Complete Guide: All Charm Locations in Hollow Knight

In Hollow Knight, charms are the key to defining your combat and exploration style. From basic upgrades to complete skill transformations, here is the detailed list of all charms, their effects, and where to find them.

Charm List (Part 1)

Wayward Compass

• Notch Cost: 1
• Description: A small burgundy compass with a silver button and 8 directional arrows.
• Utility: Essential for exploration. Shows your exact location on the map, ideal for not getting lost in new or labyrinthine zones. It is the first charm you get and, undoubtedly, the most useful for orienting yourself in Hallownest.

Gathering Swarm

• Notch Cost: 1
• Description: A brown charm with a small winged lumafly on a Geo coin.
• Utility: Creates a swarm of lumaflies that automatically collect all Geo dropped on the ground, even if it lands on spikes, acid, or inaccessible areas. Perfect for farming money effortlessly. Bought in Sly's shop.

Stalwart Shell

• Notch Cost: 2
• Description: Represents a gray insect protected by a bronze shell.
• Utility: Increases invincibility time after taking damage from 1.3 to 1.7 seconds and reduces recoil. This allows you to stay close to bosses and keep attacking without being pushed away. Bought in Sly's shop.

Soul Catcher

• Notch Cost: 2
• Description: Silver with black details and barely visible shamanic spirals.
• Utility: Grants 27% more SOUL per hit (+3 in the main vessel, +2 in the reserve ones). It is the most accessible SOUL management charm early in the game, vital for healing or casting spells frequently. Obtained after defeating the Elder Baldur in the Ancestral Mound.

Shaman Stone

• Notch Cost: 3
• Description: Bronze with a central opening and carvings from the Shaman tribe.

• Vengeful Spirit/Shade Soul: Damage increases from 15/30 to 20/40.
• Desolate Dive/Descending Dark: Damage increases from 35/60 to 46/88.
• Howling Wraiths/Abyss Shriek: Damage increases from 30/80 to 45/120.
• Ideal for magic builds.

Soul Eater

• Notch Cost: 4
• Description: Gold with metallic blue and the shamanic spiral symbol in the center.
• Utility: The superior version of Soul Catcher. Grants 72% more SOUL per hit (+8 main, +6 reserve). Although expensive in notches, it guarantees always having SOUL available. Found in a hidden area of Resting Grounds, accessible with Desolate Dive.

Dashmaster

• Notch Cost: 2
• Description: Resembles an insect with a white head and cape, similar to Soul Masters but with distinct details.
• Utility: Allows you to dash more often and enables dashing downwards. Perfect for platforming and dodging quickly. Found on a statue in Mantis Village (Fungal Wastes).

Sprintmaster

• Notch Cost: 1
• Description: Similar to the previous one but more stylized, with red/pink edges.
• Utility: Increases your base movement speed by 20%. Very useful for fighting fast bosses like Hornet, allowing you to escape or approach with ease. Bought from Sly after giving him the Shopkeeper's Key.

Grubsong

• Notch Cost: 1
• Description: Shaped like several green grubs grouped together with a smiling face.
• Utility: Grants you 15% SOUL every time you take damage. Excellent for beginners or difficult areas, ensuring you always have some magic to heal after being hit. Reward from the Grubfather after rescuing 10 grubs.

Grubberfly's Elegy

• Notch Cost: 3
• Description: Shows an evolved grub with wings (fly).
• Utility: When you have full health, your nail shoots energy projectiles from a distance. The projectile damage is 50% of your current nail damage. Fun for zoning enemies and very useful in combination with Grubsong. Final reward for rescuing all 46 grubs.

"Fragile" and Unbreakable Charms

Fragile / Unbreakable Heart

• Notch Cost: 2
• Description: A crystal shell with blue masks inside.
• Utility: Grants +2 Life Masks.

• Fragile Version: Breaks upon death. Bought and repaired by Leg Eater.
• Unbreakable Version: Does not break. Obtained by paying 12,000 Geo to Divine (Grimm DLC) to upgrade it.

Fragile / Unbreakable Greed

• Notch Cost: 2
• Description: Crystal with golden Geo coins inside.
• Utility: Increases Geo obtained from enemies by 20%. Essential for farming money quickly.

• Unbreakable Version: Costs 9,000 Geo to upgrade with Divine.

