Crystal Peak

Crystal Peak is the next area you can reach after visiting the Resting Grounds in Hollow Knight. Crystal Peak includes a vital ability that, when found, allows you to access new locations and travel across Hallownest at a breakneck pace. This Hollow Knight walkthrough covers how to find Crystal Peak and where to acquire the powerful Crystal Heart. There are also half a dozen Grubs to rescue, which should please the Grubfather.

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

• How to Find Crystal Peak
• Where to Find the Crystal Peak Map
  • Grub 1 Location
• Acquire the Crystal Heart
  • Shopkeeper's Key Location in Hollow Knight
  • Grub 2 Location
  • Grub 3 Location
  • Grub 4 Location
• How to Get the Descending Dark Spell Upgrade
  • Grub 5 Location
  • Acquire the Deep Focus Charm
• Return to Dirtmouth
  • Grub 6 Location

How to Find Crystal Peak in Hollow Knight

Crystal Peak lives up to its name, as the area is located east of Dirtmouth and scales to the highest point of the game. Do you recall meeting Myla the mining bug when you first explored the Forgotten Crossroads? Past her in the tunnel is the entrance to Crystal Peak, which you couldn't access without Desolate Drop. Now you can.

After you’ve finished your business in Dirtmouth, hop down the well to enter the Forgotten Crossroads. Head right until you reach the first exit down and progress until you locate a branching path. There's an entrance to the right and a winding path going down, leading to the mine.Go down and enter the mine, marked by a wooden archway.

Take the top path until you reach a lift. Ride it to the highest level, then continue to the right, and you’ll come to a room with a dark cluster of ground that rumbles when you walk over it. Jump and use Desolate Dive to break into the Crystal Peak area.

Where to Find the Crystal Peak Map - Cornifer Location

Head down into the next area, then go left.

Continue left until you reach a toll gate. Pay the 50 Geo to unlock the pathway back to the Forgotten Crossroads. After unlocking the gate, go left and drop through the hole in the floor where you'll spot two large bugs with pink crystals on their backs. These bugs' hindquarters are protected from damage, which means you can only attack them with your Nail from the front. They'll still take damage from Vengeful Spirit/Shade Soul no matter which direction they face.

Kill the two Glimbacks, head right, and then destroy the wooden bracing. Continue right to return to the previous area.

Don't forget to grab the Geo after killing the Glimback enemies. There are two Geo nodes on the left side. And one on the right, just before you reach the wooden bracing.

Drop down and head right, crossing the conveyor belts until you reach the next section of solid ground.

Don't forget the Geo trapped in the pink crystal below the second conveyor belt! There's another one on the lower conveyor belt in the larger room to the right.

Enter the room to the right of the conveyors and hop down to the lower floor. Dispatch the Husk Miner and look for a sign pointing to a Bench on the bottom right.

Follow the sign to enter the next room. The Bench is located on the bottom floor to the right. Take a load off to heal and save your progress.

Rancid Egg Location

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Before heading back, you can grab a Rancid Eggin the room with the Bench. To find it, head left and climb up the platforms with bottoms lined by crystals. These platforms spin, so you must move quickly.

Head up and to the left, toward the ceiling. In the top-left corner of the room is the Rancid Egg.

Now that you have established a save point, return to the area you just left. Head left, past the Husk Miner, and stop when you reach the ledge before the room with the conveyor belts. Climb the shaft near the doorway.

At the top of the shaft, look for a room to the right for a Geo Crystal.

Enter the hole in the ceiling in the top-left corner. In the next room, progress up. Dispatch the Glimback and Husk Miners, and continue ascending the left-side path. Hop on the conveyor belt running up the left-hand wall and take it to the platform above.

Above here and to the left, you'll come across two paths with conveyor belts on the walls. Both lead you to the top and the exit door, though the right-hand path is lined with spikes, requiring you to stay mobile to avoid damage. Why would you take the route on the right? Well, to rescue a friend, of course!

Grub 1 Location

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The first Grub you can find in the Crystal Peak is north of the Bench, just past the wall conveyors. When you reach a spot with two shafts, one with spikes and one without, take the path of spikes.

Hop onto the conveyor to clasp onto it. Use your Dash to avoid the spikes.

Follow the path up, right, down, right, and back up again to discover the Grub. Rescue it and smack the nearby lever to open a gate for you to use; that way, you don't have to make the reverse trip back.

Grub 44 - Crystal Peak

Hop up through the exit and into the next area.

