Learn how to beat the Watcher Knights in Hollow Knight!
Hollow Knight, a Metroidvania action-adventure game developed by Team Cherry, follows the story of a nameless warrior known as the Knight as they traverse through Hallownest. Because of an unnatural infection, this kingdom is now in ruin.
On the Knight’s quest, they will meet a variety of individuals who will help completely unravel the game’s tale. Among the many tough enemies, the Watcher Knights are hard to beat. These tough, armored guards are one of the trickiest bosses in the game, and winning against them requires skill and smart thinking.
This guide will help you understand how to find and beat the Watcher Knights. Get your Nail ready, equip your Charms, and let’s learn how to emerge victorious against these fearsome foes!
The Watcher Knights in Hollow Knight
The Watcher Knights are the ones that guard the entrance to Lurien, the Watcher’s current location in the game. The being they protect, Lurien the Watcher, is one of the Dreamers the Knight encounters in the game. Although there are six in total, the Knight will encounter the Watcher Knights in a single-boss battle.
According to in-game lore, the Watcher Knights guard the Watcher’s Spire and Lurien’s sleeping body. However, they passed away while keeping watch, leaving only their shells. Now, because of this, A swarm of infected flies flying above their empty shells then begin to get into the shells one by one. With that, the swarm of flies can resurrect the Watcher Knights and continue for the defense of Lurien’s Watcher.
How to Find the Watcher Knights in Hollow Knight
The Knight can find the Watcher Knights in the middle of the Watcher’s Spire. This is a sub-area in the City of Tears. To continue up the Watcher’s Spire, the Knight must first beat the Watcher Knights.
Requirements
The Knight must first have a few abilities to find and battle the Watcher Knights. The first one is the Mantis Claw ability. This ability enables the Knight to stick and slide down vertical surfaces and jump off them. In addition, the Knight must also have the Monarch Wings ability to reach the Watcher’s Spire. This ability enables the Knight to perform another jump while in mid-air.
Enemies
The Knight will face several enemies on the way to the Watcher Knights. Specifically, the Knight will run into a few Cowardly Husks, Gluttonous Husks, Husk Dandies, Great Husk Sentries, Husk Sentry, Winged Sentries, Lance Sentry, and Heavy Sentry.
Path to the Watcher Knights
To find the Watcher Knights, the Knight must do the following:
- Begin at the Hollow Knight Memorial near the bottom middle of the City of Tears. The Knight should take the path on the right, where the Knight will confront a Cowardly Husk and a Husk Dandy. Exit the room on the right.
- Next, head for the elevator near the room’s entrance and go up a level. Go a little bit right to find a glass floor. This can also gap if the Knight has destroyed it using the Descending Dark spell. Above it is a platform. Use the Monarch Wings ability to execute a double jump and reach that platform. Go slightly to the left and exit the room using the path above.
- Afterward, go to the right, where the Knight will run into a Cowardly Husk and a Husk Dandy. Go up using the Monarch Wings ability and the Mantis Claw ability. The Knight will run into Winged Sentries and Lance Sentries on the way up. At the top, go to the left, where there will be a path on the floor and an exit on the left. Exit the room on the left to find a Bench in the next room. Let the Knight sit on the Bench to heal up and save your progress.
- Then, head back to the previous room and drop down on the path below. Here, the Knight will run into a Cowardly Husk, a Husk Dandy, and a Husk Sentry. Go a little bit to the right and drop down. Here, where the Knight will run into a Gluttonous Husk. Go a little bit to the left, then drop down. Here, the Knight must beat a Great Husk Sentry and a Winged Sentry to continue. Once defeated, the path on the right will open up where there is a lever on the ceiling. Attack the lever to open a pathway back to the previous part of the room.
- Following that, take the newly-opened path and drop down the gap. Go to the right to find a newly-opened path, then head up a level. Here, the Knight will run into another Gluttonous Husk. Double jump to go up another level, go to the right, and head up.
- Here, the Knight will run into a Heavy Sentry. Go to the left and head up the shaft using the Mantis Claw ability. On top, go to the right and exit using the path above. It is worth noting that hitting the lever at the top of the shaft will open a gate that will serve as a shortcut to the Bench mentioned earlier.
- After that, in this next room, there will be two paths. One is on the left, where the Knight will run into a Great Husk Sentry, a Husk Dandy, a Gluttonous Husk, and a Cowardly Husk. Another is above, where the Knight will find a Winged Sentry.
- Climb the wall on the right to head up and find a Winged Sentry. Jump towards the platform on the left. Go to the left to find an elevator. Ride the elevator up. On top, head to the left, then, near the end of the path, exit the room using the path above.
- Finally, ride the elevator on the left. On top, go to the right, and the path back and to continue will close and trap the Knight inside a room. Then, the Knight will face the Watcher Knights!
How to Beat the Watcher Knights
To emerge victorious against the Watcher Knights, it is important to understand their moves and behavior.
Moves and Attacks
Each of the Watcher Knights may use the following moves in battle:
- Run – Before executing another attack, a Watcher Knight will run to the Knight.
- Double Slash – A Watcher Knight will swing its massive Nail horizontally from the top, then vertically. Every time the Watcher Knight swings its Nail, it moves forward slightly.
- Roll – A Watcher Knight will curl into a ball and roll across the room’s floor until it gets to the opposite side. The Knight’s Nail strikes will not be able to get through and inflict damage while it is rolling. Fortunately, the Knight’s Spells can penetrate and cause some damage.
