What is the Silkshot in Hollow Knight: Silksong?

Before diving into the upgrades, it's important to understand the base ability. The Silkshot is one of Hornet's core tools, allowing her to fire a thread of silk that can grapple onto ledges, pull objects, and even strike enemies from a distance. It's essential for navigating the vertical and complex environments of Pharloom. However, its true potential is only realized once you begin discovering its powerful, hidden forms.

How to Unlock the Piercing Silkshot

The first variation you're likely to encounter is the Piercing Silkshot. This upgrade transforms your standard silk thread into a hardened, needle-like projectile that can penetrate the armor of tougher enemies and shatter specific weak walls, opening up new shortcuts and secret areas.

Location: The Gilded Catacombs

To find this upgrade, you must venture deep into the Gilded Catacombs, a mid-game area filled with traps and heavily armored foes. Progress through the area until you find a large, sealed golden door. To open it, you must activate two levers hidden in adjacent chambers, each guarded by challenging platforming sequences. Once inside, you will face the Golden Sentinel, a hulking mini-boss. Its heavy armor deflects most standard attacks, but its patterns are slow and predictable. Defeating the Sentinel will reward you with the Piercing Silkshot, allowing you to finally break through its tough exterior and explore the rest of the catacombs with ease.

How to Unlock the Barbed Silkshot

The Barbed Silkshot is a combat-focused upgrade that adds a vicious edge to Hornet's abilities. When this shot hits an unarmored enemy, it latches on and inflicts a bleed effect, dealing damage over time. This is incredibly useful for whittling down bosses and other high-health targets while you focus on dodging. Additionally, it can be fired into specific mossy or wooden surfaces to create temporary swing points.

Location: The Moss-Grown Citadel

Acquiring this variation requires a specific tool: the Weaver's Crest, found in a hidden alcove in the Deep Docks. With the crest equipped, make your way to the Moss-Grown Citadel. You will find a chamber known as the "Trial of Thorns." The Weaver's Crest will react to a pedestal in the center, initiating the trial. This challenge doesn't involve a boss, but rather a grueling gauntlet of fast-moving, aggressive flora and fauna. Surviving the waves and reaching the end of the trial will bestow upon you the Barbed Silkshot, a testament to your combat prowess.

How to Unlock the Gossamer Silkshot

The final and most powerful variation is the Gossamer Silkshot, a tool that masterfully blends utility and offense. When fired, it bursts on impact, releasing a wide net of fine silk that temporarily slows any enemies caught within it. More importantly, by holding down the cast button, Hornet can charge the shot. When a charged shot is fired into the air, it creates a small, temporary silk platform, allowing you to recover from a missed jump or reach previously inaccessible heights.

Location: The Spire of Whispers

This is a late-game upgrade intended for true masters of the game. You must first reach the very peak of the Spire of Whispers, one of the final and most difficult areas in Pharloom. At the apex, you will find a serene, silent chamber. By using a special locket—a quest item obtained much earlier—you can challenge the secret boss of the area: the Loom Mother. This ethereal, fast-moving boss uses complex silk-based attacks that will test your reflexes and mastery of Hornet's entire moveset. Victory is hard-won, but your reward is the Gossamer Silkshot, a tool that will prove invaluable for uncovering the last of Pharloom's secrets and facing the kingdom's ultimate challenge.