Hollow Knight: Silksong Breakdown of Known Bosses

The announcement of bosses in a new release garners considerable attention in the gaming community, and details about Hollow Knight: Silksong's bosses seem to be living up to fan expectations. The Hollow Knight franchise's debut built a reputation for captivating environments, characterized by its expansive secrets, lore-rich bosses, and grottos. By all indications, Hollow Knight: Silksong will continue towing the successful path, sporting more locations for gamers to explore.

Standing in the way of adventure, however, will be a few talented bosses for players to overcome, and a breakdown of their abilities will help gamers in the quest to uncover Silksong's secrets. Team Cherry has steadily rolled out tidbits in recent months to give eager fans an insight into the abilities of the villains that Silksong protagonist, Hornet, will be facing in her travels in Pharloom. Her foes are formidable and equipped with vastly differing strengths, and players would do well to be wary of the presence of these bosses.

Moss Mother

Minions and their overlords have made their mark on the media industry recently, from blockbuster feel-good movie franchises like Despicable Me to more serious-toned series like Game of Thrones. Continuing this trend, Team Cherry added the Gruz Mother to the cast of the original Hollow Knight as an optional mini-boss who carried her young in her belly. Given that fan reception for Hollow Knight was off the charts, the developers retained the Gruz Mother's elements for Silksong, and the Moss Mother is the new matriarch players will contend with in Pharloom.

The Moss Mother comes with a few distinct details from its predecessor, as she uses her surroundings and minions to fight against Hornet. Unlike the Gruz Mother's children, who only emerged from their mother's belly to attack after her demise, the Moss Mother actively summons moss worms periodically during her face-off with Hornet to divide players' attention. The Moss Mother has a few other refined moves in her repertoire, such as controlled flight and a headbutt, which can result in more moss worms or cause stalactites to fall from the grotto's roof.

Lace

It's not often players get multiple looks at an antagonist in games like Hollow Knight in a trailer. Yet, Lace appeared twice in the official teaser video—and in separate locations—effectively confirming her role as a recurring villain in Silksong. Speculation is rife as to the connection between Lace and Hornet, with several theories already up in the air ahead of Silksong's release, and her appearances in the trailer have further fueled interest among fans. Lace's first meeting with Hornet takes place in the lava lake of the Deep Docks, an early Area of the Hollow Knight sequel. She uses a flurry of combat moves in the trailer, most notable among which are Flourish and Whirlwind.

Hunter Queen Carmelita

Carmelita is one of the more dramatic characters on display in Silksong's trailer, with her character reportedly taking inspiration from the opera. She leads the tribe of ants in the teaser, battling against Hornet in an auditorium littered with balconies overflowing with ant spectators. Carmelita's movements are languid and graceful, as she is spotted leaping over Hornet and creating spikes out of the ground upon her landing in one fluid motion, twirling her two blades like a ballerina of old.

Steel Assassin Sharpe

Much of what is known about the Steel Assassin stems from his announcement post by Team Cherry in 2018. According to the blog post, Sharpe hails from a distant land, and he hasn't come to Pharloom alone. He has two companions that are committed to the sole aim of eliminating Hornet, although it is unclear what Hornet did to warrant this crazed devotion from the deadly trio. The Steel Assassin is fitted with steel armor and sports a whip-like nose, but details of his abilities are shrouded in secrecy by Team Cherry.

Trobbio

Despite making a singular appearance in the trailer, Trobbio's flair and flamboyance were hard to miss. He was depicted in a dark room beside a bell symbol, shouting his name and expanding his wings as he confronted Hornet, with streams of confetti erupting from the environment. In a similar vein to Carmelita, described officially as the "Master of the Stage, the Brush, and the Voice", Trobbio is a nod to the performance arts, with the ultimate goal of gaining notoriety across Pharloom's expansive map.

Seth

Hollow Knight's core feature of uncovering secrets has propelled it to international stardom, and Team Cherry has incorporated a secret guardian in Seth for Silksong. This boss resides beneath the Citadel, guarding a long-forgotten secret, and will go to any lengths to ensure it stays hidden. According to his description, the ancient guardian will fight to the death and even beyond, and his undefeated record against the Citadel's caste should give players momentary pause. Like the Steel Assassin, not much is known about Seth's abilities.

Bell Beast

Bell Beast plays the role of the means of fast travel throughout Pharloom. First, however, the creature is an enemy of Hornet found trapped in Silk in the Marrow. Upon gaining her freedom, Bell Beast attacks Hornet but retreats in defeat to another area of the map. Eventually, she is tamed and assumes the role of Silksong's fast travel system.

Last Judge

Precious little is known about Last Judge, an unconfirmed boss for Hollow Knight's sequel. He is seen for a few seconds in the trailer, shooting rings of fire at Hornet and using attacks like Dash, Jump, and Flail. His design is similar to The Godseeker, a DLC character from Hollow Knight.