If you have any hope of getting stronger in Hollow Knight, one of the ways to do that is by finding Pale Ore for the deadly Nail. There are only a handful of them throughout the game, and with how big the map is, the odds of coming across one are slim unless you know where to look. Luckily, we’ve gathered all the Pale Ore locations in Hollow Knight so you don’t have to search every nook and cranny for them.
Where to Find Every Pale Ore in Hollow Knight
To upgrade the Nail to its strongest form in Hollow Knight, you’ll need to gather every single Pale Ore in the game. In total, there are 6 Pale Ores. Each upgrade, after the first, will cost one or more Pale Ores, in addition to some Geos.
To the west of the tram station in the Ancient Basin, fall into the hall. You’ll find two Lesser Mawleks—nasty little creatures with too many teeth and a pension for spitting acid. Avoid the acid, kill the two Mawleks, and you can grab the Pale Ore behind them.
Have you met the Seer yet? If you offer up enough Essence, the Seer will gladly give you a single Pale Ore. A quick way to gain Essence is defeating warriors in the dream world, and it just so happens she gives you the Dream Nail to do exactly that. The Seer will trade a Pale Ore for 300 Essence.
Up for some climbing? This particular piece of Pale Ore is found at Hallownest’s Crown over in Crystal Peak, but the only way you’re getting there is with the Mantis Claw, Monarch Wings, and Crystal Heart. Reach the top (marked in the screenshot), interact with the statue of the Radiance, and you’ll get another Pale Ore.
The next one is protected by Nosk. Head west from where the Hot Spring is in Deepnest to find a breakable wall that leads to a lair. Once you’ve defeated Nosk, keep heading west (in the boss room) and you’ll come to another Pale Ore.
Next up is a Pale Ore held by the Grubs. Once you find 31 of the soft and squishy buggers, speak with Grubfather. He’ll hand over a single Pale Ore for your hard work. If you’re struggling to find enough Grubs, you can also wait until you get the Collector’s Map to make it easier to find them.
The final Pale Ore in Hollow Knight is obtained by completing the Trial of the Conqueror in the Colosseum of Fools within Kingdom’s Edge. Bring your A-game, beat the trial, and you’ll get a Pale Ore along with some Geos which will come in handy for upgrading the Nail.
With that being the sixth and last one, you’ now have’ll have made good use of all the Pale Ore locations in Hollow Knight. Keep in mind that Geos are also required to upgrade the Nail as well, so it’s well worth amassing a nice stockpile of the currency while you’re collecting these upgrade materials. For more Hollow Knight content, you’re welcome to peruse our other articles using the links down below.
