Hollow Knight Vendors and Merchants Guide

Sly, the main shopkeeper of Hollow Knight
Guide / Hollow Knight (2017)

The vendors of Hallownest sell charms, maps, nail upgrades, and more, each waiting in a different ruined corner of the kingdom.

Currency: GeoMain shop: SlySpread: Across Hallownest

The vendors in Hollow Knight are the merchants who trade goods for Geo icon Geo, the kingdom's currency. Per the wiki, there is no single market. Each shopkeeper sits in their own region, so meeting them all means exploring most of Hallownest.

According to the wiki, the merchants sell everything from charms and maps to nail upgrades and combat trials. A few break the pattern: one buys Relic icon relics from you, and one runs a bank rather than a store.

This guide lists every vendor, where to find each one, and what they sell, then digs into the charm dealers, the relic and nail services, and the odd one-off merchants. In practice, knowing who sells what keeps you from hoarding Geo you could be spending on power.

  • Main shop Sly icon Sly in Dirtmouth sells consumables, charms, and key upgrades.
  • Maps Cornifer icon Cornifer sells area maps, and Iselda icon Iselda sells pins and markers.
  • Charms Salubra icon Salubra and Leg Eater icon Leg Eater deal in charms and charm notches.
  • Services Lemm icon Lemm buys relics and Nailsmith icon the Nailsmith upgrades your Nail.

How Shops and Geo Work

Per the wiki, almost everything in Hallownest is bought with Geo icon Geo, dropped by enemies and found in the environment. Most vendors keep a fixed stock that refreshes only when you unlock new items elsewhere.

According to the wiki, the hub for trade is Dirtmouth icon Dirtmouth, the surface town. Three vendors set up shop there over the course of a run, while the rest stay rooted in the regions where you first meet them.

The wiki notes that Sly drives a hard bargain, with his full stock costing well over 9,000 Geo. In real runs that makes a Geo icon steady Geo income the difference between window-shopping and actually buying the charms you want.

Shop Tip

Cornifer and Iselda are a pair. Buy the area map from Cornifer in the field first, then visit Iselda back in Dirtmouth to add pins, markers, and the compass.

Every Vendor and What They Sell

Per the wiki, ten merchants trade with the Knight across a full run, counting the bank and the combat-trial broker. The table lists each one with their location and the kind of goods or service they offer.

VendorWhere to find themWhat they sell
Sly icon SlyDirtmouth (general store)Consumables, charms, nail arts, masks
Iselda icon IseldaDirtmouth (map shop)Map pins, markers, quill, compass charm
Cornifer icon CorniferRoams each regionArea maps for the zone he is sitting in
Salubra icon SalubraForgotten CrossroadsCharms, charm notches, Salubra's Blessing
Leg Eater icon Leg EaterFungal WastesThree fragile charms, repaired for a fee
Lemm icon LemmCity of TearsBuys relics from you for Geo
Nailsmith icon NailsmithCity of TearsUpgrades your Nail with Geo and Pale Ore
Little Fool icon Little FoolColosseum of FoolsEntry to the three combat trials
Confessor Jiji icon Confessor JijiDirtmouthSummons your Shade for a Rancid Egg
Millibelle icon MillibelleFog CanyonBanks your Geo, then quietly steals it

According to the wiki, the three Dirtmouth vendors, Sly icon Sly, Iselda icon Iselda, and Confessor Jiji, all arrive in the surface town as you progress. The rest stay in their home regions, from the Fungal Wastes icon Fungal Wastes down to the City of Tears icon City of Tears.

The Charm Dealers

Per the wiki, two vendors specialise in Charms icon charms, the equippable trinkets that shape your build. Between them they sell several charms you cannot find any other way.

Salubra

According to the wiki, Salubra runs her shop in the Forgotten Crossroads icon Forgotten Crossroads. She sells four charms outright, plus extra Charm notch icon charm notches that unlock as your charm collection grows. Her full stock, notches included, runs to roughly 5,400 Geo.

The wiki notes that buying every charm from her also grants Salubra's Blessing, a hidden bonus that boosts healing. In actual play she is the single most important early stop for anyone planning a charm build.

Leg Eater

Per the wiki, Leg Eater sells three fragile charms in the Fungal Wastes icon Fungal Wastes. Fragile charms shatter when you die and must be repaired by him for a fee, so his shop doubles as a repair counter. His three charms total close to 1,300 Geo before any repairs.

