Conquer Every Challenge: A Complete Guide to All Hollow Knight Silksong Bosses

Ready to face every challenge in Silksong? The world of Pharloom is bustling with creatures of all kinds, but some are far more menacing than others. Just like its predecessor, Hollow Knight, Silksong features deceptively tough combat. This guide provides all the boss strategies you’ll need to defeat every main and optional foe and conquer Pharloom.

Boss encounters are a core part of this genre, and Hollow Knight Silksong delivers plenty of formidable foes for Hornet to overcome. You’ll encounter a total of 48 bosses, comprising 18 main bosses and 30 optional ones (some of which are repeat encounters) scattered throughout the expansive Silksong world. While some boss fights are essential for progression, others can be bypassed entirely or approached via alternative paths. Be aware that this guide contains major spoilers!

All Silksong bosses, locations, and rewards

Our complete list of every Silksong boss is split into all main and optional bosses to help you differentiate between the boss fights that are mandatory for progression and the ones that you can either ignore or beat later.

Here is every Silksong boss in order:

All main Silksong bosses

All optional Silksong bosses

How to beat Silksong bosses

Finding every Silksong boss can be difficult enough, but beating them is more often than not an even greater challenge. We’ve included a selection of boss strategies to help you get past some of the fiercest foes that Pharloom has to offer.

Moss Mother

Moss Mother is your very first boss encounter in Silksong, designed as a gentle introduction to fundamental platforming and combat mechanics. She typically hovers on either side of the arena, staying just within striking distance of Hornet’s needle when you reach the peak of your jump. Keep an eye out for her swift stinger attack, which you can easily evade with a well-timed jump. She also slams the ceiling, causing rocks to fall from above.

Landing several consecutive hits can stun Moss Mother; watch for the distinctive spinning halo above her head, signaling a perfect opportunity to land extra damage. During the later stages of the fight, Moss Mother replaces falling rocks with her offspring – a rather unconventional parenting style! Fortunately, these crawling nuisances are quickly defeated with two swift strikes of your needle, clearing the arena so you can focus on Moss Mother herself.

Bell Beast

The Bell Beast is ensnared in a silken web, but don’t expect a warm welcome after you liberate her with your Silkspear. Instead, she unleashes her fury upon you. She dives beneath the scattered bells of the arena, erupting from the ground with surprising speed to charge or pounce at Hornet.

While the Bell Beast’s attack patterns are relatively simple, her relentless aggression can quickly overwhelm you, particularly when she begins flinging bells across the arena. Taming this feisty foe requires patience and precise movement. Once defeated, the Bell Beast will serve as a valuable fast travel mount throughout Silksong, reminiscent of the Last Stag from the original Hollow Knight.

Lace

Lace presents another crucial skill check, specifically demanding mastery of Hornet’s dash ability. This nimble, arrogant fencer uses her pin with lethal precision, executing a series of forward thrusts, sweeping attacks, and a stationary flurry.

Hornet’s initial clash with Lace echoes the Knight’s encounters with Hornet in the original Hollow Knight, promising several rematches throughout your journey. Surviving this first meeting unscathed – and avoiding the lava pools bordering the single platform in the boss arena – requires careful timing. Subsequent encounters will also test your evolving skills.

You’ll face Lace multiple times throughout your adventure, with her subsequent appearances offering increasingly difficult challenges.

Fourth Chorus

Fourth Chorus is among the largest bosses encountered in Hollow Knight, and his many limbs necessitate a cautious, defensive strategy. You might spot him resting peacefully on your journey to the Seamstress, but he only awakens after you’ve acquired the Drifter’s Cloak. Your sole target for damage is his face, which Hornet can comfortably strike at the height of her jump.

Similar to the Lace encounter, this battle unfolds on a platform above lava, though this platform is considerably less stable. Fourth Chorus will frequently plunge his limbs into the fiery pool, obliterating sections of the platform in his wake. He also executes a wide horizontal swipe across the entire arena, often necessitating a jump-dash combination to avoid both the attack and a molten demise.

Should no solid ground be available, the Drifter’s Cloak allows you to glide on wind currents at the arena’s edges, though this situation is fortunately uncommon. Later in the fight, Fourth Chorus will strike the ceiling, dislodging a cascade of molten rocks. These are generally easy to evade, but remain vigilant as the boss continues his regular attacks while they fall.

Moorwing

Moorwing is a hidden boss, surprisingly easy to overlook even for the most thorough explorers of Pharloom. Yet, finding him is arguably the simplest part; should you stumble upon Moorwing, you might soon regret it. This formidable moth is a whirlwind of blades and malice, and his ceaseless attacks can put you on the defensive before the fight truly begins.

