How to Find the Grubs in Fungal Wastes in Hollow Knight

Learn how to find the Grubs in Fungal Waste in Hollow Knight!

Team Cherry’s Metroidvania action-adventure game, Hollow Knight, follows the journey of a nameless warrior called the Knight as he travels through Hallownest, which is now a kingdom in ruins because of a supernatural disease. As the Knight journeys through Hallownest, he will encounter various characters that will help fully unravel the story in the game. Some of these characters are cute little creatures called Grubs.

Grubs are small green creatures trapped inside glass jars that the Knight will find throughout Hallownest. These Grubs were trapped by a Void creature named The Collector, who loves to collect dead and alive bugs all around Hallownest and preserve them in glass jars.

The Knight will know if there is a Grub nearby as its high-pitched crying can be heard in its general direction. Then, once the Knight finds one, the Knight can free them by striking the glass jar with the Nail to break it. After the Knight frees a Grub, it will do a little high-pitched shout of joy and burrow into the ground to return to its colony with the Grubfather.

There are a total of 46 Grubs all over Hallownest, and there are a few rewards for freeing a specific number of Grubs:

For the first four Grubs found, the Grubfather, found in the northwesternmost part of the Forgotten Crossroads, will reward the Knight with Geo (10 Geo for the first Grub, 20 Geo for the second, 30 Geo for the third, and 40 Geo for the fourth Grub found).
After freeing the fifth Grub, the Grubfather will reward the Knight with a Mask Shard.
After freeing the sixth to ninth Grubs, the Grubfather will reward the Knight with Geo (50 Geo for the sixth, 60 Geo for the seventh, 70 Geo for the eighth, and 80 Geo for the ninth Grub found).
After freeing the tenth Grub, the Grubfather will reward the Knight the Grubsong Charm, which allows the Knight to gain Soul when taking damage.
After freeing the 11th to 15th Grub, the Grubfather will reward the Knight with Geo (90 Geo for the 11th, 100 Geo for the 12th, 110 Geo for the 13th, 120 Geo for the 14th, and 130 Geo for the 15th Grub found).
After freeing the 16th Grub, the Grubfather will reward the Knight with a Rancid Egg.
After freeing the 17th to 22nd Grub, the Grubfather will reward the Knight with Geo (140 Geo for the 17th, 150 Geo for the 18th, 160 Geo for the 19th, 165 Geo for the 20th, 170 Geo for the 21st, and 180 Geo for the 22nd Grub found).
After freeing half (23) of the total Grubs, the Grubfather will reward the Knight with a Hallownest Seal, and the Grubfriend Achievement will be unlocked.
After freeing the 24th to 30th Grub, the Grubfather will reward the Knight with Geo (200 Geo for the 24th, 200 Geo for the 25th, 205 Geo for the 26th, 210 Geo for the 27th, 215 Geo for the 28th, 220 Geo for the 29th, and 220 Geo for the 30th Grub found).
After freeing the 31st Grub, the Grubfather will reward the Knight with a Pale Ore.
After freeing the 32nd to 37th Grub, the Grubfather will reward the Knight with Geo (230 Geo for the 32nd, 235 Geo for the 33rd, 240 Geo for the 34th, 245 Geo for the 35th, 250 Geo for the 36th, and 255 Geo for the 37th Grub found).
After freeing the 38th Grub, the Grubfather will reward the Knight with a King’s Idol.
After freeing the 39th to 45th Grub, the Grubfather will reward the Knight with Geo (260 Geo for the 39th, 265 Geo for the 40th, 270 Geo for the 41st, 280 Geo for the 42nd, 290 Geo for the 43rd, 295 Geo for the 44th, and 300 Geo for the 45th Grub found).
After freeing all of the Grubs around Hallownest, the Grubfather will reward the Knight the Grubberfly’s Elegy Charm, which allows the Knight to fire projectiles when attacking using the Nail and when at full health, and the Metamorphosis Achievement is unlocked.

This guide will teach you how to find all the Grubs in Fungal Wastes!

Fungal Wastes Grub 1

A screenshot of the location of a Grub in the Fungal Wastes

There are two Grubs in the Fungal Wastes area. One can be found at the end of a narrow path with purple mushrooms in the middle part of Fungal Wastes.

The Knight will encounter various enemies in Fungal Wastes. Still, the Knight will specifically encounter the following enemies on the way to the first Grub: a Fungoon, Funglings, an Ambloom, and a Fungified Husk.

Before the Knight can find the Grub that was mentioned, it is recommended that the Knight has the Mantis Claw ability, which allows the Knight to cling to walls and jump off of them, the Mothwing Cloak ability, which allows the Knight to perform a horizontal dash forward, and the Monarch Wings ability, which allows the Knight to perform a double jump in mid-air. With these abilities, finding the first Grub in Fungal Wastes will be no challenge.

