Hollow Knight is easily one of the most vast and complex Metroidvanias ever made, meaning that Hallownest is packed with secrets tucked away in every corner of the map.

That is one of the main reasons why its players (including myself) always joke about getting completely lost in the depths of Hallownest and feeling that pure, overwhelming joy when you finally find the map seller – since that is, indeed, very real!

And Team Cherry definitely managed to create a world that is designed to be explored while paying a lot of attention, since many of its best details are hidden in plain sight, ranging from tiny features or actions that actually deepen a character’s lore to unexpected reactions that will catch you off guard and make you laugh out loud.

These layers are what make the game feel so alive, yet many of them go unnoticed by the average player. In fact, some of these secrets are so well-hidden that even veterans who have conquered every challenge in the Pantheon might have missed them.

With that in mind, we have decided to return to the world that defined a generation of Metroidvanias to look back at some of its coolest secrets! So, whether you are a newcomer or a seasoned Knight, these details might just give you the perfect excuse to dive back into Hallownest for another playthrough.

10

The False Knight’s Wall

An Early Exit for the Curious Ones

The False Knight is one of the first bosses you encounter in Hollow Knight, and curiously, he is also the one hiding some of the coolest secrets. At first glance, he just seems like a massive, intimidating warrior blocking your path, but you eventually discover he is actually a small parasite who stole the armor of a real fallen knight.

That isn’t exactly hidden, since it is told when you progress further in the game. However, there is a tiny but fun detail that many players still haven’t discovered in that encounter. Basically, when you face him for the first time, pay attention to the left of the arena when he hits the ground with his slam to notice that it has caused some cracks on the wall.

If you hit this wall a few times, you can actually break through and simply exit the arena, leaving the boss behind without defeating him, literally saving it for later. But if you return later to finish the job, you will notice he has actually repaired the wall you escaped through, ensuring you won’t be able to run away a second time!

9

Zote’s Special Main Menu

Some Singing to Lighten the Mood

Zote is easily one of the most annoying NPCs in the game because he is a total weakling who loves to brag about being the greatest warrior to ever live, which is obviously a lie.

Interestingly, there is a special version of the game’s main menu entirely dedicated to him, but it is very easy to get locked out of unlocking it, which is why many 100% completionists still don’t know it exists.

To unlock this, you need to find a hidden chamber in Godhome, where you can challenge the Pantheons. While in there, climb to the top row of the Hall of Gods, then Crystal Dash all the way to the right, and look for a secret entrance above the third archway in the ceiling. This leads to a hidden battle where you face infinite waves of tiny Zotes! Try to defeat at least 57 of them, and when you return to the main menu, Zote will be there, singing the game’s theme for you.

8

An Unwelcome Smell

With Welcome Unique Reactions

We all know that Charms are essential for giving the Knight an edge in combat, but some also have hidden effects on NPCs, and one of them is the Defender’s Crest.

While the official description says this charm causes the Knight to emit a “heroic odor,” it is actually a vile, greenish gas that prompts several characters to complain about the smell.

This leads to some unique interactions with two specific merchants. The first is Leg Eater in the Fungal Wastes, who actually finds the smell quite tasty and offers you a discount. On the other hand, Lemm in the City of Tears is so disgusted that he will refuse to talk or trade with you until you take the charm off.

7

The Secret Land of Storms

The Hardest Area to Reach

This is literally the most difficult location to unlock in all of Hallownest, since it requires you to complete all five Pantheons with every single binding activated – you don’t have to do them all at once, fortunately, but it remains the most grueling task in the entire game.

If you manage to pull it off (and still have a soul afterward), a mysterious crack will appear in the middle of Godhome, which leads to the Land of Storms, a creepy area filled with the masks of the Dreamers.

At the very end of this area, you will find the Weathered Mask, a rare Hunter’s Journal entry that, according to its description, contains a hidden lament from the Godseekers: “Gods of Thunder, Gods of Rain! Why forsake thy servants? Will Our minds be left suffering, to ache alone? What God remains to deliver Us from this woeful silence?” Definitely a nice piece of lore!

6

No, It’s Not Raining

Yes, You’ve Been Fooled

Hollow Knight is packed with environmental details that tell the story of its different biomes in an organic way, and my personal favorite involves the City of Tears, which many people describe as a city where the rain never stops falling.

