Into The City Of Tears

The City of Tears location lies at the heart of Hollow Nest in Hollow Knight. This walkthrough for the City of Tears covers how to find and reach the City of Tears in Hollow Knight, along with where to upgrade your weapon, discover another Charm, and how to use the City Crest.

To learn how to obtain the variousCollectiblesHollow Knight has to offer, visit our pages onCharms,Spells,Mask Shards, and more.

• How to Get to the City of Tears and Use the City Crest
• How to Upgrade Your Nail
• Where to Get the City of Tears Map
  • Grub Location
• How to Unlock the City of Tears Stag Station
• Reach the Soul Sanctum
• Progress to the Area Boss
  • Defeat the Soul Warrior Mini-boss
  • Where to Find the Spell Twister Charm

How to Get to the City of Tears and Use the City Crest

Whether you defeated the Mantis Lords and now have the Mark of Pride, or whether you only acquired the Mantis Claw, you are now prepared to enter the City of Tears. From Mantis Village, head up through the top of the village and into the next area with the bouncy purple mushrooms. Take the top-right exit into the next area. Climb until you return to the sign where Hornet was last sighted.

On the map, the sign is roughly near the center of the Fungal Wastes. You'll know you reached the entrance when you spot a large, ornate sign outside a corridor lined with metal gates and glowing lamps, both of which look rather amiss surrounded by fungus. Go past the gate and follow the lamps to the room beyond.

Follow the path to the right and stop when you reach the edge where the bridge abruptly ends. From there, jump and clamber up the floating platform directly ahead of you, but watch out for the enemy on top.

Use the Mantis Claw and Mothwing Cloak to wall-jump and dash through the thorny platforming section above. Remember: you can hold the direction toward the wall to grip it and start sliding, let go of the direction, and press the Mothwing Cloak button or key to leap off and dash without needing to jump first.

Halfway over the platforms is a hole in the ceiling. Follow it to find a large Soul Totem you can hit to gather Soul for any needed healing.

Drop down at the halfway point and hit the lever to raise the first section of the bridge.

Proceed through the next thorny section and drop down at the end. Attack the lever to raise the second section of the bridge.

To use the City Crest you obtained from the False Knight, move forward and place the City Crest into the slot in the statue, and the gate to the City of Tears will open.

Hidden Geo Deposit Location

Go To Map

Hallownest Map

Before you scamper off into the city, you can quickly grab some precious Geo by locating a nearby cache. To do so, go past the statue but stop before exiting the area. Jump onto the wall above the exit corridor and climb up.

Proceed until you reach the top, then hop over the thorns to the left to find the Geo Rock.

How to Upgrade Your Nail in Hollow Knight

Once you enter the City of Tears, proceed right. Dodge the dive-bombing Belfly, then take the exit at the end of the corridor. Descend until you reach an elevator.

Belfly enemies explode on contact with any surface. When they spot you, they will screech and detach from the ceiling. Wait for them to move and use your dash to avoid the explosion. Do not attack them with your weapon, unless you want to get blasted!

Smack the lever on the elevator's ceiling to operate it. Striking the lever here on the top floor makes it descend. Every elevator has a lever near the entrance to call it if it's not on your floor.

Hollow Knight Lore

While the elevator to the Nailsmith descends/ascends, hold right to walk off and enter a hidden hallway. At the end of the hallway is a Tablet with some Hollow Knight lore.

The message reads:

"The great gates have been sealed. None shall enter. None shall leave."

When you reach the bottom of the first elevator, leave and hop over the gap in the floor to the right to find a Bench. Quirrel is also here, awarding you a chance to catch up with everyone's favorite wandering Hallownest denizen. Rest at the Bench to heal and save your progress before continuing down.

You'll soon reach another elevator. Before taking it down, you can descend via a hole in the floor to its left. Follow the path, hopping over the elevator shaft, to find a chest full of Geo. Enter the elevator when ready and take it to the ground floor.

Once you reach the bottom, head left, following the sign in the shape of a Nail to progress toward the Nailsmith.

The next room has you hopping from platform to platform while fighting foes. Continue left until you notice the signs you're getting close to the smith, such as the discarded Nails and fungal growth.

Climb up the wall on the left side once you reach it and head right until you discover the Nailsmith's hut. Head inside to meet the master.

Although you’ll need Pale Ore to upgrade your Nail to the heights of its strength, your first power boost costs just 250 Geo. Hand your Nail to the Nailsmith, and the necessary funds, and wait for him to upgrade your Old Nail to the Sharpened Nail. When ready, return to the room on the right where you left the elevator.

Where to Get the City of Tears Map - Cornifer Location

To reach the next area, you must get atop the metal platform high above the gap to the right of the elevator. Enter the elevator and hit the lever to ascend. Before reaching the floor above, jump off and dash to the metal platform.

You now must progress right, hopping over platforms while fighting off the pesky Winged Sentry enemies.

