Summary
- The Void Heart charm unlocks multiple endings but eliminates one, providing a strategic dilemma for players.
- Choosing Cloth's fate impacts her noble quest and affects player assistance in defeating the Traitor Lord.
- Zote's fate determines his appearances and access to the dream fight, adding permanent consequences to the game.
Exploration plays a major part in Hollow Knight's gameplay, so allowing players to make once-per-save-file choices matches that open-ended concept perfectly. While most choices only affect NPCs and the general liveliness of the world, some choices can permanently lock players out of certain charms, endings, and boss fights.
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With Silksong on the actual horizon, it's entirely possible some of these choices will end up being non-canonical should characters return in the distant Pharloom. Even outside of sequel potential, the options available change just enough about Hallownest that each choice gives the world a distinct feeling. Based on how pressing these choices are, the five biggest decisions clearly fall into line.
5 Void Heart
Getting The Most Out Of The Game
Getting hold of the Void Heart charm is a necessity for much of the content in Hollow Knight, but actually obtaining it is entirely up to the player. The first and titular ending of the game requires players not to have the Void Heart at all, as this charm cannot be unequipped once obtained.
While obtaining the Void Heart locks players out of one ending, obtaining it grants far more benefits, with the Knight's shade no longer being hostile and gaining access to two other endings in the base game. It is entirely possible to beat the game without the Void Heart, leaving the choice in an odd limbo for those that simply want to finish Hollow Knight, compared to players that want the most out of the game.
4 Cloth
Glory Or Safety
A cicada NPC initially found in the Fungal Wastes, Cloth presents players with a difficult choice. Cloth's entire goal is to achieve glory and bravery through death while exploring the remains of Hallownest, leaving players with the decision to either grant her wish or let her survive.
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Cloth can assist players in defeating the Traitor Lord in the Queen's Gardens, dealing the final blow while also being taken out by the Traitor Lord at the same time. However, if players defeat the Traitor Lord before helping Cloth prior, she can instead be found in Dirtmouth for the rest of the game, disappointed and waiting for the next chance to die a noble death. Tragically, Cloth seems happiest in death, making this a tricky choice.
3 Zote
A Rivalry For The Ages
The legendary, incomparable, mighty Zote offers players the first chance to affect their saves permanently. Zote can be found in mortal peril just outside of Greenpath, in the jaws of a Vengefly King. Players can either take on this massive flying enemy or leave this terrifying, beautiful, and powerful bug to its demise.
Neglecting Zote causes him to no longer appear as an "opponent" in the Colosseum of Fools or in Dirtmouth, which further prevents access to the dream fight, Grey Prince Zote. This causes his absence even in Godhome's Pantheons. Letting Zote live is quite the divisive choice, as allowing Zote into Dirtmouth means the player has to be around Zote at all.
2 Nailsmith
Achieving Purity
Similar to Cloth, the Nailsmith offers players a somewhat difficult choice based on what he wants compared to what might actually help him. After the player upgrades the Knight's nail to the highest level, the Pure Nail, he requests that the Knight strike him, ending his life now that he has achieved the purest blade.
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Unlike Cloth, both sparing or ending the Nailsmith's life grants an achievement, making the choice slightly more difficult. While this is the smith's greatest want, saving his life grants him a new outlook and mission, by the side of a partner. Meanwhile, actually giving the Nailsmith what he supposedly desires results in his corpse floating face-down in the Junk Pit, a literal dump.
1 The Grimm Troupe
Nightmares No More
The hardest decision players can make, based mostly on technical skill and a potential contradiction of what the major point behind Hollow Knight's story is, choosing to banish the Grimm Troupe from the dead kingdom or engaging and perpetuating the ritual is easily a question many players debate the most over.
In terms of technical skill, banishing the Grimm Troupe is infinitely easier than taking on the widely accepted second-hardest boss in the game, Nightmare King Grimm, while also granting a unique charm and achievement. Story-wise, this puts a stop to the parasitic nature of the Grimm Troupe feeding on the fears and nightmares of dying kingdoms, which is fitting given the Dream No More ending presents the only "happy" ending for Hallownest. Alternatively, defeating Nightmare King Grimm grants players a powered-up charm, another unique achievement, and bragging rights for taking down such a notorious boss. Additionally, with the land of Pharloom soon being at players' disposal, it's not out of the question for the Grimm Troupe to reappear in this land, potentially facing collapse.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 89 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- February 24, 2017
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood
- Developer(s)
- Team Cherry
- Publisher(s)
- Team Cherry
- Engine
- Unity
- Franchise
- Hollow Knight
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Metroidvania
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, macOS, Linux
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
