Hollow Knight is a 2017 classic indie title loved by the community. It is a Metroidvania platforming game with a focus on melee combat and cool abilities.
The game is well-known in the community for its difficulty level, speedrunning potential, and intense platforming sections. One cool aspect of the game is the charms, equipable items that let you customize the abilities your character has. Some charms are quite gimmicky, giving you a small but interesting power-up, but others are game-changers that completely flip your playstyle.
10 Gathering Swarm
Gathering Swarm provides one of the best quality-of-life upgrades in the game. Making sure that you get the geo that you fought for without having to chase it down steep falls is great for the player’s overall satisfaction.
You can get it early in the game; it only takes up one notch and has 10/10 functionality. What’s there not to like? If you are stuck on a particular fight and need every possible notch, then it’s worth unequipping this charm in favor of something else, but it is a must-have in every other situation.
9 Steady Body
One of the mechanics of the game that beginners struggle with is the recoil from attacking an enemy. Not accounting for that can cost you health, which might ultimately lead to your untimely demise.
The Steady Body charm not only eliminates that worry but also increases the rate at which you can attack, albeit not by that much. Having every little bit of advantage in a fight is exactly what you need to make sure you can perform your best.
8 Nailmaster’s Glory
A one-notch charm that can significantly increase the efficiency of one of the most damaging attacks in the game seems like a mod, but it’s part of the main game! The Nailmaster’s glory lets you perform the nail arts faster, meaning you can deal more damage.
Since it only takes up one notch, this charm fits in perfectly no matter what kind of build you’re trying to run. Whether you are doing a silly Lifeblood build or a cheeky spell-farming one, it’s worth having this charm with you.
7 Soul Catcher
Soul Catcher is one of the first charms that you unlock, and it’s one of the most useful ones as well. It increases the amount of soul you gain with each nail hit, a key resource in the game.
What this essentially means is that you can regain health faster, fire off spells more often, and fill up your soul meter with ease. This charm synergizes with others quite well, making it a must-have in certain builds.
6 Shaman Stone
Whether you use Shaman Stone as part of a soul-farming build or as a standalone charm, it’s well worth the high-notch price. Not only does it increase the damage dealt by each spell, but it also increases the size of the spell, meaning you can hit more enemies easily.
Players can use the Shaman Stone in tandem with different charms to increase efficiency, like Spell Twister or Soul Catcher, so that they can fire off spells more often.
5 Sharp Shadow
The dash ability is pivotal in any game, and even more so in Metroidvanias. Making it such that your dash ability also deals damage to enemies. Sharp Shadow doesn’t just buff the attack of your dash; it increases the distance you can travel as well, making it a must-have for speedrunners alongside the Dashmaster charm.
While this is undeniably great for fighting enemies, it can be a nuisance at other times. Make sure to unequip this charm if you are having trouble with a platforming section, as many areas are made with the basic dash distance in mind.
4 Longnail
Longnail is a two-notch charm that, as the name suggests, increases the reach of your nail. There is another charm, Mark of Pride, that increases the reach as well. The high price of the Mark of Pride makes it a big commitment, and the slightly increased reach isn’t worth it.
If you are looking to gain a little bit of extra reach for nail bounces, Longnail is a perfect fit. It doesn’t take up too much space and works quite well on its own.
3 Quick Slash
Without a doubt, a charm that buffs your basic attack is a great addition to your arsenal. While the price is a bit much, three notches, the trade-off is well worth it. Whether it be platforming sections, boss battles, or basic fights, having a faster swing makes everything a lot easier.
When combined with other charms like Longnail, Steady Body, or Heavy Blow, this charm works the best. The Quick Slash is a significant quality-of-life improvement that makes your gameplay experience a lot more fun. Even if you’re not running a nail-centric build, it’s worth it to at least try this charm out to experience a nice change of pace.
2 Spell Twister
Spell Twister is definitely one of the best charms in the game. Combined with Shaman Stone and Soul Catcher, it creates an unstoppable build that bulldozes through most enemies with ease.
If you have fully upgraded spells, then running this build is a no-brainer. Spell Twister reduces the cost of firing spells. If you could only fire three spells previously, you can now shoot four.
1 Unbreakable Strength
While it is hard to obtain, costing a whopping 15000 geo, the Fragile Strength charm, which is the precursor of the Unbreakable Strength charm, is well worth the three notches. It provides a flat percentage buff to the base damage, meaning it stacks with nail upgrades and other damage-increasing buffs.
The effectiveness of the charm is the best in the game. The only drawback of the Fragile Strength charm is that you might lose it. However, this can easily be mitigated if you only use it for dream fights or in the God home. You can also fix the issue if you spend the money to upgrade it to Unbreakable Strength. Furthermore, the drawback is irrelevant if you’re playing in Steel Soul mode.
