I created this guide because I noticed that some of the existing ones felt a bit underpowered. So, I’ve optimized the route and included key items to make the run much smoother—especially for beginners.

If you want most of your fights go like this:


Keep reading...

The key to this achievement is simple: it becomes much easier when you're overpowered and can breeze through the bosses. That’s why this guide focuses on helping you get strong as quickly as possible.

The main goals of this guide are:

• Skip three bosses: Fourth Chorus, Moorwing and Sister Splinter.
  
• Get Fractured Mask early for extra safety in Steelsoul mode.
  
• Get the optimal tools to make a little easy/cheese each boss/arena fight.
  
• Defeat Hunter's March arena early with the help of Shakra.
  
• Get extra Masks and Pollip pouch as soon as possible.
  
• Use Hunter's Crest evolved for fights and Reaper's or Wanderer's Crest for platform sections.
  
• Get easy Memory Lockets for extra tools
  
• Get easy Craftmetals to craft any favorite tool.

It took me less than 4 hours to complete the game using this route, even when I did some detours and wasted some time looking at the map. But all the tools and upgrades you are obtaining will help you to continue with the run and get the 100% in 30 hours achievement.

I tried to setup the best (in my opinion) build for each boss/arena and platform sections:

1. Widow: 6 Masks, Fractured Mask, Polip Pouch, Straight Pin, and Sting Shard (with Crafting Kit & Tool Pouch upgrades).
   
2. Phantom: Needle Level 2, Hunter's Crest evolved.
   
3. Dancers: Poisonous Sting Shard (Crafting Kit Level 2).
   
4. Cogwork Core Arena: Poisonous Long Pin and Thread Storm for an easy win.
   
5. Trobbio: 7 Masks, Needle Level 3.
   
6. High Halls Arena: Poisonous Cogfly and Tacks for an easy win (Crafting Kit Level 3).
   
7. Lace 2.0: Poisonous Cogfly and Tacks (Crafting Kit Level 3).
   
8. Great Mother Silk: Poisonous Cogfly and Sting Shard (Crafting Kit Level 3).

I believe this guide will serve you well, but if you have any questions or feedback, feel free to drop a comment!

This is a work in progress, I am working in the text and the maps, but in the mean time you can watch the complete gameplay of the run in the following playlist:


For reference, years ago I did something similar for the original Hollow Knight:

1. Moss Grotto, The Marrow, Get Silk Spear, Defeat Bell Beast
   
2. Deep Docks, Get Swift Step, Defeat Lace
   
3. Far Fields, Get Drifter's Cloak, Skip/Defeat Fourth Chorus
   
4. Hunter's March, Buy Fractured Mask, Travel with Flea Caravan

1. Shellwood, Skip/Defeat Sister Splinter, Get Cling Grip, Get 1st Mask, Get Pollip pouch, Defeat Widow
   
2. Bellhart, Get 1st Needle Upgrade, Weavenest Atla
   
3. Greymoor, Get Reaper Crest, Get Thread Storm

1. Sinner's Road, Get Tacks, The Mist, Defeat Phantom
   
2. Grand Bellway, Songclave, Deep Docks, Defeat Dancers
   
3. Rescue Jubilana, Buy Ascendant's Grip, Shortcut to Whispering Vaults

1. Whispering Vaults, Get Pale Oil, 2nd Needle Upgrade, Defeat Trobbio
   
2. The Cauldron, Get Clawline, Buy Crafting Kit, Get Melody #1
   
3. High Halls, Defeat High Halls Arena, Get Melody #2
   
4. Upper Cogwork Core, Get Melody #3, Defeat Lace 2, Defeat Grand Mother Silk

1. Shellwood, Skip/Defeat Sister Splinter, Get Cling Grip, Get 1st Mask, Get Pollip pouch, Defeat Widow
   
2. Bellhart, Get 1st Needle Upgrade, Weavenest Atla
   
3. Greymoor, Get Reaper Crest, Get Thread Storm

• Activate Bench
  
• Pick Rosary
  
• SAVE & QUIT [SAFE POINT]
  
• Defeat Moss Mother
  
• Skip 1st Arena (optional)
  
• Pick Choral Commandment
  
• Get Silk Spear
  
• Enable Shortcut
  
• Pick Spool Fragment (optional)
  
• Defeat Bell Beast
  
• Travel to Bone Bottom to get Wishes
  
  
  
• Rescue 1/5 Fleas
  
• Pick Shard Pendant
  
• Pick Craftmetal (1)
  
• Pick Rosaries (recommended)
  
