Gruz Mother

The Gruz Mother is a mini-boss in Hollow Knight that can be ignored, but fighting her allows you to access important areas and characters. This walkthrough covers how to find and beat the Gruz Mother boss encounter in Hollow Knight.

• Where to Find Gruz Mother
• Phase One
• Phase Two
• Gruz Mother Rewards

Where to Find the Gruz Mother in Hollow Knight

The Gruz Mother is located in the southeastern corner of the Forgotten Crossroads. It bars entry to Sly the Shopkeep and Charm Lover Salubra, as well as a passageway between Forgotten Crossroads and the Resting Grounds.

Enter the boss arena and approach the sleeping Gruz Mother. To start the brawl, attack her with a Spell or your Nail, which wakes her up. The gate slams behind you as the fight begins.

How to Beat the Gruz Mother

The Gruz Mother is one of the most straightforward boss battles in Hollow Knight. She deals little damage, and all of her attacks can be read and countered.

Phase One

While the Gruz Mother lives, it will bounce diagonally around the arena. Stay in either corner of the room until the boss approaches the ground, then make a quick slash and run under it when it slams against the ceiling.

TIP:

You can also attack from a distance if you have already obtained the Vengeful Spirit spell, but be sure to conserve Soul in case you need to heal.

Occasionally, the boss will stop and make single slam attacks near your position. Dodge it by quickly stepping out of the damage zone. Attack it after the slam and then create some distance. Repeat this process until the Gruz Mother falls, and you enter the second phase of the fight.

Phase Two: Offspring Attack

Don't let your guard down once you defeat the Gruz Mother, because the encounter isn't over yet. The gates are still closed, and after a moment, the boss' body will begin to stir before erupting with a swarm of the Gruz Mother's offspring.

Back into a corner and slash away at them as they approach. When you have breathing room, you can also jump and use Vengeful Spirit to take out several of them at once. Clear each one out to win the battle and unlock the way forward.

Gruz Mother Rewards

Unlike other boss fights, defeating the Gruz Mother sadly will not reward you with a Charm or new Ability. However, you will collect some well-earned Geo.

Geo collected from bosses and Geo Deposits through Hallownest can be used as currency to purchase upgrades and items from some NPCs, such as Mask Shards, Vessel Fragments, and Nail Arts.

Speaking of NPC vendors, now that the Gruz Mother is no longer blocking your way, your next step is finding Sly, a character who will become an indispensable resource as you continue through Hollow Knight.

Up Next: Finding Sly

In This Guide