The Grimm Troupe DLC was one of three DLC content packs released for Hollow Knight that launched on October 26, 2017. It featured an entirely new side quest for players, which included new bosses, enemies, characters, and Charms to collect.
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This guide will go in-depth about what this quest entails, including how to activate it, what steps need to be taken to complete it, and the choices you can make during it.
Summoning the Grimm Troupe
To begin this quest, you'll need to make your way to the Howling Cliffs area and proceed through two breakable walls, as seen here indicated by the two arrows:
You'll need to platform up to the top one after entering the Howling Cliffs, and then fall to where the bottom arrow is pointing. After breaking the second wall, continue right through a corridor. You will find the "corpse of a large bug" in a small gap in the room, past a larger torch. Dream Nail the corpse, then head back to the now lit torch. Hitting the blazer of the torch will eventually ignite it and officially activate the quest.
Grimmchild and Grimkin Novices/Masters
After unlocking the Grimm Troupe quest, make your way to Dirtmouth to find two tents to the far left. The largest one houses Troupe Master Grimm, who gives you the Grimmchild Charm. This Charm conjures the Grimmchild, a small, bat-like creature that automatically attacks enemies and fights alongside you. Grimm then tasks you with upgrading the Grimmchild with three flames collected by defeating the Grimkin Novices — special enemies scattered throughout Hallownest whose location can only be seen when the Grimmchild is equipped.
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Upon collecting all three flames, return to Grimm. He will upgrade the Grimmchild, then tasks you with collecting three more flames from the stronger Grimmkin Masters. Upon doing so, you can initiate the Troupe Master Grimm boss fight. Upon defeating him, the Grimmchild will be upgraded yet again and you will be rewarded with the Grand Performance achievement, a Charm Notch, and access to the final phase of the ritual.
The Grimkin Nightmares and Nightmare King Grimm
Once you defeat Grimm, you will see four flames scattered throughout Hallownest instead of three. These flames represent the Grimkin Nightmares, which are much more powerful than the previous Grimkin. In addition to the Grimkin Nightmares, there will be a member of the Grimm Troupe, Brumm, that can be found in Deepnest. Once you talk to him, he will suggest that you return to "where it all began" before giving you the flame.
You are then presented with one of two options. You can either return to the Grimm Troupe and Dream Nail the sleeping Grimm to face Nightmare King Grimm, thus completing the ritual and granting you the full-powered Grimmchild, as well as the Ritual achievement; or you can take Brumm's suggestion and return to where you first activated the quest and permanently banish the Grimm Troupe by destroying the Nightmare Lantern.
It should be noted that leaving the room before completely destroying the lantern and then reentering will cause Brumm to disappear, meaning you can no longer banish the Grimm Troupe. If you do choose to banish the Troupe, return to Dirtmouth to find an NPC named Nymm, who will give you the Carefree Melody Charm in place of the Grimmchild.
Divine and Unbreakable Charms
In the tent next to the one housing Grimm, there is an NPC named Divine. When spoken to while having at least one of the three Fragile Charms in your possession — Fragile Greed, Fragile Heart, or Fragile Strength — she will eat these Charms, taking them out of your inventory. This is actually beneficial, as when she returns them the Charms will be Unbreakable, making them much more versatile and useful.
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The catch is that buying them is incredibly expensive. Unbreakable Greed costs 9,000 Geo, Unbreakable Heart costs 12,000 Geo, and Unbreakable Strength costs 15,000, all adding up to 36,000 Geo in total. If you defeat Nightmare King Grimm but have not yet upgraded all the Fragile Charms, she will stay behind until you do.
However, if you instead choose to banish the Grimm Troupe before upgrading them all, you will never be able to get the Unbreakable Charms by any means, and whatever Fragile Charms you gave her will be left behind.
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