All Hollow Knight: Silksong Endings Explained

All Hollow Knight: Silksong Endings Explained – How to Unlock Every Secret

MAJOR SPOILER WARNING: This guide contains detailed information about all endings in Hollow Knight: Silksong. If you haven't completed the game yet and want to experience the endings firsthand, bookmark this page and return after you've finished your first playthrough.

Hollow Knight: Silksong features multiple endings that vary based on your choices, completion percentage, and specific actions taken throughout the game. Unlike many games where endings are simple good/bad binary outcomes, Silksong offers a nuanced ending system that rewards exploration, persistence, and attention to detail. This comprehensive guide will walk you through how to unlock every ending, including the secret endings that most players will never see.

Understanding Silksong's Ending System

Before diving into specific endings, it's important to understand how Silksong determines which ending you'll receive. The game tracks several key variables throughout your journey:

Completion Percentage: How much of Pharloom you've explored and how many bosses you've defeated
Key Items Collected: Certain essential items that unlock story paths
Dialogue Choices: Conversations with NPCs that affect story progression
Specific Actions: Particular quests completed or moral choices made
Challenge Completion: Optional challenges and boss rushes

These factors combine to determine which of Silksong's six endings you'll experience. Let's explore each ending in detail, including exactly how to unlock them.

Ending 1: The Weaver's Fate (Standard Ending)

How to Unlock: Complete the main story by defeating the final boss without meeting specific requirements for other endings.

Requirements:

Defeat all main story bosses
Collect the essential key items needed to progress through Pharloom
Reach the final area without completing additional optional content

What Happens: This ending shows Hornet completing her primary mission in Pharloom but leaving many questions unanswered. It provides closure to the main narrative but hints at deeper mysteries within the world. This ending is considered the "standard" or "default" conclusion that most players will see on their first playthrough.

Tips for Achievement: This ending is essentially unavoidable on a first playthrough, making it perfect for players who want to experience the story without worrying about missing key elements.

Ending 2: The Binding (Bad Ending)

How to Unlock: Make specific dialogue choices that indicate Hornet is willing to compromise her principles, and defeat the final boss without collecting the True Silk items.

Requirements:

Choose the "compromise" dialogue option when speaking with the Weaver at three key points
Defeat the final boss without having collected any of the three True Silk items
Have less than 60% completion percentage

What Happens: In this ending, Hornet achieves her immediate goal but at a significant cost. The cinematic shows her bound by the very forces she sought to escape, suggesting that her actions have inadvertently strengthened the enemy. This ending serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of moral compromise.

Tips for Achievement: To get this ending, avoid optional areas and side quests. Focus only on the main path and consistently choose dialogue options that suggest pragmatism over idealism.

Ending 3: The True Kingdom (Good Ending)

How to Unlock: Collect all three True Silk items and defeat the final boss with a completion percentage between 75-89%.

Requirements:

Collect the True Silk of Origin (found in the Deep Docks)
Collect the True Silk of Memory (obtained by completing the Weaver's questline)
Collect the True Silk of Purpose (reward for defeating the optional boss, The Luminous Watcher)
Defeat the final boss
Maintain a completion percentage between 75-89%

What Happens: This ending shows Hornet successfully liberating Pharloom and establishing a new order under her guidance. The cinematic features a redeemed kingdom with Hornet as its rightful ruler, suggesting that her sacrifices have led to a better future. This ending is considered the "good" ending that rewards dedicated players.

Tips for Achievement: Focus on exploring thoroughly but don't worry about 100% completion. The True Silk items are in challenging but accessible areas, so be prepared for some difficult platforming and combat encounters.

Ending 4: The Empty Throne (True Ending)

How to Unlock: Collect all True Silk items, achieve 100% completion, and defeat the enhanced final boss.

Requirements:

Collect all three True Silk items (as listed in the Good Ending)
Achieve 100% completion percentage (all areas explored, all bosses defeated, all collectibles obtained)
Complete the Path of Silk challenge area
Defeat the enhanced version of the final boss (unlocked by having 100% completion)

What Happens: This ending reveals the deepest secrets of Pharloom and Hornet's true purpose. The cinematic shows Hornet making a profound sacrifice that transforms the very nature of the kingdom, breaking cycles that have persisted for centuries. This ending provides the most complete narrative closure and reveals connections to the original Hollow Knight.

Tips for Achievement: This ending requires maximum dedication. Use a detailed map to ensure you've explored every corner of Pharloom. Don't forget to complete all side quests and defeat all optional bosses. The enhanced final boss is significantly more challenging than the standard version, so come prepared with upgraded shells and plenty of healing items.

