Fans of the roguelike Metroidvania platformer Hollow Knight are still patiently waiting for its sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong. The indie game from Team Cherry has managed to win plenty of awards, as well as gain a loyal following thanks to its strikingly vibrant art, immersive world-building, and engrossing narrative.
The game is also notorious for having extremely difficult platforming sequences, challenging monsters, and grueling boss fights. From the Godmaster DLC's Absolute Radiance to the quick and nimble Hornet, which bosses in Hollow Knight are the hardest to beat?
Failed Champion
The Failed Champion is the dream variant of one of the game's early bosses, the False Knight. After obtaining the Dream Nail, players can fight the Failed Champion by breaking the wall above the False Knight's arena and using the Dream Nail on the boss' body.
While the movement and behavior of the Failed Champion are strikingly similar to the False Knight, the boss' move speed is what make makes it an extremely challenging fight. Failing to anticipate the Failed Champion's slams, shockwaves, and leaping attacks can quickly tick off the player's health.
Hornet
There are a lot of things that fans are excited about in Hollow Knight's sequel, and that includes seeing one of the original game's bosses, Hornet. Players face the swift needle- and thread-wielding boss in two locations, first at Greenpath and again in Godhome.
The second encounter with Hornet is one of the most challenging boss fights in the game. Aside from the varied attacks she exhibited during the first battle, Hornet also leaves spiked balls that can make it harder for the player to move inside the battle arena.
Soul Master
At the end of Soul Sanctum lies one of the Hollow Knight's toughest bosses. According to the game's lore, the Soul Master defied the Pale King's advice and used Soul to cure himself of the infection. However, this obviously didn't work, and in the process of hoarding Soul, the Soul Master gained new powers.
The Soul Master can be quite difficult to overcome, as he teleports across the area, uses explosive attacks, and is incredibly tough. While the dream variant of the Soul Master is faster and tougher, it uses the same attacks, which makes it significantly easier for players who have already beaten the boss.
Lost Kin
The Lost Kin is the dream variant of the Broken Vessel. Players already find the Broken Vessel to be a challenging opponent as it spawns infected balloons and produces blobs that can easily damage the player.
Apart from being faster and physically stronger than the Broken Vessel, the Lost Kin also modifies some of its attacks. More infection blobs, quicker balloon intervals, and quicker jumps are some of the key characteristics that make the Lost Kin one of the most laborious bosses in the hard-to-beat roguelike platformer.
Markoth
Hollow Knight has a rich and expansive lore. Aside from featuring powerful creatures like the higher beings, the Radiance, and the vessels, Hollow Knight also has Warrior Dreams which are surviving memories of strong bugs. The most grueling Warrior Dream boss to fight is Markoth who can be found in a hidden room in Kingdom's Edge.
Players will surely have a hard time dodging Markoth's attacks as the Warrior Dream can teleport, summon a Dreamshield, and send a nail flying toward the player.
Great Nailsage Sly
The Godmaster DLC for Hollow Knight is full of bosses that prove to be too hard to handle for most players. This includes the Great Nailsage Sly, who is an NPC in the original run of the game. According to Hollow Knight lore, Sly has trained the three nail art disciples, which makes him a formidable foe on the battlefield.
There are two phases to battling Sly. In the second phase, players must brace themselves as Sly will rapidly dash around the arena and go on a slashing frenzy. This attack is incredibly hard to dodge, even for the most experienced Hollow Knight players.
Nightmare King Grimm
The Grimm Troupe arc in Hollow Knight is arguably the creepiest part of the game. In order to unlock the full potential of the Grimmchild charm, players will have to collect flames around Hallownest and fight Troupe Master Grimm. The final battle for the arc is between the player and the dream form of Troupe Master Grimm.
Besides having a huge variety of terrifying attacks, Nightmare King Grimm takes away 2 masks per attack, which can quickly deplete the player's life. The chilling visuals, unexpected attacks, and unsettling music make Nightmare King Grimm one of the scariest bosses in video game history.
Grey Prince Zote
Just as there are games that seem easy but are deceptively difficult, there are also personalities in Hollow Knight that seem simple but are actually complex and challenging. This includes the boss Grey Prince Zote, who is a conjured Dream variant of Zote the Mighty.
Throughout the game, Zote the Mighty seems to be the butt of the joke, with him falsely claiming the achievements of other bugs and being trapped at the Colosseum of Fools. However, Britta's conjured version of Zote the Mighty, is quite difficult to overcome for most players as he can summon Zotelings and bombs, as well as create devastating shockwaves.
Pure Vessel
Hollow Knight is already an extremely arduous game, but those who didn't find it difficult to fight the final boss fight in the game can try their hand at the Pure Vessel, who is a quest boss in the Godmaster DLC. The Pure Vessel is the titular character at its finest, without any trace of infection and sickness.
Players will need to be quick in order to avoid the Pure Vessel's powerful attacks such as the lunge, parry, explosive aura, soul pillars, triple slash, and soul daggers. On top of that, the pure vessel can also move around the area through teleportation.
Absolute Radiance
As the final boss in the Godmaster DLC, the Absolute Radiance is the most challenging being that the player will face in Hollow Knight. Sitting atop Hallownest's Pantheon, the Absolute Radiance can inflict heavy damage with attacks that use swords, soul beams, orbs, and spikes.
According to the lore of the game, the Radiance is sworn enemies with the void and has borne the also powerful group of creatures known as the Moth Tribe. Players who get to beat the Absolute Radiance should feel proud of themselves, as the battle with the boss is composed of 6 brutal stages.