Hollow Knight ► 15 Tips for 100%-ing Steel Soul!

[@evdanderslastname1657]

"even if you can't win, just try it." like i'm going to start a radiant boss and not sit there for four hours until i beat it.

[@elton8135]

*cries blood in markoth*

[@electroshock1021]

@@muffinhead5569 which hornet

[@Sweenis80]

Faaacts

[@snivyboy168]

Felt the same with radiant Failed Champion. I was gonna stop trying until I was just like ".........y'know what I'll just change my charms and keep trying".

[@dukecrev626]

I did that with Grimm...

[@cabopineforest6951]

"This isn't your kitchen, this is Hallownest" I want to print this quote and put n my kitchen

[@Salazar52]

"This is your kitchen, this isn't Hallownest"

[@illustricks]

Salazar 50 // wrong way ‘This isn’t Hallownest, this is your Kitchen.’

[@ChristopherJasonHerrOmegaXi]

Sentiment is pretty hard to stick to if your doing randomizer. "Oh yeah ill go grab mantia claws.. annnddd they arent there

[@Alex_...34565]

when you have cokroaches...(or how they are called)

[@pielord9751]

one thousandth like this is a flex

[@Naokarma]

tip 16: when at 1 or 2 masks just save-quit like a baby, even on ANY bossfight this works. A cowardly survival is more successful than an honorable death.

[@SelfCareCharizard]

oh my god, thank you for this tip. never even occurred to me 😅

[@amandabuck1375]

I will die an honorable death

[@pitori.]

After 99% the game you sure?

[@brockficken3571]

Tip: the white palace is permadeath even though it is in a dream. I learned this the hard way.

[@underdrow5572]

@@pitori. yes

[@enis-karra4575]

"Take all the upgrades, take your time, this is not a speedrun" Me, who is trying to accomplish the "finish the game at any% in less than 5 hours" and "at 100% in less than 20 hours" successes, combined with the "finish the game in Steel Soul" and "and finish the game at 100% in Steel Soul" : *_INITIAL D MUSIC INTENSIFIES_*

[@jimbo4333]

Cool, also GAS GAS GAS, GONNA STEP ON THE GAS

[@Deadchannel547]

You, are a madlad.

[@sierbig]

Same xD

[@loganxavier]

I did that too, it’s 4:35 AM right now and I’ve had 3 energy drinks. Help

[@gabrielvieira7890]

Same here, unfortunately got any% at 5h15min and did it on normal later, but got 100% in 9h

[@stefanbujdei-leonte8771]

Tip: DON'T FIGHT MARMU

[@rapy-_-]

I DIED TO MARMU!

[@stefanbujdei-leonte8771]

@@rapy-_- Exactly. It's the worst boss, in my opinion, and the reason my only locked achievment IS Steel Heart... Then Rusty uploaded and I wanted to punch myself... Thanks, Rusty. I'm smarter now😅

[@elderbugisacooldude1171]

Or Markoth

[@rapy-_-]

@@elderbugisacooldude1171 Markoth on godhome is a total bitch too

[@Naokarma]

@@elderbugisacooldude1171 Markoth is pretty straightforward as long as you're not in godhome tbh. I'd rather fight him than elder hu. (That being said, that's not cause Hu is hard, just cause he's annoying.)

[@Stizzl]

Tip 1: Don't go into the Crystal Mound with 5 masks

[@ionicman2908]

I went there with 7 masks and yet i STILL died:/

[@seraphi.m]

I did that with only mothwing 1 nail upgrade and mantis claw grabbed that pale ore, heart and dream nail and got my ass outta there it took me multiple trips and I nearly died multiple times but I have multiple tips for this and any boss fight if your about to die QUIT TO MENU AND LOAD THE SAVE AGAIN YOU GET PUT AT A BENCH WHICH IS BASICALLY FREE REGEN AND YOU GET MORE CHANCES AT THE BOSS

[@Stizzl]

@@seraphi.m Yessss I did that as well. The quitting out I mean. I did it live on Stream and Rusty and co nearly got heart attacks

[@karlcossaboon7072]

I did that my first time and died so you know what I did my second time that's right I did it africkingain and I actually made it through it got the crystal dash and even the pale ore at the top ( used pogoing off some things ) and dream nail with 5 masks in steel soul then I went and died to watcher knights because I fought them with 6 masks wayward compass fragile greed and gathering swarm all equipped and one nail upgrade my favorite

[@ionicman2908]

@@seraphi.m also if people tell you that "whats the point of playing steel soul if you are juat gonna cheat death everytime before you die?", dont listen to them. I do quitouts too everytime. Although i do suggest that you master bosses in godmaster so that bossfights becomes more thrilling, and only quitout for really hard bossfights

[@elios7623]

"this song bops" mmhmm yeah for sure

[@mauz791]

Yup, thanks Rusty

[@crazyfriend50]

That song was supposed to be good but all i heard was rusty

[@Nylspider]

The editor is just the biggest troll of all time

[@phoenixaasted]

​@Nylspider yes😂

[@bidbux9500]

"Don't do the whole hall on radiant" You should've told me earlier.

