One of the most exhilarating challenges that the Knight must confront in the treacherous and beautiful world of Hollow Knight is none other than the formidable entity known as Troupe Master Grimm. Grimm takes the stage as a fierce boss encounter that pushes players to their limits with his dark allure and captivating dance.
The Knight must travel to the hazardous depths of Hallownest to meet Troupe Master Grimm. Armed with the Nail and an indestructible spirit, the Knight must master precise movements and timing to defeat this dreadful opponent. Victory over Grimm becomes a tribute to one’s skill, adaptability, and unwavering determination.
Brace yourself because the scene has been set, and the moment has come to confront the enigmatic Grimm and emerge victorious from this thrilling showdown. In this guide, we’ll discuss how to find and, of course, how to beat Grimm in Hollow Knight!
Before trying to find and beat Troupe Master Grimm, it is important to mention that the player can only find Troup Master Grimm in The Grimm Troupe DLC. The player must first download and install this free content pack to battle Grimm and complete the story it offers.
Troupe Master Grimm and The Grimm Troupe
Grimm is the leader of The Grimm Troupe, a traveling circus. The Grimm Troupe moves from the Nightmare Realm to wherever the Nightmare Lantern is lit. They harvest Nightmare Flames from wrecked regions to power the Nightmare’s Heart, the evil creature who enslaves the Troupe.
How to Summon The Grimm Troupe
To face Troupe Master Grimm, the Knight must first summon The Grimm Troupe. To do that, the Knight must light up the Nightmare Lantern. The Knight can find this in the lower half of the middle of Howling Cliffs.
Abilities and Items Needed
A few abilities are required for the Knight to reach the location mentioned. The Mantis Claw ability is one of them. This ability enables the Knight to cling to and jump off vertical surfaces. The Dream Nail ability is the next requirement.
The Knight can use this ability to acquire Essence and enter Dreams. Another requirement is the Mothwing Cloak or Monarch Wings ability. The Mothwing Cloak ability allows the Knight to move forwards in a horizontal dash. In contrast, the Monarch Wings ability allows the Knight to jump again in mid-air.
To light up, particularly dark rooms, the Knight must additionally purchase the Lumafly Lantern from Sly in Dirtmouth.
Path to the Nightmare Lantern and Summon The Grimm Troupe
To find the Nightmare Lantern, this is what the Knight must do:
- Go to the left from the Bench in Dirtmouth, then use the Mantis Claw ability to climb up the wall at the end. Dash (Mothwing Cloak ability) or double jump (Monarch Wings) to the next platform at the top of the wall, then enter through the door.
- The Knight has arrived at King’s Pass. Go to the left, then down the gap to the right. Drop down the gap and continue to the left using the platforms. Proceed to the bottom on the right side of the spikes.
- Then, proceed to the right of what appears to be a wall to expose a hidden section of the area. Cross the spikes by dashing or double jumping to the right. Drop down into the gap where the Lumafly Lantern is utilized to illuminate the area. Go to the left to find a Geo Chest. It will release the Fury of the Fallen charm when you hit it.
- Then, proceed to the left, down the tiny gap, then to the left again, where the Knight will encounter a Crawlid. Go to the platform on the left, where the Knight will encounter another Crawlid, then leap across the gap and head to the left, with an open area.
- After that, proceed to the left of what appears to be the room’s wall to find another hidden path. Follow this path, climb the thin shaft, watch for spikes, and exit at the top.
- Next, proceed to the next platform above, then go to the left, where a wooden structure supports a wall. Attack the wooden structure multiple times to open up the passage.
- The Knight will now be in Howling Cliffs if he goes to the left and up the platforms, where they will meet a Crawlid. The Knight will find another Crawlid to the left. Cross the gap utilizing the small platforms where the Knight will find a Tiktik, a Vengefly, and another Crawlid. Pass Gorb the Great Mind’s tomb to the left and cross the gap using the little platforms to find another Vengefly and Tiktik. Exit via the path on the left.
- Then, turn left and plummet down through the gap to land on a little platform. The Knight will encounter another Vengefly, Tiktik, and Crawlids here. Head down the shaft below, then along the passage on the right to be on a platform with pieces of paper. Head to the left, drop down the gap, then to the left again to land on a platform containing a Crawlid. Go to the right, then jump down the gap to a small platform below. On the left, the Knight will encounter another Crawlid.
