Full Hollow Knight: Silksong Walkthrough Guide

Hollow Knight: Silksong is the second installment of the popular metroidvania series, awaited for more than seven years. The game features a vast number of branching paths, and the character develops gradually depending on the items found. In this guide, we have created the optimal route to the game’s finale for you. We will also explain how to complete all quests, where to find the dash and double jump skills, briefly describe boss attacks, and how to defeat them.

After waking up, pick up the needle and jump onto the wall to the right. There you’ll find a secret passage and a statue with 20 shards. You can jump even further, but there is a strong enemy there that you can’t defeat without skills. Return and go left, breaking the green roots. You’ll end up in the Mossy Grotto location. Jump into the water and swim left as far as you can. In the secret area, you need to break the roots to open the passage, and above, break the stones with shards. Climb higher using the ledges and in the upper right corner of this room, pick up the Swamp Berry (1/3).

In the next room, drop down from the ledge and pick up the worn prayer beads. These coins will stay with you after death, and you can activate them in your inventory if you don’t have enough for upgrades. After this, move to the right.

Go straight ahead, as far as you can, where there will be a small cave with shards. Climb higher and to the left. Before the exit, on the ceiling, you’ll find Swamp Berry (2/3). To pick it up, attack the bee with a downward strike and hit the berry with a second blow. Continue left, breaking roots along the way. You’ll come across a bench where you can save and rest, and a bit further is the first boss — Moss Mother. She has simple moves and only one type of attack:

After the victory, a passage to the left will open. You’ll be able to climb to the surface and watch a cutscene. Here, you’ll receive your first story quest: The Great Citadel. Continue on until you reach the Bone Lowlands. Here, you can save at a bench and spend beads. Here’s what you can buy:

Move to the right until you meet Sherma; after the dialogue with her, climb up. When you reach a dead end, the floor will collapse on the left. Before jumping down, break the wall on the right. There you'll find beads (43). After jumping down, you'll land on a small arena where you need to survive 3 waves. For your victory, a shortcut to the left and a passage below will open. Hit the lever to open the door near Sherma, talk to her, and move to the right. For 30 beads, you can activate a bench.

Once in the Bone location, climb up and to the right. Follow the signs until you find the flea caravan. After talking to Mushka several times, you’ll get a quest to find fleas. While climbing up, break the wall on the left; at the end of the corridor, there will be a plate with beads (21). At the fork, turn left and carefully jump off the bone bridge. You’ll return to the previous location and can cut the chain to open a shortcut.

Return to the bone bridge and climb higher and to the left. Moving left, break the stone with beads (40) under the ledge. Move along the lower stones until you activate a lever, then return and follow the upper path. By pressing another lever, you will open a large shortcut. Further along the path, you will meet the cartographer Shakra. You can buy from her:

She will be here for a while until you move to the next location. Therefore, it makes sense to collect beads and buy all items from her to navigate better. After Shakra, go into the lower passage. Here you need to reach the end of the corridor, climb higher, and return. This way, you’ll unlock a bench and a shortcut that will make the fight with the second boss easier, who is to the right in the bells.

Move to the left and hit the lever to open the passage. Enter it and immediately turn left. This is the center of the location where a dash is needed. For now, descend lower, activate the lift to be able to return here later. After the lever, go to the right. At the end of the corridor, there will be a couple of spike traps and some beads. Break the fragile wall under the bowl with coins. Here is hidden a coil fragment (1/2), and to the left is a platform that opens a shortcut upwards.

Return to the last lever and climb higher. On the left, there will be a secret wall behind which lies the Order for Chor. You can sell it later. If you go to the right, you will unlock the Silk Spear skill. Now you can destroy thread clusters. You can restore mana by hitting them with your needle. Go to the left to open the passage and pick up the worn prayer beads. Then clear the passage on the right side of the room and jump down. In the dark room, a bug will be flying around with a Swamp Berry (3/3).

Return to the fork and turn right. There you will meet the Druid and receive a quest to find berries, which you have already collected. As a reward, you will receive the Druid’s Eye charm, which restores one coil segment when Hornet takes damage. It fits into a blue slot.

