Whispering Root Locations Hollow Knight: A Complete Guide

Whispering Root Locations Hollow Knight: How to Find and Collect Essence

Hollow Knight is a metroidvania game that features a vast and mysterious world filled with secrets, enemies, and lore. One of the secrets that players can discover are the Whispering Roots, strange tree-like structures that contain Essence, a valuable resource that can be used to upgrade the Dream Nail and unlock rewards from the Seer.

Whispering Root Locations Hollow Knight

Whispering Roots are scattered throughout Hallownest, and each one has a unique dream dialogue that gives hints about the history of that area. To activate a Whispering Root, players need to hit it with the Dream Nail, a special tool that allows them to enter the realm of dreams. This will cause Essence to float around the Whispering Root, which can be collected by hitting them with the nail or using spells.

There are 15 Whispering Roots in total, and they can be found in various locations such as Ancestral Mound, City of Tears, Crystal Peak, Deepnest, Forgotten Crossroads, Fungal Wastes, Greenpath, The Hive, Howling Cliffs, Kingdom's Edge, Queen's Gardens, Resting Grounds, Royal Waterways, and Spirits' Glade. Collecting all of them will grant a total of 482 Essence.

In this guide, we will show you where to find all the Whispering Root locations in Hollow Knight and how to collect their Essence.

Ancestral Mound

The Ancestral Mound is the area where players learn the Vengeful Spirit spell from the Shaman Snail. It is located in the upper left corner of Forgotten Crossroads. The Whispering Root here can be accessed after obtaining the Monarch Wings from defeating the Broken Vessel in Ancient Basin.

To reach the Whispering Root, players need to go to the left section of the Ancestral Mound where there is a large Soul Totem and a Lifeblood Cocoon. Using the Monarch Wings, they can jump up to a hidden passage above the Lifeblood Cocoon. The Whispering Root is located at the end of this passage.

After hitting it with the Dream Nail, 42 Essence will appear around the area. Players need to collect them all to complete this Whispering Root. The dream dialogue for this Whispering Root is:

...Soul attuned......Spiral focus......Shunned Power...

City of Tears

The City of Tears is the main hub area of Hallownest that connects to many other areas. It is located below Forgotten Crossroads and Greenpath. The Whispering Root here can be accessed at any time after reaching the City of Tears.

To reach the Whispering Root, players need to go to the City Storerooms Stag Station in the upper right corner of City of Tears. Below this station, there is a large room with multiple platforms and enemies such as Lance Sentries and Winged Sentries. On the right side of this room, there are three paths leading to different areas. The Whispering Root is located in the bottom path.

After hitting it with the Dream Nail, 28 Essence will appear around the room. Players need to collect them all to complete this Whispering Root. It is advisable to clear out all the enemies first before collecting the Essence to make it easier. The dream dialogue for this Whispering Root is:

...Promised plenty......Souls to serve......Soul twisted...

Crystal Peak

Crystal Peak is an area filled with crystals and mining machines. It is located above Dirtmouth and Forgotten Crossroads. The Whispering Root here can be accessed after obtaining the Monarch Wings from defeating the Broken Vessel in Ancient Basin.

To reach the Whispering Root, players need to go to the Crystal Heart room in Crystal Peak where they learn the Crystal Heart ability from a corpse of a miner bug. Using this ability, they can dash across a long gap on the right side of this room and enter a hidden area with some Crystal Hunters and Crystallised Husks. The Whispering Root is located at the top right corner of this area.

After hitting it with the Dream Nail, 21 Essence will appear around this area. Players need to collect them all to complete this Whispering Root. The dream dialogue for this Whispering Root is:

...Light refracted.......Energy contained...

Deepnest

Deepnest is a dark and creepy area filled with spiders and other horrors. It is located below Fungal Wastes and Mantis Village. The Whispering Root here can be accessed at any time after reaching Deepnest.

To reach the Whispering Root, players need to go to the Hot Spring in Deepnest where they can rest and refill their Soul. From there, they need to go to the left and enter a hidden passage behind a wall of web. The Whispering Root is located at the end of this passage.

After hitting it with the Dream Nail, 45 Essence will appear around the area. Players need to collect them all to complete this Whispering Root. The dream dialogue for this Whispering Root is:

...Nest alive......Sleeping Queen......Beast...

Forgotten Crossroads

The Forgotten Crossroads is the first area that players explore in Hollow Knight. It is located below Dirtmouth and connects to many other areas. The Whispering Root here can be accessed at any time after reaching the Forgotten Crossroads.

To reach the Whispering Root, players need to go to the False Knight's arena where they fought the first boss of the game. From there, they need to go to the right and enter a room with a Grub Mimic and some Aspid Hunters. The Whispering Root is located at the top right corner of this room.

After hitting it with the Dream Nail, 29 Essence will appear around the room. Players need to collect them all to complete this Whispering Root. The dream dialogue for this Whispering Root is:

...Twisting paths......Travelling masses......Vessel Sealed...

Fungal Wastes

The Fungal Wastes is an area filled with mushrooms and spores. It is located below Greenpath and above Deepnest. There are two Whispering Roots in this area that can be accessed at any time after reaching the Fungal Wastes.

The first Whispering Root is located near Fog Canyon, an area filled with explosive bubbles and Oomas. To reach it, players need to go to the left section of Fungal Wastes where there is a large room with some Shrumal Ogres and Shrumal Warriors. The Whispering Root is located at the bottom left corner of this room.