Fragile / Unbreakable Strength

• Notch Cost: 3
• Description: Crystal with a golden shell split in the center.
• Utility: Increases nail damage by 50%. It is one of the best charms in the game for pure DPS.
  • Unbreakable Version: Costs 15,000 Geo to upgrade with Divine (the most expensive item in the game), but worth every coin to face final bosses without risk.

Spell Twister

• Notch Cost: 2
• Description: Detailed casing with gold/silver edges and a central mirror.
• Utility: Reduces the SOUL cost of spells by 27%. Allows casting 4 spells in a row instead of 3. Only affects offensive spells, not healing. Found in a secret room at the top of the Soul Sanctum.

Steady Body

• Notch Cost: 1
• Description: Gray with curved pink details.
• Utility: Eliminates the recoil the Knight suffers when hitting enemies with the nail. Allows you to stay stuck to an enemy dealing constant damage without being pushed back (or into spikes/fire). Bought from Salubra.

Heavy Blow

• Notch Cost: 2
• Description: Formed by several vertical nails pointing downwards.
• Utility: Increases the force with which you knock back enemies when hitting them (75% extra). Useful for keeping annoying enemies at bay or cornering bosses that can be pushed (like Hornet or the Broken Vessel). Bought from Sly.

Quick Slash

• Notch Cost: 3
• Description: Defective nails fused together.
• Utility: Drastically reduces the time between attacks with the nail. Allows you to hit much faster, skyrocketing your DPS. It is fundamental for physical damage builds. Found in a secret area of Kingdom's Edge.

Longnail

• Notch Cost: 2
• Description: Armor with sharp metal edges.
• Utility: Increases nail range by 15%. Useful for maintaining a bit more distance, although Mark of Pride is usually a better option. Bought from Salubra.

Mark of Pride

• Notch Cost: 3
• Description: Orange relic with black shell and wires.
• Utility: Increases nail range by 25%. Allows hitting dangerous bosses and enemies from a safe distance. Can be combined with Longnail for massive range (40%). Reward in the Mantis treasure room after defeating their leaders.

Fury of the Fallen

• Notch Cost: 2
• Description: Mahogany color with glowing red eyes and fire details.
• Utility: When you have only 1 life mask left, your nail damage increases by 75%. Risky but devastating in expert hands (or for speedruns). Found in King's Pass, near the start of the game.

Thorns of Agony

• Notch Cost: 1
• Description: Green vines with orange thorns.
• Utility: Upon taking damage, you release an explosion of thorns that damages nearby enemies (2x base damage). Does not consume SOUL and is great for getting enemies off you when hit. Found in Greenpath after a jumping section with lightning.

Baldur Shell

• Notch Cost: 2

• Description: Glowing blue shell of a Baldur.

• Utility: Creates a protective shield while healing (focusing SOUL). The shield can absorb up to 4 hits before breaking (repairs upon resting). Useful for ensuring heals mid-combat. Found in Howling Cliffs.

  

Flukenest

• Notch Cost: 3
• Description: A pink fluke.
• Utility: Transforms the Vengeful Spirit spell into an explosion of small flukes with short range but massive damage (shotgun style). Brutal against large bosses where all projectiles hit. Reward after defeating Flukemarm in Royal Waterways.

Defender's Crest

• Notch Cost: 1
• Description: Emblem of the Dung Defender, with a pink center.
• Utility: Generates a toxic cloud around the Knight that damages nearby enemies. Also unlocks special dialogue with certain NPCs (like Ogrim or Leg Eater). Reward after defeating the Dung Defender.

Glowing Womb

• Notch Cost: 2
• Description: Shaped like an Aspid Mother with a glowing belly.
• Utility: Automatically consumes SOUL to spawn small hatchlings that attack enemies (9 damage per hit). Found in a secret area of Forgotten Crossroads (requires Crystal Heart).

Quick Focus

• Notch Cost: 3
• Description: Pink crystal with 4 silver shells.
• Utility: Allows you to heal at double speed. Vital for fast bosses where healing windows are minimal. Bought from Salubra.

Deep Focus

• Notch Cost: 4
• Description: Crystal ball with 4 diamonds.
• Utility: Heals 2 masks for the cost of 1 SOUL charge, but the animation is 65% slower. Found in a secret area of Crystal Peak (requires breaking a wall).