- Next, proceed to the right wall and strike it numerous times to break it down to uncover a hidden path. Head to the right and descend the shaft, where the Knight will find a Wanderer’s Journal. Proceed to the wall on the right. Strike this wall several times to break it down and uncover an exit. Take the newly-revealed exit.
- Then, proceed to the right to enter another room. A big bug’s carcass may be found near the far right end of this room. When you strike the huge bug with the Dream Nail ability, it will burst with red Essence.
- Finally, return to the previous area on the left, where the Knight will find the Nightmare Lantern. When you strike the Nightmare Lantern numerous times, the torches in the room will light up, and music will start playing. This means that The Grim Troupe has arrived in Dirtmouth!
After all this, the Knight can return to Dirtmouth and find The Grimm Troupe! Their tents are set up to the left of the Bench and Sly’s shop.
When the Knight enters the main tent, Grimm appears in a blaze of crimson light and smoke. The Troupe Master knows that the Knight summoned them with the Lantern and invites the Knight to participate in their Ritual. He then hands the Grimmchild Charm to the Knight and assigns them to gather the Nightmare Flames.
Read: How To Beat Soul Master
Grimm has the Grimmchild devour each set of three Nightmare Flames that the Knight collects for the Grimmchild to develop. After the second set, Grimm will test the Knight’s strength as a boss in a tense, theatrical battle. According to Grimm, this is in preparation for the Knight’s meeting with the Nightmare King.
How to Battle Troupe Master Grimm
As previously stated, the Knight must gather two sets of three Nightmare Flames before facing Troupe Master Grimm in battle. After equipping the Grimmchild Charm, the Knight can locate each of these Flames.
Once equipped, the Grimmchild will follow the Knight around and help deal damage to enemies. If the Grimmchild Charm is equipped, the Knight can see the locations of the first three Flames on the map. A flame icon represents their whereabouts on the map.
Grimmkins are carrying every one of these Flames. These Grimmkins are ferocious spirits who will laugh, emit flames, and fly around the Knight. The Knight must defeat them to recover the Flames they carry on their torches.
First Set of Flames: Grimmkin Novices
The Knight must eliminate the Grimmkin Novices to obtain the first Flames set. The Knight can find them in the following locations:
- On the lower left, towards the center of the Greenpath map.
- In the northwest of the City of Tears, a bit west of the City Storerooms Stag Station.
- In the western part of Crystal Peak, in the middle of the path that leads to Dirtmouth.
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.
Second Set of Flames: Grimmkin Masters
The Knight must eliminate the Grimmkin Masters for the second set of Flames. The Knight can find them in the following areas:
- Located in the middle of King’s Pass, west of Dirtmouth.
- In the center of the Resting Grounds.
- The lower portion of Kingdom’s Edge’s central cliff.
How to Beat Grimm
The Knight can now face Troupe Master Grimm after fighting all three Grimmkin Masters and gathering the Flames! To do that, the Knight must return to The Grimm Troupe’s main tent in Dirtmouth.
Moves
- Teleport – Grimm will vanish and reappear in a random location within the room. Grimm will then launch an attack.
- Skitter – If Grimm reappears on the ground too close to the Knight, he will run away on all fours. Grimm will then launch an attack. Although uncommon, Grimm may perform a ground attack, Skitter, and another ground attack.
- Fire Bats – Troupe Master Grimm will open his cloak and release three Fire Bats towards the Knight. These Fire Bats will keep on following the Knight. Grimm will remain motionless during this attack. If the Knight reaches within reach of Grimm before he fires out three Fire Bats, Grimm will teleport to a location in the arena to shoot out one final Fire Bat. This Fire Bat is unstoppable. This suggests that Grimm might only be able to send out one Fire Bat.
- Dive Dash – This boss will teleport and reappear in the air, posing as a drill and diving toward the Knight. Grimm will then land and run towards the Knight, holding his cloak like a lance. Grimm will follow the Knight’s position during the first few seconds of the dive. The dive might go throughout the full arena.
- Dash Uppercut – Grimm will dash across the arena while striking. He will then jump into the air and deliver an uppercut. Grimm will teleport from the top of the uppercut and launch five fireballs in an arc downward.
- Cloak Spikes – When this boss throws his cloak to the ground, tall, thin spikes sprout from the ground. These spikes will reach the arena’s ceiling with spaces in between. The spikes do not cause harm until they reach full height and last around a half-second.