Return to the boss Bell Beast and free it from the thread. It has the following attacks:

After defeating the beast, you’ll unlock the Silk Heart ability, which allows you to passively regenerate silk, as well as fast travel between certain locations. Go left and jump down from the ledge to return to the camp. Enter the building to activate the station. There’s also a quest board built in the camp, be sure to take everything available. Using the station, travel to Bone. Move forward and press the lever to activate the bell and open the passage to a new location. A bit further is another lever that opens a shortcut downwards. Climb up via the platforms. At the end, you’ll find a flea (1/5) tangled in roots.

Descend to the lever and move to the right. On the way, kill the monsters in cloaks and collect their cloaks. In the next location, there will be a red orb by the wall. Hit it and step back to open a secret passage. Hit the second stone and immediately retreat to avoid taking damage. As a reward, you’ll receive Crafting Metal, which is needed for upgrades.

Climb up using the red flowers and break the wall. A few more jumps and you can collect beads from the chest (75). Move to the right. In the new room, activate the switch, which will reveal a staircase for movement. To the right of the lever, there will be a small room with beads (30).

To the right is a location with a mini-boss, so first descend a little and follow the sign into the room. Here you’ll find a bench, a new character Grindle, and a throwable consumable — Straight Pin. Now you can return and take on the mini-boss, hitting it a couple of times and throwing pins at it. As a reward, a passage to the Hunter’s Path location will open.

Enter there, climb up the left side, and free the flea (2/5). Return to the bench and descend lower. On the left, open a shortcut in the form of a platform and move right into the Deep Docks. Following the signs, you can unlock a bench for 30 beads. A bit further is Shakra, from whom you can buy:

To the left of Shakra is a station, which can be unlocked for 50 beads. After shopping, climb up and proceed through the linear corridor with the hot floor. You can walk on it as long as Hornet doesn’t overheat. Follow the sign to unlock a bench and climb higher into the Hunter’s Path location.

This is a linear room with a small arena that will lead you to the next chamber. As you descend, pay attention to the walls on the left. Behind one of them is a passage and worn prayer beads. To the right of the spikes, break the stone to open a shortcut and move left.

At the totem, you can unlock the dash. In addition to the standard dodge, you can hold the button so Hornet starts running. Continue left, jumping across platforms. Activate the lever and climb higher. Here, a flea (3/5) is trapped. After jumping down, press another lever to open the gate.

Return to Shakra and head right. Press the lever indicated by the bench sign. To the left of the elevator, there will be a hidden passage containing a Shard Set. You can use it in your inventory to gain 120 units. After descending, turn left and keep going. In the first passage, there will be a puzzle with burning stones. Jump to the end of the location and activate the lever. On the way back, you’ll be able to climb a bit higher and pick up a coil fragment (2/2). A bit lower, there’s a room with a chest containing shards.

Return to the elevator and go the other way. Here, you need to survive an arena with 5 waves. As a reward, you’ll gain access to a bench and a blacksmith with the following goods:

Head toward the bench sign and continue onward. Here you’ll face the next boss, Lace. Her abilities are very similar to Hornet’s.

After the boss, enter the adjacent location and climb up. Now break the wall on the right and explore the vertical room. Here you can collect some coins and free the flea (4/5). Move up and to the right until you reach a tired pilgrim. Entry to the building will cost 30 beads each time. Here you’ll also find the merchant Sort with the following assortment:

Climb higher to activate two shortcuts upwards. Now jump all the way down to the bottom, where there are 4 forks. In the lower left, you can pick up the Guardian Bell charm, which protects you while you heal. Along the right wall, in order, you’ll find: station (50) and bench (30), then Shakra with the Far Fields map (50), and the required story passage.

In the new location, you need to find the Seamstress’s house and take her quest to find spikes. They drop from round enemies who shoot these spikes in different directions when damaged. It’s best to hit them when their spikes are active, then immediately collect them before they disappear. As a reward, you’ll receive the Vagabond Cloak upgrade, allowing you to fall more slowly and ride air currents. Now ride the currents to the right of the house and fly over the house into a secret passage. By breaking red stones and progressing, you’ll eventually open up a blockage where a mask piece (2/4) is located.

On the way back, you’ll encounter the boss Fourth Choir. He’s not particularly difficult but has a number of interesting attacks:

Keep hitting him on the head until air currents appear. Ride them up to hit two stones and deal massive damage to the boss.

