Grub | Hollow Knight Wiki

Grubs are special NPCs in Hollow Knight that serve a role as Collectibles. Grubs are small, caterpillar-like creatures that have gone missing from their home in the Forgotten Crossroads. The Knight can come across these creatures imprisoned in glass jars across many different locations throughout Hallownest. They can be freed by breaking their jars, after which they will tunnel their way back home to the Grubfather who will reward the Knight with a variety of useful items for every Grub recovered. There are a total of 46 Grubs to be found and rescued in Hollow Knight.

Hollow Knight Grub Information

The Grubs and the Grubfather are the basis for the Grubfather's Lament quest, which tasks The Knight with finding all 46 missing Grubs.

Early in the game, The Knight can come across the Grubfather who is the patriarchal figure of the Grub Family. He can be found in the upper-left section of the Forgotten Crossroads, in a large cavern filled with empty egg-shaped houses. Distraught from the sudden disappearance of his children, the Grubfather will be crying when the Knight first meets him. 

The Grubs can be found trapped in glass jars across many different locations in Hallownest. Many require some clever platforming in order to reach, some can be found behind breakable walls or guarded by bosses, and others require The Knight to obtain certain upgrades first such as the ability to double jump with the Monarch Wings or swim across acid pools with Isma's Tear. Once rescued, Grubs will return back to the Grubhome. With each Grub rescued, the Grubfather will reward the Knight with many different items and Geo.

Grub Related Quests in Hollow Knight

• Grubfather's Lament

Note that you do not need to meet the Grubfather first in order to start rescuing Grubs.

Grub Locations & Rewards in Hollow Knight

The tables below list the general location of all Grubs in Hallownest, as well as the rewards obtained by rescuing them and returning to the Grubfather. You can return to the Grubfather at anytime after rescuing a Grub to collect your reward. You may also collect them all at once or in groups. Most Grub rescues are rewarded with an increasing amount of Geo starting from 10 and up to 300. At certain thresholds, you will instead receive a valuable item.

• 5 Grubs Rescued:  Mask Shard
• 10 Grubs Rescued: Grubsong charm
• 16 Grubs Rescued:  Rancid Egg
• 23 Grubs Rescued:  Hallownest Seal relic, Grubfriend Achievement
• 31 Grubs Rescued: Pale Ore
• 38 Grubs Rescued:  King's Idol relic
• 46 Grubs Rescued: Grubberfly's Elegy charm, Metamorphosis Achievement

After defeating The Collector, the Knight can acquire The Collector's Map which marks down the exact location of all Grubs yet to be rescued on the map, aiding players in locating these creatures. See the Grubfather's Lament page for a guide on how to obtain the map.

#	Location	Reward
1	5 Grubs in the Forgotten Crossroads	10
2		20
3		30
4		40
5		Mask Shard
6	4 Grubs in Greenpath	50
7		60
8		70
9		80
10	2 Grubs in the Fungal Wastes	Grubsong
11		90
12	5 Grubs in the City of Tears	100
13		110
14		120
15		120
16		Rancid Egg
17	7 Grubs in Crystal Peak	140
18		150
19		160
20		165
21		170
22		180
23		Hallownest Seal

#	Location	Reward
24	1 Grub in the Resting Grounds	200
25	3 Grubs in the Royal Waterways	200
26		210
27		215
28	1 Grub in the Howling Cliffs	220
29	2 Grubs in Kingdom's Edge	220
30		220
31	1 Grub in Fog Canyon	Pale Ore
32	3 Grubs in the Queen's Gardens	230
33		235
34		240
35	5 Grubs in Deepnest	245
36		250
37		255
38		King's Idol
39		260
40	2 Grubs in the Ancient Basin	265
41		270
42	2 Grubs in The Hive	280
43		290
44	3 Grubs in the Tower of Love	295
45		300
46		Grubberfly's Elegy

Grub Dialogue in Hollow Knight

• Dream Nail: "...Home..."

Hollow Knight Grub Notes & Tips

Do the Grubs die in Hollow Knight?

• They do not appear to die, but rather combine into a new creature as a bizarre trait of their species. Upon completing the Grubfather's Lament and resting at a bench, you can return to the Grubfather to find the old bug lying on the ground with a severely distended belly, and the Grubs nowhere to be found. It appears he had swallowed all of his children who can be heard cooing happily, fully alive inside him. The description of the Grubberfly's Elegy suggests this to be part of the bugs' life cycle where they will eventually metamorphose into a Grubberfly.

Other Notes

• The Knight may come across Grub Mimics who camouflage themselves as Grubs only to transform and attack the Knight when released. These creatures can perfectly mimic the appearance of Grubs but can be distinguished from genuine Grubs by using the Dream Nail on them. Genuine Grubs always say "...Home..." in their dream dialogue while the Mimics say "...Kill...", "...Empty...", or "...Other...",