I Was Stuck on an Easy Hollow Knight: Silksong Mini Boss…

I'm not exaggerating when I say I live for boss fights. FromSoftware's ever-growing library of Soulslikes are some of my favorite video games of all time, and while I love exploring their Gothic fantasy worlds and carefully eliminating their assortments of mindless villagers and monsters, it's the boss battles that really keep me hooked long after the credits roll. So, going into Hollow Knight: Silksong, I was most excited to experience the long-awaited Metroidvania's boss fights.

The first hour or so of Hollow Knight: Silksong was a surprisingly calm introduction to the kingdom of Pharloom, but I couldn't wait to come up against whatever boss was first up to bat. The Bell Beast was exactly the early game boss fight I wanted, and it left me hungry for the next one. But my appetite led me down a foreboding path, one that ended in a meeting with Hollow Knight: Silksong's now-infamous Skull Ant, a mini boss fight that forced me to reflect on the last decade of my personal gaming habits.

By Hook or By Crook, I Was Going to Defeat Hollow Knight: Silksong's Skull Ant

Fighting Skull Ant boss in Hollow Knight Silksong

Just like everyone else, I ran into Hollow Knight: Silksong's Skull Ant mini boss after I reached the end of The Marrow. This hulking, bone club-wielding menace took me out in three seconds flat. I laughed at the unbelievable ease with which they prised the Rosary Beads from my little bug hands, and I set off to fight them again.

I somehow died even quicker on that second attempt, but I still found the humor in my misfortune. But then I died again. And again. And again. But the more their bone club smashed into Hornet's face, the more I understood where I was going wrong. "It's the jump attack," I said aloud to myself and my incredibly patient wife sat next to me on the couch crocheting, "That's where I'm screwing up."

I just needed to run under their feet whenever I saw them leap into the air. That was all there was to it. I leaped off the bench and hopped back up the stone pathway towards the boss door, now an expert in speed-running this one tiny part of Hollow Knight: Silksong's map. I ran towards my new insectoid nemesis, needle high in the air. I dashed underneath their legs as they hurled themself into the sky. I got in some strong hits of my own. But then they crushed me with that cheeky little one-two-punch combo they do.

The Definition of Insanity Is What Again?

It became clear at this point that developer Team Cherry was trying to teach me a classic Metroidvania lesson; sometimes it's better to just move on to a new area. Maybe you'll find an upgrade or ability that will help you with this boss. But I wasn't going to just move on. I had already spent half an hour trying to take this Skull Ant down. I wasn't going to give up now just because I knew I should.

Flash forward another half an hour, and my much, much better half turns to me and gently suggests doing what the game clearly wants me to do, and move on to the next area. She was right, of course. She usually is. But this last hour couldn't have been for nothing. It's just a case of learning the Ant's attack patterns, nailing those parry windows, and seizing the opportunities when they arrive. After all, the boss' moves are so well-telegraphed.

Hollow Knight Silksong Skull, Ant Lair-1

Another 30 minutes later, I finally decided to listen to my wife's advice. I breezed through the Deep Docks, grabbed the Swift Step ability, ran right back to the Skull Ant, and killed them in about five minutes. It was finally over.

I should have felt relieved, but I didn't. All I felt was shame. It took me two hours to defeat a boss that could have been downed in 20 minutes if I'd just trusted my Metroidvania instincts in the first place (and listened to my wife). I had no one to blame but myself and my own stubbornness.

But where did this stubbornness come from? That's when it hit me. This was all Dark Souls' fault.

I know a ton of players have beaten Hollow Knight: Silksong's Skull Ant before getting the Swift Step skill. To them, I just have to say I'm genuinely jealous of your abilities.

Why My Hollow Knight: Silksong Shortcomings Are Absolutely, Definitely, 100% Dark Souls' Fault

Released in 2011, FromSoftware's Dark Souls was an incredibly formative gaming experience for me. I was a teenager when Dark Souls hit store shelves, and I was desperately trying to experience more "dark" and "mature" games to prove how cool and adult I was. Dark Souls also landed at a time when I didn't really have any disposable income, so I'd only have access to one or two new games every year.

That meant I had to stick with Dark Souls no matter what. Even if its absurdly steep learning curve was initially an unforgiving nightmare for someone like me, who was primarily used to Pokemon, licensed games, and playing games like Halo on the lower difficulties.

FromSoftware SoulsBorne Bosses Dragons Gaping Dragon

Dark Souls taught me perseverance, and made me develop a strong sense of determination, at least when it came to difficult video games. If I died during combat, it wasn't the game's fault, it was my own, and I needed to use that death as a learning experience. The Capra Demon, Gaping Dragon, and of course, Smough and Ornstein all taught me that conquering a seemingly impossible boss fight was simply a matter of memorizing its attack patterns, finding its weaknesses, and being patient. These lessons have gotten me through just about every difficult boss encounter in my gaming career.

But those teachings aren't universally applicable, and they weren't in the case of this particular Hollow Knight: Silksong mini boss. My usual strategy of trying, trying, and trying again until something clicks didn't work here because I simply didn't have the ability I needed. And though I knew full well that I needed that ability, I just couldn't put aside the lessons Dark Souls had ingrained into me.

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