Hollow Knight: Silksong builds on the formula that made Team Cherry’s first game a modern classic. Pharloom is bigger and more vertical, but it’s also full of hidden mechanics that are easy to miss. Beyond Hornet’s needle and silk powers, Silksong packs clever systems that change how you fight, explore, and even spend your hard-earned rosaries. Here are four surprising things you probably didn’t know you could do in Hollow Knight: Silksong.
You can taunt enemies to attack you
I have the high ground!
Hornet comes with a taunt ability from the moment you start the game. Press V on the PC or click the right stick (R3) on the controller, and Hornet will taunt the enemy with a flick of her sword and a shout. After this, enemies in range will aggro, rushing to your location. Most players will come across the move while learning the controls and probably won’t think about it again.
However, the move can be applied in a wide range of scenarios and is particularly useful when you are just starting out. Flying enemies become much easier to deal with, shielded foes can be baited into charging you and exposing themselves, and you can even taunt multiple enemies into a corner and use an AOE (Area of Effect) attack to clear the field. Because it uses a small amount of silk, a taunt isn’t something you can spam, but it can help you to land the first blow or coax the enemy into an advantageous position.
You can store money in your inventory
Turn your beads into strings and necklaces
Rosaries, the red beads Hornet collects throughout her journey, are the game’s main form of currency. And while hoarding these may seem like a good idea, the downside is that you lose them if you die. You can recover lost beads by breaking your cocoon after dying. But if you die before that, those beads are lost. Luckily, there is an easy way around this that the game doesn’t outright tell you.
Instead of gambling your Rosary Beads on “one more run”, turn your money into Rosary Strings or Rosary Necklaces instead. These items will let you “store” beads safely in your inventory, so that you can save them. This should be done often, especially if you are planning to explore a new area, as this is where you will die the most.
Crafting the Rosary String will cost you 80 Rosary Beads to make, but it will only store 60 beads, with the other 20 beads acting as a fee or tax. You can make the Rosary Strings using machines in certain camps or rest spots. The Rosary Necklace can be bought from a mid-game merchant and will cost you 140 beads, letting you store 120 beads per necklace. You can hold a maximum of 20 Rosary Strings and Rosary Necklaces in total, letting you store up to 3600 Rosary beads safely.​​
You can get a money gun
Put your money where your mouth is
While Hornet’s needle and silk powers form the backbone of her combat, Silksong also lets players experiment with some quirky tools. Among the strangest is the Rosary Cannon, a device that literally turns your money into ammunition. You can find the Rosary Cannon in the High Halls. To get it, you’ll need to break through two hidden walls and open a locked door with a simple key. There will be a chamber with some loot, and parts of a machine hanging from the roof. This machine is the bottom of the Rosary String Dispenser, and when you break it you will be rewarded with the Rosary Cannon.
Once acquired, the Rosary Cannon allows Hornet to load up to 80 rosaries as ammunition, unleashing a Gatling gun-style attack. This attack is great for boss fights or when facing hordes of enemies. Since rosaries are crucial for buying maps, upgrades, and other tools, this isn’t the most practical weapon. But if you use it sparingly, it can be a powerful addition to your arsenal of weapons and tools.
You can get a Bellhome in Bellhart
No more benches for you
Resting at benches is the main way you save your progress in Hollow Knight: Silksong. Benches are great for providing a safe place between dangerous locations, but they don’t appear to offer Hornet much comfort. Luckily, towards the late game, you can unlock your very own bellhome for Hornet in Bellhart.
Getting the keys to your home is easier said than done, though. You will first need to do a few quests for the people of Bellhart. To start, you will need to lift the curse on the town by defeating the Widow. After doing so, you will need to donate rosary beads to restore the town, the first costing 250 beads and the second costing 400. Then you must complete all remaining wishes on the quest board.
After completing all of this, you can proceed to speak with Pavo and obtain the Bellhome Key. The Bellhome isn’t just cosmetic. Inside, you’ll unlock features like a desk to display relics, Gleamlights for decoration, and even a personal spa where Hornet can fully restore health and silk. Furnishing the house requires rosaries, and a lot of them if you want everything. But it’s well worth it for your very own home in Pharloom.
There are hidden secrets everywhere