Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchWindows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallHollow Knight has 46 Grubs, each sealed in a glass jar somewhere in Hallownest. Break a jar with the Nail to free its Grub. The table below lists all 46 entries in the order the Hollow Knight Wiki’s Grub table numbers them, with the ability each location needs and the reward tied to that point in the count. Use the Collector’s Map once you have it to see which jars you have not yet opened.
How freeing a Grub works
Every Grub is inside a glass jar. Strike the jar with the Nail to open it. When a Grub is nearby, you will hear a faint crying sound, which is the quickest way to notice a jar you might otherwise walk past. Some jars look like Grubs but are not, so check each one before you commit to a route (see the Mimic section below).
Find what is left with the Collector’s Map
The Collector’s Map is obtained after you defeat the Collector in Tower of Love, which sits in the City of Tears area. Once you have it, it marks unfreed Grubs on every map you have purchased. It is the most reliable way to tell which jars you still need, and it is worth consulting before you return to a region you have already cleared.
Spot Mimics with the Dream Nail
A Mimic looks like a Grub in its jar but gives no reward. You can tell them apart with the Dream Nail:
#1 Best Overall
- 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.
- Stand in front of the apparent Grub and use the Dream Nail on it.
- A real Grub says “…Home…”.
- A Mimic says “…Kill…”, “…Empty…”, or “…Other…”.
- Free only the jars that answer “…Home…”. Mimics do not count toward the 46.
Rewards and how Grubfather counts them
Return to Grubhome in Forgotten Crossroads to collect rewards from the Grubfather. Rewards depend on your total number of freed Grubs, not on which individual Grubs you freed. The reward column in the table is therefore a threshold tied to the running count: it is granted when your total reaches that position, and no single Grub owns it.
Two milestones sit outside the Geo and item sequence, according to the Hollow Knight Wiki’s Grub page:
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.
- Freeing half the Grubs (23) unlocks the Grubfriend achievement.
- Freeing all of them unlocks the Metamorphosis achievement, and freeing all 46 awards Grubberfly’s Elegy.
Plan your route by ability
Fifteen of the 44 jar locations list no ability beyond what you have at the start of the game. Entry 17 requires defeating the Collector, and the other 28 require at least one movement or combat ability. Mantis Claw is the most frequent gate, so it is the one to unlock first if you want the most locations open at once. Some entries need more than one ability, so the counts below overlap.
| Ability | Entries that require it | Number of entries |
|---|---|---|
| Mantis Claw | 11, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 29, 31, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39, 40 | 15 |
| Mothwing Cloak | 5, 19, 21, 22, 23, 39, 40, 41 | 8 |
| Crystal Heart | 18, 20, 24, 32, 34, 37, 38, 44 | 8 |
| Desolate Dive | 14, 24, 25, 30, 42, 43 | 6 |
| Monarch Wings | 16, 21, 38, 41, 44 | 5 |
| Isma’s Tear | 28, 43 (entry 9 can use it as an alternative to a Nail-bounce) | 2 |
Every Grub location, in order
Area names follow the game’s own labels. The numbering and reward values come from the Hollow Knight Wiki’s Grub table. An independent Steam guide, “The Complete Hollow Knight Collectibles Guide,” confirms the total of 46 and the major rewards, but it does not independently verify every numbered location, so the later rows are the least cross-checked.
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!
| # | Area | Where to find it | Requirement | Reward at this count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Forgotten Crossroads | Guarded by a Husk Guard; defeating it is not required to free the Grub | None listed | 10 Geo |
| 2 | Forgotten Crossroads | Across an acid lake near the Fog Canyon connection | None listed | 20 Geo |
| 3 | Forgotten Crossroads | Behind a breakable wall, with two Aspid Hunters in front | None listed | 30 Geo |
| 4 | Forgotten Crossroads | Above a platform reachable by Nail-bouncing | None listed (Nail-bounce to reach) | 40 Geo |
| 5 | Forgotten Crossroads | Across a gap too wide for one jump | Mothwing Cloak | Mask Shard |
| 6 | Greenpath | Above Cornifer’s location; drop a moss block to reach it | None listed | 50 Geo |
| 7 | Greenpath | Across an acid lake; drop a moss block to reach it | None listed | 60 Geo |
| 8 | Greenpath | In the room above the Stag Station, guarded by a Moss Knight | None listed | 70 Geo |
| 9 | Greenpath | Above an acid lake; Nail-bounce off Durandoos if you lack Isma’s Tear | None listed | 80 Geo |
