The Moorwing boss in Hollow Knight: Silksong is an airborne nightmare. Despite the multitude of tough bosses in the game, Moorwing has somehow managed to gain a reputation as one of the hardest fights in Act 1. Don’t feel bad if you’re struggling with this one.
Not only will this guide show you how to defeat Moorwing in Hollow Knight: Silksong, but it includes a secret workaround — a way to “cheese” the Moorwing boss fight. The vexatious fly will trouble you no longer.
Moorwing location in Hollow Knight: Silksong
Moorwing is located in the southwest corner of Greymoor:
After leaving Far Fields through the large vertical chamber and thus entering Greymoor, you must go to the left until you reach the Halfway Home with Creige and Nuu inside. This is also where you’ll find the closest resting bench to the boss arena. Continue west until you reach the area with the platforms hanging from the thick chains. Drop into the opening on the left side, and continue to the left to find Moorwing.
Moorwing’s moveset
Here’s an overview of Moorwing’s attacks and how to avoid them:
- Dive bomb — Moorwing will drop down in swift flight and try to hit you from either left or right. Jump and dash in the opposite direction to avoid it, and if you’re up for it, try to perform a downward attack when you’re right above Moorwing.
- Claw attack —Moorwing slashes you with his feet. This one is very hard to dodge, but there’s a way to predict it: Moorwing will briefly open his mouth as if he’s yelling just before launching the attack. You might be able to hit Moorwing from the side during this attack, but it’s quite risky as you don’t want to accidentally touch those claws.
- Orb shooting —Moorwing rolls an energy orb across the floor. It’ll charge in his claws for a split second before it’s unleashed. Jump over it to quickly land some hits on Moorwing if you’re fast.
- Double orb shooting —After fainting for the first time, Moorwing shoots two orbs across the ground instead of one. Jump twice to avoid damage, and beware that the second orb will loop around (full circle), so wait a moment before dashing towards the boss and landing some hits.
- Double circling orb attack — This is another orb attack added to Moorwing’s arsenal after fainting. Moorwing will shoot two orbs upward, one to the left and one to the right, and both will circle down before shooting away to the other side (like a bowtie shape). Again, you’ll have to jump twice; once to avoid the orb circling down on your side, and once to avoid the orb coming from the other side. Jump towards Moorwing and you’ll be able to hit the boss right after the second orb has passed.
How to prepare for the Moorwing boss fight
Since he dives down fairly frequently, it’s quite easy to hit Moorwing with either the Straight Pins or String Shards tools, so be sure to use them. The Crest of the Reaper is one of the best crests for this fight, as it’ll grant additional Silk, which you may use for more frequent healing (or Silkspear attacks if you don’t need the HP). If you prefer the Crest of the Wanderer though, mind that avoiding the claw attacks may be a bit harder due to its shorter range.
To ensure you don’t get hit while using your Silk, equip the Warding Bell. If you aren’t using the Crest of the Reaper, you might prefer the Druid’s Eye instead, as it grants additional Silk when you take a hit.
Finally, consider recruiting a nearby NPC and his sidekick to help you during this boss fight. They’re called Garmond and Zaza, and are located northeast of Moorwing. Speak with them, get beaten by Moorwing (yes, that’s necessary), and go back to the chamber above Moorwing’s arena, where Garmond and Zaza should have relocated. Speak with them again to spawn them into the next fight.
How to ‘cheese’ Moorwing
Tired of fighting Moorwing? There’s a “cheat” option that almost guarantees a victory. First, and this is the main downside to this exploit, you must equip the Crest of the Reaper. The Crest of the Wanderer can work as well, but it’ll be much harder to hit the boss.
To obtain the Crest of the Reaper, you must clear the Chapel of the Reaper, which is north of Moorwing’s arena. Instead of dropping down to Moorwing, continue to the left and jump upwards, passing the corrupted pilgrim with the large scissors. Go left again and enter the Chapel here:
Once you’ve made it to the top of the Chapel and claimed the Crest of the Reaper, go back and enter the boss arena to spawn Moorwing on the battlefield as usual. Then, run to the right and use the wind current to get back to where you entered this area. Moorwing will fly up to where you’re standing.
In the corner to the left, just below the entrance, use the downward attack to hit Moorwing through the floor. You can hit the boss, but the boss can’t hit you — an ideal situation, isn’t it?
Be sure to jump up and attack immediately after, as there isn’t a lot of leeway before you hit the ground again. Be careful not to accidentally jump through the gap in the top right, as this will reset the boss fight.
Moorwing rewards
Sadly, you don’t get any direct rewards for beating Moorwing, but you do get access to Bellhart, a cursed town that’ll become quite lovely once you complete the “The Threadspun Town” quest.
