Team Cherry's sprawling Metroidvania, Hollow Knight, features five distinct primary endings alongside a bonus narrative cutscene. The fate of Hallownest depends entirely on the items players collect, the bosses they defeat, and key choices made before entering the final encounters. Navigating these narrative branches requires understanding specific triggers throughout the vast underground kingdom.
The Standard Base Game Endings
The simplest path to completing the adventure yields the default ending, known as The Hollow Knight. Players achieve this outcome by defeating three Dreamers to break the seals on the Black Egg Temple without acquiring the Void Heart charm. Inside, defeating the titular boss allows the Knight to absorb the Infection and take its place as the new vessel.
Acquiring the Void Heart changes the final encounter significantly and opens up the Sealed Siblings ending. During the battle inside the temple, Hornet arrives to assist by binding the boss, but if the Knight continues attacking normally, the fight concludes as before. Hornet becomes sealed inside the Black Egg alongside the Knight, locking Hallownest into an eternal, tragic equilibrium.
Achieving the True Ending with Dream No More
To reach the true conclusion of the main storyline, players must secure the Dream Dreamer weapon upgrade and unlock the Void Heart charm. When Hornet holds the Hollow Knight in place, using the Dream Nail on the boss transports the player into its mind to confront The Radiance. Defeating this supreme deity destroys the source of the Infection and frees Hallownest completely.
This path requires extensive exploration, including collecting 1800 Essence to awaken the Dream Nail and exploring the Birthplace deep within the Abyss. Transforming the Kingsoul charm into the Void Heart is the crucial turning point that seals this ending path. It represents the ultimate resolution to the tragic lore established throughout the kingdom.
The Godmaster Expansion Endings
The Godmaster content pack introduced two additional challenge-focused endings accessed through the Godhome realm. Players must unlock the Junk Pit using a Simple Key and defeat four individual Pantheons before challenging the Pantheon of Hallownest. At the apex of this grueling boss rush sits Absolute Radiance, a far more powerful version of the base game boss.
Defeating Absolute Radiance triggers the Embrace the Void ending, where the Knight transforms into the powerful Lord of Shades and consumes the deity. A slight variant of this ending occurs if players give a Delicate Flower to the Godseeker prior to completing the pantheon. In this alternate scene, the void entity vanishes along with the flower, leaving behind a subtle mystery.
Unlocking the Mister Mushroom Bonus Scene
Beyond the five core narrative endings, players can unlock an additional comedic post-credits scene by interacting with Mister Mushroom. This mysterious NPC appears in seven specific locations across Hallownest in a strict sequential order. Players must equip the Spore Shroom charm to speak with him and hear his cryptic dialogues.
After completing his full questline and finishing any of the main game endings, a special "To Be Continued" cutscene plays after the credits. While it does not change the fate of Hallownest, it provides a lighthearted teaser for the broader universe. Completing this quest rewards dedicated players with an exclusive achievement as well.