Hallownest Seal Location

Go To Map

Hallownest Map

Before continuing to the end of the platform-hopping section, you can acquire a Hallownest Seal to sell for Geo later. To do so, continue right until you reach a set of three small floating platforms.

Climb the platforms and hop onto the large metal structure. Go left and climb the next set of platforms, going right and then up. The seal is on the top-most platform, protected by a Winged Sentry.

Follow the platforms to the right until you reach an elevated exit.

Inside the next room is a Heavy Sentry, a large guard bug wielding a massive lance. Give it room to avoid its overhead swing and hop over it when it charges. Use Nail Jump when you're overhead to deal some quick damage.

Past the brute is a hole in the floor. To its right is a sign pointing you in the direction of a currently unknown location. Head down the shaft and smack the lever to the right of the elevator to unlock a gate.

Hidden Geo Chest Location

Go To Map

Hallownest Map

After hitting the lever, go left, passing the elevator. Use your wall-jump to reach a chest full of Geo.

After unlocking the gate, head right and you’ll meet Relic Seeker Lemm, Hollow Knight’s first item buyer. Lemm buys Wanderer’s Journals, Hallownest Seals, King’s Idols, and Arcane Eggs, awarding you with an amount of Geo which scales with the rarity of those items.

For the Hallownest Seal you grabbed earlier, Lemm will trade it for 450 Geo.

Now that you’ve met Lemm, head back up to the previous area and take the elevator up one stop. Follow the path to the left, but keep aware of the Heavy Sentry Husk Sentry guards. Ascend through the area, fighting foes, until you reach a blocked entryway with a shaft above. Climb the shaft to the next area.

Wall-jump and dash as you progress through the next room until you reach a lever on top of a ledge.

Smack the lever to unlock a gate immediately below it. Head through the open gate and go down, dropping into the next area.

You’ll land next to another lever. Hit it to open multiple gates just below the lever itself. Drop below and go right, dashing over the elevator shaft.

Continue right and you'll soon reach a ledge with a path leading both up and down. Descend until you find another lever. Hit this one and you’ll open the nearby gate to the elevator shaft, and a shortcut back to the bottom of the screen.

Head back to the aforementioned ledge, but this time continue up until you reach an exit in the ceiling. Proceed through the exit and climb to a ledge next to an elevator. When you arrive, you’ll see a sign indicating an area Bench is nearby. Follow the sign and take the elevator up two stops, then head left.

Grub Location

Go To Map

Hallownest Map

Before you reach the top of the elevator shaft, you can make a quick stop to rescue atrapped Grub. Enter the elevator and go up one floor. Leave the elevator and enter the room. Head up to find a Grub protected by a Winged Sentry. Kill the foe and wall-jump up to the ledge with the Grub.

Grub 10 - City of Tears

When you reach the top, you'll notice the telltale sign of a nearby Cornifer; a piece of paper rests on the floor just right of the elevator, beckoning you toward that direction. Head left, but prepare to fight for the right to claim the area map.

As you enter the room, gates on both sides seal you in. In this arena, you must dispatch a Heavy Sentry. Once you’ve killed them, a Lance Sentry and Winged Sentry will appear. Kill them both to open the gates and continue on your way.

Head through the left side of the arena, then wall-jump up into the next area, where you’ll hear the soft humming of our old friend, Cornifer.

Buy his area map for 90 Geo, then pay the 150 Geo at the device nearby to gain access to the second area Bench, and rest up.

City of Tears Map

Next, you must head west, across a corridor, and toward the City of Tears Stag Station. Leave Cornifer, going left, and then jump up and dash to the left exit.

If you managed to free Zote the Mighty in Greenpath, you should run into him once more in the corridor between Cornifer and the northwestern section of the City.

Chat with him to get his thoughts on how much he enjoys the rain.

How to Unlock the City of Tears Stag Station

Continue along the path all the way left until you reach another lever. This one unlocks the gate to the very beginning of the City of Tears.

After unlocking the gate, continue up along the platforms, dispatching the Winged Sentries. There are several entrances along the right wall, but you want to reach the one at the very top. Head to the top-right entrance and go inside.

Dispatch the lone guard and collect the Simple Key.

Leave the room and proceed left. Hop across the platforms and take the top-left exit into the next area. Be careful not to fall! The roofs below are coated in pointing spikes that really don't feel too great.

After entering the area above, you should notice the sign pointing toward the nearby Stag Station. That's where you need to go, but first, you should make a couple of quick stops.

Wanderer's Journal Location

Go To Map

Hallownest Map

After entering the area that leads to the Stag Station, head left and then drop off the ledge to the ground below. Kill the wandering bugs and look for a Wanderer's Journal on the ground near a corpse.

Climb up and to the left. Follow the path left, over the gap, and into the next area. There, you'll find a lone toll machine. Pay the 150 Geo toll to activate the lift and create a quick pathway between the City of Tears and the Forgotten Crossroads.

