Dashing is an integral mechanic in Hollow Knight. While you can do so with the Mothwing Cloak, you can make your dashes even more efficient with Shade Cloak. Here’s what it does and how to get it.
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What is the Shade Cloak?
The Shade Cloak is the upgrade to the Mothwing Cloak ability. Fundamentally speaking, both function very similarly. However, outside of aesthetics, the Mothwing Cloak and Shade Cloak do have distinct and major differences.
The most glaring difference between the Mothwing Cloak and the Shade Cloak is the latter covers the Knight’s body with Void. Incidentally, this also allows you to dash through Shade Gates, allowing you to gain access to formerly restricted areas.
A few examples of areas blocked by Shade Gates are:
- The location of the Sharp Shadow charm
- Markoth’s boss room
- The Traitor Lord boss room
- The Void Tendrils journal entry
It should be noted that the Shade Cloak is not necessary for beating the game. However, completionists and those who wish to see the other endings of the game will definitely want to get their hands on this ability.
Unlike the Mothwing Cloak, the Shade Cloak will allow you to dash through enemy projectiles, rendering them ineffective. It can also be made to deal damage with the help of the Sharp Shadow charm. The aforementioned charm will also increase the length of the dash.
Where and How to Get the Shade Cloak in Hollow Knight
The Shade Cloak is located in The Abyss. First things first, though, before the player can acquire the Shade Cloak, they must have already acquired the Mothwing Cloak, which is acquired after defeating Hornet for the first time in Greenpath. Second, you’ll need the Mantis Claw, which you should already have at this point in the game. If not, this can be located in Mantis Village, which is in the southern area of the Fungal Waste. Finally, you’ll also need the Monarch Wings, the item that gives you the ability to double jump, to gain access to The Abyss in the first place.
The entrance to The Abyss is located at the bottom of the Ancient Basin. However, you won’t be able to get the entrance to open without the King’s Brand. This too is guarded by the Hornet and can be found at the far-eastern part of the Kingdom’s Edge.
Acquiring the King’s Brand
The easiest way to get to the Kingdom’s Edge is via the hidden pathway located under the King’s Station in the City of Tears. This hidden entrance is in the room just under the Stag station.
At the far end of the room is a body of water you can swim in. Proceed forward and swim underneath the broken wall to get to the pathway that directly leads to the Kingdom’s Edge.
Once in the Kingdom’s Edge, just drop down and proceed to the far left area at the bottom of the chasm. Proceed to the next and simply keep moving forward until you reach a high wall. At the top of this obstacle is a platform to the left. Jump on this platform, and simply continue on the path which will lead you higher up the level. Continue going upwards until you come across a bench. This will be your checkpoint until you reach the King’s Brand.
Sit on the bench, arrange your charms if necessary, and then proceed back down and continue heading to the right. Eventually, you’ll have an encounter with Hornet once again. To continue forward and finally reach the King’s Brand, you’ll first need to defeat this boss.
Defeating Hornet
Hornet this time around is much faster than she was during the first encounter. She also has two new attacks. One is when she hurls balls of spikes attached to a thread around the arena, which can be easily removed by attacking them once, and another is when she holds her needle above her head. When attacked in this position, Hornet will parry the attack and counter with a wide slash.
Other than these two, she employs the same attacks as she did during the first fight. The only difference is she moves around and attacks faster this time. With that in mind, the key to beating Hornet is to be agile. React as fast as she moves. Using spells against her will also make the boss fight much easier to handle.
Once you are finally able to beat her, press on to acquire the King’s Brand.
Getting the Shade Cloak
After the King’s Brand is acquired, leave Kingdom’s Edge and make your way back to the bottom of the Ancient Basin. The door to The Abyss should open for you now. As soon as you enter this new area, you will be greeted by a massive chasm. Continue downwards, avoiding spikes and creepers along the way, until you reach the very bottom of the chasm.
Once on the ground, continue towards your right until you find platforms that lead to a lighthouse. Activate the light to remove the Void that’s blocking the path ahead. The Shade Cloak ability awaits you at the end of this path. You can gain the ability by standing in the void-filled fountain.
