Hollow Knight, the challenging action-adventure game developed by Team Cherry, presents players with many formidable opponents. Examples of these enemies are called the Grimmkins. They are menacing and elusive creatures led by the enigmatic Grimm.
Battling these nightmarish foes requires a keen understanding of their patterns and abilities and a deft mastery of your skills. In this guide, we will delve into the strategies and tactics of how to beat Grimmkin in Hollow Knight.
Through this, the Knight can emerge victorious in the hauntingly beautiful world of Hallownest. So, ready your Nail and sharpen your wits, for the secrets to defeating these fearsome foes are about to be unveiled!
Grimmkins in Hollow Knight
The Grimmkins are groups of enemies that are part of the Grimm Troupe. This troupe is a circus that travels from the Nightmare Realm to wherever the Nightmare Lantern is lighted. Their Troupe Master, Grimm, leads them. The Grimm Troupe collects Nightmare Flames from devastated areas to power the Nightmare’s Heart. This is an evil entity that enslaves the Troupe.
The Knight will encounter the Grimmkins as part of a ritual in the Troupe. Master Grimm asks for the Knight’s help. For this ritual, Troupe Master Grimm will ask the Knight to gather Nightmare Flames. To do that, the Knight must defeat the Grimmkins that carry them.
These Grimmkins are ferocious spirits who will laugh, emit flames, and fly around the Knight. The Knight must defeat them to recover the Nightmare Flames they hold with their torches.
After the Knight equips the Grimmchild Charm, the Knight may see the location of each Nightmare Flame and, with them, the Grimmkins. A flame icon represents their whereabouts on the map. Once equipped, the Grimmchild will follow the Knight and slay enemies with them.
Remembering that the Grimmkins can only be found and defeated in The Grimm Troupe DLC is vital. Therefore, the player must first install this free content pack to face them.
Summoning the Grimm Troupe
To face the Grimmkins in Hollow Knight, the Knight must first summon The Grimm Troupe. To accomplish this, the Knight must light the Nightmare Lantern in the lower portion of Howling Cliffs. Once the Knight heads to the area pinned above, the Knight will find the corpse of a large bug.
Hit the corpse with the Dream Nail, and it will burst with red Essence. Then, return to the previous area on the left. There, the Knight will find the Nightmare Lantern. Attack the Nightmare Lantern numerous times; the torches in the chamber will light up, and music will begin to play. This means The Grim Troupe has arrived in Dirtmouth!
A few abilities are required for the Knight to reach this location. The Mantis Claw ability is one of them. This ability allows the Knight to cling to and jump off of walls. The Dream Nail ability is the next requirement. The Knight can use this ability to acquire Essence and enter Dreams. Another essential ability is the Mothwing Cloak or Monarch Wings ability.
The Mothwing Cloak ability allows the Knight to move ahead in a horizontal dash. In contrast, the Monarch Wings ability allows the Knight to jump again in mid-air. To light up particularly gloomy rooms, the Knight must additionally purchase the Lumafly Lantern from Sly in Dirtmouth.
Light up the Nightmare Lantern and return to Dirtmouth to meet The Grimm Troupe! Enter the main tent, and Grimm appears in a blaze of crimson light and smoke. The Troupe Master knows that the Knight summoned them with the Lantern and allows them to participate in their Ritual. He then offers the Grimmchild Charm to the Knight and orders them to collect the Nightmare Flames.
Grimm has the Grimmchild devour sets of three Flames for them to grow. Because of that, the Knight will have to beat three sets of three Grimmkins. For each set, the Knight has to defeat three different kinds of Grimmkins: Grimmkin Novices, Grimmkin Masters, and Grimmkin Nightmares.
Grimmkin Novices
The Grimmkin Novices in Hollow Knight are the youthful Grimm Troupe members. They will give up the flames they had accumulated within their torches to someone they think is deserving. The Knight must battle the Grimmkin Novices to obtain the first Flames set. To find them, the Knight must equip the Grimmchild Charm and head to the following areas:
- On the lower left, towards the center of the Greenpath map.
- In the northwest of the City of Tears, a little bit west of the City Storerooms Stag Station.
- In the western part of Crystal Peak, near the Dirtmouth exit.
How to Beat the Grimmkin Novices
To defeat the Grimmkin Novices, it is important to understand their moves and how they behave.
Moves
The Grimmkin Novices are going to execute these moves:
- Charge – The Grimmkin Novice will charge straight towards the Knight.
- Flame Spray – A Grimmkin Novice will launch three fireballs simultaneously. One of the fireballs will be fired forward, while the other two will be fired diagonally. For a few seconds after this attack, the Grimmkin Novice is exposed to attacks.
- Teleport – This enemy will vanish and reappear at various locations throughout the room. Then, it will appear at an identical range from the Knight as before it disappeared. Following this move, the Grimmkin Novice will immediately launch an attack.
Strategy
When the Knight gets close to a torch while wearing the Grimmchild Charm, a Grimmkin Novice will spawn and attack the Knight. The Grimmkin Novice will not stop attacking until the Knight defeats them or flees the room.
All Grimmkin variants have the distinct habit of precisely following the Knight’s movements, keeping an equal distance from the Knight before executing an attack—the Grimmkins teleport after every attack and when the Knight attacks them while they are dashing.
The Knight can use the Shade Cloak ability to avoid or dash through the Grimmkin Novice’s Charge attack. While the enemy executes the Charge attack, the Knight can damage them, which is risky. The Knight can equip the Sharp Shadow Charm to reduce the danger of inflicting damage by dashing through them.