[@p055am]

Rusty why I couldve used this info two weeks ago!

[@dotsyt7765]

I really like hollow knight a lot that’s because hornet protector is as easy as killing a TikTik

[@Gigafuckass]

@@dotsyt7765 You like Hollow Knight just because that?

[@MarxGen2408]

@@dotsyt7765 you ain't a real gamer

[@mysticalcobra2893]

I’ve done them all except for absolute radiance 😭

[@Rynntastic01]

I did a 100% steel soul run a while back and thought of a few other tips! 1. It's possible to get 4 mask shards before getting into Greenpath (yes even without battling Brooding Mawlek.) Save the 5 grubs by down pogoing from Vengflies or spikes. Buy 2 from Sly. And finally the one near the hot springs which you can access by down pogoing a Vengefly after luring it to the left. 2. For Mantis Lords there's a breakable wall with a lifeblood cocoon just above the entrance to Deepnest you can get before the fight. 3. Save fighting Watcher Knights until you have enough upgrades (This one was tough for me lol.) 4. Buy Quick Focus (it's just a great charm imo)

[@armandofeldman449]

Yes quick focus is so underrated, especially when combined with stalwert shell or shape of unn. Quick focus carried me through pantheon of hallownest and i almost never take it off.

[@nepinemi8885]

Or memorize the stone sanctuary dark puzzle, theres one mask shard on the end so m you can save some money. Ive done it twice and now i dont need lumafly to do it anymore.

[@nepinemi8885]

Also there is a chandelier trick for watcher knight, look it up

[@disappointmentjuice8676]

i fought the watcher knights super early (channeled nail, only 6 masks (thank god for fragile heart), only like 15 charms and 7 notches, and my only saving grace was that i got monarch wings and shadow dash. otherwise i never could've done it.

[@someone-er1on]

wait theres a lifeblood cocoon next to matis lords?

[@GloriousZote]

Tip: Equip Dream Wielder in the Trials, you can teleport out of the area, since its not an actual boss fight

[@cpgautam172]

doesnt it take too long, might die before that. i wonder what the chained guys dialogue is though

[@domainexpansion-boosiefade]

@@scottishsheperd i still feel like it would take too long to get out of there if you **needed** to teleport

[@cccc8141]

If you really need to escape the coloseum just quit out and re-open the file, you'll be right back at the coloseum bench (if you benched there, of course).

[@Shikanokolol]

Or just save and quit

[@EaterOfGeese]

Only problem is that in the floorless section of trial 2 and 3, which are the hardest parts, you cant

[@madformuser]

Why would anyone exploit Fury of the Fallen on a steel soul run

[@kanghihihi]

because they is brave man

[@Starphoenix]

Strangely enough, if you use Lifeblood Cocoons, you can still get the benefit of Fury of the Fallen while still having a buffer in place. I used it more toward the beginning of the game than anywhere else, but the damage buff is significant if you're willing to depend on Lifeblood to do the heavy lifting.

[@greekletterphi9620]

Starphoenix JFC, I keep trying to click "read more" on your comment but it makes me reply instead. Sorry for the pointless comment it's just frustrating.

[@underdrow5572]

I used it on Hornet in my first Steel Soul run. Once I got down to one mask, she never hit me again. I ended up dying to Soul Warrior though.

[@TheUltimateMilkChannel]

Why not

[@themambawarrior2290]

Reminder: if you quit out, you get teleported to the last bench you rested at. It'll respawn the enemies and undo the progress you made in terms of movement, but a small reset is better than dying and resetting the while game.

[@willbenz651]

Number One: *don't unless you want to suffer*

[@liamgraham578]

hey nice pfp

[@wolfVFV]

It isnt that Bad I did 1 normal playthrough Then did a second one for the 100% in 20 hours achievment. Then i did Steel soul mode. And it was a lot of fun

[@liamgraham578]

@@wolfVFV its very fun its just alot more stressful than normal mode idk it wasnt painful for me. Just play it safe and its alot of fun

[@mettatonsagent7541]

Meh. It took me less than a week and I got speed completion+steel heart first try (basically collect everything as you get to a place, keep swarm and greed on ASAP and until you’ve bought up almost everything, then switch to strength+shaman+heart+qs

[@leapyear8845]

I'll take the suffering please

[@yogurtsandwich5009]

When you were talking about cheesing the bosses I found something insane. When you go to fight the crystal dude (sorry forgot his name), use the heroic odor charm. You can stand by him and slowly tick his health away without him even getting up. I found this out in my first play through and it gave me a laugh 😂

[@daliblue_]

I did the same xD

[@luxblitzar8718]

Minion charms (preferably Weaversong and Grimmchild) also help, if you want to add Glowing Womb be sure to either go in with full soul or with Grubsong so your weaverlings collect soul for the hatxhlings to spawn. Dreamshield (with or without Dream Wielder, doesnt really matter) is also pretty good. I dont know if its possible but you could try to use Baldur Shell + Thorns of Agony?