To find the first Grub in Fungal Wastes, this is what the Knight must do:

Starting from the Bench in the Queen’s Station Stagway Station, take the exit on the right to leave the room, jump up the small platforms on the left side of the middle part of the room, then take the exit on the top right.
Next, the Knight has now arrived in the Fungal Wastes area. Head to the right, jump across the gap with a pool of acid, head to the right where the Knight will encounter a Fungoon, jump across the gap, head to the right where the Knight will encounter two Funglings, drop down the gap, then take the exit in the middle below.
Then, head to the left, drop down the gap, head to the bottom using the small platforms, head to the right, drop down the gap, head to the right, and head up the tall elevated platform by nail-bouncing on the purple mushrooms or with the help of the Mantis Claw ability, drop down the gap on the right, head to the right, drop down the gap on the right, and head to the left where the Knight will encounter an Ambloom.
After that, drop down on the gap on the left, drop down the gap on the right, and land on a small platform; drop down the gap on the right where the Knight will encounter a Fungified Husk, head to the right, head up the platforms on the right, head to the right, and drop down the gap on the right where the Knight will encounter another Ambloom.
Next, drop down the gap on the right, head to the right, and jump up the platforms where the Knight will find a path upwards above some purple mushrooms.
Then, head up the path by nail-bouncing on the purple mushrooms or with the help of the Mantis Claw ability, where the Knight will encounter three Funglings.
After that, head to the narrow path on the right, where the floor and ceiling of the path are filled with purple mushrooms and where the Knight will encounter four Funglings.
Finally, at the end of the path, the Knight will find a Grub inside a glass jar! The Knight can now strike the glass jar and free the Grub!

Fungal Wastes Grub 2

The second Grub in Fungal Wastes can be found at the northwestern corner of a room in the westernmost part of Fungal Wastes.

The Knight will encounter various enemies in Fungal Wastes. Still, the Knight will specifically encounter the following enemies on the way to the second Grub: a Fungoon, Funglings, an Ambloom, and a Fungified Husk.

Before the Knight can find the Grub mentioned, it is required that the Knight has the Mantis Claw ability, which allows the Knight to cling to walls and jump off them. It is also required that the Knight is proficient in nail-bouncing as it is needed to reach the Grub.

Also, although they are not required, it would greatly help if the Knight had the Monarch Wings ability, allowing the Knight to perform a double jump in mid-air, the Mothwing Cloak ability, allowing the Knight to perform a horizontal dash forward, and the Isma’s Tear ability, allowing the Knight to swim in pools of acid without taking any damage. With these abilities, finding the second Grub in Fungal Wastes will be no challenge.

To find the second Grub in Fungal Wastes, this is what the Knight must do:

Starting from the Bench in the Queen’s Station Stagway Station, take the exit on the right to leave the room, jump up the small platforms on the left side of the middle part of the room, then take the exit on the top right.
Next, the Knight has now arrived in the Fungal Wastes area. Head to the right, jump across the gap with a pool of acid, head to the right where the Knight will encounter a Fungoon, jump across the gap, head to the right where the Knight will encounter two Funglings, drop down the gap, then take the exit in the middle below.
Then, head to the left, drop down the gap, head to the bottom using the small platforms, head to the right, drop down the gap, head to the right, and head up the tall elevated platform by nail-bouncing on the purple mushrooms or with the help of the Mantis Claw ability, drop down the gap on the right, head to the right, drop down the gap on the right, and head to the left where the Knight will encounter an Ambloom.
After that, drop down on the gap on the left, drop down the gap on the right, land on a small platform, and drop down the gap on the right, where the Knight will encounter a Fungified Husk.
Next, head to the left, head up the shaft at the end of the path, and at the top, drop down the gap on the left where the Knight will encounter another Fungoon and two more Funglings, head to the left, and take the next exit that leads downwards.
Then, the Knight will land on a small platform, drop down the gap on the left, and land on another small platform, drop down the gap on the right where the Knight will land on the ground surrounded by a pool of acid, head to the left, continue to the left by nail-bouncing on the purple mushrooms where the Knight will encounter a Fungling, and head up the elevated platform on the left with the help of the Mantis Claw ability.
After that, jump and drop down the gap on the left towards another set of purple mushrooms. Head to the left, where the Knight will encounter another Fungling and reach solid ground. Head up the wall on the left with the help of the Mantis Claw ability, then take the exit at the top on the left.
Next, head to the left, jump towards the purple mushrooms below on the left, nail-bounce to the left towards another set of purple mushrooms, nail-bounce to the left again towards another set of purple mushrooms, nail-bounce on the purple mushrooms to head up towards the single purple mushroom above on the left, nail-bounce on the single purple mushroom to head up towards another single purple mushroom above on the right, and nail-bounce on this single purple mushroom to head up towards the platform above on the left.
Finally, the Knight will find a Grub inside a glass jar! The Knight can now strike the glass jar and free the Grub!

After finding both Grubs in Fungal Wastes, the Knight is one step closer to finding them all, receiving the Grubberfly’s Elegy Charm and unlocking the Metamorphosis Achievement!