Navigating his razor-sharp feet and an onslaught of boomerang blades, maintaining a defensive stance is crucial. Every opportunity to strike Moorwing must be carefully considered. With the right approach, even this challenging foe can be overcome, perhaps with a touch of clever strategy.

Sister Splinter

Sister Splinter, the formidable area boss of Shellwood, can prove incredibly frustrating without an effective battle plan. Unique among bosses, she hangs from the ceiling for the entire fight, using her enormous claws to swipe at Hornet. If you don’t keep her in check, she’ll swiftly corner you with a barrage of thorny vines, trapping you amidst the spinning leaf insects she summons. With smart tactics, you can dismantle her defenses and bring this challenging foe down.

Skull Tyrant

The Skull Tyrant is a massive rendition of the common skull scuttlers and brutes found in the Marrow. Despite his imposing size, he’s not significantly more difficult than his smaller kin. With the right approach, you can easily navigate the perilous challenges within this skeletal behemoth’s subterranean domain.

Though the Skull Tyrant is located in one of the game’s initial regions, you can only confront this boss once you’ve acquired Hornet’s wall jump ability. Remember to revisit Bone Bottom later to fulfill the “Terrible Tyrant” quest for a generous reward of rosaries. Be aware, however, that after defeating the Skull Tyrant, another of its kind will eventually emerge in Bone Bottom, seeking vengeance.

Widow

The Widow has ensnared the townsfolk of Bellhart in her intricate silken web, and she won’t release them without a fierce struggle. This is where Hornet, with her trusty Needle, steps in. As a key main boss, the Widow represents a significant leap in difficulty from Fourth Chorus. Her barrage of lethal fury swipes and a constant downpour of bells from above leaves you with minimal breathing room, let alone opportunities to strike. Surviving her deadly final phase will require immense patience and precise execution.

Savage Beastfly

The Savage Beastfly is an optional boss hidden within the Chapel of the Beast, reachable only by riding a specific wind current with Hornet’s Drifter’s Cloak. Similar to the smaller flies found throughout Pharloom, the Savage Beastfly will charge horizontally at Hornet once she enters its line of sight.

The most daunting aspect of this fight is contending with the overwhelming number of smaller flies the Savage Beastfly summons with each piercing scream. If you find yourself struggling to navigate the swarm, focused strategies can help you effectively dispatch this irritating foe.

Great Conchflies

The Great Conchflies serve as a crucial stepping-stone boss, bringing you closer to the Citadel Gate. These enormous coneflies burrow through the floor, ceiling, and walls, maintaining their trajectory across the entire boss arena. Their high speed and erratic movements make them challenging to follow, but you can anticipate their emergence by observing the telltale dust clouds at their next location.

This battle isn’t overly difficult, especially with good positioning. Be wary when they momentarily cease their drilling to launch a projectile dart that travels diagonally and ricochets off the arena walls. The encounter concludes once you defeat one of them and the other retreats – but is it truly the end of their threat?

Last Judge

The Last Judge marks the climactic boss of Act 1, a true trial for your combat instincts. She’s a rare Silksong adversary, combining both speed and formidable size, making her exceptionally tough to defeat. Wielding a war thurible with deadly precision, she tosses, spins, and drags it around the arena, requiring agile movement to evade. In the later phases, the Last Judge ignites her thurible, engulfing the room in lethal fire waves. Mastering your positioning will be key to conquering this intense battle.

Cogwork Dancers

While many Silksong bosses demand strategic prowess, the Cogwork Dancers also tug at your heartstrings. This identical pair of automaton performers gracefully dance in perfect synchronicity around the arena, making their movements quite predictable. They clearly telegraph their actions just before execution, and sometimes converge at center stage for a powerful, synchronized embrace attack.

The battle unfolds across four phases, progressively accelerating and becoming less synchronized until one dancer is destroyed at the conclusion of the third phase. What follows is a final phase that is both heartbreaking and relatively simple, as the remaining dancer continues their melancholic performance alone. Be ready for an emotional moment.

Grand Mother Silk

Grand Mother Silk takes her place among Hollow Knight’s revered higher beings, alongside figures like the Pale King, the White Lady, and the Radiance. She is also the boss whose defeat unlocks a primary ending for Silksong… or is it? While you can see the credits roll after vanquishing her, it’s merely a gateway to Act 3 of Hornet’s ongoing saga – provided you can overcome her first.

