicking sound similar to cicadas and is introduced by burrowing out of the ground, much like cicadas spend most of their lives underground.
Jacob Marley Apparel: Cloth is the only character whose ghost immediately appears after death, making her ghostly appearance look similar to that of her original body and corpse.
Gameplay Ally Immortality: You can't damage Cloth when she assists you as a Guest-Star Party Member, despite the fact that you can damage enemies, and enemies can damage their own allies.
Ghost Amnesia: Averted compared to the majority of the trope's examples in the game. If Cloth dies, then she is one of the few ghosts who realizes she just died and will leave the area on her own to be Together in Death with a friend. If you don't absorb her first, that is.
Guest-Star Party Member: She shows up to help you with the Mantis Traitors and the Traitor Lord. 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.
Hero of Another Story: One of the adventurers who arrived in Hallownest seeking for something. She's actually a Death Seeker who wishes to die fighting a worthy enemy.
Mighty Roar: A rare case in a game where all bosses scream before the fight, Cloth is the only friendly Guest-Star Party Member who follows her entrance by screaming, much like cicadas in real life sing to attract mates and shoo away predators.
Mutual Kill: 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.
"Shaggy Dog" Story: Cloth's character arc can end this way if you don't help inspire her in Ancient Basin before defeating the Traitor Lord. While this outcome spares her life, it's clear that this is not what she wanted and after a final meeting in Dirtmouth, she leaves Hallownest dejected over not finding the "good death" she was searching for.
Took a Level in Badass: 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 and personally finish him off.
Video Game Caring Potential: You can rescue Cloth from the monsters in Deepnest depending on your previous interactions. You will be rewarded when you fight the Traitor Lord.

Tiso

Backer: Tiso Spencer

"Though few could truly challenge me, I'm hoping this arena presents the sort of brutal challenge I'm after."

-Tiso, in the Colosseum of Fools

A smug warrior who's looking for the Colosseum of Fools. He's first encountered in Dirtmouth.

Bait-and-Switch Boss: Tiso has a boss subtitle, a scream, and a battle theme when you encounter him in the Pantheon of Hallownest. Sounds like you're gonna have a boss fight with him right? Nope, at the next second, he gets killed by a Brooding Mawlek dropped from the ceiling.
Blood Knight: He wants to find the colosseum as soon as possible and find glory there, promising to beat everyone including the Knight.
Butt-Monkey: 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: when it seems he's finally got his chance to shine as a full-fledged Boss Fight... they literally drop a Brooding Mawlek on him. Poor guy gets killed both in the real world and in the dream world.
Dropped a Bridge on Him: For all his bluster, Tiso suffers an ignominious offscreen death after he arrives at the Colosseum. In the Pantheon of Hallownest, they literally dropped a Broodwing Mawlek to crush him.
Hero of Another Story: 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 unlike Zote, it seems like he has enough skill to justify his smug behavior at least.
Hidden Depths: Reading his thoughts with the Dream Nail reveals less-than-positive things, such as musing about killing the Knight but refusing to do so because it would be a "pitiful end".
Hope Spot: You think you're gonna have a surprise boss fight against Tiso in the Pantheon of Hallownest? Nope, he gets flattened by a Brooding Mawlek a few seconds later.
Improbable Weapon User: Uses a shield as a weapon, and it has some sort of trick. You never find what it is, but the sketch of the person who made him states it's like a boomerang.
Informed Ability: He claims that his shield-like shell has a "deadly surprise", but he dies before he can show it off.
Laser-Guided Karma: He has some sinister thoughts about killing the Knight. Unfortunately, Tiso gets killed and dumped near the Colosseum, and in the Pantheon of Hallownest.
Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: What his "special trick" presumably entailed. Whatever it was, it didn't protect him in the long run.
Smug Snake: He has a very high opinion of his own skills, and disdains anything that isn't fighting people, which is why he's heading to the Colosseum of Fools to prove himself and gain glory. He winds up killed offscreen, with his body dumped outside with the rest of the Fools who died in the trials.
The Unfought: The game sets him up as a big obstacle in the big colosseum, but in the end, he's a Red Herring since he dies before you even meet during a trial in the colosseum. Subverted now that the Godmaster 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).

The Last Stag

The Last Stag / Old Stag

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/laststag.png

"I've grown stiff and tired over these many years and I've forgotten much, but the sound of the bell will always call me back."

-The Last Stag, when first encountered

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.

Anti-Frustration Features: There are signs pointing directions to the nearest stag stations.
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 Stag is a constant helpful companion who revels in exploring now that he has company and in the end is a very hopeful character.
Horse of a Different Color: He works as a living transport carrying passengers across the stagway tunnel network, and carries a set of chairs on a harness strapped to his back.
Japanese Beetle Brothers: Together with the Knight. Ironically, the Stag looks more like a rhinoceros beetle, while the Knight looks more like a stag beetle.
Job-Stealing Robot: Is annoyed to see the Knight holding a pass for the tramways, explaining that he hates how the tram became this trope for the stags.
"That pass you hold! Is it not for that ghastly machine, the tram? I hope you're not thinking of riding on that grotesque contraption. The thought a mere machine could attempt what we stags do! Foolish...Very foolish."
Last of His Kind: It's in his name. 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.
Meaningful Rename: Finding the egg at the Stag Nest made him realize that he isn't the Last of His Kind after all, and changes his name to just "Old Stag" to reflect this.
Mr. Exposition: Tells you how each area used to be in the old days.
Nice Guy: 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 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.
Non-Indicative Name: Despite his name, he looks nothing like the actual stag beetles◊, especially given that he lacks their trademark dual pincers. If anything, his singular horns on his head and on his back make him look more like a rhinoceros beetle.
Non-Standard Character Design: Downplayed; while most of the bugs in the game are highly stylized, the Last Stag has a relatively more realistic design, with six legs like real-life rhinoceros beetles, instead of four, like most of the other insects in Hallownest, which helps in his role as a mount.
Notice This: The Stag Stations are marked in their entrances by lamp posts with a stag's head for their logo.
Warp Whistle: He ferries the Knight using the stagway tunnel systems, and he can be called to a stag station by ringing a bell.

Mister Mushroom

"Caps and shells may fall to dust, But Mr Mushroom readjusts..."

-Mister Mushroom, when Dream Nailed

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

Ambiguously Evil: 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.
Cloudcuckoolander: He really likes to talk to himself, and even after you hit him, it still takes a while for him to even realize you are there.
Easter Egg: Mister Mushroom's dialogue can only be understood if the Spore Shroom charm is equipped.
Hero of Another Story: He moves to a new location in the kingdom every time you decipher his messages with the Spore Shroom. Once you meet him in his last stop at King's Pass, he flies in the air, indicating that his journey is off somewhere. The bonus ending scene that plays once you complete his sidequest also serves as The Stinger that ends with the phrase "To Be Continued".
It's the Journey That Counts: In the final conversation with him, he expresses this sentiment after noting it took a long journey just to find him every time.
Mushroom Man: His name is Mister Mushroom. What else did you expect?
Mythology Gag: 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.
"...It's nice that you were able to help your friend. So you're not hungry any more?"
Red Baron: The Riddle Tablet indirectly refers to him via the title of "Master Herald".
Seen It All: Mister Mushroom explained that the fall of Hallownest was actually a common occurence. Based from past experiences, he already knew that kingdoms built by Wyrms will eventually crumble. It is hinted to be one of the reasons why he felt bored in his journey to Hallownest, and flew to another new journey after you complete his sidequest.
Signs of the End Times: 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... that's telling something.
Talkative Loon: How he comes off, between his multiple strange lines and the fact that he's talking to himself up until you approach him. His final conversation indicates he isn't a total Cloud Cuckoolander, though.
The Unintelligible: Mister Mushroom speaks in a scrambled language when you talk to him, but you can only understand what he's saying if you equip the Spore Shroom charm.
Time Abyss: 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.
Where It All Began: The last place that Mister Mushroom visits before he flies off is the same spot in King's Pass where the Knight started their journey back to the kingdom.
Word Salad Philosophy: Most of his lines are vague advice that have no obvious relevance, if any, on what you're doing or have done in-game.

Nailmasters

In General

Nailmasters

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sheoromato.png

Three warrior brothers who live at certain corners in Hallownest, spending their days in quiet introspection of their art. They were all trained by the Great Nailsage and will pass their knowledge on to the Knight.

Always Identical Twins: All three brothers look exactly alike, save for Sheo's painting garb.
Charged Attack: Their signature Nail Arts take a while to be unleashed, as indicated by a held pose or an aura forming around them first. This mechanic also gets passed down to the Knight as it learns from them.
Cutscene Boss: Learning their Nail Arts would depict the master and the Knight briefly clashing in a cutscene.
Graceful Loser: Like their master, they all bow when defeated as bosses.
Hermit Guru: All three are found in relatively hard-to-reach places, but are willing to pass on their signature Nail Arts to those who can seek them out.
Nice Guy: Sheo and Mato are happy to teach the Knight and have its company. Oro however, prefers to be left alone and charges you 800 Geo for the lesson.
Optional Boss: As of the Godmaster update, all three Nailmasters are now able to be fought in Godhome. Sheo still uses his artist tools to fight rather than his nail, though.
Polar Opposite Twins: Mato is loud, passionate, and openly friendly to the Knight when they meet. Oro is quiet, reserved, and wants to be left alone. This is furthered by the fact that they are literally on opposite sides of Hollownest: Mato is in the Northwest corner and Oro is in the Southeast corner.
Rule of Three: There are three Nailmasters (Mato, Oro, Sheo) who trained under the Great Nailsage.
The Unfought: Initially the case. According to the Kickstarter campaign, they were supposed to be beaten in duels in order to learn their skills. In the original release, they amounted to cutscene bosses, and Sheo doesn't want to fight any more anyway. Thankfully, all three eventually got battles put in the game via the Godmaster update.

Nailmaster Mato

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mato.png

"Now I know how my own master felt when he passed down his teachings to us."

-Mato, after teaching the Knight

The least skilled but most passionate disciple of the Great Nailsage, who now resides in a hut at the top of the world in the Howling Cliffs. He teaches the Knight the "Cyclone Slash" Nail Art.

A Father to His Men: He certainly wants this kind of relationship with his disciples, and declares that the Knight is his child after they complete their training.
Big Damn Heroes: Comes to Oro's aid when the Knight seemingly defeats the latter in Godhome, transitioning the fight into a Dual Boss.
Noodle Incident: When discussing his brother Oro, he becomes uncharacteristically angry, commenting that he hasn't forgotten what his brother owes him. It's never specified what passed between them, though.
So Proud of You: He really doesn't waste any time in establishing himself as a positive role model for his students.

Nailmaster Oro

Nailmaser Oro

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/oro.png

"It is the law of the Great Nailsage that I must pass down my teachings to those who are worthy. But no law forbids me from exacting a payment for my time."

-Oro, before teaching the Knight

The second most skilled disciple of the Great Nailsage, who lives in solitude in the far reaches of the Kingdom's Edge to avoid company while perfecting his arts in the nail. However, if the Knight finds him and is willing to part with some Geo, he'll teach them the "Dash Slash" Nail Art.

Cash Gate: He wants you to pay him first before he teaches you his Nail Art.
Death Glare: When Mato comes to his aid during their boss fight, they briefly glare at each other, complete with a Twinkle in the Eye.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: If you give him a Delicate Flower, he'll say he's going to toss it out... but if you leave and return, you'll find that he's put it in a vase.
Noodle Incident: Oro has done something in the past that caused bad blood between him and Mato, but neither of them explains what it was. Sheo has no idea either and wishes they'd just get along.

Nailmaster Sheo

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sheo.png

"The wielding of a nail, the wielding of a brush... these things are not so different. We cut into the world so that we can peer deeper inside."

-Sheo, after teaching the Knight

The most skilled disciple of the Great Nailsage, who has hung up his Nail for a simpler life as an artist. He resides in a hut deep in Greenpath, where he'll teach the Knight the "Great Slash" Nail Art. Sheo can be fought in the Pantheon of the Artist and is called "Paintmaster Sheo".

Mr. Exposition: 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.
Retired Badass: Sheo has put down his nail to become an artist, much to Mato's confusion.
Straight Gay: After crafting the pure nail, the Nailsmith will beg you to cut him down, as he has nothing left to live for. If you refuse, he will instead leave his home, meeting and moving in with Sheo. Although none of their dialogue together is explicitly romantic, the achievement you get for doing this perhaps indicates a romantic relationship: "Happy Couple".

Dirtmouth NPCs

NPCs that spend most of their time in the small town of Dirtmouth.

Elderbug

"Ho there, traveller. I'm afraid there's only me left to offer welcome. Our town's fallen quiet you see. The other residents, they've all disappeared. Headed down that well, one by one, into the caverns below."

-Elderbug, upon the Knight's arrival to Dirtmouth

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.