This area features crystal beetles, called Crystal Crawlers, that sporadically emit laser beams. Carefully dodge them as you follow the path to the top. An easy way to ascend without being hit repeatedly is to wall-jump up the far right wall, wait for an opening, then jump and dash to the ledge on the left.

Don't forget the Geo Crystal, found on the ceiling above the entrance.

Normally invulnerable, Crystal Crawlers can be killed by Spells such as Vengeful Spirit/Shade Soul and Desolate Dive/Descending Dark. A good strategy is to try to line them up and blast multiple with Vengeful Spirit.

Kill the Husk Miner and destroy the wall behind him (we’ll be back for this area later).

Wall-jump up into the next section of platforms and Crystal Crawlers.

Follow the platforms up, dodging the lasers, until you reach the top. Take the exit to the left and you’ll find Cornifer.

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Hallownest Map

Pay him his well-earned 112 Geo to claim the Crystal Peak map.

Crystal Peak Map

Acquire the Crystal Heart

After you bid Cornifer a fond farewell, it's time to seek out the ability that'll grant you more access to the map. Leave Cornifer and return to the room to the right. Shortly after entering, hop up through the exit above you.

In the next room, climb up the shaft and enter the second passage on the left, just past a path on the right leading to a Bench.

Warning: The Bench may seem tempting, but it's guarded by a mini-boss called the Crystal Guardian. If you want to rumble with the Guardian, be sure tocheck out our guide first.

Shopkeeper's Key Location in Hollow Knight

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The Shopkeeper's Key can be found in the highest room of the shaft. It unlocks a door in Soul Sanctum, which leads to a battle and a Spell upgrade. Be sure to grab it now before you return to the Soul Sanctum.

Climb the shaft past the two pathways on the left and one on the right. At the top is a storage room to the right. Interact with the object on the floor to acquire the key.

Shopkeeper's Key

Head up the left-side path, through the Crystal Crawlers, and continue until you make it to the exit in the ceiling. Enter it to reach the next area.

Once there, follow the path all the way to the right and take the right exit.

Quirrel Location

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Everyone's favorite wandering bug, Quirrel, can be found in Crystal Peak. To locate him, climb the shaft above Cornifer and enter the highest room. There, you'll have two paths: one on the right and another to the left.

Go left until you find Quirrel contemplating near a window.

In the next room, progress a short way until you reach a shaft in the floor. Drop down until you land on a gate.

Wanderer's Journal Location

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Before you drop to the bottom, you can take a quick detour for some Geo and a Wanderer's Journal, so long as you don't mind dealing with some lasers. To find it, enter the first room on the right as you go down the shaft. Be sure to grab that Geo Crystal!

The platform above is covered in Crystal Crawlers, moving in a counter-clockwise direction. Climb the wall on the right while dodging the lasers. Recall that you can destroy the bugs with Vengeful Spirit.

Walk across the platform, going left, and look for the Wanderer's Journal on the top-left ledge.

At the bottom, you'll find a lever. Strike it to open the gate below, then hop down the newly opened gate to the left and hit the next lever you find.

Wall-jump back up to the first lever and then drop into the next shaft on your right. After landing, head right again and drop down the long vertical shaft with conveyor belts on both sides. Once you reach the bottom, hit the lever to the left to open another gate, then head through the exit on the right.

The next room presents a platforming challenge, consisting of conveyor belts and rotating platforms with harmful crystals. You'll need to navigate over the rotating platforms quickly, as they'll spin after being touched.

As a hint on how to deal with the platforms, recall they react to touch. If you cannot leave one platform for another one safely, use theNail Jumptechnique on the platform to spin it back around.

Continue right, across the conveyor belts and revolving platforms, then hop up onto the vertical conveyor belts and ascend to solid ground. Be mindful of the spikes. Use your dash to avoid damage.

Once you reach the top of the first vertical belt, there will be wooden bracing hiding a small Soul Totem on your left, so use it if you need to heal up. After that, head right to approach a series of laser-blasting crystals.

Time your movement to avoid taking damage from the crystals on the ceilings and walls. Thin lasers won't harm you, so feel free to move or dash through them. Thicker lasers hurt, but dissipate after roughly two seconds.

After clearing the first, straightforward section, the area will open up, adding revolving spike platforms and conveyor belts to the laser serenade. Again, if you're stuck on a platform, use Nail Jump to spin it back around. Keep a slow, deliberate pace.

