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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThere is no single best charm combo for every Hollow Knight player. The strongest loadout depends on whether you want nail damage, spell damage, safer healing, extra range, mobility, or easier exploration—and on how many charm notches you have. These ten builds are organized by purpose, not presented as a tested or developer-ranked top ten.
How charm combos work
Charms change the Knight’s abilities and are equipped at benches. Team Cherry describes the process plainly: “When you’re resting at a bench, you can enter your Charms Menu to equip the charms you’ve picked up.” The Hollow Knight Wiki’s charm reference lists 45 charms and says the Knight starts with three notches, can acquire eight more, and can reach a maximum of eleven.
Every charm uses a set number of notches, so the builds below describe useful directions rather than fixed prescriptions with unverified totals. Check each charm’s notch cost and your own available capacity before equipping a combination. Overcharming lets you equip charms beyond your capacity, but doubles the damage you take; it is a deliberate high-risk choice, not a free way to complete a build.
Some combinations create a special interaction, while others simply combine useful effects. For example, nail-range increases stack additively, whereas Weaversong and Grubsong have a documented interaction that grants SOUL when weaverlings hit enemies.
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#1 Best Overall
- Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings.
- Tightly tuned 2D controls. Dodge, dash and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries.
- Explore a vast interconnected world of forgotten highways, overgrown wilds and ruined cities.
- Forge your own path! The world of Hallownest is expansive and open. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face and find your own way forward.
- Evolve with powerful new skills and abilities! Gain spells, strength and speed. Leap to new heights on ethereal wings. Dash forward in a blazing flash. Blast foes with fiery Soul!.Equip Charms! Ancient relics that offer bizarre new powers and abilities. Choose your favourites and make your journey unique!.An enormous cast of cute and creepy characters all brought to life with traditional 2D frame-by-frame animation..
Best charm combos by playstyle
1. All-round nail offense
Build around: a nail-damage increase, faster nail attacks, and a reach or handling charm if your remaining notches allow it.
Best for: players who want steady damage from close-range nail hits. Faster attacks and stronger hits make openings count, while reach or handling can make those hits easier to land. This approach is less useful against enemies that rarely stay within nail range, and it rewards confident positioning.
2. Fast nail pressure
Build around: faster nail attacks and a nail-damage multiplier; use any remaining capacity for comfort or reach.
Best for: players who can stay close and make sustained use of short openings. It emphasizes repeated nail pressure, but its value falls if you spend much of a fight dodging or waiting for a safe approach.
Rank #2
![Hollow Knight - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51nXCF+sf5L._SL160_.jpg)
- Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings.
- Forge your own path! The world of Hallownest is expansive and open. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face and find your own way forward.
- Evolve with powerful new skills and abilities! Gain spells, strength and speed. Leap to new heights on ethereal wings. Dash forward in a blazing flash. Blast foes with fiery Soul!
- Equip Charms! Ancient relics that offer bizarre new powers and abilities. Choose your favorites and make your journey unique!
- An enormous cast of cute and creepy characters all brought to life with traditional 2D frame-by-frame animation.
3. Spell burst
Build around: a spell-damage improvement and a spell-cost reduction, then consider SOUL generation or survivability if your notch budget permits.
Best for: players who actively cast spells and want each cast to matter. The trade-off is that SOUL is also used for healing, so spending it aggressively can leave fewer recovery options when you take damage.
4. SOUL economy
Build around: a way to gain SOUL from nail hits, paired with an offensive spell or a defensive SOUL use.
Best for: players who alternate between nail attacks and spells or healing. This setup makes SOUL management central to the fight, but uses capacity that could otherwise go to direct damage or mobility.
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Rank #3
![Hollow Knight: Silksong Standard - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51mOgOC8xEL._SL160_.jpg)
- Discover the fallen insect kingdom of Pharloom! Explore mossy grottos, gilded cities and misted moors as you ascend to the shining citadel at the top of the world.
- Engage in lethal acrobatic action! Wield a huge suite of deadly moves as you dance between foes in swift, beautiful combat.
- Craft powerful tools! Master an ever-expanding arsenal of weapons, traps, and mechanisms to vanquish your enemies and explore new heights.
- Solve shocking quests! Hunt down rare beasts and solve ancient mysteries to grant the wishes of the downtrodden and restore the kingdom’s hope.
- Face over 200 ferocious foes! Beasts and hunters, monsters and knights. Defeat them all with bravery and skill!
5. Safer healing windows
Build around: faster Focus alongside a survivability or movement aid that helps you create time to heal.
