All Hollow Knight Silksong Pale Oil locations

Where is Silksong Pale Oil? Hornet learns of this valuable substance after speaking to Plinney in Bellhart, and it's well worth going out of your way to find it. While this might appear like a regular quest item, it's a crucial upgrade item in the later hours of your playthrough.

Pale Oil is one of only two Silksong Needle upgrades to boost your weapon damage in the Metroidvania game, and finding it early can stand you in good stead when going up against mid-to-late-game Silksong bosses. Given its value, Pale Oil can only be found in the hardest-to-reach areas on the Silksong map, and often lie at the end of a nasty platform challenge gauntlet. Sharpen your Needle and prepare accordingly, as we take you through where to find Pale Oil.

There are three Pale Oil locations in Silksong. The first two are accessible once you've beaten Last Judge and finished Act 1, while the third is only accessible in Act 3. Remember to return to Pinmaster Plinney to trade in your Pale Oil for an upgrade once you have them in your possession.

• Location: Whispering Vaults

The first Pale Oil is in the Cogwork Core in the Citadel, which you can access once you defeat the Cogwork Dancers. Head down through Cogwork Core, proceed right and then up to reach the path in the top right which leads to the Whispering Vault.

The Silksong Double Jump ability makes this area exponentially easier, so we recommend taking the time to pick it up if you're having trouble getting to the end. However, it's not essential to reach it for platformer gurus; instead, you can pogo off the buzz saws to reach those higher platforms.

Once you're inside the Whispering Vaults, follow the path as it twists around, then proceed down to the path on the bottom left until you reach a dingy room that contains a box puzzle. Hit the boxes to move them around until you open a gap where you can wall jump up and around, then down to the path set into the middle of the left-hand wall. You can pick up the Pale Oil on the left, past the floor lever.

• Location: Choral Chambers

You can get the second Pale Oil from Loyal Mergwin in Choral Chambers after you fulfill The Great Taste of Pharloom wish. Loyal Mergwin resides in the abandoned dining hall, northeast of the Citadel Spa area. Hit the jar that contains the Pale Oil to speak to him and accept this wish.

The Great Taste of Pharloom requires you to complete the following objectives:

• Retrieve the Crustnut from the Sands of Karat.
• Get Mossbery Stew from the Moss Druid in Bone Bottom.
• Defeat Lugoli in Sinner's Road and pick up Pickled Muckmaggot.
• Give Creige 480 Rosaries to retrieve the Vintage Nectar from the Halfway-Home's cellar.
• Fulfill the My Missing Courier and My Missing Brother wishes from Bellhart's Wishwall.
• Speak to Tipp and Pill in Bellhart to accept the Courier's Rasher and deliver it straight to Mergwin.

That final objective takes you through Shellwood, Blasted Steps, Grand Gate, Choral Chambers, and then finally to Mergwin. It's essential to sprint through each area and avoid all enemies as you go; otherwise, you'll expend the time limit and have to start all over again.

• Location: Putrified Ducts

You can get the third Pale Oil after you fulfill the Lost Fleas and Ecstasy of the End wishes. Go to the Flea Caravan during Act 3 and complete all three minigames in the Flea Festival. Once you've topped the leaderboards for Juggle, Dodge, and Bounce, break the piñata above the stage to release the Pale Oil inside.

Now that you have all the Sillksong Pale Oil, your trusty Needle is as powerful as it can be in the platform game. Continue to expand your knowledge of the map with the Silksong Simple Key locations, and pick up some Silksong Mask Shards to boost your health along with your damage.