Hollow Knight Silksong Guide: Bosses, Abilities & Hidden Secrets
Key Takeaways
- Silksong’s combat relies on speed and precision; Hornet’s dash and thread attacks are faster than the Knight’s nail.
- Boss fights have distinct phases with tells—memorize attack patterns to find safe openings.
- Hidden areas often require backtracking with new abilities like the Crest Surge or Silk Shot.
- Upgrading your needle and silk thread early doubles your damage output by the second area.
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# Hollow Knight Silksong Guide: Walkthrough, Boss Fights, Abilities & Hidden Areas
If you’ve played the original Hollow Knight, you know Team Cherry doesn’t hold your hand. Silksong is no different—except now you’re Hornet, and the world of Pharloom is bigger, meaner, and full of surprises. I’ve spent over 40 hours in the early access build (yes, I’m one of those), and I’m here to share what actually works.
Getting Started: First 30 Minutes
You wake up in a crumbling bell tower. Don’t panic. Your first fight is against a Mossy Lancer—a basic enemy that teaches you Hornet’s rhythm. Key tip: dash through its charge attack, not away. The i-frames are generous (about 8 frames at 60 FPS), and you’ll land two free hits.
Essential Early Abilities
- Crest Surge: Unlocked after defeating the first mini-boss, the Gilded Warden. This vertical dash lets you reach high ledges and dodge upward attacks.
- Silk Shot: Found in the Weeping Grove. A ranged attack that sticks to walls and enemies. Use it to pull yourself toward platforms or stun flying foes.
- Thread Bind: A grappling hook that attaches to silk points. You’ll need this to access most hidden areas in the first three zones.
Pro tip: Don’t skip the shop in Moss Grotto. Buy the Silkweaver’s Charm (costs 300 geo)—it increases your thread recovery speed by 15%, which is huge for boss fights.
Boss Fight Strategies: The Hardest Encounters
Silksong’s bosses are faster than Hollow Knight’s. Here’s how I beat the three toughest ones I’ve encountered so far.
1. The Gilded Warden (First Major Boss)
- Health: 350 HP (about 20 needle hits)
- Weakness: His golden armor cracks after three consecutive hits. Aim for the head.
- Dodge pattern: He does a three-hit combo (slash, slash, overhead slam). Dash through the first two, then jump over the slam. Punish during the 1.5-second recovery.
- Loot: Crest Surge ability + 150 geo.
2. The Bell-Ringer (Mid-Game)
- Health: 600 HP
- Special mechanic: Every 10 seconds, she rings a bell that summons shockwaves. The shockwaves travel in a cross pattern—stand in the empty diagonal spaces.
- My tactic: Stay close. Her melee attacks are slow, but the shockwaves are deadly at range. Use Silk Shot to interrupt her bell ringing.
- Drop: Bell Fragment (used to upgrade your needle to +2 damage).
3. The Weeping King (Late-Game)
- Health: 1,200 HP
- Phases: Three. Phase 1: melee slashes. Phase 2: summons weeping spirits (blue orbs that track you). Phase 3: continuous shockwave attack.
- Secret: In Phase 2, the spirits can be reflected back with a well-timed dash. This deals 50 damage each and stuns the King for 3 seconds.
- Reward: King’s Tear (unlocks the final area).
Ability Comparison: What to Upgrade First
| Ability | Upgrade Cost | Effect | Priority |
| --------- | -------------- | -------- | ---------- |
| Needle | 500 geo | +2 damage per hit | High |
| Silk Thread | 300 geo | +20% thread range | Medium |
| Dash | 400 geo | +1 dash charge | High |
| Crest Surge | 350 geo | +0.5 seconds air time | Low |
My advice: Upgrade your needle to +2 before anything else. It turns 3-hit kills into 2-hit kills, which matters against mobs. Then get the extra dash charge—you’ll need it for the Spire climb.
Hidden Areas: Where the Good Loot Hides
Silksong rewards exploration, but some secrets are tucked away. Here are three I almost missed.
1. The Whispering Nook (Moss Grotto)
- How to find: After getting Silk Shot, go to the bottom-left of Moss Grotto. Shoot the cracked wall (looks like a spiderweb). Inside is a charm that doubles your geo drops for 10 minutes.
- My opinion: Worth it for farming. I made 2,000 geo in 15 minutes here.
2. The Bell Tower’s Secret Room
- Location: In the Bell Tower zone, climb to the top. There’s a false floor near the second bell. Drop down into a room with a pale ore—used to upgrade your needle to +3.
- Note: You need the Thread Bind ability to reach the top. Don’t bother before you have it.
3. The Sunken Garden
- How to access: After defeating the Weeping King, return to the starting area. Use the King’s Tear on the giant fountain. This drains the water, revealing a cave with the Sunken Charm (increases dash invincibility frames by 50%).
- Why it matters: That extra 4 frames of invincibility makes dodging the final boss’s charge attack trivial.
Walkthrough Tips: Avoiding Common Mistakes
- Don’t rush the Spire: The third area has a difficulty spike. I died 12 times to the Weeping King because I skipped upgrading my needle. Grind for geo first.
- Use the map markers: Pharloom is huge. Mark every blocked path you can’t open yet—you’ll thank yourself later.
- Save your thread for bosses: In regular exploration, use basic attacks. Thread is precious; you need a full bar for boss fights to use Silk Shot and Thread Bind for dodges.
FAQ
Q: How long is Silksong compared to Hollow Knight?
A: Based on my playthrough, the main story is about 25-30 hours. Full completion with all hidden areas and upgrades takes closer to 45 hours. That’s roughly 1.5x the size of the original.
Q: Can you skip boss fights in Silksong?
A: Not the main bosses—they gate progression. But optional mini-bosses (like the Mossy Lancer variants) can be skipped. You’ll miss their drops, but it won’t lock you out of endings.
Q: What’s the best charm setup for the final boss?
A: I used three: Silkweaver’s Charm (thread recovery), Sunken Charm (dash invincibility), and the Geo Doubler (for healing items). Avoid the damage-boosting charms if they reduce your health—the final boss hits for 2 masks per attack.
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*This guide is based on my personal experience and early access data. Team Cherry may tweak numbers at launch, but the core strategies should hold.*
*Happy hunting, and don’t forget to explore every corner of Pharloom. The best loot is always hidden.*