Hollow Knight Simple Key Guide - Indie Game Culture (2024)

Table of Contents

  • 1st Simple Key - Sly
  • 2nd Simple Key - City of Tears
  • 3rd Simple Key - Ancient Basin
  • 4th Simple Key - Pale Lurker
  • Where Do I Use the Simple Keys?
    • The Entrance Into Confessor Jiji's Cave
    • The Entrance Into the Royal Waterways in the City of Tears
    • The Pleasure House in the City of Tears
    • The Cocoon of the Godseeker in the Junk Pit
  • FAQs:
    • Question: Where do you find simple keys in Hollow Knight?
    • Question: Are there enough simple keys in Hollow Knight?
    • Question: Is it worth it to buy the Simple Key Hollow Knight?

If you want to complete your Simple Keys collection in Hollow Knight, you have come to the right place. This Hollow Knight Simple Key guide will show you how to obtain all four of these keys and provide details on where to use them to unlock new areas and progress through the game. So whether you are a seasoned player or a newcomer to Hollow Knight, this guide will have something for you.

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Discover the Enigmatic World of Hollow Knight | GOG

Immerse yourself in the hauntingly beautiful world of "Hollow Knight," where every step unveils secrets and challenges waiting to be conquered. With its captivating art style and intricate gameplay, embark on an epic journey filled with mystery, danger, and discovery unlike any other.

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1st Simple Key – Sly

If you are looking to get the first Simple Key in Hollow Knight as soon as possible, you will need to make your way to the Forgotten Crossroads and search for an NPC named Sly.

Sly can be found sleeping in his house under the boss called the Gruz Mother, and you will need to wake him up to initiate a conversation with him. Once you have successfully woken Sly up, he will offer to sell you the Simple Key for 950 Geo.

Hollow Knight Simple Key Guide - Indie Game Culture (2)

To get the key from him, you will need to return to the surface and purchase the key from him in his shop. You can use it to unlock Jiji’s cave, giving her a Rancid Egg to get your shade back from wherever you lost it.

2nd Simple Key – City of Tears

As you run through Hallownest, you will eventually reach a point where you will need to use a Simple Key to progress into a different area in the game. Specifically, you will need to use the Simple Key after getting past the City of Tears and attempting to enter the Royal Waterways, located directly beneath the relic seeker Lemm. If you do not yet have a Simple Key, you may need to backtrack and find it to proceed into the Royal Waterways. Where, you ask? Well, here we go!

Hollow Knight Simple Key Guide - Indie Game Culture (3)

If you are searching for the second Simple Key in Hollow Knight, you will want to make your way to a location very close to the City Storerooms Stag Station and bench. You will need to look for a large vertical room (down and to the right of the Stag Station) inhabited by various enemy types, including Winged Sentries, Husk Sentries, and Lance Sentries. This room can be challenging to navigate, but if you can defeat all enemies, you can explore the area thoroughly, and you should be able to locate the Simple Key in one of the rooms on the right.

You are not alone if you are having trouble finding the City Storerooms Stag Station. Many players struggle to locate this one. It is worth noting that you will not be able to access the City Storerooms Stag Station immediately upon exiting the Fungal Wastes.

Instead, you will need to make your way to this large vertical room from the other side. This can be achieved by defeating the Soul Master in the Soul Sanctum. Once you have done so, you can proceed to the City Storerooms Stag Station and continue your journey.

3rd Simple Key – Ancient Basin

Obtaining the third Simple Key in Hollow Knight requires a bit of exploration. To begin your search for this key, you will need to travel deep into the Ancient Basin, a vast and treacherous area filled with dangerous enemies and obstacles.

As you explore the area, keep an eye out for a bench located at the center of the Ancient Basin, to the left and down from the entrance. This bench will serve as a checkpoint and a starting point for your search for the key.

To progress further from this bench, you will need to use an ability known as the long or crystal dash, which is called the Crystal Heart in the game. You can acquire the Crystal Heart in Crystal Peak, but keep in mind that you will need to complete a specific challenge in order to obtain it.

Once you have acquired the Crystal Heart, you will need to use it to pass over a sea of spikes and reach the other side of the bench. From there, you should look around for the spitting Mawlurk enemies and either pass through them or defeat them. After navigating through or defeating several of these enemies, you should see a passage on the floor leading to the third Simple Key.

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4th Simple Key – Pale Lurker

In order to obtain the fourth simple key in the game Hollow Knight, you will need to make your way to the top of King’s Edge and locate the Colosseum of Fools. It’s worth noting that you won’t need to complete any challenging trials to get the key.

Suppose you’ve already visited the Colosseum of Fools and opened the shortcut from the elevator that connects the Resting Grounds to the City of Tears. In that case, this task will be even easier as you’ll have a convenient and direct route to the key’s location.

If you did indeed open the shortcut from the Colosseum of Fools earlier in your journey, you could easily make your way to the fourth simple key by first heading to the Stag Station in the Resting Grounds area. Once you arrive at the Stag Station, you’ll want to look for a broken grave, which can be found underneath the Stag Station at the bottom of the room.

