Hollow Knight: Silksong: Beginner's Guide

Getting Started in Silksong

Hornet is captured and taken to Pharloom, then escapes and starts climbing towards the Citadel. Hitting enemies builds silk, so the first thing to learn is how to gather it and spend it on Bind, which heals three masks. Benches heal you, set your respawn point and let you change Tools, Crests and Silk Skills.

Core Mechanics to Master

Bind spends a full spool of silk and can be used in mid-air, but if Hornet is hit during the bind the silk is wasted (Team Cherry describes it as all-or-nothing). Her down-attack depends on the equipped Crest; with the default Crest it is a diagonal dive rather than a straight pogo. Silk Skills use silk, and Cross Stitch is a dedicated parry-and-counter.

Tools, Crests, and Build Variety

Crests change Hornet's attack speed and range, her tool capacity and add a special mechanic. The Fextralife wiki lists seven: Hunter, Reaper (heavy arcing slashes, extra silk from enemies), Wanderer (quick, short strikes), Beast (binding enters a frenzy that drains enemy life), Witch (whip-like swings, life leech), Architect (spends silk to craft Tools quickly) and Shaman (empowers Silk Skills). More Crests unlock at key story moments. Red Tools are offensive and have limited charges restocked with Shell Shards at benches; blue and yellow Tools are passive or support.

Essential Tips & Tricks

1. Bind only when you have an opening — a hit during the bind wastes the silk.
2. Try different Crests — you can swap them at benches.
3. Restock red Tools with Shell Shards at benches before a boss.
4. Learn the diagonal down-attack — it is not a straight pogo with the default Crest.
5. Use Cross Stitch if you prefer parry-and-counter play.

First Major Boss: Moss Mother

According to the Fextralife wiki, Moss Mother in the Moss Grotto is the first boss you will meet. Wiki guides list three attacks: a Downward Sting (she coils in mid-air, dives with her stinger and slides across the floor; jump across her rather than in place), a Rock Drop (she slams the ceiling and light traces mark where three rocks will fall) and a Moss Minions attack (another ceiling slam, with light traces showing where the minions drop). Move into an open gap, kill the minions quickly since they can restore silk, and attack when you land behind her or while she is airborne. After enough hits she is stunned, and you can land one or two more hits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need to play Hollow Knight first?
A: Silksong is a standalone sequel, so it is not required, though Hornet appears in the first game and veterans will recognise more.

Q: How long is Silksong?
A: HowLongToBeat players report about 28 hours for the main story, about 48 with extras and about 66 for everything (figures as reported on our review page).

Q: Is it harder than Hollow Knight?
A: Critics most often noted that enemies deal more damage, that some boss runbacks are long and that there are no difficulty options.

Q: Is there DLC?
A: Team Cherry announced a free expansion, Sea of Sorrow, for 2026. No exact date had been confirmed when this page was checked.