Hollow Knight Spiders: A Guide to 8 Mysterious Arachnids

The world of Hollow Knight is teeming with diverse creatures, each with its unique characteristics and lore. Among the most fascinating and fearsome of these are the spiders, which are scattered throughout the kingdom in various forms. This guide will take you through eight of the most notable spider bosses in Hollow Knight, providing details on their appearances, abilities, and strategies for defeating them.

1. Shelob the Great (Brooding Mawlek)

Shelob, also known as the Brooding Mawlek, is a giant spider encountered in the Forgotten Crossroads. With its colossal size and razor-sharp fangs, Shelob poses a formidable challenge to unsuspecting adventurers. It lurks in the shadows, waiting for its prey to come within reach before launching a deadly ambush.

Abilities:

• Jumping: Shelob can leap great distances, covering a wide area and surprising players with its speed.
• Acid Spit: Shelob launches a torrent of corrosive acid that deals damage over time and can leave behind permanent scars.
• Webbing: It can trap players with thick webbing, slowing their movements and making them vulnerable to further attacks.

Strategy:

• Stay mobile and avoid getting cornered.
• Dodge Shelob's acid spit and jumping attacks.
• Use healing spells or charms to mitigate the damage from her acid.
• Attack Shelob's back or sides while it is distracted with spawning smaller spiders.

2. Widow (Orb Weaver)

Widow, the Orb Weaver, is a cunning and agile spider found in the Crystal Peak. Its web can cover entire rooms, making it difficult to navigate and spot its movements. Widow's venom is highly potent, and it can unleash devastating projectiles from afar.

Abilities:

• Webbing: Widow can create massive webs that cover large areas, obscuring visibility and slowing players.
• Venomous Spikes: It launches sharp, venomous spikes that deal significant damage and can poison players.
• Projectile Webbing: Widow can shoot webs that latch onto players, pulling them towards it for a close-range attack.

Strategy:

• Use spells or charms that destroy or disable web traps.
• Stay at a distance and dodge the venomous spikes.
• Attack Widow from behind while it is distracted with creating webs.
• Wear a charm that protects against poison, such as the Spore Shroom or the Quick Focus charm.

3. Hunter (Giant Spider)

The Hunter, a giant spider residing in the Greenpath, is a formidable opponent known for its stealthy attacks and powerful leaping abilities. Its agility and quick reflexes make it a challenging enemy to pin down.

Abilities:

• Jumping: The Hunter leaps great distances and can close gaps with incredible speed.
• Venomous Bite: Its bite delivers a highly potent venom that deals substantial damage.
• Venom Bubble: It can launch a bubble of venom that bursts on impact, releasing corrosive acid.

Strategy:

• Use spells or charms that slow down enemies or create distance.
• Dodge the Hunter's jumps and venom bubble attacks.
• Attack the Hunter from afar or while it is distracted with jumping attacks.
• Equip a charm that protects against venom, such as the Quick Focus charm.

4. Gruzz Mother (Giant Orb Weaver)

The Gruzz Mother, a colossal orb weaver, can be encountered in the Deepnest. Its massive size and powerful webbing abilities make it a daunting boss. Gruzz Mother can summon smaller spiders to assist it and can create impenetrable webs to protect itself.

Abilities:

• Webbing: The Gruzz Mother can create thick webs that cover entire rooms, making it difficult to navigate.
• Spider Summoning: It can summon multiple smaller spiders that attack players.
• Projectile Webbing: It can fire webs that latch onto players, pulling them towards it.

Strategy:

• Use spells or items that destroy or disable webs.
• Focus on attacking the smaller spiders to prevent them from overwhelming you.
• Attack the Gruzz Mother from behind while it is distracted with spawning spiders.
• Equip a charm that protects against paralysis, such as the Grubberfly's Elegy charm.

5. Little Hunter (Small Giant Spider)

The Little Hunter is a smaller version of the Hunter, found in the Resting Grounds. Despite its size, the Little Hunter is just as agile and venomous as its larger counterpart. It specializes in quick attacks and can leave behind venomous trails that can damage players.

Abilities:

• Jumping: The Little Hunter jumps over shorter distances but with great speed.
• Venomous Bite: Its bite deals potent venom that can quickly deplete health.
• Venomous Trail: It leaves behind a trail of venom when it jumps or moves.

Strategy:

• Stay mobile and avoid standing in the Little Hunter's venom trail.
• Dodge its jumping attacks.
• Attack the Little Hunter from afar or while it is distracted with jumping attacks.
• Equip a charm that protects against venom, such as the Quick Focus charm.

6. Nosk (Dream Spider)

Nosk is a horrifying dream spider that appears in the Resting Grounds. It can transform into the player's character, making it difficult to distinguish between friend and foe. Nosk's attacks consist of poisonous projectiles and a powerful bite.

Abilities:

• Shapeshifting: Nosk can transform into a copy of the player character, confusing players.
• Poisonous Projectiles: It launches sharp, venomous projectiles that deal significant damage and can poison players.
• Venomous Bite: Its bite delivers a highly potent venom that can quickly deplete health.

Strategy:

• Pay attention to the creature's movements and facial expressions to identify the real Nosk.
• Dodge its poisonous projectiles.
• Attack Nosk while it is in its true form.
• Equip a charm that protects against poison, such as the Quick Focus charm.

7. Soul Master (Spider Mage)

The Soul Master is a powerful spider mage encountered in the Royal Waterways. It wields dark magic and can summon souls to its aid. The Soul Master's attacks are varied, including projectiles, soul beams, and summoning spiked shadows.

Abilities:

• Soul Beam: The Soul Master fires a beam of dark energy that deals high damage and can pierce through obstacles.
• Summoned Souls: It can create multiple souls that attack players with homing missiles.
• Spiked Shadows: The Soul Master summons spiked shadows that chase players and damage them on contact.

Strategy:

• Use spells or charms that reflect or absorb projectiles.
• Focus on dodging the Soul Master's attacks.
• Avoid getting cornered by summoned souls.
• Attack the Soul Master while it is distracted with summoning souls.

8. Sly (Shopkeeper Spider)

Sly is a peculiar spider who runs the hidden shop in the Forgotten Crossroads. Despite his friendly appearance, Sly is a master swordsman and a skilled combatant. He can swiftly move around the arena and launch powerful attacks.

Abilities:

• Quick Swordsmanship: Sly wields a sharp sword that he uses to perform swift and precise attacks.
• Jumping: He can jump great distances to close gaps and surprise players.
• Parrying: Sly can parry player attacks, leaving them vulnerable to counterattacks.

Strategy:

• Dodge Sly's sword attacks and jumping attacks.
• Use spells or charms that create distance.
• Attack Sly from afar or while he is distracted with parrying attacks.
• Be careful of his quick and powerful combos.

Conclusion

The spiders of Hollow Knight are a diverse and enigmatic group of creatures. Understanding their unique abilities and developing effective strategies for defeating them is essential for progressing through the game. By studying these eight notable boss spiders, you can gain valuable insights into their strengths, weaknesses, and the best ways to overcome them. Remember to adjust your tactics based on the specific boss you are facing and utilize the powers and charms at your disposal.