Hollow Knight Silksong changes how you equip gear compared to the original game. Team Cherry replaced the charm system with crests and tools. This new system is more complex than just grabbing charm notches.
Making smart choices about crest upgrades is important. You need to plan ahead and understand how the system works. Poor decisions can waste valuable resources that are hard to find.
How to Unlock More Tool Slots in Hollow Knight Silksong

Getting more tool slots requires a special item called Memory Lockets. These items work like charm notches from the first game but they are much harder to find. Memory Lockets appear in shops sometimes but most are hidden in secret spots around the world.
The upgrade process starts at any bench in the game. You start by inspecting the small dots around the big circles on your crests. Once you have a Memory Locket, you can unlock a new slot by selecting one of these dots. The color tells you what type of tools you can equip there. Red dots are for weapon tools, blue dots are for defense tools, and yellow dots are for exploration tools.
Being careful with Memory Lockets is very important. Unlike the original game where you could easily get more charm notches, farming rosaries early in the game shows how Team Cherry wants you to make meaningful choices about resources. That being said, you cannot take back an upgrade once you use a Memory Locket and the slot stays with that specific crest forever.
How to Switch Between Different Crests in Hollow Knight Silksong

At any bench, you can press the button shown in the bottom left to change between your crests. Each crest is separate from the others. The Memory Locket upgrades you spend on one crest do not carry over to another crest. This means you need to upgrade each crest individually.
Players unlock new crests by progressing through major story moments. These crests give Hornet completely different fighting styles and abilities. When you get a new crest, the game switches to it right away. This leaves you without any tools until you reach a bench.
Understanding this system is crucial before learning whether you need to play the original game to fully appreciate all the changes. Smart players save their Memory Lockets until they find their favorite crest. Spending upgrades too early on a crest you do not like wastes precious resources.
Planning which crest to focus on first helps you avoid mistakes. You can equip the same tool on multiple crests, but each crest needs its own Memory Locket upgrades. Consider trying different crests for a while before committing your upgrade materials. Once you know which fighting style you prefer, you can safely invest your Memory Lockets.
The crest system rewards patient players who take time to experiment. Understanding the healing mechanics also helps you decide which defense tools to prioritize when upgrading your favorite crest. Building the right tool setup makes Hollow Knight Silksong much more enjoyable to play.