Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition

Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition

63 Achievements

1,000

60-80h

PC
Xbox One
Xbox Series
Log in or Register to track Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition achievements progress.
Steel Heart

Steel Heart

Achieve 100% game completion and finish the game in Steel Soul mode

50

0.33%

How to unlock the Steel Heart achievement in Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition - Definitive Guide

External image

Steel Soul mode is unlocked after completing the game. This is a hardcore version of the game where you have one life and do not respawn upon death. This run will be done on a separate save file where you choose Steel Soul mode at the start and if you do die, the save file is essentially deleted.

Assuming you know your way through the game, this isn't really any more difficult than a standard mode run because you can pause and quit before you die, then restart from the last bench you saved at. Almost all damage in the game causes you to lose a single mask of health and only a few enemies/bosses deal two masks of damage at a time, so as long as you're careful when your health gets low death should be a non-issue.

To increase survivability, prioritize finding Mask Shards, Charm Notches, and Pale Ore for Nail upgrades. The Fragile Strength and Fragile Heart charms (sold by Leg Eater in Fungal Wastes) are particularly strong since their drawback is basically nullified because of permanent death.

The game has a total of 112% total progress, with 100% being from the original base game and 12% coming from content that was initially added through DLC/updates, all of which is included in the Xbox One version. You only need 100% on your progress, meaning there is wiggle room in terms of what you have to complete.

After destroying the three Dreamers you can get into the Temple of the Black Egg in the Forgotten Crossroads. Interact with the statue next to the bench and your completion percentage will then be shown in your menu and on your save slot.

For progress towards 100%, this is what counts:

Upgrades/Pickups (38% total):

Charms (1% each charm = 40% total):

Bosses (1% each = 17% total):

Warrior's Graves (1% each = 7% total):

Dreamers (1% each = 3% total)

Colosseum of Fools (1% each = 3% total

Godhome Pantheons (1% each = 4% total0

Since you don't need everything for this achievement, I didn't bother with the Pantheons or the delicate flower trip for the last mask shard and I only did the first two Colosseum battles as the third is annoying. Once I was at 100%, I killed the Hollow Knight and the achievement unlocked at the end of the credits.

The Hollow Knight wiki is a great source of information on anything specific.

These two maps helped me immensely, as well:
Basic map
Fully interactive map
24
1

06 Oct 2018 03:27

10 Comments
Excellent solution!

I'm playing it both on Steam and Xbox and would add that as this will be on your 2nd save file (hoping you saved your first), head up to Godhome DLC area on your first save file. play against all the bosses in the Hall of Gods to practice and perfect your technique. Then head back to your Steel Soul playthrough and fight that boss. You probably won't have all the upgrades but you'll know what to expect. Saves backing out many more times.

But I've just lost to the enraged guardian on Steam and need to start again...Get those upgrades before doing any of the difficult stuff!
0
0
By MugenKairo on 07 Oct 2018 00:35
One question: when you die when fighting a dream boss, does your Steel Soul run end?
0
0
By MugenKairo on 23 Oct 2018 19:48
I don't think so. You don't actually die to those bosses (or in the Pantheons), you are just removed from the dream area and returned to the real world.

But I wouldn't risk it.
0
0
By vSully on 23 Oct 2018 20:37
According to the wiki, dream bosses and Godhome deaths don't end the run. However, dying in the White Palace will.
0
0
By IllegallySam on 04 Nov 2018 10:56
I lost against the White defender on my Steam run on a Steel Soul run and it didn’t forfeit the run, so if you’re thinking of trying Dream bosses, go for it!
0
0
By MugenKairo on 01 Dec 2018 19:59
I remember dying A LOT when I played this game before. Even with save scum and quitting before death, I have the feeling I couldn't do this.

Even on infinite lives I couldn't get through some white area with a lot of hopping required.
0
0
By ALoneWolf42 on 08 Feb 2023 18:39
Died on 97%. Game uninstalled.
0
0
By Mat The Maniac2 on 15 Apr 2023 22:34
I'd like to know if I have to follow the base game's 100% completion or not. If I just did two of the pantheons instead of the third coliseum, I feel like that would be a lot easier, but I don't know if that would still work for the achievement.
0
0
By PhoneticSleet68 on 25 Dec 2023 00:37
Just as an FYI. Plenty of bosses' health scales with upgrading the nail. Since it doesn't scale with getting magic attack upgrades, upgrading the nail essentially means you are nerfing your magic damage against these bosses. In fact, a whole lot of bosses can die in seconds if you're playing your cards right. It's worth taking a look at the wiki. (or watch emray's 3.5 hour 100% run on YouTube.)
0
0
By Tuschi on 12 Feb 2024 20:03
Fantastic Solution! Want to point out some things tho, 1. A way to sort of cheese Soul Steel mode in general is when you abouut to die, quit and rejoin. This puts you on your last bench and saves your run. 2. For the Grimm Troup, almost always go for the banishment ending. You save time for the same percentage. 3. Never go in Deepnest or the Catacomes with less that 7 masks. I swear that half my runs ended that way.
0
0
By TrashLilJw on 16 Jul 2020 12:38
View all 10 comments Show less comments