Anti-Frustration Features: If you exhaust all of his other situational dialogue, Elderbug will always describe in passing the area of Hallownest you currently need to search in order to move the plot forward.
Anti Poop-Socking: A subtle one, but if you exhaust all of his dialogue in Dirtmouth, the Elderbug will constantly ask if you are tired, he then recommends you to sit on the bench. It's a nod to save the game once the player is tired.
Developer's Foresight: If you simply pass by the Elderbug without talking to him upon entering Dirtmouth for the first time, he will call on the knight and later conversations will have him comment on this.
Oh! You came back! You walked straight past me, I thought maybe I'd faded away along with this town.
The Eeyore: 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.
Foil: The Elderbug is this for both the Grey Mourner and The Last Stag, as described in their individual entries.
Foreshadowing: When the Temple of the Black Egg is opened, the Elderbug will notice that the creature inside of it let out a cry, but it sounded divine. He's right about the divine part, since the Radiance is a higher being and is also inside that temple.
Hint System: Whichever location he's bringing up when you talk to him is usually the one you should be exploring next in order to move the story forward or to find the next key item.
I'll Pretend I Didn't Hear That: After you've unlocked the house of Jiji (or Jinn) in the far side of Dirtmouth, the Elderbug would narrate a story of how he was supposed to go visit the grave of an old friend, but saw some huge eyes and sinister cackling in the distance so he went back, pretending none of that happened.
I pretended I hadn't heard the voice or seen the eyes and scurried back to town. My friend will have to wait a little longer for her visit...
The Lost Lenore: 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.
Mr. Exposition: The man has a lot to say about the various regions of Hallownest and the people the Knight meets during his quest.
Stepford Smiler: 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. Upon receiving the Delicate Flower, he reveals that he basically believed he should carry on being considerate because no one else would.
Wasteland Elder: One of Dirtmouth's original residents, Elderbug watched as many among the quiet hamlet's population descended into the well, never to return.
Unusually Uninteresting Sight: You can actually pull this off by walking past the Elderbug once you arrive in Dirtmouth, an act that he will subtly call you out for, wondering if he's faded along with the town, or if the Player Character itself is a ghost.
Video Game Caring Potential: 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.

Iselda

*Sigh* "Pappanaba..."

"At times my husband makes Hallownest sound a wonder, but sometimes it seems a ghastly, dangerous place."

-Iselda, after selling some items

The wife in a married couple who run a cartography store in the village of Dirtmouth. Iselda is a loyal merchant who left behind her previous job in order to settle down with Cornifer and help him in his business.

Action Girl: She used to be one, as indicated by her dream nail dialogue. It's just that she chose to retire so that she can settle down with her husband.
Affectionate Nickname: Iselda usually calls her husband Corny.
Anger Born of Worry: Her initial dialogue is rather caustic towards Cornifer. Subsequent conversations clearly show that she's just worried about him, wishing they could leave Dirtmouth for somewhere that doesn't routinely tempt her husband to put himself into so many dangerous situations.
Anti-Frustration Features: In a later update, Iselda's shop was stocked with map markers that could be manually placed to help remind yourself which areas to return to later.
Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: 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.
The Cynic: Iselda is considerably more jaded and cynical than her husband. Like the Elderbug, she's very suspicious of the Grimm Troupe when they come in, and specifically fears that Cornifer's outgoing, friendly nature might leave him wide open to something sinister.
Dungeon Shop: Inverted. Iselda will only open the shop after you've encountered Cornifer and bought a map from him, or if the False Knight had been defeated. However, their shop will be located in Dirtmouth.
Guide Dang It!: Iselda will sell a pin for the tram stations after you've obtained the Tram Pass. But the game never makes a hint out of this, and it is very possible to finish the game even without knowing that you can now buy a map icon for the trams. The same applies to the Warrior's Grave Pin after you have acquired the Dream Nail.
Hint System: Iselda's pins come in handy as they automatically mark the key points in your map, such as the locations of benches, stag stations, hot springs, tram stations, and even the essence resources such as the whispering roots and warrior dream graves.
Retired Badass: 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 Corny," and has never been happier than she is now.
Tiny Guy, Huge Girl: 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.
Tomboyish Ponytail: While she doesn't actually have any hair, Iselda has bound her antennae together in the style of a ponytail, in keeping with her nature as a former Action Girl.
Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Cornifer is much older-looking and fatter compared to his curvy, feminine, and more youthful-looking wife.
Violently Protective Girlfriend: Or wife; she has shades of this towards Cornifer, which goes further due to her being a Retired Badass. She specifically forbids him from talking to any of the Grimm Troupe, which is probably for the best. By the time he finishes mapping the game world, she's clearly leaning heavily towards escorting him next time he goes out.

Sly

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sly_2.png

"All's fair in a world made of Geo."

-Sly, after Iselda opens shop

A firefly merchant who the Knight saves from succumbing to the plague in the Forgotten Crossroads. He runs Dirtmouth's main shop.

Adam Smith Hates Your Guts: 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.
Elderbug: No competition. That's the problem. It's bad for the market. Not that he's complaining.
BFS: The sword seen in his storeroom is larger than he is by a fair margin, and even considering his size that thing is enormous.
Charged Attack: Naturally uses variants of all three charged skills he taught to his students.
Dungeon Shop: Subverted: You rescue Sly in the town beneath the Forgotten Crossroads, but he will open his shop in Dirtmouth.
Expy: Sly's a diminutive individual who hides his history as a famous sage and master underneath a comical exterior. Basically, he's Bug Yoda.
Foreshadowing: There are quite a few hints pointing towards his true identity as the Great Nailsage.
- When you first meet him, dizzy with infection, he mistakes the Knight for his student Oro and scolds him for wielding his nail like a club.
- Speak to him after upgrading your Nail, and he may wax poetic about how your nail is the instrument by which you shape the world around you, before apologizing for rambling. Similarily, after you learn a new Nail Art, he is intrigued, wondering aloud whether you'll continue your training.
- When struck with the Dream Nail, his thoughts muse about where his students are and what they're doing.
Greed: Shows many signs of this, as he brings up Geo-related topics a lot. Although compared to the Leg Eater, Sly's greediness is tame and even justified:
- His Dream Nail dialogue in the Crossroads speaks for itself: "...Geo. Geo. All the world is Geo. No nail can withstand its might..."
- If Iselda opens up shop in Dirtmouth, he muses about selling maps as well, but backs down since that tactic can be aggressive.
- Buy all of his initial stock of items and he will tell you to get out so that he can have some quality time with all the Geo that you "gifted" him. Buy even all of the second stock of items and he will brag about his mountain of Geo.
Hidden Depths: It is repeatedly hinted that he's more than he seems, even before his identity as the Great Nailsage is revealed.
Hitbox Dissonance: Don't get fooled by the Sword Lines of his Great Slash attack when you fight him in the Godhome, because that hits farther than what the visual effect shows.
Killer Rabbit: How badass could this tiny firefly be? Enough to be the Nailmasters' teacher.
Mistaken Identity: Sly mistakes the Knight for Oro in the Forgotten Crossroads. This is actually a hint that Sly is the Nailsage.
Old Master: 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.
Optional Boss: A dream version of himself is able to be fought in Godhome, as of the Godmaster update.
Pet the Dog: His Dream Nail dialogue while in his shop shows that he is still concerned about the wellbeing of his three students, and hopes they're all looking after themselves.
Pint-Sized Powerhouse: Sly is even smaller than the Knight, but gives it a run for its geo in battle. He is the Great Nailsage, after all.
Punny Name: He wields a great nail in battle.
Retired Badass: Sly was very adventurous in his younger days, but now he's a humble shopkeeper who lives in Dirtmouth. Specifically, he was once one of the deadliest warriors in Hallownest, or anywhere else.
Sanity Slippage: One of the subverted examples. Sly is on the verge of losing his mind in the Forgotten Crossroads and even hallucinates the knight as another individual. Interacting with him brings him back to his senses and encourages him to return to Dirtmouth.
You Fight Like a Cow: When you meet an infected Sly in the Forgotten Crossroads, he mistakes the Knight for somebody else, and mocks it:
Sly: ...ugghh, Oro you oaf.... You wield your nail... like a club...

Bretta

"The maiden's shell felt suddenly tight. Her claws curled. No glance was shared, no claws touched, just perfect, aching love shared in silence, together..."

-Bretta's second diary entry: The White Saviour Returns

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".

All Love Is Unrequited: The poor girl can't catch a break. The first bug she falls for is the Knight, a relationship doomed to failure by the fact that they're likely literally incapable of reciprocating in any way. After that, Zote seduces her and badmouths the Knight. However, his behavior demonstrates that the only thing he wants out of the "relationship" was a steady stream of attention, not anything romantic. At the end of her storyline, she seems to realize that her true love isn't going to come to her if she just sits in one place waiting for it, and sets off to find them. Zote doesn't even notice.
Babies Ever After: She clearly wants to fulfill this trope. Gray Prince Zote can summon several diminuitive versions of himself to help fight the Knight. The Exploding Zotelings abandon any pretense whatsoever, being shaped like babies and making noises to match.
Broken Pedestal:
- If Zote makes it back to Dirtmouth, he badmouths the Knight to her and causes her to get over it in favor of Zote.
- As the player repeatedly defeats 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.
Cannot Spit It Out: 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.
Character Development: It's small, but after 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 Knight in Shining Armor rather than The Damsel In Distress. This also happens on a smaller scale the more you defeat Gray Prince Zote - at first, she's sitting attentively and blushing; defeating Gray Prince Zote successive times causes her posture to change. By the time you've beaten him three times, she's staring at Zote with a thoroughly-unimpressed, bored expression on her face, slumped over. Beat him four times and she flat-out leaves, determined to write her own happy ending instead of waiting for it to find her.
Covert Pervert: 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...
Crush Blush: Starts to develop one whenever you sit next to her for a long while on the bench in Dirtmouth.
Damsel in Distress: Fancies herself one to the player's Knight in Shining Armor, 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.
Gameplay and Story Integration: She calls herself as "Bretta, the girl that everyone just ignores" when you rescue her. She doesn't have a Listen prompt when you approach her in Dirtmouth, indicating that she got used to this treatment.
Longing Look: One of her sitting animations when the Knight is nearby.
Meaningful Background Event: Bretta lies in a sexy pose during the fight against Grey Prince Zote, while another Zote waves a fan near her. She falls down from the bed once her prince is defeated.
Most Fanfic Writers Are Girls: Taking a look at her diary reveals that she's written a bunch of fanfiction about herself and the Knight. Once she moves on and falls for Zote, she starts writing fanfic about him.
Rescue Romance:
- Develops one, but it's unreciprocated due to the Knight's outwardly apathetic disposition and probable inability to return her affections at all.
- If you defeat Grey Prince Zote four times, she'll eventually leave Dirtmouth intending to start one of her own.
Sanity Slippage: One of the subverted examples. Bretta is on the verge of losing her mind by the time you meet her in Fungal Wastes, but rescuing her will help regain her sanity and move back to Dirtmouth.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: If you complete her questline, she'll realize that the happy ending she's longing for won't just fall into her lap, and leaves Dirtmouth to find it for herself.
Shipper on Deck: She writes embarrassingly mushy romance starring herself and the Knight. Later, she does the same thing with Zote, to gag-inducing levels.
Shrinking Violet: 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.
Stalker Shrine: As mentioned, she keeps a few items in the image of the Knight in her room, 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.
Thinks Like a Romance Novel: 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, until you defeat Zote in the Colosseum, what other reason does the Knight have to visit her room while she's seemingly sleeping there?
Wall of Text: Each of her five diary entries are written in several paragraphs.

Confessor Jiji

"If we don't deal with these regrets, hope starts to drain from us."

-Jiji, when first encountered

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.

In Steel Soul Mode, since her services are not needed in a permanent death run, she is replaced by Steel Soul Jinn.

Anti-Frustration Features: Her service that moves your shade to you in exchange for a rancid egg, which saves you the trouble of going through potentially dangerous or distant territory to recover your geo.
By the Lights of Their Eyes: The only thing you can see of her until you get close enough is her big orange eyes, it can come as a Jump Scare when she hops out of the darkness to talk to you face-to-face.
Casting a Shadow: She can invoke a ritual that summons the player's lost Shade right into her cave.
Cool Old Lady: Either extremely old, or The Ageless, 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.
Dark Is Not Evil: 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 Anti-Frustration Features the game has to offer, and she only wants bugs to come to terms with past regrets.
Fantasy Counterpart Culture: Jiji's clothing and turban-shaped head are Arabic concepts.
Guide Dang It!: A basic gameplay mechanic that can easily be missed is Confessor Jiji being able to summon the player's Shade from elsewhere on the map, which is left after the character dies, so that the player can more easily recover their soul and geo. The problem is that Confessor Jiji is so cryptic (taking about "leaving regret behind in the world" and her being able to "return one's regret") that it's incredibly easy to dismiss her as just another vaguely depressed bug (of which there are several in the game). Players can easily go through the entire storyline with no idea what her actual gameplay purpose is.
Hidden Depths: 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, 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 Light Is Not Good plague.
Meaningful Background Event: Everytime she performs the ritual to summon your shade, the candles in her cave will also die out.
Shadowed Face, Glowing Eyes: Her eyes are the only visible part of her face, which is otherwise obscured by her robes and hat.
Trademark Favorite Food: Rancid Eggs, which other bugs are noted to die from trying to eat, mind you.

