Hollow Knight: Silksong's Act 3 unlocks through completing the "Silk and Soul" quest, which requires finishing all settlement wishboard quests, rescuing 25+ Lost Fleas to move the caravan to Putrefied Ducts, obtaining your Bellhome, and collecting four special items to trap Grand Mother Silk. This hidden third act, titled "Abyss," transforms Pharloom into a void-corrupted landscape with enhanced enemies, new bosses, and access to the game's true endings including Sister of the Void and Passing of the Age.
| Act 3 Requirements | Details |
|---|---|
| Wishboard Completion | All quests in Bone Bottom, Bellhart, Songclave |
| Flea Rescue | Minimum 25 fleas (caravan moves to Putrefied Ducts) |
| Bellhome | Talk to Pavo after completing all wishes |
| Silk and Soul Items | Maiden's Soul, Hermit's Soul, Seeker's Soul, Snare Setter |
| Boss Defeat | Beat Grand Mother Silk once (choose Needolin option) |
After years of anticipation since its announcement in 2019, Hollow Knight: Silksong finally launched on September 4, 2025, delivering not just a satisfying conclusion but an entire secret act that rivals the scope of the main game. While most players will roll credits after defeating Grand Mother Silk at the Citadel's peak, those willing to dive deeper will discover Act 3's "Abyss" – a void-corrupted version of Pharloom featuring the game's most challenging content and true ending paths. This comprehensive guide will walk you through every requirement, boss strategy, and secret needed to unlock and complete Silksong's ultimate challenges.
Contents
Unlocking Act 3 in Hollow Knight: Silksong isn't just about beating the final boss – it requires meticulous completion of side content throughout Pharloom. The secret lies in the "Silk and Soul" quest, which only becomes available after meeting specific conditions that demonstrate your mastery of the game's various systems.
Wishboard Quest Completion
The most time-consuming requirement involves completing every single wishboard quest across three major settlements:
Important note: NPC-given side quests like Alchemist's Assistant or Broodfeast don't count toward this requirement – only the official wishboard postings matter. You'll also need to complete the Wandering Merchant and Lost Merchant missions from Jubilana, as these count toward the settlement tallies.
Flea Caravan Movement Strategy
The Flea Caravan must reach its final destination at Fleatopia in the Putrefied Ducts. This requires:
With 30 Lost Fleas scattered throughout Pharloom, you'll need to find at least 25 to meet this requirement. Many are hidden behind late-game abilities like double-jump and wall-cling, so thorough exploration is essential.
Obtaining Your Bellhome
After completing all wishboard objectives, return to Bellhart and speak with Pavo. He'll reward you with the Bellhome Key, granting access to your personal sanctuary at the top of Bellhart. This isn't just a trophy room – it's confirmation that you've met the completion requirements for Act 3.
Once all prerequisites are met, travel to Songclave and speak with the Caretaker. He'll reveal a secret plan to trap Grand Mother Silk using an ancient device that requires four specific components. The quest adds markers to your map, but finding each item involves unique challenges.
Maiden's Soul (Bone Bottom)
The easiest soul to obtain comes from your very first acquaintance in Pharloom. Use the Bellway to reach Bone Bottom, then head left to the Ruined Chapel where you first awakened. The Chapel Maid will hand over the Maiden's Soul without any additional requirements – a touching callback to your journey's beginning.
Hermit's Soul (Bellhart Underground)
From the Bellhart Bellway platform, run directly right through a hidden wall. You'll find the Bell Hermit in the concealed chamber beyond. He'll provide the Hermit's Soul after a brief dialogue about the burden of knowledge and the weight of souls.
Seeker's Soul (Bilewater)
The most challenging soul requires defeating Groal the Great in Bilewater. Access this toxic swamp through the Putrefied Ducts (you'll need the Grubberfly's Delicate Wings crest to navigate the poisonous waters safely). After defeating Groal – who requires fighting through four enemy waves each attempt – enter the small hut to the left and claim the Seeker's Soul from the fallen seeker's corpse.
Snare Setter (Weavenest Atla)
Located in a hidden section of Weavenest Atla below Bone Bottom, this final component tests your platforming skills. Take the lift to the bottom floor, then wall-jump up the right side to find a concealed platform. Jump across the gap to discover a hidden pathway leading to the Snare Setter tool.
Return all four items to the Caretaker in Songclave. He'll construct the Soul Snare device, fundamentally changing your final confrontation with Grand Mother Silk. When you face her again, a new "Needolin" option appears alongside the standard "Bind" choice.
Critical Decision: Choose "Needolin" to trigger the trap and begin Act 3. Selecting "Bind" will give you the standard Weaver Queen ending instead.
After defeating Grand Mother Silk with the Soul Snare and watching the altered ending cutscene, you'll return to the main menu to find your save file covered in writhing dark vines. Attack these vines repeatedly to "unlock" your corrupted save and load into Act 3: Abyss.
The transformation is immediate and unsettling:
Your first priority in Act 3 should be defeating the Bell Eater boss that now blocks the bellway system. This corrupted creature appears whenever you attempt to use any bellway station. Defeating it not only reopens fast travel but grants you the Bellway Recall ability – allowing instant return to the last bellway used from any solid ground.
After escaping The Cradle's initial corruption, you'll awaken in Songclave with a new primary objective: free Pharloom from the Void's influence. The Snail Shamans in Moss Grotto provide the path forward through "The Old Hearts" quest, requiring you to collect three ancient hearts from sealed domains across Pharloom.
