You’re staring at that single health mask. It’s blinking. One more hit from a primal aspid and you’re back at the bench, losing all your geo and a chunk of your sanity. We’ve all been there.
Hallownest is brutal. It doesn't care about your feelings. If you want to survive the late-game gauntlets or even stand a chance against Nightmare King Grimm, you need health. In this game, health is measured in masks. To get a new one, you need four shards. There are 16 hollow knight mask shard locations in total, which adds four permanent masks to your starting five.
Honestly, finding them all is a rite of passage. Some are sitting in plain sight, mocking you because you don’t have the right ability yet. Others are hidden behind breakable walls that you’d never find unless you were swinging your nail at every suspicious corner like a maniac.
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The Easy Pickups: Dirtmouth and The Crossroads
Let’s get the obvious ones out of the way first. You don't need fancy wings or a double jump for these, just some geo and a bit of patience.
Sly is your best friend and your worst enemy. Once you rescue him from the southeastern part of the Forgotten Crossroads, he opens shop in Dirtmouth. He sells four shards.
- Shard 1: 150 Geo. Basically a gift.
- Shard 2: 500 Geo. Still reasonable.
- Shard 3: 800 Geo. Now he’s getting greedy.
- Shard 4: 1,500 Geo.
You can't just buy them all at once, though. For the last two, you need the Shopkeeper’s Key, which is tucked away in Crystal Peak.
While you’re still hanging around the Crossroads, go visit the Grubfather. If you’ve been a good person and rescued at least 5 Grubs, he’ll toss a shard at you. If you haven't been rescuing them... well, start looking for jars.
There's also a shard guarded by Goams. You know, those giant, invincible worms that slam into the ground? Go to the southern part of the Crossroads, below the Hot Springs. You’ll need the Mantis Claw to wall-jump through a specific vertical shaft to reach it.
Oh, and don’t forget the Brooding Mawlek. It’s a mini-boss in the western part of the Crossroads. It looks intimidating, but it's mostly just a "don't get hit by the orange goo" simulator. Beat it, and the shard is yours.
The Tricky Exploration Shards
This is where things get "kinda" annoying. You’ll need to travel. A lot.
Queen’s Station
There’s a shard sitting right in the station, but it’s behind a series of thorn-filled platforms. It’s on the right side of the main room. You’ll need the Mantis Claw to navigate the wall-jumps. It’s not hard, just fiddly.
Stone Sanctuary (Greenpath)
This one is creepy. You need the Lumafly Lantern because it’s pitch black. The shard is in the Stone Sanctuary, which is located in the southeastern part of Greenpath. You’ll find it in a room just past where you fight No Eyes. If you haven't bought the lantern from Sly for 1,800 geo yet, don't even bother going in there.
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Royal Waterways
I hate the Waterways. It’s damp, the noises are gross, and those fluke-things are the stuff of nightmares. But there’s a shard here. Go to the northwest section. You’ll have to swim through some acid (make sure you have Isma’s Tear) or use the Crystal Heart to dash across the large pool of water to the west of the main path.
The Hive
This is one of the coolest hollow knight mask shard locations because it requires you to be clever. Deep in the Hive, there’s a shard behind a wall that you can’t break yourself. You have to bait a Hive Guardian—one of those big, round bees that bounce around—into slamming into the wall for you. Stand in front of the wall, wait for the charge, and jump out of the way at the last second.
The Late-Game "Are You Serious?" Shards
Some shards aren't just about finding a room; they’re about completing tasks that make you want to throw your controller.
The Delicate Flower Quest. This is the big one. Talk to the Grey Mourner in the Resting Grounds. She gives you a flower and asks you to take it to a grave in the Queen’s Gardens.
The catch?
If you take damage, the flower breaks.
If you use a Stag Station, the flower breaks.
If you dream nail, the flower breaks.
Basically, if you breathe wrong, the flower breaks.
Pro tip: Kill every enemy on your intended route first, then go get the flower without sitting at a bench. The enemies won't respawn (mostly), making the trek much easier.
The Seer’s Reward.
You need 1,500 Essence. This means hunting down Dream Warriors and refighting harder versions of bosses you’ve already killed. It takes time. Once you hit the number, go back to the Seer in the Resting Grounds.
Crystal Peak (Enraged Guardian).
Remember the Crystal Guardian you fought by the bench? Well, if you go back up to that room with the Monarch Wings, you can jump into a hidden area above. You’ll fight the Enraged Guardian. He’s faster and deals two masks of damage. Don't get greedy with your hits.
Why Missing One Shard Is So Common
The most missed shard is almost always the one in Deepnest. It’s not actually in the deep, dark part of the map. You have to enter Deepnest through the Fungal Core (using the Monarch Wings to jump up from the Fungal Wastes). Once you drop down that specific hole, the shard is right there near the entrance to the Mantis Lords' area. Most people miss it because they enter Deepnest the "normal" way through the Mantis Village or the mossy entrance.
Your Path Forward
If you're missing just one or two shards, check your inventory. If you have 2 or 3 shards currently, you're close to a health boost.
- Check Sly's inventory one last time. He lies about being "out of stock."
- Visit the Grubfather. If he's throwing geo but no shard, you haven't saved enough kids.
- Open your map and look for any unexplored gaps in the Royal Waterways or the Crystal Peak ceiling.
Once you have all 9 masks, the game doesn't necessarily get "easy," but you can finally take a hit from a boss without seeing your life flash before your eyes. Maxing out your health is the single best thing you can do before heading into the Temple of the Black Egg.
Start with the geo-based shards in Dirtmouth. It's the fastest way to get that first extra mask. After that, focus on the Brooding Mawlek and the Grubfather to round out your early-game defense. Hallownest is less scary when you aren't one mistake away from death.
Next Steps for You: * Check the Forgotten Crossroads map for the Mawlek room.
- Go to Sly’s shop and see if you’ve unlocked the 1,500 geo shard yet.
- If you're feeling brave, clear the path for the Delicate Flower quest now while the enemies are still dead.