Once you’ve entered the broken grave, you’ll need to make your way to the left side of the room, at which point you should be able to find the elevator that will take you to the key’s location. Just remember to use caution as you navigate through this area, as there will be enemies that you’ll need to contend with along the way.

  • If you’re having trouble finding the shortcut, exit the elevator in the City of Tears and jump up the walls until you see a passage on the right

In order to access the fourth simple key in the Colosseum of Fools, you’ll need to make your way to the bottom floor of the Colosseum and look for a breakable wall located on the right side of the room. You can find this wall by looking past the bench that is located on the right side of the room.

Once you’ve located the breakable wall that leads to a Hot Spring, you’ll want to pay attention to the ceiling above it, as there is a hidden passage located above the ceiling that can be accessed.

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Upon arriving at your destination, you will encounter the Pale Lurker, an uninfected former champion of the Colosseum of Fools who has taken up residence in the area. In order to obtain the Simple Key, you will need to engage in a dull battle with the Pale Lurker, carefully evading the spikes that she throws as you attempt to catch up to her. The battle will occur within the huge arena’s confines, which will remain closed until the battle is over.

Where Do I Use the Simple Keys?

There are a total of four Simple Keys in the game Hollow Knight, and each of these keys is designed to unlock one of the four Simple Locks that are scattered throughout the game world.We’ve already mentioned two of these locks, but it’s worth noting that there are two additional locks that you’ll need to find and unlock as you progress through the game.

Each of these locks can be found in a different location, and you’ll need to use your wits, skills, and abilities in order to track them down and find the keys that will unlock them – or just read this guide.

The Entrance Into Confessor Jiji’s Cave

If you’re trying to locate Jiji’s cave in the game Hollow Knight, you’ll want to head to the right side of Dirtmouth, which is a large town located on the surface. Jiji’s cave is right where the elevator to Crystal Peak is.

Once you’ve arrived at the right side of Dirtmouth, you should be able to find Jiji’s cave relatively easily.

The Entrance Into the Royal Waterways in the City of Tears

Using one of the four Simple Keys that you’ve collected throughout your journey in the game Hollow Knight will allow you to open the door to the Royal Waterways, which is a series of interconnected tunnels and chambers that are located within the City of Tears.

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Discover the Enigmatic World of Hollow Knight | GOG

Immerse yourself in the hauntingly beautiful world of "Hollow Knight," where every step unveils secrets and challenges waiting to be conquered. With its captivating art style and intricate gameplay, embark on an epic journey filled with mystery, danger, and discovery unlike any other.

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There are three bosses that you’ll encounter in this area, including the Dung Defender, the Flukemarm, and the White Defender. While it is possible to skip the optional bosses, you’ll need to defeat the Dung Defender to open the passage that leads you into the Ancient Basin.

It’s worth noting that the Royal Waterways are the only way to reach the Godseeker, the Junk Pit, the Godhome, and the Pantheons.

The Pleasure House in the City of Tears

Located within the City of Tears, the Pleasure House is a large building home to various interesting characters and locations, including a Hot Spring, Poggy Thorax, and Songstress Marissa.

The Pleasure House is also where you’ll find Millibelle, the NPC who scams the Knight. Once you’ve made your way inside the Pleasure House, you’ll have the opportunity to open a shortcut that connects the Hot Spring to an elevator leading from the City of Tears to the Resting Grounds.

This shortcut will not only provide you with a convenient and direct route between these two areas, but it will also grant you easy access to the northern part of Kingdom’s Edge and the Colosseum of Fools.

The Cocoon of the Godseeker in the Junk Pit

The Godseeker’s cocoon is a mysterious object found deep in the Junk Pit, an area located on the bottom left side of the map behind the Royal Waterways. To access the cocoon, you’ll need to use one of the Simple Keys that you’ve collected throughout your journey.

When the Godseeker is freed from the cocoon, she will automatically drop her Godtuner, which the Knight can pick up and use to seek out the gods. In addition to using the Godtuner to locate the gods, the Knight can also use the Dream Nail on the Godseeker to enter Godhome and join the gods in their battles.

There is a slight chance that when you complete the first three Pantheons, you will instead enter a forbidden memory of the Godseeker that depicts their initial tuning device. If this occurs, the Godseeker will react angrily to your intrusion and throw the Knight out into Godhome.

FAQs:

Question: Where do you find simple keys in Hollow Knight?

Answer: 1st Simple Key – Sly;2nd Simple Key – City of Tears;3rd Simple Key – Ancient Basin;4th Simple Key – Pale Lurker.

Question: Are there enough simple keys in Hollow Knight?

Answer: There are a total of four Simple Keys in the game Hollow Knight, and each of these keys is designed to unlock one of the four Simple Locks that are scattered throughout the game world.

Question: Is it worth it to buy the Simple Key Hollow Knight?

Answer: If you are wondering whether or not you need to acquire the Simple Key that is available for purchase in Sly’s shop, it’s worth noting that this key is not necessary for game progression.

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Tamara Hrnjacki

Tamara, a writer at Indie Game Culture and art enthusiast, is captivated by the emotional depth in video games. This is shown by her passion for games like "Super Meat Boy," "The Stanley Parable," and "Don't Starve" and her beloved "Hollow Knight".

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