Hornet | Hollow Knight Silksong Wiki

Health

Similar to The Knight, Hornet's health is represented by Masks that are shown in the upper left corner of the screen. During the reveal of a playable demo at E3 2019, Hornet starts off with 5 masks. As the game progresses, she can obtain more Health Masks by collecting Mask Shards. Hornet loses a health mask from taking damage from enemies and environmental hazards. She can regain her health by using an ability called Bind (similar to The Knight's Focus ability), consuming Silk in order to regain a Health Mask. Resting at a Bench is also reintroduced to the game as a way of replenishing all Health Masks that are lost.

Silk

Silk is represented by a spool shown just below Hornet's health. Silk is the counterpart of The Knight's Soul. It is Hornet's main source of mana for abilities such as Bind. Hornet can replenish her Silk by attacking enemies with The Needle and or by resting at a bench.

Ancestral Arts

Traversal abilities of Hornet that you need to locate to progress easily in-game. You can use Ancestral Arts for dodging the attacks of your enemies, being mobile when hitting your enemies, and reaching places that you couldn't reach. Take the image below as an example. You have to use Cling Grip to climb and jump from wall to wall to reach the top of the obstacle and unlock its secret.

You can unlock Ancestral Arts by finding them in a specific locations. Here are all the Ancestral Arts that can help you traverse Pharloom and defeat its enemies:

• Faydown Cloak - Fabled feather down, layered within the cloak. Leap again while airborne. Soar above foes. Reach new heights. Strike from above.
• Swift Step -  Sprint at blinding speed, beyond one's natural limits. Chase down prey and leap great distances.
• Cling Grip - Cling to sheer surfaces and leap to rapidly scale heights.
• Clawline - Fling the needle as a harpoon and launch forcefully towards it. Silk will be expended. Strike enemies to replenish Silk.
• Needolin - Play ancient melodies by stringing Silk along the needle. Silk will be expended. Strike enemies to replenish Silk.
• Needle Strike - Charge power in the needle, then release a deadly attack.

You may visit our Ancestral Arts Page to get information on how to locate and unlock them.

Silk Skills

Silk Skills in Hollow Knight: Silksong help fight your enemies, especially bosses. Silk Skills can be unlocked by Hornet using Bind on the idols found in different locations, or by defeating certain bosses. You may only equip a handful of skills, as long as there's still slot in the Crest, so choose a skill that fits how you want to play. Find a bench to equip a skill you want, and prepare the best skill that fits your gameplay.

There are 6 skills in total that you can obtain in-game. Here are the Silk Skills that you can unlock:

• Silkspear - Deadly Weaver technique. Throw the needle forward with force amplified by coiled Silk.
• Thread Storm - Deadly Weaver technique. Cast the needle in a whirl of Silk around oneself, lashing foes.
• Cross Stitch - Deflective technique of a creature spun from thread. Bind Silk around the needle to deflect enemy attacks and instantly strike back.
• Sharpdart - Deadly Weaver technique. Pierce through enemies in a blur of blade and Silk.
• Rune Rage - Forgotten Weaver technique. Sew rending runes upon one's enemies.
• Pale Nails - Technique taken from the primal source of Silk. Spin talons from thread that seek out enemies

You can visit our Silk Skills Page for more information on how to locate and unlock them.

The Needle and Thread

Hornet's main weapon is The Needle and Thread. It is a light-weight weapon that allows her to execute fast strikes and block attacks. Certain attacks will allow her to dash, pogo off enemies and surfaces, and serve as a mechanism for traversal as she uses it for grappling and reaching high surfaces.

You can upgrade your needle by the help of  Pinmaster Plinney once you retrieve a specific oil for him. Visit him at Bellhart to sharpen your needle, but take note that he will change his location at the third act.

Tools

Tools are introduced in Hollow Knight: Silksong as Hornet's special items that can be equipped in order for Hornet to gain various offensive and defensive attacks without consuming or using Silk. Tools can only be used for a number of times; they deplete a meter of usage. They are equipped on a Crest. Similar to how Charms work in Hollow Knight, Hornet can change Tools while resting at a bench. The meter of usage can be replenished by spending Shell Shards, which seems to be Silksong's new currency. Tools are categorized by color, and you can notice them in the Crest slot. You need to have the corresponding color in the Crest to equip the tools.

Here are the categories of the Tools that you can find in Crests:

• Red Tools – active gadgets like projectiles, traps, and bombs (limited uses, replenished with Shell Shards).
• Blue Tools – passive combat upgrades, both defensive and offensive (extra protection, hazard resistance, effect application).
• Yellow Tools – passive offensive combat or support upgrades (boosting attacks, exploration perks).
• White Tools – Silk Skills that spend Hornet’s Silk resource (healing, special attacks)

Some Crests have a specific dominant tool category in their Crest Slots. You have to choose the Crest that fits your playstyle to equip the tools you want to use. You may visit our Tools Page to have an overview of all the Tools available to aid your progress in-game.

Crest

Crests define how you want Hornet to move in-game, in terms of playstyle or the number of skills or tools you want to equip. There are various types of crests, and you need to find a Memory Locket to unlock new Crest Slots to upgrade a Crest. Unlock Crest Slots to equip more skills or tools that can help in your progress. You have to save your Memory Locket for the Crest that fits your playstyle.

As mentioned earlier, there are different types of Crest:

• Hunter - Stalk prey and attack with lethal strikes. 
• Reaper - Attack with heavy, arcing slashes and reap additional Silk from enemies.
• Wanderer - Cut swiftly and nimbly with short, precise strikes.
• Beast - Tear foes with savage slashes. Bind to enter a wild fury and steal life from prey.
• Witch - Whip the needle in sweeping swings. Leech the life of foes through twisted roots.
• Architect - Spin the needle as a screw, shredding foes. Spend Silk to rapidly craft new tools.
• Shaman - Cast the blade forward and empower silk Skills with powerful runes.

You can choose among these Crests that fit your playstyle. Each Crest has different Crest slot categories. For example, the Shaman Crest is all white. When categorized by tool, white indicates Silk Skills, which means that the Crest allows you to equip multiple Silk Skills. You may visit our Crest Page to know how to unlock your desired Crest and what tool categories are available to equip on that crest.

Upgrades

Upgrades in-game revolve around Crests, Health, and Silk. You have to look for a Memory Locket to unlock a Crest slot, which upgrades a crest and gives you options to equip more skills or tools. Look for 4 Mask Shards to increase your health. Silk can be increased if you find 2 Spool Fragments. You can consider finding Silk Skills and Ancestral Arts as an upgrade, too. You have to equip better tools and skills that match your playstyle to easily progress in-game.

Memory Locket will unlock crest slots. In the image below you can see that there are still crest slots that needs to be unlock in this Crest. You have to choose a Crest that you really want before using a Memory Locket to unlock a crest slot.

Mask Shards are in various location in Pharloom. You have to look for 4 Mask Shards to increase your health by 1 mask. You can visit our Mask Shard Location Page to know where to locate them.

Spool Fragment can increase the Silk that you can use for healing or casting your Silk Skills. You have to find 2 Spool Fragments to increase your Silk. You can visit our Spool Fragment Page to know where to find the fragments.