Acts
Hollow Knight: Silksong is broken into three Acts, each denoted by an introductory title card. Each Act has its own set of story objectives that Hornet must complete to progress to the next Act (except in the case of the SAVE: The Threadspun Town, OPEN: Grand Gate and SEARCH: Silent Halls objectives). Ongoing objectives appear on the Tasks menu in the INVENTORY.
Act 1: Pharloom
The first Act of the game begins directly after the opening cutscene, and focuses on Hornet's journey to the Citadel. Hornet acquires her first objective after speaking to the Chapel Maid.
| Objective | Description | Task | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEEK: The Great Citadel |
Ascend through the lands of Pharloom and reach the Citadel at the kingdom's peak. | Reach the Citadel. | ||
| SAVE: The Threadspun Town |
Break the silken curse ensnaring the town of Bellhart. | Defeat Widow to free the town of Bellhart. | ||
| OPEN: Grand Gate |
Awaken the old bells throughout the lands.
After activating five Bellshrines: Return to the Grand Gate and open the way to the Citadel. |
Journey to the five Bellshrines throughout lower Pharloom and ring them to unlock the Grand Gate. | ||
Act 2: Citadel of Song
The second Act begins upon entering the Citadel after defeating the Last Judge or Phantom. Hornet must explore the Citadel and learn the Threefold Melody to reach the very top of the kingdom, known as the Cradle. When achieving the Weaver Queen or Twisted Child endings, Act 2 is the final act of the game.
| Objective | Description | Task | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEARCH: Silent Halls |
Venture inside the Citadel and confront the veiled bugs. | Confront Lace within the Choral Chambers. | ||
| ASCEND: Pharloom's Crown |
Scale the Citadel and confront the one who haunts the lands of Pharloom.
After defeating the Cogwork Dancers: Learn the Threefold Melody and open the path to the Citadel's crest. After learning the Threefold Melody: Play the Threefold Melody before the statues at the Citadel's heart. After playing the Threefold Melody: Rise above the Citadel and confront the one who haunts the lands of Pharloom. |
Explore the Citadel and open the way to the Cradle. | ||
| LEARN: Conductor's Melody |
Search the gilded heights of the Citadel for the melody of the Conductors.
After learning the Conductor's Melody: The Conductor's Melody has been learned. Required for ASCEND: Pharloom's Crown |
Learn the Conductor's Melody within the High Halls. | ||
| LEARN: Architect's Melody |
Search the mechanised core of the Citadel for the melody of the Architects.
After learning the Architect's Melody: The Architect's Melody has been learned. Required for ASCEND: Pharloom's Crown |
Learn the Architect's Melody within the Cogwork Core. | ||
| LEARN: Vaultkeeper's Melody |
Search the cloistered wing of the Citadel for the melody of the Vaultkeepers.
After finding the Sacred Cylinder: Find a means to play the Sacred Cylinder within the Whispering Vaults. After learning the Vaultkeeper's Melody: The Vaultkeeper's Melody has been learned. Required for ASCEND: Pharloom's Crown |
Learn the Vaultkeeper's Melody within the Whispering Vaults. | ||
| DEFEAT: Pale Monarch |
Confront the one who haunts the lands of Pharloom. | Defeat Grand Mother Silk. | ||
| Accessible after completing Silk and Soul | ||||
| DESTROY: Soul Snare |
Scale the Citadel and ensnare its monarch in a deadly trap. | Defeat Grand Mother Silk with the Needolin. | ||
Act 3: Abyss
Entering the third Act requires completing the Silk and Soul wish and subsequently defeating Grand Mother Silk with the Needolin. After the Snared Silk ending and credits, the save profile gets covered with black threads, and after a few presses on it, the profile can be reopened to begin Act 3.
Pharloom has been infected with the Void, and Hornet must journey into Pharloom's Abyss to confront Grand Mother Silk alongside Lace. Completing Act 3's main questline and defeating its final boss, Lost Lace, concludes the final ending of Hollow Knight: Silksong.
Notable Changes
Several major changes occur when entering Act 3:
- Various passageways are blocked off and new ones become accessible.
- Various enemies and bosses can become afflicted by the Void, enhancing their movesets, health, and attacks.
- Void Masses spawn.
- Bone Bottom is almost completely destroyed, with only the Bellway remaining. A Survivor's Camp is erected in the Marrow where the Flea Caravan used to be.
- The Wormways become overrun with Plasmium.
- Haunted enemies no longer have a visible "puppet string" effect when they react to the Needolin. (The sound cue still plays.)
| Objective | Description | Task | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEEK: After the Fall |
Discover the fate of Pharloom. | Escape the Cradle. | — | |
| SEEK: Awaiting the End |
Confront the Caretaker and his family in the Ruined Chapel beside Bone Bottom. | Make it to the Ruined Chapel in Moss Grotto. | ||
| DEFEAT: Beast in the Bells |
Descend into the bellway and defeat the hostile creature within. | Defeat the Bell Eater and save the Bell Beast. | ||
| SEEK: The Dark Below |
In Deep Docks, find a way to descend beneath Pharloom.
After finding the diving bell: Find aid in Deep Docks to access its diving bell and descend beneath Pharloom. After speaking to Ballow: Use the diving bell in Deep Docks to descend beneath Pharloom. After using the diving bell to enter the Abyss: Reach the source of the black threads within the Abyss. |
Find a way to enter the Abyss. | ||
| ASCEND: Return to Pharloom |
Escape the Abyss. | Find a way to leave the Abyss. | ||
| SEEK: Spell Seeker |
Return to the Snail Shamans in the Ruined Chapel beside Bone Bottom. | Speak to the Snail Shamans within the Ruined Chapel. | ||
| SEEK: The Old Hearts |
Enliven and acquire the old hearts of Pharloom.
