Hollow Knight Nail and Spell Damage Comparison
Fixed attack prints, from Old Nail at 5 to Abyss Shriek at 80. Pick any two.
Visual comparison
All values
Click any row to load it as Entry A.
| Name | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Nail Lowest here. Sixteen make one Abyss Shriek. | 5 damage | Starting nail, melee | Hollow Knight Wiki Damage Values page (Old Nail 5) |
| Sharpened Nail Four over Old Nail. Plus 4 per tier. | 9 damage | First nail upgrade, melee | Hollow Knight Wiki Damage Values page (Sharpened Nail 9) |
| Crystal Heart Movement tool that deals 10. One over Sharpened. | 10 damage | Super dash ability, contact | Hollow Knight Wiki Damage Values page (Crystal Heart 10) |
| Channelled Nail Four over Sharpened. | 13 damage | Second nail upgrade, melee | Hollow Knight Wiki Damage Values page (Channelled Nail 13) |
| Vengeful Spirit Two over Channelled. Ancestral Mound Snail Shaman. | 15 damage | First spell, spirit projectile | Hollow Knight Wiki Vengeful Spirit page (Damage 15, Shaman Stone 20) |
| Coiled Nail Two over Vengeful Spirit. | 17 damage | Third nail upgrade, melee | Hollow Knight Wiki Damage Values page (Coiled Nail 17) |
| Pure Nail Four over Coiled. Top nail here. | 21 damage | Final nail upgrade, melee | Hollow Knight Wiki Damage Values page (Pure Nail 21) and Steam discussion (plus 4 per upgrade) |
| Shade Soul Double Vengeful Spirit. Soul Sanctum upgrade. | 30 damage | Vengeful upgrade, shadow projectile | Hollow Knight Wiki Damage Values page (Shade Soul 30, Shaman Stone 40) |
| Desolate Dive 15 dive plus 20 shockwave. Soul Master reward. | 35 damage | Dive spell, slam plus wave | Hollow Knight Wiki Damage Values page (Desolate Dive 35 total) |
| Howling Wraiths 13 times 3 bursts for 39. Overgrown Mound. | 39 damage | Scream spell, three bursts | Hollow Knight Wiki Howling Wraiths page (13 per hit, 39 total, Shaman Stone 60) |
| Descending Dark Listed 60 here. Some tables print 65. | 60 damage | Dive upgrade, shadow slam | Hollow Knight Wiki Damage Values page (Descending Dark 60 or 65 total) |
| Abyss Shriek Top here. 20 times 4 bursts for 80. | 80 damage | Scream upgrade, four bursts | Hollow Knight Wiki Damage Values page (Abyss Shriek 80 total, Shaman Stone 120) |
About this converter
Hallownest damage runs on fixed prints from 5 to 80. Old Nail opens at 5, Sharpened Nail at 9, Crystal Heart at 10, Channelled Nail at 13, Vengeful Spirit at 15, Coiled Nail at 17, Pure Nail at 21, Shade Soul at 30, Desolate Dive at 35, Howling Wraiths at 39, Descending Dark at 60 and Abyss Shriek at 80. That makes one Abyss Shriek equal sixteen Old Nails. Each nail upgrade adds exactly 4, so the ladder climbs 5, 9, 13, 17, 21. Spells cost 33 SOUL a cast, with Spell Twister cutting it to 24. Every value here is the uncharmed base with split hits noted where they divide.
How to use it
Pick two attacks and a unit in the top row. The three boxes below stay linked. Change any box and the other two update. One box holds a count of the first attack, one holds the matching count of the second, one holds the total in damage. Try 1 Abyss Shriek against Old Nails.
Splits stay shown: Howling Wraiths lands 13 times 3 for 39, Abyss Shriek 20 times 4 for 80, Desolate Dive 15 dive plus 20 shockwave for 35. Descending Dark lists 60 here with a 65 variant in some tables, flagged in row. Shaman Stone raises spell damage on top and stays out of rows. Nail Arts multiply the current nail and stay out as scaling. Flukenest and Defender Crest variants stay out as charm builds. Abyss Shriek 80 against Old Nail 5 shows sixteen to one. Crystal Heart 10 doubles as a movement tool.
FAQ
How much is the Old Nail?
5 base, rising 9, 13, 17 and 21 at plus 4 per upgrade. Forty two hits down the first Mantis Lord.
How much is Abyss Shriek?
80 total across four bursts of 20. Sixteen Old Nails in one cast.
Do charms change these numbers?
No. Rows pin uncharmed base. Shaman Stone raises Vengeful Spirit 15 to 20 and stays out of rows.
How much is Desolate Dive?
35 total: 15 dive plus 20 shockwave. Its upgrade Descending Dark lists 60.
Sources
- Hollow Knight Wiki Damage Values and Enemy Health page (nails 5, 9, 13, 17, 21; spells 15, 30, 35, 39, 60 or 65, 80, Crystal Heart 10)
- Hollow Knight Wiki Vengeful Spirit page (Damage 15, Shaman Stone 20, Ancestral Mound)
- Hollow Knight Wiki Howling Wraiths page (13 per hit, 39 total, Overgrown Mound)
- Steam Hollow Knight discussion (plus 4 damage per nail upgrade, Mantis Lord 210 HP math)
- IGN Hollow Knight Spells guide (Vengeful Spirit, Desolate Dive, Howling Wraiths plus Shade Soul, Descending Dark, Abyss Shriek roster)
Last verified: 2026-09-28 · 12 entries
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