Hold the action button to dive underground. While burrowed, Mina is invincible and can pass beneath enemies, hazards and certain obstacles.
Hollowing is the move the game is named after, and it’s the single most important thing to learn. Hold the action button and Mina dives underground. While she’s down there, she’s invincible — attacks pass right through her.
If you only master one thing, master burrowing. It’s your dodge, your escape, your shortcut, and the safest way to reposition in any fight.
What it does
Underground, Mina ignores almost everything. Use it to:
- Dodge attacks — including boss patterns. Burrow through the danger and come up safe.
- Reposition mid-fight — slide to a better angle or get behind an enemy.
- Cross bottomless pits — burrowing carries you across gaps you can’t jump.
- Slip under obstacles — pass beneath physical blockers that would stop you on the surface.
- Speed up travel — burrowing is often faster than walking.
Because there’s no stamina bar, you can do all of this as much as you want. The only hard limit: you can’t burrow through lava (or a handful of other hazards), so some fights force you to use jumps and weapon dodges instead.
The burrow jump
When you re-emerge from a burrow, you can pop up into a higher, farther jump — sometimes called the burrow jump. It can reach platforms a couple of tiles away that a normal jump can’t. Get comfortable with it; a lot of the world’s shortcuts and secret routes assume you’ll use it.
Burrow into attack
You can chain a burrow directly into an attack. The classic move: an enemy swings, you burrow under it, then come up behind and hit it while it’s recovering. This is the backbone of the Whisper & Vesper hit-and-run playstyle, and it works with every weapon.
The water-walk trick
You can effectively walk on water. Activate the burrow before Mina’s feet touch the surface: sprint, jump toward the water, and hold the action button as you come down. Time it right and she skims across. It works from the very start of the game, so it’s worth practicing early.
Burrow over parry
Mina has no universal parry. Burrowing is the game’s intended answer to incoming damage — previews literally framed it as “burrowing over parrying.” The one exception is the Hollower’s Shield, which can parry. For every other weapon, the burrow is your defense.
| Type | Universal dodge + traversal |
| Input | Hold the action button |
| Invincibility | Yes — while underground |
| Stamina cost | None |
| Can't burrow through | Lava and some hazards |
FAQ
What is Hollowing in Mina the Hollower?
Hollowing is Mina's burrow move. Hold the action button to dive underground, where she's invincible and can pass beneath enemies, hazards and some obstacles. It's the game's main dodge.
How do you dodge in Mina the Hollower?
There's no universal dodge-roll. You dodge with Hollowing — burrow underground for invincibility frames. The Blaststrike Maul also has its own roll, but Hollowing is the dodge for every weapon.
Can you walk on water in Mina the Hollower?
Yes. Activate the burrow just before Mina's feet touch the water — sprint, jump toward the water, and hold the action button as you land. You'll cross it.
Does Hollowing cost stamina?
No. There's no stamina bar in Mina the Hollower, so you can burrow as often as you like. The only limit is that you can't burrow through lava and a few hazards.
Can you attack out of a burrow?
Yes. You can chain a burrow straight into an attack — pop up behind an enemy that just swung at empty air and punish it.