Before attempting The Old Hearts, ensure you have:
Location Access: Start at the rabbit statue in Hunter's March. Use Silksoar near the statue to reveal a hidden passage leading to an unexplored section of Far Fields.
Boss Sequence: Skarrsinger Karmelita
Reward: Hunter's Heart increases your dash distance permanently
Location Access: Enter through Blasted Steps, climbing above the heavy attack training tent. Navigate to Sands of Karak, then ascend to reach Coral Tower.
Gauntlet Challenge: Survive approximately 30 waves of enemies across multiple arena encounters before facing the boss. Resource management is critical – consider equipping defensive crests.
Boss Fight: Crust King Khann
Reward: Encrusted Heart provides passive armor that reduces damage from environmental hazards
Location Access: The most hidden of the three hearts. From Blasted Steps Bellway, navigate to the Grand Gate elevator shaft where you fell at Act 2's start. Use Silksoar to reach the upper area, then:
Boss Sequence: Dual boss fight
Reward: Pollen Heart grants slow silk regeneration over time
The Clover Dancers boss provides the Conjoined Heart, which can substitute for any one of the three main hearts if you're struggling with a particular fight. Find them through a complex questline involving the Crawfather and completing the Dark Hearts Wish. While optional for the true ending, it becomes a valuable Bellhome memento if unused.
After delivering all three hearts to the Snail Shamans, you'll experience the "Red Memory" sequence – a haunting vision revealing Grand Mother Silk's past and the origins of Pharloom's curse. This culminates in receiving the Everbloom, a mystical flower that allows passage through the Abyss's darkest depths.
The Everbloom serves as both a key and a weapon:
The true final boss of Hollow Knight: Silksong awaits in the Abyss's deepest chamber. This corrupted fusion of Grand Mother Silk and void energy represents the ultimate test of your skills.
Phase 1: Silk and Shadow
Phase 2: Void Manifestation
Phase 3: Desperate Measures
Recommended Build:
Beyond the Sister of the Void ending, dedicated players can unlock the ultra-secret "Passing of the Age" conclusion by finding all seven Mister Mushroom locations throughout Pharloom in the correct order:
Completing this quest before defeating Sister of the Void adds an extended cutscene featuring Mister Mushroom's cosmic departure, linking Silksong's events to the greater Hollow Knight universe.
Important: This ending becomes inaccessible once you start Act 3, so complete it during Act 2 if you want all achievements.
Requirements:
This results in a darker ending where Hornet becomes permanently bound to the corruption, transforming into the new vessel for Grand Mother Silk's will.
Before starting Act 3, ensure maximum effectiveness:
Act 3 dramatically alters Pharloom's layout:
Void-corrupted enemies require adjusted strategies:
Achieving true 100% completion requires finding Act 3's exclusive collectibles:
New Mask Shards (4 additional):
Final Silk Skills:
Hunter's Journal Completion:
Experienced players can streamline Act 3 access:
Estimated Time:
No, defeating Grand Mother Silk with "Bind" doesn't lock you out of Act 3. Your save file returns to before the boss fight, allowing you to complete requirements and try again with the "Needolin" option.
No, only 25 fleas are required to move the caravan to Putrefied Ducts. The remaining 5 provide optional rewards and contribute to 100% completion.
Team Cherry hasn't confirmed a canonical ending, but Sister of the Void appears to be the "complete" ending based on narrative threads and achievement descriptions.
No, Act 3 permanently transforms your save file. The void corruption remains even after completing the true ending, though some areas become accessible again post-completion.
Act 3 adds approximately 8-12 hours of content for thorough players, including all bosses and collectibles. This represents roughly 25-30% additional gameplay beyond Acts 1 and 2.
While subjective, most players consider Act 3's platforming challenges comparable to Path of Pain, with combat difficulty exceeding anything in the original Hollow Knight, including Absolute Radiance.
Hollow Knight: Silksong's Act 3 represents Team Cherry's masterful approach to post-game content, seamlessly weaving additional narrative depth with brutal challenges that test every skill you've developed. The journey from unlocking Silk and Soul to defeating Sister of the Void offers some of gaming's most rewarding moments in 2025.
Whether you're seeking the true ending, hunting for 100% completion, or simply wanting to experience everything Pharloom has to offer, Act 3 delivers content that rivals many games' entire campaigns. The transformation of familiar areas, enhanced enemy AI, and spectacular boss encounters create an experience that feels both fresh and appropriately climactic.
As the community continues discovering secrets and optimizing routes in September 2025, one thing remains clear: Silksong's true ending path isn't just an epilogue – it's the culmination of everything that makes this sequel extraordinary. The seven-year wait has delivered not just a worthy successor to Hollow Knight, but a new benchmark for Metroidvania design.
For those ready to embrace the Abyss, remember: patience, preparation, and persistence will see you through Pharloom's darkest hour. May your needle stay sharp and your silk never run dry as you forge your path to Silksong's ultimate conclusion.
Looking for more Hollow Knight: Silksong guides? Check out our comprehensive guides for [Mask Shard locations], [All Boss strategies], [Silk Skills guide], and [100% completion walkthrough]. Don't forget to join the [official Discord community] for real-time tips and [visit the Team Cherry website] for the latest updates.