Full spoilers for every ending in Hollow Knight. There are five numbered endings, plus an optional “Passing of the Age” cutscene tied to Mister Mushroom. The key route lock is Void Heart: defeat the Hollow Knight before acquiring it if you want the original ending. Afterward, you can pursue the other endings, but the order of your choices matters for the Godmaster variations.
How many endings does Hollow Knight have?
Hollow Knight has five numbered endings: The Hollow Knight, Sealed Siblings, Dream No More, Embrace the Void, and Delicate Flower. The optional “Passing of the Age” scene is an extra cutscene, not a sixth numbered ending. The endings reference describes the routes and outcomes; the Steam listing also identifies multiple endings as a game feature.
The five endings and how to reach them
| Ending | Route | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| The Hollow Knight | Defeat the Hollow Knight before acquiring Void Heart. | The Knight absorbs the Infection and is sealed inside the Black Egg. |
| Sealed Siblings | Acquire Void Heart, fight the Hollow Knight, and do not use the Awoken Dream Nail while Hornet restrains the boss. | Hornet is knocked unconscious and sealed inside the Black Egg with the Knight; her head appears on the door. |
| Dream No More | Acquire Void Heart. During Hornet’s restraint in the Hollow Knight fight, use the Awoken Dream Nail, then defeat the Radiance. | The Radiance is banished into the Void and the Infection is purged; the Black Egg vanishes. A broken shell appears in a crater. The ending reference interprets this as the Knight returning to the Void, but that fate is implied rather than explicitly shown. |
| Embrace the Void | Complete the preceding Pantheons, reach the Pantheon of Hallownest, defeat Absolute Radiance, and do not give the Godseeker the Delicate Flower. | The Void Entity defeats Absolute Radiance. Void spreads through Godhome and erupts from the Godseeker’s physical body. |
| Delicate Flower | Give the Delicate Flower to the Godseeker before defeating Absolute Radiance at the Pantheon’s peak. | The events follow Embrace the Void until Void touches the flower. The flower repels it and disappears with the Godseeker, leaving the flower behind. |
These routes and cutscene details are described in the Hollow Knight endings reference.
Can you get every ending on one save?
You can get all five numbered endings on one save if you follow the lockouts in order. The ending sequences generally return you to a bench or to Godhome rather than consuming the save, so you can revisit the relevant boss afterward. The critical exception is acquiring Void Heart: once you do, The Hollow Knight ending is no longer available on that save profile.
#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..
- Defeat the Hollow Knight before acquiring Void Heart to see The Hollow Knight ending.
- Acquire Void Heart. At Hornet’s intervention during the Hollow Knight fight, use the Awoken Dream Nail while the boss is restrained for the Radiance route and Dream No More. To get Sealed Siblings instead, let the restraint sequence resolve without entering the dream, then finish the fight.
- Complete the preceding Pantheons and the Pantheon of Hallownest. Defeat Absolute Radiance without giving the Godseeker the flower to see Embrace the Void.
- Give the Godseeker the Delicate Flower and defeat Absolute Radiance again to see Delicate Flower. Giving the flower first locks out the flowerless Embrace the Void variation.
The Hornet sequence is the deciding moment between Sealed Siblings and Dream No More; the routes are not interchangeable after the cutscene branch has played out.
What does Godmaster add?
Godmaster adds Godhome, Pantheons, Absolute Radiance, and the two Pantheon endings. It was released as a free content pack on August 23, 2018, according to the Godmaster reference. The Pantheon of Hallownest unlocks after conquering all preceding Pantheons, and Absolute Radiance is its final boss. This is a demanding endgame boss-rush route, separate from the three endings reached through the Hollow Knight fight.
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.
Which ending is the true ending?
There is no established single “true” ending. The community-maintained ending reference reports that Team Cherry previously said the endings are equally canonical and that there is no one true ending. Treat that as a secondary source’s account of the creators’ statement, not as a direct official citation. Claims that Silksong makes one ending the canon continuation are interpretation, not a settled fact.
Quick Recap
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.
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.
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!
Which ending should you choose?
- Want the original containment outcome? Get The Hollow Knight ending before Void Heart.
- Want to see the Radiance confrontation? Use the Awoken Dream Nail during Hornet’s restraint and pursue Dream No More.
- Want Hornet outside the Black Egg? Choose Dream No More rather than letting the Hollow Knight fight conclude as Sealed Siblings.
- Want the Godmaster endgame? Prepare for the Pantheon of Hallownest and Absolute Radiance; the Pantheon endings require completing that challenge.
- Want both Godmaster variations? Defeat Absolute Radiance once without the flower, then give the flower to the Godseeker and repeat the Pantheon peak.
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