Gravedigger

Backer: Jonathan Lindblom

"Ehh... Another wielding a weapon. I suppose you'll be leaving many a corpse in your wake?"

-Gravedigger, when first encountered

A ghost found in the graveyard area of Dirtmouth.

Chekhov's Gunman: If you obtained the Monarch Wings without the Dream Nail yet, the Elderbug mentions that Dirtmouth used to have a gravedigger. After you do obtain the Dream Nail (and the ability to see ghosts) later on, you can interact with the ghost of the gravedigger, who is still in town. You can then choose to absorb him into the Dream Nail for a single essence.
Death by Irony: According to the Elderbug, the Gravedigger died when he fell into an open grave and couldn't climb out.
Dissonant Serenity: He doesn't mind you wielding a nail for killing other bugs since he acknowledges that killers and corpses help thrive and justify the gravedigger profession. There's one slight detail that miffs him though; if there are too many corpses, it would mean extra work for the gravediggers.
I shouldn't complain. It's your kind that keeps folks like me in business.
Due to the Dead: The Gravedigger (naturally by profession) tells you to at least spare some thought for the dead, berating you a bit since he notices that you are wielding a lethal weapon.
Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Known only as "Gravedigger'.
Flat Character: A dead gravedigger guarding the graveyard of Dirtmouth... That's all from this character's backstory.
Posthumous Character: As a ghost, he is already long dead by the events of the game.
Thousand-Yard Stare: He keeps staring in direction of the player, empty of any emotions.

Steel Soul Jinn

"Jinn, little know... cannot tell of self. Too young, its thought, its mind. Born to provide, to trade."

-Jinn, when not bartering with the Knight

A mysterious, stark white creature who buys Rancid Eggs for geo. She replaces Confessor Jiji in Steel Soul Mode.

Ambiguous Robots: It's unclear if Jinn is an organic being, a robot, a golem or a cyborg. She is seemingly made of steel and acts very robotic, but she could also be wearing armor.
Continuity Nod: Even if Jiji is replaced in Steel Soul Mode, Jinn references her by describing a friend who likes and eats Rancid Eggs.
Religious and Mythological Theme Naming: Jinn is the term for the demons and genies of Arabic Mythology. Coupled with the clothing and turban-shaped head of Jiji whom she replaces, this also crosses with Fantasy Counterpart Culture.
Robo Speak: While her status as a robot is ambiguous, her Voice Grunting, as well as her odd manner of speaking, is remniscent of the way robots speak in various media.
Single-Task Robot: Jinn mentions being that her only purpose seems to be to trade geo, discusses how much sturdier her body is than the Knight's, and has a highly unusual voice.
Third-Person Person: Jinn always refers to themself in the third person.
Worthless Yellow Rocks: Jinn has accumulated a lot of Geo, but she has no use for it and gets rid of it by trading it for Rancid Eggs.

Forgotten Crossroads NPCs

NPCs that can be found in the ancient Forgotten Crossroads.

Menderbug

"Member of an elusive guild of bugs fixated on the maintenance of Hallownest's many signs and wayposts."

-The Hunter

A rare bug who can be seen repairing the sign at the entrance of the Crossroads, with the Hunter's exposition hinting that he is just one of the many who do their own gimmick of fixing stuff.

Cloud Cuckoolander: The fact that he makes fixing signs a dedicated hobby and seems happy despite the complete chaos he lives in makes you wonder what goes through his mind.
Metal Slime: If you break the sign at the entrance to the Crossroads, just below the Dirtmouth well, there's a small chance you'll find the guy in charge of fixing all the stuff you break when you next enter the room. You can kill him before he flies off, but all that does is unlock the door to his house, where you can read his diary and feel like the scum of the earth.
The Pollyanna: In his diary, the Menderbug claims himself to be the happiest bug, that no single bug in Hallownest is happier than him. Even if he gets confused why somebody is breaking the entrance sign at the Crossroads, he is still optimistic and glad about it because it's a part of his job, and the Menderbug loves his job.
Random Number God: He has a 2% chance of spawning when you break the sign in the Crossroads and return via Dirtmouth.
Video Game Cruelty Potential: If you really want to, you can kill the Menderbug, whose only role is to go round behind the scenes and mend all the background objects you keep demolishing. The worst part is that his entry doesn't count towards the completion of the Hunter's Journal along with the achievements, be it in-game or Steam, so you cannot even use 100% Completion as an excuse for your actions.
What Measure Is a Mook?: You can kill the Menderbug like any other enemy in the game, even if the Menderbug is not hostile in the first place. His house and the diary he left behind are indications that he does have a personality and some backstory, and he's just doing his job the moment you killed him!

Grubs and Grubfather

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/npc_grubfather.png

The Grubfather

"Happy...happy...happy!!!"

-Grubfather, after you rescued all the Grubs

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 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.

All There in the Manual: 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.
Ambiguous Situation: The Care Instructions also have some indications that 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:
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...
- Also of note are that several Moth Larvae are green in Real Life, such as Luna moths and Winter moths. The Grubs also never show any signs of being affected by the Infection, even when they're found in areas that are lousy with the stuff.
Balloon Belly: Once you're completely done with the grub-hunting sidequest, the Grubfather will spend the rest of the game with a ridiculously swollen belly due to devouring all his children in order to prepare them for the next stage of their life cycle.
Bizarre Alien Biology: After saving all the grubs, getting the rewards, and resting at a bench, it's almost alarming to find the Grubfather 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's Elegy 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. The charm's image itself depicts the Grubfather with 8 wings. Even so, for an insect this is a strange sight. It should be noted that the Grubs aren't the only insects in the game that do this, either; see the Gruz Mother.
Chest Monster: There are enemies that imitate grubs, jar and all, and they are really convincing until released. Reading their minds with the Dream Nail is how you pick out a faker.
Eaten Alive: The Grubfather eats all the grubs once you save them, and they're alive and happy inside his stomach.
Gotta Catch 'Em All: Grubs are trapped inside bottles and scattered all over Hallownest. Their father will give rewards for each one you rescue.
Guilt-Based Gaming: When you're near a bottled Grub, it will make a happy noise and jumps for joy. But if you try to ignore it by leaving the vicinity or moving away from its view, the Grub will resume its usual worried whimpering.
Living MacGuffin: What the Grubs function as. Their father requests you to find them all in exchange for many rewards.
Notice This: The cries of the trapped Grubs can be heard as soon as you enter the room where they are located.

Myla

"Ohhh, bury my mother, pale and slight,
bury my father with his eyes shut tight!
Bury my sisters, two by two,
and then when you're done, let's bury me toooo!"

-Myla's song when first encountered

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.

And I Must Scream: 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.
Cloud Cuckoo Lander: She acts rather odd, even before she becomes infected.
The Corruption: She becomes infected sometime after the player defeats the Soul Master, and her condition rapidly deteriorates until she becomes a husk.
Developer's Foresight: Killing Myla after she is fully infected counts towards the Husk Miner's journal entry.
Foreshadowing:
- If you hit her with the Dream Nail right before the point she goes mindless, you find there is someone commanding her to "kill the empty one".
- 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 infection.
Hearing Voices: One of the early signs of her infection, Myla begins hearing the voice of the Radiance urging her to "kill the empty one".
I Am Not a Gun: Implied if you choose to not kill her after she's infected. After you kill the Radiance at the end of the game, bugs are freed of her infection, including Myla. However, we don't directly see this.
The Insomniac: She offhandedly mentions skipping sleep while she labors in her mine, seeming to consider it a perk of her solitude.
Ironic Nursery Tune: Her increasingly disjointed singing as she is overtaken by The Corruption.
Kill the Cutie: She catches the infection and becomes a husk, and will attack the player like any other enemy. The player is given the option to kill her when this happens, but you don't have to go through with it.
Musical Chores: Sings and hums a somewhat morbid song to herself while she works, though she occasionally forgets the lines.
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!
(...)
Ohhh, bury the knight with her broken nail,
Bury the lady, lovely and pale.
Bury the priest in his tattered gown,
Then bury the beggar and his shining crooooooown!
O.O.C. Is Serious Business: She constantly hums her song to herself while she eagerly chips away at the crystals in her mine. She eventually stops both due to catching the plague, and being 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.
Powerful Pick: Yep, that pickaxe of hers is what she uses to fight you when she's totally infected, just like the other miners.
Sanity Slippage: Starts becoming increasingly unhinged as the plot progresses due to her infection.
Sanity Slippage Song: She continues to try singing as 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, possibly out of a failed attempt to preserve her crumbling sanity.
...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... DANGEROUS... Still, remain...
LIGHT.... again...
Speech Impediment: Stutters constantly in normal conversation (likely due to not having many people to talk to), though it mostly disappears when she sings.
Tragic Monster: She gets infected early on and eventually becomes a husk.
Unique Enemy: 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.

Charm Lover Salubra

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/salubra_1.png

"I can see you've started your own collection. Very nice! I'll show you some of my own, and you can take one home with you if you like!"

-Salubra, when wearing at least one Charm

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.

Abhorrent Admirer: Not necessarily, since the Knight can't really object, but based on her thoughts, flirtatious remarks and the way she administers her blessing (a big sloppy kiss), she finds the Knight attractive, mysterious and dashing.
Adam Smith Hates Your Guts: 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.
All There in the Script: Salubra is a slug as hinted by some of the game's code and variable names.
Bunny-Ears Lawyer: She's a giggling doofus obsessed with charms sitting in technical isolation, but she's, well, obsessed with charms, so she knows a great deal about them, giving sound advice like talking about how specific charms complement each others effects. In addition her blessing confirms that she knows how to perform magic without using SOUL, the void, light, or dreams.
Double Unlock: Obtaining all the charms unlocks Salubra's Blessing in her shop, but you have to buy it from her first.
Dungeon Shop: Salubra sells you charms only in the Forgotten Crossroads.
Everything's Sparkly with Jewelry: Even discounting her necklace and affinity for selling accessories to the player, Salubra's shop appears well-stocked with jewelry and shiny trinkets.
Gonky Femme: Salubra cuts a large, flabby figure, with a tonality to match; this doesn't discourage her from wearing jewelry or tending to her eyelashes.
Meaningful Name: It means "healthy/lively woman". While obese, she's quite upbeat and feeling well, judging by the looks.
Ms. Exposition: She explains how charms are made, mainly crystallized from a dying bug's final wish. Her other tips are mostly gameplay-related though, even in the Flavor Text of the charms that she sells.
The Hyena: Can be heard laughing constantly until business is made with her. Her Blessing also causes her to appear by you in spirit, still laughing.
The Magnificent: Charm Lover.
While Rome Burns: 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.

Snail Shaman

"Say no more, friend. I'm going to give you a gift, a nasty little spell of my own creation. It's just perfect for a little one like you! Ohoho!"

-Snail Shaman, when first encountered

An eccentric snail mystic who lives by a place called the Ancestral Mound. He gives the Knight a spell before forcing them into clearing out a creature that has made its home in the Mound.

Action Survivor: 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.
Ambiguous Gender: Given that snails are hermaphrodites, it's possible that the snail shaman isn't actually male, but merely has a masculine voice.
Ambiguous Situation: 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 the Soul Sanctum experimenting on one in their own efforts.
Foil: To the Seer, both are mystics who are apparently the Last of Their Kind 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 whose powers are typically uncombative and affect dreams.
Last of Their Kind: The only snail in Hallownest by the time the Knight gets there.
Magic Staff: He carries a staff with a skull on the tip, and waves it around just as he gives the first spell to the Knight.
NPC Roadblock: The Snail Shaman closes and guards the gates while you're still inside the Ancestral Mound, requiring you to kill the Elder Baldur inside as a practice for the Vengeful Spirit spell.
Psychic Block Defense: You cannot read his mind with the Dream Nail, and he will just laugh at you for trying to do so:
Poking around in the dreams of others... You're more curious than you look! Oho ho ho ho!
Sink or Swim Mentor: Essentially after giving you the first spell, which causes the Knight to pass out, he puts you in the Ancestral Mound (with the gate barring your exit) to defeat the Elder Baldur (which can only be damaged by the spell) in a mini-boss fight.

Greenpath NPCs

NPCs that can be found in Greenpath's overgrowth.

The Hunter

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hunter_83.png

"Venture the depths of this land and slay its beasts. Prove yourself worthy to bear the mark of Hunter."

