The charm system in Hollow Knight is one way to ensure the Knight is ready for just about anything he might come up against in Hallownest. Some charms can be purchased from vendors, others are offered as rewards for boss fights and there are even a few that can be found hidden throughout the massive map the Knight must set out to explore.

Early on, the Knight only has three charm slots, but there are eight for purchase or discovery across Hallownest. There are also some powerful charm combinations that can bolster the Knight's damage, recovery, speed and even provide protection from enemies that may cross his path on the journey. Simple charm combinations in the beginning can mean the difference between life and death -- a precarious balance that often tips unfavorably toward death.

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The Warlock

Hollow Knight becoming one with the Void

Some of the best and most powerful charm combos in the game consume all 11 available charm notches, so the Knight will have to do a lot of exploring before he can achieve them. They are definitely worth the effort, as they build a very powerful Knight in the style most suitable to the player.

For Knights who prefer distance battle with magic over melee combat, the Warlock charm combo makes it possible to defend the Knight from up close and personal enemies while attacking them with powerful spells from afar. Combining Dream Shield, Dream Weaver, Grubberfly's Elegy, Grubsong, Weaversong and Sprintmaster creates a the perfect ability set for more passive playstyles that advance through enemies using magic instead of melee.

Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies Charm Combo Hollow Knight

Combining the charms Glowing Womb and Defender's Crest is a great way to spawn four toxic little hatchling minions that follow the Knight around and protect him from attackers. They advance to attack enemies on sight and then explode to deal 13 damage. Their explosion causes them to emit a poisonous cloud that goes creating one or two points of damage per second until it disperses.

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Not only does this combination cut down on the Knight's work, it also protects him from ambushes. The cost for this combination is incredibly low, using one slot for Defender's Crest and two slots for Glowing Womb. This means even lower level players who have yet to unlock additional charm slots can take advantage of spawning a posse of poisonous hatchlings.

Prismatic Focus

Using Soul to Focus and Heal

Focus requires the use of soul, but it provides healing benefits that keep the Knight alive so he can go on fighting. One of the most unfortunate aspects of Focus, however, is that it takes time as well as acquisition of soul essence, and using the ability to heal in battle can be a dangerous move. The Prismatic Focus combination is all about safe healing, which is often as necessary as it is risky.

Combining Deep Focus and Quick Focus with Grubberfly's Elegy and Grubsong allows the Knight to heal two masks in the amount of time it would take to normally heal one. Taking damage also supplies more soul essence than needed for a single heal, meaning the Knight will almost always have a ready supply of soul to keep himself safe and protected from whatever he might face.

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The Samurai

Hollow Knight in battle

While gathering power and abilities on his explorations, the Knight comes in contact with some pretty intriguing enemies on his path. Some of them may even inspire him to emulate them and become a powerful fighter like the Samurai. By combining Mark of Pride, Quick Slash, Unbreakable Strength and Heavy Blow, the Knight becomes a master of melee attacks that can storm through hordes of enemies.

This combo makes for heavy hits from a slightly longer ranged advantage and ensures the Samurai Knight takes out enemies while incurring minimal damage himself. Like the Warlock combination, the Samurai build requires use of 11 charm notch slots.

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The Summoner

Hollow Knight

Much like the Lord of Flies combination, the Summoner combination allows the Knight to summon an entire army of minions to watch his back and fight beside him. Combining Grimmchild, Weaversong, Sprintmaster, Grubsong, Glowing Womb, Defender's Crest and Spore Shroom gives the Knight plenty of company to fill the dark and lonely paths in Hallownest. It requires 10 charm notch slots to work this combo.

However, the Summoner build has its drawbacks. Because of the amount of soul it requires to constantly summon minions, the soul pool tends to run on the low side, meaning it's difficult for the Knight to heal when he needs to. Still, he may not need to heal with so many friends in his corner fighting the good fight with him.

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