| 10 | Fungal Wastes | At the end of a tunnel filled with Funglings | None listed | Grubsong |
| 11 | Fungal Wastes | Above a corner reachable by Nail-bouncing on mushrooms | Mantis Claw | 90 Geo |
| 12 | City of Tears | Below the Soul Sanctum entrance, near a Winged Sentry | None listed | 100 Geo |
| 13 | City of Tears | Inside a home west of King’s Station, guarded by a Great Husk Sentry | None listed | 110 Geo |
| 14 | City of Tears | Below a breakable floor near a lower Soul Totem, after defeating Soul Master | Desolate Dive | 120 Geo |
| 15 | City of Tears | Across the tunnel between King’s Station and Kingdom’s Edge, near Belflies | None listed | 120 Geo |
| 16 | City of Tears | Eastern Watcher’s Spire, guarded by a Great Husk Sentry and a Lance Sentry; defeat both guards | Mantis Claw, Monarch Wings | Rancid Egg |
| 17 | City of Tears / Tower of Love | Top of the Tower, reached from Kingdom’s Edge | Defeat the Collector | 140 Geo |
| 18 | Crystal Peak | Near the upper connection to Dirtmouth. The first apparent Grub is a Mimic; the real one is in a breakable wall behind it | Mantis Claw, Crystal Heart | 150 Geo |
| 19 | Crystal Peak | Behind mechanical crushers | Mothwing Cloak, Mantis Claw | 160 Geo |
| 20 | Crystal Peak | In the room before the Crystal Heart route | Mantis Claw, Crystal Heart | 165 Geo |
| 21 | Crystal Peak | On the route to Hallownest’s Crown | Mothwing Cloak, Monarch Wings | 170 Geo |
| 22 | Crystal Peak | Beyond spikes and conveyors | Mothwing Cloak, Mantis Claw | 180 Geo |
| 23 | Crystal Peak | Reachable only from the upper connection to its room | Mothwing Cloak, Mantis Claw | Hallownest Seal |
| 24 | Crystal Peak / Crystallised Mound | East of where Descending Dark is obtained | Desolate Dive, Crystal Heart | 200 Geo |
| 25 | Resting Grounds | Near an Entombed Husk and a Belfly | Desolate Dive | 200 Geo |
| 26 | Royal Waterways | Behind a breakable wall | None listed | 205 Geo |
| 27 | Royal Waterways | Accessed from the Kingdom’s Edge connection | None listed | 210 Geo |
| 28 | Royal Waterways | Passage through the acid-like area below Isma | Isma’s Tear | 215 Geo |
| 29 | Howling Cliffs | Near the Greenpath connection | Mantis Claw | Pale Ore |
| 30 | Kingdom’s Edge | Below tunnels under Nailmaster Oro’s hut; a Great Hopper is on the route | Desolate Dive | 220 Geo |
| 31 | Kingdom’s Edge | Behind a breakable wall near spikes, with a Primal Aspid nearby | Mantis Claw | 220 Geo |
| 32 | Fog Canyon | Across Teacher’s Archives, reached by using Crystal Heart near the room’s east ledge | Crystal Heart | 230 Geo |
| 33 | Queen’s Gardens | Hidden behind foliage below the Stag Station | None listed | 235 Geo |
| 34 | Queen’s Gardens | Above the Greenpath connection, in a thorn-and-Mossfly platforming section | Mantis Claw, Crystal Heart | 240 Geo |
| 35 | Queen’s Gardens | Via a hidden passage; it cannot be reached from the room leading to the White Lady | Mantis Claw | 245 Geo |
| 36 | Deepnest | Behind a breakable wall in a room with four apparent Grubs. The third is real; the other three are Mimics | Mantis Claw | 250 Geo |
| 37 | Deepnest | Above a spike-filled room | Mantis Claw, Crystal Heart | 255 Geo |
| 38 | Deepnest | Behind a breakable wall west of the Hot Spring | Monarch Wings, Crystal Heart | King’s Idol |
| 39 | Deepnest | Around a passage guarded by a Stalking Devout | Mothwing Cloak, Mantis Claw | 260 Geo |
| 40 | Deepnest / Beast’s Den | Behind several breakable floors | Mothwing Cloak, Mantis Claw | 265 Geo |
| 41 | Ancient Basin | In the room before the path to Broken Vessel, where Infected Balloons continually spawn | Mothwing Cloak, Monarch Wings | 270 Geo |
| 42 | Ancient Basin | On the Pale Ore route west of the Tram | Desolate Dive | 280 Geo |
| 43 | The Hive | Accessed from the Kingdom’s Edge connection | Desolate Dive, Isma’s Tear | 290 Geo |
| 44 | The Hive | Hidden passage in the room before Hive Knight’s arena | Crystal Heart, Monarch Wings | 295 Geo |
| 45 | Milestone (no separate jar) | Reward reached when your total freed Grubs reach 45 | Total of 45 freed | 300 Geo |
| 46 | Milestone (no separate jar) | Reward reached when all 46 Grubs are freed | Total of 46 freed | Grubberfly’s Elegy |
Rows 45 and 46 are reward milestones, not additional jars. Because they are the last rows of the wiki table, check them against the in-game Grubfather reward list when you reach them.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
![HOLLOW KNIGHT [E10]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51gHoLA9kNL._SL160_.jpg)
- Includes four giant bonus content packs: Hidden Dreams, The Grimm Troupe, Lifeblood, and Godmaster
- Classic side-scrolling action, with all 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
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