-The Hunter, when first encountered

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

The Ace: He has comments on every monster in the game, which implies he 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, he makes you think he 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 highlighted how threatening he was even in the endgame phase suggests that he would be a strong opponent even by comparison.
Admiring the Abomination: His commentary on some of the game's more nightmarish enemies have shades of this trope. For instance, he finds the Corpse Creeper, one of the game's most Squick-inducing enemies, "ingenious" for its habit of infecting bugs and using their deceased bodies as puppets once the host dies.
Affably Evil: He makes no effort to hide the fact that he loves hunting and killing, but this doesn't stop him from acting polite and encouraging towards the Knight.
Attack Its Weak Point: One of the Hunter's most common advice against various creatures, which also doubles as a Hint System. For example, he reminds the Knight to attack the face of Durandas since their shells are fully protected.
Bait-and-Switch Boss: 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 peters out in seconds. Any summoned companions such as the Grimmchild would also continuously attack the Hunter during this scene. But nope, he won't fight back at all.
Battle Trophy: He invokes this trope by suggesting you to take the helmet of a defeated Death Loodle as a trophy.
Big Eater: In his journal entry, the Hunter states that he has already devoured hundreds of Vengeflies with little effort.
Black Comedy: His sense of humor can be a bit twisted and sadistic since the underlying context involves using other live creatures for fun:
- The Hunter jokes that one could use a Goam's thick hides to sharpen weapons, and the Goams barely seem to notice.
- He dismisses Maggots as nothing but sweet fat that is best roasted over open flame.
- According to him, the Baldurs were caught for sport, and being rolled around for fun by his fellow young hunters.
- He is amazed at the Fungoons, but what he says next is a sudden Mood Whiplash - being the hunter that he is, in the end, those "marvelous creatures" would be killed.
  This world certainly hides some marvellous creatures. I must hunt them all down!
- The Hunter doesn't know what a soul is, and why Soul Sanctum Scholars are obsessed with it. He only thinks that soul is what makes freshly-killed meat taste the best.
- His comment on the Hopper implies that he has attempted to roast a Hopper over open fire, only to his dismay when he learns that the creature's belly explodes when heated.
- The Spiny Husk's Journal entry implies that the Hunter has a habit of using spiky spines like toothpicks after eating. But he doesn't do it with the spines of the Spiny Husk because they are deemed to be poisonous.
Blood Knight: He really enjoys the hunt, and welcomes anyone who shares his enthusiasm. He is not particularly picky about whose blood is spilled, either—you have to kill several completely harmless creatures to complete the journal. 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 if - and hoping that - you'll come back to hunt him, both for your sake and his own.
Blue-and-Orange Morality: The Hunter is a Blood Knight par excellence within his limitations, but he does have a code of honor. It's just that that code of honor does not prohibit the butchering of totally-harmless bugs.
- Even though you have to kill several totally-helpless enemies to fill out his Journal, such as the Maggots, he outright says some creatures are Not Worth Killing, such as Zote. He also finds the research carried out by the Soul Master and his subordinates utterly obscene, and expresses confusion over the Colosseum Of Fools, stating that he doesn't understand the appeal and cautioning the Knight to watch their back if they ever venture there.
- He has a mixed reception for the Aspid mothers, calling their way of using their children as weapons a shameless act, while admiring that same act as a form of resourcefulness.
- He used to ignore Mosscreeps, thinking they were mere plants. But when he learned that the Mosscreeps were actually living creatures, he began killing them on sight.
Bragging Rights Reward: As far as anyone knows, the item you get for completing his Journal, the Hunter's Mark, does nothing except proving that you have completed the bestiary and giving you an achievement.
Dark and Troubled Past:
- He used to have siblings, but now he hunts alone.
- When he comments on the Oblobbles, he reveals that no mate has ever come to stay by his side.
Dissonant Serenity:
- He explains that Corpse Creepers shouldn't be feared, despite their disgusting methods of hiding inside and controlling corpses.. Instead, a traveler should rejoice because of the chance of killing two creatures at once!
- The Hunter eats grubs as soon as he sees them, which is why he is surprised that there are dangerous mimics pretending to be little grubs... He eats them anyway regardless.
Egomaniac Hunter: If his name wasn't a dead giveaway, he clearly enjoys sharing his enthusiasm for stalking and killing the creatures of Hallownest.
Establishing Character Moment: The first time he sees the Knight, he refers to them as a "squib" due to how small they are - before musing that they must be a fellow hunter in spite of this, due to their fearless nature. He then urges the Knight to kill everything they can find and fill out the Hunter's Journal. This one scene handily summarizes just about everything you need to know about his personality.
Even Evil Has Standards:
- The Hunter has no problems killing defenseless creatures, but even he considers Zote too pathetic to kill.
- He is even ashamed of cutting down Cowardly Husks, because those were truly cowards by nature.
- A journal entry indicates he finds the Immortality Immorality practiced at Soul Sanctuary to be "obscene".
Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Only known as "The Hunter".
Extreme Omnivore: True to his name, he will eat almost anything he can kill - and there don't seem to be many creatures that he can't. One Journal Entry notes that he and his siblings used to hunt each other in the nest, and now he hunts alone. This could be reminiscing about family nostalgia now that the siblings are split up... or the Hunter ate his own siblings.
Face Framed in Shadow: All we ever see of him is his glowing eyes. He stands up when granting the Knight a Hunter's Mark.
Foreshadowing: When the Hunter recalls that all efforts of the Soul Sanctum scholars were to no avail, he theorizes that the infection came from somewhere deep inside the bugs that they could not escape. He's right about the infection's methods – The Radiance can infect bugs from the inside, via dreams.
Genius Bruiser: Implied to be one of the most dangerous bugs you meet in the entire game, but his Journal entries reveal that he is very eloquent and intelligent when he wants to be. His musings on several topics suggest a much greater understanding of the world he lives in, and his place in it, than the majority of the other bugs you meet on your travels.
Gentle Giant: Zig-zagged. First, do you think that place where you meet him is a cave? Nope, that's his head, and he's actually a giant, capable of holding the Knight in one palm. Second, he wasn't initially that gentle unlike the other examples of the trope, as the Hunter is a Blood Knight. He did turn out to be gentle during the current times, willing to give the Knight his journal, detailing his comments on every creature, and rewarding the Knight once the journal is completed.
Gotta Kill 'Em All: He gives you this quest. Filling out the Hunter's Journal requires you to kill every enemy and then do it over a dozen times again on those who aren't unique.
Hidden Depths: 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 that would grow up to be stronger than him. He is also insightful enough to understand that the Infection is more than a simple physical plague, and comes closer than anybody else in the game to understanding how it's infecting bugs.
Hint System: In the Journal, the Hunter's expositions and notes also provide gameplay tips and techniques in defeating some of the enemies.
Hoist by His Own Petard: One of the other tropes that he discusses as a form of gameplay tips. For example, he clues you that you can lure a Sporg's projectile back to it.
Humble Hero: When trying to make a comment on The Radiance, the Hunter explains that he is just a mere mortal who will never understand the source of the infection. Ironically, he comes closer than anybody else does; in his comment on the Soul Master, he muses that the Infection must have come from "somewhere inside" of the bugs that they couldn't escape. He's right; it came from their dreams.
- He also muses that the Knight must be a fellow hunter because they approach him without fear, in spite of their tiny size compared to him. Hoo BOY is he right.
Hunting the Most Dangerous Game: He seems to have no qualms against hunting and killing sapient bugs.
The bugs of Hallownest sometimes wondered whether there were other, older, stranger Kingdoms deep below them. What strange fancies they had. That's probably why they were always so distracted and easy to kill.
Last of His Kind: Implied as the Hunter recalls his younger days as he talks about Funglings:
When I was young, my brothers and sisters and I would hunt each other in the nest. Now I hunt alone.
Letting the Air out of the Band: Once you complete the Hunter's Journal and return to the Hunter, he says that he'll give you the reward you deserve. The ground then collapses beneath you, revealing that the "entrance" of the cave is actually part of the Hunter's head. The boss music starts up as he roars... and quickly slows to a halt as he brings his hand out with the reward he promised.
Mass Monster-Slaughter Sidequest: The Hunter tasks you to record creatures in the Journal which requires killing one of each to unlock their entry, and further killing a number of them to unlock the Hunter's comments. After completing all entries and returning to the Hunter, it will reward you with the Hunter's Mark.
Mix-and-Match Critters: It's hard to say for sure since he's only ever seen framed in shadow, but the Hunter seems to be a mix between a four-limbed centipede and a spider. This is extremely fitting, since those two types of bugs are among the most dangerous predators in the insect kingdom.
Monster Compendium: He's the one who gives it to you and tasks you with filling it out.
Mr. Exposition: The Journal that he gives you would also contain his own musings and expositions for a lot of the creatures that you can encounter. Occasionally, some of the Hunter's expositions also include information on his own backstory and adventures. This trope also overlaps with Flavor Text since the additional information is placed below the initial description, and the majority of them are only unlocked after you kill more of the creatures.
Noodle Incident: He was attacked by Hornet at one point, as he explains in his journal entry for her:
I have seen this nimble little creature. I thought her prey and pounced at her, but with a flash she stabbed me with her flying stinger and darted away. Could she be... a Hunter?
Not Worth Killing: Surprisingly for someone called "The Hunter", he has this mentality or reservation. He spares those whom he sees are far too weak and not worth his time. He openly admits these opinions in his Journal notes. For example, Crawlids are so dull and pathetic that they are hardly worth killing. He even thinks of this way to Zote!
Passing the Torch: The Hunter's Mark is a symbolism of this, passed from the Hunter to the Knight after the Journal is completed:
The Hunter: I have no offspring, nor subjects, nor worshippers. The sum of my being, my learning, my instincts... I leave it all to you. Good luck, Hunter.
Proud Hunter Race: It's implied that the species of the Hunter is this. He states that when he was young, he and his siblings hunted each other in the nest, and that he hunts only for his own sake, believing this to be the nature of the hunt.
Riddle for the Ages: In several of his Journal comments, he has a lot of questions about profound topics such as the existence of some concepts or creatures. For example:
- Uoma - Is it a spirit? A brain? Or an egg?
- Belfly - This is a suicidal creature that has no regard to its own life, therefore it has nothing to fear. Can something like that even be truly called a "prey"?
- Crystal Hunter - Is this creature using the crystals willingly? Or are they merely hosts to sentient, parasitic crystals?
- Infected Balloon - Does it have a mind? A soul? Is it truly alive?
- Husk Hive - Did the Hivelings build their nest around this bug? Or did this bug squeeze its own body in the nest?
- Loodle - Do they even stop jumping in order to sleep, eat, or love?
- Winged Fool - Perhaps a general question for the Fools in the Colosseum – Are they slaves? Prisoners? Or did they willingly chose to fight?
- Wingmould - The Hunter questions why the King had to create the world or kingdom of Hallownest and everything in it. For what purpose? Did the King treat his subjects as companions? Toys? Children?
- Kingsmould - The King of Hallownest died but his influence still echoes around. What was the King's desire?
Token Evil Teammate : Downplayed. He isn't exactly a teammate but he is a friend to the Knight, despite being violent and sadistic.
The Unfought: Played with. For most of the game, he's content to stay in Greenpath, but if you complete his Journal, he'll stand up and roar at you as boss music begins playing - before giving you the reward he promised without any further fuss, and sitting back down.
Warrior Poet: Several of his comments on the journal are either contemplating the big questions of life or explaining why Hallownest was doomed to ruin from the beginning.
Worthless Yellow Rocks: He doesn't understand how the Gorgeous Husk can be obsessed with currency such as Geo. He also calls such currency as mere metals and stones.
Worthy Opponent: He considers Great Hoppers a kind of a worthy foe, surprisingly nimble for their huge size. By the end of his questline, he views the Knight the same way; realizing that they are now stronger than he is, he hopes they'll try to best him next.

Unn

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hollow_knight_unn.png

"...She is calling... Home so close.."

-Moss Knight, at the Lake of Unn

A gigantic slug that lives in a secret cavern beyond the Lake of Unn.

Dream Weaver: Unn itself may be this; the Tribe of Unn at least believes she dreamed the plants and themselves into existence.
Flat Character: She stares at you, spits out a charm for you, then leaves for good. No lines of dialogue, and the only information that you can know out of Unn from the Story Breadcrumbs are few.
Green Thumb: She's implied to be the source of Greenpath's vegetation.
More than Mind Control: It's 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.
Nature Spirit: A higher being having powers over plants and vegetation.
Red Baron: Downplayed - since Unn went into hiding during the events of the game, the Godseeker now calls her the "Sleeping God".

Howling Cliffs NPCs

Blue Child Joni

Backer: Joni Kunelius

"Ahhh, I see you bear my blessing. I can't remember giving it, but my memory has been a little lacking of late."

Joni, when you have the Joni's Blessing charm

The bug whom the Joni's Blessing charm came from. Joni is now a lingering ghost located in the Howling Cliffs.

Ambiguous Gender: It's not specified what their gender is in-game. According to one of the game's Kickstarter updates, Jodi is female.
Due to the Dead: In the Joni's Repose segment of Howling Cliffs, Joni's corpse has been placed peacefully "sleeping" on an altar.
Foreshadowing: At one point, Salubra will mention that some charms are materialized from a dying bug's wish or essence. Sure, Joni and their "blessing" is one of the clear examples, but there is another instance of this case; the Kingsoul charm can be obtained from the "corpse" of the Pale King in the dream world.
Ghost Amnesia: When they notice that you've obtained their charm, Joni lampshades this trope. They know that their memory is hazy, but will assume that they gave the charm to you, when in fact, you just looted their corpse.
The Heretic: They are described as "the kindly heretic," though there's no real indication as to what their heresy actually was.
- Judging by dialogue from Salubra, Joni's heresy was likely related to their association with lifeblood, the consumption of which was considered taboo.
  Salubra: Have you ever drunk that bright blue liquid, 'lifeblood'? It's a bit of a taboo, but it makes you feel much healthier doesn't it?
Posthumous Character: As a ghost, they are already long dead by the events of the game.
Robbing the Dead: You obtain Joni's Blessing from Joni's corpse. Their ghost may appear, but they will not begrudge you for the act, since they've become an amnesiac.