After escaping, ride the air currents all the way to the top, breaking red stones along the way. This will bring you to the Gloomy Marsh location. Move to the right until you meet Shakra, from whom you can buy the Gloomy Marsh map (70). To the right of Shakra is a tough and optional location, but you can quickly find flea (5/5) there. To do this, go right and swim under the building. Open the iron door and enter the room. Here you’ll find an arena with several waves of flying monsters. After defeating them, jump up and activate the mechanism — in this part of the location, balls will appear that you can use to climb higher. The flea will be on the right wall, and you can reach it from the top of its cage.

If you’ve mastered jumping and can do it efficiently, climb all the way to the top using the balls. As a reward, you’ll get the Thread Fury skill. This is a magical attack that replaces the spear throw, dealing AoE damage several times. This attack is helpful in narrow corridors, small arenas, and against bosses who summon lots of small creatures.

On your way back, don’t descend all the way to the bottom; instead, follow the signs. Above the entrance, there will be a pile of beads (20), and below it, a small ledge with a bug holding worn prayer beads (30). Move left, opening shortcuts as you go. Pass by the device that collects beads (these machines work like merchants — you pay 80 beads and get prayer beads with 60 beads inside). Swim through the secret passage. There you can pick up a Bone Scroll, which you’ll need to sell to a special merchant later.

To get into the tavern, you need to go around via the roof. You can talk to the innkeeper, and upstairs take a quest to find all the creatures in the game. Keep moving forward and pass through a small arena. A bit further, you’ll see signs pointing to the station (80) — head there and return to the Bone Hollow to bring the fleas back to the caravan. On the way, pick up new quests from the board:

Return to the caravan in Bone and turn in the flea quest. After the dialogue, agree to be transported. As a reward, you’ll receive the consumable Flea Broth, which temporarily increases your attack speed and movement speed.

Head left to unlock the Bellville location and get a quest to liberate the city. Here you can also unlock the station (80) for fast travel. Now return to the caravan and move right. In the upper part of the location, you can find a Keepsake Medallion. Run to the station and travel to Bone Hollow.

Buy a key for 500 beads from the merchant and take the elevator up. With your new skills, jump to the left. You’ll enter a long location where above you crawls the acid-spitting monster Scalner. It has a lot of health, so just run past and use the key to unlock the Wormhole location.

You need to go up. However, since you don’t have wall jump yet, if you fall too low, just drop down, open the shortcut, and use the elevator to return to the location. Near the shortcut, you can find a room with the Wanderer’s Crest badge. We wrote more about this in a separate guide. If you don’t like Hornet’s aggressive moves, this badge increases the attack speed of the Needle and adds a downward attack like in the first game, but reduces the overall attack range.

After climbing to the upper right corner of the Wormhole, break through the temporary wall. Now drop down a couple of openings and move right again. Head toward Shakra’s voice, where you can buy the Wormhole map (70) and the Bellville map (40). Keep climbing up through the location. Along the way, you’ll find the Dead Bug’s Wallet artifact, which saves some beads upon death. Climb even higher, onto the bridge, and enter the room with the bench (60).

Break the overgrown wall on the right and head to the Shell Forest. If you need extra beads, climb up near the sign and kill the Greedy Pilgrim, who is wrapped in game currency. We managed to collect 62 beads from one fight with him. Keep moving toward Bellville following the signs until you meet Shakra. Buy the Shell Forest map (70) from her and return to the signs.

In this location, you’ll find flea (6/15). Just to the left, activate the station (60) and move to the right. After running past the flowers, you’ll enter a vertical area. You can jump down and activate the bench (60). To climb up, use the elevator button on the right. It’s important to save at the bench, because ahead is a tough boss — Sister Lucina.

She has the following attacks:

Run through the linear level, gradually climbing higher and higher. As a reward, you’ll receive the Cling Grip skill, which allows you to wall jump.

Move right, into the upper passage to Bellville. Go through a small maze and follow the signs to the bench. A shortcut will open, after which you can return to the sign and go down. There you’ll find the story boss, the Widow, with the following attacks:

As a reward, you’ll receive the Needle Cello skill. Using silk, you can play the Needle to get more lore information from residents and spirits, as well as open certain doors and solve puzzles. After the cutscene, activate the bell, open the shortcut on the left, and move right to step on the elevator button and enter Bellville.

