I had Hollow Knight in my steam library since 2018 but is now when I'm playing it. I've played some metroidvania games before so I'm familiarized with how the bosses works in this genre. So my experience so far with Hollow Knight it has been pretty good: there are things I love, there are things I hate so... So far a normal experience playing a great game.
But last Sunday before I wrote this post, I reached the fight against the Dung Defender. Just before I start talking about it, if you are reading this and somehow you didn't fight it yet, please stop reading this post. I'm guessing that 99% of the people reading this have fought this boss and if you are not, PLEASE close reddit, open this game and look for this fight. You will not regret it.
The fight against Dung Defender wasn't really a hard challenge for me at all. It is one of the four bosses so far I played that I did it on my first try. But, of course, it was not easy: his attacks can be read but before that you have to learn them. This boss challenged me but also was kind to me letting me to find a couple of seconds to heal myself and observing his moves. As a fight, it was pretty good. But my praise not only covers the fight itself.
When you reach the arena, the Defender roars in a goofy but intimidating roar. And then, while he attacks you, laughs and yells his attacks. He is having fun with this fight. Like, a lot. And It was so contagious that I couldn't stop smiling during the fight. Just the personality that Dung Defender irradiates makes me feel good as I wanting to take this fight as a challenge but also as a silly game against with a good friend.
In my opinion so far, Hollow Knight is a game with a serious tone and romantic motifs. After seeing areas full of dread, sadness and honor clashing you reach a place where the laughs and joy fills the stinky sewers. I have to clarify that I don't consider this the only goofy and funny moment of Hollow Knight: just every scene I had with Zote so far it has been hilarious, as an example. But just consider that the tone of the fight against the Dung Defender was not a just a fight for survival; it was for fun. It is totally the type of situation you want to put in the epic journey you have created.
If you reading this, thank you so much. I will continue playing this game every time I can. And make sure that I will never forget the Dung Defender. As a big fan of boss fights since I started playing videogames, this big silly buff beetle will be on my mind forever and I will consider his fight as one of the funniest I had in a videogame.