After hitting it with the Dream Nail, 20 Essence will appear around the room. Players need to collect them all to complete this Whispering Root. The dream dialogue for this Whispering Root is:

...Misted caverns......Noxious spores......Teacher...

The second Whispering Root is located above Mantis Village, an area filled with Mantis enemies and traps. To reach it, players need to go to the right section of Fungal Wastes where there is a large room with some Shrumeling enemies and a switch that opens a gate to Mantis Village. The Whispering Root is located at the top right corner of this room.

After hitting it with the Dream Nail, 18 Essence will appear around the room. Players need to collect them all to complete this Whispering Root. The dream dialogue for this Whispering Root is:

...Proud warriors......Honour bound...

Greenpath

Greenpath is a lush and verdant area filled with plants and animals. It is located to the left of Forgotten Crossroads and above Fog Canyon. The Whispering Root here can be accessed at any time after reaching Greenpath.

To reach the Whispering Root, players need to go to the Lake of Unn in Greenpath where they can find a bench and a hidden NPC named Unn. From there, they need to go to the left and enter a room with some Moss Knights and Moss Creepers. The Whispering Root is located at the top left corner of this room.

After hitting it with the Dream Nail, 44 Essence will appear around the room. Players need to collect them all to complete this Whispering Root. The dream dialogue for this Whispering Root is:

...Greenkin lost......Paths overgrown......Dream forgotten...

The Hive

The Hive is a hidden area filled with bees and honeycombs. It is located below Kingdom's Edge and above Ancient Basin. The Whispering Root here can be accessed after obtaining the Tram Pass from Deepnest and using it to reach the Ancient Basin Tram Station.

To reach the Whispering Root, players need to go to the right section of The Hive where there is a large room with some Hive Guardians and Hive Soldiers. The Whispering Root is located at the bottom right corner of this room.

After hitting it with the Dream Nail, 20 Essence will appear around the room. Players need to collect them all to complete this Whispering Root. The dream dialogue for this Whispering Root is:

...Hardened tribe......Light familiar...

Howling Cliffs

The Howling Cliffs is a windy and desolate area filled with secrets and lore. It is located above Dirtmouth and Greenpath. The Whispering Root here can be accessed at any time after reaching the Howling Cliffs.

To reach the Whispering Root, players need to go to the right section of Howling Cliffs where there is a large room with some Crawlids and Vengeflies. The Whispering Root is located at the top right corner of this room.

After hitting it with the Dream Nail, 46 Essence will appear around the room. Players need to collect them all to complete this Whispering Root. The dream dialogue for this Whispering Root is:

...Wasteland......Bugs Reduced...

Kingdom's Edge

Kingdom's Edge is a desolate and rainy area filled with corpses and ruins. It is located to the right of City of Tears and above Ancient Basin. The Whispering Root here can be accessed at any time after reaching Kingdom's Edge.

To reach the Whispering Root, players need to go to the right section of Kingdom's Edge where there is a large room with some Primal Aspids and Hoppers. The Whispering Root is located at the bottom right corner of this room.

After hitting it with the Dream Nail, 51 Essence will appear around the room. Players need to collect them all to complete this Whispering Root. The dream dialogue for this Whispering Root is:

...Sacred grave......Ashen ground......Kingdom's birth...

Queen's Gardens

The Queen's Gardens is a beautiful and dangerous area filled with thorns and mantises. It is located to the left of Fog Canyon and above Greenpath. The Whispering Root here can be accessed after obtaining the Isma's Tear from Isma's Grove in Royal Waterways.

To reach the Whispering Root, players need to go to the right section of Queen's Gardens where there is a bench with a viewing window. From there, they need to go to the right and enter a room with some Mantis Traitors and Mantis Petra. The Whispering Root is located at the bottom right corner of this room.

After hitting it with the Dream Nail, 29 Essence will appear around the room. Players need to collect them all to complete this Whispering Root. The dream dialogue for this Whispering Root is:

...Leaves in splendour......Pale root...

Resting Grounds

The Resting Grounds is a sacred and serene area filled with graves and spirits. It is located above Crystal Peak and below Dirtmouth. The Whispering Root here can be accessed after obtaining the Dream Nail from the statues in Resting Grounds.

To reach the Whispering Root, players need to go to the left section of Resting Grounds where there is a large room with some Glowing Womb enemies and a Soul Totem. The Whispering Root is located at the bottom left corner of this room.

After hitting it with the Dream Nail, 20 Essence will appear around the room. Players need to collect them all to complete this Whispering Root. The dream dialogue for this Whispering Root is:

...Dead remembered......Penitent Moth......Dreams revered...

Whispering Root Locations Hollow Knight: Conclusion

Whispering Roots are one of the many secrets that players can discover in Hollow Knight. They are a source of Essence, a valuable resource that can be used to upgrade the Dream Nail and unlock rewards from the Seer. They also provide hints about the lore and history of Hallownest through their dream dialogue.

There are 15 Whispering Roots in total, and they can be found in various locations such as Ancestral Mound, City of Tears, Crystal Peak, Deepnest, Forgotten Crossroads, Fungal Wastes, Greenpath, The Hive, Howling Cliffs, Kingdom's Edge, Queen's Gardens, Resting Grounds, Royal Waterways, and Spirits' Glade. Collecting all of them will grant a total of 482 Essence.

In this guide, we have shown you where to find all the Whispering Root locations in Hollow Knight and how to collect their Essence. We hope this guide has been helpful and informative for you. If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to leave a comment below. ca3e7ad8fd