What bosses do I need to beat to finish?

What bosses do I need to beat to finish Hollow Knight depends on which ending you're pursuing, as this challenging Metroidvania offers multiple conclusion paths with varying boss requirements.

Required Bosses for Basic Completion

To reach the standard ending, you must defeat these essential bosses:

- False Knight - Your first major boss encounter in the Crossroads

- Hornet (Greenpath) - Guards the Mothwing Cloak ability

- Soul Master - Located in the Soul Sanctum, drops Desolate Dive

- Broken Vessel - Found in Ancient Basin, necessary for progression

- Watcher Knights - Three armored sentinels protecting Lurien the Watcher

- The Hollow Knight - The final boss for the basic ending

Additional Bosses for True Endings

For the game's deeper endings, you'll need to conquer additional challenging foes:

Dream Bosses

- Elder Hu, Galien, Markoth, No Eyes, and Xero - Five Warrior Dreams that yield Essence

- Lost Kin - The dream version of Broken Vessel

- Soul Tyrant - Dream variant of Soul Master

- Failed Champion - Dream version of False Knight

Critical Late-Game Bosses

- Hornet (Kingdom's Edge) - Second encounter for Void Heart charm

- Radiance - True final boss accessed through the Hollow Knight fight

- Nightmare King Grimm - Optional but related to certain completion paths

Dreamer Bosses

Three Dreamers must be defeated to progress: Lurien (after Watcher Knights), Monomon (after Uumuu), and Herrah (after completing Deepnest areas).

The exact boss count varies based on your chosen path, but expect to face 15-20+ major bosses for full completion. Each encounter tests different combat skills and requires mastering Hollow Knight's precise movement mechanics. Ready to dive deeper into specific boss strategies or explore the game's intricate lore connections?