Best for: players learning a boss or struggling to find safe healing opportunities. It favors recovery over maximum damage, and a healing charm cannot make an unsafe opening safe on its own; positioning and timing still matter.
6. Nail range and spacing
Build around: Longnail and Mark of Pride, if both fit your available notches.
Best for: players who prefer to keep more distance while landing nail hits. The Wiki says Longnail adds 15% to Nail length and Mark of Pride adds 25%; together, those increases add to 40%. That extra reach can make spacing easier, but those notches are no longer available for damage or spell-focused charms.
Rank #4
- Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings. Dodge, dash and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries.
- Tightly tuned 2D controls. Dodge, dash and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries.
- Forge your own path! The world of Hallownest is expansive and open. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face and find your own way forward.
- An enormous cast of cute and creepy characters all brought to life with traditional 2D frame-by-frame animation.
- Leap into minds with the Dream Nail. Uncover a whole other side to the characters you meet and the enemies you face.
7. Mobility and dash offense
Build around: movement-oriented charms and a dash-related attack option where available.
Best for: players whose approach depends on repositioning or attacking during a dash. Mobility can help you reach an opening or escape a threat, but it does not replace learning an enemy’s attack timing.
8. Minion SOUL support
Build around: Weaversong with Grubsong.
Best for: players who want background SOUL generation while their weaverlings attack. The Wiki documents that weaverling hits grant three SOUL with this interaction. Its usefulness depends on whether the minions connect in a particular encounter, so it is not a guaranteed substitute for landing your own hits.
9. Flukenest spell synergy
Build around: Flukenest with Shaman Stone, with Vengeful Spirit in your spell kit.
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Best Value
- Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings. Dodge, dash and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries.
- Tightly tuned 2D controls. Dodge, dash and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries.
- Forge your own path! The world of Hallownest is expansive and open. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face and find your own way forward.
- An enormous cast of cute and creepy characters all brought to life with traditional 2D frame-by-frame animation.
- Leap into minds with the Dream Nail. Uncover a whole other side to the characters you meet and the enemies you face.
Best for: players who want a situational, effect-changing spell combination. Flukenest changes Vengeful Spirit into a volatile Fluke, and Shaman Stone increases the resulting damage. The effect depends on using the relevant spell and finding an opportunity where it can connect; it is a themed option, not a universal upgrade for every fight.
10. Exploration and comfort
Build around: a navigation or collection charm alongside movement and recovery choices.
Best for: traveling through Hallownest, finding your way, or collecting items with less friction. This is a convenience loadout rather than a boss-damage setup. Since charms are changed at benches, switch to a combat build when you reach a bench before a difficult fight.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choosing a build for your situation
| Build direction | Main focus | Best fit | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-round nail offense | Nail damage, speed, and handling | Consistent close-range attacks | Less effective when enemies do not stay in nail range |
| Fast nail pressure | Repeated nail attacks | Confident players who can sustain pressure | Requires staying close and using openings |
| Spell burst | Spell damage and spell efficiency | Frequent spell casting | Spells compete with healing for SOUL |
| SOUL economy | Generating and spending SOUL | Players who mix nail hits with spells or healing | Capacity goes to SOUL support instead of other effects |
| Safer healing windows | Focus and recovery opportunities | Learning a boss or prioritizing survival | Less emphasis on damage output |
| Nail range and spacing | Longer nail reach | Players who want more distance when attacking | Uses notches that could support damage or spells |
| Mobility and dash offense | Repositioning and dash attacks | Movement-focused play | Movement does not remove the need for timing |
| Minion SOUL support | Weaverling attacks and SOUL gain | Encounters where minions can hit reliably | Value depends on minion hits landing |
| Flukenest spell synergy | Changing and boosting Vengeful Spirit | Situational spell use | Depends on spell use and a suitable opening |
| Exploration and comfort | Navigation, collection, movement, or recovery | Travel and exploration | Not optimized for boss damage |
For an endgame loadout, use your larger notch budget to strengthen the job you want the build to do rather than treating eleven notches as a reason to mix every effect. For a nail-only build, prioritize nail damage, attack speed, and reach or handling. For a general-purpose setup, combine one main damage approach with a comfort or survivability choice that suits the areas you are exploring.
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A charm setup is not permanent. At a bench, consider changing direction when the next challenge asks for something different: range or mobility for difficult spacing, more healing support while learning an enemy, or a spell-oriented setup when you expect to cast often. Keep your build within your current notch capacity unless you have decided that the doubled incoming damage from overcharming is worth the risk.
Quick Recap
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