Soul Master |
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| Location | Soul Sanctum |
| Health | 385 |
| Reward/s |  380Desolate Dive |
Soul Master is a Boss in Hollow Knight. Bosses are special Enemies that feature their own arena, a large amount of health, and a variety of unique moves and abilities. You will need to perform multiple attacks such as using The Nail and Nail Arts along with the Spells and Abilities in order to defeat them. Some bosses are capable of entering into a state of stagger after landing a number of attacks on them.
As soon as you encounter a boss, its name will appear on the screen, the music will change into a boss battle theme, and usually, paths connecting the arena will close or will be blocked leaving you no choice but to face these devastating and unique foes.
Head of the Soul Sanctum. Hoarded soul hoping to stave off Hallownest's affliction, but eventually became intoxicated by its power.
The bugs of Hallownest tried all kinds of tricks and rituals and prayers to rid themselves of the infection. But to no avail! Perhaps the infection came from somewhere deep inside of them that they could not escape.
Soul Master Location
Soul Master Rewards
- 380
- Desolate Dive
Soul Master Strategies
Strategy Writeup
Soul Master is yet another unpredictable boss and a trickster, most of his attacks allow him to quickly shift into another attack or even fakes his movements before even executing an attack. Depending on how you progress in the game, having certain Spells and Abilities are recommended for you to win this fight, having the Mothwing Cloak ability will be handy here as you will need to frequently dodge around the arena. Howling Wraiths can also be useful since Soul Master will sometimes appear above you, allowing for a spell attack.
Now, your movement and the ability to time your attacks is very important in this battle. Most of his attacks can be dodged, and jumping or dashing will be your best friend in evading his attacks. Whenever Soul Master tries to use his rotating orbs, be sure to only perform a short jump and focus on the orb that is most likely to hit you. If he instead summons the orbs that target you, it is best to watch out for the direction and time your jumps right.
Soul Master has 2 phases, upon defeating him the first time, the Desolate Dive spell will appear and after you try to acquire it, Soul Master will reappear and slam down onto the glass ground where you will find yourself in a new arena for phase 2. Soul Master in the second phase will only have two attacks: an enhanced slam and orb attack. It is recommended that you focus on dodging when Soul Master uses his slam attack. He will always spawn directly above you, so just stay on the move. Since the slam has a wind-up and he can fake out his attack, you can interrupt or land one or two hits before committing to dodging his actual attacks.
Once he shifts into his 2nd attack, which is summoning orbs, use this opportunity to land multiple attacks since he will be telegraphing this attack in place.
Take your time and strike when the opportunity is available.
Attacks & Counters
| Attack | Counter |
| Phase 1 | |
| Dash Attack | Soul Master teleports to either the left or right side of the arena and dashes towards The Knight until it hits a wall. It's best to run away from the Soul Master and jump at the right time, followed by executing a downward attack to deal damage. |
| Soul Slam | A fast attack where Soul Master will teleport up high and quickly slam onto the ground where The Knight is standing followed by emitting a shockwave. Watch if the Soul Master will teleport even higher and maintain a distance and be ready to jump after it slams on the ground since the shockwaves will follow. |
| Fake Out | In conjunction with the Soul Slam, Soul Master can fake out its slam attack once before actually slamming onto the ground. This is quite tricky since Soul Master telegraphs it quickly, so the recommended strategy is to take your time and try to dash to maintain a distance enough for you to avoid both the slam attack and shockwaves released. Do not jump since you will take damage upon contact with Soul Master |
| Orb of Infection | A projectile attack where Soul Master will shoot one or two orbs that target and follows The Knight. It can be easily dodged, but you will need to bait it for it to hit a wall or the ground for it to completely disperse. If you dodge it but it doesn't hit any surface, it will continue to chase you like a boomerang. |
