Spore Knight

Spore Knight
Sprite(s)
Attributes
Type(s)	Boss
Gender	Female
Affiliation(s)	Hexcavators
Occupation(s)	Knight Mycologist Cook Farmer (formerly)
Alignment	Evil
Enemy(s)	Shovel Knight
Weapon(s)	Mushroom Spores
Damage	1
Hit points	(14)
Game Information
Debut
Appears in
Stage(s)	Mushroom Mines Surface

“	How presumptuous. I'm a humble mycologist! And to me, you're just another invasive growth!	”
— Spore Knight, Shovel Knight Dig

Spore Knight is a knight who is a member of the Hexcavators, and serves as an antagonist and boss in Shovel Knight Dig, due to her role in digging The Well that threatens The Valley alongside her allies.

Official Bio

“	When your eyes are opened to the true nature of your surroundings, it can drive a person a little mad! It’s unclear how Spore Knight moved from agriculture to counterculture, but her mushroom-manifesting skills make her a valuable asset to the Hexcavators. Her shroom stents hold open the tunnels of the Mushroom Mines... a once-collapsed series of caverns now pried precariously open. If Shovel Knight is to make it any further, he’ll need to head off Spore Knight’s cave-in before it begins!	”

• Pros: High Mental and Physical Resilience, Bouncy
• Cons: Bad Listener, Gullible

Appearance

Spore Knight has a diminutive stature but wears a large pink cap atop her helmet which makes her look like a mushroom. She wears white gloves and a green skirt with a brown belt. Additionally, she carries around a sack filled with magic mushroom dust.

Personality

Spore Knight is on the energetic side, and she idolizes Drill Knight. She is said to be highly gullible.

Story

Spore Knight was once a farmer. After she joined the Hexcavators, she became a mycologist and the front-line enforcer. She guards the Mushroom Mines until Shovel Knight shows up and defeats her. She gets caught by The Enchantress in a gem, until Shovel Knight, Shield Knight, and Altius defeat the corrupted Drill Knight. After that, she becomes a chef.

Strategy

Despite being an early boss in the game, Spore Knight is a challenge to defeat. To start, she often jumps around the room to try to collide with Shovel Knight, and sometimes digs underground and pops up in a new spot to dodge his attacks. She's able to fight by using her small sack, which contains spores that can rapidly create mushrooms. Using this bag, she can send waves of mushrooms surging across the ground, or she can toss the dust into the air to make spores fall from the ceiling. The spores can be destroyed by Dig Slashing them.

Spore Knight can also attack with her cap; she can fling it like a frisbee so it flies forward and then comes back to her, or she can fire her cap upwards so it ricochets around the room. If the cap hits Shovel Knight during either of these attacks, it will fall off the screen and Spore Knight will grow a new one. The rubbery nature of Spore Knight's cap renders her naturally immune to the Shovel Drop; she is only vulnerable to it during the short span of time after she launches her cap.

