Silksong Bosses: All 48 in Order, Locations, Rewards

Hollow Knight: Silksong has 48 boss encounters by the most complete count, which includes rematches and one fight that only exists in Steel Soul mode. Fewer than 20 of them sit on the main path. The required order runs Moss Mother, Bell Beast, Lace, Fourth Chorus, Sister Splinter and Widow, then Last Judge (or Phantom) to end Act 1, Cogwork Dancers, Lace again and Grand Mother Silk in Act 2, and Lost Lace at the end of Act 3. This guide lists every boss by act with its location, whether you need it and what it drops, plus tips for the required fights that the starter guide does not cover.

Checked against Team Cherry's Patch 1.0.30000 notes on Steam on November 12, 2026.

Boss counts differ between wikis (44 to 48) because some count rematches, mini-bosses and the Steel Soul exclusive separately. Locations and rewards below come from community wikis and press guides; where they disagree on the act or on whether a fight is required, the table says so. The game is on patch 1.0.30000, released March 16, 2026, and no patch since has added bosses. Sea of Sorrow, the free expansion Team Cherry announced on December 16, 2025 with new areas and bosses, still has no release date.

How many bosses are in Silksong?

Expect 48 named encounters across three acts: roughly 15 in Act 1, 16 in Act 2 and 17 in Act 3. The fights split into three groups:

• Story bosses that block the main route, such as Bell Beast, Widow and Grand Mother Silk.
• Wish and Grand Hunt bosses tied to quests from the wish boards, such as Skull Tyrant, Broodmother and Pinstress.
• Hidden or optional bosses that drop tools, mementos and crests, such as Savage Beastfly (Beast Crest) and Father of the Flame (Wispfire Lantern).

Fextralife also lists four mini-bosses (Craggler, Skarrgard, Rhinogrund and Choir Clapper) that some counts fold into the main list. Craggler drops a Beast Shard.

What order do you fight the Act 1 bosses?

Act 1 covers Pharloom, from Moss Grotto up to the Blasted Steps, and ends when you beat Last Judge at the Grand Gate. Moss Mother, Bell Beast and the first Lace duel are covered in detail in the Silksong crests and early bosses guide.

Gurr the Outcast (Far Fields, a Grand Hunt) and Disgraced Chef Lugoli (Sinner's Road) are optional fights that sources place in different acts, because you can reach their arenas early but often meet them later.

How do you beat Widow and Last Judge?

Both fights reward patience: dodge the big committal attack, then punish the recovery window.

Widow (Bellhart)

• Her bouncing bells ricochet around the room. Face the direction they come from to parry, or dodge and counter.
• During her running attack, bells and scraping metal burst out of the floor. Stay in the air with the Drifter's Cloak.
• When she is stunned she stays open for several seconds, so spend Silk on a Silk Skill such as Silkspear.
• Phase 2 speeds up every bell and blade attack. Only swing when the opening is obvious.

Beating Widow gives you the Needolin, which you need for doors, melodies and later quests.

Last Judge (Blasted Steps)

• Phase 1 is all flail: pulls, swing-and-spin, a jumping smash and a stomp. Dodge the opening swing or slam and hit her during the recovery.
• Phase 2 starts when the flail catches fire. The same moves now leave burning trails, and Flame Charge cuts across the arena; move to the side opposite the steam markers.
• Equip the Magma Bell to cut fire damage in phase 2. Patch 1.0.30000 fixed its protection against fire explosions and lowered Last Judge's death explosion from 3 damage to 2.

Spoiler note: the sections below name Act 2 and Act 3 bosses, areas and story beats. Stop here if you want to discover them yourself.

Which bosses are in Act 2?

Act 2 takes place in the Citadel of Song. The main quest, Pharloom's Crown, starts in Cogwork Core and needs the Clawline and Cling Grip abilities. Only Cogwork Dancers, Lace and Grand Mother Silk block the standard story, and Groal the Great is needed for the Act 3 route.

Cogwork Dancers tips

Light rays flash before each directional slash, so step out of the beam and hit both Dancers in the short pause that follows. When they rise and merge into one slash at the center, get as far away as possible. Keep the Drifter's Cloak for the scatter attack where they turn into light and cut in several directions, and use Thread Storm or Sting Shard during the safe windows.

Lace in The Cradle

Lace keeps her lunge, double slash, parry stance and bubble attack from the first fight. Do not jump over the double slash, since it rises; dash back instead. Never attack into her crouching parry. A stagger gives three to four free hits, and knocking her off the ledge into the lava buys a moment while she climbs back.

Grand Mother Silk

Her stomach is the only target, so jump through gaps in her blade patterns to reach it. Get out of laser webs before they pulse. Phase 2 speeds everything up, phase 3 adds falling rocks from both sides and blade traps on the floor, and the last stretch combines every attack, so save Silk for a final burst.

Which bosses are in Act 3?

Act 3 only opens if you trap Grand Mother Silk instead of binding her, which is explained in the Silksong endings guide. Its final fight is Lost Lace in The Abyss, and the true ending needs three of the four Old Heart bosses.

Forebrothers Signis and Gron guard the Diving Bell entrance in Deep Docks. One checklist marks the duo as needed for that route, while other lists call them optional and place them as early as Act 1.

Lost Lace tips

Phase 1 mixes pin charges, black tentacles from the floor, grabs and black spheres that turn into blades when they land. After her melee combo ends in a shield and an aerial slash, her back is open, so get behind her. Phase 2 strengthens every move and adds a line of blades racing along the ground; jump it with the Faydown Cloak. Bring your strongest crest and tools, since the fight drops nothing and only leads to the ending.

Which boss achievements do most players have?

Steam's global stats show how many players clear each story boss, which doubles as a rough difficulty curve. Every number below is the share of all Steam owners as of November 12, 2026.

The biggest drop comes between Widow and Last Judge, which matches the jump in difficulty at the end of Act 1. Fewer than half of owners have beaten Lace in The Cradle, the last fight before Grand Mother Silk.

Related guides

• Silksong best crests, tools and early bosses
• Silksong endings: all five and how to get them
• Hollow Knight: Silksong hub
• All game guides