Hollow Knight Silksong Silk Skills: Where to Find Them

One of the most intriguing progression systems in Hollow Knight: Silksong is its special combat techniques—Silk Skills. These aren’t just upgrades; they’re unique Hornet abilities built around the use of silk. They boost damage, add new defensive options, and make fights more dynamic. So what exactly are Silk Skills, and where can you find each of them? Let’s break it down.

What are Silk Skills in Hollow Knight: Silksong?

Silk Skills in Hollow Knight: Silksong are special combat techniques that Hornet can unleash by spending silk. Unlike simple upgrades, these are dynamic abilities that expand her offensive and defensive toolkit. They can be discovered across Pharloom by defeating bosses, exploring hidden chambers, or completing quests.

Key abilities include:

• Silkspear – hurl the needle forward with amplified force.
• Thread Storm – conjure a swirling storm of silk threads around Hornet.
• Cross Stitch – deflect enemy attacks and instantly counter.
• Sharpdart – dash through foes in a flash of silk and steel.
• Rune Rage – inscribe destructive runes upon enemies.
• Pale Nails – summon homing silk-formed talons that hunt down targets.

These skills enrich Hornet’s combat style, offering players flexibility to adapt to different challenges and enemy encounters.

Silk mechanic in Hollow Knight: Silksong

In Hollow Knight: Silksong, Hornet doesn’t have the Knight’s “Soul” system. Instead, she uses Silk, a special resource that fuels both healing and combat techniques.

The idea is simple: the more you attack, the faster your spool of silk fills up. This makes battles feel very fast-paced, since the game encourages you to stay aggressive and keep pushing forward instead of playing it safe.

The biggest difference from the original is healing. Hornet restores health instantly, without the long animation the Knight had. That makes fights much quicker and more dynamic — but there’s a drawback. You can heal fewer masks at once, and the cost of each heal is higher. So every fight becomes a choice: do you spend silk on healing right now, or use it for offense and try to avoid damage altogether?

This mechanic completely changes the flow of the game. Where Hollow Knight rewarded patience and careful play, Silksong pushes you into a bold, risky, aggressive style. Silk becomes the engine of that style, turning every encounter into a balance of defense and attack. And it’s also thanks to Silk that Hornet can use her unique Silk Skills, powerful techniques you’ll discover throughout Pharloom.

What Silk Skills are there, and where can you find them?

In Hollow Knight: Silksong, there are six different Silk Skills, each unlocking a unique combat move for Hornet. Some boost her offense, others provide defense or let her strike multiple enemies at once. Together, they form the backbone of her combat system and give players the freedom to adjust their playstyle. Let’s look at them one by one:

Silkspear

This is a forward needle throw, enhanced by silk. It’s great for ranged attacks and keeping enemies at a distance. Players can obtain Silkspear in the region of Mosshome. To reach it, you first need to pass through The Marrow and find a merchant named Shakra, who lives in the northwestern part of that area. From there, the path leads into Mosshome, where a shrine containing the skill is hidden. The ability itself is located at the top of a large hall, just beyond the Moss Druid’s Cave. Keep in mind that this area only becomes accessible after progressing far enough in the main story, so you won’t be able to grab it right at the start.

Thread Storm

Hornet unleashes her needle in a swirling vortex of silk, damaging all enemies around her. This ability is especially useful when surrounded or fighting groups of foes, as it provides strong area control.

To unlock Thread Storm, players must travel to the Greymoor region. The skill is located in Craw Lake, at the very top of the area — directly above the lake itself. Access to this zone is blocked at the beginning of the game and only becomes available after certain story progression.

Once Hornet reaches Craw Lake, she’ll need to overcome a series of tricky platforming sections and enemies before reaching the top of the zone. There, she’ll find the artifact that grants the Thread Storm skill. From that moment on, the ability can be used immediately in combat.

Cross Stitch

This technique lets Hornet wrap her needle in silk, deflect an enemy’s strike, and immediately counterattack. It’s especially valuable in battles against aggressive foes and bosses, since it turns their offense into your advantage.

The Cross Stitch skill is unlocked in the Exhaust Organ area, which can be reached through the Mist region. To obtain it, the player must defeat a special enemy — The Phantom. The fight is tense and demanding: the Phantom attacks in rapid combos, forcing you to rely on precise dodges and quick counterstrikes.

Once defeated, Hornet acquires the Cross Stitch ability, adding a powerful defensive-counter tool to her arsenal.

Sharpdart

This technique allows Hornet to perform a sudden dash-pierce through enemies with a sharpened strike, then follow up with smaller finishing blows. It’s a highly aggressive move that works both for breaking enemy lines and chaining fast combos.

The Sharpdart skill is located in the Wormways region, specifically in the Weavenest Karn area. To reach it, several requirements must be met: Hornet needs to already possess the Needolin ability, and you’ll also need a Simple Key.

Here’s how it plays out: first, purchase the Simple Key from a merchant found in Bone Bottom. With the key in hand, head into the Wormways and make your way toward Weavenest Karn. Along the path, you’ll face platforming challenges, jumps that require the Clawline, and sections where Needolin is essential. Eventually, you’ll find a locked door. Open it with the Simple Key and you’ll uncover a hidden chamber containing the Sharpdart skill.

Rune Rage

When activated, Hornet surrounds herself with runes that detonate after a short delay, dealing explosive damage to nearby enemies. This ability is especially effective against groups or in tight arenas, where foes have little room to escape the blast.

The Rune Rage skill is found in The Slab. To access it, you’ll need the Key of Apostate — and throughout this area, two other keys are also mentioned: the Key of Indolent and the Key of Heretic.

The skill itself is hidden behind a locked door that specifically requires the Key of Apostate. Once you acquire the key and open the chamber, you’ll find the artifact that grants Hornet the Rune Rage ability.

Pale Nails

By pressing the skill or tool button (without holding up or down), Hornet summons three spectral nails that hover behind her for a few seconds. After a brief delay, they automatically home in on the nearest enemies. Each nail deals damage equal to a standard Needle Strike, so if all three connect with the same target, the total damage is effectively tripled.

The Pale Nails skill is located in The Cradle, specifically in a tall vertical chamber just north of its junction with Cog Core. To reach it, you’ll need the Silk Soar ability — without it, ascending the chamber is impossible. Once you have the skill, make your way up and claim the artifact that grants Pale Nails.

All Silksong Powerups and Where To Find Them: Abilities Location

Now that we’ve broken down how the silk mechanic works and explored the unique Silk Skills, it’s time to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. In Silksong, progression isn’t limited to silk-based abilities alone — the game offers a whole range of power-ups that expand Hornet’s capabilities and keep the gameplay fresh.

Below, you’ll find our guide to All Silksong Powerups and Where to Find Them: Abilities Location. This resource is designed for players who want to unlock Hornet’s full potential and make sure they don’t miss out on any important upgrades along their journey.