In Hollow Knight, the dream bosses are formidable challenges tied to specific locations and characters within the game. Each of these bosses can be attempted in various orders, with some exceptions due to prerequisites. Below is a comprehensive overview of the main dream bosses, including their locations and the essence rewards for defeating them.

Main Dream Bosses

| Dream Boss | Location | Essence Reward |
|———————–|————————————————————-|—————-|
| Failed Champion | Found in the Forgotten Crossroads, in the room where the False Knight was fought. Access it by climbing the right wall and breaking through a breakable wall. | 300 |
| Lost Kin | Located in the Ancient Basin, specifically in the area where you previously battled the Broken Vessel. | 400 |
| Soul Tyrant | Present in the Soul Sanctum of the City of Tears. Reachable via dream-nailing the seated Soul Master statue found there. | 300 |
| White Defender | Appears in the White Palace, near the original statue of the White Lady, but only after all three Dreamers have been defeated. | 300 |
| Nightmare King Grimm | Fought in the Grimm Troupe’s forge area within the Nightmare Realm. Requires a fully upgraded Grimmchild charm (level 3 with three flames) to initiate the battle. | None |
| Grey Prince Zote | Found beneath Bretta’s home in an underground area, after fulfilling specific conditions: rescuing Bretta and Zote in Greenpath and Deepnest, as well as defeating Zote in the Colosseum of Fools (Trial of the Warrior). | 300 |

Smaller Warrior Dreams
In addition to the main bosses, players can also encounter smaller Warrior Dreams, which are optional but contribute to the overall Essence collection. These include:

– Elder Hu located in the Fungal Wastes above the bridge to the City of Tears, rewarding 100 Essence.
– Gorb found in the Howling Cliffs, also yielding 100 Essence.

Summary
To summarize, the six main dream bosses are pivotal encounters that add depth to Hollow Knight’s lore and gameplay. While players have the freedom to engage with these bosses in almost any order, specific prerequisites for some (like the White Defender and Grey Prince Zote) must be fulfilled first. These challenges not only test the player’s skills but also reward them with Essence, which is crucial for character upgrades and progression in the game.