Should You Free Grindle in Hollow Knight: Silksong

In Hollow Knight: Silksong, there are many different characters Hornet meets throughout the game. Among them are NPCs for conversations and side quests, as well as merchants who trade goods for beads. One such merchant is the beetle Grindle, whose inventory is worth checking out. In this guide, you’ll learn where to find Grindle and how to free him from prison.

After defeating the Bell Beast in the Skeletal area, head right until you reach the entrance to the Hunter’s Path location. Without crossing over, descend down to the door marked with a circle and a grate symbol. Inside, you’ll find a bench and Grindle locked in a cage. To free him, you need to break the grate with your needle. After talking to him, don’t forget to pick up the Straight Pin tool from the cell.

After reloading the game, Grindle will move closer to the bench and start sharing various secrets for a small number of beads. He can tell you three secrets in total — for 10, 15, and 30 beads respectively.

Regardless of whether you rescued Grindle in the Skeletal area or not, the sneaky beetle will appear in the Plate location after Hornet is kidnapped from the Gloomy Marsh. In this case, you’ll only be able to talk to him.

Grindle’s final location will be a small nook in the Honed Steps area. To get there, you’ll need the double jump ability.

From the Ringing Path station, go left and climb up. There you’ll see a passage marked with a sign featuring musical notes. Enter, use the double jump, and talk to Grindle.

The merchant offers many useful items for sale. Pay special attention to the Reel Shard and the Thief’s Mark tool. When equipped, it gives you a bonus to the number of beads collected, but you’ll lose beads when taking damage.