Best Hollow Knight Builds

Hollow Knight builds are made almost entirely out of charms. You have a limited number of notches, each charm costs a set number, and you cannot exceed your total, so every build is a budgeting problem. Some charms combine into distinct effects when equipped together, and a few overcharm interactions let you exceed your notch limit at the cost of taking double damage, which is a genuine tradeoff rather than a strict downside for skilled play. Beyond charms, your nail upgrade level sets your base melee damage, and spell upgrades convert soul into burst damage. Soul is shared between healing and spellcasting, which is the central tension of the game: a build that spends soul on damage has less available for healing. Charms that reduce healing cost, speed up healing, or generate extra soul all interact with that economy. Because charms can be changed at any bench, most players carry different loadouts for exploration, boss fights, and the harder endgame challenges rather than settling on one.