Which abilities/equipment do I need, in order to be able to find *everything* in all areas in Hollow Knight?

Running through Hollow Knight, for the first time, and doing so without guides.

There's obviously a lot of stuff in the early- and mid-game areas, which you can't access or interact with when you initially encounter them because you don't have the necessary skills or equipment.

• Small locations on the other side of a double-jump, or a wall-climb, etc.
• Essence bushes that you need the DreamNail to be able to interact with.
• Dark areas that are unnavigable, etc.
• etc.

I think that I've now acrued everything that I need to be able to access all the content, and I'm about to go back through the entirety of the map searching for any hidden things I might have missed; in order to satisfy my completionist tendencies.

Obviously, if I later find a new ability or similar, I'd have to do it all ... AGAIN, which would be very tedious.

So could someone confirm that with the following I will be able to access everything in the game:

• Double-Jump (Monarch Wings)
• Wall-Jump (Mantis Claw)
• Dash (Mothwing Cloak)
• SuperDash (Crystal Heart)
• Floor Smash (Desolate Dive)
• Acid Immunity (Isma's Tear)
• Dream Nail
• Lumafly Lantern

Is that everything necessary to access all the content in the game?

Note that I assume that there's going to be some way to pass through the black 'energy' barriers? But so far I've been able to go the "long way around" all of those, so I assume they're just progress-gating to try to help players explore in an appropriate order?

I should clarify that I'm not talking about, e.g. Keys, or whatever's going to be necessary to use the cable cars, that I've seen in various places.

Those things are very obvious to see "there's a thing here that I will be able to interact with when I have the corresponding ... thing". So I can leave a marker and come back.

I'm talking about anything that I would have to go around looking for things that cause the "oh ... I didn't know there was a passage here, because I didn't previously know that I could ... whatever".

e.g.

The Essence Tree above the platform room beside the Grub-Grandfather in Forgotten Crossroads ...

which even if I'd explored as thoroughly as possible when I first completed DC, I couldn't possibly have found or put a marker on.

Solution 1:

In order to access everything, you will also need the following in addition to what you've already listed:

• Shade Cloak — Lets you pass through the black Shade Gates. I can think of two or three of these gates off the top of my head that cannot be bypassed; the only way to the other side of them is with the Shade Cloak.
• King's Brand — Gives you access to a specific area
• Awakened Dream Nail — Gives you access to a specific area
• Kingsoul Charm — Gives you access to a specific area, in turn unlocking two endings
• Howling Wraiths (the spell that attacks enemies above you) — Needed in order to acquire the upgraded version of the spell, Abyss Shriek. Other than that, I don't believe the spells are strictly necessary for anything.
• Simple Keys — There are four of these in the game, and four Simple Locks for them to unlock. One of the locks can be bypassed, two lead to minor areas, and the last lock leads to a special area that holds the last ending.

There is also a Tram Pass that lets you ride the Trams, but those simply serve as shortcuts between areas and are not necessary for reaching anywhere.