False Knight

The first major boss fight you'll come across in Hollow Knight is against the False Knight, a large foe with a big club that may not be what it seems. This False Knight walkthrough for Hollow Knight covers the boss battle in its entirety and guides you through how to beat the False Knight.

Where to Find the False Knight Boss in Hollow Knight

The False Knight is located in a room near the center of the Forgotten Crossroads in Hollow Knight. You can find it by following the shaft on the western side down before moving east. On the eastern side of the biome is another shaft, where you will discover the Stag Station and a shortcut back toward the surface.

Head west down a corridor on the left side of the shaft until you reach a large room with mad bugs. Kill the bugs and continue left until the gates on the left and right sides of the room slam down, locking you inside.

The False Knight will drop from the ceiling to meet you in combat.

How to Beat the False Knight Boss in Hollow Knight

To beat the False Knight in Hollow Knight, remember that the False Knight's biggest strength is its range and ability to deny you access to parts of the screen. While it doesn't deal a significant amount of damage with each hit (compared to later boss fights), this fight is more about teaching you how to interact with boss encounters in Hollow Knight.

Phase One

The False Knight uses several attacks. It may start by jumping toward you, dealing damage by landing on your tiny head.

It can also swing its massive two-handed mace downward after leaping into the air, striking it against the solid ground after landing.

A third attack sees the boss charge an attack by bringing its mace back in preparation for the swing. Roughly two seconds later, it will hit the ground with the mace, causing a shockwave to ripple to the left and right of the weapon.

For the most part, you can dodge every attack without damage by recognizing the attack type. Move away from the False Knight when it leaps into the air to avoid either the mace swing or the weight of its armored butt.

When you see it charge an attack, move away to create some room. After it attacks, jump over the shockwave toward the boss.

Attack the boss with your Nail whenever it's safe. When the beast is on the ground, smack it until it prepares its next move. For the charge attack, leap over the shockwave toward the bug and give it a few good wallops before scampering away.

If you find yourself getting pushed to a wall, use the moment the knight leaps into the air to scamper underneath to get to its other side.

Phase Two

Attack the boss until it collapses. When it does, the true form of the Knight appears: a pale, chubby grub. Hit the grub in the face until it retreats into the armor, starting the next phase of the fight.

After the False Knight gets up, its ground-slam attacks during a tantrum cause explosives to rain from the ceiling. This doesn't dramatically change the fight, but at this point, spacing becomes even more important, so get attacks in when you can. Try moving to the wall, where you'll deal with fewer bombs (you can also risk healing yourself at this point).

As with many fights in Hollow Knight (and games like it), patience is the key to victory. Learn the patterns, wait for the opportune moment, attack briefly, then retreat to safety. Follow that strategy and you'll soon cast down the False Knight.

After the False Knight has had enough, it will jump and slam through the floor, causing it (and you, if you aren't careful) to fall to the floor below. Jump down and slash at the False Knight's vulnerable head to deliver the killing blow and claim the City Crest from its body as your reward.

With the False Knight defeated, your next goal in Hollow Knight is to learn your first Spell.

Up Next: A Brush With Magic

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