[@pyritepirate3991]

U can do that 0_o he's a push over but now he's even more of a pushover

[@le.mr_x]

not anymore

[@fionamaecry7579]

they patched this😔

[@sauceman2100]

there is a special feeling that one can only feel by getting to 111% and dying in the coliseum of fools in steel soul mode

[@DesTr069]

Are you one of those? I sure hope not, that would be one of the saddest things ever lol

[@mauz791]

Oh God no

[@sfglim5341]

Equip deep focus for coliseum Literally the best charm if ur bad at the game

[@portalmanHUN]

@@sfglim5341 Deep Focus has to be the most underrated charm.

[@radiantMotion]

oof

[@Opolotic]

The annoying part about steel soul to me is that I’m all like “yeah let’s fight markoth even though I’m gonna die and I have no point in doing so”

[@alvarostockle]

Yeah... I'm like "let's get this 112% eventhough I'm stuck in 110% in a regular file because I'm not really that good to begin with".

[@Opolotic]

Yeeeeeee

[@Proletarius87]

I feel that. I died to Marmu so, well...

[@logizom5335]

1:06 Nice try Rusty, but I'd recognize Levi's iconic scream anywhere

[@tovi3280]

Who

[@Sam-gs8iw]

Ohhhhhhh that's it... I'm sad now.

[@shattermelon496]

what?

[@oofers17]

Levi from attack on titan? im confused

[@uselesspotato6536]

@@oofers17 yes, levi from AOT

[@bb-im6hf]

"don't underestimate the RNG" - the lasers from crystal guardian have som RNG to them man, how did you know i died my second steel soul attempt to this exact thing? the sorrow from such unheroic death is overshadowed only by the death in my first attempt (a random ass flukefly)

[@unma5253]

That first death, I feel your pain. Got too cocky to Gorb and almost died. Jumped away to heal and landed on some random Grubberfly.... That hurt me (second run btw).

[@TheAnswerisSugar]

My first run where I Finally got the double jump my cocky ass went to fight the enraged crystal guardian(without the invincibility dash) Forgot he do double...so tilting lol I feel ur pain dude

[@bronze1557]

Mi first steel soul death was because I was cornered by those flying fuckers of the City of Tears, in the room where you find the simple key near the upper stag station

[@sparkfrog777]

I was killed by a guard ambush on the way to Lurien because I forgot it existed has essentially zero upgrades, except for Descending Dark and first nail upgrade, and went in on two masks, fun

[@EmeraldEleki7]

My first attempt ended because, I got exploded from the mushroom turret things, left the room with 2 masks and got *slapped* by a Mantis Warrior

[@dis_graceb5657]

*Rapidly rings bell* “I’m literally right here” 😂

[@tendo3541]

ummmmmmm yeeeeeaaaaaahh

[@SelfCareCharizard]

i always felt rude ringing it again LMAO

[@zerosuitcharizard5438]

I lost a my first (Was second technically, but I only put like 2 hours into my first before dying) steel soul run where I was 112 percenting it and I lost because I did not know even though White Palace is a dream, that dying on it still counted as a death. This was after I had grinded for a week to get had 47 hours on that attempt, and all I had left was the Godseeker DLC, Grimm DLC, trial of the fool, and White Palace, then I would be done. I know no one cares, but I just had to rant about this because it just happened this afternoon.

[@flip.flap.]

RIP, that's so unfortunate. Always take Grubsong + Hiveblood into White Palace.

[@elton8135]

i died my second try to a mushroom guy... the ones that smack their head against the floor...

[@will_bot]

@@flip.flap. why does everyone like hiveblood genuinely asking because I've never seen the use to it it only heals one of them and I don't want to wait for it AND the amount of charm notches it takes nahhhhh

[@cpgautam172]

@@will_bot if u can wait for it then u can farm soul, also survive platforming challenges with 2 hp, if u dont like waiting then u have to risk it. there is nothing to understand really

[@flip.flap.]

@@will_bot I never got much use out of it outside the White Palace, but if you're patient enough you can always recover 1 lost HP and if you have Grubsong equipped then you can heal back to full health with self-damage + regen cycling, effectively making it where you can't die as long as you don't get too hasty which can be a great help in the White Palace.

[@skux.1395]

Lol I just did 3 achievements in one Steel soul Steel heart And the speed run one where u have to 100% in under 20 hours... Soz just wanted to flex for a bit...

[@annag.simmons4519]

Nah fam. 'Sall good.

[@maxcar7298]

I did both speedruns and steel soul at once, the steel soul 100% is next

[@dyslexiquenerd5837]

I did both speedrun acheivments and steel soul at once so I feel that

[@lukasnovella9001]

Same. It’s not the most difficult thing with all the DLC lmao

[@thejester3744]

Same

[@JoyceW-Art]

0:26 I love this part so much! And great tips, I've recently started a SteelSoul run myself, so this is very helpful!

