There are multiple ways to end Hollow Knight as you scroll through the hollow nest, a fallen kingdom. It is still one of Team Cherry’s most popular indie games ever developed. If you have played the game or heard about it, you would know that there are multiple endings to this game.
This is the primary reason why players of Hollow Knight are always curious about how many endings it comprises in total. There is an extra scene for you to unlock towards the end of the game, which is a cherry on top for obvious reasons!
Hollow Knight has six endings: The Hollow Knight, Sealed Siblings, Dream No More, Embrace the Void, Delicate Flower, and Passage of the Age.
There are six ending to The Hollow Knight, one of which is a bonus scene. Check them out in detail below.
Ending # 1: The Hollow Knight
The first ending is the Hollow Knight, but remember that this is not the first time you see it because you are shown this at the beginning of the game inside the black egg. You are shown glowing orbs of infection within its body.
It is a significant scene that gains much attention because the Hollow Knight is cracking its shell and releasing a loud cry. The cry is audible beyond the temple walls.
The Right Sequence
After the cut scene, the Knight arrives at the hollow nest. Both of these scenes are shown in a sequence because they are the correct order of the events and how they take place in the game’s storyline.
It makes sense when you fast-forward to an entire game playthrough and defeats the Hollow Knight! You suck up all the infection inside and then stand very still to be imprisoned within the black egg for eternity. It means you have become the Hollow Knight at the end of the game.
But what does that mean? Well, you need more context to reach a definite answer. Note that you got to up that completion counter to a hundred percent. If you still need to figure out where you want to start in the game, you only need to open that hatch near the item’s shop.
Spoiler Alert: You need an item locked down there to explore the hollow nest even more.
Related: Final Fantasy 7 Remake ending theme ‘Hollow’ lyrics and meaning
Ending # 2: Sealed Siblings
After nearly 100% completion in the game, you have collected 1800 dream essence, parkouring through the overly elaborate white palace and discovering the truth behind the night and the Hollow Knight’s existence. Here you are rewarded with a slight variation of the cut scene that you get to see during the ending.
The Quest By The Pale King
This is where the hornet accidentally gets locked inside the black egg, and this is where it becomes a seal for its entrance. This ending is not the greatest one out there, but let’s be honest, it is not that bad because it could have been worse.
The Pale King was in search of a method so that he could quarantine its source because of how fast the plague was ravaging. The answer you were looking for was the vessels because they were born from void and worm roots. Remember that they can also seal the infection’s heart within themselves.
Call it an instinct or a natural desire within the Knight because he makes his way back to the Kingdom whenever he hears about the infections because it is a call indicating a failure for the current vessel.
It was no secret because the White Lady was the first to observe all this while it was happening, and then she encouraged the Knight to replace its significant sibling.
The Dangers Of An Impure Vessel
In this ending, you trap an unconscious hornet inside the black egg. It is going to be the moment of truth because the White Lady is either going to sleep for eternity or she is going to die. If you get the sealed siblings ending in The Hollow Knight, you will realize there is much more to this fight than it looks in the beginning!
Ending # 3: Dream No More
This is the time when the source of the infection is taking all over the hollow nest in the game. There is a superior being made of pure dream essence, as they are the game’s main antagonist.
This is the Radiance, the final boss you will face in the Hollow Knight. When you go back to history, you will find out that there was when her worshipers took advantage of her light.
The Emergence Of The Pale King
The loyalty to the Radiance lasted until the Pale King arrived in her land. The loyalty shifts towards the Pale King. Several benefits, including intellect and individuality, differ from what the Radiance offered.
The moth tribe says their final goodbyes to the Radiance and turn their back on her by favoring the light of the Pale King! Whelp. This is sad because moths turn their back on the Goddess who created them.
Ending Of The Radiance
This is a tragic ending for the Goddess because no one worships the Radiance anymore, so she doesn’t exist. However, this was not the end of the hollow nest because it was still thriving after some time.
Bugs start to dream about that ancient light once more. The Radiance could manifest in the real world because the bugs were dreaming about her. This time she returned even stronger because she was the heart of the infection.
Radiance’s Fate
During this ending, the Knight gets a new power and takes the chance to utilize this power against the Radiance. He manifests a void in the dream realm. Soon the Radiance realizes that she will be defeated. She flies above, and after one fatal strike, the battle is over.
It is when the Knight is all over the place and hovers. He drifts apart, revealing all the shade inside him. The Knight shows off his incredible affinity to void completely! After getting a few whacks in the face, the Radiance’s light is extinguished. No pun intended, but it will not be a shining moment for her.
The Future Of Hollow Nest
During this ending, there is still a lot of hope left for the hollow nest. But who said the new Kingdom’s name would be hollow nest again? There can be a new name for it because it could be a Kingdom that will rise very well to the top. It is Far Loom!
It’s because it is indeed far away from the hollow nest. Many players might think this is where the entire story of the Hollow Knight will end, but that is not the case. It is because this ending is the beginning of more endings that were added to the game.
Related: How Many Bosses Are In Furi?
Ending # 4: Embrace The Void
Considering how mighty the Godseeker is, her mind is so powerful that it drags the Radiance out of her boss’s realm. This is only to throw her into God’s home for the night to duel. God’s home is going to be closed to the God of Gods!