Many players beat the game several times without realizing that it isn’t actually raining in the city – and never has been. Since the entire kingdom is underground, rain is literally impossible to have in a region within Hallownest.

What you see falling is actually water leaking from the Blue Lake, which is located directly above the city. You can confirm this yourself just by looking at the world map! It is always fun to see players’ reactions when they realize Team Cherry hid such a logical, yet surprising, detail in plain sight.

5

No, It’s Not Snowing

Yes, You’ve Been Fooled Again

Since we already established that it can’t rain in Hallownest, it stands to reason that it shouldn’t be snowing either, right? Yet, many players still believe to this day that the white flakes falling over Kingdom’s Edge are snow, but, in reality, you are looking at a world covered in falling ash.

To understand why it’s snowing ash, we need a bit of context: the Pale King didn’t always have the form we see in the game. He is actually a Wyrm, a massive, ancient deity. However, he chose to shed his immortality and his colossal original body to rule over Hallownest, adopting a smaller form that would be more relatable to the insects he governed.

And Kingdom’s Edge is the site where the Pale King cast off his Wyrm shell! So the “snow” that literally blankets the entire region is actually the constant, flaking remains of his former divine body that continue to fall even now.

4

Have Some Natural Lighting

The Light of the Underworld

I bet you never noticed that there are almost no artificial light sources in Hallownest, except for the streetlamps in Dirtmouth.

So, where does the light come from while you are exploring the underground kingdom? Well, actually, the illumination comes from the insects themselves and environmental details like flowers, spores, glowing ores, and cracks in the ceiling. But it is so delicately crafted that not many players have noticed it.

In case you don’t believe me, just walk up to any lamp post inside Hallownest and hit it with your nail to reveal a tiny white butterfly that serves as the light source, which will fly away once disturbed, leaving the area significantly darker. Yeah, that’s what I call a masterful bit of world-building!

3

Destroying Something Repaired

A Heartbreaking Secret

Since we were just talking about destroying parts of the environment in Hollow Knight, there is another secret tied to that irresistible urge we all have to smash every signpost we pass.

You have probably noticed that whenever you return to an area, the signs are miraculously fixed – and that’s because there is a specific insect whose sole purpose is to repair the victims of your nail, the Menderbug.

There is a tiny 2% chance of actually catching him in the act, but only in one specific spot: at the entrance to the Forgotten Crossroads, right below Dirtmouth. If you are fast enough, you can actually kill him before he flies away. While many veteran players know he exists, many overlook the darker detail that follows: killing him unlocks his home (located in the same village where you first find Sly infected).

When you break into his house and read his diary, you discover that he absolutely loved his job and was incredibly happy just fixing things for others. So yeah, you just feel like a total monster for ending the simple, happy life of a hardworking little bug!

2

Delicate Flower’s Secrets

Unique Dialogues for a Fragile Gift

The Delicate Flower quest is definitely one of the most punishing side quests in the entire game, requiring you to deliver a fragile flower across the map without taking damage or using fast travel.

While the main goal is reaching the Traitor’s Child’s grave (or the Godseeker’s location to unlock an alternative ending), you can actually give the flower to other NPCs for unique interactions.

For instance, giving the flower to Elderbug at Dirtmouth makes him incredibly touched, and he will thank you for the gesture and wear the item on his outfit. However, if you give it to Nailmaster Oro in Kingdom’s Edge, he will briefly insult you for giving him such a pathetic gift – but here’s a secret: if you leave and re-enter his house, you will see he has placed the flower in a pot, meaning that maybe he didn’t hate it as much as he claimed!

1

The Truth About The Collector

The Grubs’ Secret Savior?

As you progress through the story, you eventually encounter The Collector, a Void creature hidden in the Tower of Love, within the City of Tears. You soon discover that he is actually the one responsible for kidnapping the Grubs and trapping them in jars across Hallownest – so you naturally assume he’s a villain, right? But the truth is the exact opposite!

According to Hollow Knight’s lore, after the Radiance began to spread the Infection, the Pale King ordered an end to the moths and their grubs to try to slow down the plague. However, the Collector apparently disobeyed this order and hid the Grubs in jars to keep them safe.

I mean, he even made a map of their locations (which you can collect in his lair) so they wouldn’t be lost. Also, if you hit him with the Dream Nail during the fight, his deepest thoughts are revealed, showing his intentions of keeping the Grubs safe and saving them.