Crystal Guardian

Evil-doer
Full Name	Unknown
Alias	Crystal Guardian Enraged Guardian Shining god of greed
Origin	Hollow Knight
Occupation	Crystal miner (formerly) Guard of the mine
Powers / Skills	Lasers
Hobby	Attacking. Protecting his crystals.
Goals	Kill everything that enters the Crystal Mine. Kill the Knight (both failed).
Crimes	Attempted murder
Type of Villain	Elemental Guardian

“	...Shining... I am the light...	„
	~ Crystal Guardian

The Crystal Guardian is an optional boss in Hollow Knight. He was once a miner working in the Crystal Mines of Hallownest, but has somehow been partially enclosed by the same crystals he mined, resulting in him going mad and attacking bystanders who enter the mines.

Biography

The Crystal Guardian was once a miner of the Crystal Peak who was infected and converted with the crystals that he mined. Much like the other miners who have converted with the crystals, the Crystal Guardian became obsessed with the light that the crystals reflect.

The Crystal Guardian is first found in the middle of the Crystal Mines, resting on a bench. He will not attack unless attacked first. Crystal Guardian attacks by shooting lasers from his crystallized hands, but he can also screech, which releases lasers from a multitude of crystals located above the room, which rain down simultaneously after his roar. The Crystal Guardian telegraphs his attacks with a thin beam of white light a second before the laser shoots out.

Once he is defeated, his crystal armor breaks apart, but he jumps into the roof into the room above, which cannot be accessed until the Monarch Wings are obtained from the Ancient Basin. In the rematch in the room above, the Crystal Guardian, or Enraged Guardian, behaves more aggressively, summoning more lasers when he roars, and his laser targets the Knight more accurately. His lasers also deal two masks of damage per hit in contrast to one in the first battle. Defeating the Crystal Guardian again kills him for good, unlocking a gate containing a Mask Shard.

Godmaster

In Godmaster, the Crystal Guardian is fought in the Pantheon of the Artist as the second boss, and later in the Pantheon of Hallownest as the twelfth boss. The Enraged Guardian is fought in the Pantheon of the Knight as the first boss, and later in the Pantheon of Hallownest as the thirty-first boss.

A statue of him is found in the first floor in the Hall of Gods. If the player has not defeated him yet, the statue will not show and an empty stand will read: "I rest amongst crystals and strange machinery". Otherwise defeating him in the base game will make the statue materialize in a bright light, allowing him to be fought again. Defeating his enraged form will cause a lever to appear in the base the statue, which when hit allows the player to fight the Enraged Guardian again.

Both the Crystal Guardian and Enraged Guardian statues read: "Shining god of greed".

Gallery

Images

Crystal Guardian resting on his bench.

Crystal Guardian with his armor shell broken.

Videos

Hollow Knight Boss Discussion - Crystal Guardian

Crystal Guardian discussion.

Trivia

• The Crystal Guardian and Hornet are the only two bosses who are fought twice outside of Godhome and the Dream Realm.
• If the player is right next to the Crystal Guardian when he fires its laser, he will sometimes shoot straight down, though this may be a targeting glitch.
• The Hunter questions if the crystal enshrining Crystal Guardian's head is the reasoning for his insanity, blinding him through the light of what the crystal "sees".