Hollow Knight: Silksong does not end after the second act. Players who meet certain hidden requirements can unlock a secret third act, known as Abyss. This act continues the story and introduces more bosses to fight.
Unlocking it takes extra effort, but it does not require 100% completion. Instead, players must complete a special wish called Silk and Soul before the final battle with Grand Mother Silk.
Hollow Knight: Silksong – How To Unlock Act 3
To access Act 3, players first need to complete the Silk and Soul Wish. This wish is tied to many side activities in Pharloom.
By finishing it before the final boss, the third act becomes available after the credits. Act 3 adds new story content and extra challenges for players seeking more after the main game. These additions also raise the overall difficulty, making Hollow Knight: Silksong tougher than its predecessor.
Unlocking the Silk and Soul Wish in Hollow Knight: Silksong
The Silk and Soul Wish only becomes available after players complete every other Wish in the game. These can be found on the wishboards in Songclave, Bonebottom, Bellhart, and The Citadel.
Once all of them are finished, players can speak to Pavo in Bellhart. This unlocks a personal home, called Bellhome, located at the top of the area.
After this, players must collect 25 fleas and convince Fleamaster Mooshka to move the flea caravan three times. The caravan eventually settles in the Putrefied Ducts. When this is done, return to Songclave and speak with the Caretaker, who will reveal a plan to finally stop Grand Mother Silk.
All Wishes Needed Before Silk and Soul
The Silk and Soul Wish requires players to complete a large number of side wishes scattered across Pharloom. These include Ascend, Delivery, Donate, Gather, Hunt, Learn, Open, Save, Search, Seek, Sprint, and Wayfarer wishes.
- Ascend / Delivery / Donate / Gather Wishes: Pharloom’s Crown, Liquid Lacquer, Queen’s Egg, An Icon of Hope, A Lifesaving Bridge, Bellhart’s Glory, Bone Bottom Repairs, Building Up Songclave, Restoration of Bellhart, Strengthening Songclave, Alchemist’s Assistant, Berry Picking, Great Taste of Pharloom, Rite of the Pollip, Silver Bells.
- Grand Hunt / Hunt Wishes: Savage Beastfly, The Hidden Hunter, The Terrible Tyrant, The Wailing Mother, Broodfest, Cloaks of the Choir, Crawbug Clearing, Fine Pins, Flexible Spines, Garb of the Pilgrims, Roach Guts, Volatile Flintbeetles.
- Learn Wishes: Architect’s Melody, Bugs of Pharloom, Conductor’s Melody, Vaultkeeper’s Melody.
- Open / Save / Search / Seek / Sprint Wishes: Grand Gate, The Threadspun Town, Silent Halls, The Great Citadel, Fastest in Pharloom.
- Wayfarer Wishes: Balm for the Wounded, Infestation Operation, My Missing Brother, My Missing Courier, Pinmaster’s Oil, Rite of Rebirth, The Lost Fleas, The Lost Merchant, The Wandering Merchant, Trail’s End.
It is also worth mentioning that in some cases, not every wish is needed to unlock Silk and Soul. However, finishing all of them guarantees that the wish will trigger.
Completing the Silk and Soul Wish
Once the Wish is unlocked, players need to gather four key items. These are tied to different characters and locations in Pharloom.
- Maiden’s Soul: Speak to the Maiden in Bone Bottom. Sitting on the bench here may trigger a second Skull Tyrant fight before she appears.
- Hermit’s Soul: Speak to the Bell Hermit, found in the pipe under the Bellhart Bellway. Break a fake wall on the right side of the room to reach him.
- Seeker’s Soul: Found in an abandoned bellhome left of the bench at the top of Bilewater.
- Snare Setter: Collected from a table in the area above the bench in Weavenest Atla. This location requires unlocking the Needolin door under Bone Bottom.
After collecting all four, return to the Caretaker in Songclave. He will use them to prepare a trap for Grand Mother Silk. It is worth noting that some of these items can be collected even before triggering the Silk and Soul Wish, making the process quicker.
Starting Act 3 of Hollow Knight: Silksong
Once the trap is ready, go to the top of The Cradel, just before the final battle. The Caretaker will appear here and explain that everything is in place. To activate the trap, players must use Needolin instead of binding Grand Mother Silk after the fight.
Doing this unlocks one of Silksong’s five endings. Afterward, the game returns to the title screen. When loading the save file again, players will notice strange black vines covering it.
Press the action button multiple times to break the vines. This unlocks Act 3: Abyss of Hollow Knight: Silksong, allowing players to continue their journey in Pharloom.