[@vladdrach9626]

I was shocked when he steel souled the shit out of the radiance i literally died there like 17 times

[@disappointmentjuice8676]

he practiced before the stream. like a lot. he admitted that he spent several hours the day before doing nothing but the radiance.

[@ILOV3BUTT3R]

When you've spent half your time in the game practicing against Absrad, regular Radiance almost makes you cry at how much easier it is.

[@bgmarshall]

When you beat ultimatum radiance then normal radiance feels like your going at 10% speed Also idk if this was before or after this but he has done all bosses on radiant

[@bgmarshall]

Also last time I fought radiance I was doing the climb and I thought "what is the last phase in normal radiance" and just forgot there wasn't one

[@whatthewhatthe9117]

Is anyone going to tell him that you don’t need to beat the radiance for steel heart? Sealed siblings works too I know, I pussed out and tried that instead

[@threecheeseburrito]

Tbh, I'd rather fight the Radiance than let Hornet be sealed with me forever. She may be really cool, but she needs to live. Still, I haven't reached near the end just yet. Kudos to you for getting there, and in Steel Soul, nonetheless. I'm still in vanilla because I just started last month.

[@pb.....]

@@threecheeseburrito Another reason you don't want this, is that Hornet is really loud and its a small chamber .

[@whatthewhatthe9117]

Phillip Baudach oh my bad I guess you don’t like near constant screeches of a loud spastic demigod waifu for all of eternity

[@K-7Maylis]

He knows but he said "If you want to do the DNM ending you should collect everything" or something like it

[@mj4andrea]

Every time someone chooses the Sealed Siblings ending, Silksong is delayed by a month.

[@Guys._.]

It's good to hear that voice right now.

[@BlazeStorm]

Ironically, Rusty's outros are great despite "there being no outro".

[@FurbytheFlareon]

Here is a good tip. Before entering a boss, set yourself a dreamgate and then head for the closest stag station to get to Greenpath. Once there, you can head on up and over to the right to get the lifeblood masks. If you'd like to, head on back to Dirtmouth and go back towards King's Pass to get the other lifeblood masks. Be sure to have your charms set before you collect your lifeblood masks. Dreamwarp back to your Dreamgate with your extra set of masks and you are more than prepared to fight the boss.

[@KayzIdeas]

7:49 If only Primal Aspids were one hittable with that strat. Team Cherry really said "let's give this one really inconvenient enemy juuuuuust enough health so it can be another unique and memorable mutated strain of colon cancer in the bowels of Hollownest."

[@colonelstabby]

Dude, that mash up in the beginning was insane !! Hitting the bell repeatedly made me laugh

[@JacobPDeIiNoNi]

7:50 Being able to 1 shot lifeseeds is just too OP, though.

[@T4coTV]

How did I not see this video coming? It was the next logical step after the livestream haha Super cool tips btw, those will definitely come in handy on my first steel soul run ^^

[@kunalshah3465]

The thing with tip #6 is that dream warriors count for 7% of completion, soooooo definitely do them at some point.

[@JayJayNoelastnam]

I recommend if you want to get all achievements and want to do a Steel Soul run, you should do "Speed Completion", "Speedrun 1", "Steel Heart" and of course "Steel Soul". It can be difficult but it's so satisfying to blast through all of those achievements at once.

[@skux.1395]

Yeah that’s what I did lol

[@KuroMexo]

This! I went through soooo many deaths on steel soul just because of this achievement combo that I wanted to get

[@JayJayNoelastnam]

@@KuroMexo But it's so worth it.

[@fox-fluffl9002]

Funnily enough i'm doing a variant of this in that I got all the speedrunning achievements, now my next project is both the Steel Soul ones

[@TheVamxie]

Literally forget i have magic. Id probably beat the game- if i used magic.

[@rageoftyrael]

I've started to use spells a bit more, but I'm still mainly a nail user, with the loadout to prove it lol

[@Romalac]

Another tip I'd recommend- if you get down to one mask (two on double-damage bosses, obviously), don't hesitate to pause, quit, and load back in. Tedious as all hell and admittedly a little cheap, but when the alternative is redoing the whole run, I'd call it a worthy tradeoff.

[@yerman0564]

I did it a few times, but felt really dirty after

[@kiberz]

That montage at the start was perfection. Equal parts hilarious and hype inducing.

[@primalaspid8717]

Bruh you're so lucky that I didn't really have the feeling that day. If I wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead like all the other players

[@leweegee-nious9541]

PISS OFF! Edit:HOLY DAMN thanks for the likes!

[@leweegee-nious9541]

So sorry.aspids just INFURIATE me.

[@primalaspid8717]

@@leweegee-nious9541 Hmm? Wait a minute I didn't kill you, I killed Markoth! You ascended already!

