Hollow Knight: Silksong - A Hunter's Guide to Pharloom

Last Updated: October 16, 2025

The long wait is over. After years of anticipation, Team Cherry's masterpiece follow-up, Hollow Knight: Silksong, has finally arrived, and it delivers a world that is bigger, faster, and arguably even more dangerous than Hallownest. As the agile Princess-Protector Hornet, you are captured and brought to the haunted kingdom of Pharloom. Your goal is singular: ascend to the shining Citadel at the kingdom's peak and uncover the truth behind your pilgrimage.

This guide is your essential companion for that perilous ascent. Whether you're a veteran of the first game's deepest corridors or a newcomer drawn in by the buzz, we'll provide the strategies, tips, and secrets you need to master Hornet's dance of combat and conquer the challenges that await in the land of silk and song.

Welcome to Pharloom: A New Kingdom to Explore

Forget the dark, oppressive caverns of Hallownest. Pharloom is a vibrant, diverse, and exceptionally vertical kingdom. From the bell-strewn corridors of the Gilded City and the shimmering coral of the Reef to the overgrown Moss Grotto and the industrial Deep Docks, each new biome presents a unique ecosystem of stunning visuals, distinct enemies, and cunning platforming challenges.

Exploration is driven by a new quest system. Throughout Pharloom, you’ll encounter a cast of over 100 new NPCs, many of whom will offer tasks and requests that are logged in Hornet's journal. Completing these quests will reward you with new tools, currency (Rosaries), and vital clues about the kingdom's history.

Mastering the Dance: Hornet's Movement and Combat

Hornet is not the Knight. She is faster, more acrobatic, and far more aggressive. Her movement is a fluid dance of high jumps, air dashes, mantling onto ledges, and lightning-fast strikes with her signature needle.

Combat has been significantly enhanced to match her agility. Hornet can heal much faster than the Knight by using her accumulated Silk to Bind her wounds, but this requires a full meter, demanding more strategic timing. The core of her arsenal lies in a vast array of new tools and abilities. You will gather materials from fallen foes and the environment to craft weapons, traps, and other items to suit your playstyle, from razor-sharp Pimpillo Bombs to piercing Sting Shards.

Conquering the Apex Predators of Pharloom

Silksong features over 160 new enemies, from tiny crawlers to towering behemoths, culminating in a series of breathtaking boss battles. These encounters are faster and more intricate than ever before, designed to test your mastery of Hornet’s entire moveset.

Foes like the deadly duelist Lace and the relentless Steel Assassin Sharpe will push your reflexes to their limit. Our in-depth boss guides will break down their attack patterns, identify key windows of opportunity, and suggest the most effective tool loadouts. Victory requires more than just brute force; it demands precision, pattern recognition, and a willingness to use every acrobatic trick in your arsenal.

Weaving Your Strength: Tools, Skills, and Crests

The familiar Charm system has been evolved. In Silksong, you'll customize Hornet’s abilities using a combination of Tools, permanent Skills learned from masters, and Crests that offer unique modifications. This system provides incredible flexibility, allowing you to tailor Hornet for exploration, heavy combat, or nimble evasion.

Finding the right combination is key to overcoming Pharloom's toughest challenges. This guide will highlight powerful synergies and help you locate the rarest materials and most potent skills, transforming Hornet from a hunted captive into an unstoppable apex hunter.

Unraveling the Song of Silk

While the gameplay is a masterclass in action-platforming, the narrative is a captivating mystery. Why was Hornet brought to this strange land? What is the curse that afflicts its inhabitants? And what secrets lie waiting in the Citadel at the kingdom's peak?

As with the original, the story of Silksong unfolds subtly through environmental storytelling, cryptic NPC dialogue, and item descriptions. Pay close attention to your surroundings and piece together the lore of this fallen kingdom to understand Hornet's true purpose. Our guide will help point out key narrative moments and secrets you won't want to miss on your journey to the top. Pharloom is waiting—it's time to begin your ascent.