Hollow Knight is packed with secrets, lore, and choices, but did you know you can unlock all five endings in a single playthrough? If you plan ahead, you won’t need to restart your game—just follow this guide, and you’ll see every possible outcome of Hallownest’s tragic fate.

Let’s break it down step by step, ensuring you efficiently unlock every ending while keeping your save file intact.

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Step 1: Unlocking the Black Egg Temple (Essential for All Endings)

Before we get into the specific endings, you must unlock the Black Egg Temple by following these steps:

✔ Obtain the Dream Nail – Required to access certain endings.
✔ Defeat the Three Dreamers – Lurien, Monomon, and Herrah.
✔ Enter the Black Egg Temple – Now accessible in the Forgotten Crossroads.

Once you’ve done this, you’re ready to start unlocking every possible ending.

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Ending 1: The Hollow Knight (Standard Ending)

The simplest ending occurs when you fight the Hollow Knight normally without any additional conditions.

✔ How to Get This Ending:

1. Enter the Black Egg Temple after defeating the three Dreamers.
2. Defeat the Hollow Knight in battle.
3. Watch as the Knight absorbs the infection, taking the Hollow Knight’s place as the new seal to contain the plague.

✔ What This Ending Means:

• The infection is sealed away, but not destroyed.
• The Knight sacrifices themselves, replacing the Hollow Knight.
• The cycle continues, leaving Hallownest’s fate uncertain.

✔ How to Continue After This Ending:

• You’ll respawn at the last bench you rested at.
• Reload your save to continue unlocking the next endings.

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Ending 2: Sealed Siblings (Hornet’s Fate Sealed)

This ending happens when Hornet joins the battle, but you do nothing when she intervenes.

✔ How to Get This Ending:

1. Obtain the Void Heart Charm (more on this later).
2. Enter the Black Egg Temple and fight the Hollow Knight again.
3. When Hornet appears, DO NOT use the Dream Nail on the Hollow Knight.
4. Instead, continue attacking normally and finish the fight as before.

✔ What Happens in This Ending:

• The Knight still absorbs the infection, but this time, Hornet is trapped inside the seal as well.
• The Black Egg Temple remains sealed, locking both the Knight and Hornet inside.
• If the infection ever resurges, there’s no way to stop it since Hornet is no longer outside to intervene.

✔ How to Continue After This Ending:

• Reload your save—you’ll still be at the last bench, ready for the next step.

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Ending 3: Dream No More (The True Ending)

The best ending occurs when you defeat the true source of the infection: The Radiance.

✔ How to Get This Ending:

1. Obtain the Void Heart Charm (required for this path).
2. Enter the Black Egg Temple and fight the Hollow Knight again.
3. When Hornet appears, use the Dream Nail on the Hollow Knight.
4. This will trigger the Radiance fight—defeat her to cleanse Hallownest completely.

✔ What Happens in This Ending:

• The Void assists you, obliterating the Radiance permanently.
• The infection is destroyed, ending its cycle forever.
• The Black Egg Temple collapses, and the Knight fades away along with the other Void beings.

✔ How to Continue After This Ending:

• Reload your save—there are still two more endings to unlock.

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Ending 4: Embrace the Void (Godmaster DLC)

This ending is exclusive to Godhome, unlocked by completing the Pantheon of Hallownest.

✔ How to Get This Ending:

1. Enter Godhome (via the Godseeker NPC).
2. Complete the Pantheon of Hallownest, which includes every boss in the game.
3. Defeat Absolute Radiance, the hardest form of the Radiance.

✔ What Happens in This Ending:

• Instead of simply destroying the Radiance, the Shade Lord emerges.
• The Void overtakes everything, completely consuming the world.
• The Godseeker is overwhelmed, witnessing the rise of a new Void god.

✔ How to Continue After This Ending:

• Reload your save—there’s still one final variation left.

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Ending 5: Delicate Flower (Alternative Godhome Ending)

This is a secret alternate version of the Embrace the Void ending, unlocked by giving the Godseeker a Delicate Flower before fighting Absolute Radiance.

✔ How to Get This Ending:

1. Complete the Delicate Flower quest (delivering the flower without taking damage).
2. Bring the Delicate Flower to Godseeker before starting the Pantheon of Hallownest.
3. Beat Absolute Radiance again.

✔ What Happens in This Ending:

• The ending remains mostly the same, but one key difference occurs—
• Instead of being consumed, the Godseeker seemingly escapes, transported somewhere unknown.
• The flower is seen in the final shot, potentially hinting at events in Silksong.

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How to Get the Void Heart Charm (Required for 3rd, 4th, and 5th Endings)

The Void Heart is necessary to access the Radiance battle and Godhome endings.

✔ Steps to Obtain Void Heart:

1. Find the Abyss (bottom of Hallownest).
2. Gather the Kingsoul Charm by combining two halves:
   • White Palace (requires Awoken Dream Nail).
   • Queen’s Gardens (Hidden Room).
3. Equip Kingsoul and visit the Abyss.
4. Trigger the transformation—Kingsoul will turn into Void Heart.

✔ Why Void Heart Matters:

• Allows Hornet to intervene in the final boss fight.
• Enables the Radiance battle (true ending).
• Unlocks access to Godhome’s final pantheon.

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Summary: How to Unlock Every Ending in One Save

If you follow this sequence, you can see all five endings without restarting:

✅ Step 1: Beat the Hollow Knight normally → Ending 1 (Hollow Knight Ending).
✅ Step 2: Beat Hollow Knight again with Hornet intervening (no Dream Nail) → Ending 2 (Sealed Siblings).
✅ Step 3: Get the Void Heart, then Dream Nail Hollow Knight → Ending 3 (Dream No More).
✅ Step 4: Enter Godhome, complete Pantheon of Hallownest → Ending 4 (Embrace the Void).
✅ Step 5: Give Godseeker the Delicate Flower, then beat Pantheon again → Ending 5 (Delicate Flower).

By following this approach, you experience all five endings with maximum efficiency—no restarting, no unnecessary grinding.

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Final Thoughts: Which Ending is Canon?

While Hollow Knight doesn’t explicitly confirm a “canon” ending, Dream No More is generally considered the true ending, as it completes the main story by defeating the Radiance.

However, the Godhome endings introduce the concept of the Shade Lord, which may connect to Silksong in some way—especially the Delicate Flower variant.

Regardless of which ending you favor, experiencing all five is the best way to truly appreciate Hollow Knight’s deep lore and tragic beauty.

Now, go forth, little Knight—the fate of Hallownest awaits!