• Pick Straight Pin
  
• Get Swift Step
  
• Rescue 2/5 Fleas
  
• Activate Deep Dock's Station
  
• Rescue 3/5 Fleas
  
• Defeat Deep Docks' Arena
  
• Buy Crafting Kit and Sting Shard (level 1)
  
• Pick Rosaries (recommended)
  
• SAVE & QUIT [SAFE POINT]
  
• Defeat Lace
  
  
  
• Get Flexile Spines wish
  
• Collect Spines and kill enemies for Pilgrim Shawl wish
  
• SAVE & QUIT
  
• Get Drifter's Cloak
  
• Pick Bone Scroll
  
• Kill more enemies to complete Pilgrim Shawl wish
  
• Pick 1/8 Mask shard
  
• SAVE & QUIT [SAFE POINT]
  
• Skip/Defeat Fourth Chorus
  
• Activate Bench and Station [IMPORTANT]
  
• Pick Warding Bell (Normal mode)
  
• Pick Craftmetal (2)
  
• SAVE & QUIT
  
• Buy Tool Pouch and Memory Locket
  
• Rescue 4/5 Fleas
  
• SAVE & QUIT
  
• Spend Memory Locket in a red slot
  
  Note: At this point you have two powerful offensive tools (Straight Pin and Sting Shard) for the upcoming bosses/arenas
  
  
  
• Travel to Deep Dock's Station
  
• Rest in Bench [SAFE POINT]
  
• Defeat Hunter's March guardian (easy with the tools)
  
• Rescue 5/5 Fleas
  
• Defeat Hunter's March arena with Shakra (easy with the tools and her help)
  
  
  
  
• Pick Memory Locket (1)
  
• DO NOT REST in Hunter's March Bench!!!
  
• Buy Fractured Mask (Steelsoul mode)
  
• SAVE & QUIT
  
• Take a rest and check your time, it should be around 1:00 - 1:15
  
  Note: At this point you can spend the memory locket for a second blue tool, this will allow to have Fractured Mask and Warding Bell equipped for a lot of safety.

1. Shellwood, Skip/Defeat Sister Splinter, Get Cling Grip, Get 1st Mask, Get Pollip pouch, Defeat Widow
   
2. Bellhart, Get 1st Needle Upgrade, Weavenest Atla
   
3. Greymoor, Get Reaper Crest, Get Thread Storm

• Visit the Flea Caravan and travel with them to Greymore
  
• Defeat Shellwood Arena (easy with the tools)
  
• Activate the Shortcut
  
• Defeat mini-boss for rosaries
  
• Activate Station (optional)
  
• Get 2/8 Mask Shard
  
• Pick 1/6 Pollip Hearts
  
• Activate lift to Bench
  
• Skip Sister Splinter
  
• Pick 2/6 Pollip Hearts
  
• Get Cling Grip
  
• Pick 3/6 Pollip Hearts
  
• Pick 4/6 Pollip Hearts
  
• Pick 5/6 Pollip Hearts
  
• Pick 6/6 Pollip Hearts
  
• Get Pollip Pouch
  
• SAVE & QUIT
  
• Pick Longpin
  
• Go to Bellhart Station and travel to Bone Bottom
  
  Note: At this point you can decide if you want to be more offensive (Pollip Pouch) or more defensive (Warding Bell), but if you are not playing in Steelsoul mode, you can unequip the Fractured Mask instead.
  
  
  
• Buy 3/8 Mask Shards in Bone Bottom
  
• Pick Weaver Effigy
  
• Pick 4/8 Mask Shard (1st extra Mask)
  
  
  
• Setup for Widow Fight
  Note: At this point you can fight Widow with 6 Mask, Straight Pin, Sting Shard and Fractured Mask, you can go with Warding Bell for defensive or with Pollip Pouch for offensive, but if you are not playing in Steelsoul mode, you can unequip the Fractured Mask instead and use both.
  
• Defeat Widow
  
• 1st Needle upgrade
  
• Sell Relics and get the Crawbug Clearing Wish
  
• Travel to Bone Bottom
  
  
  
• Buy Magnetite Brooch and Craftmetal (optional)
  
• Go to Weavenest Atla
  
• Get Hunter Crest evolved
  
• Rest in the Bench and equip all the tools
  
• Pick 2/2 Spool Fragment (optional)
  
• Get 5/8 Mask Shards
  
• SAVE & QUIT
  
• Return to Bone Bottom
  
• Pick the Beast Shard (optional)
  
• Travel to Bellhart Station
  
  Note: Here you can go to the left and get the Wanderer's Crest if you feel it is better for the platform sections, I personally prefer the Reaper's Crest.
  
