Conquering Pharloom: Your Ultimate Guide to Every Hollow Knight Silksong Boss

Curious about all the adversaries lurking in Silksong? Pharloom is a vibrant, yet dangerous, realm brimming with creatures both grand and grotesque. Much like its acclaimed predecessor, Hollow Knight, Silksong’s combat demands precision and cunning. This guide provides essential strategies to help you overcome every major and optional boss, ensuring your survival in this challenging journey.

Boss encounters are a cornerstone of any great Metroidvania, and Hollow Knight Silksong delivers plenty of trials for Hornet. In total, you’ll face 48 unique bosses across the sprawling landscape of Pharloom: 18 essential main bosses and 30 additional optional encounters. While some can be bypassed or approached via alternative paths, be aware that this guide contains significant spoilers for the game’s challenging inhabitants.

All Silksong Bosses: Locations and Rewards

Our comprehensive list of every Silksong boss is categorized into main and optional encounters, helping you distinguish between mandatory progression fights and those you can tackle later or even skip entirely.

Main Bosses of Silksong

Optional Bosses of Silksong

Strategies for Conquering Silksong Bosses

Tracking down every Silksong boss can be challenging enough, but defeating them presents an even greater hurdle. We’ve compiled a selection of strategies to help you overcome the main bosses, as well as some of Pharloom’s most fearsome optional foes.

Moss Mother

The Moss Mother marks your first major encounter in Silksong, acting as a foundational test of your basic platforming and combat skills. This boss frequently hovers at the edges of the arena, staying within striking distance of Hornet’s needle during a well-timed jump. Be wary of her swift downward stinger attack, easily evaded with a simple jump. She also periodically slams the ceiling, causing rocks to fall. Landing multiple hits can briefly stun the Moss Mother, indicated by a spinning halo above her head, offering a perfect window for extra damage. As the fight progresses, she’ll begin to summon smaller, crawling offspring instead of rocks. These minor foes are quickly dispatched with a couple of needle strikes, clearing the path to focus on the main boss.

Bell Beast

Caught in a silken trap, the Bell Beast won’t thank you for her freedom; instead, she’ll unleash her fury upon Hornet. This aggressive foe disappears into the bell-laden floor, erupting with surprising speed to charge or leap across the arena. Her attacks are simple but relentless, and she’ll begin flinging bells around as the fight progresses. Taming this furious creature requires careful movement and timing. Defeating the Bell Beast is crucial, as she transforms into your fast-travel mount for Pharloom, much like the Last Stag.

Lace

Lace serves as a critical test of your dashing abilities. This agile and confident fencer attacks with pinpoint accuracy, delivering a series of forward thrusts, sweeping strikes, and a powerful stationary flurry. Hornet’s initial clash with Lace echoes the Knight’s first encounter with Hornet herself in the original game, featuring several intense rematches. Mastering your dash is key to surviving this early battle, especially given the treacherous lava pools flanking the arena’s single platform.

Fourth Chorus

The Fourth Chorus stands as one of the largest bosses in the Hollow Knight universe, requiring a defensive and patient strategy due to its many limbs. You’ll first spot this colossal creature inactive on your journey to the Seamstress, but it only awakens after you’ve gathered enough Hokers and acquired the Drifter’s Cloak. To damage Fourth Chorus, you must strike its face, which Hornet can reach with a high jump. Similar to the Lace fight, this battle occurs on a precarious platform surrounded by lava. Fourth Chorus will frequently plunge its limbs into the lava, obliterating sections of your footing. It also executes a massive horizontal swipe that often necessitates a jump-dash to avoid both the attack and the fiery abyss below. Should platforms become scarce, the Drifter’s Cloak allows you to utilize wind currents at the arena’s sides. Later in the fight, Fourth Chorus will strike the ceiling, showering the area with molten rocks. These are generally easy to evade, but remain focused on the boss’s ongoing attack patterns.

Moorwing

Moorwing is a truly elusive secret boss, easily overlooked even by the most thorough explorers of Pharloom. Ironically, finding him might be the simplest part of the challenge. This malevolent moth, seemingly crafted from blades and pure malice, launches into an immediate, relentless assault that can overwhelm you from the start. With knives on his feet and a barrage of boomerang blades, a defensive approach is paramount. You’ll need to meticulously observe and seize brief openings to strike. Overcoming Moorwing demands patience and strategic evasion.