You can take quests from the board, but they’ll take a lot of time without a worthy reward. Climb a bit higher and visit the pinmaker Plinny. After a few dialogues, he’ll permanently upgrade your Needle and give you a quest to find Light Oil to upgrade Hornet’s weapon again. Also in Bellville, in a separate building, there’s the scrap dealer Kanyuk, to whom you can sell found relics. If you didn’t have enough for a map, Shakra will be sitting on the right.

From Bellville, head left along the bottom until you reach the entrance to Bone Hollow. Without entering the new location, climb up and activate the bell on the right. Now move left into the final location of the first act, Honed Steps.

Climb up the walls and activate the bench (60). There are very few safe places in this location, so this is a much-needed rest spot. If you have time, you can go left to fight two shell flies and unlock the powerful strike ability for free from the Pinmaker. If you’re trying to complete the game quickly, you can skip this section and go straight right and up. Along the way, you can open a few shortcuts if you don’t manage to pass this stage on your first try.

Following the voice, you may encounter Shakra and buy the Honed Steps map (70) from her. Continue climbing to the next bench (40) and be sure to activate it. This is the closest save point before the boss. You can also unlock the station (60) nearby. From the bell beetle, go left and climb up, jumping on spikes and bouncing off the walls. At the top, you’ll find a frightened flea (7/15).

At the end of the passage, you’ll see a locked door with 5 locks. To open them, you needed to activate bells along the way. If you followed the guide, the locks will already be open and the boss, the Last Judge, will appear. Try to get used to the rhythm, then start dealing damage. She has two phases and some rather unpleasant attacks:

After defeating the boss, you’ll unlock new locations with a new type of fast travel, but you’ll still be able to return and explore previous ones if needed.

Upon entering the Citadel, examine the device. For 60 beads, you can get a map of the area. Enter the room with the scales and climb to the very top to pick up a reel fragment (1/2). After that, go down to the right, enter the elevator, and hit the lever until it breaks.

Upon waking up, you can activate a one-time bench for 15 coins and open the passage on the right to reach the Lower Workshops location. Climb higher and pick up the map of this area on the left. On the left, you can break an illusory wall hiding a bone scroll needed for the scrap dealer. Continue through the dark corridors to the right and upward.

Follow the signs to reach the one-time benches (15). Be sure to save, as you’ll need to get through a tough arena on the left. After that, you’ll return to a vertical location, where you can open a shortcut at the bottom. Then climb higher until you reach the Choir Chambers. Move through the empty corridors; along the way, you can open several shortcuts and pick up beads and shards.

After climbing to a new floor, there will be a locked door to the Arterio Station on the left. For information on how to open them, we’ve collected a separate guide. On the right, you need to buy the Choir Chambers map (70), which already marks most of the location. Move right toward the round mechanism. On the way, you’ll meet Lace, who will activate enemies. There will be a door on the right that you’ll return to a bit later; you can mark it now.

After the round mechanism, you’ll enter a small corridor. Run to the right and activate the mechanism in the building, which will later open a settlement with quests here. On the right, pick up the White Key, which activates the elevator to the White Chambers — the place you marked earlier on the map. Activate the Arterio Station above and return to your marker. The White Chambers is a linear location, at the end of which you can unlock the Clinging Thread skill. This is an additional dash with a Needle throw. It’s required for the story to climb rings and activate certain mechanisms.

By moving along the rings, you’ll return to the room with the Architect, whom you can now reach. He offers the following items:

From the Architect, turn left into the tunnel, then go down. From here, head left. This will bring you directly to the Arterio Station, allowing you to instantly return to the main story corridor. Follow it until you reach the bosses, the Clockwork Dancers. These are two bee-shaped mechanisms that fly in a set direction. Keep in mind that when they land, they deal area damage, so don’t approach them in advance. Otherwise, they’re fairly simple enemies. In the second phase, their attack speed simply increases.

After victory, an elevator will open, but to activate it, you need to learn 3 songs. Go down to the Main Mechanism location and activate the free bench by turning the valve above it. Climb up the wall and pick up the free Main Mechanism map.

To reach the upper objective, you need to go all the way down in the current location, then climb up the right wall and enter the room with the sign pointing upward. Along the way, you can open several shortcuts, which will make the climb from the bench easier and help in the future.

