Hallownest is a brutal place. You've probably felt that frustration—that specific, teeth-grinding annoyance when a Great Husk Sentry punishes a greedy heal or a Primal Aspid snipes you from off-screen. It’s a game of inches. While your nail is your primary tool, the real soul of your build lies in the notches you fill. Understanding all charms Hollow Knight offers isn't just about completionism; it’s about surviving a world that desperately wants you dead.
Honestly, most players fall into a trap. They find a few "good" charms early on and never take them off. That's a mistake. The magic of Team Cherry’s design is that there is no singular "best" loadout. There are only tools for specific problems. Some charms are absolute powerhouses that define the meta, while others are niche curiosities that only shine in the pantheon of the gods.
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The Heavy Hitters: Why You See These Everywhere
Let’s talk about the big ones. If you watch a speedrun or a hitless Pantheon 5 run, you’re going to see a recurring cast of characters in those charm notches.
Unbreakable Strength is the king. It’s simple: it makes you hit harder. Specifically, it increases your nail damage by 50%. In a game where every boss is a war of attrition, ending the fight faster is the best defensive strategy you have. Getting it is a pain, though. You have to feed Divine a massive amount of Geo—15,000 to be exact—to turn the Fragile version into the permanent Unbreakable version. It’s a grind, but it’s the single most impactful upgrade in the game.
Then there’s Quick Slash. If Strength is about quality, Quick Slash is about quantity. It reduces the cooldown between swings, allowing you to turn the Knight into a literal blender. The synergy between these two is what most people call the "Nail Build." It’s aggressive. It’s risky because you have to stay close, but the DPS is unmatched.
But what about range? Mark of Pride is the go-to. Derived from the Mantis Lords after you prove your worth, it significantly extends your reach. It’s safer. You can poke at bosses like Pure Vessel or Nightmare King Grimm from a distance that feels much more comfortable. Some people prefer Longnail, but let's be real: Mark of Pride is just better if you have the notches to spare.
The Magic Users and Soul Economy
Not everyone wants to just swing a sword. Some of us like the blue fire. Shaman Stone is arguably the most "broken" charm in the game for its cost. It boosts the damage and size of your spells. Your Shade Soul becomes a massive wave of destruction, and Descending Dark provides those crucial i-frames that save runs.
Managing Soul is the tricky part. Spell Twister reduces the cost of casting, letting you fire off four spells instead of three on a full tank. It’s subtle. You don't notice it until you don't have it, and suddenly you're out of gas right when the boss staggers.
The Weird, The Niche, and The Misunderstood
Now, this is where it gets interesting. Among all charms Hollow Knight features, there are a few that people love to hate. Take Wayward Compass. Experienced players joke about it being "too powerful," but for a first-time explorer, it’s a lifeline. Even after hundreds of hours, some people still keep it on because Hallownest is a labyrinth and getting lost is just annoying.
Then there’s Sharp Shadow. It’s divisive. It turns your Shade Cloak dash into a damaging attack and increases the dash length. For bosses like Traitor Lord, it’s a godsend. But for platforming? It’s a nightmare. That extra dash distance will throw you into spikes more often than you’d like to admit.
The Low Health Gambits
Have you ever tried a Fury of the Fallen run? It’s stressful. It only activates when you’re on your last mask, giving you a massive damage boost. It’s the ultimate "high risk, high reward" play. Most casual players ignore it, but for the Godhome grinders, it’s a way to shave minutes off a run.
The Minion Builds
Grimmchild, Weaversong, and Glowing Womb. The "passive" playstyle. Honestly, it’s kinda fun to just run around and let your little buddies do the work. Is it efficient? Not really. Weaversong combined with Grubsong is actually a clever way to generate Soul without ever touching an enemy, but it’s slow. It’s a "safe" way to play if you’re struggling with a boss’s movement patterns and just want to focus on dodging.
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Finding the Synergy
The real secret to mastering all charms Hollow Knight has isn't just knowing what they do individually. It’s the hidden synergies.
- Defender’s Crest + Glowing Womb: Your little hatchlings now explode into toxic clouds. It’s disgusting and brilliant.
- Quick Focus + Shape of Unn: You become a fast-moving slug while healing. It’s one of the best defensive combos in the game because you can literally duck under projectiles while patching yourself up.
- Grubsong + Grubberfly’s Elegy: This increases the Soul you gain when taking damage. It’s a "pity" mechanic that can actually keep you alive in a desperate fight.
The Cost of Power: Notch Management
You only have 11 notches. That’s the hard limit. This is why "Overcharming" exists. If you try to equip a charm that costs more notches than you have left, you can force it in by clicking it repeatedly.
The catch? You take double damage.
It’s a terrifying prospect. In the Radiant difficulty fights in Godhome, where everything is a one-hit kill anyway, there’s no reason not to overcharm. But in the base game? One mistake and you’re back at the bench. It forces you to prioritize. Do you take Steady Body to stop the knockback from your own swings? Many pros swear by it because it allows for uninterrupted DPS, but many casuals think it’s a waste of a slot.
Why Some Charms Just Collect Dust
Let's be honest about Heavy Blow. It’s probably the most useless charm in the game. It increases the knockback you deal to enemies. In theory, that sounds like a good defensive tool. In practice, it just pushes enemies out of your reach, making it harder to land a follow-up hit. It actively works against the "Quick Slash" meta.
And Deep Focus? It’s too slow. Healing two masks for the price of one sounds great, but in the heat of a boss fight, the animation takes a lifetime. Unless you pair it with Quick Focus, you’re just asking to be punished.
Your Path Through Hallownest
If you're looking to actually finish the Journal or beat the Pantheon of Hallownest, you need to stop thinking of your charm loadout as static. Use Fragile Greed and Gathering Swarm when you’re exploring and need Geo. Swap to Dream Wielder when you're hunting ghosts or need fast Soul.
The biggest takeaway from the community—and from the design of the game itself—is that flexibility is your greatest strength. Don't get married to Mark of Pride if you're in a tight arena where spells would serve you better. Don't stick with a spell build if the boss moves too fast for you to aim.
Actionable Steps for Your Build
- Assess the Arena: If the floor is covered in spikes, Hiveblood might be your best friend. If it’s a flat arena, ditch the mobility for raw power.
- The "Quality of Life" Check: If you find yourself constantly missing your swings because of knockback, try Steady Body for 10 minutes. It feels weird at first, but it might change how you play entirely.
- Geo Management: Don't lose your Fragile charms. If you haven't upgraded them to Unbreakable yet, take them off before heading into a fight you aren't 100% sure about. It saves a trip to Leg Eater and a lot of headaches.
- Experiment with the "Slug": If a boss is hitting you while you heal, put on Shape of Unn. Being able to move while focusing is a game-changer for bosses like Nightmare King Grimm or Uumuu.
Ultimately, the charms are a reflection of your playstyle. Whether you're a "Nail Arts" specialist using Nailmaster's Glory to unleash Great Slashes or a tanky brawler using Stalwart Shell to abuse i-frames, there’s a configuration that works. The beauty of the game is finding it.
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Go back to a bench. Look at those icons. Try something that isn't in a "top 10" list. You might be surprised at how much easier the Path of Pain or the Trial of the Fool becomes when you stop following the crowd and start building for yourself.