Abilities are split up into two categories in Hollow Knight: Silksong — Silk Skills and Ancestral Arts.
Silk Skills are used in combat, while Ancestral Arts are used to traverse to new areas in Pharloom. All the abilities have specific purposes, but they all do one thing — simplify your journey in Silksong. However, finding and unlocking every ability can be time-consuming and difficult. To facilitate your playthrough, we’ve compiled the locations of every Silk Skill and Ancestral Art.Here are all the abilities in Hollow Knight: Silksong and where to find them. For extra assistance, check out our interactive map to help you pinpoint all the ability locations.
All Silk Skills in Hollow Knight: Silksong
Silk Skills are combat abilities that can be equipped on your crest. There are six Silk Skills in total in Hollow Knight: Silksong.
Silkspear
Silkspear is located at the top of Mosshome in Bone Bottom. To reach it, take the northwestern exit of The Marrow and platform your way upwards to the next area. At the top of this room, you’ll find a Weaver statue that gives you the Silkspear ability.
Silkspear can be used to clear out thick silk threads that are blocking passageways, or it can be used as a ranged attack against enemies.
Thread Storm
Thread Storm is found in the top right corner of Greymoor. To unlock it, you’ll need to first defeat the bird gauntlet inside the house on Craw Lake, which is on the right side of Greymoor. After you survive the gauntlet, hit the switch inside to release balloons outside. You’ll need to pogo to the top right corner of Greymoor, where you’ll find a Weaver statue that gives you Thread Storm.
Thread Storm is great for aggressive players as it deals damage in a small area around Hornet. It isn’t the best if you’re facing off against a singular enemy like a boss, but it’s much better when you’re getting swarmed by enemies like in a gauntlet or rush battle.
Cross Stitch
Cross Stitch is unlocked after you defeat Phantom in the Exhaust Organ area of Bilewater. To get to this area, you need to go through The Mist from either Sinner’s Road or Bilewater. Once inside, make your way through the steam-filled passageways until you find Phantom playing an organ.
Cross Stitch works like a parry in other action RPGs. If you use the ability right before you’re about to get hit, you’ll instantly attack the enemy back and avoid taking any damage.
Sharpdart
Sharpdart is locked behind a Weaver-etched door on the west side of Wormways. To get inside, you’ll need to have the Needolin and Clawline as the door is too far out of reach for a regular sprint jump. Once you make it inside, continue all the way to the left to find a Weaver statue that’ll give you Sharpdart.
Sharpdart works like an empowered dash that damages any enemies that you pass through.
Rune Rage
Rune Rage is unlocked after you defeat the First Sinner in The Slab. Getting to the First Sinner is a lengthy process, but to start off, make sure to unlock Faydown Cloak in Mount Fay. From there, you’ll need to get the Apostate’s Key to open the locked door at the bottom of The Slab. You can find the key in the bottom left corner of the Putrified Ducts as seen in this image below:
Return to The Slab and make your way through the area until you collect the Key of Indolent and the Key of Heretic. Once you have all three keys, make your way to the hallway just above the bottom right area of The Slab.
Inside you’ll find what seems to be a dead end, but if you look up, you’ll notice a hole in the ceiling. Use Cling Grip to hold onto the sliver of the wall on the left, and double jump into the hole in the ceiling. Proceed through the tunnel to find a sealed cage. Destroy all the locks and head inside to find the First Sinner. Once defeated, you’ll unlock Rune Rage.
When used, Rune Rage will create multiple silk runes around you that will explode after a short amount of time and damage any enemies caught in its blasts. It’s great for when you’re facing off against multiple enemies at a time or one large, stagnant enemy.
Pale Nail
Pale Nail is the last Silk Skill you can find in Hollow Knight: Silksong, but you will need to make it to Act 3 first. After you reach Act 3, continue through the story until you unlock the Silk Soar ability, and then retrace your steps back to where you landed in Choral Chambers. To see exactly where you should stand, check out the image below:
From there, continue upward until you reach the room where you found the Architect’s Melody. There is a hole in the top right corner of the room, but it can be pretty hard to pinpoint. Stand directly in front of this destroyed statue in the background, and use Silk Soar to perfectly go up the hole in the ceiling:
Continue ahead, using Silk Soar whenever there isn’t a clear path upward, until you end up on the stage where you faced off against Lace. Stand directly in the center of the light beaming down, and use Silk Soar again to propel yourself into the hole in the ceiling. Proceed along the path, using Silk Soar whenever the way upward isn’t clear, until you end up on the platform where you challenged Grandmother Silk. Interact with the arm in the rubble to unlock Pale Nails.
