Team Cherry has not named the Hollow Knight font. Fans guess Trajan for the logo and Perpetua for the in-game text, but neither is confirmed. Cinzel on Google Fonts is a free, close match for the Trajan-style capitals.
About the Hollow Knight font
Hollow Knight is a game by Team Cherry, an Australian studio in Adelaide. It came out on February 24, 2017. The title and in-game text are set in a clean, old-style serif that matches the game’s quiet, hand-drawn world.
Nothing official names the type. On a Steam forum, one fan said Trajan Pro Bold was the closest match they found. Another recalled that a fan wiki named Perpetua but could not verify it. One font guide calls the logo custom and suggests Cinzel as a stand-in. All of this is informed opinion.
Trajan, Perpetua and where to get them
Trajan
Trajan was designed by Carol Twombly for Adobe, and it is based on the capital letters carved on Trajan’s Column in Rome. It is a commercial font, available through an Adobe Fonts subscription at Adobe Fonts.
Perpetua
Perpetua is a serif designed by Eric Gill in the early 20th century and sold by Monotype. It is commercial. It also comes bundled with some Microsoft Office installs.
Hollow Knight’s name, logo and artwork belong to Team Cherry. Fan art and edits are welcome. Selling items with the logo is not allowed.
Using the look in your own projects
The game gets its mood from space, not decoration. Titles are small, backgrounds are dark, and a lot of the screen is left empty. If you copy only one thing, copy that.
For a fan poster, try a single line of text near the bottom, set in small capitals with wide spacing. Use a soft grayscale image behind it. If you add a second color, make it a pale blue or a warm white. This works better than adding effects to the letters themselves, which usually make the design feel loud.
A last tip for screens: small pale text on a dark background can look thin on phones. Bump the weight up one step and add a little extra spacing. Test it on the device where most people will see it, not only on your monitor.
Free fonts similar to Hollow Knight
Cinzel
Roman capitals in the Trajan tradition. Closest free match for the title.
Cormorant Garamond
Delicate and elegant, close to the in-game text mood.
Marcellus
A gentle flared serif, good for headings.
EB Garamond
A classic book font for longer text.
Almendra
A calligraphic touch for lore-style captions.
Each download is the original file from Google Fonts, shared under its open license (SIL Open Font License or Apache 2.0). You can use these 5 fonts free in personal and commercial projects.
Try the Hollow Knight look-alike fonts
Type your own words to compare all 5 fonts side by side. Save a PNG, download the font you like, or open it in Font Studio for curved, outlined and gradient text.
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Cinzel Download font Open in StudioHollow Knight
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Cormorant Garamond Download font Open in StudioHollow Knight
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Marcellus Download font Open in StudioHollow Knight
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EB Garamond Download font Open in StudioHollow Knight
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Almendra Download font Open in StudioHollow Knight
How to make Hollow Knight-style text
- Use pale white or soft gray letters on a near-black background.
- Keep the letter spacing wide and the text small.
- Leave a lot of empty space around the words. The game feels quiet.
- Add a very faint glow for emphasis, but skip heavy effects.
Try your own text in our font generator, or browse more free design tools.
Related fonts on DaFont Online
FAQ
What font does Hollow Knight use?
The studio has not said. Fans guess Trajan and Perpetua.
Is the Hollow Knight font free?
The guesses are commercial fonts. Cinzel and Cormorant Garamond are free alternatives.
What font is the Hollow Knight logo?
It looks like a custom or heavily adjusted serif. No exact match has been confirmed.
Can I use Trajan on my own project?
Yes, if you have a license, such as an Adobe Fonts subscription.