- Bouncing Roll – A Watcher Knight will curl into a ball and bounce two times on the floor. The initial bounce of this attack sends the Watcher Knight to the room’s ceiling, while the second bounce just sends him to the midway. While the Watcher Knight executes this attack, it will target the Knight, implying that the Knight’s current position determines the attacker’s movement. The Watcher Knight may bounce twice while moving across the arena or in place. The Knight’s Nail strikes, like the Roll attack, will not be able to penetrate and inflict damage when performing the Bouncing Roll attack. Meanwhile, the Knight’s Spells will also be able to penetrate and cause some damage.
- Back Roll – To avoid the Knight, a Watcher Knight will curl up into a ball and roll away. A Watcher Knight will only use this attack if two Watcher Knights are left active in combat.
Strategy and Tips
When the Knight arrives and crosses the Watcher Knights’ arena, the gates to continue and back will close. Then, a swarm of infected flies begins to enter the shells of the Watcher Knights one by one. They will then reanimate the Watcher Knights and start attacking the Knight.
The Knight will face one Watcher Knight first, then another after 20 seconds. If the first one is beaten before the other Watcher Knight appears, two more Watcher Knights will appear instead of only one. When the Knight defeats one of them, another will enter the battle. This will continue until the Knight has eliminated all six Watcher Knights. The Knight can only fight two Watcher Knights at once.
It is worth noting that there is a way to defeat one Watcher Knight before fighting with them. To accomplish this, jump up and strike the ceiling directly before the Watcher Knights’ arena. Doing so will cause it to break and reveal a hidden pathway.
Head up this path until the Knight reaches a rope linked to the chandelier in the Watcher Knight’s arena. Strike this rope several times to break it. This will let the chandelier fall on one of the Watcher Knights below and eliminate it before the battle begins. After that, the Knight will have to fight five Watcher Knights.
In battle, you can tell if a Watcher Knight is about to use the Double Slash move. The indicator is that it will wind up its nail first before attacking.
When it comes to the Roll attack, you will see that a Watcher Knight will lean back somewhat before curling up into a ball and executing the attack.
Furthermore, if a Watcher Knight performs the Bouncing Roll attack, it will bounce somewhat before curling up into a ball and executing it.
As previously said, the Knight will fight two Watcher Knights at once. Because of that, it would be a dangerous situation if the Knight gets cornered. Jump over the Watcher Knights and attack them above to escape that challenge. This would be an effective counterattack because the Bouncing Roll attack is the only way to resist the Knight’s strikes from above.
The Knight’s abilities can aid in avoiding the Watcher Knights’ attacks. One example is the Mothwing Cloak ability, which enables the Knight to dash forward. Another is the Shade Cloak ability, which allows the Knight to dash through enemies and their attacks.
This ability is the upgrade of the Mothwing Cloak ability. Next is the Monarch Wings ability. This ability enables the Knight to execute another jump while in the air. The last one is the Mantis Claw ability. This ability enables the Knight to stick to vertical surfaces and jump off them.
Spells are a great way of dealing massive damage to the Watcher Knights. The Vengeful Spirit Spell or its upgrade, the Shade Soul Spell, would be very useful. This is because these swift spells will send out a spirit (or shadow in the case of Shade Soul Spell) that will fly forward and damage opponents in its path. With that, the Knight can hit both active Watcher Knights at the same time.
The Desolate Dive Spell or its upgrade, the Descending Dark Spell, would also be useful. With these spells, the Knight will hit the floor with concentrated Soul and damage the ground-bound Watcher Knights. Don’t use this spell if both Watcher Knights are off the ground and using the Bouncing Roll attack.
Equipping Charms can greatly help in the battle against the Watcher Knights:
| Charm | Effect |
|---|---|
| Quick Focus Charm | Helps speed up Focus and heal faster. |
| Longnail Charm | Increases the length of the Knight’s Nail by 15%. |
| Mark of Pride Charm | Increases the length of the Knight’s Nail by 25%. |
| Shaman Stone Charm | Increases the size and damage of the Knight’s Spells |
| Grubsong Charm | Helps the Knight gain Soul every time the Knight receives damage. |
| Spell Twister Charm | Reduces the amount of Soul the Knight needs to cast Spells. |
| Stalwart Shell Charm | Increases the invincibility time and reduces the recoil every time the Knight receives damage. |
| Spore Shroom Charm | Helps by releasing a cloud of spores around the Knight that deals damage to enemies |
| Sharp Shadow Charm | Reduces the cooldown needed to use the Mothwing Cloak ability again by 33%. If paired with the Sharp Shadow Charm, the Dashmaster Charm also raises the damage from dashing through enemies. |
| Dashmaster Charm | Reduces the cooldown needed to use the Mothwing Cloak ability again by 33%. If paired with the Sharp Shadow Charm, the Dashmaster Charm also raises the damage dealt by dashing through enemies. |
Conclusion
In the face of the Watcher Knights’ formidable challenge in Hollow Knight, persistence and adaptability is key. You can turn the tide of battle in your favor by understanding their patterns, optimizing your charms, and refining your combat techniques.
Remember, victory over these bosses signifies a personal triumph and your progression as a skilled adventurer within the hauntingly beautiful world of Hallownest. So, stay focused, continue honing your skills, and with determination, you will emerge victorious against the Watcher Knights! With that, you are ready to conquer whatever challenges lie ahead in this captivating journey.