Fungal Wastes NPCs

NPCs that can be found within the spore-filled, noxious caverns of the Fungal Wastes.

Leg Eater

"If you have enough Geo, you become a king. When I get enough Geo, I'll become a king..."

-Leg Eater, when Dream Nailed

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.

Breakable Power-Up: 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.
Cash Gate: He's so greedy that he charges you Geo even before he shows you his merchandise.
The Cuckoolander Was Right: Implied, but once you buy his charms and upgrade them, you can point him to Divine, a queen termite. It's alluded that he was able to mate with her, and left enough of an impact on her before his death that she wants to keep his claws around. That, coupled with the knowledge that Divine also eats geo, ultimately means he became the king he wanted to be.
Death by Irony: If you complete specific actions to trigger a certain scene, Divine will eat all of the Leg Eater including his legs. By the time you visit her tent again, you can find only the Leg eater's claws on the ground.
Discount Card: Wearing the Defender's Crest will make the Leg Eater give a 20% discount on his services.
Dropped a Bridge on Him: 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.
Dungeon Shop: The Leg Eater sells you fragile charms only in the Fungal Wastes.
Establishing Character Moment: In the Leg Eater's first dialogue, he already asks you to give him Geo, a sign that he's a Geo-hungry Greedy shopkeeper.
Evil Sounds Raspy: Has dry, strained-sounding vocals in keeping with his character design.
Foil: Divine and Leg Eater – One forges unbreakable charms from fragile ones, the other sells these fragile charms. The former is female, and the latter is male. While both can require a lot of Geo for their charm services, Divine charges only you once, but on a very hefty pricing for each charm, Leg Eater's services are individually cheap, but you are encouraged to keep on paying him if you keep on breaking the fragile charms.
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.
Killed Offscreen: We don't get to see how Divine ate him in the end, the only indications are his dismembered claws lying on the ground, and her dream nail dialogue being "I'll take them with me... precious, precious memories of you! Precious tastes and smells!"
The Nose Knows: Leg Eater will compliment your scent and offer a discount on his wares if you have the Defender's Crest equipped when you speak to him.
Out with a Bang: Implied. He's attracted to the scent of Divine, who looks very much like a female of his species, and certain insects eat their mates after coitus.
Picky People Eater: Leg Eater probably didn't get his name for his interior decorating skills, duh.
Scavengers Are Scum: 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.
Tragic Dream: 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.

Willoh

"Oh! Come in search of treats have you? I chanced upon a unique little fungus growing right above us. I've found it only in this station and the taste is just divine."

-Willoh, when first encountered

Some kind of Giraffe Weevil that lives in Queen's Station around Greenpath, munching on something and seemingly unaware of the Plague.

Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: States that she likes your company, but reading her mind with the dream nail reveals that she is contemplating on 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.
Satellite Character: She serves no purpose, other than being a random NPC whose position gives you a hint towards a collectible hidden in the nook she sticks her head into for her food.

City of Tears NPCs

NPCs that can be found within the tragic City of Tears.

Relic Seeker Lemm

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lemm_desk.png

"There's a forgotten history hidden in this kingdom's antiques, though few seem willing to look. Others come just to claw away at the cracks and ruins."

-Lemm, when not bartering with the Knight

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.

Collector of the Strange: Downplayed, collectors interested in history are both fairly important and not actually that uncommon, both in-game and in Real Life. But the sad thing is that he's implied to be the only remaining bug who can decipher the ancient text. In fact, he's probably actually one of the most level-headed characters you can meet in Hallownest as a whole.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He can be rather abrasive towards the Knight, but he pays a fair price for relics and will happily share the knowledge he's gained. He'll also compliment the Knight's collecting skills over time.
The Magnificent: Relic Seeker.
Mr. Exposition: Much like the Last Stag, Lemm will educate you about almost anything related to Hallownest's history every time you sell antiques to him.
Older Than They Look / Vague Age: Actually hard to say if he's that old, since he is looking into Hallownest's history in the first place, but the reason behind the fact that he thinks the Knight looks familiar is subject to discussion.

The Nailsmith

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nailsmith.png

"I'm not much for talk, but if it's a nail that needs repair then you've come to the right bug."

-The Nailsmith, when first encountered

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.

Adam Smith Hates Your Guts: The Nailsmith's services, since the pricing is not a linear increase (even when not counting the Pale Ores). The first nail upgrade costs 250 Geo, the second costs 800, the third costs 2000, while the fourth and final upgrade costs 4000 geo!
But Now I Must Go: He considers forging a Pure Nail as the climax of his job. When he accomplishes that with the Knight's nail though, the Nailsmith becomes suicidal due to weariness and his lack of a new reason to live.
With a Pure Nail forged, my work in this lifetime comes to an end.
Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: After he's done forging the Pure Nail, the smith suddenly grows weary and 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.
Equipment Upgrade: Your nail can be reforged by the Nailsmith to increase its damage at the cost of Geo and some Pale Ores.
Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Known only as "The Nailsmith".
Eyes Always Shut: His eyes aren't circular nor have a distinct color unlike the rest of the bugs you encounter, which implies this trope. Yes, even when striking the hammer, his eyes are always closed.
Forging Scene: Nail upgrades are followed by him striking on the weapon while it glows hot white. Somehow, the room would also be too dark in order to give emphasis to the weapon's glow.
Meaningful Echo: Striking the Nailsmith's corpse in the Junk Pit using the dream nail gives the dialogue "Pure...", which is similar to the dream nail dialogue of the Ancient Nailsmith's corpse in Kingdom's Edge.
One-Steve Limit: Since he is only identified using his profession, the Nailsmith counts, there is another creature identified as "The Ancient Nailsmith" who also shares the same ultimate goal of forging a Pure Nail.
Straight Gay: After crafting the pure nail, the Nailsmith will beg you to cut him down, as he has nothing left to live for. If you refuse, he will instead leave his home, meeting and moving in with Nailmaster Sheo. Although none of their dialogue together is explicitly romantic, the achievement you get for doing this perhaps indicates a romantic relationship: "Happy Couple".
Ultimate Blacksmith: A reclusive blacksmith who knows how to unlock the true potential of your nail.
Video Game Caring Potential: After getting the Pure Nail, the Nailsmith would have lost his will to live now that he fulfilled his ultimate goal. He asks you to kill him with your nail, but you can refuse by leaving the area. Eventually, he will move to Sheo's hut, finding a new friend and a new hobby of crafting dolls based on the Five Great Knights.
Video Game Cruelty Potential: You can get an achievement by killing the Nailsmith at his request after he fully upgrades your nail.

Eternal Emilitia

Backer: Gavin Douglas

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/emilitia.png

"Have you met them, my former fellows? That's them outside, their bodies shambling around all mindless and empty. And I'm still alive to witness their pathetic demise. Ahhh, I'm just so happy. Fate can be a wonderful thing."

-Emilitia, when first encountered

An unjustly (according to her) disavowed member of Hallownest's social upper crust. Although untouched by the plague, Emilitia seems rather eccentric.

Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: 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 little grub and assumes that it will die from the bugs outside.
Comedic Sociopathy: A former member of Hallownest's upper class, resents her fellow nobles for casting her out and is incredibly amused to see them all turned into mindless husks.
Dancin' in the Ruins: 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.
Idle Rich: In a literal sense, given that she likely hasn't ventured outside her house since the kingdom's collapse.
The Magnificent: Eternal.
Noodle Incident: The circumstances surrounding Emilitia's expulsion from her socialite cliques are never made clear.
Really 700 Years Old: 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. She momentarily confuses the Knight for the Pale King if you talk to her after having obtained the King's Brand.
Socialite: Formerly, now that the rest of her nobility are affected by the plague.

Poggy Thorax

Backer: Josh Clark

"Just look at me! A great big, juicy, fatty, oily... scrumptious bug. No wonder I'm so popular around here."

-Poggy Thorax, when first encountered

A lingering ghost found in the Pleasure House.

Posthumous Character: As a ghost, he is already long dead by the events of the game.
Small Name, Big Ego: Claims that he is popular in the Pleasure Tower. Sadly, nobody's there anymore aside from Marissa, and she doesn't acknowledge Poggy at least.

Marissa

Backer: Marissa "Blondie" Brice

"Welcome to my stage little one. I am Marissa, a songstress of some renown, though given the sorry state of this place, you may find it hard to believe."

-Marissa, when first encountered

A lone ghost located at the Pleasure House in the City of Tears. She is also known as the Songstress.

Cute Ghost Girl: Marissa still looks adorable even after death.
Everyone Loves Blondes: Marissa is surprisingly a butterfly with hair, long, curly blond hair. Many insects visited her place just to hear her sing. But that was in the past. Subverted now that her audiences became infected.
Improbable Hairstyle: She's the only creature in the game that has a "hairstyle", and it's blonde and curly even!
Ink-Suit Actor: Downplayed. Marissa in this game has a distinct blonde hair. She is designed by a Kickstarter backer named Marissa "Blondie" Brice.
Left the Background Music On: The City of Tears theme, particularly the "Outside" variation, has a One-Woman Wail for its main melody. In the Pleasure House, the same tune is sung by a ghost named Marissa. After you absorb her Essence with the Dream Nail, it stops.
Locked Out of the Loop: Marissa isn't fully aware of what caused the sorry state of the bugs around her.
Huge crowds once flocked to hear me sing, then something changed. The audience, once so enrapt, began to leave.
The Magnificent: Songstress.
Non-Mammalian Hair: Unlike other female bugs in the game, she appears to have a blonde mane of hair on her head.
One-Woman Wail: She provides the vocals for the melancholic yet hopeful City of Tears song, contributing to making this place all the more special.
Posthumous Character: As a ghost, she is already long dead by the events of the game.
Video Game Cruelty Potential: You can sit down with and listen to her song, or outright Dream Nail Marissa to make her stop singing permanently. You might even do this by accident if you forget that she's a ghost and the Dream Nail absorbs her rather than showing you her thoughts.

Deepnest NPCs

NPCs that can be found within the horrors of the Deepnest.

The Mask Maker

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mask_maker.png

"Is it mask or face upon the creature? In Hallownest, a difficult thing it can be to decipher."

-The Mask Maker, when first encountered

A strange creature that lives by Deepnest, making masks for those in the world that need them.

Creepy Good: He's a long-limbed creature who sports a Nightmare Face beneath his mask. Despite this, he has benevolent intentions, desiring only to provide "faces" for the faceless of the Kingdom.
Dark Is Not Evil: 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. He also knows what the Vessels are.
Easter Egg: Using Desolate Dive (or Descending Dark) removes the Mask Maker's mask.
Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Just known as "The Mask Maker".
Excuse Me While I Multitask: Is constantly painting and using a pick to make masks. He doesn't stop, even when talking to you.
Leaning on the Fourth Wall: One of his lines has him offering to make the Knight a new mask, before rhetorically asking if the Knight needs one to "define, to focus, to exist." The Knight's death animation has their mask breaking in two and their Shade bursting out of their corpse, suggesting he's probably being quite literal.
Nightmare Face: 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.
Random Number God: The Mask Maker's mask has a chance of alternating between three designs when the player enters his room.

Midwife

"Well I'm sorry. I'd love to tell it, but I'm just, I'm very, very sorry, and I haven't eaten in some time... And oh, I'm STAA-AARVING..."

-Midwife, when first encountered

A mysterious 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...

Character Tic: She will attempt to eat the Knight after she shares some related information. And it happens every time!
Everyone Calls Her "Barkeep": She's just called "Midwife".
Expy: Bears an uncanny resemblance to No-Face from Spirited Away.
Facial Façade: She has a happy-looking mask as her fake face. She will reveal her true aspect when she attempts to eat the Knight. There are no bad intentions though, it's a natural instinct.
Faux Affably Evil: Again, somewhat subverted. She's very friendly at face value, and although she does attempt to eat the Knight, it's implied that she's not intentionally trying to be malicious and that it's just her instincts momentarily getting the better of her.
Missing Mom: Somewhat subverted. It's implied that she was Herrah's midwife and possibly could have been Hornet's Parental Substitute after Herrah became a Dreamer, and while she clearly does care about her and wish for her to do well, it's become obvious that her current mental faculties are probably not the best and haven't been for quite some time.
Mrs. Exposition: Downplayed, but she does give the Knight a few nuggets of info about Deepnest's history in between her attempts to eat them.
Is it information you seek? That I can provide. Yes. Oh yes. Heehee.
Nightmare Face: Her mask splits open to reveal this to you in order for her to attack, and you can't talk to her again until you drive her back or run away and reset the area.
Psychic Block Defense: We don't know anything about what her inner thoughts could possibly be, as she can detect when she's being Dream Nailed and refuses to allow the Knight access to her mind.
Gah!! Get out! Get out! Get out!