Dialogue

Click to expand

Dig Random lines before her fight "Shovel Knight: A-ha! Yellow knight? Show yourself! Return what you've taken from me." "Spore Knight: Yellow... Who? Do you mean Drill Knight? Captain of the Hexcavators? You're too slow, you'll never catch up. I'm already setting up shroom stents for their trip back up. If I were you, I'd just go to the surface and wait for him." "Shovel Knight: He's stolen my bag! Are you in league with these scoundrels?" "Spore Knight: How presumptuous. I'm a humble mycologist! And to me, you're just another invasive growth!" "Spore Knight: Ack! My precious mycelium! Stop stepping — don't move a muscle... Don't even breath!" "Shovel Knight: Your... what? I'm only here to recover my bag, which was stolen from my caved-in campsite." "Spore Knight: If my fungal lattice is disturbed before it's had time to harden, everything will cave in! I'm Spore Knight, the Hexcavators' front-line fortifier. And you — you're all gills and no cap! Get lost! " Sitting alone by the campfire "Spore Knight: Oh, I'm not beaten yet. I always bounce back! You won't get me next time!" Sitting by the campfire with the Fan Boy "Fan Boy: Oh my gosh, are you Spore Knight ?! How can you grow plants underground where there's no light?" "Spore Knight: Actually, mushrooms are not plants. They're fungi! And they don't require photosynthesis to survive. Fascinating, huh?" Sitting by the campfire with a red-clothed Bag Fellow "Spore Knight: Hey, big guy! Hefty bag you've got there. Are you looking for a side gig? I could use someone with nice strong arms around the lab." "Bag Fellow: Oh, uh... That's very kind of you. But I already work full-time!" Sitting by the campfire with Tinker Knight "Spore Knight: Look, my spores can only be cultivated in a dark, moist environment. It's necessary for optimal growth!" "Tinker Knight: No, no, I'll say it once more. If it's too damp, all my tools will rust. I must keep them dry." Sitting by the campfire with Mole Knight "Mole Knight: You're the first line of defense, Spore Knight. How come so much riff-raff ends up in the Secret Fountain?" "Spore Knight: My fungus needs a specific soil composition to thrive, and all these diggers are ruining it. You wouldn't get it!" Sitting by the campfire with Hive Knight "Hive Knight: Fleck's gettin' a little peckish. Are your mushrooms, uh, safe to eat?" "Spore Knight: Not all of them! You'd want an experienced mushroom hunter to show you which ones to avoid... Trust me, hee hee! " Sitting by the campfire with Scrap Knight "Scrap Knight: When we finish this job, I'm gonna spend my winnings traveling the world! The ultimate scrounging spree! How about you, Spore?" "Spore Knight: Three simple words that will change the world. Renewable. Fungus. Technology." Sitting by the campfire with Mole Knight and Tinker Knight "Spore Knight: Obviously I'm Drill Knight's favorite. That's why he entrusted me to guard the top of the well, so far away!" Sitting by the campfire with Tinker Knight and Hive Knight "Spore Knight: For a Hexcavator, height is a liability! They're bound to hit their heads or something."

Trivia

• In Spore Knight's boss room, as well as the ones of the other Hexcavators, a large statue resembling the combined heads of The Enchantress and the Remnant of Fate can be seen in the background.
• In older versions of the game, Spore Knight has different dialogue before her fight.
  • The earliest known one reads as follows:

"Spore Knight: Ack! Tread lightly underfoot! Breathe lightly, too, if you know what's good for you!"
"Shovel Knight: What is the meaning of this? I'm only here because my camp site was destroyed."
"Spore Knight: You're trampling my work! Fungus creates a lattice that's stronger than steel, but not if you squish it! I'm Spore Knight, front line fortifier for the Hexcavators. And down here, there'll be no room for you!"

• There is also a more recent one, which reads:

"Shovel Knight: Who goes there? Large, yellow knight? Show yourself!!"
"Spore Knight: Huh? You mean Drill Knight, boss of the Hexcavators? He's way deeper than this. My shroom stents can barely keep up with the tunnel reinforcement! Sigh...he's so cool and fast!"
"Shovel Knight: Your "cool leader" stole my bag! Are you a scoundrel as well?"
"Spore Knight: Don't presume to know my intentions, peon! I follow my own path! But yours ends here!"

• Spore Knight has a hunky boyfriend. Concept art of his unfinished design depicts him as a human with a mushroom sprouting out of the top of his head.

Gallery

Key Art

Spore Knight with the rest of the Hexcavators.

Official bio.

Game cover art for Dig.

Halloween 2022 artwork, featuring the Hexcavators, Altius, and Shovel Knight.

Concept Art

Concept art for Spore Knight.

Concept art for Spore Knight.

Concept art for Spore Knight.

Concept art for Spore Knight's hunky boyfriend.

Concept sprite animation of the Hexcavators riding the Rocket Drill.