After acquiring three Old Hearts: Bring the old hearts to the Snail Shamans in the Ruined Chapel beside Bone Bottom. |
Collect 3 of the following items: | ||
| CLAIM: Heart of Might |
Claim the Encrusted Heart.
After claiming the Encrusted Heart: The Encrusted Heart has been claimed from Crust King Khann. Required for SEEK: The Old Hearts |
Defeat Crust King Khann and collect the Encrusted Heart. | ||
| CLAIM: Heart of the Woods |
Claim the Pollen Heart.
After claiming the Pollen Heart: The Pollen Heart has been claimed from Nyleth. Required for SEEK: The Old Hearts |
Defeat Nyleth and collect the Pollen Heart. | ||
| CLAIM: Heart of the Wild |
Claim the Hunter's Heart.
After claiming the Hunter's Heart: The Hunter's Heart has been claimed from Skarrsinger Karmelita. Required for SEEK: The Old Hearts |
Defeat Skarrsinger Karmelita and collect the Hunter's Heart. | ||
| DESCEND: Last Dive |
Dive into the void and cut Pharloom free. | Return to the Abyss and defeat Lost Lace. | ||
Creation and Development
According to the Bloomberg News journalist Jason Schreier, who met and interviewed Team Cherry in August and November 2025, Team Cherry "always knew [Silksong] was going to be this upward journey from Pharloom to the Citadel and then to the Abyss where the world is destroyed. They knew it was going to have these three acts." Schreier also said that they "worked on each act successively", and that doing so "helped them kind of have this structure in their minds and make it feel more fun".[1] This is supported by Gibson being quoted in the November interview as saying "Act 3 stuff we worked on at the very end. But all of those areas we knew were going to exist, or were slated to exist."[2] The Abyss and other Act 3-exclusive content first started appearing in maps dated to 2022.[3] However, William Pellen is quoted in the interview as saying that the Abyss postgame was conceptualized before Acts were formally named, possibly implying they initially only internally existed.[2] Additionally, Act 3 was much harder prior to release, getting its difficulty later reduced for balancing reasons.[4]
Trivia
- The SEARCH: Silent Halls map marker is placed in the Cogwork Core, but the objective will only progress if Lace is encountered in the Choral Chambers.
Update History
- 1.0.28497 (Patch 1): Fixed Beast in the Bells not being completable when Bell Beast is summoned at the Bilewater Bellway during the late game.
Names in other languages
Act 1: Pharloom
| Language | Name | Meaning/Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| ATO 1: FIARLONGO | ACT 1: FIARLONGO Fiarlongo is the name of Pharloom in Portuguese, a combination of fiar (to spin thread) and longo (long). | |
| ACTE 1: PHARLOOM | ACT 1: PHARLOOM | |
| AKT 1: PHARLOOM | ACT 1: PHARLOOM | |
| ATTO 1: LUNGITELA | ACT 1: FARWEB | |
| 第1章: ファールーム Dai 1 shō: fārūmu? |
Chapter 1: Pharloom | |
| 1장: 팔룸 1jang: pallum |
Chapter 1: Pharloom | |
| АКТ 1: ФАРЛУМ AKT 1: FARLUM |
ACT 1: PHARLOOM | |
| 第一幕: 纺络 Dì yī mù: Fǎngluò? |
Act 1: Pharloom | |
| 第一幕: 紡絡 Dì yī mù: Fǎngluò? | ||
| ACTO 1: TELALEJANA | ACT 1: FARWEB | |
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Act 2: Citadel of Song
| Language | Name | Meaning/Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| ATO 2: CIDADELA DA CANÇÃO | ACT 2: CITADEL OF SONG | |
| ACTE 2: CITADELLE MÉLODIEUSE | ACT 2: MELODIOUS CITADEL | |
| AKT 2: SANGESZITADELLE | ACT 2: CITADEL OF SONG | |
| ATTO 2: CITTADELLA DEL CANTO | ACT 2: CITADEL OF SONG | |
| 第2章: 唱歌のシタデル Dai 2-shō: shōka no shitaderu |
Chapter 2: Citadel of Song | |
| 2장: 성채의 노래 2jang: seongchaeui norae |
Chapter 2: Citadel's Song | |
| АКТ 2: ЦИТАДЕЛЬ ПЕСНИ AKT 2: CITADEL' PESNI |
ACT 2: CITADEL OF SONG | |
| 第二幕: 圣歌城堡 Dì èr mù: Shènggē chéngbǎo? |
Act 2: Castle of Hymn | |
| 第二幕: 聖歌城堡 Dì èr mù: Shènggē chéngbǎo? | ||
| ACTO 2: CIUDADELA MELODIOSA | ACT 2: MELODIOUS CITADEL | |
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Act 3: Abyss
| Language | Name | Meaning/Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| ATO 3: ABISMO | ACT 3: ABYSS | |
| ACTE 3: LES ABYSSES | ACT 3: THE ABYSS | |
| AKT 3: ABGRUND | ACT 3: ABYSS | |
| ATTO 3: ABISSO | ACT 3: ABYSS | |
| 第3章: アビス Dai 3-shō: abisu |
Chapter 3: Abyss | |
| 3장: 심연 3jang: simyeon |
Chapter 3: Abyss | |
| АКТ 3: БЕЗДНА AKT 3: BEZDNA |
ACT 3: ABYSS | |
| 第三幕: 深渊 Dì sān mù: Shēnyuān? |
Act 3: Abyss | |
| 第三幕: 深淵 Dì sān mù: Shēnyuān? | ||
| ACTO 3: ABISMO | ACT 3: ABYSS | |
ACT_3
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