Hollow Knight: Silksong's Top 5 Hardest Bosses Ranked (Community Edition)

Team Cherry, the small three-person studio behind the original Hollow Knight game, has once again taken the gaming world by storm with Silksong. The highly anticipated sequel was so eagerly awaited that its release temporarily crashed online gaming stores like Steam, PSN, and the Nintendo eShop.

For fans of Hollow Knight, this comes as no surprise; the game has been long teased and rumored, with many expecting its brutal difficulty and “silken smooth” gameplay.

But now, as players dive into the adventure, the question arises: which bosses are the toughest? To find out, we've compiled community rankings and feedback to present the five hardest bosses in Hollow Knight: Silksong!

(Note: Spoilers ahead!)

The 5 Hardest Bosses in Hollow Knight: Silksong

5. Lace – Your First True Challenge

The first boss to pose a true challenge in Silksong is “Lace.”

In our opinion, Lace is one of the most important bosses you'll encounter throughout the game. Not only in terms of story, but also in terms of gameplay, as Lace serves as a rather tough "skill check" before you progress to later parts of the game.

You will encounter Lace several times throughout the game, with the first encounter taking place deep in the Deep Docks. You will need to master the “Dash” ability, as many of Lace's moves require dashing to counter.

Lace is incredibly deadly and precise. Her quick attacks are sure to catch you off guard a few times. The surrounding lava doesn't make the fight any easier, so watch your movements to avoid falling into the lava pit.

But defeat her, and you can move on to the Far Fields; otherwise, you'll be stuck in purgatory, fighting a deadly fencer over and over again. Although it's not the worst battle to get stuck in, especially on a compact Mini-LED Gaming Monitor that enhances the experience.

4. Last Judge – Judgment is upon you

Next, we have the “Last Judge,” found at the Citadel Gate beyond the Devastated Steps. The Last Judge is the final boss in Act 1 and will prove to be a brutal challenge with her surprisingly fast and devastating moves.

She wields a massive, flail-like weapon with devastating effect, giving her an advantage in both close and long-range combat. For her size, she is surprisingly agile and fast, so you'll need to master her combos to defeat the Last Judge.

To keep up with her annoying speed, you might consider a crisp 120Hz Gaming Monitor so you don't miss a single frame!

Additionally, Last Judge is a three-phase boss. In the second phase, she ignites her flails with fire, adding fire rings, columns, and AOE fire ground slams.

What makes the fight against the Last Judge so agonizing, however, is the runback to her zone if you fail to defeat her on the first try.

It is clearly one of the most brutal runbacks in the game, requiring you to pass numerous enemies, insidious traps, and brutal platforms, all of which can cost you valuable resources before you even confront the Last Judge.

3. Widow – Fun until it isn't

Widow is the “curse” of Bellhart, the reason the city is shrouded in silken threads.

She is a member of the Weavers and is particularly deadly with her insane behavior and moves. In the fight against Widow, you don't get much time to breathe, as she constantly unleashes attacks from all directions.

She has a powerful area-of-effect attack that draws debris onto the field and flings bells at you from all directions, while constantly striking and lunging at you. Players have chimed in, saying that Widow was not only one of the hardest but also one of the longest fights in the game (so far) for them.

But you'll enjoy the challenge, as the fight is quite entertaining overall. She does have a lot of moves, though, so you'll probably need a few tries before you defeat the crazy fanatic.

2. Savage Beastfly – Truly Wild

You first encounter the Savage Beastfly deep in the Beast's Chapel in Hunter's March, slamming its head against a wall, showcasing its "savage" behavior. This is an optional boss, so you don't have to take on the fight. But if you choose to, beware of its frantic attacks.

Honestly, the Savage Beastfly itself isn't that difficult of a fight. It mainly charges at you from top to bottom and left to right, trying to hit you. There are many ways to stun it and deal damage. However, it gets problematic when it emits its "screech."

When it performs this move, it summons one (or two) bug mobs to attack you. If you don't manage this properly, you'll be swarmed from all directions and have to try to dodge multiple mobs and the Savage Beastfly.

Not the most complex in terms of game mechanics, but still a tedious fight for the uninitiated.

1. Grandmother Silk – A Frustrating Encounter with “Webby”

Grandmother Silk is the final boss of Act 2 and is located in the Cradle. Before you reach her, you will have to defeat Lace again in her second encounter.

Nevertheless, Grandmother Silk proves to be a deadly challenge, basically considering she is the final boss of Act 2.

She telepathically flings six needles at you from all directions and executes an AOE screen-wide attack with her webs. If you enrage her, her attacks become more frequent and harder to avoid.

The encounter with Grandmother Silk is one of the most challenging in Hollow Knight: Silksong, testing all your skills, especially since you need to effectively keep track of your movements to protect yourself from attacks.

It's also a real eye-catcher and one of the most striking battles in the game, perfect for on-the-go gaming with a portable monitor.

But overall, it is definitely a frustrating encounter, requiring special agility, and Hornet can suffer great damage and even death from just one hesitation.

Honorable Mention – Lost Lace

The bosses we've mentioned so far are all confined to Act 2. But players might be surprised (not really) that there's an Act 3 and the "true" final boss of the game is none other than your nemesis, Lace.

