Hollow Knight: Silksong Walkthrough — All Acts, Bosses and the True Ending (2026)
Hollow Knight: Silksong is one of the most anticipated sequels in gaming history: Team Cherry released it on September 4, 2025 after seven years of development, and it surpasses the original in scale. There are 48 bosses, three acts and the vast kingdom of Pharloom you've been cast into against your will. You are the huntress princess Hornet, and this guide will walk you from the Marrow Grotto to the true ending in the Abyss.
Basics: mechanics to understand right away
- Silk is the game's currency: spend it on maps, tools and upgrades. Prioritize maps — without them Pharloom becomes a maze.
- Silk Heart is your health ("masks"). Silk Heart shards found in the world increase the maximum.
- Benches are save and heal points. Always look for a bench before a boss.
- Shakra is the wandering cartographer. In every area, buy her map, compass and pins first.
- Crests change your playstyle: Reaper for combat, Architect for spells, Witch for poison builds. You can only swap them at benches.
- Tools are consumables crafted from found materials: from bell traps to volt-orbs.
- Lost Fleas are collectible pets. Find all five and the flea caravan will carry you to the Mirelands, skipping the boss Moorwing.
Act 1 route: Pharloom
| Area | Main goals | Boss |
|---|---|---|
| Marrow Grotto | Tutorial, first bench, way down | Moss Mother → access to the Marrow |
| The Marrow & Mosshome | Map from Shakra, the Silk Spear ability | Bell Beast → Silk Heart and bellways (fast travel) |
| Deep Docks | The Swift Step ability | Lace → path to the Far Fields |
| Far Fields | Wanderer's Cloak from the seamstress | Fourth Chorus |
| Greymoor | Thread Storm at Lake Karn, Reaper Crest | Moorwing (skippable via the fleas) |
| Shellwood | Vertical sections | Sister Splinter → Cling Grip |
| Belltown | Restore the town, weapon upgrades | Widow → Needolin |
After Belltown the path opens to the Ruined Steps: mandatory bosses Last Judge at the Grand Gate and Phantom atop the Exit Organ. Then comes Act 2.
Act 2: the Citadel
The Citadel is huge: Choral Chambers, Whispering Vaults, White Halls and the Grand Mechanism. The key to the act finale is the Triple Melody: gather the Conductor's Melody (Upper Chambers), the Vaultkeeper's Melody (Whispering Vaults) and the Architect's Melody (Grand Mechanism — solved via a puzzle). Mandatory bosses along the way: the Cogwork Dancers (a teleporting duo with thread trails), the Forebrothers Signis and Gron (a two-on-one duel in Deep Docks) and optional ones — Trobbio with his tornadoes and bombs, plus the sparring match with Garmond and Zaza.
With all three melodies, return to Songclave and play the Needolin at the lift — it lowers you into the Cradle. There: the second fight with Lace and the act's final boss. Beating it shows an "ending", but it's not the end.
Act 3: the Abyss and the true ending
After the Citadel finale, return to Pharloom: the Void has crept into the world. The outskirts open new zones — the Karak Sands (Voltvirm and the Rampaging Shellfly bosses, the Shellcleaver weapon), Mount Fay (Faydown Cloak) and Bilewater (the boss Groal the Great and the Seeker Soul). In parallel, close out the wishboard quests in the Marrow, Belltown and Songclave — it matters for the finale.
Act 3 is a vertical odyssey: the Grand Gate, the sanctuary warden Seth with shield and needle, the levitating Nyleth (a fight with no floor — only walls and ceiling), the Bellgorger at the station, the Clover Dancers and Crust King Khann. Everything converges in the Abyss, where Lost Lace waits at the bottom — the true final boss with three phases: tentacle combos with parries, homing projectiles, then the arena collapsing, Void waves and swarms of blades. Victory unlocks the true ending.
Key bosses: tactics
Moss Mother
Diagonal charges — dodge or get behind her; rockfall — watch the shadows; kill the servant bugs immediately. In phase two a second Moss Mother appears — focus one down.
Bell Beast
Stay near the center and read the floor tremors. The straight charge — jump over and strike from above; the arc leap — walk under it; meet rolling bells at the arena edge. Heal only after a stagger: his final roar hits the whole arena.
Lace (Deep Docks)
First encounter: parry and punish after her lunges. In the second fight (the Cradle) she adds jump series and Void splashes — don't get greedy after a parry, back off.
Sister Splinter
Strike in the pauses between claw swipes, cut the spikes, prioritize summoned fliers. Reward: Cling Grip, opening return paths.
Widow
Bells fly vertically and diagonally — dodge sideways, not backward. During the "bell rain" claim a clear zone of the arena and don't leave it.
Cogwork Dancers
The duo vanishes and leaves threads along their routes — memorize the trajectories and don't stand on the lines. When they converge at the center — move to the edge.
Trobbio
The tornado splits into two directions after the spin ends — hop away in advance. With the bombs, don't panic: the blast wave is telegraphed by sound.
Crust King Khann
The whole arena gets marked with dust: pillars erupt exactly there. Keep reserve space, stand in the gaps between marks and punish after the rockfall.
Lost Lace
Three phases, almost no downtime. Phase one: practiced parries and short combos. Phase two: homing projectiles are avoided by rolling under the boss. Phase three: just survive — collapses, waves and blade swarms leave no windows for greed. Use your best tools and sturdy crests (Architect for spells or Reaper for honest melee).
Tips for the whole run
- Maps decide everything. Find Shakra in each area first — it saves hours of wandering.
- The wishboard in villages gives quests with big rewards and affects the Act 3 finale.
- Don't ignore Belltown: restoring the town unlocks base weapon upgrades, without which late bosses drag on.
- Fleas save nerves: the caravan skips Moorwing — one of the most punishing early bosses.
- The bench is your friend: before anything big, save and rebuild your crest for the coming fight.
FAQ
How many bosses are in Silksong? 48 according to Rock Paper Shotgun: 11 in Act 1, 17 in Act 2 and 20 in Act 3, including rematches and optional ones.
How many acts are there? Three. The Act 2 finale shows an "ending", but the true conclusion only unlocks after Act 3.
Is there Steel Soul? Yes, the permadeath mode with unique challenges and bosses is available after completing the game.
What should I upgrade first? Silk Spear and maps, then weapons in Belltown, then whatever fits your crest.
This guide is based on the September 2025 version of the game. Tell us in the comments which boss is blocking you — we'll break down its moveset in detail.