Hollow Knight Grimm: How to Beat the Boss
For those of us casually going about our business, blissfully unaware of Hollow Knight Grimm, life may not be so bad, but for those obstructed by that bleakreality, life can be a little rough.
Besides, the God of Nightmares, as he is also known, has as many aliases as he does move-sets. Some of them more devasting in effect than others. So, mastering this boss will better your chances of beating the game. Do not forget about all that Godmaster-tier content!
A cautionary word of warning, there is a lot to digest here. But, on the back of this knowledge, with trial, error, and immense perseverance, you should prevail in no time. With a clear head and first-hand insight on attack patterns, we can obliterate this boss for good. Especially true once you learn to deal with his trusty teleportation technique.
The Boss Behind the Legend
Troupe Master Grimm, also referred to as Grimm, is a central character found in the Metroidvania style title Hollow Knight. Grimm is the Master of the Grimm Trouper, having journeyed to Hallownest in a bid to continue and hopefully finish what he describes as, “The Ritual.”
You can encounter Grimm in Dirtmouth after his summoning by the Nightmare Lantern in the Howling Cliffs.
Hollow Knight Grimm: Know Thy Enemy
Like many games, if you wish to banish a boss, back to whichever heinous hellscape that gave birth to it, you must gain a firm grasp and clear understanding of it, to visualize victory.
That same principle applies here. Never is that notion more prevalent than with Hollow Knight Grimm. Here are some of the Grimm’s more notable attacks to observe.
In truth, there are many phases to the Hollow Knight Grimm fight, with only small windows to execute strategies. Additionally, this boss is extremely fast, deals decent damage. And, unluckily for you, has at its disposal, a versatile mix of attacks.
Firstly, let us begin with projectiles. When Grimm opens his cloak during the encounter, this signifies the start of his three-pronged Fire Bat attack. These are shot out by the vampiric Lord in quick succession but can be countered by double jumping over the initial blaze. Then, dashing over the next two. As you might imagine, this requires precise timing to execute.
Hollow Knight Grimm is stationary during this manoeuvre. Thus, giving you enough time to deliver a solid blow before he vanishes into a puff of mist.
Next up, we have the Flamespawner. Here, Grimm immerses himself in his cloak, sending out a series of fireball projectiles all over the arena. Pay close attention to the rate at which the balls disperse. These tend to come in sets of two, allowing Grimm to jump between each set. You can see this one coming, as the attack takes place in the centre.
This attack only occurs once Grimm’s health reduces to 75%, 50%, or 25%. During which, Grimm is immune to nail damage for a maximum of nine seconds.
Occasionally, to keep you on your toes, Hollow Knight Grimm will teleport to another location. However, if Grimm gets too close, he will Skitter off in hiding; this is your chance to deliver another crushing hit.
Do not be afraid to implement Shade Cloak during his Dive Dash and Dash Uppercut sequences. After all, these are close-quarter exchanges, as opposed to long-distance, and that added sense of mobility is crucial.
Another trick worth memorizing is that positioning yourself close to where Grimm explodes after using Dash Uppercut, will help you stay clear of his 5-way, coned-shaped fire attack. Doing this will should also buy you enough time to heal via Quick Focus.
Hollow Knight Grimm: And the Beast Was Slayed
Overall, Grimm stacks up as a worthy opponent, and at first glance, or to the casual observer, can come across as an impossible boss to overcome. But hopefully, after today, you are better equipped to deal with the demonic Lord. Once, and for all times, that is, until Godmaster content.