Resting Grounds NPCs

NPCs that can be found within the somber Resting Grounds.

Seer

"Quick work! Things come naturally to you, don't they? No wonder the Dreamers tried to bury you in that old dream. Perhaps you frighten them? Or perhaps, being prisoners themselves, they desired your company?"

-Seer, when returning with 100 Essence

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.

All There in the Script: If the game doesn't make it obvious that she's the moth who rescued the Knight in the dream world, then the source codes will. The file name of the Seer's dialogue is "WITCH", while the flying moth in the dream world is named "WITCH_DREAM".
Ambiguously Evil: Well, evil may be stretching it, but her tribe 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.
Ascended to a Higher Plane of Existence: A unique case, in that it seems at least partially involuntary. She remembers the Radiance, glows with red Dream energy, asks for forgiveness and vanishes. The achievement for doing this is even called "Ascension".
The Atoner: Thinks that rescuing the Knight and helping it awaken the Dream Nail is a way to atone for the sins of her entire tribe, since she knows what the Radiance brought about, but felt ashamed of their god.
Collection Sidequest: She tasks you to collect enough essences once you've acquired the Dream Nail. She'll reward you with various useful items in certain thresholds. The final reward makes her remember the Radiance, leaving you with an achievement, and it also counts in the game's overall completion percentage.
Crashing Dreams: At the end of a certain dream sequence, you arrive at a platform with a giant moth head looming in the background. The protagonist then wakes, being tended to by an actual moth who introduces herself as the Seer.
Disappears into Light: She turns into a cloud of white essence after saying her final dialogue.
Everyone Calls Her "Barkeep": She's just known as the "Seer".
Foil: To the Snail Shaman, both are mystics who are apparently the Last of Their Kind 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.
Foreshadowing: Hints at several late-game revelations in many of your conversations with her, with her final dialogue telling you who the True Final Boss is, albeit vaguely.
Freeze-Frame Bonus: When the Seer bursts into a cloud of white essence after saying her final dialogue, there is a small glowing moth that flies up out of the cloud.
Last of Her Kind: The last of her tribe, further confirmed by the Dream Nail dialogue for the altar holding the Dreamshield charm underneath her home. In your final conversation with her after collecting enough essence, she remembers the Radiance and vanishes.
Ms. Exposition: Collect enough essence for the Dream Nail and she'll tell you the backstory of the setting in clear detail.
My Greatest Failure: Considers her kind turning away from both the 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.
Psychic Static: 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.

The Grey Mourner

Backer: Felyndiira

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/greymourner.png

"Ahhhh.... Me'hon. This world. This cruel, sinful world. Why does che' wake? Why does che' persist? Ahhh Le'mer, you could not know of tragedy as complete as che's, true lovers stripped apart, two worlds that could not meet. And now meled'lover, dead so long in time. Dead, so far away. Buried, moina? Ai."

-The Grey Mourner, when first encountered

A mysterious bug dwelling in the Resting Grounds. She asks the Knight to deliver a Delicate Flower to the grave of her mantis lover.

Action Girl: If that giant broken nail beside her is any indication, she was one once.
Action Survivor: She's the only other remaining Great Warrior besides Ogrim who is still present in the kingdom by the events of the game.
Anti-Frustration Features: Despite claiming that her delicate flower is "one-of-a-kind", she will still give you more even if you keep on breaking them. This is done at least in part because she gives you a mask shard, which is required for 100% completion.
Bury Your Gays: When you complete her quest, 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 Together in Death with her.
Chekhov's Gun: The Delicate Flower that the Grey Mourner gives you can also be given to the Godseeker in the Junk Pit. When its on the latter's possession, the Void Entity won't be able to burst out to Hallownest in one of the Godmaster endings.
Despair Event Horizon: 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.
Developer's Foresight:
- So you think you can just simply quit the game and reload your file to retry the quest if the Delicate Flower is destroyed? Unfortunately for you, the developers have thought that players can just utilize Save Scumming - That is, if the Delicate Flower is destroyed, the game auto-saves at that point, requiring you to backtrack to the Grey Mourner just to have another shot at this quest.
- The Delicate Flower is still destroyed even if the damage is negated by the Carefree Melody charm. In the first place, the task requires the Knight not to be hit.
Disappears into Light: Quite subverted. She does fade into light particles once you complete the delicate flower quest, but a mask shard immediately forms from where she stood.
Due to the Dead: The quest given to you by the Grey Mourner is to give a delicate flower to the grave of the Traitor's Child. She will reward you with a mask shard if you complete this request.
Foil: Is this to Elderbug, who can 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.
Gameplay and Story Segregation: 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. Which is good for the player, since they'll probably need multiple attempts to get that flower where she wants it to go.
Indo-European Alien Language: The Grey Mourner's dialogue is liberally sprinkled with vaguely Celtic words and phrases to reinforce her foreign origins.
The Lost Lenore: She mourns the loss of a long-deceased love far beyond her reach, hence her title.
No Name Given: Dialogue lines and prompts just call her "The Grey Mourner", and it is not clear whether she chose that title for herself or if it's a name branded to her. This is subverted once the lore about the Five Great Knights is considered, since she is hinted to be Ze'mer.
Retired Badass: There's a large nail propped on the wall behind her, and she is possibly Ze'mer, one of the five legendary knights of Hallownest.
Scarred Equipment: That large nail behind her now has multiple cracks all over.
Star-Crossed Lovers: She and her mantis lover, whose kin hated their union because she was an outsider.

Unnamed Moth

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hollow_knight_moth_ghost_black.png

"You who pry into even the most hidden of dreams... Take heed. Recorded within this shrine are utterings from another world."

-Unnamed Moth, in the Shrine of Believers

A mysterious moth who keeps the entrance to the Shrine of Believers.

Fourth-Wall Observer: He is somewhat aware of the existence of Kickstarter backers and game developers that he views as some sort of gods.
Meaningful Background Event: There is a hidden room above the waterfalls in the glade, and it contains three large moth statues in the background. Notice how there exists an icon resembling an essence in this room. The leftmost statue also has a platform nearby that allows the player to strike it with the dream nail, thus being teleported to the Shrine of Believers.
Mr. Exposition: He introduces the Shrine of Believers to the Knight.
No Name Given: One of the rare NPCs without any name nor subtitle. The in-game files however label it as "Moth" or "Believe Moth" (the latter could just be a shorter placeholder for "Believer Moth").
Satellite Character: His only role is explaining what the Shrine of Believers is. So much that he could be replaced by a simple sign.

Revek

Backer: Revek

"The bugs within this glade are under my watch. Treat them with respect and you may remain, but raise your nail and you'll contend with me."

-Revek, when first encountered

Protector of the Spirits' Glade and all other ghosts dwelling within.

Badass Boast: As a reminder to you that Revek will pursue offenders in the glade.
I assure you wanderer, my nail is sharp and I'll not hold back.
Boss in Mook Clothing: He's initially a friendly ghost NPC, but can teleport all around like the Warrior Dreams if he has to fight you. The worse part? His attacks deal two masks of damage.
Determinator: Once you've agitated him, there's nothing stopping Revek from attacking you unless you leave the glade. You may strike back at him via spells, parrying, or other offensive abilities, but all it does is to make Revek temporarily vanish, and he will re-appear a few seconds later.
Due to the Dead: Revek is an embodiment of this trope on both sides; he requests you to respect the ghosts in the Spirit's Glade. You can interact with them for sure, but if you "destroy" any of the ghosts using the Dream Nail, Revek will relentlessly pursue you as a punishment. And he cannot be stopped unless you leave the area.
Ghost Amnesia: Revek will forget his role should you dream nail all other ghosts in the glade.
The glade has stilled. It's so quiet, yet I feel... failure? In this place, I once performed a task, but what was it?.. It's so hard to recall. Surely it was important? How could I forget such a thing?
The Magnificent: In a Kickstarter update, he was called "Revek the Guardian".
Posthumous Character: As a ghost, he is already long dead by the events of the game.
Teleport Spam: He disappears and re-appears a lot when you provoke him. Needless to say, teleportation is one of the quirks of being a lingering "ghost" in the world of Hollow Knight.
Video Game Cruelty Punishment: If you collect the essence of any of the ghosts in the Glade of Hope, Revek will relentlessly pursue and attack you (dealing two masks of damage per hit) until either you escape from the glade or you die, and he can't be hurt. He's the first ghost you can encounter in the glade and he warns you not to tamper with the graves.

Fog Canyon NPCs

NPCs that can be found within the misty Fog Canyon.

Millibelle the Banker

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/millibelle.png

"Losing one's Geo is a terrible thing and it's so much more likely if you carry it about on yourself."

-Millibelle, when first encountered

A humble bug who runs a bank in Fog Canyon, offering a way to keep some money safe in the event you die.

Anti-Frustration Features: Her bank, where you can deposit your cash instead of losing them when dying. As an added bonus, her bank is located just two rooms away from the Stag Station and bench in the Queen's Gardens. However, it is a scam. If you deposit at least 2550 geo, she'll have fled to the City of Tears when you next come back. Finding her there will allow you to reclaim your money (with interest), though.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: She's actually trying to scam you out of geo, and succeeds if you put at least half the money cap in her "bank".
Cap: Millibelle's bank caps at 4500 geo. The real cap is 2550. She'll steal it all if you deposit more than that.
Cash Gate: You need to pay a small fee for opening a bank account before you can use her services.
Foreshadowing: 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.
In-Game Banking Services: She offers you her bank services to allow you to store your cash to prevent it from being lost when you die. It's actually a scam, and should you deposit more than 2550 geo, she runs off with your money to the Pleasure Tower.
Laser-Guided Karma: 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 interest.
The Magnificent: Initially, she is labelled "Millibelle the Banker". But once you meet her relaxing in the Pleasure House, she will be labelled as "Millibelle the Thief".
Permanently Missable Content: Once you deposit 2550 geo or more at Millibelle's Bank and sit at a bench or use the Stagways, she will run off with the money to the Pleasure House in the City of Tears. You can slap her around to make her drop the money, but the cardboard bank will be lost for the rest of the game.
Shake Someone, Objects Fall: After meeting her in the Pleasure House, you can recover your stolen geo by smacking her around. When she's smacked, your stolen geo, and then some interest, falls out of her shell.
Video Game Cruelty Potential: You can hit Millibelle in the Pleasure Tower for how many times as you like, or until you hit her to the edge of the screen.

Kingdom's Edge NPCs

NPCs that can be found within the ash-filled Kingdom's Edge.

Little Fool

"Aha! Another warrior finds their way to our fair Colosseum. Ours is the final destination for all seeking trials of intense and deadly combat."

-Little Fool, when first encountered

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.

Mind Screw: The Little Fool is the only NPC who is aware of, and comments on the Knight dying in the Trials. Nonetheless, he gets confused on how the Knight can come back from death.
What is this? I could've sworn you'd already entered the fray? And were killed in spectacular fashion, but now... I can't be sure.
Tragic Dream: He desperately wants to get back into the Lord Fool's good graces. The Lord Fool is long dead by the time you reach the Colosseum of Fools.
Unwilling Suspension: He is chained and hanging upside-down from the ceiling.

Bardoon

"Tiny thing... Oh hmm... The mark of Wyrm you bear. Is it change you seek? Or to save this ruin? That choice is yours. Always the smallest creatures that attempts the largest things."

-Bardoon, if the Knight has the King's Brand

A prodigious grub found dozing at Kingdom's Edge.

An Odd Place to Sleep: Bardoon scaled the lofty crags of Kingdom's Edge to escape harassment from simple minds, lost to light.
Bizarre Alien Biology: Perhaps; He appears to "blink" with his entire face, possibly suggesting that what appears to be his face is actually some type of eye.
Gentle Giant: 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.
Mr. Exposition: Tells the Knight about the Wyrm and the Pale King.
Nigh-Invulnerable: He just sees the Infected as bothersome rather than a threat, and hitting him with your nail literally just tickles him.
Psychic Block Defense: 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.
One prefers its mind not be pried. Is rather unsettling. Rather invasive.
Really 700 Years Old: Bardoon recounts the arrival of the 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.
Terse Talker: Ohrmmm... Bardoon speaks with manner bizarre. Words omitted often. Still possesses flowery lexicon.

Hive Queen Vespa

"Though this hive exists within Hallownest, we play no part in its attempt at perpetuation."

-Vespa, explaining the relationship of the Hive with the Kingdom

The Queen of the Hive in Kingdom's Edge. A sad fate fell in which the bees themselves were unaware that she has already passed away.

