You finally made it to the City of Tears. The rain is depressing, the music is hauntingly beautiful, and then you stumble into the Soul Sanctum. It’s a bad time. Honestly, most players remember their first encounter with the Soul Master as a massive reality check. It’s not just that he’s tough; it’s that he feels cheating with his constant teleporting and those homing orbs that seem to follow you across the map.
If you’re currently stuck on him, don't feel bad. This boss is the "gatekeeper" of mid-game Hollow Knight. He’s designed to teach you that "panic jumping" is the fastest way to die in Hallownest.
Finding the Soul Master (and Saving Your Sanity)
The run back to the arena is notoriously annoying. You’ve got those teleporting Soul Twisters shooting magic at you while you're trying to platform through elevators. Pro tip: find the shortcut. There is a breakable wall in the elevator shaft that leads back to the bench where Cornifer was. Open that up immediately.
Seriously.
The Soul Master himself is waiting at the very top of the Sanctum. You’ll know you’re close when the music gets all dramatic and you start seeing piles of bug corpses. Charming, right?
👉 See also: Walkthrough Final Fantasy X-2: How to Actually Get That 100% Completion
Why is he even doing this?
Lore-wise, the guy is a mess. He was the head of the Soul Sanctum and became obsessed with finding a cure for the Infection. He thought he could use "Soul" (the literal life force of bugs) to become immortal and stay "pure."
The Pale King actually told him to stop because it was a terrible idea, but Soul Master didn't listen. He started harvesting other bugs to fuel his research. Eventually, the Infection got him anyway. Now he’s just a bloated, magical husk of a scholar who thinks he's a god.
The First Phase: Learning the Rhythm
The biggest mistake people make with the Soul Master is trying to chase him. Don't do that. You’ll just run into him and lose a mask.
- The Homing Orbs: He’ll spawn a single orange orb that tracks you. Dash toward him. If you dash under the orb as it comes at you, it’ll usually hit the floor and dissipate. If you jump, it’ll just loop around and hit you in the back of the head.
- The Dash Attack: He flies across the screen horizontally. Just hop over him. If you're feeling fancy, you can "pogo" (down-slash) on his head for extra damage.
- The Rotating Clock: Four orbs circle him as he moves across the arena. Stay in the middle. Jump over one of the lower orbs as they pass, then stand still. He’ll disappear, and the orbs will fly back across the screen. This is your best window to heal.
- The Ground Slam: He teleports above you and slams down. Dash to the side, then jump over the shockwave.
Wait for the Fake-Out. Sometimes he’ll start the slam, teleport again while he's mid-air, and then slam for real. This is why you shouldn't jump until after he actually hits the ground.
✨ Don't miss: Stick War: Why This Flash Classic Still Dominates Strategy Gaming
That "Fake" Victory (The Second Phase)
You beat him. He deflates like a sad balloon. You go to pick up your reward... and then the floor breaks.
Welcome to the second phase. It’s much faster, but it’s actually shorter. You won't have time to heal here, so don't even try. Just focus on dodging the rapid-fire slams.
He’s going to spam the dive attack over and over. Dash, dash, dash. Eventually, he’ll stop and hover while shooting orbs. This is when you go aggressive. Use your Vengeful Spirit (or Shaman Stone-boosted spells if you have them) to end the fight quickly.
Essential Gear and Charms
If you’re struggling, you might be underpowered. You should have at least one Nail upgrade (the Sharpened Nail) before tackling this.
🔗 Read more: Solitaire Games Free Online Klondike: What Most People Get Wrong
- Shaman Stone: If you like spells, this is a must. It makes your Vengeful Spirit huge and way more powerful.
- Longnail or Mark of Pride: These give you extra reach so you don't have to stand right on top of him to get a hit in.
- Grubsong: Since you’re probably going to take damage, you might as well get some Soul back for it.
What Happens Next?
Defeating the Soul Master gives you the Desolate Dive. This is a game-changer. It’s a downward spell that breaks through shaky floors (look for those floorboards that wobble and make a cracking sound).
With this, you can finally get into the Crystal Peak through the floor in the Forgotten Crossroads. You can also find a lot of hidden geo and charms tucked under those breakable floors throughout the map.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Go back to the City of Tears entrance: There’s a breakable floor near the statue that leads to some loot.
- Visit the Crystal Peak: Use your new dive to enter the mines without needing the Lumafly Lantern.
- Dream Nail Rematch: Much later in the game, you can come back with the Dream Nail to fight his "Dream Version," the Soul Tyrant. He is significantly faster and has more health, so save that for when you have the Monarch Wings and a fully upgraded Nail.
Basically, take a breath. You just beat one of the most frustrating early-game bosses. Now go break some floors and see what’s underneath.