Passing of the Age is a secret bonus scene tied to Mister Mushroom. Talk to him in seven hidden spots, in order, with the Spore Shroom charm.
Passing of the Age is one of the easiest endings to miss and one of the hardest to stumble into by accident. Per the wiki, it is not a separate story ending at all. It is a secret Mister Mushroom cutscene that plays after the credits, plus the matching achievement.
According to the wiki, the trick is that you have to find Mister Mushroom in seven hidden locations and talk to him in the correct order, with the 
Spore Shroom charm equipped each time. Miss the charm or the order and the chain silently resets.
The wiki specifies that he only appears once all three 
Dreamers are dead, so this is a late-game side quest layered on top of whichever ending you are heading toward.
This guide covers what Passing of the Age actually is, the exact requirements, all seven Mister Mushroom locations in order, and the mistakes that quietly break the chain.
A bonus cutscene and the Passing of the Age achievement, not a story ending. Spore Shroom must be equipped every time you talk to Mister Mushroom.
Seven spots, in sequence after all three Dreamers are dead.
Any ending you reach afterward adds the secret scene.Per the wiki, Passing of the Age is a bonus scene rather than a true ending in the story sense. It does not change which of the four main endings you get. Instead, it adds a short extra cutscene after the credits and unlocks the Passing of the Age achievement.
According to the wiki, the whole thing revolves around Mister Mushroom, a wandering fungal traveller who speaks in riddles. He moves between seven hidden spots across Hallownest, and you have to catch up with him at each one in turn.
The wiki notes that his speech is gibberish unless you have the Spore Shroom charm equipped. In practice, that charm is the real key to the quest, because talking to him without it does not count toward the chain.
Three things gate the quest. Per the wiki, all of them must be in place before Mister Mushroom will start moving between locations.
| Requirement | Where | Why |
|---|---|---|
| All three Dreamers dead | Herrah, Lurien, Monomon | He only appears after the seals break |
| Spore Shroom charm | Fungal Wastes | Lets you understand him so talks count |
| A Nail hit | At each location | Turns him around so you can speak |
According to the wiki, the three Dreamers are 
Herrah, 
Lurien, and 
Monomon. Killing all three is also a normal step toward the final boss, so most players clear this requirement without trying.
The wiki specifies that you must hit Mister Mushroom with the Nail to make him turn and talk. Other damage does not work, and without the Spore Shroom charm equipped he only babbles and refuses to move on.
A Riddle Tablet in Kingdom's Edge lists his locations as clues. You need the Spore Shroom charm to read it, the same charm the quest itself requires.
Per the wiki, you must visit these seven spots in this exact order. After you talk to him at one, he vanishes and reappears at the next.
| # | Area | Spot |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Fungal Wastes | Near where Cornifer sells his map |
| 2 | Kingdom's Edge | Small cave on the middle-left of the tall area between the tram and the main room |
| 3 | Deepnest | Bottom-left of the room below the failed tramway |
| 4 |  Howling Cliffs | Inside Nailmaster Mato's house |
| 5 |  Ancient Basin | The room just after the Broken Vessel fight |
| 6 | Fog Canyon | Left side of the room just below the overgrown mound |
| 7 |  King's Pass | Exactly where the Knight starts the game |
According to the wiki, the final spot in King's Pass closes the loop where the whole journey began. In real runs, that last visit is the one players forget, since few think to return to the opening corridor so late in the game.
With the seven talks done, the payoff is automatic. Per the wiki, you do not get the cutscene right away. It is attached to whatever ending you reach next.
The wiki notes that the bonus scene layers on top of the real ending instead of replacing it. In actual play, that means you can pair Passing of the Age with the ending you actually want and lose nothing.
According to the wiki, Mister Mushroom himself can be Dream Nailed for readable dialogue even without the Spore Shroom charm, but only the charmed Nail talks count toward the seven-step chain.
Passing of the Age sits between the Dreamers, the charms, and the endings. These spokes pick up the connected threads.
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.