All There in the Manual: According to the official manual, Vespa grew so large in size that she became unable to leave the Hive.
Foreshadowing: When you first talk to her, she casually reveals the idea that the pale beings are to blame for the Player Character's nature, and that Vespa is not the "queen" who should be sought accountable for it. She's referring to the Queen of Hallownest.
A Dog Named "Cat": Despite being a bee, her name is the Latin word for "Wasp".
Hive Caste System: As indicated by her title, Vespa is the Hive Queen of the bee colony in Kingdom's Edge.
Giant Corpse World: Her body is in the background of the hive and the bees haven't noticed her death due to the infection and are operating under the belief that she's sleeping.
Insect Queen: Fitting for the bee species in the game.
Meaningful Name: Vespa is the word for wasp in several languages, such as Italian and Portuguese.
Ms. Exposition: Aside from giving a brief backstory regarding the Hive, she is one of the few characters who clues you in on the existence and role of the Pale Beings, especially the Queen of Hallownest.
Orwellian Retcon: Initially, the Hiveblood charm can be obtained simply by walking through Queen Vespa's room. However, the Lifeblood update now requires you to fight the Hive Knight in a previous room. Vespa even received a new dialogue line to reflect the Hive Knight being defeated.
Pet the Dog: After the Hive Knight's death, she shows her appreciation for his loyalty by hoping that he finds the peace and freedom he never got in life.
Posthumous Character: Vespa has long since died before the events of the game, with her corpse present in the Hive Knight's arena. Her ghost becomes interactable after the Hive Knight's defeat.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Her death is what caused the hive to succumb to the infection.
We All Die Someday: This is her last line of dialogue:
To rail against nature is folly. All things must accept an end.

Queen's Gardens NPCs

NPCs that can be found in the twisting wilds of the Queen's Gardens.

Moss Prophet

"Light is life, beaming, pure, brilliant. To stifle that light is to suppress nature. Nature suppressed distorts, plagues us. Embrace light! Achieve union! Oohh..Ahhh."

-Moss Prophet, when first encountered

A large Moss-covered bug in Greenpath in the early stages of being infected by the plague. He preaches about a being of light to a bunch of Mossy Vagabonds and pushes for them to accept the light.

Anti-Frustration Features: 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.
Body Horror: 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. When the Infection further escapes its can (i.e. you either get the Monarch Wings or kill a Dreamer and trigger the Infected Crossroads), both leave him in a state of And I Must Scream, along with his followers, both of which look like nothing more than infected foliage at that point.
Dirty Coward: Hides away once his Vagabonds attack you, and once they're dead, he continues to sing the Light's praise.
Mad Oracle: The Moss Prophet himself is harmless, but clearly the infection has left him a bit off his rocker. His ramblings are extremely vague.
Permanently Missable Content: If you don't locate the Moss Prophet in the Fungal Wastes before killing the Broken Vessel or waking a Dreamer and triggering the Infected Crossroads, he and his Mossy Vagabond audience will be long dead by the time you reach them in the adjacent Queen's Gardens. You'll miss his lore and dialogue for that playthrough but still get the entry for Mossy Vagabonds should you check their corpses.
Posthumous Character: If you haven't entered the Moss Chapel before you trigger the Infected Crossroads.
Religion of Evil: The bug known as the Moss Prophet has started a cult worshipping the plague itself in an improvised chapel. If you don't find them alive in the (brief) window where you can, they all die to the infection.
Small Role, Big Impact: 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 higher being causing this Hate Plague Hallownest is being infected by, and his death reveals just how bad even those who try accept the infection, and therefore the Big Bad, are afflicted by it.

The White Lady

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/white_lady_cut.png

"To claim its role requires strength of some magnitude. Prepare yourself well before attempting the task."

-The White Lady, after attaining her White Fragment

A large treelike being dwelling in the Queen's Gardens. She gives the Knight half of the Kingsoul.

Blind Mistake: 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 Defender's Crest. She also does not know that Dryya, the Great Knight protecting her has long-since died just outside her hut.
Blind Seer: Her blindness caused her eyes to become greyish, but she can still notice the presence of people near her. She does recognize Ogrim's scent, but didn't know that the scent can also come from a charm that the Knight can wear.
Chained by Fashion: She willingly wrapped those bindings around herself due to her uncontrollable urge to breed. She even lampshades her own appearance when you meet her.
Do I seem prisoner here? If so, it's not by any choice but my own. These bindings about me, I've chosen to erect.
Deflector Shields: Using any spell on the White Lady causes a personal Seal of Binding to appear over her.
Dismantled MacGuffin: The Kingsoul charm is split into two pieces, one acquired from the Pale King in the White Palace and the other given by the White Lady in the Queen's Gardens. The halves are useless on their own, but by interacting with their keepers, the Knight is able to acquire both pieces and join them as a functioning charm.
Expy: Has much in common with Gwynevere, Princess of Sunlight from Dark Souls, both being huge, shining, maternal, godlike females who direct the player on their quest to defeat and replace the failing keystone being whose ongoing sacrifice preserves the current world's status quo.
Foreshadowing: When you give a Delicate Flower to the White Lady, she will sense a strange power from it and wonders how you are able to carry it without knowing such risks. She's hinting about how the flower plays a crucial role in the "Delicate Flower" ending as it can serve as a kryptonite against the Knight-turned-Void Given Focus, preventing the latter from spreading into Hallownest.
There is rare power hidden in those frail petals.
To hold it so close, one must surely be unaware of its nature...
Happily Married: Heavily implied to have been this with the Pale King. If she is talked to after obtaining the Kingsoul, she'll refer to the Pale King as her "beloved Wyrm".
God-Emperor: Like the Pale King, she is the other half who rules Hallownest, but is also a Higher Being identified as a Root.
Light Is Good: She's literally glowing. The White Lady also guides you on the path to the true ending, starting with giving a half of the Kingsoul.
Mistaken Identity: If you wear the Defender's Crest while talking to the White Lady, she will recognize that foul potent smell and mistake you for Ogrim.
My God, What Have I Done?: Part of the reason that she chose to bind herself is that so she'll never participate in something like the Hollow Knight plan again.
Mother of a Thousand Young: 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. She was the mother of the thousands of Vessels left in the Abyss, and recognizes the Knight as one of her 'spawn'.
No Name Given: She's only known as the White Lady.
Plant Person: 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.
Psychic Static: 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.
So it can access a mind? Then the seals shall break before its blade.
Really Gets Around: She has an urge, or a "voracious desire" to breed.
I still feel that urge you see. I always will. A voracious desire to spread seeds upon the land, to propogate myself, to breed.
Rule of Three: Is one of the three known rulers of Hallownest (the Pale King, the White Lady, and the Radiance).
That Thing Is Not My Child!: Played with. The White Lady is never hostile or outright cold to the Knight, but she speaks to them very formally rather than addressing them like one of her children. Justified in that while 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 she believes 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.
Tiny Guy, Huge Girl: If the implications about her being the Queen of Hallownest are true. She is enormous compared to the Pale King who is relatively normal-sized.
Unreliable Narrator: The White Lady claims that the Hollow Knight failed to contain the infection due to being tarnished by "an idea instilled", and all evidence points to the idea being the Pale King bonding with them. However, the first time they meet, right outside the Abyss, the Hollow Knight still shows a moment of hesitation as they briefly glance at one of their siblings, the Knight, who is about to be cast off down into the Abyss. It's unclear whether her unreliable account of the fact stems from ignorance, a deliberate attempt at deceiving the Knight, or her complicity and subsequent guilt in the failed Hollow Knight plan causing her to stay in denial.
Useless Bystander Parent: While she likely did not participate as directly as the Pale King in the conversion of their children into empty Vessels, she did know and 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 half of the King's Soul, and directing them to the Birthplace.
Wicked Stepmother: Defied. She is well-aware of the circumstances behind Hornet's birth , but she doesn't begrudge either the Pale King or Hornet for it; indeed, she says she feels a not-insignificant amount of affection for the latter, and subtly suggests the Knight join forces with her, as they do in several endings.
Willfully Weak: 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.

The Traitor's Child

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hollow_knight_traitors_child.png

"And now meled'lover, dead so long in time. Dead, so far away. Buried, moina? Ai." "Amongst its hateful kin that did deny our union, that did reject che's... outside-ness."

-The Grey Mourner, explaining her relationship with the traitor's child

The child of the Traitor Lord from the mantis tribe. She has been dead for a long while, and her grave in the Queen's Gardens is a key location for one sidequest.

Anti-Frustration Features: Even after finishing the delicate flower quest, you can get flowers from the grave where you put it, allowing you to do stuff like give one to Elderbug or get the second Godmaster ending even after finishing it, though respawning it may require a reload.
Bury Your Gays: The Grey Mourner and the Traitor Lord's daughter were a lesbian couple, but the latter is dead and the former's gender is only explicitly stated if you open the inventory and look at the item she gives you.
Due to the Dead: The quest given to you by the Grey Mourner is to give a delicate flower to this bug's grave. She gladly accepts once you do so by bowing down.
Flat Character: All we know about her is that she's the daughter of the Traitor Lord, and that she had a romantic relationship with the Grey Mourner.
The Lost Lenore: To the Grey Mourner.
No Name Given: She doesn't have any subtitles nor official names revealed in any form.
Posthumous Character: As a ghost, she is already long dead by the events of the game. The Grey Mourner wants the Knight to place a Delicate Flower onto her grave as one final gift to her.
Star-Crossed Lovers: Her relationship with the Grey Mourner. The mantis tribe hated her for this since this child's partner is an outsider.

Caelif & Fera Orthop

Caelif and Fera Orthop

Backer: Juan Eduardo Peña

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hollow_knight_caelif_fera.png

"Isn't this just the most intriguing place? So many discoveries waiting to be made. We're about to set off ourselves, though we can't seem to agree on which way to head."

-Caelif and Fera, when first encountered

Two ghosts who are striking an argument at each other even after death.

The Dividual: They spawn simultaneously in the Queen's Gardens, refer to themselves as a pair, and their names are displayed on-screen with "Orthop" being implied to be their surname.
Flat Character: They only have a very small amount of dialogue, and even that interaction isn't relevant enough in the grand scheme of things.
A Lizard Named "Liz": Two bugs are named "Caelif and Fera Orthop". The scientific name for the order of insects that includes grasshoppers and crickets is Orthoptera. The scientific name for the suborder of Orthoptera that specifically includes grasshoppers is Caelifera.
Posthumous Character: As ghosts, they are already long dead by the events of the game.
Serious Business: The two are stuck in arguments and dilemma simply because they can't decide if they should go left or right.
Left or right? Which way is best? It should be a simple thing, yet we're always at odds.

Royal Waterways NPCs

NPCs that can be found within the depths of the Royal Waterways.

Tuk

Backer: Emily Doolan

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tuk.png

"The water brings me everything I wish for... I just need to find it. It brought you here, too. Are you hungry? I'll share my food with you... if you give me Geo."

-Tuk, offering the Knight a Rancid Egg

A big bug digging through garbage in the Royal Waterways of Hallownest. Fairly protective of her belongings, but is willing to share her "food" with the Knight for some geo.

Anti-Frustration Features: If you somehow found all of the pre-placed Rancid Eggs in the kingdom, Tuk has a limitless supply of Rancid Eggs in exchange for 80 to 100 geo. This is another anti-frustration feature in conjunction with Jiji's service of summoning your shade. However, Tuk won't sell you Eggs if you already have at least 80 of them in your inventory, unless the amount goes below that cap.
Cap: If you have at least 80 Rancid Eggs in your inventory, Tuk won't sell you anymore of them unless the amount goes below that cap.
Damsel in Distress: Possibly. Wearing the Defender's Crest charm while talking to her has her essentially say that the Dung Defender helped her at some point.
Death by Adaptation: A unique case because it's in the same game. Since Rancid Eggs are more akin to Shop Fodder in Steel Soul Mode, Tuk is sadly dead of the plague when the Knight goes to her location, her final thoughts being a plea to help her find what she was looking for.
Discount Card: Wearing the Defender's Crest will make Tuk give a free Rancid Egg.
Dungeon Shop: Tuk sells you Rancid Eggs only in the Royal Waterways.
Go Mad from the Isolation: Implied to be what's happened to her.
Hidden Depths: Stays in the Waterways searching around and praying that someone will come back to her eventually, apparently after they got into a fight where the other left her alone. This bug is implied to be Boon, another bug Quirrel meets in the tie-in comic. They also really value friends, which is the reason they're staying put and looking around at all.
Verbal Tic: Mmmnnnnnnngghhh... Tuk has a tendency to moan at the beginning of a sentence.

Expansion Packs

The Grimm Troupe NPCs

NPCs that were introduced in The Grimm Troupe DLC and can be found in Dirtmouth after completing a certain action. For tropes pertaining to the Troupe Master Grimm, see his entry under Hollow Knight Bosses.

Grimmsteed

"The roads between are dark and long, but the Master's light will always guide us."

-Grimsteeds, when dream nailed

A pair of long-necked bugs who wait at the entrance of Grimm's tent.

