Hollow Knight: The Grimm Troupe Walkthrough - Ritual or Banishment

The Grimm Troupe is an optional Hollow Knight content pack built around a hidden summon, flame hunting, two major Grimm fights, and a final choice that changes your reward. It can be started once you have the Dream Nail, but it is easier with late-game movement, a strong nail, and enough charm notches for boss builds.

This walkthrough focuses only on the Grimm Troupe questline and its rewards. It does not cover the full Hollow Knight route, every charm in Hallownest, Godhome progression, or Path of Pain.

Start the Quest

To begin The Grimm Troupe, go to Howling Cliffs after obtaining the Dream Nail. Find the hidden room reached through breakable walls, locate the large bug corpse, and use the Dream Nail on it. Return to the previous chamber and strike the brazier beneath the now-lit torch until the scene plays.

After that, return to Dirtmouth. Two tents appear in town. Enter the large tent and speak with Troupe Master Grimm to receive Grimmchild. Equip Grimmchild before you hunt flames; the flame carriers and map markers depend on it. If you unequip Grimmchild, the quest stops feeling broken because the next targets simply stop presenting themselves properly.

Treat this as a late-game side quest even though it can be accessed earlier. The route crosses Hallownest, asks you to defeat Grimmkin enemies, and eventually demands sharp boss reactions. Nail upgrades, Shade Cloak, spare charm notches, and reliable healing habits make it smoother.

Flame Collection Route

The core loop is simple: equip Grimmchild, check the map for flames, defeat the Grimmkin guarding those flames, and return to Grimm when a set is complete.

The first set has three Grimmkin Novices. Once you collect all three flames and return to Grimm, Grimmchild grows into an attacking companion. The second set has three Grimmkin Masters. After those flames are collected, returning to Grimm begins the Troupe Master Grimm boss fight.

After Troupe Master Grimm falls, you receive a Charm Notch, Grimmchild upgrades again, and the last phase opens. This phase shows four possible flames, but you only need three before the Ritual fight. One is Brumm in Deepnest, and talking to him opens Banishment instead of a flame fight.

Do not rush the last phase if you care about rewards. Ritual keeps Grimmchild and leads to Nightmare King Grimm. Banishment removes Grimmchild and leads to Carefree Melody. The choice also affects whether Divine remains available for Unbreakable charm upgrades.

Troupe Master Grimm

Troupe Master Grimm is a rhythm fight. He teleports, commits to short attack patterns, and gives you brief windows to punish him. Learn the shape of each move before chasing damage.

Fire Bats is one of your best openings. Jump and dash over the projectiles, then strike Grimm while he is still standing. Dash Uppercut can become a healing window if you move away from the slash and stand near where Grimm vanishes so the fireballs spread around you. Cloak Spikes also gives a moment to heal if you react early.

Do not hit Grimm during his opening bow unless you want to trigger Pufferfish immediately. Pufferfish also appears at health thresholds, so expect it several times. During that pattern, focus on small controlled hops rather than panic dashing across the arena.

Useful tools include Shade Cloak for dash attacks, Great Slash or Dash Slash for safe burst damage, and spells when Grimm is tall or stationary. Quick Focus and Shape of Unn make healing safer, but they are not a substitute for learning the pattern.

Ritual or Banishment

After Grimm is defeated and the final flame phase begins, decide what you want before you finish the quest.

Choose Ritual if you want the Nightmare King Grimm fight, the Ritual achievement, and the final Grimmchild upgrade. Collect three final flames while Grimmchild is equipped, return to the large tent, find Grimm asleep, and use the Dream Nail on him. Defeating Nightmare King Grimm completes the ritual and upgrades Grimmchild to its final form.

Choose Banishment if you want Carefree Melody instead. During the final flame phase, find Brumm in Deepnest and listen to him. He tells you to meet him where the quest began. Return to the Nightmare Lantern in Howling Cliffs and help destroy it. The Troupe leaves, Grimmchild is removed, and Nymm appears in Dirtmouth. Listen to Nymm to receive Carefree Melody.

Be careful with the Banishment setup. If you meet Brumm at the lantern room and then leave before breaking the brazier, that route can close permanently. Commit before you enter the room, and make sure you have handled Divine’s services first if you want Unbreakable charms.

Reward Planning

The biggest practical reward before the final choice is the Charm Notch from defeating Troupe Master Grimm. Even players who do not want Nightmare King Grimm should usually push at least that far.