Once you pay the toll, head back to the previous area, this time heading to the upper-right side. Take the right-side exit and you’ll find a new Bench and the City of Tears Stag Station. Pay the 200 Geo to unlock it.

Reach the Soul Sanctum

Now that the Stag Station for the location is unlocked, it's time to continue toward the boss encounter. Your goal is to reach the entrance to the Soul Sanctum, located in the room below Cornifer. Head back to where you met Cornifer and rest at the Bench to heal and save your progress.

Leave the Bench going left. Head down and exit via the hole in the floor.

Be careful! The area just below contains a Heavy Sentry, which moves in fast to attack. Once the bug is dodged or ditched, go right, heading past the elevator, and enter the door at the far right. Try not to get distracted by the ominous white orbs.

In the next room is the new Soul Twister enemy. This floating foe teleports around the room, casting spells at the Knight, providing a preview for the upcoming boss encounter. Dispatch it to unlock the gate. Climb the floating platforms up to reach the entrance to the next area, the Soul Sanctum.

As soon as you enter the Soul Sanctum, head left and take the exit to the next screen. You’ll soon hear the telltale humming of our favorite cartographer. Take the elevator up and swing your Nail at the damaged wall on the left side of the elevator shaft as you pass. Keep riding the elevator and slashing at the middle section of the wall and it will soon break, unlocking a shortcut between the Bench and the Soul Sanctum.

Progress to the Area Boss

Head back to the right to the first room of the Soul Sanctum, the one you entered after defeating the first Soul Twister. Hop over the gap and head up toward the elevator.

Take the elevator up. Be careful if you decide to hop out to investigate the mysterious object filled with swirling white souls. These objects, when broken, replenish Soul. However, a member of the new enemy type, the Mistakes, appears. Mistakes are certainly creepy, but they are mostly only threatening in numbers. Return to the elevator and ascend.

After reaching the top of the elevator shaft, leave and enter the room above. Here, you'll face off against two Soul Twisters and Mistakes. Clear the room and hop up the wall on the left to the lever on the upper ledge.

Hit it to unlock a gate above you. Descend until the path diverges left, then take the left elevator to reach the now-open gate.

Hollow Knight Lore

After clearing the Soul Twisters, look across the way from the lever for a hidden room with some Hollow Knight lore. The message reads:

"Record Aba. The mind still limits us so. How to break past its constraints? To attain a pure focus, is it even possible?"

Defeat the Soul Warrior Mini-boss

Enter through the gate, and you’ll encounter the Soul Warrior mini-boss. When you enter the arena, the foe will appear above your head. Swiftly dash away before it drops on top of you.

The Soul Warrior teleports frequently, using dash attacks, spells, and an aerial attack that's very similar to those used by the Mantis Lords.

When you see the warrior lift its weapon high behind its back, it's readying a charge. Make some space and get ready to leap over the attack. Timing the move with a Nail Jump allows you to deal some damage to its head as it makes its way across the floor. At times, the Soul Warrior walks around after a dash, allowing you to continue damaging it with a Nail Jump.

The orb it fires moves towards your location, but it won't follow you very far or accurately. Hop over the orb, and its arc will eventually curve it to the floor or ceiling.

Continue dodging and attacking, and soon the Soul Warrior will fall. Exit the battle arena via the doorway on the right side.

Once you enter the next area, descend to the bottom and take the left exit to find a lever. Hit it to unlock a shortcut to the bottom.

Head back through the doorway right of the lever and ascend as far as you can. Hop down the hole in the floor at the top-right corner and hit the lever below, unlocking a doorway to the elevator on the right side.

Where to Find the Spell Twister Charm in Hollow Knight

Go To Map

Hallownest Map

Take the elevator to the top and progress until you reach a room with a gap in the floor to the right side of a locked gate. Drop through the hole and progress to the next room, which is mobbed by Soul Twisters.

Climb the floating platforms up and toward the left. Continue until you reach the top, where you can activate the lever that opens the locked gate.

Warning: Donot try and reach the lever by forcing your way past the Soul Twisters. There are many of them, and you may soon find yourself overwhelmed. Take it slow and steady.

Head left along the corridor near the top, but stop just before you leave via the doorway. Near the exit is a hole in the ceiling. Jump and use your Mantis Claw to clamber up to the room above.

In this area, you’ll be swarmed by Mistakes, so use this as an opportunity to collect Soul and heal up. Then head right into the small, hard-to-spot alcove.

Pick up the powerful Spell Twister Charm, which reduces the cost of your spells.

Spell Twister

Head back to the Bench to equip this potent charm if you like, or head back down and left to encounter the next boss, the Soul Master.

Into The City Of Tears Completed

Up Next: Soul Master

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Top Guide Sections

• Walkthrough
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• Collectibles
• Items, Equipment, and Upgrades

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