Ending 5: The Weave Unraveled (Secret Ending 1)

How to Unlock: Complete the game with specific obscure requirements that involve interacting with hidden environmental elements in a particular order.

Requirements:

Collect all three True Silk items
Interact with the seven hidden Weaver shrines in the correct order (Deep Docks, Silkfall, Bloom Palace, Crystal Caverns, Forgotten Archives, Ashen Wastes, and finally the Throne Room)
Defeat the secret boss, The Unseen Weaver, which appears in the Bloom Palace after visiting all shrines
Defeat the final boss while wearing the Unraveled Shell (obtained from The Unseen Weaver)

What Happens: This ending reveals that Pharloom itself is a construct designed to contain an ancient entity. Hornet discovers that her entire journey has been manipulated by forces beyond her comprehension. The cinematic shows her breaking free from this predetermined path, but at the cost of her connection to the world she sought to protect. This ending is mind-bending and completely changes how you view the game's events.

Tips for Achievement: This is one of the most challenging endings to unlock because the shrine order is not hinted at in the game. Look for subtle visual cues near each shrine that suggest the correct sequence. The Unseen Weaver is arguably the most difficult boss in the game, so come prepared with your best equipment and mastery of Hornet's moveset.

Ending 6: Beyond the Weave (Secret Ending 2)

How to Unlock: Complete the game after performing a series of extremely specific actions that reference the original Hollow Knight.

Requirements:

Complete the game with the True Ending first
In New Game+, collect the Void Essence item (hidden in a secret area accessible only after obtaining all other collectibles)
Defeat all five Dream Warriors (remixed versions of bosses from the original Hollow Knight)
Offer the Void Essence at the altar in the deepest part of the Abyssal Chasm
Defeat the secret final boss, The Radiance Reborn

What Happens: This ending directly connects Silksong to the original Hollow Knight, revealing that Pharloom exists in the same universe as Hallownest. Hornet discovers that her journey has been part of a larger cosmic battle between light and void that spans both kingdoms. The cinematic shows Hornet making a choice that affects both Hallownest and Pharloom, setting up potential future games in the series. This ending is the ultimate reward for dedicated fans of the series.

Tips for Achievement: This ending requires multiple playthroughs and encyclopedic knowledge of both games. The Dream Warriors are extremely challenging remixes that require mastery of Hornet's unique abilities. The Radiance Reborn is one of the most difficult bosses in either game, with complex patterns that test every aspect of your skills. Only attempt this ending after you've mastered all other content in the game.

General Tips for Unlocking All Endings

Unlocking all six endings in Silksong is a monumental task that requires dedication and strategy. Here are some general tips to help you achieve this goal:

Plan Your Playthroughs

Don't try to get all endings in one playthrough. Plan separate runs with specific goals:

First playthrough: Focus on experiencing the story naturally (likely the Standard Ending)
Second playthrough: Target the Bad Ending by making specific dialogue choices
Third playthrough: Aim for the Good Ending by collecting True Silk items
Fourth playthrough: Go for 100% completion and the True Ending
Fifth and sixth playthroughs: Focus specifically on the secret endings with detailed guides

Use Multiple Save Files

Silksong allows multiple save files. Use this to your advantage by creating separate saves before major decision points. This allows you to return and make different choices without replaying the entire game.

Keep Detailed Notes

The requirements for secret endings involve obscure details that are easy to forget. Keep notes on:

NPC dialogue choices and their outcomes
Locations of hidden items and areas
Environmental elements that seem out of place
Patterns or sequences that might be important

Consult Community Resources

Some of the secret endings have requirements so obscure that even dedicated players might never discover them naturally. Don't hesitate to consult community resources, but try to avoid spoilers for endings you haven't reached yet.

Conclusion: The Rewards of Persistence

Unlocking all endings in Hollow Knight: Silksong is a significant achievement that requires dedication, skill, and attention to detail. Each ending offers a different perspective on the game's events and themes, creating a richer understanding of Hornet's journey and the world of Pharloom.

While the secret endings are particularly challenging to unlock, they provide the most profound insights into the game's lore and its connections to the original Hollow Knight. For dedicated fans, these endings offer the ultimate payoff for hundreds of hours of exploration and mastery.

Whether you're aiming to see just one ending or all six, remember that the journey through Pharloom is meant to be savored. Take your time, explore thoroughly, and immerse yourself in one of the most beautifully crafted worlds in gaming. The endings will come with time and persistence, each revealing another layer of Team Cherry's masterful storytelling.