The further that players progress throughHollow Knight, the more of the world and the lore they will uncover. One of the most important areas of Hallownest is its capital, the City of Tears, which was once a bustling center of a thriving community of bugs. Many players will likely first reach the City of Tears byusing the City Crest, awarded after defeating the False Knight in the Forgotten Crossroads.
To the north of the city is the Soul Sanctum, a research institution run by scholarly bugs that worked tirelessly to expand their knowledge and gain mastery over Soul, theresource used for spellcasting. Given this context, players will be unsurprised to find many spell-focused enemies, as well as their experiments, here as they explore the remains of their hub. The leader of their organization, the Soul Master, is the player’s quarry.
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Before Entering the Soul Sanctum
If they have not done so already, players shouldupgrade their Nail byvisiting the Nailsmith,who can be found at the westernmost point of the city. Players will then need to travel north from Relic Seeker Lemm’s location in the City of Tears to begin the journey to the Soul Sanctum. The ascent will involve using elevators and the Mantis Claw while fighting off enemies along the way, but before players venture into the Soul Sanctum, it is advised that they follow the paper trail leading up.
Next to Corniferis a bench that will cost players 150 Geo to unlock. As the only bench within the vicinity of the Soul Sanctum,it is a priority for players to unlock it before taking on the Soul Master.Not only this, but wall to the right of Cornifer is actually a shortcut that can be broken open from the other side, providing players with a much-needed fast track. Upon entering the Soul Sanctum, players will be met with a few types of enemies that use variations of the Soul Master’s attacks, preparing the player for what to expect during the battle.
Tips When Fighting the Soul Master
Slam
The Soul Master’s signature move is his Slam attack, which is in essence his version of theDesolate Dive spell. He willhover in the air above the player momentarily before slamming into the ground,creating shockwaves that travel outwards from the site of impact.
Players should prioritize dodging out of the way of the incoming Slam attacks as well as jumping over the shockwaves, as there is not much of an opportunity to damage the Soul Master during this. As he loses health, the Soul Master will begin using fake out Slams to throw off the player’s timing by delaying the attack.
Teleport
While not inherently dangerous, the Soul Master’s ability to teleport will be used frequently during the battle. He will use it to quicklyreposition himself to dodge the playerand create distance to set up his own attacks. This can make him difficult to pin down, but players can launch spell attacks to get hits in as he moves about the arena.
A charm that players can find in the Soul Sanctum isthe Spell Twister, which will reduce the amount of Soul needed to cast spells. Its low equip cost makes it an essential addition to a load out for players that favour magic.
Dash
Starting from either end, the Soul Master willtravel the width of the arena to deal contact damage.As he moves across the room, players can jump over and use a down slash to damage him as he passes by, using charms such asLongnail or Mark of Prideto extend the range of the Nail and making these down strikes easier to perform. Players can also use the Vengeful Spirit spell as the Soul Master approaches before jumping over him to get in extra damage.
Clock
Four orbs of concentrated Soul will spawn around the Soul Masterand slowly rotate around him as he moves from one side of the arena to the other. After he has moved across the screen, the four orbs will continue rotating and travel back without the Soul Master. This attack will provide the best opportunity that players will have to heal during the fight as it takes the longest to complete.
Players can get in a few hits as the Soul Master passes over them, so long as the rotating orbs are avoided. As the orbs travel back, if players stay in the center of the arena, the gap between the orbs will be wide enough to entirely miss the Knight. Even without the use of charms, players should haveample time to heal fora couple masksduring this attack.
Orb
Homing in on the player, the Soul Masterconjures single Soul orbs and fires them as projectilesthat only disappear when they hit the Knight, floor, or walls. When dodging, players should make it a habit to dash towards the projectiles rather than away as it will cause them to hit into the ground, eliminating the threat faster.
The Soul Master will be stationary during this attack, allowing players to use spells such as Howling Wraiths if they have access to it. Using charms such asthe Shaman Stonewill increase the damage output of spells, making them more lethal and useful.
Defeating the Soul Master
Players will be rewarded with a new spell when they bring this boss down, but as they go to retrieve it, the Soul Master will reappear, unwilling to give up his power so easily. After slamming down, the Soul Master willbreak through the ground and trigger the second phase of the battle.
His attacks during this phase are frantic but less varied than the first, with the smaller space of this new arena limiting his use of Slam (without the shockwaves) and Orb attacks in quick succession. While the Soul Master will have significantly less health, players shouldprioritize dashing out of the wayof his Slam attacks before unleashing physical and spell attacks when he is in a stationary position and creating the homing Orbs.
When players officially defeat the Soul Master, they will be granted the Desolate Dive spell, which resembles the Slam attack that they will have become familiar with over the course of this battle. Alongside dealing damage, this spell can be used to break unstable ground. This can open new paths and reveal secrets, which players can experiment with as they leave the Soul Sanctum.
Dream Battle: The Soul Tyrant
Likethe False Knight, the Soul Master has a Dream variant that players can challenge after they have obtained the Dream Nail and defeated his base counterpart. These Dream Battles are the perfect opportunity for players to use fragile charms that they have bought from Leg Eater, as they will not break if the Knight dies in a dream.
The Soul Tyrant is faster and has small changes to his attacks. Clock now spawns two rows of three orbs that will rotate around him, creating a smaller space for players to dodge through, but players will still have the best chance to heal during this attack. The impact radius and height of the shockwaves that the Soul Tyrant produces with the Slam attack are now greater, but he no longer does fake outs.
Defeating the Soul Tyrant will award the player with300 Essence,which they will need to fully awaken the Dream Nail and reach certain endings of the game.