Shop Tip

Buy the fragile charms unbroken, then visit the Nailsmith and other dealers before risky fights. A fragile charm that breaks far from Leg Eater is a long, costly walk back.

Relic and Nail Services

Per the wiki, two City of Tears vendors offer services rather than a normal shelf of goods. One pays you, and one upgrades your weapon.

Lemm, the Relic Seeker

According to the wiki, Lemm icon Lemm buys the four relic types, Wanderer's Journal icon Wanderer's Journals, Hallownest Seal icon Hallownest Seals, King's Idols, and Arcane Eggs, for Geo. Selling relics to him is one of the steadiest ways to turn exploration into money.

The Nailsmith

The wiki specifies that Nailsmith icon the Nailsmith sharpens your Nail icon Nail through four upgrades, each costing Geo plus a piece of Pale Ore icon Pale Ore. A stronger Nail is the most reliable damage boost in the game.

The wiki notes that the Nailsmith's story has a quiet ending tied to his final upgrade. In real runs, prioritising his upgrades early pays off across every boss fight that follows.

Special Merchants

Per the wiki, a few characters trade in ways that do not fit a normal shop. They are easy to miss but each fills a useful niche.

  • Little Fool icon The Little Fool in the Colosseum of Fools sells entry to the three combat trials, which reward Geo and items for surviving waves of enemies.
  • Rancid Egg icon Confessor Jiji in Dirtmouth summons your Shade to your location in exchange for a Rancid Egg, saving a dangerous walk back to where you died.
  • Millibelle icon Millibelle in Fog Canyon icon Fog Canyon runs the bank, taking deposits of Geo before she pockets it and flees.

According to the wiki, Steel Soul mode swaps Confessor Jiji for the Steel Soul Jinn, who buys Rancid Egg icon Rancid Eggs for Geo instead of summoning Shades. In actual play, the special merchants matter most once the basic shops are picked clean.

Common Mistakes

  1. Banking with Millibelle. She is not a real bank. Deposit too much and she steals it, so treat her vault as a trap.
  2. Skipping Salubra's notches. Her charm notches unlock as you collect charms and are some of the cheapest in the game.
  3. Hoarding relics. Wanderer's Journals and Seals do nothing in your inventory. Sell them to Lemm for steady Geo.
  4. Letting fragile charms break. Leg Eater charges to repair them, and he is a long trip from most boss arenas.
  5. Ignoring the Nailsmith early. Each upgrade is a permanent damage gain that makes every later fight shorter.

Hollow Knight Vendors FAQ

How many vendors are in Hollow Knight?

Around ten merchants trade with the Knight across a full run, counting Sly, Iselda, Cornifer, Salubra, Leg Eater, Lemm, the Nailsmith, the Little Fool, Confessor Jiji, and Millibelle's bank.

Who is the main shopkeeper in Hollow Knight?

Sly, who sets up a general store in Dirtmouth. He sells consumables, charms, nail arts, and mask shards, with a full stock costing well over 9,000 Geo.

Where do you sell relics in Hollow Knight?

To Lemm, the Relic Seeker, in the City of Tears. He buys Wanderer's Journals, Hallownest Seals, King's Idols, and Arcane Eggs for Geo.

Who sells charms in Hollow Knight?

Salubra in the Forgotten Crossroads sells charms and charm notches, and Leg Eater in the Fungal Wastes sells three fragile charms. Sly also stocks a few charms.

Who upgrades your Nail in Hollow Knight?

The Nailsmith in the City of Tears. He offers four upgrades, each costing Geo plus a piece of Pale Ore, raising your Nail's damage each time.

Is Millibelle a real bank in Hollow Knight?

No. Millibelle takes deposits in Fog Canyon but eventually steals your Geo and leaves. You can track her down later to recover most of it.

What does Confessor Jiji do?

Jiji, in Dirtmouth, summons your Shade to your current location in exchange for a Rancid Egg. In Steel Soul mode the Steel Soul Jinn replaces her and buys eggs instead.

Where is Cornifer in Hollow Knight?

Cornifer roams between regions, sitting somewhere in each new area to sell its map. After you buy a map, you can purchase pins and markers from his wife Iselda in Dirtmouth.

More Hollow Knight Guides

The vendors tie into the charms you equip, the Geo you spend, and the network you use to reach them. These spokes pick up the connected threads.

Sources

Game data and screenshots adapted from hollowknight.fandom.com, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. Original content remains the property of the wiki contributors and Team Cherry.