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Hollow Knight’s Steel Soul Mode is its permadeath challenge: one qualifying death ends the run and resets its save profile. You unlock it by completing the game once. Some deaths are exempt, however, so the key is knowing which encounters the game treats as a true death.
How to unlock Steel Soul Mode
Complete Hollow Knight once. The official Steam listing says completing the game unlocks Steel Soul Mode. After it is available, select Steel Soul when starting a new game.
What happens when you die in Steel Soul?
A death that counts as real ends the run and resets that save profile; the slot can display “DEFEATED.” This is not an ordinary return to a bench: the run’s progress is lost. The game distinguishes qualifying deaths from certain deaths in special encounters, so not every defeat necessarily ends the attempt.
Which deaths count?
According to the community-maintained Hollow Knight Wiki’s Steel Soul Mode reference, these cases are treated differently:
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- 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.
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- 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..
| Situation | Effect on the run |
|---|---|
| Ordinary qualifying death | Run ends and the save profile resets. |
| Death to a Dream Boss | Does not count as an actual death. |
| Death in Godhome | Does not count as an actual death. |
| Death in the White Palace | Counts as a real death. |
| Death to the Radiance | Counts as a real death. |
These encounter-specific rules come from a community-maintained reference, not the official store listing. If a run depends on a particular edge case, verify the behavior in your game version and platform before taking the risk.
What changes in Steel Soul?
Steel Soul also changes some NPC details, according to the wiki. Confessor Jiji is replaced by Steel Soul Jinn, who trades Rancid Eggs for Geo. Tuk is dead and does not sell Rancid Eggs. These are mode-specific world changes rather than extra protections against death.
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.
Steel Soul achievements and completion goals
The mode has two associated achievements listed by the wiki:
- Steel Soul: finish the game in Steel Soul Mode.
- Steel Heart: reach 100% completion and finish the game in Steel Soul Mode.
The wiki also lists a Steel Soul menu-style reward for completing the mode. Achievement and reward behavior can depend on platform, so consult the relevant platform’s achievement display if that distinction matters to your goal.
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!
Steel Soul versus standard mode
| Question | Standard mode | Steel Soul Mode |
|---|---|---|
| What follows a qualifying death? | Standard-mode consequences are not specified here. | The run ends and its save profile resets. |
| How do you unlock it? | Complete the game once to unlock Steel Soul Mode. | Start a new game in the unlocked mode. |
| What are the named completion goals? | Standard-mode goals are not specified here. | Steel Soul for finishing; Steel Heart for 100% completion and finishing. |
This article is about the original Hollow Knight. It does not describe a similarly named mode in Hollow Knight: Silksong.
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.
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