Hollow Knight Defender's Crest Guide

In this Hollow Knight Defender’s Crest Guide, we aim to assist players in navigating through the treacherous and challenging Dung Defender encounter. The Dung Defender is a formidable opponent that guards the way to one of the many coveted items in the game, the Defender’s Crest.

With its powerful attacks, the Dung Defender can be a difficult adversary to overcome. In the following sections, we will outline the strategies and tips necessary to defeat the Dung Defender and walk away with the Defender’s Crest.

The Dung Defender

Before his transformation into the Dung Defender, Ogrim was one of the Five Great Knights of Hallownest, renowned for his unwavering loyalty. Ogrim participated in numerous battles and adventures with his fellow knights throughout his life.

Despite his infamous odor, Ogrim was well-liked and enjoyed the companionship of the White Lady and his peers. Among them, he held a special fondness for the knight named Isma whose tear can be found in the Royal Waterways not far from the Dung Defender.

Upon arriving at the entrance of his lair, players are greeted by the deafening roar of the Dung Defender. Mistaking the player for a mindless husk, he launches an immediate attack. In defeat, the Dung Defender retreats underground, fading into the background and leaving behind the Defender’s Crest.

Attacks & Stagger Values

Hits: 16, 1 (Descending Dark/Desolate Dive stagger him instantly)

Combo: 8, <1s per hit

Dung Toss – The Dung Defender gathers up a single ball and hurls it across the arena, causing it to bounce and ricochet in large arcs, reaching even the highest points of the arena. The ball remains active until it has struck the ground three times, continuing to bounce even if it hits you. You won’t need a lot of time to see the patterns and avoid the balls. You can also pogo the ball with your Nail.

Burst – The Dung Defender jumps into the ground, causing the ground to shake as he travels back and forth beneath the arena. After a brief period of 3 seconds, he erupts from the ground, launching four dung balls into the air two on each side. Unlike his previous attack, these dung balls do not bounce but instead shatter upon impact with any solid surface, such as the floor, walls, ceiling, or you. You can stop the second part of his attack by using Descending Dark/Desolate Dive each time he goes underground. If you don’t though, you can stand close to him in between where the two dung balls will fall.

Toss Combo – The Dung Defender first gathers and tosses two dung balls in quick succession. These balls then ricochet around the arena until striking the ground three times. Importantly, they do not disappear even if they collide with the Knight. After this initial strike, the Dung Defender can employ one of two possible follow-up attacks:

Curl: The Dung Defender rolls into a ball and joins the dung balls in bouncing across the arena until they hit the floor 5 times. You can pogo both him and his dung balls.
Burst: Similar to the standard Burst attack, the Dung Defender dives underground, causing the ground to shake as he moves back and forth beneath the arena. However, this version lasts for an extended period of 5 seconds.

Dive – the Dung Defender seamlessly dives in and out of the ground as he traverses the arena. He moves with precision, always aiming toward the center of the arena. This sequence of dives and ascents is repeated 2 to 3 times, offering a distinct and demanding challenge for players to face. Try dashing away from him so that you don’t take contact damage.

Zeal – When the Dung Defender reaches 50% health, he unleashes a powerful battle cry, signaling the start of a temporary hyper mode that lasts for approximately 12 seconds. During this time, the Dung Defender unleashes a flurry of rapid Burst attacks, erupting from the ground at a frequency of roughly once every 0.5 seconds. This attack pattern is used only once throughout the battle. You can still stagger him using Descending Dark/Desolate Dive.

Evade – The Dung Defender employs a defensive tactic when you get too close, rapidly rolling into a tight ball and rolling back a brief distance for protection.

What do I do with my Defender’s Crest

The Defender’s Crest is a highly situational charm that has the ability to spawn a toxic cloud when equipped. The cloud deals a constant 3 damage to any enemy within its radius every 0.75 seconds (lasts 1.1 seconds). While this charm may not be the best choice in every scenario, it can prove to be highly effective against certain bosses.

The Defender’s Crest proves to be particularly useful during the Broken Vessel and Lost Kin fights. The toxic cloud generated by the charm can take out the Infected Balloons with just one hit, clearing out the air to focus solely on the boss and potentially allowing for valuable time to heal.

Charm Synergies

Spore Shroom – The Defender’s Crest enhances the potency of the spore cloud, now dealing an estimated 40 damage (26 damage without the Defender’s Crest) over its 4.1-second duration. Additionally, the Defender’s Crest charm also updates the appearance of the cloud.
Flukenest – The Defender’s Crest replaces the swarm of Flukes with a solitary, yet formidable Fluke. This volatile creature deals 3 points of impact damage and upon defeat, it explodes into a toxic dung cloud that persists for 2.2 seconds and causes an estimated 22 points of damage (or 29 with the Shaman Stone equipped).
Glowing Womb – The Defender’s Crest reduces Hatchling contact damage by 5 (Hatchlings damage without the Defender’s Crest: 9) but compensates for this reduction by creating a 1-second dung cloud upon contact. This cloud deals an estimated 5 points of damage.

Interactions when having the Defender’s Crest Equipped

Wearing the Defender’s Crest in the game allows for the unlocking of extra dialogue with characters including Elderbug, White Lady, Relic Seeker Lemm, Dung Defender, Leg Eater, Tuk, and Divine.

As a result of wearing the crest, the Leg Eater offers a 20% discount on his items and repairs, Relic Seeker Lemm refuses to barter, and Tuk gives you a free Rancid Egg.

FAQs

Question: Does the Defender’s Crest do Anything?

Answer: The Defender’s Crest is a highly situational charm that has the ability to spawn a toxic cloud when equipped. The cloud deals a constant 3 damage to any enemy within its radius every 0.75 seconds (lasts 1.1 seconds).

Question: What is Flukenest Good for?

Answer: The Defender’s Crest replaces the swarm of Flukes with a solitary, yet formidable Fluke. This volatile creature deals 3 points of impact damage and upon defeat, it explodes into a toxic dung cloud that persists for 2.2 seconds and causes an estimated 22 points of damage (or 29 with the Shaman Stone equipped).

Question: Is the Defender’s Crest Good?

Answer: The Defender’s Crest proves to be particularly useful during the Broken Vessel and Lost Kin fights.

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Tamara Hrnjacki

Tamara is a writer and a lover of all arts who was always drawn to pieces built with evident emotion. Sharing those feelings and evoking the desire in other people to lean towards understanding the deeper meaning beyond the surface became her passion. The thing that she found combined all of her favorite art components into one were video games. Games made by people passionate about their work; games that stir emotion with small details and push you to develop a love for the characters, feel for them, and feel what they feel. She considered herself an old-school gamer before playing Super Meat Boy, The Stanley Parable, and Don't Starve. She thought that the age of video games was ending with almost no original content, but a revolution had already started.

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