Honestly, the first time you step into the White Palace, it feels less like a kingdom and more like a industrial accident at a buzz-saw factory. Most people go in expecting a boss fight. They're wrong. It’s a pure test of your platforming sanity. If you've spent the last forty hours slashing through the fungal wastes and fighting literal gods, this place is going to humble you.
Basically, you’re here for one reason: the half of the Kingsoul charm. Without it, you aren't getting the true ending. No Void Heart, no Radiance, no closure. But before you even sniff the palace air, you need to wake up the Dream Nail. That means collecting 1,800 Essence for the Seer in the Resting Grounds. Once that’s done, you head down to the Ancient Basin and Dream Nail the corpse of the Kingsmould.
Prepare for a lot of white light and a lot of frustration.
Getting the Right Charm Build (Don't Skip This)
Your combat build is useless here. You aren't fighting much. Aside from a few Kingsmoulds that guard transitions, the real "enemies" are the saws and the thorns.
Hiveblood is the MVP. It’s slow, yeah, but it’s basically infinite health if you have the patience. You hit a saw, you lose a mask, you wait ten seconds, and it’s back. If you’re impatient like me, you’ll want to stack Grubsong and Deep Focus. This combo is a soul-generating machine. You take damage, you get soul, you heal two masks for the price of one. It’s almost impossible to die if you use this, provided you don't panic.
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Whatever you do, don't use Sharp Shadow. It changes the distance of your dash. The developers tuned these gaps for your standard dash distance. Using Sharp Shadow is a one-way ticket to dashing straight into a wall of spikes when you meant to land on a tiny ledge. It’s a trap.
The Entryway and the Hidden Shortcuts
The first section is mostly about timing. You’ve got the retractable spikes and the shifting platforms. It’s a warm-up. But here is something most people miss: there is a massive shortcut early on.
After the first bench, you’ll encounter a hallway where spikes shoot out from the ceiling and floor. It looks like you have to dash perfectly between them. You don't. Look at the floor. There is a breakable wall underneath the far left section that lets you bypass the entire gauntlet.
It’s small details like this that save you twenty minutes of "death by a thousand cuts."
The Atrium and the Vertical Climb
Once you hit the second bench, the game stops playing nice. You’re going to see a lot of Wingmoulds. These are those floating, white, bug-like things. They don't attack you. They just exist. Their only purpose is for you to pogo off them.
- Jump.
- Strike downward.
- Reset your double jump.
You’ll need to do this while moving horizontally across huge gaps. If you have Mark of Pride or Longnail equipped, the hitbox for the pogo is much more forgiving. I’ve seen people try this without nail charms and it’s a nightmare. The extra reach means you don't have to be pixel-perfect.
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Finding the Hidden Lore Rooms
The White Palace isn't just a platforming challenge; it’s a lore dump. If you just rush to the end, you’re missing the actual story of the Pale King.
There are three main secret rooms you should look for:
- The King's Workshop: Hidden behind a breakable wall in the atrium. This is where the Kingsmoulds and Wingmoulds were made. You can see the molds and the void essence used to create them.
- The Queen’s Room: A small, delicate room that belonged to the White Lady. It’s a sharp contrast to the cold, metallic feel of the rest of the palace.
- The Throne Room Tablet: Tucked away behind a breakable wall in the final area before the King. It talks about the "pure vessel" and the King’s desperate attempts to stop the infection.
Dealing With the Kingsmoulds
At the very end of the palace, right before the King, the doors will seal and two Kingsmoulds will jump you. These guys hit for two masks of damage.
If you’ve been using a platforming-only build, this might be the only place you actually die. Don't let them corner you. Use Descending Dark for the invincibility frames. If you have any soul left, blast them with Shade Soul. Once they're down, the path to the Pale King is clear.
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You’ll find him slumped on his throne. Just hit him. He doesn't fight back. He’s been dead a long time. He drops his half of the Kingsoul, and you'll be warped back to the Ancient Basin.
The Elephant in the Room: The Path of Pain
I can't write a hollow knight white palace walkthrough without mentioning the Path of Pain. It’s a secret sub-area located behind a breakable wall in the second main area of the palace.
Is it required? No.
Should you do it? Only if you hate yourself.
It’s the hardest platforming in the entire game. No benches. Just you, the saws, and infinite soul totems. If you beat it, you get a two-second cutscene and a Journal Entry. That’s it. It’s a status symbol. If you decide to tackle it, remember that the very last room ends with a fight against two Kingsmoulds. Imagine spending two hours on a single platforming section only to die to a guard at the very end. Keep your soul full.
Actionable Tips for Success
To get through this without smashing your controller, follow these steps:
- Farm the Essence first: Don't even bother going to the Ancient Basin until you have the 1,800 essence. Fight the Dream Bosses like Lost Kin or Failed Champion; they give the most.
- Audit your charms: If you’re struggling with health, switch to Hiveblood. If you’re struggling with the jumps, put on Mark of Pride.
- Listen to the saws: Every trap in the White Palace has a rhythm. Most players fail because they try to force their own pace. Wait. Watch. Then move.
- Break every wall: This palace is full of "false" paths that are actually shortcuts. If a wall looks slightly different or a ceiling looks high, hit it.
The White Palace is a rite of passage. It marks the transition from the mid-game to the true finale of Hallownest. Once you have that Kingsoul half, you're ready to head to the Queen's Gardens and then down into the Birthplace. The kingdom is falling, but you're finally getting the tools to fix it.