Hollow Knight Fragile Charms
This page includes the IGN wiki guide on Hollow Knight's Broken Vessel boss encounter. For information on other sections of our wiki guide, be sure to check out our Walkthrough page.
To learn how to obtain the various Collectibles Hollow Knight has to offer, visit our pages on Charms, Spells, Mask Shards, and more.
The Broken Vessel is a boss on the left side of the Ancient Basin area, just a few screens left of the toll Bench. Enter the room, pass the fallen shell of a broken vessel and approach the wall, then the gate will close and Lifeseeds will swarm the corpse.
They will soon fill the corpse, animating it and initiating the boss encounter.
Fragile Strength does not affect damage from the Crystal Heart dash or the Sharp Shadow dash. This charm is extremely powerful, at the cost of just only one more notch it permanently provides a similar benefit to Fury of the Fallen without the obviously risky need to be at one health.
The Broken Vessel is a fast moving boss, which utilizes several different types of physical and magic-style attacks. Using Charms which boost the damage and range of your Nail, and allow quick healing, will serve you well for this fight. Try to stay at the edge of Nail range, to allow yourself more time to dodge attacks while still dealing consistent damage.
Utilizing companion Charms such as Weaversong and Grimmchild will also allow you to deal damage to the boss while avoiding area attacks or healing, so consider a companion/healing build if you are having trouble.
The first attack the Broken Vessel will use is a standard dash attack, which covers around 2/3 of the fighting arena. The boss can use it while on the ground, or in midair, so observe the boss carefully as it moves.
If it pauses, halt your approach and wait for it to finish its attack, then counter with your Nail or spells
Hollow Knight Fragile Charms Unbreakable
The boss will also frequently jump in the air, pause, then initiate a downward slash. Once the slash hits the ground, four orange orbs will float downward, then reverse direction, spread out, and fly upward across the screen.
To counter this attack, sidestep or dash out of the way, then dash back towards the boss, avoiding the orbs. Quickly slash with the Nail or keep your distance and cast Vengeful Spirit while watching out for the next attack.
Charm Combinations Hollow Knight
From time to time, the Broken Vessel will stop in place, then begin casting out orange orbs, which travel down and away from the boss, before rising and spreading out as they fly upward. During this time, try to stay as far away from the boss as possible. If you can stay far enough away, this is an excellent time to heal (especially if you have the Quick Focus Charm equipped).
Keep your cool, maintain the attack, and heal when the opportunity presents itself, and you’ll soon put an end to the Broken Vessel.