The Abyss - Hollow Knight Guide - IGN (2024)

This page of the IGN Hollow Knight wiki guide includes instructions on how to find and progress through The Abyss, an area in the deepest reaches of Hallownest.

For information on other sections, be sure to check out the rest of our IGN wiki guide Walkthrough. To learn how to obtain the various Collectibles Hollow Knight has to offer, visit our pages on Charms, Spells, Mask Shards, and more.

After defeating Hornet for the second time, proceed through the arena and to the right. Continue along the path, down, then to the left. Follow the howling winds and you’ll soon arrive at the mouth of the Cast-Off Shell.

Enter, then walk all the way left and you’ll find a glowing object. Approach and pick it up to mark yourself with the King’s Brand, which grants access to The Abyss, an area below the Ancient Basin reserved for the King himself, and sealed off after the horrific events which led to the creation of Hallownest.

Once you have marked yourself, head for the exit and the Cast-Off Shell will begin to collapse. After a short scene, you’ll have control again, and you will be free to explore the area, or head to The Abyss. Ascend to the top-left section of Kingdom’s Edge and you’ll find the Colosseum of Fools; an arena which grants access to an additional Charm Notch, Pale Ore, and mountains of Geo for any warrior skilled enough to conquer it’s various wave-based challenges.

In the lower reaches of Kingdom’s Edge, there is also a hidden entrance to a sub-area called The Hive, where you can find several useful Charms, a Boss, and more Collectibles.

NOTE: Now that you have the Monarch Wings and access to both the Colosseum of Fools, you can obtain two more Pale Ore and the next Nail upgrade. Complete the Challenge of the Conqueror in the Colosseum and you’ll be awarded a Pale Ore. Another Pale Ore sits atop the highest reaches of Crystal Peak. Bring them both to the Nailsmith, along with 2,000 Geo, and you can obtain the Coiled Nail; the second most powerful Nail in the game.

To continue progressing towards the final boss, return to the King’s Station Stagway. Take the Stag to the Hidden Station in the Ancient Basin, then fly left through the next screen and back into Ancient Basin proper. Drop down and head left. Take the first exit down and into the next area.

Proceed along the path and to the left and you’ll soon find a massive gate bearing the King’s Brand. Now that the Knight is branded with the King’s mark, simply approach and the gate will open, unlocking The Abyss.

Descending into The Abyss is fairly straightforward. Although the absolutely massive vertical shaft is riddled with enemies and spiked platforms, it is easy enough to drop off the platform at the top of the chasm and slash the Nail down. This will ensure you Nail Jump off spikes or enemies, instead of taking damage, especially if you have the Quick Slash equipped.

Drop to the bottom of the shaft and head right. Once you enter the next area, you’ll notice black pools of sinister-looking liquid. Once the Knight approaches them, however, they will take the shape of bugs and lash out violently, so keep your distance from them and use the Mothwing Cloak to dash and stay out of their reach as you progress to the right.

Soon you’ll begin to encounter enemies which look similar to the Shade the Knight leaves behind when he dies. These enemies, called Siblings, are weak and easily dispatched. Soon after encountering the Siblings for the first time, you’ll reach a veritable ocean of dark liquid; one we cannot cross without assistance, so hop up the elevated platforms, taking out the Siblings until you reach the top of the tower.

Head inside and you’ll see a lever. Strike it to activate the Lighthouse. Head back outside and hop down to the bottom of the tower, then use the Crystal Heart to fly to the far right side of the map.

Once you arrive on the far right side, hop up the ledge and into the area to the right. Continue heading right and wall-jump up at the first opportunity. Once you reach the top, follow the path to the right, then drop down and continue heading right and you’ll arrive at a massive form holding a basin, overflowing with dark liquid.

Jump up into the basin and absorb the dark essence to obtain the Shade Cloak, which will prevent you from taking damage while dashing.

Now that you have the Shade Cloak, you can travel through any black barriers you may have found while exploring, and we can dash through the dark liquid’s flailing limbs, so head left and use your newfound powers to dash through the dark liquid attack and obviate the climb.

Fly back over the dark water towards the lighthouse, then continue left to the main shaft and climb back up to the Ancient Basin. Once you are back at the Hidden Station Stagway, take the Stag to Queen’s Station.