[@leweegee-nious9541]

Primal Aspid I know but GRR I have descended to visit a friend, gallien and when I saw you...RAGE

[@lucifersno.1fan731]

You fool! You thought you'd completely ruin my Steelsoul run but you were barely a minor annoyance!

[@alexandersong5753]

17:09 awesome tune, total bop

[@williamlambert359]

Hey I just want to say I love the direction your channel is going in! Specific tutorials that showcase your in-depth knowledge of this game are very cool! =)

[@zaba1484]

Damn dude, your videos are getting better and better;; not only am i learning shit, but also being entertained to a high degree Blessed be

[@davidnovak8357]

Thank you for this video. Helped me a lot. Time to hunt some achievements.

[@6Pope9]

My alarm clock in Saturday morning when I forget to turn it off: 0:46

[@TheInfectedGamerYT]

That's literally me except I sleep through all my alarms!🤣 And they're all pretty much earrape. 😅

[@olivenest]

That opening is the best editing i've ever seen. Good job!

[@mrdiamonddog6]

Tip 16: Don't get void heart. Don't fight radiance. There are percents to be found elsewhere that is safer such as pantheons.

[@plutogam3r]

I’ll just use hiveblood and grub and still do white palace

[@cloudy772]

12:20 Is it bad that I have over 200 hours in this game and have gotten every achievement twice and I didn’t know this? Wild

[@baglespelledwrong8159]

i see your flexing with your pfp, nice

[@QQueTV]

I didn't know that either and I have 300 hours ;-;

[@TheInfectedGamerYT]

Not wild just slightly disappointing

[@TheInfectedGamerYT]

A lot of things that are common knowledge to me are often said by the people that are 300 hours on the game and are like "oH 1 rēally jüst l3arNed thät n0w!"like have you really spent 300 hours on the game and really just learned that recently??? I find that stupidly hard to believe because I learned that within the first 50!!!

[@josephrobles7094]

“Even if you can’t win, just try it” words to live by

[@HuneeBruh]

Him talking about how to beat steel soul mode: Me who just wants tips to beat it normally: *big braining intensifies*

[@togiedemaru1641]

Tip Go to the main menu on two or one masks You always heal to full when doing this if you last spot was on a bench

[@armandofeldman449]

How lucky, got this almost immediately after i started a steel soul run.

[@mauz791]

Damn

[@juniper3495]

Same here I started today

[@foetieau7379]

That's lucky indeed.. I got this while I just finished mine, and all the time I didn't even know that there was another dude where Jiji's supposed to be..

[@pettoniustonius4631]

This video came out after I finished PoH in steel soul lol

[@armandofeldman449]

@@pettoniustonius4631 Kinda the same for me, i finished pantheon of hallownest which meant i finally completed my first playthrough, so i started a steel soul and immediately after I see this video.

[@i_cam]

i gotta say man your music montage edits are always really really good! like i straight up got chills at the Radiance scream right at 0:59, the timing on these edits is p r i s t i n e

[@cwwwisty_mew]

I will never unhear hornet saying “git gud”

[@Omnicharlizard]

Best intro to any video x3 that was amazing

[@viniciustajra3568]

"I'm not saying beat the whole godman hall before you attempt to Stell Soul Run" *Lol i literally did that xD*

[@failuretv814]

Did you beat the steel soul run?

[@viniciustajra3568]

@@failuretv814 yeah a long time ago I didnt even play HK anymore

[@naeui8588]

superior tip: u can inventory drop in shallow water (your inventory will still be open) and still be able move get to solid ground crystal dash use dream gate then release all when knight flashes white and boom unlimited s

[@legionarmatay4399]

Levi's scream in the beginning as you were destroying the Radiance, it's funny and sad at the same time lmao

[@j.s.ospina9861]

Tips (not following some of those actually costed me the 100% 20h steel soul speedrun): No one told you to get Voidheart and get the true ending. No one. Hell, no one even said anything about Kingsoul. If you are in need of percentages, fight the easy warrior graves, buy charms, get upgrades, and specially get the 2% awaiting in The Hive, the 3% of the Grimm Troupe, and if in need to, the free 1% of the Godtuner. How to get there without fighting the Pale Lurker? Easy: do not open the Waterways entrance and get all the other upgrades you can before Isma's Tear. There is another entrance. Do not waste the Simple Key there.

[@Alexey-qs6nr]

my tip: get descending dark as soon as possible. I always get it right after the soul master. Yes, you need to pass crystalised mound without double jump, but this greatly simplifies the rest of the game.

[@nikkipedia1328]

Haven't completed the video, but the first minute. Wow. Sold. The music fits so well, and the actions are... on beat? It's so good!

[@heckrum]

I killed all three dreamers, went to try to take out traitor lord, and he murdered me.

[@axolotlinabucket1287]

if i was you i will go kill the hollow knight and call it a day lol

[@vincentlorusso689]

I just accomplished 100% Steel Soul a couple minutes ago and it would not have been possible without this video. Thank you so much. It takes so much practice and the Hall of Gods is critical, but it can be done! I'm glad you get a new menu style because I did this on a PS5, so there is no other reward at all lol.