Turn the lever to open a shortcut and hang on the next ring. You’ll find a vertical room filled with dangerous mechanisms. There are no special shortcuts here; you’ll have to make your way using Clinging Thread and wall jumps. Remember, the Needle throw requires silk, so it’s almost impossible to recover silk along this route.

To solve the quest puzzle, you need to align the correct notes in each column. They should be connected by continuous lines. To rotate, hit the lever on the side. Start from the bottom and gradually change the blocks until the pattern matches. Once you’ve built the tower correctly, it will sink underground and you can move on to the next one. You can adjust the spotlights if you can’t see the lines well. Stand in the center and play the Needle to learn the Architect’s melody, after which you can head down to the elevator.

The second one you need to unlock is the sign on the left. Go down to the cafeteria, exit left, and climb up. Turn right to open a shortcut, then move left until you reach the bench. In the previous room, you can climb up and open a chest with 85 beads.

After climbing up, you’ll enter a small location called Upper Chambers. Here, you need to reach the northeast, then glide down, flying past spikes and opening the way with a Needle throw. On the right, there’s a room with a sign where you can activate the Arterio Station (80) and save at a free bench. You can also buy the Upper Chambers map (70) in this room. Save and run left. You’ll face a long arena with two stages of large enemies.

After victory, enter the room and talk to the guide Ballador. He will teach Hornet the second melody. Return to the elevator. Now you need to go a bit down and right to the round mechanism. You’ve already opened the shortcuts, so this path won’t take much time.

In the next location, there are many platforms that move along rails. If a passage is blocked by a box but you see rails, just hit the object to move it. Remember, if you hit it from the other side, the passage will close again.

Move to the right, into the Whispering Catacombs location. Run all the way right and hit the ceiling to reveal a staircase. Climb up and break the support to open a shortcut to the settlement in the Citadel. On the left, you can buy the Whispering Catacombs map (70).

Pay attention to the large room just below and to the left of Hornet. Head there to solve a small puzzle and receive Pale Oil as a reward. After this, a shortcut will open and you can go down to the Bell Beast to visit Bellville and upgrade the Needle’s damage.

Upon entering the room, hit the box on the floor toward where you came from. Hitting the next box will open a detour and allow you to pull out the upper box. Climb onto the first box and hit upward. Move along the right wall to reach the top of the puzzle. Hit the platform on the left, get close to it, and hit downward. Jump up and hit to the left. Finally, hit this same box upward and the passage to the Pale Oil will open.

To the right of this room, following the signs, you can reach the catacomb warden, Cardinius. Here you can exchange found cylinders for beads. In addition, there is another cylinder in this room and a bench with a shortcut on the left.

How to Learn the Catacomb Wardens’ Melody

To reach the story location, you need to defeat the boss, Trobio. You can reach him by following the signs; his passage is below the puzzle room. Jump down and open the passage on the left. You can also change your bench — running from the lower one is much faster and safer. The boss doesn’t summon monsters but has interesting attacks:

As a reward, you’ll receive the Clawed Mirror — a blue tool that, when binding ends, deals significant damage to everyone around.

After victory, move right to the elevator. Ride it down, then send it back up and jump into the shaft yourself. Move right and break through the wall. Ahead is a small maze with bronze tips on the walls.

Once out, you can rest at the bench on the right and open the passage to the story item on the left. After picking up the Sacred Cylinder, you need to return to the catacomb warden Cardinius and decipher it. After this, you’ll have learned all 3 melodies and will be able to use the elevator.

Return to the center of the Citadel and activate the elevator by playing the Needle Cello. At the top, Lace will be waiting for you. In addition to increased speed, her attacks have been updated:

After the victory, jump onto the glowing silk bundle. Climb up so that after the cutscene the passage will open. On the right, you can open a passage to the Arterio Terminus Station and use the bench to save. Climb higher and challenge the final boss, the Supreme Mother of Silk. She has the following attacks:

After victory, the final cutscene will begin. You will receive the Weaver Queen achievement and finish the game. This is the fastest ending you can get in Hollow Knight: Silksong. To get the others, you need to keep exploring the game and complete additional quests. After the credits, you can load your last save and continue playing.