How to beat the Hollow Knight Silksong Widow

How do you beat the Silksong Widow? This boss has the population of Bellhart caught up in its sticky web, and it'll take all your efforts to ensure that Hornet doesn't join them. She's relentless, and her aggression is enough to give the most seasoned Hollow Knight veterans a run for their rosaries.

Widow is one of the main Silksong bosses, so there's no getting around it - if you want to progress in the Metroidvania game, you have to beat her. It's also the only way to complete the Bellhart quest and save the townsfolk from Widow's silken threads. Thankfully, we've got her exact location on the Silksong map and all the best boss strategies you need to beat her.

Where to find Widow

Widow is located in Bellhart, in the room directly above the Bellway on the area map.

You can only reach this area once you have the Silksong Cling Grip ability. The fastest way to get to Widow's boss room is by hopping up the series of ledges to the left of the unlockable bench in Shellwood.

Head right, then traverse up the platforms to access the secret bell path on the right. Proceed down through the tunnels, avoiding the spikes and enemies as you go, until you reach an open path on the left. Drop down, then turn right until you reach the gap in the floor that leads to Widow.

The Widow boss fight is an exercise in greed management and positioning, so be prepared to master both if you want to beat it.

Widow's primary attack involes her leaping into the air to perform a diagonal downward dash towards Hornet's position, with an immediate dash-strike in the direction you dodged to avoid that initial attack.

If you have the Wanderer or Reaper crest, you should be able to pogo off Widow while leaping over that follow-up dash, but we don't recommend attempting this with Hornet's basic moveset. However, it's also a good opportunity to heal in midair if you need it.

Like the Silksong Bell Beast, Widow uses bells as AoE attacks, though her attack patterns are far more variable and aggressive. When Widow begins pulling silk from thin air, that's your split-second warning before bells start raining from the sky. On the plus side, this animation is also a good opportunity to sneak in a free hit.

You can predict which direction bells are coming from with the silk threads that appear over the boss room, but be aware that they'll bounce on impact. The diagonal bells are infinitely harder to avoid than the vertical bells; in the latter half of her first phase, she can summon a hail of three to seven bells at once.

Whenever Widow dashes from one side of the room to the other, sprint in the opposite direction and use Cling Grip to evade the bells that burst from the floor. You can also use the Drifter's Cloak to slow your descent.

Widow's second phase is even more aggressive. She cycles through the same attack patterns that appear in phase one, but her melee attacks continue as the bells fly. It's crucial to avoid jumping unnecessarily at this point, since you can easily leap into their trajectory. Try to stay in the mid-range so you have enough wiggle room to dodge everything coming your way while still getting a chance to hit her.

Tools aren't strictly necessary for the Widow fight, but they can certainly help you continue to deal damage while staying on the defensive. We recommend the Sting Shard, but Straight Pins and Tacks also work in a pinch.

Once you beat the Silksong Widow, you'll unlock the Needolin ability. Don't forget to return to Bellhart and pick up the Silksong Needle upgrade before you continue fighting through Pharloom. Alternatively, we've also got Silksong Simple Key locations if you're in dire need of a shortcut or two.