[@JadedSnows]

Tip: You can actually get 4 mask shards in Crossroads without fighting Mawlek. There’s a room where another Vengefly skip can get you to a mask shard just lying past a parkour area with the unkillable timed monster things (forgot what they’re called). It seems like you gotta get the Vengefly past 3 of those things, but you can actually just attract it’s attention then hit the spikes nearby, which take you to the beginning of the room, and if you continuously jump it’ll likely track you down while staying above death.

[@fox-fluffl9002]

Yup! Did this on my last playthrough. I got lucky and lured it past the goams first try, but it's all about timing and being 1 spot ahead of the vengefly so the goam goes back down before killing it

[@jamie304]

I literally just started my first steel soul run last night... Perfect timing thank you :)

[@thajocoth]

Bonus tip: If you feel like you're about to die, save and quit. When you load back up, you'll be at the last bench you sat on with no progress lost... Then go re-attempt whatever boss you saved and quit from, or go prepare better in some other way. I have NEVER beaten a pantheon. Any of them. When I completed Steel Soul 100%, I saved and quit right before bosses killed me probably four times.

[@HighFiveGhost50]

I feel that’s cheating. Everybody has their own views on this but I think that is without a doubt cheating. I don’t even think you should be able to load up practice run save files. Once u start a steel soul run, you should only be able to play that run. Practice beforehand.

[@thajocoth]

@@HighFiveGhost50 Anything the game allows is fair game, but choosing to apply an additional personal challenge like that could be something some people, like you, choose to enjoy.

[@K-7Maylis]

​@@thajocoth No that's not an additional personal challenge, it's how you should play Steel Soul. Reloading a save just because you almost died doesn't teach you anything. Accepting defeat is the way to go because then you know to be more careful with how you play, plus all that irritation you feel from losing should motivate you to try harder.

[@thajocoth]

@@K-7Maylis Except that they left in the possibility. It would've been super simple to remove it, but they chose not to. Anything the game accepts is simply fair game. (I've stated my opinion clearly. I will not be responding any further to trolls who attempt to gatekeep a video game achievement.)

[@K-7Maylis]

Fine, I won't talk to people that go as low as not accepting defeat and also people who like their own comment

[@aruretheincomprehensible20]

I want to stress and iterate upon point #3 and a few tips for point #4. For upgrades, I want to stress the importance of getting your ideal charm loadout up as soon as possible since your charm build heavily influences how you fight most of the bosses, especially the late-game bosses. This ties into planning your route: your ideal charm loadout should be pathed into your run as early as possible, as long as you're comfortable doing the sections these charms appear in (ie don't go for Weaversong without Lumafly Lantern if you're not comfortable doing dark Deepnest, or attempt an early Quick Slash if you're not comfortable fighting Great Hoppers). That's my first routing tip: route your ideal charm loadout to complete your build as early as possible. My second routing tip is to take the Crossroads entrance into Fungal Wastes. You skip a lot of the platforming sections there, can quickly stop by Salubra to get Shaman Stone (or if you're like me you pick up Longnail), you can save Sly for his wares, can stop by Leg Eater for fragile charms, can fight Shrumal Ogres quickly for a charm notch, and (most importantly) you can skip most of the platforming sections by opening up the shortcuts since most of them open up from the right side of Wastes. The trip there after Hornet is also very easy because the Greenpath Stagg is right underneath Hornet's boss chamber. My final routing tip is to wait until the end game to do Queen's Gardens specifically. Queen's Gardens has some of the hardest platforming sections in the game and some of the hardest non-boss, non-Colosseum forced encounters in the game. Even Deepnest is easier to go through if you have Lantern.

[@lucifersno.1fan731]

Guys I did Steelsoul in under 10 hours and I'm very proud of myself. I did it in around seven hours in total.

[@annag.simmons4519]

I can't spend that much time on this game. Good job!

[@idkanymore8643]

Good job

[@lucifersno.1fan731]

@@idkanymore8643 Thanks. It's my third playthrough too

[@CanineLover69]

Same

[@benjaminc924]

Loved the music in the montage at the beginning

[@rebuild3389]

16:35 Haha, joke's on you! I cleared the Hall AND got all bindings on all pantheons!

[@natobiincartaice6744]

Same buddy, SAME HERE!

[@leonwu4189]

absrad no hit [ahhbs/rahhd/noe/hihht] (verb) 1. To be a god gamer 2. To say that what someone did is impossible or outrageous

[@KT-mp5hi]

Lucky! I just started my steel soul run!

[@armandofeldman449]

Same

[@2001CuisinartToasterr]

Did you beat the game yet

[@armandofeldman449]

@@2001CuisinartToasterr steel soul isn't unlocked until you beat the game

[@2001CuisinartToasterr]

Armando Feldman i mean in steel soul mode

[@armandofeldman449]

@@2001CuisinartToasterr oh ok. Haven't yet but im making progress, Idk about him.