Cool Mask: Like the other members of the Grimm Troupe, they wear white masks with vertical slits on the eye holes.
Informed Ability: From their name, the Grimmsteeds are implied to be the ones pulling the caravan as they travel, similar to horses pulling a cart. While there may be some magic and teleportation involving the Grimm Troupe thanks to the Nightmare Lantern, we never get to see how the Grimmsteeds do their thing.
It Can Think: They aren't mere caravan pullers. Even if they don't directly speak to the Knight, these bugs also have dream nail dialogues.
No Name Given: They don't have any official in-game names, nor an entry in the Journal. "Grimmsteed" is only found by accessing the game files related to them.
Sapient Steed: Apart from having dream nail dialogues, these Grimmsteeds are very much civilized when they arrive in Dirtmouth, only guarding the entrance to Grimm's tent.
The Speechless: They don't speak nor produce any sound, yet their thoughts can still be read using the dream nail.

Divine

"We came, and I can smell something. Something deep below us. I want it... I want it!"

-Divine, when first encountered

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.

Adam Smith Hates Your Guts: Divine will make you pay out the nose if you want to make your Fragile charms unbreakable — but since this isn't needed to use them on dream bosses or in Godhome, it's not as bad as it could be, especially since The Grimm Troupe content were added post-launch, you could be swimming in a lot of Geo once you reach endgame.
Ambiguously Evil: Divine is a follower of Grimm, and is therefore already keeping morally dubious company. Whether her cannibalism of Leg Eater at the conclusion of her quest line is altogether consensual is also unclear, because it happens off-screen.
Developer's Foresight: If Divine has taken one of your fragile charms and you haven't paid her before banishing the troupe, the charms will be left on her tent when you return to Dirtmouth. You may have lost the chance to unlock the Unbreakable version, but at least, the Fragile charm will be returned.
Dungeon Shop: Inverted. While you need to perform some specific steps in the Howling Cliffs to summon the Grimm Troupe, Divine will be located in Dirtmouth like the rest of her kind are.
Equipment Upgrade: Divine can upgrade the Fragile Charms into their Unbreakable Charm variants if you give her loads of Geo for each.
Extreme Omnivore: Upon her arrival to Dirtmouth, Divine appears more than eager to consume charms, Geo, and potential love interests.
Foil: Divine and Leg Eater – One forges unbreakable charms from fragile ones, the other sells these fragile charms. The former is female, and the latter is male. While both can require a lot of Geo for their charm services, Divine charges only you once, but on a very hefty pricing for each charm, Leg Eater's services are individually cheap, but you are encouraged to keep on paying him if you keep on breaking the fragile charms.
Foreshadowing: Her first Dream Nail dialogue hints at the upcoming fight between the Knight and Grimm in order to continue the ritual. However, she also has doubts after saying this, hinting at the possibility that the ritual can be stopped and the troupe be banished.
"Shadow and Fire will dance so prettily, I think..."
Literal Maneater: 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.
Money Sink: 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. 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.
Permanently Missable Content: If you go for the Banishment ending during the Grimm Troupe storyline before you upgrade all your fragile charms to their unbreakable versions, you will permanently lose the opportunity to do so, since Divine will disappear with the rest. Fortunately, if Divine has eaten any fragile charms before you had the chance to upgrade them, she'll leave them behind, so you don't lose those, at least.
Pet the Dog: Retroactively. Once Leg Eater is pointed in her direction and is implied to have mated with her, Reading her thoughts reveals she was actually fond of him and plans to keep his claws so she can always remember him by as a Memento Macguffin.
Toilet Humour: Her method of strengthening your charms is eating them and then pooping them out. It works, though.
- If you talk to her while having the Defender's Crest charm (which you get from the Dung Defender, and which carries his smell), she'll actually appreciate it. It's not her type, though.
Two-Faced: May very well be the case, considering that Divine is never seen without her trademark half-mask.

Brumm

"When flame burns bright inside one's mind
Kin heed the call 'cross lands and time."

-Brumm, when Dream Nailed

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.

Bamboo Technology: If you look closely, the accordion that Brumm plays appears to be another, smaller bug.
Creepy Circus Music: The accordion leitmotif gives the Grimm Troupe a decidedly more French-sounding interpretation of this trope.
Defector from Decadence: 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.
Hero with Bad Publicity: 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.
Left the Background Music On: He and his accordion are providing the music in Grimm's tent. On the brief period where he moves away from Dirtmouth, the tent will be devoid of background music as a result.
The Starscream: Played with. He's a high-ranking underling of Grimm's who's plotting to betray him, but he sincerely loves Grimm as his master, and his sabotage of the ritual is not due to any selfish desire. Ultimately, he just wants to break the chains the entire Troupe are bound by, both his and Grimm's, to free his master from what Brumm sees as a vicious cycle.
Verbal Tic: He says "Mrmm" a lot.

Nymm

"The old bug over there was very welcoming, but still I find the place a little melancholy, what with the wind, and the darkness, and the sense of decline... I was hoping my music could go some way to livening up the place."

-Nymm, when first encountered

A bug who plays an accordion-like bug to bring cheer to the fading town of Dirtmouth. He only appears if the Knight performs specific actions after summoning the Grimm Troupe.

Bamboo Technology: He also plays a smaller bug like an accordion, just like Brumm.
Elegant Classical Musician: Nymm plays his accordion so well in Dirtmouth that even the Elderbug is amused and delighted to have him in town.
Friendship Token: Given by Nymm to the Knight, the Carefree Melody's item description openly states this.
Token commemorating the start of a friendship.
Laser-Guided Amnesia: If the player should proceed to extinguish the Nightmare Lantern, the Grimm Troupe will disappear from Dirtmouth without a trace, save for 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.
Last Episode, New Character: Nymm only appears in Dirtmouth after you have banished the Grimm Troupe and completed the sidequest. However, this is a huge subversion once Nymm reveals himself as an amnesiac, hinting that he may actually be an amnesiac Brumm.
Left the Background Music On: If you choose to banish the Grimm Troupe at the end of their quest line, the Dirtmouth BGM is replaced with an accordion arrangement played by Nymm, who is apparently an amnesiac version of Brumm.

Godmaster NPCs

NPCs that were introduced in the Godmaster DLC and can be found in the Royal Waterways.

The Godseeker

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/godseeker.png

"By what right dost thou trespass here, in this home of the Gods? Shrivel away and begone! Begone!"

-The Godseeker, when first entering Godhome

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 Boss Rush in her dreams. Said bosses are "imprints" of various strong creatures and warriors of Hallownest, which she describes as "Gods".

A God I Am Not: She is content to ascend in order to serve the gods, rather than be one.
All There in the Manual: The Godmaster DLC reveal post confirms that the Godseeker is female.
Ascended to a Higher Plane of Existence: Her ultimate goal. By gathering the imprints of Hallownest's strongest individuals, she hopes to ascend and meet with a "God of Gods". She eventually gets to that point as she watches the Knight fight Absolute Radiance.
Be Careful What You Wish For: Once the Knight defeats Radiance in her real turf in Godhome, it ascends instead of the Godseeker 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.
Big Beautiful Woman: 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. It is hard to say if this is by bug standards though, as no one else meets her.
Chekhov's Gun: The Delicate Flower that the Grey Mourner gives you can also be given to the Godseeker in the Junk Pit. When its on the latter's possession, the Void Entity won't be able to burst out to Hallownest in one of the Godmaster endings.
Damsel in Distress: We never got any explanation nor a backstory, but this Godseeker is found in the Junk Pit below the Royal Waterways, of all places! Plus, she's chained into a coffin-like object with a padlock. The player needs a Simple Key to undo the lock and release her.
Deer in the Headlights: In the "Embrace the Void Ending", the Godseeker can only keep looking up the sky as the Void Given Focus descends and drags her down with its void tendrils.
Defrosting Ice Queen: Despite starting off being a Jerkass towards the Knight, she lightens up a little bit when you give her the Delicate Flower, and 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 sees the Knight as the bringer of her wish. She outright admires your strength in Godseeker Mode, finally calling the Knight the "God of Gods" she constantly went on about and implying both of them ascended.
Fantasy Counterpart Culture: To Egypt. Like the inhabitants in the Godhome, she wears a golden mask and her cloak has a mummy-bandage-like stripe pattern. When you first encounter her in the Junk Pit, the Godseeker is even chained inside a sarcophagus-like "coffin".
Hive Mind: Her mind is seemingly shared among multiple bodies. Particularly evident in the Godhome, where she fills entire colosseum stands with similar looking bugs. Its inhabitants will even mention lines like "our mind" or that their mind is akin to a "sea".
I Was Quite the Looker: Her form in Godhome by comparison is much more petite and slim, giving off a bit of this trope.
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.
Meaningful Background Event: She has some scripted interactions when she watches you fight in the Godhome; she would look at the sky when the stage transitions into another boss, she observes the Knight most of the time, and she will look at the boss when it is defeated.
Mind Hive: The physical Godseeker found in Junk Pit contains the shared consciousness of the entire Godseeker people inside her.
Ms. Exposition: In the Godhome, she shares some lore regarding the bosses in the Pantheons, as well as the Higher Beings.
Mythology Gag: The Godseeker's design in the Junk Pit resembles a bloated bug◊ from an early concept art of Ari Gibson.
Psychic Block Defense: Zig-zagged. Dream nailing the Godseeker is necessary to enter the Godhome, implying that she willingly lets you inside her mind. However, the player can also visit a secret area that has a random chance of occurring. After inspecting a certain object, she will boot you out of that place, calling you a trespasser for visiting an unwanted memory.
Random Number God: There's a random chance that you'll be transported to a deserted area instead of the Godhome when using the dream nail on the Godseeker.
Reality Warper: 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 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.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Usually, your fights in Godhome are watched by an entire audience of Godseekers. But when you fight the Eternal Ordeal (an unending army against various Zote-shaped enemies), there's no audience. This is notable because Grey Prince Zote, who is an idealized version of Zote found in Bretta's subconscious and who doesn't even exist, gets an audience.
Small Role, Big Impact: The Pale King's lingering power in the kingdom is what drew the Godseekers to Hallownest. That, and the remaining Godseeker in the Junk Pit all play a crucial part since entering the Godhome in the Godseeker's mind allows the Knight to kill the Radiance in that place without having to fight the Hollow Knight itself, as seen in the two Godmaster endings.
Voice of the Legion: Both versions of Godseeker (in the Junk Pit and in Godhome) have this Just listen to it! Justified as the Godseekers are a Hive Mind.
Ye Olde Butcherede Englishe: Speaks very theatrically and really doesn't understand the difference between "thee" and "thou".

Fluke Hermit

"Gla! Wualala! Mother! M-mother! Gla gla gla! Little sisters... grow grow grow! Gla gla... Mother... Am I... Mother...? Gla gla…"

-Fluke Hermit, when the Flukenest is equipped

A sentient female Fluke wearing a cloth that can be found in a secret room in the Junk Pit as of the Godmaster update. Prodding a smaller fluke in her room, she becomes worried and heads to higher ground once the Godseeker is awakened.

Cute Monster Girl: In comparison to her mindlessly violent family members, yes.
Hidden Depths: Seems to hide away in the Junk Pit not just because she thinks it's 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.
It Can Think: She is the only Fluke capable of speech and sapience.
Mother of a Thousand Young: 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.
Token Heroic Orc: She's the only Fluke the Knight meets who doesn't ravenously try to attack them.
Verbal Tic: "Gla gla" and variations of it dot her dialog.

Characters / Hollow Knight NPCs

Edit Locked

Denizens of Hallownest

Base Game

Wanderers

Cornifer the Cartographer

Quirrel

Zote

Cloth

Backer: Noah Sturtridge

Tiso

Backer: Tiso Spencer

The Last Stag / Old Stag

Mister Mushroom

Nailmasters

Nailmasters

Nailmaster Mato

Nailmaser Oro

Nailmaster Sheo

Dirtmouth NPCs

Elderbug

Iselda

Sly

Bretta

Confessor Jiji

Gravedigger

Backer: Jonathan Lindblom

Steel Soul Jinn

Forgotten Crossroads NPCs

Menderbug

Grubs and Grubfather

Myla

Charm Lover Salubra

Snail Shaman

Greenpath NPCs

The Hunter

Unn

Howling Cliffs NPCs

Blue Child Joni

Backer: Joni Kunelius

Fungal Wastes NPCs

Leg Eater

Willoh

City of Tears NPCs

Relic Seeker Lemm

The Nailsmith

Eternal Emilitia

Backer: Gavin Douglas

Poggy Thorax

Backer: Josh Clark

Marissa

Backer: Marissa "Blondie" Brice

Deepnest NPCs

The Mask Maker

Midwife

Resting Grounds NPCs

Seer

The Grey Mourner

Backer: Felyndiira

Unnamed Moth

Revek

Backer: Revek

Fog Canyon NPCs

Millibelle the Banker

Kingdom's Edge NPCs

Little Fool

Bardoon

Hive Queen Vespa

Queen's Gardens NPCs

Moss Prophet

The White Lady

The Traitor's Child

Caelif and Fera Orthop

Backer: Juan Eduardo Peña

Royal Waterways NPCs

Tuk

Backer: Emily Doolan

Expansion Packs

The Grimm Troupe NPCs

Grimmsteed