Sister Splinter

As the primary boss of the Shellwood area, Sister Splinter can be incredibly frustrating without a solid plan. She stays tethered to the ceiling for the entire battle, attacking Hornet with her enormous claws. If you’re not careful, she’ll trap you with a barrage of thorny vines, making escape from her summoned spinning leaf insects almost impossible. Successfully defeating Sister Splinter requires understanding her patterns and finding windows to force her down.

Skull Tyrant

The Skull Tyrant is a massive variant of the common skull scuttlers found in the Marrow. Despite its imposing size, this boss is not significantly harder than its smaller kin. You’ll find the Skull Tyrant in an early area, but access is gated until you acquire the Silksong wall jump ability. Remember to revisit Bone Bottom after your victory to complete the “Terrible Tyrant” wish for a bounty of rosaries. Be aware, however, that another Skull Tyrant will eventually emerge in Bone Bottom, seeking vengeance for its fallen comrade.

Widow

Widow holds the townsfolk of Bellhart captive in her elaborate silk web, and she won’t relinquish them without a struggle. It’s up to Hornet and her trusty Needle to intervene. As a significant main boss, Widow presents a tougher challenge than Fourth Chorus. Her furious, sweeping attacks, combined with a constant rain of bells from above, leave little space for movement or offense. Surviving her intense final phase demands considerable patience and precise dodging.

Savage Beastfly

The Savage Beastfly is an optional encounter hidden within the Chapel of the Beast, reachable only by using Hornet’s Drifter’s Cloak on a specific wind current. Mirroring the behavior of smaller flies across Pharloom, this boss performs horizontal charges once it locks onto Hornet. The primary difficulty in this fight lies in controlling the overwhelming number of smaller flies the Savage Beastfly summons with its ear-splitting screams. Strategic movement and crowd control are essential to defeating this formidable insect.

Great Conchflies

The Great Conchflies act as a gateway boss, bringing you closer to the Citadel Gate. These enormous coneflies burrow through the arena’s surfaces—floor, ceiling, and walls—emerging unpredictably. While their erratic movements can be hard to follow, dust clouds reliably indicate their next appearance. This encounter is manageable with good positioning. Be mindful when they briefly stop drilling to spit a diagonal dart that ricochets off the walls. The battle concludes when one is defeated and the other retreats. But is it a true victory, or merely a temporary reprieve?

Last Judge

The Last Judge serves as Act 1’s formidable finale, a true trial of your reflexes and mastery. This boss is a rare combination of speed and size, making her exceptionally challenging. She masterfully manipulates a war thurible, tossing, spinning, and dragging it with lethal precision, demanding agile evasion. In later phases, the thurible ignites, unleashing dangerous waves of fire across the arena. Optimal positioning and swift reactions are paramount to surviving this intense encounter.

Cogwork Dancers

Unlike many bosses that test your strategic prowess, the Cogwork Dancers challenge your emotions. This perfectly synchronized duo of automaton performers gracefully moves across the arena, making their actions relatively predictable as they subtly telegraph their next moves. Occasionally, they’ll converge in the center for a powerful, embracing attack. The fight unfolds in four phases, gradually increasing in speed and desynchronization until you destroy one dancer by the end of the third. The heartbreaking final phase sees the remaining dancer mournfully continue their performance alone, a surprisingly straightforward yet poignant conclusion.

Lace (Rematch)

Your second encounter with Lace in the Citadel mirrors your first in Deep Docks, though her attack sequences are significantly faster. Her somersault dash now leaves behind three volatile orbs that detonate moments after appearing. Utilize the vertical walls flanking the platform for swift repositioning and quick strikes. The true test emerges in Lace’s final phase, where her area-of-effect flurry and forward thrusts become incredibly rapid and relentless. During this phase, consider using tools like cogflies and tacks for consistent passive damage. If you find yourself struggling to survive, the Fractured Mask can provide a crucial shield, granting you the precious seconds needed to finally overcome Hornet’s determined rival.

Grand Mother Silk

Grand Mother Silk takes her place among Hollow Knight’s revered higher beings. While defeating her offers one of Silksong’s endings, it’s merely a prelude to the true conclusion of Hornet’s saga, acting as the key to unlock the game’s third act. Grand Mother Silk dominates the arena with a flurry of needles, launched with precise horizontal and vertical trajectories. Utilizing your clawline is crucial for evading these attacks, though you can also pogo off the needles in an emergency. In the first phase, deploy tacks across the floor for passive damage, then prioritize dodging until she collapses, taking significant poison damage. While the needles are a threat, her silk attacks pose the greatest danger. This web, a variant of the Cogwork Dancers’ AoE, deals substantial damage upon contact. You have only a fraction of a second to find safety as the silk threads materialize. Double jump and glide are essential, but you can also use healing or silkspear to momentarily suspend yourself. In her second phase, you’ll juggle evading silk and needles while contending with falling rocks and emerging floor spikes, which can corner you. Patience is vital, as healing opportunities are scarce. Rely on passive damage tools like cogflies. Thankfully, this phase is considerably shorter, so a few well-placed hits should bring her down.