[@arloschwartzer2717]

4:45 no joke I was browsing my (empty) fridge as you said that

[@alexandruandros1271]

Oh boi number 8: Flashbacks to my steel soul run being over after I fell off a ledge fighting a soul twister and got my ass handed to me by 3 of them.

[@amberstar2832]

You lost a run to a gang of Soul Twisters too? Huh.

[@alexandruandros1271]

@@amberstar2832 Welcome to the gang

[@disappointmentjuice8676]

this, alongside your steel soul stream, was what compelled me to start my first ever steel soul run. and i did it. i did it under 10 hours, at 7h 55m timed. i got like, 3 achievements by doing 1 thing. thank you, now my achievement's list is just thst little bit more full, and i have an awesome new title screen to match.

[@Bananazu2411]

"*If* you can clear AbsRad without getting hit" Well uuuuhhhh... The scoreboard on that says she's at 900 kills to my 0 sooooo I'm working on that (Yes, I keep count, no, I'm not joking)

[@paleoleft]

900 FUCKING WHAT? I'm fucking terrified now

[@amandabuck1375]

What’s it at now?

[@ESparkAster]

@@amandabuck1375 Legends say they are still dying to AbsRad to this day

[@ivanmartinez1683]

Another Tip: If you're ever in a tight spot with only 1 Mask left, you can always just Quit to the Main Menu! Your progress is saved, so any door that was unlocked or Charm that was collected will remain that way. Although you'll go back to the last bench you sat at, which might be far away, but it's still better than starting from scratch! I cannot tell you how many times this has saved my Steel Soul run.

[@Nalyd_VS]

I beat Absrad without getting hit and I'm watching the video.

[@3838666mm]

Just finished my steel soul 100% run in 8.5 hours, it's just so satisfying seeing 4 achievements popping out at once (speedrun 1, speed completion, steel soul, steel heart) Thanks for the tips, they really helped!

[@jakeread9668]

When I did it I beat all bosses in the hall of gods on ascended first for practice and then did it first try without ever getting below half health. Practice helps.

[@phantom9182]

Thanks so much for this guide :D It helped me a lot, especially thelast tip

[@Phirestar]

I’d already reached over 300+ hours in Hollow Knight by the time I had any interest in trying Steel Soul, so I was able to beat it in one attempt. You won’t die if the game is no longer challenging.

[@RenxTheHedgehog]

I actually got 3 achievements at once when completing Steel-Soul mode for the first time 1.- Completing Steel Soul mode 2.- At 100% 3.- 100% in less than 20 hours (Took me 11H)

[@radpaffgaming]

"You don't have to beat the whole god damn hall before attempting steel soul" Uhhh, *Looks at all my shiny badges under the bosses" okay... I beat the whole hall because I was bored and steel soul sounded like a grind, now I'm trying to beat it in under 20 hours for the achievement

[@icariusinius8239]

there is a realy good thing you forgot: lifeblood masks if you stack up like 11 of these before a boss, you are almost unstopable and do not use as time to risk healing, every main story boss will be a pushover pretty much. collecting them can be quite difficult as you have to not get hit or use a bench, however, dream nail and stag ways are your best friend for this task. teleport between all of those semi safe locations. go for the ones in greenpath and the fog canyon then use fast travel to get to the one in the kingdom's edge. good.

[@rosebud577]

I’m sorry I think I will beat the whole goddamn hall before I start a steel soul run

[@Elomordo739]

I have already done this game 4 times, even on a speedrun below 5 hr and I am so experienced that I use all the methods you mentioned, even though I have not seen this wideo yet

[@patatadivina]

imma prbly start playing Hollow Knight just because of Rusty

[@annag.simmons4519]

You bettuh.

[@QueJeFasse]

Thumbs up JUST for that musical montage at the beginning. That was flawless.

[@GASA1997]

This video has got to be clickbait because, 100%-ing steel soul mode... There is no such thing.

[@eden-elysium]

MonStahLer would like a word with you

[@cloudiideii4271]

Spencer Cox I have.... 101% in steel soul 👁👄👁

[@RayanTheModder]

Me with steal heart in both ps4 and pc. (Input funny meme template here)

[@Pr1est0fDoom]

My Steel Soul file is at 112% and I've competed all Radiant bosses, all 20 individual bindings, the first three Pantheons with full bindings, the Path of Pain and the Hunter's Journal.

[@caiocarregari1785]

I've got 103% on my first try.. (-■_■)

[@march_hare_CHO]

That intro was really funny, especially hitting the bell like crazy. But I could never do that bc I got so much respect from the last stag, I respect this old friend more than many people😂

[@crazymonkeygaming2229]

Me: A person who beat all bosses on radiant mode already (sees this part of video 15:00) Also Me: I am 4 parallel universes ahead of you!

[@RockyLXXXVIII]

Sister of Battle Please. How do I do it?