This will bring out a boss’s most significant potential, explaining the difference between her standard version and her jacked-with-dreams steroids counterpart.
A cherry on top is that you don’t need to kill the dreamers when you want to access her pantheon.
However, it is locked if you lack the void heart, which is only due to a regular fight. The Knight uses this to manifest void against the Radiance during this ending.
The Shade Lord
This is the time when the real potential of the Knight is achieved. You witness this shade, Lord, as it eliminates the Radiance by slashing it into ribbons.
You might be thinking about ending three as you read this, and when you compare both of them, it will turn out that the Radiance’s death is not confirmed in that one.
In this ending, the Radiance is pulled into a sea of void, which further imprisons her forever. A vessel is not a single being in the game because it is an outer body inside an inner shade that coexist.
It is safe to assume that the influence on the shade lord has died completely, and this also explains the supposed rampage during this end.
Ending Of The Raidiance’s Plague
The infection’s influence disappears from the vines. It confirms that you could put a complete stop to the plague of the Radiance. Don’t forget about the hornet because she always awaited the black egg.
Towards this ending, the Hollow Night emerges suddenly. It is aggressive because of the shade Lord’s influence. This is when both siblings are ready for the combat about to come forward. A cut scene ends the game here.
The fate of the hollow nest is unknown. Will a corrupted Godseeker decimate the Kingdom’s surviving inhabitants? We can only hope that the nightshade has peaceful intentions for his actions.
Ending # 5: Delicate Flower
The Delicate Flower ending in Hollow Knight makes one wonder if the pre-modified Godseeker gets lonely in the junk pit. There is a special gift that will give her a lot of company.
A delicate flower quest gives the Knight a task to traverse the entire span of the Hollow Nest. This is a task that is given to him without taking any damage.
Claims By The White Lady
A flash appears During this ending, which removes the dark mass. Within a moment, the dark mass is gone. The flower, the dark mass used to hold once, floats to the ground. The cut scene is shown like the usual black egg one.
Even if the Godseeker teleported far from the hollow nest, the White Lady would claim that there is a rare power hidden in the frail petals of the flower.
It is shown in the cut scene of ending 5, where the void touches one of the nine flower petals. It causes the flower to activate. In the end, there are eight petals left on the flower.
There is no flower or stem left behind in this ending. The hollow nest future is clear, with the God seeker no longer being a threat. This is quite similar to the ending number 3 because the plague of the Radiance is no more.
It is a perfect opportunity for a new civilization to thrive again wholly. The Hollow Knight exits the black egg towards this ending in the game, and the black shell remains in the same position.
The Hornet & Bug Zombie
In ending number 5, the hornet is not an orphan, and the mentor bugs are not infected anymore. If the hollow nest is decimated by void, there is still a tiny probability that Oro and the elder bug activate the delicate flower you gifted them.
Ultimately, the God seeker is still somewhere out there alive. If you spare the dreamers, you uncover that ending five is the best! Lore-wise, watching the ending credit scene is self-explanatory for the players.
Ending # 6: Passage Of The Age
You must find and talk to Mr. Mushroom in different locations to get this ending. This is how the game is completed, but Mr. Mushroom only appears at his first location when the three dreamers are destroyed.
The Mr. Mushroom Journey
It would help if you had the spore shroom and could talk to him. This is how the shroom goes to a different location. Mr. Mushroom is in a room where the fungal waste is directly below the tag station of the queen. You can hear him babbling and talking as you get close to him.
First, you must wake him up; for that, you must nail him. Once you turn around, then you can interact with him directly. Then he will move to his following location, and you have to talk to him over here, and then he will move to the following location: the deep nest.
When you talk to him at the deep nest, he moves to the location known as the howling cliffs in the Hollow Knight. When you talk to him in this location, he moves to the next one, the ancient basin. After that, he moves to the Fog Canyon.
The upcoming location is the King’s Pass. Once the journey is completed, Mr. Mushroom flies away and says a final goodbye. Players see bonus cuts at the end when they complete the game.
Related: How To Get Void Heart In Hollow Knight?
Which Ending Is Canon?
To quote Team Cherry themselves, all endings are canon. You are responsible for choosing the path because this game has no proper endings. They also said they would do their best in all the future content that will account for them all.
With that being said, Mr. Mushroom is going to depart whether or not you see him off. That is right because the intercontinental ballistic Mr. Mushroom is the confirmed Canon by Team Cherry themselves!
What Is The Best Ending In Hollow Knight?
When you defeat the Hollow Knight without the void heart, it is one of the best and easiest endings in this game. This is the ending that you will get on the first playthrough.
Does Hollow Knight Have A True Ending?
No. There is no proper ending in this game. However, you can finish all the endings in one save file. It is incredible because the developers have made it possible for you to obtain all the endings in the game on the same file on your computer.
Can You Do All Endings In Hollow Knight?
Yes. You can do all the endings in Hollow Knight, and the good news is that you can do all of that in the same file. You don’t need to make a new save file on your computer.
Final Thoughts
Hollow Knight is an incredible but somber game. The profound lore holds a lot of sadness under the surface. This game is known for its haunting music and excellent art style. Sometimes that is subtle, but it can be dark as well.
There is always a talk among gamers regarding the ending of The Hollow Knight because it has many. Hollow Knight has no end because it allows you to select between two choices. Both lead to different outcomes, so there is no constant ending.