Make it all the way to the right and you’ll find another Soul Totem. Heal up if you took hits, then hop down and follow the path. You’ll soon reach a vertical conveyor belt.

Take it to the bottom, then head right across the bridge and you’ll soon find a large mechanical figure with a brilliant light shooting out of its stomach. Inspect it to obtain the incredible Crystal Heart. This artifact grants you the Super Dash, which lets you cross long distances, over gaps or otherwise.

Crystal Heart

The blast of consuming the Crystal Heart has blown out the bridge, but that shouldn’t bother a now-flying bug such as yourself. While looking left over the bridge, charge the Super Dash by holding the Left Trigger (LT) on the Xbox pad, L2 on the PlayStation controller, ZL on the Switch controller, or the S key on a keyboard.

Fly left to return to where you first began the platforming challenge, stopping for a moment to gather up that Geo Crystal.

Hop up on the ledge and fly left again. Follow the path up and to the left and continue into the next area.

Grub 2 Location

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Before you leave the area, you can take a moment to rescue a poor, trapped Grub, now that you have the Super Dash. To find it, return to the doorway from where you started your journey to reach the Crystal Heart and wall-jump up the wall just above it.

High up the wall and on the other side, you should be able to spot a ledge with just a hint of the Grub across from the wall. Hold the Super Dash button when you're directly across from the ledge and fly across.

Smash the jar to rescue the Grub.Grub 45 - Crystal Peak

Walk a short way and drop through the first hole in the floor.

Grub 3 Location

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Before heading down into the hole, you may want to take a short detour to rescue another poor Grub. If so, hop over the hole going left, kill the Glimback, and continue into the next room. Here, you'll find a small area with hydraulic smashers.

Use Dash to get past the first smasher and stop. Wall-jump up the shaft above and continue left.

Time the Dash to get past the first smasher, then do the same with the second. You may need to give yourself a little bit of space between you and the first smasher to avoid getting clipped by the second.

Climb up the wall on the left to the next level. You don't need to dash here! As soon as the first smasher begins to lift, walk forward and you'll safely reach the Grub.

Smack the lever in the top-right corner near the Grub to escape. Return to the previous room to continue.

Grub 16 - Crystal Peak

Hidden Geo Deposit Locations

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There are two Geo Crystal Deposits you can acquire as you descend the shaft. To get them, take the first open door on the left of the shaft and ascend the narrow passage above.

Watch out for Husk Miners and Crystal Crawlers as you make your way to the next room, where a Geo Crystal is waiting in the bottom-right corner.

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Wall-jump up the shaft on the left to the area above, where you'll find another Geo Deposit guarded by two Husk Miners. Kill them and hit the lever to open the gate, leading back to the original shaft.

Drop down to the bottom and progress right through the hydraulic mashers. Use the Mothwing Cloak to dash under the crushers to avoid harm.

Continue through the first volley, then drop down to the next level and take on the more challenging gauntlet of mashers to the left. Jump, then dash through each masher and drop down through the hole in the floor.

How to Get the Geo Chest in the Smasher Room

No doubt, you may have noticed the large, shining chest at the bottom of the large shaft. It's locked behind a gate, but you can get it. Here's how. After successfully avoiding the smashers on the bottom level, hop over the hole in the floor. Dash past the smashers and wall-jump up the wall on the left side to reach the room above.

Walk right until you reach the chest of Geo. Smack the lever to its left to open the gate.

The strange room below presents you with a lever on one side and a Grub on the other. How nice! Hit the lever, rescue the poor Grub, then head left and hop down to the ledge.

Grub 4 Location

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The fourth Grub you can come across while exploring Crystal Peak is below the smasher room, which is left and down from the entrance to the Crystal Heart location. Avoid the smashers and drop down the hole to find the Grub waiting for its hero.

Grub 14 - Crystal Peak

Continue to the right, dash across the elevated platforms, and take the exit on the right-hand side.

How to Get the Descending Dark Spell Upgrade in Hollow Knight

Though optional, you can acquire Descending Dark, an upgrade for your Desolate Dive Spell. It's a far more powerful version of the Spell, allowing you to increase the damage dealt when using it on enemies.

To get it, continue through the darkened cavern heading right, hopping from platform to platform and avoiding the spike pits and the flying Crystal Hunters. Destroy the Glimback at the end of the tunnel and take the exit to the right.

Now, you’ll find yourself standing on a ledge overlooking a large chasm. Charge your Super Dash and fly over the chasm to the right, and you’ll arrive at the Crystallized Mound. A large Soul Totem sits to the right of the entrance. Feel free to use it if you need to recharge Soul or heal (or both).

