Hollow Knight Silksong Twisted Bud location and how to use

Where is the Silksong Twisted Bud? This contorted mass of ashen vine might technically be a quest item, but it sure makes one heck of a racket while you're carrying it around. If you've found the Twisted Bud and grown tired of its incessant crying every time you open your inventory, we can walk you through exactly how to use it.

The Twisted Bud is required to unlock one of the Silksong endings - we won't spoil it, but if you'd prefer to navigate the Metroidvania game completely in the dark, turn back now. Of course, before you can use the Twisted Bud in Hollow Knight Silksong, you might need to find it first. It's tucked into a secret corner of the Silksong map, which means if you haven't stumbled upon it accidentally, you might miss it entirely. To speed up your playthrough, here's exactly how to find and use the Silksong Twisted Bud.

How to get the Twisted Bud

The Silksong Twisted Bud is located in Bilewater, northwest of the Bellway.

The easiest and fastest way to reach it is by taking the Whispering Vaults shortcut in our Silksong Bilewater location guide. You can also reach it by going through the Exhaust Organ via The Mist, up through Sinner's Road, or down from the Putrified Ducts, but this is by far the best route.

Immediately after you fall into the Muckmaggots from the Whispering Vaults, head right and proceed down to the area with two Swamp Squits. Destroy the wooden stakes on the lower ledge on the right to open a hidden path.

Continue through this narrow passage, breaking the vines to proceed - careful, several Miremites patrol here. Wall jump up the vertical path, then pogo over the explosive green orbs on the right. Break the two sets of vines and interact with the root crib to retrieve the Twisted Bud.

To use the Silksong Twisted Bud, give it to Greyroot in Shellwood to unlock and accept the Rite of Rebirth wish.

You can only use the Twisted Bud after you collect Silksong Pollip Hearts for Greyroot and complete the Rite of the Pollip. This advances Greyroot's questline far enough to let you hand over the Twisted Bud. It also nets you the Pollip Pouch, one of the best Silksong Tools.

After you complete the Pollip quest, speak to Greyroot again to receive the prompt to give her the Twisted Bud. This removes the Twisted Bud from your inventory and ceases its incessant crying.

However, this is not the end of the questline. Speak to Greyroot a third and final time to accept the Rite of Rebirth - but beware. Accepting this quest automatically curses Hornet with an infestation that drastically limits your Silk gauge, prevents healing, and removes the ability to equip crests and tools.

Your actions from this point onward can affect which ending you get. You can either continue your playthrough with Hornet's affliction or find Yarnaby in Greymoor to pick up the Infestation Operation quest to cleanse it.

While we won't spoil what happens here, it's important to choose carefully. Lifting the curse locks you out of the relevant ending, and you'll have to start a new playthrough if you want to experience it for yourself. However, it does net you one of the best Silksong Crests.

Proceeding through Act 3 without the ability to properly heal can be a major frustration. Ultimately, we recommend picking up the Twisted Bud late in your playthrough if you want to deliver it to the end.

Go to the Bellway in Choral Chambers, then spend 80 Rosaries to unlock the Ventrica station to the right of the bench. Take the Ventrica to the Terminus to put the wheels in motion for the Twisted Bud ending. Don't forget to rest at the bench - you'll need it.

Now that you know how to acquire the Silksong Twisted Bud and what purpose it serves, prepare for the consequences of using it by stocking up on Silksong Mask Shards. We've also got the locations for Silksong Silver Bells and Plasmium if you're looking for more quest items on your travels.