  
  
• Pick Memory Locket (2)
  
• Get Reaper Crest and open the shortcuts
  
  Note: If you prefer to use the Wanderer's Crest, you can skip this but if you want to keep the save for the 30 hours 100%, it would be a good idea to pick the Crest now.
  
  
• Activate the Lift
  
• Talk to Creige to update the Crawbug Clearing Wish and talk to Nuu
  
• Pick the Bone Scroll
  
• Buy Quill, Compass and Marker from Shakra (optional)
  
• Rest in Shakra's Bench [SAFE POINT]
  
• Defeat Greymor Arena
  
• SAVE & QUIT
  
• Get Thread Storm
  
• Pick Threefold Pin
  
• Talk to Creige to claim the Crafting Kit (level 2) and swap to Reaper's Crest (easy for platforming)
  
• Rest in Bench [SAFE POINT]
  
• Travel to Bellhart to buy Memory Locket (3) (optional)

Note: Getting the Tacks could be considered optional, however it helps to cheese the High Halls Arena later, and they also help with the Lace 2.0 fight; so you must decide if you skip those steps (they are roughly 8 minutes)

With the Tacks, you will be able to do this:

• Equip Reaper's Crest and add a Red slot to it (or whatever you prefer)
  
• Talk to Crull and Benjin to get Roach Guts Wish (optional, see above)
  
• Enable Bench
  
• Collect 10 Roach Guts (optional, see above)
  
• Claim the Tacks (optional, see above)
  
• Enter The Mist and exit the Mist :)
  
• Rest in Exhaust Organ Bench [SAFE POINT]
  
• Defeat Phantom
  
• Take the lift to Choral Chambers
  
  
  
• Pick Memory Locket (3)
  
• Rest in the Bench, enable the Bellway and Ventrica Stations (optional)
  
  Note: At this point if you cross to the left, Act 2 will start. So if you want do something before activate that, you can use the station to travel wherever you want and do whatever you want :)
  
  
• Add a Yellow Slot to Hunter's Crest (recommended)
  
• Go to First Shrine and enable the bench
  
• Enable the Ventrica Station (optional)
  
• Save and quit to activate Songclave and pick the Wishes there
  
  Note: You need to make a detour to pick the Mask Shard in the Marrow, you can do this now or later but before Trobbio's fight.
  
  
  
• Travel to Deep Dock's Station
  
• Defeat Marrow's Arena
  
• Pick 6/8 Mask Shard
  
• Defeat the Dancers
  
• Rest in the Bench [SAFE POINT]
  
• Equip Longpin and Thread Storm; This makes the next arena easy:
  
  
  
  
• Defeat Clockwork Arena
  
• Pick 7/8 Mask Shard
  
• Enable Choral Chambers Shortcut [IMPORTANT]
  
• Rescue Jubilana
  
• SAVE & QUIT
  
• Return to Songclave to buy Ascendant's Grip and equip it [This makes platforming easy]
  
• Enable 1st shortcut in Clockwork
  
• SAVE & QUIT
  
• Equip Hunter's Crest again
  
• Defeat Coral Chambers Arena
  
• Enable Whispering Vaults Shortcut and pick the Map

• Enter Whispering Vaults
  
• Pick Psalm Cylinder and sell it
  
• Pick 8/8 Mask Shard (2nd extra Mask)
  
• Pick Pale Oil
  
• Rest in Grand Bellaway Station Bench and travel to Bellhart
  
• Get 2nd Needle upgrade and sell all relics (at least 450 rosaries are needed)
  
• SAVE & QUIT [SAFE POINT]
  
• Defeat Trobbio
  
• Descend to Underworks
  
• Rest in the Twelfth Architect’s Bench
  
• Pick Craftmetal (4)
  
• Get Clawline
  
• Defeat Underworks Arena
  
• Buy Crafting Kit (level 3) from Twelfth Architect’s and any other tool you wish (Cogwork Wheel?) but save one Craftmetal for Cogfly later
  
• Backtrack to the elevator but this time go down
  
• Pick the Sacred Cylinder
  
• Get Vaultkeeper's Melody (1/3)
  
• Go to High Halls directly because we already opened the shortcut ;)
  
  
  
• Traverse High Halls
  
• Craft Clogfly (IMPORTANT)
  
• Setup for easy High Halls Arena
  
• Cheese the High Halls Arena

• Get Conductor's Melody (2/3)
  
• Go to Clockwork's Bottom and enable 2nd Shortcut
  
• Get Architect's Melody (3/3)
  
• Rest in Clockwork's Bench [SAFE POINT]
  
• Defeat Lace 2.0
  
• Enter the Craddle
  
• Rest in the Bench [SAFE POINT]
  
• Defeat Grand Mother Silk
  
• The End