[@crazymonkeygaming2229]

​@@RockyLXXXVIII Sisters of Battle can be tough on radiant mode. But I can give some easy tips that you've probably heard already, but these tips are good to remember when going into this fight. 1. Use descending dark as much as possible because of the Invincibility frames that you get out of it, but do not spam it because you could be getting more damage out of it if you're using it accordingly. 2. I know that not everyone plays with the same charm set as the one that I use. But I find these two charms needed: Mark of Pride and Shaman stone. Then you can add other charms with these to help you. 3. PRACTICE, all bosses on radiant mode will make you practice them a lot. So be prepared to spend some time on the Hall of Gods. I personally spent around 30-ish hours trying to complete the entire Hall of Gods on radiant. Don't give up on a boss just because you want to do them fast, most of the time that will not happen. Unfortunately I can't write everything in a single KZbin comment, but you should also look up videos on "Sisters of Battle on radiant". Good luck on doing them on radiant.

[@Kampfkeiler01]

Hey there Rusty. Just wanted to leave a big thank you. I watched your video in preparation for my first try of a steel soul run. After dying to the Hollow Knight (twice x_x) I learned from my mistakes and managed to beat the game even with 100% completion, in great parts due to your tips and tricks ;) So thank you :)

[@fabiodemon884]

“Pro” tip: use cyclone slash when enemy’s on the ground, it does A TON OF DAMAGE trust me

[@K-7Maylis]

Tornado attack.. do you mean Cyclone Slash?

[@fabiodemon884]

Parrot yyeeahh, i haven’t played HK for long and i don’t speak english as mother lenguage, lemme change it

[@controlequebrado4455]

Don't forget to extend it by mashing the attack button

[@alexandrvolkov2608]

for people who worry about starting steel soul. if you find yourself in tough situation with 2 or 1 health shards - just quit to the menu and respawn at the bench. for a year i didn't try steel soul mode. bit knowing you could quit at any time, relax and come back mada me having fun with the game. used it once because didn't take seriously some regular enemies. just be aware of tour health at any point. with Team Cherry's attention to details i think they would close that loophole if they didn't want players to use it - with defeat at getting out of game without sitting on the bench or something. so i think it's all fare. nice video. good job. keep it up, i aprecieate your choice of background music in latest videos. and editing pretty tight too.

[@theultimatep1e40]

Eyyy, my best man rusty

[@frog2098]

I've been thinking about doing a 100% steel soul recently so this is pretty helpful

[@megoodatgame8535]

Reminds me of the time I got hit into thorns and some glitch happened where my invincibility frames didn’t appear and since it was a mantis Petra It hit me again into the thorns dealing 4 masks of damage when I just took damage earlier and had 2 masks left and was freaking out

[@aiexmonsterhunter]

Rancid Eggs are super helpful in Steel Soul. Not only are they a big Geo boost, but you can also use them as an infinite source of soul once you have the dream nail. This can prove very useful in some dangerous areas like Deepnest and Royal Gateways.

[@meattree0]

the next thing you need to do is rank your ranking videos.

[@taiscommentingaccountusedf1908]

These are all honestly good tips. Got me to 100% in steel soul

[@PinkWytchBytch]

I am REALLY curious as to how many hours this man's put into Hollow Knight

[@Mennenth]

a slightly different tip: stay at channeled nail (+1 pale ore) just to make clearing basic mobs in the world easier, but dont upgrade the nail any further. Bosses get a slight hp buff every time you upgrade the nail. The nail damage increase does outpace that buff so you'll still kill bosses in fewer hits, but its less fewer than you might think. However... bosses DO NOT get that hp buff when you upgrade your spells, and shaman stone is to spells what the strength charm is to nail damage. It buffs your spells a LOT. Shade Soul with Shaman Stone is 40 damage. FORTY. Thats MORE than pure nail + strength, only getting pure nail buffs boss' health pools. The end result is your nail will be stronger but your spells will be "blunted" against a larger health pool making them not as effective as they could be. Take for example Grimm. Has base 800 hp and retains that through channeled nail, which is 20 shaman stone shade souls. Pure Nail upgrade, Grimm has 1000 hp. Thats 25 shaman stone shade souls. That doesnt sound like that much of a difference, but thats a 25% loss of effectiveness on one (the other spells are also nutters) of your strongest attacks. Also, Shade Soul can hit multiple times per cast as per one of the tips in the actual video. All the upgraded spells can, for that matter. So basically, if you stay at a lower nail upgrade and instead of melee'ing you aggressively use upgraded spells with shaman stone... bosses will absolutely MELT. Some of them will vaporize so fast you'll wonder how anyone can call Hollow Knight a hard game. Spells are OP.

[@Mohamed-ow8pg]

Uhh..you forget to mention, you need a fuck ton of soul to cast shade soul which means it's either kingsoul (5 charm notches and you will prob get voidheart)which gives such a low amount of soul or you actually upgrade the nail dealing damage while getting soul which is better than what you said