Groal the Great

Before confronting Groal the Great, you must endure several waves of enemies including Stilkins, Trappers, and Swamp Squits. Thread Storm is invaluable here as a close-range area-of-effect attack, swiftly dealing with nearby foes. It’s especially potent against Stilkins and their relentless poison darts. Stay on the left-hand ledge to avoid the swinging trap between waves, and use elevated positions to pogo off Trappers. Exploding Squits damage other enemies, so exploit this when they appear. Double jump and glide will greatly assist in navigating the arena. Once all five waves are cleared, Groal the Great emerges. Ironically, the maggot-infested water in this region is the safest zone; while submerged, you’re immune to Groal’s vacuum suction and soul projectile attacks. The primary dangers are Groal’s poison projectiles, his massive size, and the numerous traps and enemies throughout the fight. Since silk powers are unusable in water, rely on tools like curveclaw, trip mines, and cogflies for minion control. Keep an eye out for Groal diving and resurfacing, as this presents a prime opportunity for a quick strike.

Trobbio

Trobbio, the self-proclaimed “Master of the Stage, the Brush, and the Voice,” is a theatrical bug traversing Pharloom in search of an appreciative audience. Hornet finds herself with a front-row seat to his performance, which includes summoning a dazzling line of fireworks with a dramatic flap of his butterfly wings. These projectiles explode into vertical and diagonal cross patterns, so maintaining a low profile on stage is advisable. Beware of Trobbio’s spin attack; while his initial charge is simple to dodge, the twin cyclones he unleashes upon slowing down can inflict considerable damage. Despite his challenging nature, Trobbio is one of Silksong’s more amiable adversaries. Maintain consistent pressure, and you’ll bring his show to a swift close.

Shrine Guardian Seth

Seth, an ancient guardian claiming to be chosen by the Voice, possesses immense strength and endurance. He can absorb attacks with his shield before lunging with his pin, making him extremely dangerous up close. Rather than trying to break his guard, it’s more effective to dodge his aggressive attacks and retaliate once his animations conclude. Periodically, Seth will position himself, leap, throw his shield at Hornet, then swiftly teleport to the other side to retrieve it after it bounces. He can also toss his shield across the room and even teleport directly to its location to quickly close the gap. His most perilous attack is an area-of-effect shockwave unleashed when he plunges his shield into the floor. Outside of the game, Seth carries a touching legacy: he is a fan-created character dedicated to Seth Goldman, a Hollow Knight enthusiast who passed away. As Goldman himself expressed, “Seth’s really cool.” After defeating him, you can find Seth as a benevolent wandering NPC throughout Pharloom.

Skarrsinger Karmelita

Skarrsinger Karmelita, a regal ant monarch, performs a deadly dance, and interrupting her comes with great risk. She is an elusive foe, twirling her dual-bladed daggers and gracefully flipping through the air. When she leaps to the stage’s edge, sharp spikes burst from the ground directly in her path, so resist the impulse to dash in for a quick strike. Before engaging Karmelita herself, be ready to face a relentless horde of red ant minions. This preliminary challenge can deplete your health significantly, so arm yourself with effective close-range area-of-effect abilities for swift dispatch. Karmelita’s true difficulty emerges in her second phase, where her attacks accelerate dramatically. Hornet’s battle with Karmelita is a memorable performance—just don’t let stage fright get the better of you.

Sharpe

Steel Assassin Sharpe, though absent from the core game, is anticipated to be a major character in Silksong’s upcoming DLC. This accomplished bug hunter has set his sights on Hornet. Sharpe is expected to play a crucial role in Pharloom’s unfolding lore and will likely be accompanied by two allies during his encounters. One companion notably resembles Steel Soul Jinn, a mysterious merchant from Dirtmouth with unknown allegiances. Hornet’s journey will undoubtedly reveal Sharpe’s true motives. With these boss insights, you’re better prepared for the challenges ahead. Remember to collect Mask Shards and Pale Oil to enhance your health and damage. Additionally, a strong selection of Silksong tools will be vital for navigating the toughest situations.