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In the mysterious land of Hollow Knight, every piece of health counts, since it might be the only thing standing between you and that platforming-hell area or boss fight that’s got you ready to launch your controller through the window.
Luckily for all of us, the Knight’s health bar, which is represented by multiple masks, can be increased by finding special items called “Mask Shards” scattered on the entire map.
And it works in a similar way to the Hearth Pieces in The Legend of Zelda titles: for every four shards you find, an Ancient Mask is completed, permanently adding one health point.
So basically, you start the game with 5 health masks and can earn 4 more. That means that you can have up to 9 health points in total, which certainly gives the player extra safety and peace of mind to focus on their tasks.
That said, there are a total of 16 Mask Shards to be found, whether hidden in chests, at high prices in shops, or guarded by challenging enemies. Fear not, in this guide, we will help you find them all so you don’t leave any mask behind.
Buying from Sly
You can get four Mask Shards from Sly, the small merchant who appears in Dirtmouth (the main safe area of the game), after finding and talking to him in the abandoned village at the bottom of the Forgotten Crossroads (1), after defeating the boss Gruz Mother.
First, he will be selling two shards right off the bat in his shop (2). One for 150 Geo and another one for 500 Geo (damn inflation).
However, you can “unlock” two more shards that you can buy from Sly by finding the Shopkeeper’s Key and giving it to him – which is found on the Crystal Peak, in the room to the left of the Bench, right of where the Crystal Guardian was first encountered (3).
After delivering him the key, you can buy another Mark Shard for 800 Geo and another one for 1,500 Geo (again, damn inflation).
Defeating Brooding Mawlek
This one is quite simple to obtain, since it only requires you to defeat a hidden boss: the Brooding Mawlek, who is lurking in an area at the far west end of the Forgotten Crossroads.
Despite being considered a “hidden boss”, it is easy to find him, and you will likely stumble upon him as you progress through the main story. Also, he is not complicated to beat, just dodges every time he raises his claw, and does not waste any openings.
After defeating the Brooding Mawlek, your reward is a lovely Mask Shard.
Helping Grubfather
While exploring Hallownest, you will come across several Grubs in need of help. They are locked inside little jars that you can break to set them free – and they all go straight to the Grubfather in a room on the west side of the Forgotten Crossroads.
There are a total of 46 Grubs, but when you save only 5 of them, you can pay a visit to Grubfather to collect a Mask Shard.
In Forgotten Crossroads
For this one, go to the Bench right below the arena where you fight against the False Knight boss (very early in the game) and go to the exit on the left to reach an area with platforms and an Aspid Hunter.
Then, enter the passage on the bottom right. You will find yourself in a maze-like room with many Goams, so use the Mantis Claw ability to go up at the very beginning of this area (just before the first Goam) to find a “hidden passage”.
Follow it, while being extra careful with the enemies, to find a Mask Shard by the end of it.
In Royal Waterways
Requirements this time are the Mothwing Cloak ability and your platforming skills, so head straight to the northwest section of the Royal Waterways since we need to get to where Cornifer is found in this biome for the first time – which is an area underneath the main path.
When you reach the Geo deposit, it is time to look down and drop towards the left side to quickly dash to a hidden platform before falling into the water.
It sounds harder than it is, but I believe that you can make it! Your reward is a shining Mask Shard.
In Queen’s Station
This is another quite simple Mask Shard to find, and it only requires you to have the Mantis Claw ability.
Make your way to the Queen’s Station – the Stag Station that connects the Fungal Wastes and Fog Canyon – and go all the way to the right (exiting the station) until you find some narrow, spiky corridors going up. Simply follow it to get a nice Mask Shard by the end of it.
Saving Bretta
To unlock the next Mask Shard, you need to save Bretta, the lonely and needy beetle, and pay her a visit after that.
She is lost in the lowest right part of the Fungal Wastes, below the Mantis Village and near a Bench (1). Simply go there, survive the platforming sequence in the area, and interact with her. Then, Bretta will appear in front of her house in Dirtmouth (2).
It is actually pretty easy to find her, and you will likely stumble upon her area as you progress through the main story – she is crying very loudly, so quite hard to miss!
In Stone Sanctuary
There are a couple of requirements for this one: you need to have already defeated the boss No Eyes and have the Lumafly Lantern item (simply buy it from Sly in Dirtmoth for 1,800 Geo).
To defeat this boss, head to the far right of Greenpath to find an area below a Bench. Keep going until you enter the Stone Sanctuary, where you will eventually find No Eyes.
He is a warrior of Hallownest who fell to the Infection and floats around, so your dodging skills should be sharp. However, he is also quite slow and has a predictable pattern of attacks – pay attention to it and use it to your advantage.
After defeating him, go up to the top right of the area and follow the passage until you find an exit. A Mask Shard is waiting for you right there.
In Deepnest
Start heading to the Mantis Village, but stop in the area right before entering the village and follow the path on the top left – you must have the Monarch Wings ability for that.
Progress through the area (always aiming to go down) to make your way all the way into the Deepnest until you drop right on the top of a Mask Shard.
Defeating Enraged Guardian
The next Mask Shard is hidden in an optional boss in the Crystal Peak, so you are going to need the Monarch Wings ability to reach there.
Go straight to the Bench area to fight a weird crystal enemy, then hit it to start the fight against the mini-boss Crystal Guardian. He is super easy, especially when using spells. Only be aware that he can not be damaged by a Nail-bounce.
After defeating him, progress till you find a Bench. Have a rest and keep going up to the top right to face another mini-boss: the Enraged Guardian, which is basically the second form of the Crystal Guardian.
He is faster and tougher, dealing twice the amount of damage with his attacks, but still has the same moves, so repeat the strategy you used before. When you finish the fight, a brand-new Mask Shard is yours to keep.
In The Hive
This one is hidden behind a wall in The Hive, and you need to use an enemy to break it! But let’s start with the very first step.
Get into The Hive through the train in the Ancient Basin and simply progress until you reach a big room with multiple platforms, different paths to follow, and big and small Hive Guardians. Ignore them and go straight up, then right to exit to another area.
Drop down, and you will notice that there are a bunch of enemies here, so defeat most of them and leave only one big Hive Guardian. Then, you must attract his attention to the wall on the bottom left so he can accidentally break it, revealing a hidden passage with a Mask Shard.
Given by Seer
When you have collected a total of 1,500 Essence, go straight to the Seer in the Resting Grounds and win a Mask Shard as a reward. Simple as that.
Completing the Delicate Flower Quest
This is probably the trickiest Mask Shard to get, since it requires you to complete the Delicate Flower side quest, which is the hardest in the entire game – and is connected to some endings of the game.
You can start the quest by talking with the Grey Morner, who is found in the eastern area of the Resting Grounds (1). Use the Desolate Dive ability on the tomb on the bottom right of the Resting Grounds and follow the narrow corridors to the right. Defeat all enemies on the way.
When you find a dead end, hit the wall with your Nail to break it and continue moving forward. When you reach a chest, break the ceiling above it to reveal another hidden passage that leads to the Grey Morner. Talk to her, and she will ask you to deliver a Delicate Flower to a grave in the Queen’s Gardens.
However, you must complete the delivery without using fast travel or taking damage at all (the best path for that is in the image above). After delivering it, your reward is a Mask Shard.
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Author: 360 Technology Group