| Rotating Orbs | An attack that works as an offensive and defensive tactic for Soul Master. Four rotating orbs will appear around Soul Master where he will try to fly towards the direction of The Knight. Afterward, he will disappear for a short moment and the orbs will fly towards The Knight. Be mindful that not only does the orb deal damage upon contact, but also Soul Master himself if you get close enough while evading. It is recommended to jump at a normal height instead of trying to jump up high - focus on the orb that is at the same level of The Knight so that you can dodge it while Soul Boss flies in. |
| Phase 2 | |
| Final Slam | Soul Master will change its slam attack into a stronger and trickier version. While he charges the attack, Soul Master will float and track The Knight's position and follow up with slamming onto the ground, he can also mix up with another fake out before actually slamming onto the ground. Instead of releasing shockwaves, a huge burst of energy will be released that deals damage upon contact. Be aware that Soul Master can perform this attack multiple times before shifting into another attack. |
| Summoned Orbs | Soul Master also changes his Orb attacks where he will conjure Orbs in random locations that will shoot towards The Knight. Soul Master conjures this attack in place, so you can have the assurance of landing multiple attacks, but be mindful of the orbs since it comes out in a random time and location. |
Soul Master Lore
Soul Master is the leader of the Soul Sanctum of Hallownest who once worked hand-in-hand with The Pale King. He was committed to finding solutions and ways to expand the mind and soul of the bugs to acquire pure focus. During the spread of The Infection, he opposed The Pale King's plan and instead came up with the solution of using SOUL as a cure. It seems that his efforts were in vain, as he is overtaken by The Infection when the Knight meets him.
He and his followers continue to use and consume SOUL even as infected husks of their former selves. It is hinted that their use of SOUL and lust for power had corrupted them before The Infection did.
The dialogue with the Soul Master's dream variant, Soul Tyrant, reveals that he was obsessed with immortality, driving him to perform progressively more extreme experiments on other bugs and himself. Using Dream Nail on him will also produce a dialogue line that suggests a link between the SOUL use and the onset of The Infection (he wonders if "their souls brought him closer to light"). The harmful effect of SOUL is further supported by the Follies that inhabit the Soul Sanctum: they are described as bugs who misused SOUL, presumably by consuming too much of it.
While exploring the Soul Sanctum, players can encounter a corpse of a Snail Shaman hooked up to a device of unknown purpose. Talking to the surviving Snail Shaman after acquiring the Desolate Dive spell will reveal that this spell used to belong to the Snail Shaman clan, implying that the Soul Master stole it and that the Shaman was killed in the process.
Soul Master Notes & Trivia
- Defeating the Soul Master unlocks the "Illumination" Trophy/Achievement
- Soul Master is the only boss that grants The Knight with a Spell as a reward. This Spell is Desolate Dive, and you can actually see him using it in the fight. Desolate Dive is the only spell that you can get that does not involve Snail Shamans or the Abyss. Presumably, he stole Desolate Dive from the Snail Shaman in the Soul Sanctum.
Anonymous
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
I really like Soul Master/Tyrant’s design and the character in general. He’s a particular HK villain and boss that I feel is unforgettable in many ways. A very round fellow, another beetle no doubt, retaining an air of regality despite his madness and telltale tattered cloak. Too bad he became an evil megalomaniac and a soul-stealing sorcerer. Again, I wish there was more detail regarding his story. He’s a very interesting villain, completely insane, and you can really feel the intensity of his madness as you battle him. His battle theme is haunting and one of the best in the soundtrack - it really matches him well as he levitates about in his furious delusions of spiritual power. And his screaming, flashing, and teleporting all over like mad at the end, and him slamming himself violently into the ground countless times in attempt to kill the Knight prior to that... It’s a bit much - all the rapid flashing is absolutely seizure-inducing - ouch... >_< A seriously intense boss! It would be interesting if he was a recurring villain who haunted the Knight throughout his journey and tried to get revenge in his ghostly form. He seems to be the type to do something like that.
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