Lifeblood Heart

• Notch Cost: 2
• Description: Dark shell with glowing blue abdomen.
• Utility: Adds 2 blue life masks (lifeblood) that cannot be healed with SOUL, only regenerated at benches. Bought from Salubra.

Lifeblood Core

• Notch Cost: 3
• Description: Similar to the previous one but with 3 blue cocoons in the center.
• Utility: Grants 4 blue life masks. Found in a secret door in The Abyss that only opens if you have 15 or more active blue life masks.

Joni's Blessing

• Notch Cost: 4
• Description: Covered in blue masks.
• Utility: Converts all your health into blue masks and grants 40% more total health. You cannot heal with SOUL. Found in Joni's shrine in Howling Cliffs.

Hiveblood

• Notch Cost: 4
• Description: Golden honeycomb hexagon.
• Utility: Passively regenerates the last lost life mask after 12 seconds without taking damage. Also makes bees in The Hive not attack you. Essential for the "Path of Pain" in White Palace. Reward after defeating the Hive Knight.

Spore Shroom

• Notch Cost: 1
• Description: Blue mushroom with yellow spores.
• Utility: Upon healing, you release a spore cloud that damages nearby enemies. Also allows understanding Mister Mushroom's language and reading lore tablets in Kingdom's Edge. Found in Fungal Wastes.

Sharp Shadow

• Notch Cost: 2
• Description: Black soul totem.
• Utility: Transforms your shadow dash so it goes through enemies and deals damage to them (equivalent to your nail). Also increases dash distance by 39%. Found in Deepnest (requires Shade Cloak).

Shape of Unn

• Notch Cost: 2
• Description: Green spiral shaped like a slug.
• Utility: Allows you to move while healing (transforming into a small slug). Makes you shorter, dodging many high attacks automatically. Gift from Unn in Lake of Unn (requires Isma's Tear).

Nailmaster's Glory

• Notch Cost: 1
• Description: Emblem with the crowns of the three masters.
• Utility: Drastically reduces charge time for Nail Arts. Allows using them almost instantly in combat. Gift from Sly after learning all 3 Arts.

Weaversong

• Notch Cost: 2
• Description: Mini silk weaver.
• Utility: Summons 3 small spiders that follow you and attack enemies. Found in Weaver's Den in Deepnest.

Dream Wielder

• Notch Cost: 1
• Description: Orange dreamcatcher.
• Utility: Reduces Dream Nail charge time (from 2.4s to 0.9s) and doubles SOUL gained when hitting with it (from 33 to 66). Seer's reward upon gathering 500 Essence.

Dreamshield

• Notch Cost: 3
• Description: Floating golden shield.
• Utility: Creates a shield that rotates around you, blocking projectiles and damaging enemies on contact. Found in a secret room in Resting Grounds.

Grimmchild

• Notch Cost: 2
• Description: Evolving charm from the Grimm Troupe.
• Utility: Summons a familiar that shoots fire at enemies. Evolves and increases damage as you complete the Grimm ritual and collect flames.

Carefree Melody

• Notch Cost: 3
• Description: Replacement for Grimmchild if you decide to banish the Troupe.
• Utility: Grants a random chance to completely block incoming damage. The chance increases the more consecutive hits you take. Gift from Nymm in Dirtmouth after banishment.

Kingsoul / Void Heart

• Notch Cost: 5 (Kingsoul) / 0 (Void Heart)
• Description: A legendary charm formed by two white halves. Upon evolving, it merges with the bearer, unifying the Void.

• How to get Kingsoul: You need to gather two separate fragments:

• Left Fragment: Given by the White Lady in Queen's Gardens. To reach her, you must first defeat the Traitor Lord.

Right Fragment: Found in the White Palace. To enter, you need the Awoken Dream Nail (1800 essence) and hit the guard in Ancient Basin. Upon overcoming the platforming challenges, you will find the Pale King; hit him to drop the fragment.

• How to get Void Heart:

• Once you have the full Kingsoul, equip it (requires 5 free notches).
• Descend to the bottom of The Abyss. A floor that was previously closed will open, allowing you to enter the "Birthplace".
• At the end of the path, use the Dream Nail on the black egg reflecting your shade. The charm will transform permanently, will no longer cost notches, and unlocks the game's true endings.