Which bosses are required?

Which bosses are required in Hollow Knight depends on your specific goals, but certain bosses must be defeated to complete the main story and unlock different endings.

Required Bosses for Basic Completion

To reach any ending in Hollow Knight, you must defeat the False Knight, Hornet (Greenpath), and Hornet (Kingdom's Edge). These three bosses are absolutely mandatory as they block critical story progression paths and provide essential abilities like the Mothwing Cloak.

The Hollow Knight Fight

The titular boss The Hollow Knight serves as the final required boss for the standard ending. This fight takes place in the Temple of the Black Egg and represents the minimum requirement for completing the game's main narrative.

Dream Boss Requirements

For the "Dream No More" true ending, additional bosses become required. Players must defeat three of the four Dream Bosses: Lost Kin, Soul Tyrant, Failed Champion, and White Defender. These upgraded versions of earlier bosses provide Essence needed to upgrade the Dream Nail.

Optional But Significant Bosses

While not technically required, Broken Vessel and Soul Master are practically mandatory since they guard essential abilities (Monarch Wings and Desolate Dive respectively) needed for meaningful progression.

The Radiance becomes required only if you're pursuing the true ending, serving as the ultimate challenge after defeating The Hollow Knight with the upgraded Dream Nail.

Path Flexibility

Hollow Knight's interconnected world design means that while these bosses are required, the order of encounters offers considerable flexibility. Most players will naturally encounter False Knight early, but the timing of other required bosses can vary significantly based on exploration choices.

Mastering these required encounters opens up Hollow Knight's rich optional content, including challenging bosses like Nightmare King Grimm and the Path of Pain's demanding platforming sequences.