Enter the building and use Desolate Dive to break through the floor.

Head right, and you’ll encounter Crystal Hunters and crystal switch platforms. Quickly hop from one platform to the other, then hop up and wall-jump up the wall to the left to reach solid ground.

From there, drop down the shaft to your right and slide down the left-side wall, then dash to land on the switch platform on the right. Hop up the platforms and dodge/kill the Crystal Hunter, then double back to the top left and land on a safe ledge. Dispatch the Baldur and use your Soul to heal if you took damage.

Quick strats: Remember, you can use Nail Jump to turn the platforms around. You can also use your Nail to deflect the crystals fired by the Crystal Hunter.

Follow the switch platforms straight up and land on the ledge to the right.

Need a recharge? Taking the platform to the left will lead you to a small Soul Totem.

Grub 5 Location

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You can find another lost Grub here in the Crystallized Mound. After reaching the top of the rotating platforms, past where you fought the Crystal Hunter and Baldur enemies, stop at the patch of solid ground on the crystalized column. To the right is another path up, lined with rotating platforms.

Climb the platforms to the top, where you'll find a friendly Grub waiting for rescue.

Grub 15 - Crystal Peak

Hop back onto the switch platform on the left, jump and dash to the left-side wall, then wall-jump up to safety.

Walk left, then break the wooden planks in the floor. Drop down to find a crystallized Snail Shaman.

Shatter the Snail Shaman’s prison and you’ll consume a portion of the Void, empowering your Desolate Dive Spell and turning it into the more formidable Spell, Descending Dark.

Desolate Dive Upgrade - Descending Dark

How to Get the Deep Focus Charm in Hollow Knight

Before you wrap everything up and return to the world, there's one last stop you can make to get a nearby Charm.

With the Descending Dark Spell acquired, head back to the area Bench to update your map.

Geo Deposit Location

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After leaving the dark tunnel that leads to the Mound, drop down a hole in the floor.

Enter the room to the right of the narrow shaft to find two Husk Miners guarding two Geo Crystal deposits.

When you're ready, return to the section of broken wall we made a note of earlier. It's halfway up the western shaft that runs vertically through Crystal Peak.

Head left through the opening and Super Dash to the left and quickly wall-jump up and move left around the stone column. Make note of the laser beams just ahead.

Charge the Crystal Heart, time the release, and fly through the lasers. Do this at each of the platforms you reach, and you’ll soon get to the far-left end of the crystal cavern. Head through the exit into the next area, then drop down and claim the powerful Deep Focus Charm.

Deep Focus

Equipping the Deep Focus Charm causes the Knight to heal two Masks of health each time Soul is channeled, although the charge time is slightly longer. Pair it with the Quick Focus Charm to greatly enhance your ability to restore health if you are having trouble staying alive.

Return to Dirtmouth

After you’ve collected the Charm, return to the previous area and take the conveyor belt up top, which will bring you safely back to the start of the cavern.

Leave the area via the door to the right, then head back up the shaft and take the next exit. Continue until you make it back to where you met Cornifer, who has long since left Crystal Peak. Walk past the letter Cornifer left on the ground and stop at the ledge.

Super Dash across the gap. You’ll soon hit a wall, so jump down and fly to the left again. Continue working your way left, using your wall-jump and dash abilities.

Grub 6 Location

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There's another Grub you can rescue on your way out of Crystal Peak. After Super Dashing from Cornifer's ledge, keep going until you slam into a short column near a hole in the floor.

Drop into the hole and follow the bottom path to find... Agh! Shattering the glass caused the "Grub" to transform into a Grub Mimic.

Kill the horrid creature, then walk to the wall. Hit the weak wall until it breaks, revealing another path.

Head inside and climb up to find the real Grub.

Grub 17 - Crystal Peak

Hidden Geo Deposit Location

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Before you leave the cave with the Grub and Not-Grub, take the upper path, watching out for the Crystal Hunter, to find a Geo Crystal.

When you're ready, progress to the end of the long corridor and take the exit into the next area.

Hit the lever to unlock the lift and open a pathway directly from Crystal Peak to Dirtmouth, then return to town and rest at the Bench. After all that flying, the Knight’s arms are probably tired.

Crystal Peak Completed

Up Next: Deepnest & The Beast

PreviousThe Resting GroundsNextDeepnest & The Beast

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