For many Hollow players, becoming Vasto Lorde is the first major goal in VV: Ultimatum. Not only is it one of the strongest Hollow evolutions available, but it also unlocks additional progression opportunities and gives you access to more powerful traits that continue benefiting your character later in the game.
After going through the entire evolution process and comparing different farming methods, one thing becomes clear: most players waste a lot of time grinding inefficient enemies. The actual progression route is surprisingly straightforward when you know which objectives matter and which enemies provide the best evolution progress.
This guide covers the complete path from a newly created Hollow all the way to Vasto Lorde, including trait management, farming locations, and progression tips that can save a significant amount of time.
Hollow Selection
After completing the tutorial, you’ll be asked to choose a faction.
Select the Hollow faction to begin your progression.
Once you’ve chosen Hollow, you’ll also select your starting Hollow type. While every player has personal preferences, some forms create additional difficulty later during progression.
One recommendation repeatedly mentioned by experienced Hollow players is avoiding the Centipede form if your goal is long-term progression. While it may seem appealing initially, many players report having a much more frustrating experience during later Resurrection-related content.
The Gorilla form is often considered a safer and more comfortable option for players planning to push all the way toward Vasto Lorde and beyond.
Regardless of your choice, remember that your early form is only the beginning of a much larger evolution chain.
Early Hollow Progression
The first stage of progression is relatively simple.
Your primary objective is defeating Hollows while simultaneously completing quests throughout the world.
A lot of players make the mistake of ignoring quests and focusing entirely on random Hollow farming. While this works eventually, it is far less efficient than combining both systems together.
The ideal approach is:
- Follow the main story quest whenever possible.
- Accept side quests you encounter naturally.
- Defeat Hollows during quest progression.
- Continue leveling while collecting evolution progress.
This method allows you to gain experience and evolution requirements simultaneously rather than grinding them separately.
Menos Evolution
Your first major evolution target is Menos.
To reach this stage, continue defeating Hollows while progressing through quests and exploring the early zones.
Eventually, you’ll trigger the transformation sequence and evolve into Menos.
This is where many newer players get confused because the game offers additional progression options.
After becoming Menos, you may notice opportunities to pursue other paths, but players aiming for Vasto Lorde should remain focused on the Hollow evolution route rather than diverting into alternative progression systems.
Think of Menos as a checkpoint rather than the final destination.
Hollow Traits
One of the most overlooked systems during early progression is the Hollow Trait system.
As you continue evolving and defeating enemies, the game may occasionally offer trait opportunities.
When a trait appears, you’ll generally have two choices:
- Accept the trait.
- Decline the trait and wait for another option later.
This is an important decision because traits provide permanent bonuses that can influence your build long after your current evolution stage.
Many beginners accept the first trait they see without considering whether it matches their desired playstyle.
Taking a little extra time to evaluate your options can pay off significantly later.
Traits become increasingly important as your Hollow grows stronger.
Menos to Adjuchas Progression
After reaching Menos, the next objective is evolving into Adjuchas.
The requirements are surprisingly straightforward:
- Defeat 8 Hollows.
- Destroy 60 environmental objects.
The environmental destruction requirement often catches players off guard because they focus exclusively on combat.
Fortunately, completing this objective is simple.
Tree Farming
The fastest method is running through beginner areas and destroying trees.
Trees count toward the environmental destruction requirement and are extremely easy to locate.
A common route looks like this:
- Travel through beginner zones.
- Destroy every tree along your path.
- Defeat Hollows that spawn nearby.
- Continue rotating through the area.
By combining both objectives simultaneously, you can complete the evolution requirements much faster.
Hollow Hunting
While destroying trees, continue defeating nearby enemies.
Lizards and other common Hollow enemies found in early zones provide an easy source of progression.
Since you’re already moving around gathering destruction progress, these kills come naturally without requiring dedicated farming sessions.
Once both requirements are completed, you’ll evolve into Adjuchas.
Adjuchas Progression
The Adjuchas stage is where progression begins slowing down for many players.
Unlike previous evolutions, this stage requires a much larger amount of Hollow progression before reaching Vasto Lorde.
The key to speeding up this process is targeting the correct enemies.
Not every Hollow provides equal progression.
Finding the highest-value targets dramatically reduces the amount of time required.
Scorpion Hollow Farming
One of the best farming targets during Adjuchas progression is the Scorpion Hollow.
Near the village area, you’ll find locations where Scorpion Hollows spawn regularly.
These enemies are valuable because they provide consistent evolution progress with every kill.
Advantages include:
- Reliable spawn locations.
- Fast kill speed.
- Consistent progression rewards.
- Low downtime between fights.
For players who prefer steady grinding, Scorpion Hollows are one of the safest choices available.
Dragonfly Boss Farming
For players focused entirely on speed, the Giant Dragonfly is arguably the most efficient target available.
Above the Scorpion farming region, you’ll find a cave containing the Dragonfly boss.
Unlike regular enemies, this boss grants significantly more evolution progress per kill.
Benefits include:
- Higher progression rewards.
- Faster overall advancement.
- Reduced total kills required.
- Excellent efficiency for dedicated farmers.
Many experienced Hollow players consider the Dragonfly boss the fastest route toward Vasto Lorde because of how much progression it awards compared to ordinary enemies.
If your goal is pure speed, this boss should become a major part of your farming routine.
Reaching Vasto Lorde
After accumulating enough evolution progress through Scorpion Hollows, Dragonfly bosses, and other suitable enemies, you’ll finally unlock the ability to evolve into Vasto Lorde.
This transformation marks one of the biggest power spikes available to Hollow players.
Beyond the visual changes, Vasto Lorde also improves access to additional trait potential and future progression systems.
For many players, this is where the Hollow path truly begins to feel complete.
Advanced Trait Development
Once Vasto Lorde is unlocked, trait management becomes even more important.
A Vasto Lorde can access up to four Hollow Traits.
This additional trait slot provides more customization opportunities and allows for stronger combinations than earlier evolution stages.
Because of this, trait selection should never be treated as an afterthought.
The difference between a carefully planned trait setup and a random collection of buffs can be substantial.
Trait Acquisition
Many players reach Vasto Lorde without fully understanding how traits are obtained.
Traits are earned through consuming parts from defeated Hollows.
After defeating a Hollow, you’ll sometimes have the opportunity to consume remains.
Possible outcomes include:
- Receiving a new trait.
- Receiving no trait.
- Obtaining a trait you may not want.
Since trait acquisition contains some randomness, patience is required.
The process often involves repeated farming until the desired combination appears.
Trait Selection Strategy
When building your Vasto Lorde, it’s worth thinking beyond your current form.
Traits continue providing value even after future progression systems become available.
Because of this, avoid selecting traits simply because they look useful in the moment.
Instead, consider:
- Long-term combat performance.
- Future Resurrection progression.
- PvE farming efficiency.
- PvP potential.
- Build synergy.
Players who rush through trait selection often find themselves wishing they had been more selective later.
Becoming Vasto Lorde in VV: Ultimatum is much less complicated than it initially appears. The biggest obstacle isn’t difficulty but efficiency. Players who spend hours fighting low-value enemies often progress far slower than those who understand which targets provide the best rewards.
The combination of quest progression, tree farming during the Menos stage, Scorpion Hollow farming, and Dragonfly boss grinding creates one of the fastest known routes currently available. Pair that with smart trait selection, and you’ll have a powerful Vasto Lorde ready for the next stage of Hollow progression long before most players reach the same point.