Hollow Knight - Skills
Every ability the Knight learns in Hollow Knight, split between the Soul spells that spend Soul, the movement upgrades that open the map, the Dream Nail line and the three Nail Arts. Spells and Focus all cost 33 Soul, and Soul is banked only by landing Nail hits, so the whole ability set is tied to...
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of 19 entries
· updated 2026-09-15
| Name | Type | Description | Cost | Prerequisite | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus | Spell (Healing) | Hold the cast button to channel Soul into a mask of health. | 33 Soul | Available from the start | Starting ability |
| Vengeful Spirit | Spell (Offensive) | Fires a spirit projectile along the ground in the direction the Knight faces. | 33 Soul | Found in the Forgotten Crossroads | Forgotten Crossroads, in the Snail Shaman's hut |
| Shade Soul | Spell (Offensive, upgraded) | The upgraded Vengeful Spirit: a larger, faster projectile that pierces and hits harder. | 33 Soul | Vengeful Spirit plus the Elegant Key and the Soul Sanctum | Upgraded from Vengeful Spirit in the Soul Sanctum |
| Desolate Dive | Spell (Offensive) | Slams the Knight into the ground for area damage in a shockwave. | 33 Soul | Soul Master defeated | Reward for defeating the Soul Master |
| Descending Dark | Spell (Offensive, upgraded) | The upgraded dive, with a wider shockwave and much longer invincibility, which turns it into the best defensive spell in the game for surviving a bad phase. | 33 Soul | Desolate Dive plus the Crystal Peak upgrade | Upgraded at the Crystal Peak shrine |
| Howling Wraiths | Spell (Offensive) | Releases a burst of wraiths upward from the Knight, hitting anything above and slightly to the sides. | 33 Soul | Found in the Fog Canyon / Howling Cliffs route | Found in a hidden chamber in Hallownest |
| Abyss Shriek | Spell (Offensive, upgraded) | The Void-charged upgrade to Howling Wraiths, with a taller and wider blast and higher damage. | 33 Soul | Howling Wraiths plus the Abyss | Upgraded in the Abyss |
| Mothwing Cloak | Movement Ability | The dash, and the ability that opens the map: it crosses gaps that were previously lethal, shortens every traversal and is the core of combat mobility because the dash grants brief invincibility. | None | Hornet defeated in Greenpath | Reward for defeating Hornet in Greenpath |
| Mantis Claw | Movement Ability | Lets the Knight cling to and jump off walls, which unlocks vertical routes across the whole kingdom and turns most dead ends into climbable shafts. | None | Mantis Lords defeated | Reward for defeating the Mantis Lords |
| Monarch Wings | Movement Ability | A mid-air double jump that extends every platforming sequence and is required for the Ancient Basin's upper routes and the Palace Grounds. | None | Broken Vessel defeated | Reward for defeating the Broken Vessel |
| Crystal Heart | Movement Ability | A charged super dash that fires the Knight horizontally across long gaps, used for the Crystal Peak's upper shafts and several late-game shortcuts. | None | Found in Crystal Peak | Found in Crystal Peak |
| Isma's Tear | Movement Ability | Makes the Knight immune to the acid pools that fill so many Hallownest rooms, which opens the direct routes through Greenpath, the Royal Waterways and the Queen's Gardens. | None | Found in Isma's Grove, Royal Waterways | Isma's Grove, reached through the Royal Waterways |
| Shade Cloak | Movement Ability | Turns the dash into a shadow dash that passes through enemies and attacks without taking damage, the single biggest defensive upgrade in the game and the requirement for crossing the Abyss's void walls. | None | King's Brand and the Abyss | Found in the Abyss |
| Dream Nail | Dream Ability | A spectral nail that reads the thoughts of the living, opens the dreams of the dead and harvests Essence. | None | Meeting the Seer in the Resting Grounds | Given by the Seer in the Resting Grounds |
| Awoken Dream Nail | Dream Ability | The upgraded Dream Nail, which can break the seals on the White Palace and reach dreams that the base tool cannot open. | None | 1800 Essence collected | Upgraded by the Seer after collecting enough Essence |
| Dreamgate | Dream Ability | Places a single teleport anchor anywhere in Hallownest and returns the Knight to it from anywhere, which removes the long walk back after a death or a shop run. | 1 Essence per use | 900 Essence collected | Unlocked through the Seer's Essence rewards, part of Hidden Dreams |
| Great Slash | Nail Art | A charged overhead slash that deals heavy damage in a wide arc. | Charge time | Training with Nailmaster Sly | Taught by Nailmaster Sly in Dirtmouth |
| Dash Slash | Nail Art | A charged dash attack that carries the Knight forward while swinging, used to close distance and to hit bosses during their own approach. | Charge time | Training with Nailmaster Oro | Taught by Nailmaster Oro in Kingdom's Edge |
| Cyclone Slash | Nail Art | A spinning multi-hit attack that can be extended by mashing the attack button, which makes it the highest total-damage Nail Art against large, stationary targets. | Charge time | Training with Nailmaster Mato | Taught by Nailmaster Mato in the Howling Cliffs |
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