- Pufferfish – Troupe Master Grimm will wrap his cloak around his body before launching miniature fireballs around the arena. Grimm will perform this attack in the center of the room when his health reaches 75%, 50%, and 25%. The fireballs travel in five directions and usually follow the Knight in groups of two. Grimm launches twelve fireballs, with every fourth batch falling at the bottom. During this strike, the Knight cannot use certain attacks on Grimm. Furthermore, Grimm cannot be staggered while performing the move.
Tips
Because Grimm teleports and rarely stays in one place for long, it’s best to inflict as much damage on him as quickly as possible.
Grimm will bow before attacking at the beginning of the encounter. If the Knight hits Grimm now, Grimm will launch the Pufferfish attack immediately.
During Grimm’s Pufferfish attack, the Knight can avoid most of the flames by staying near the right or left border of the screen and jumping a little.
After making a double jump (with the help of the Monarch Wings ability) and dashing over the Fire Bats, the Knight can attack Grimm.
It is recommended that the Knight heals while Grimm does the Cloak Spikes. This is made easier by the Quick Focus Charm.
The Knight can avoid Grimm’s Dive Dash and Dash Uppercut attacks using the Shade Cloak ability. If the Knight also equipped the Sharp Shadow Charm, the Knight can dash through Grimm to inflict damage.
Grimm’s Dash Uppercut attack’s five projectiles form a cone shape once they are shot. As a result, the Knight should stand next to Grimm when Grimm explodes into the fire during the Dash Uppercut attack. This is also a healing opportunity, particularly if the Knight is equipped with the Quick Focus Charm.
Each Spell in the Knight’s arsenal has a particular use against Grimm. While Grimm performs the Fire Bats, Cloak Spikes, and Pufferfish attacks, the Knight can utilize the Vengeful Spirit and Shade Soul Spell.
The Desolate Dive and Descending Dark Spell can be used by the Knight as soon as Grimm prepares for the Dive Dash attack so that Grimm dives in the middle of the spell. The Knight can also use these spells to avoid the Dive Dash attack.
In addition, before Grimm’s fireballs appear during the Pufferfish attack, the Knight can utilize the Howling Wraiths and Abyss Shriek Spells. Because Grimm is higher than the Knight, the Knight can cast these spells during the Cloak Spikes attack.
The Knight can also employ Nail Arts against Grimm. The Great Slash and Dash Slash Nail Arts inflict 2.5x Nail damage. Also, these Nail Arts provide a good range to deliver damage to Grimm while avoiding danger, especially during the Cloak Spikes, Dash Uppercut, and Fire Bats attacks.
Grimm will stagger for 3.5 seconds after sustaining enough damage. During this time, Grimm will disperse as a swarm of bats that mimics the Grimmchild. Grimm is the bat with the red eyes in this swarm. Even if hitting Grimm in this form does not eliminate the stagger, there is a damage cap of 50. After the stagger, the bats return to Grimm.
When fighting Grimm, the Shape of Unn Charm is a significant help for healing. It decreases the Knight’s hitbox, allowing him to heal comfortably while Grimm executes the Fire Bats attack. Combining this charm with the Quick Focus Charm, the Knight can sprint while healing during the Dash Uppercut or Cloak Spikes attacks.
The Knight can repeatedly cast the Abyss Shriek Spell with the Shaman Stone Charm equipped to deal massive damage and quickly decrease Grimm’s HP. In this scenario, the Grubsong Charm comes in handy because it gives the Knight more Soul to spend on casting the Abyss Shriek spell every time the Knight receives damage.
The Knight can also combine this with the Grubberfly’s Elegy Charm to increase the amount of Soul acquired. Remember that Grimm can perform the Pufferfish attack multiple times in a row. As a result, if the Knight does not have enough Soul to deplete Grimm’s HP completely, the Knight will struggle to attack or heal in between.
After ultimately conquering Troupe Master Grimm, the player will gain a Charm Notch and the Grand Performance Achievement!
Conclusion
The player must be ready for a grueling battle of precision and timing to defeat the elusive Grimm in Hollow Knight. Learning Grimm’s moves and behavior in battle is critical since it lets players anticipate their attacks and respond appropriately.
Additionally, charms that improve agility, boost damage output, or provide healing opportunities can be useful in battle. Patience is essential since charging headlong into the conflict might have fatal effects.
Instead, maintaining calm and carefully studying Grimm’s moves while taking opportunities is critical. Players can emerge victorious, claiming a hard-earned victory with dedication, practice, and a complete understanding of the boss’s mechanics. With all that in mind, the Knight can beat Grimm in Hollow Knight in no time.