Well, in this case, "Lost Lace."

Lost Lace is a more powerful, "dark" version of Lace, infused with dark powers by Grandmother Silk. As far as we've seen, these dark powers are just "tendrils" that sprout from her attacks. Additionally, more abominations, traps, and projectiles rush at you.

Defeating Lost Lace unlocks the "true ending," and as the final boss encounter, it is rightly considered by the community to be the hardest fight in the game.

The “True” Hardest “Bosses” in Hollow Knight: SilkSong

While the bosses certainly present the greatest challenge throughout the game, there are some demonstrably "harder" aspects of the game that can be considered the true "bosses" of Hollow Knight: Silksong:

Runbacks to a Boss

Sure, some bosses will be manageable for experienced players without much challenge. Others, however, are incredibly tough fights with complex mechanics and movesets to memorize.

What both have in common, however, is that "runbacks" (running back to challenge a boss again after a failed encounter) are far more demanding in most cases. The routes are typically filled with hard-hitting mobs, deadly traps, and frustrating platforming elements.

In most cases, these aspects are far more annoying than the bosses themselves, as you can spend a lot of "resources" just to challenge a boss.

Frustrating Platforming Mechanics

In addition to all the action, the crisp and fluid platforming gameplay is another patented hallmark of Hollow Knight. In Silksong, however, players are dissatisfied with certain aspects of the platforming gameplay.

In particular, the new downward aerial attack can be used as an attack, but is also essential for mastering certain platforming segments. It's used to bounce off capsules and get higher, but players complain that its inaccuracy makes it a frustrating platforming element.

This causes you to lose health, jump into traps, or die before you even reach a boss.

Double Mask Damage, Double Trouble

Normally, Hollow Knight was never an "easy" game.

However, most mobs in the game can deal "double damage," costing you two masks instead of one. You'll end up dying much more often, and growing frustration arises when seemingly "normal" encounters become death-defying feats.

This is particularly common, as platforming segments, traps, and the environment can also deal 2 mask damage, as well as 2 mask damage from simply coming into contact with an enemy, even if it is stunned.

This has set fans abuzz, making the game "unnecessarily" merciless rather than challenging.

Will the Developers Make Changes or ‘Nerf’ These Problems?

Will the three-person development team still make changes and "nerf" the game?

Fans are currently divided: some say the game is far too difficult for "casual players" and "boring," while others welcome the "challenge" and don't want extensive changes.

The good (or bad) news is that the team is unlikely to fundamentally alter the game's difficulty. It will continue to be a demanding title, but the team is taking community feedback into account to streamline certain areas of the game.

In the upcoming round of patches, the developers have made several changes to make the early and mid-game a bit more forgiving:

• Slightly reduced the difficulty of early bosses Moorwing and Sister Splinter.
• Reduced damage from Sandcarvers.
• Slightly reduced prices for Bellway and Bell Bench in the mid-game.

Given the extensive feedback on the game's difficulty, these are not drastic changes. This should indicate that future patches won't be much different. However, they are welcome as they make certain parts of the game more playable.

Future updates will likely deal with refinements, but not "major" changes, as drastic changes like "nerfs" would severely impact the mechanics and balancing of most encounters.

FAQs

How long has Hollow Knight: Silksong been in development?

According to official reports, Hollow Knight: Silksong has been in development for seven years, starting in 2018. It was originally planned as "DLC" but evolved into a full-fledged sequel after significant expansions to its story, world, and scope.

What platforms will Hollow Knight: Silksong be available on?

Hollow Knight: Silksong is available for Windows, Mac, Linux, PS4/PS5, Xbox One & Xbox Series S|X, and Nintendo Switch 1/2 platforms.

Does Silksong take place before or after Hollow Knight?

Hollow Knight: Silksong is a direct sequel set after the events of the original Hollow Knight. In Silksong, players take on the role of "Hornet" and explore and conquer the new kingdom of Pharloom.

Will the Knight appear in Silksong?

Based on the events at the end of the original Hollow Knight, we don't believe the Knight will appear in Silksong.

The Knight could appear in any DLC with flashbacks or cutscene cameos, but given the events in the story, it is currently confirmed that the Knight will not appear as a playable character in the sequel.

How many Hollow Knight games are there?

There are two main Hollow Knight games: Hollow Knight and Hollow Knight: Silksong, not including DLC content.

Is Hollow Knight: Silksong multiplayer?

No, Hollow Knight: Silksong is not a multiplayer game; it is exclusively single-player. However, there are mods on PC that allow for multiplayer with PvP and co-op gameplay.

Will there be DLC or expansions for Silksong?

Yes, Hollow Knight: Silksong will include DLC and expansion content. Currently, there are "plans" to add new content in the coming months/years. We have no details on the DLC content, but given the original Hollow Knight's history of extensive post-launch content, we can expect ongoing support for years to come.

Final Words

Hollow Knight: Silksong features some of the toughest bosses yet, and we probably haven't even covered the one that gave you the most trouble.

But even beyond the bosses, the debate about Silksong's brutal difficulty continues. Some see it as the core of Hollow Knight's identity, while others fear it could alienate casual fans.

For now, it remains to be seen what Team Cherry will do about it, but until then, Silksong's bosses and mechanics will continue to challenge us for a long time.