When you use Pale Nails, it’ll create three silk needles that float behind you. They will seek out any nearby foe and damage them, but if there aren’t any enemies around, they will just launch into the ground ahead of you.
All Ancestral Arts in Hollow Knight: Silksong
Ancestral Arts provide you with new movement abilities and allow you to reach new areas. There are nine Ancestral Arts in total in Hollow Knight: Silksong.
Swift Step
Swift Step is the first Ancestral Art that you’ll find in Silksong, and it’s found at the top of Deep Docks. To get there, you’ll first need to ascend the chamber with Shakra. Then, proceed to the right and hit the explosive orange rock in the top right corner of the room, which will open up a path. Head inside and continue upward into a little section of Hunter’s March where you’ll need to defeat a gauntlet of ants. After you successfully defeat them all, drop down on the left side and continue to the left to find Swift Step.
Swift Step acts as your dash in Hollow Knight: Silksong, but it also allows you to sprint.
Drifter’s Cloak
Drifter’s Cloak is unlocked after you complete the “Flexile Spines” quest in the Far Fields. Speak to the Seamstress inside the floating house, and she’ll send you out to collect spines from Hokers. After you collect enough spines, return to the Seamstress to get the Drifter’s Cloak.
The Drifter’s Cloak allows you to glide through the air and ride up air currents.
Cling Grip
Cling Grip is found near the top of Shellwood. To unlock it, we recommend entering Shellwood from Bellhart, and platforming your way around the entire right half of Shellwood. Along the way you’ll need to go through a gauntlet of enemies, defeat Sister Splinter, and complete multiple pogo sections.
Cling Grip allows you to climb up walls and wall jump. Any vertical surface now becomes your playground and you can use them to reach higher heights.
Needolin
Needolin is unlocked after defeating Widow and completing the “The Threadspun Town” quest in Bellhart.
When you use the Needolin, you’ll use your needle as an instrument. This will briefly stun enemies, unlock Weaver doors, and allow you to understand what others are saying. As you progress into Act 3, you’ll unlock the Beastling Call, which allows you to return to your most recent Bellway station, and Elegy of the Deep, which allows you to enter memories.
Needle Strike
Needle Strike is given to you by the Pinstress, who can be found inside her floating house in the northwestern region of the Blasted Steps.
Needle Strike allows you to charge an attack by holding down the attack button. As you’re holding down the attack button, white orbs will gather around your needle until it’s done charging where it’ll start to glow. Once you’re ready to swing, release the attack button to unleash a powerful attack.
Clawline
Clawline is found inside of The Cauldron in the Underworks. To reach it, you’ll need to enter the Underworks from the Whispering Vaults, and traverse your way to the lava-filled area in the south. After you make it past the falling lava and submerging platforms, you’ll end up in The Cauldron, where you’ll find another Weaver statue sitting on a bed of lava.
Clawline allows you to use your needle as a grappling hook. You can grab onto rings, enemies, surfaces, and even nothing at all. Send your needle either left or right, and you’ll pull yourself in that direction.
Faydown Cloak
Faydown Cloak is unlocked at the top of Mount Fay. To get there, you’ll need to go through the bottom of the slab, but make sure you have Clawline before you start your journey. The trek to the top of Mount Fay will have you use all the movement abilities that you’ve unlocked up until this point, and platform your way through a freezing mountainside. You’ll need to stop at checkpoints along the way to warm yourself up, or else you might literally freeze to death. Once you make it to the top, you’ll encounter a feathered beast that gives you the Faydown Cloak.
Faydown Cloak lets you double jump in Hollow Knight: Silksong.
Silk Soar
Silk Soar is unlocked as you’re exploring the Abyss in Act 3. You’ll naturally progress through the darkness until you reach another Weaver statue in the bottom right section of the Abyss. After you interact with it, you’ll get the Silk Soar ability.
Silk Soar allows you to perform a super jump. You’ll launch your needle upward, and if it hits anything, you’ll be pulled up to the ceiling.
Sylphsong
Sylphsong is unlocked after you collect every crest and unlock all of their slots. After you do that, head over to Eva who is found in Weavenest Alta and bind with her to unlock Sylphsong.
Sylphsong allows you to regenerate your entire silk spool when you sit on a bench.
Looking for more Silksong help? Check out our essential beginner tips and top rosary bead farming locations if you’re just getting started, and if you’re running up against a few locked doors, our simple key locations guide is the one for you.
While you’re exploring and completing quests like the “Rite of the Pollip” wish or “Silver Bells” request, make sure to spend some time progressing the main story as well, as you’ll get some upgrades that make battles easier. After “The Threadspun Town” quest, for instance, you can upgrade your needle to deal more damage.
