Practical guides for Hornet's journey through Pharloom — boss strategies, the Tools and Crests system, Bind healing, Silk, where to go when you're stuck, and every ending. Spoiler-light where it counts.
From your first hours in Pharloom to the true final boss. New guides added regularly.
Release date, price, and everything Team Cherry has confirmed about the free 2026 expansion.
02All 30 Lost Fleas across Pharloom — Caravan milestones, Vog hint-seller, Egg of Flealia reward, and search tips.
03Tick off all 100 completion items — Tools, Mask Shards, Crests, Abilities and more — with progress saved in your browser.
04Pick a Crest, toggle Memory Locket slots, and assign Red/Blue/Yellow Tools — your build saves to your browser.
05Which Crest to choose for your playstyle, the three Blue Tools every loadout needs, and complete setups for aggressive, survival and exploration runs.
06Every category that counts toward 100%, the Act 3 locked 7%, and a region-by-region order to clear it all.
07How Silk, Bind healing, Crests and Tools work — and what to know before you start.
08The full 43-boss roster by act — mandatory vs optional, with tips for the toughest.
09The Act 1 finale — all three phases and the Dying Wish surprise that catches everyone out.
10The true final boss — how to unlock the Act 3 fight and a phase-by-phase strategy.
11The Crest system, Red/Blue/Yellow Tool slots, Memory Lockets, and strong combos.
12Why Bind costs your whole Silk spool, the interrupt penalty, and Tools that improve it.
13How to build Silk, the three ways to spend it, and expanding your spool to 18 strands.
14What they do, why you keep them on death, the best farming spots, and raising your cap.
15Escaping Far Fields, the Drifter's Cloak, fast travel, and finding your next destination.
16All five endings, how to unlock the hidden Act 3, and the true Sister of the Void ending.
17Main story vs 100% times, why the opt-in Act 3 changes the answer, areas and bosses.
18How to unlock permadeath mode, the rules and exceptions, exclusive content, and survival tips.
Hollow Knight: Silksong released on 4 September 2025 from developer Team Cherry, after a long and famous wait following its 2019 announcement. It launched across PC, Nintendo Switch (and Switch 2), PlayStation and Xbox, and was included in Xbox Game Pass on day one. A free content update and a physical edition have been announced for after launch, continuing Team Cherry's support of the game.
No — Silksong is a standalone sequel and is fully playable without having finished the original Hollow Knight. You play as Hornet rather than the Knight, in a new kingdom called Pharloom with new systems (Silk, Bind healing, Crests and Tools). Series fans will recognise characters and lore connections, but newcomers can start here. That said, Hollow Knight veterans should expect Hornet to play faster and more aggressively.
You play as Hornet, who is faster than the Knight, has a longer Needle reach, can heal in mid-air, and has a parry. Silk replaces Soul and is earned by attacking; Bind replaces Focus and heals three masks at once for the whole spool. Crests and Tools replace Charms, Rosaries replace Geo as currency, and the game has an explicit three-act structure with five endings, the best of which are tied to an opt-in Act 3.
Yes — Hollow Knight: Silksong was included in Xbox Game Pass (Ultimate and PC Game Pass) on its day-one launch, including cloud streaming. It is also available to buy on PC (Steam and GOG), Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, PlayStation, and Xbox. Game Pass availability can change over time, so check your subscription tier for current details, but at launch it was a day-one title.
One email when new Silksong guides drop. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.