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Our hero in Hollow Knight doesn't fight with swords and shields or any of that medieval nonsense. No, this hero fights with Nails that deal deadly damage when used appropriately.

You can Upgrade your nail to deal more damage, and even unlock a variety of Arts that allow you to pull off special moves in combat.

In this guide, we're going to help you unlock every single Nail Upgrade and Art to help you become a master, er, Nailsman? Whatever you want to call it.

Hollow Knight - Nail Upgrades

Image Nail Description Upgrade Cost Damage
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 Old Nail A traditional weapon of Hallownest. Its blade is blunt with age and wear Default Weapon 5
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 Sharpened Nail A traditional weapon of Hallownest, restored to lethal form 250 Geos 9
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 Channelled Nail A cleft weapon of Hallownest. The blade is exquisitely balanced 800 Geos / 1 Pale Ore 13
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 Coiled Nail A powerful weapon of Hallownest, refined beyond all others 2,000 Geos / 2 Pale Ore 17
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 Pure Nail The ultimate weapon of Hallownest. Crafted to perfection, this ancient nail reveals its true form 4,000 Geos / 3 Pale Ore 21

Hollow Knight - Nail Arts

Image Nail Art Description How To Unlock Damage Range
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 Cyclone Slash The signature Nail Art of Nailmaster Mato. A spinning attack that rapidly strikes foes on all sides Meet Nailmaster Mato in Howling Cliffs 3 - 7 x Nail damage
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 Dash Slash The signature Nail Art of Nailmaster Oro. Strike ahead quickly after dashing forward Meet Nailmaster Oro in Kingdom's Edge and pay 800 Geos 2.5 x Nail damage
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 Great Slash The signature Nail Art of Nailmaster Sheo. Unleashes a huge slash directly in front of you which deals extra damage to foes Meet Nailmaster Sheo in Greenpath 2.5 x Nail damage

This guide is part of our Hollow Knight walkthrough series to help you complete the game 100%. It includes Hollow Knight guides with all Mask Shard Locations, every Vessel Fragment Location, all Spells Locations, every Ability Location, and all Nail Upgrades & Arts Locations. We've also got guides featuring Boss Locations & a Full Moves List and all Notch Upgrades & Charm Locations.