Hollow Knight: Silksong: Every Silk Skill & Ancestral Art

Relying on just your needle won't be enough in Hollow Knight: Silksong. Luckily, as with any good Metroidvania, Hornet can learn a range of traversal skills and special attacks that help make combat and exploration... well, not a breeze, but a lot more manageable.

Below we're listing every single Silk Skill and Ancestral Art you can unlock in Silksong, along with what each one does.

All Silk Skills

Below is a list of every single Silk Skill Hornet can learn in game, where to find it, and what it does.

There are 6 Silk Skills in total, with one locked behind Act 3.

Silkspear

Silkspear allows Hornet to throw her needle directly in front of her, piercing all foes in a line.

Location

In Mosshome, follow the path northwest of Shakra and west of the sign with the three arrows (this is a Bellway). Keep following the road and eventually you'll reach the Silkspear skill. It's mandatory for progression, so impossible to miss.

Thread Storm

If you've played Hollow Knight, this will be familiar to you; Hornet will surround herself with a storm of silk threads, attacking all enemies close to her.

Location

At the very top of the northeast area in Greymoor. It's easier to get this if you have Cling Grip, which you'll get from Shellwood.

Cross Stitch

If you need a little Nine Sols in your Silksong, this is the skill for you. Hornet will cover her needle in silk, and if you time it perfectly with an enemy hit, she'll parry and counter.

Location

Defeat The Phantom inside the Exhaust Organ, accessed via Sinner's Road and The Mist.

Sharpdart

Rune Rage

Rune Rage is an extremely powerful spell where Hornet will charge up a large area-of-effect attack where exploding light balls will almost fill the screen. If you can get it off, it's powerful.

Location

Defeat the First Sinner, a secret boss within The Slab. You need the Key of the Apostate, which is located in the Putrefied Ducts via the Bilewater entrance.

Pale Nail

This will probably be your last Silk Skill, and it's hidden very high up, and in Act 3. If you need help getting to the final act, we have a guide on how to unlock Act 3. You also need to unlock the Silk Soar Ancestral Art before you can even get this.

Anyway, this is an extremely good skill as Hornet will summon three nails that will track and fire at three nearby foes.

• Location: You need to climb back up to The Cradle, but your usual path has been blocked off. Without Silk Soar, you can't reach it.
  
  In the corridor where we recommended grinding for Rosaries in Act 2, go to the left side of Memorium. You'll see some light and some small rocks falling from the ceiling tight before the Cogwork Core entrance. Use Silk Soar to reach the vents you fell through at the start of the Act 3. Make your way all the way to the top of the Core and Cradle, and you'll find Grand Mother Silk's arm. Bind it.

What are Silk Skills?

If you've played Hollow Knight before, then Silk Skills are the equivalent of The Knight's Spells.

These are combat skills that consume Silk — the same resource you use for healing — so picking and choosing when to use them in combat is crucial. Some can leave you vulnerable to attacks too, but they're essential for mixing into combat to ensure you have a wide variety of tools to take down foes.

How to equip Silk Skills

If you want to change which Silk Skill you're using, then you need to rest at a Bench.

Then, hop into the menu and head to your Crest and Tool screen. In the centre of the Crest, you'll see that's where the SIlk Skill goes. Select which one you want to equip and press 'A'. It's that easy.

You can only have one Silk Skill equipped at a time, so find your favourite and go nuts!

All Ancestral Arts

Ancestral Arts are extremely important for Hornet's maneuverability, and we've got a list of all six of them for you right here.

If you're looking for the Cloak upgrades — that's the Drifter's Cloak and the Faydown Cloak — they have their own separate guides as they're not Ancestral Arts.

Swift Step (Dash)

If you think Hornet moves a little slowly, then here's something for you; Swift Step allows Hornet to dash on the ground and in mid-air, but it also lets her run.

Location

In Deep Docks, make your way through the area until you find an orange blob on the ceiling. Hit it and it will explode, revealing a new room. Head inside and head to the left to find the idol with the skill

Cling Grip (Wall Grab)

There are too many tall walls in Pharloom, right? Well, Cling Grip wil help. Hornet can now hold on to a wall for a limited amount of time, making wall jumps and climbing a breeze.

Location

In Shellwood, defeat the Sister Splinter boss fight and then continue progressing through the area to eventually reach the idol and skill.

Needolin

The Needolin isn't as flashy as some other skills, but the subtle sounds of the silk string are required to enter the Citadel and many secret rooms hiding in Pharloom.

You'll get two upgrades for this skill in Act 3 — one that will allow you to fast travel back to the last Bellway you used, and another to access what is essentially a "dream" world for certain characters and areas.

Location

Defeat Widow in Bellhome

Clawline

Large gaps that double jumping and drifting can't deal with? Enter the Clawline. With this, Hornet launches her spear forward and then follows the trajectory, like a zipline. It can grab onto rings, but it also works on enemies, too.

Location

In the Underworks, on the east side, accessible from Whiteward. You need to head all the way to the bottom of the lava room, then head east through a dangerous road with magma and pouring lava, then head into a large room full of rings and lava to get this.

Sylphsong

One of a handful of hidden Arts and Skills, Sylphsong makes resting at benches even better. When you sit down for a breather, not only will Hornet recover all of her health, she'll also recover all of her silk.

Location

Weavenest Atla, east of Mosshome. A reward for Binding Eva

Silk Soar (Super Jump)

Silk Soar is likely your very last Ancestral Art, and it's mandatory if you're in Act 3; you can't beat the game without it! Using it consumes a small amount of Silk, but it's a super jump, meaning you can access every single part of Pharloom, including a couple of hidden Mask Shards and Memory Lockets.

Location

The Abyss, found as part of the main story, so it's impossible to miss!

What are Ancestral Arts?

Ancestral Arts differ from Silk Skills in that they're mostly used for traversal or progressing through the game, and if you want to complete the map, they're 100% mandatory.

You don't need to equip these; once you learn the Art, it will be available to you at all times. Some of these consume silk, but only one or two threads.

Pharloom is a dangerous world, so you'll need all the help you can get to make it through. Luckily, we have a whole host of guides in our Hollow Knight: Silksong walkthrough hub, so make sure you check them out.