Return to Troupe Master Grimm in Dirtmouth after beating all three Grimmkin Novices. Grimm will then improve the Grimmchild and instruct the Knight to acquire three additional Flames.
Grimmkin Masters
For the second set of Flames, the Knight must eliminate Grimmkin Masters. The Grimmkin Masters are strong members of the Grimm Troupe who pass on the flames within their torches to someone they think is deserving. The Knight can find them in the following areas:
- In the center of King’s Pass.
- In the center of the Resting Grounds.
- In the bottom half of the central cliff of Kingdom’s Edge.
How to Beat the Grimmkin Masters
To beat the Grimmkin Masters, you must first comprehend their attacks and how they move.
Moves
The attacks of the Grimmkin Master are comparable to those of the Grimmkin Novice. The Grimmkin Masters’, however, have a few additions and minor changes. Each of the Grimmkin Masters will perform the following moves:
- Charge – The Grimmkin Master will charge straight toward the Knight. This strike moves quicker than the Grimmkin Novice’s Charge attack.
- Flame Spray – The Grimmkin Masters will launch five fireballs simultaneously. Three of these fireballs are fired in the same manner as the Grimmkin Novice, but two more are fired in between the empty spaces of the latter fireballs. The additional fireballs move at the same speed as the Grimmkin Novice’s Flame Spray attack but are slower than the first three. The speed of the first three fireballs is faster than that of the Grimmkin Novice. For a brief time after the attack, the Grimmkin Master is exposed to attacks.
- Teleport – The Grimmkin Masters will teleport to a random location in the room. However, they will always reappear at the same distance away from the Knight. This enemy will then attack after reappearing.
- Flame Spiral – This enemy will launch four fireballs around its body. The Grimmkin Masters are now open to attacks due to this attack.
In the battle, the Knight can implement the tips mentioned by the Grimmkin Novices. However, the Grimmkin Masters will be more challenging than the Grimmkin Novices.
After defeating all three Grimmkin Masters and collecting the Flames, head back to the Grimm Troupe’s tent in Dirtmouth. Troupe Master Grimm will test the Knight’s skills in a fiery boss battle. He will say it is to prepare for the Knight’s confrontation with the Nightmare King.
After defeating Grimm, he will give the Knight a Charm Notch. Additionally, the player will unlock the “Grand Performance” achievement. Troupe Master Grimm will then upgrade the Grimmchild one more time. This will enable the Knight to find the final set of Grimmkins: the Grimmkin Nightmares.
Grimmkin Nightmare
The Grimmkin Nightmares in Hollow Knight are the Grimm Troupe’s most horrific members. They will also give the flames gathered within their torches to someone they believe is deserving. To find them, the Knight must equip the Grimmchild Charm and head to the following locations:
- Near the bottom of the Fungal Core. This is a sub-area in the southwesternmost part of the Fungal Wastes area.
- Near the entrance at the bottommost part of the Royal Waterways area.
- Inside the large room in the northwest of the Hive. This is a sub-area in the south of Kingdom’s Edge.
How to Beat the Grimmkin Nightmares
The player must first understand the attacks and movements of the Grimmkin Nightmares to beat them.
Moves
The Grimmkin Nightmares’ attacks are similar to those of the Grimmkin Masters. The Nightmares’ attacks, on the other hand, feature a few additions and adjustments. The Grimmkin Nightmares will execute the following moves:
- Charge – The Grimmkin Nightmare will charge at the Knight with incredible speed. This attack is quicker than the Grimmkin Master’s.
- Teleport – This enemy will teleport to a random location a fixed distance away from the Knight. The Knight will then launch an attack.
- Flame Spray – The Grimmkin Nightmare will launch five fireballs simultaneously. The attack’s pattern is similar to that of the Grimmkin Master, except each set goes faster. After that, the Grimmkin Nightmare is susceptible for a few seconds.
- Flame Spiral – The Grimmkin Nightmare releases five fireballs from its body. The Grimmkin Nightmare is also vulnerable as a result of this attack.
- Flame Pillars – This enemy quickly releases three fire pillars beneath the Knight. The Nightmare is also open as a result of this attack.
Strategy
In the battle, the Knight can implement the tips mentioned by the Grimmkin Novices and Grimmkin Masters. However, the Grimmkin Nightmares will be the most challenging compared to the Grimmkin Novices and Grimmkin Masters.
The Shade Cloak ability allows the Knight to escape or dash through the Grimmkin Nightmare’s Charge attack. The Knight can inflict damage on the enemy while the enemy is doing the Charge attack, which is hazardous. The Knight can equip the Sharp Shadow Charm to lessen the risk of dealing damage by dashing through them.
After defeating all three Grimmkin Nightmares, the Knight can then find Brumm in Deepnest. The Knight can get the last Nightmare Flame from Brumm. From here, the Knight can do or trigger either of two scenarios: face the Nightmare King Grimm in Dirtmouth or meet Brumm again in Howling Cliffs. The Knight can only pursue one of these scenarios and trigger different endings to the quest.
Conclusion
Beating the Grimmkin in Hollow Knight is no small feat. Armed with knowledge and determination, you can overcome these formidable adversaries. By studying their movements, understanding their attack patterns, and refining your combat techniques, you’ll be better equipped to face the challenges they present. Patience and practice are your allies in this dark and mesmerizing world.
As you refine your skills and delve deeper into the mysteries of Hallownest, the triumph over the Grimmkin will stand as a testament to your growth as a skilled knight. Embrace the challenge, embrace the dance, and emerge victorious against the shadows that seek to test your skills.