For the final reward, Grimmchild and Carefree Melody fill the same inventory slot but serve different habits. Grimmchild is a companion charm that attacks enemies after upgrades. Carefree Melody is defensive and can block incoming damage, with its chance improving as you take hits until it blocks one. Carefree Melody does not block hazards.

Divine matters because she converts Fragile Greed, Fragile Heart, and Fragile Strength into Unbreakable versions for large Geo payments. The full set costs a major amount of Geo, but Unbreakable Strength and Unbreakable Heart are especially valuable for players who rely on those effects and dislike losing Fragile charm value on death.

If you plan to banish the Troupe, finish any Divine upgrades first. Once the Troupe is gone, missing Unbreakable upgrades cannot be obtained on that save. If Divine is holding a Fragile charm when you banish the Troupe, the charm returns in Fragile form where her tent stood.

Essential Tips

1. Equip Grimmchild Before Every Flame Hunt

The flame loop is built around Grimmchild. Put it on before checking your map, entering flame rooms, or trying to advance the quest. If the next targets seem absent, check your charm loadout before assuming you missed a step.

2. Bank Geo Before Visiting Divine

Divine’s upgrades are expensive enough that you should plan around them. Decide which Fragile charm matters most to your build, then bring enough Geo to complete that exchange instead of handing over a charm and wandering off underfunded.

3. Take the Charm Notch Even If You Plan to Banish

The Troupe Master Grimm fight is the practical midpoint reward. The extra notch helps future builds across the rest of Hollow Knight, so it is worth completing the first two flame sets even if you do not want the final Ritual branch.

4. Treat Grimm as Pattern Practice, Not a Damage Race

Most losses come from forcing hits after the safe opening is gone. Learn Fire Bats, Dash Uppercut, Cloak Spikes, Dive Dash, and Pufferfish separately, then add damage only where the pattern gives it to you.

5. Choose the Final Branch Before Talking to Brumm at the Lantern

Banishment has a point of no return. If you are not ready to destroy the lantern, do not casually visit the final room after Brumm sends you there. Finish Divine upgrades and make your reward decision first.

6. Use Spells When Grimm Stands Tall or Locks Into Place

Shade Soul, Descending Dark, and Abyss Shriek all have moments where they shine. Spells are especially useful when Grimm is stationary during bats, spikes, or Pufferfish, but only cast if you can still dodge afterward.

7. Do Not Build Around Healing Everywhere

Healing windows exist, but they are narrow. Quick Focus and Shape of Unn can help, yet the cleaner plan is to take fewer hits, heal during Cloak Spikes or the safer Dash Uppercut spacing, and stop trying to recover after every mistake.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Do not start flame hunting with Grimmchild unequipped. The quest relies on that charm for flame tracking and progression.
2. Do not hit Grimm during his bow. That turns the opening into an immediate Pufferfish pattern.
3. Do not spend the final phase before deciding your ending. Ritual and Banishment give different rewards, and they cannot both be completed on the same save.
4. Do not banish the Troupe before buying the Unbreakable charms you want. Missing upgrades become unavailable once Divine leaves.
5. Do not leave the Nightmare Lantern room after Brumm’s final invitation unless you are willing to lose Banishment. Finish the action when you go there.
6. Do not chase Grimm after every teleport. Wait for the attack pattern, punish the safe opening, then reset.
7. Do not treat Carefree Melody as protection from hazards. Its block effect applies to incoming hits, not environmental damage.

Summary

The Grimm Troupe is best handled as a staged late-game quest: summon the Troupe in Howling Cliffs, collect two sets of flames with Grimmchild equipped, defeat Troupe Master Grimm for the Charm Notch, then slow down before the final phase. If you want a hard boss finish and the final Grimmchild, complete the Ritual by defeating Nightmare King Grimm. If you prefer Carefree Melody and Nymm’s ending, follow Brumm and banish the Troupe. In either case, settle Divine’s Unbreakable charm upgrades before removing the Troupe from Dirtmouth.

Category	Top Tip
Starting	Use Dream Nail in Howling Cliffs, light the brazier, then return to Dirtmouth.
Flame hunting	Keep Grimmchild equipped whenever you chase flames.
Midpoint reward	Defeat Troupe Master Grimm for the Charm Notch.
Final choice	Pick Ritual for Nightmare King Grimm and final Grimmchild, or Banishment for Carefree Melody.
Lockout risk	Finish Divine upgrades before banishing the Troupe.