Grand Mother Silk dominates the arena with an arsenal of needles, launching them horizontally and vertically with incredible accuracy. Your clawline ability is essential for dodging these assaults, though you can also “pogo” off the needles if cornered. Tacks prove highly effective in this initial phase; deploy them across the floor, then concentrate on evasion until Grand Mother Silk collapses, suffering significant poison damage.

While the needles are troublesome, the silk attacks pose the true threat. Grand Mother Silk’s web attack is a variation of the AoE seen with the Cogwork Dancers, but it deals substantial damage on contact. You’ll have only a fleeting moment to find a safe spot when the silk threads begin to form, so react quickly. Double jump and glide are standard evasive maneuvers, but consider using your heal or silkspear to temporarily suspend yourself in place.

In her second phase, Grand Mother Silk forces you to simultaneously dodge her silk and needles, all while rocks descend from the ceiling and spikes erupt from the floor. These combined assaults can easily trap you in the arena’s corners. Patience is paramount, and avoiding unnecessary damage is key, as healing opportunities are scarce. Utilizing tools that deal passive damage, like cogflies, is highly recommended. Fortunately, this phase is significantly shorter than the first, so it won’t take many hits to finally defeat her.

Trobbio

Dubbed the “Master of the Stage, the Brush, and the Voice,” Trobbio is a flamboyant, fame-seeking performer who travels Pharloom in search of an audience. Hornet finds herself with a prime view of his spectacle as he conjures a burst of fireworks with an explosive beat of his butterfly wings. These projectiles explode into vertical and diagonal cross patterns, so it’s wise to stay low when he unleashes them across the stage.

Don’t overlook Trobbio’s spin attack; his initial charge is simple to dodge, but the twin cyclones that emanate from his position after he slows can inflict significant damage. Despite his difficulty, Trobbio is one of Silksong’s more amicable adversaries, more a friendly rival than a mortal enemy. Maintain offensive pressure, and his performance will conclude swiftly.

Shrine Guardian Seth

Seth, an ancient guardian who proclaims to be chosen by the Voice, possesses immense strength and endurance. He can absorb attacks with his shield, then lunge forward with his pin, making him extremely dangerous in close combat. It’s more effective to evade his aggressive attacks than to attempt breaking his guard; wait for him to complete his moves before counter-attacking.

Periodically, Seth will position himself on one side of Hornet, leap into the air, and hurl his shield at her, then swiftly teleport to the opposite side to retrieve it after it bounces. He can also throw his shield across the arena and even teleport directly to its location to rapidly cover ground. However, his most perilous attack is the area-of-effect shockwave he unleashes after plunging his shield into the floor.

Seth carries a poignant backstory beyond the game itself. He is a fan-created character, designed by Seth Goldman, a Hollow Knight enthusiast who sadly passed away from Ewing Sarcoma several years prior. In Goldman’s own words, “[Seth’s] really cool.” After defeating him, you can find Seth appearing as a wandering NPC across Pharloom.

Skarrsinger Karmelita

Skarrsinger Karmelita, a regal ant monarch, dances to her own rhythm; interrupt her performance at your own risk. She gracefully twirls her dual-bladed daggers and flips through the air, making her an elusive target. When she leaps to either side of the arena, a line of sharp spikes bursts from the ground directly in front of her, so resist the temptation to rush in for a quick strike.

Before confronting Karmelita herself, be prepared to overcome her relentless horde of red ant minions. This preliminary challenge can significantly deplete your health, so ensure you have sufficient close-range area-of-effect abilities to clear them swiftly. Karmelita’s true challenge emerges in her second phase, where she rapidly cycles through her attacks. Much like previous encounters in Hollow Knight, battling a deadly boss before an audience is a memorable experience, and Hornet’s dance with Karmelita is no exception. Stay focused and don’t let stage fright get the better of you.

Sharpe

Steel Assassin Sharpe is not present in the base game, but is anticipated to be a major character in future Silksong content or DLC. Sharpe is a highly skilled bug hunter, and Hornet is next on his list. He is expected to play a crucial role in Pharloom’s overarching lore. Furthermore, he is accompanied by two allies, who are also likely to appear during his encounters. One of Sharpe’s companions bears a striking resemblance to Steel Soul Jinn, a merchant from Dirtmouth with mysterious allegiances. We anticipate unraveling Sharpe’s true motivations as Hornet’s journey unfolds.

Now that you’re acquainted with the various Silksong bosses, it’s time to prepare for battle. We suggest collecting the most effective Mask Shards and Pale Oil during your exploration to secure crucial health and damage enhancements. Additionally, choosing the right Silksong Tools can provide a significant advantage in even the most challenging situations.