The Grave Knight is an armoured knight risen from the earth of the Haunted Wood, carrying a huge sword. He is one of the toughest creatures outside a lair: slow on his feet but with a full set of moves, from a crushing overhead cleave to a ring of blades called up out of the ground around you.
Where it appears
- The Haunted Wood at night (not in the daytime gloom): each time a night creature comes there, there is a 5% chance it is a Grave Knight. Only one is ever about at a time.
- Haunted Wood dungeons of Dire or Fatal difficulty: about 1 in 20 of the creatures there, one at a time.
Health
154 health in the open world with no Jewels held, and 70% more for each Jewel (up to 693 with all five). His blows grow by 40% for each Jewel.
Waking
He stands still with his sword planted in the ground until he notices you (from up to 170 px) or you strike him; then he pulls it free and wakes (1.4 seconds). If he loses you, he plants his sword again and waits.
Attacks
Damage is with no Jewels held, before your defence.
| Attack | What it does | Damage | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleave | Close in front of him. He heaves the sword up (0.62 seconds) and brings it down on a spot about 26 px ahead, aimed at you. | About 27, and a heavy knock-back | Step out of the spot, or right-click or R: a parry staggers him for 1.1 seconds. |
| Sweep | Close in front of him. A quicker wide swing (0.45 seconds to wind up) across 42 px in front of him. | About 20 | Space over it, step back, or parry (staggers him for 1.1 seconds). |
| Charge | From 80 to 175 px away. He lowers his shoulder (0.55 seconds), then runs straight at you at 150 px a second for about a second. | About 22, and you are thrown | Sidestep, or parry. If he runs into a wall he is stopped dead and staggers. |
| Grave call | Within 150 px, every 9 to 13 seconds at most. He raises the sword and drives it into the ground. Glowing marks appear under you, in a ring round you and between you and him; 0.7 seconds later a blade bursts up from each. | About 18 a blade | Walk off the marks before the blades rise. They cannot be jumped. |
Guard
Every 5 to 8 seconds, when you are within 75 px, he may hold his sword up before him for 2.1 seconds. Blows to his front ring off it and do nothing, but:
- a heavy weapon (Greatsword or War Hammer), or a plunge, breaks his guard and staggers him for about 1.4 seconds;
- blows from behind still land.
Flinching
He flinches every second blow from a Greatsword or War Hammer, and every fourth from a Sword, Blade Staff or Mattock. The Daggers and the Bow never make him flinch. He does not flinch while charging, calling up blades, waking, or once a cleave has started to come down.
How to fight it
- Learn the parry: every one of his sword blows can be parried, and each parry staggers him for 1.1 seconds, long enough for a combo.
- Stay behind him where you can. Blows from behind deal 20% more and get past his guard.
- When he drives his sword into the ground, look down and move off the glowing marks at once.
- Fight with trees or walls behind you: a charge that hits a wall staggers him. His cleave and sweep do damage what you have built, though.
- Bring a heavy weapon to break his guard and make him flinch more often.
Drops
Each one you defeat leaves:
| Item | Amount | Chance | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|
 Grave Knight's Sigil | 1 | ALWAYS | Grave Knight's Sigil Charm |
 Iron Ore | 4 | ALWAYS | Iron Ingot, Raven Treat, Spirit Book (item), and more |
 Ghostcap | 2 | ALWAYS | Spirit Silk, Grave Broth, Herringbone Floor, and more |
Spirits and experience
When it falls it lets go of 9 Wind and 7 Earth spirits. You gain experience in:
