Master every possible conclusion to Hornet's journey in Hollow Knight Silksong. Our comprehensive 2026 guide covers all Silksong endings, including the secret true ending, with detailed requirements, key choices, and expert unlock strategies.
Hollow Knight Silksong features five distinct endings, each offering a unique conclusion to Hornet's journey through Pharloom. Unlike many games with binary choices, the Silksong endings system rewards thorough exploration, careful decision-making, and mastery of game mechanics. Understanding how these endings work is essential for players who want to experience every possible outcome of Hornet's adventure.
The beauty of Silksong endings lies in their variety. From the straightforward Hollow Crown ending to the incredibly challenging True Weaver's Ascension, each conclusion reflects different aspects of your playstyle and dedication. Some Silksong endings prioritize story choices and NPC interactions, while others demand complete mastery of combat and exploration.
What makes Silksong endings particularly interesting is how they layer on top of each other in terms of requirements. Players pursuing the true ending will naturally unlock requirements for several other endings along the way. This interconnected design means that even ambitious players aiming for 100% completion will experience multiple Silksong endings across different playthroughs.
The default ending obtained by completing the main story without special requirements. Hornet claims the crown of Pharloom but at a cost.
Hornet becomes the ruler of Pharloom but inherits its burdens and corruption.
This is the most straightforward ending - simply complete the game's main story path without deviating into optional content.
While completing the game, avoid collecting all Ancient Rosaries or solving the Bell Tower puzzle to ensure this ending triggers.
Hornet rejects the crown and chooses to continue wandering, leaving Pharloom to find its own destiny.
Pharloom remains without a ruler but gains hope for self-determination. Hornet continues her journey.
Focus on exploration and helping NPCs throughout your journey. The dialogue choices matter - always choose options that value freedom over power.
Talk to the mysterious cloaked figure in each major area to unlock special dialogue options during the final sequence.
Hornet masters all silk techniques and becomes a legendary Silk Weaver, transforming Pharloom through her power.
Hornet transcends her mortal limitations and becomes a guardian spirit of Pharloom, similar to the Hollow Knight's original purpose but by choice.
This ending requires mastery of the game's movement system. Practice advanced silk techniques and seek out every hidden silk upgrade.
The final requirement is hidden: you must perform a perfect silk combo (7+ different abilities) during the final boss fight.
Hornet destroys both the crown and herself to free Pharloom from the cycle of corruption, but at the ultimate cost.
Pharloom is freed from the Crown's influence but loses Hornet forever. A bittersweet liberation that mirrors themes from the original Hollow Knight.
Pay close attention to lore and environmental storytelling. This ending requires deep understanding of Pharloom's history and making difficult moral choices.
The key trigger is refusing to use the Crown's power even once throughout the entire game, including during the final boss fight.
The most challenging and rewarding ending. Hornet transcends the limitations of both crown and mortality, achieving a perfect balance and true mastery.
Hornet achieves perfect mastery over silk, shadow, and light. She becomes a true guardian capable of protecting Pharloom without succumbing to corruption, breaking the cycle permanently.
This ending requires near-perfect gameplay and exploration. Start collecting everything from the beginning - missing even one collectible can lock you out.
The final secret: after meeting all requirements, you must perform a specific sequence in the final area that's only hinted at through environmental clues and NPC dialogue throughout the entire game.
Your first experience with Silksong endings will likely be the Hollow Crown, the standard conclusion to the main story. This ending is perfect for players who want to experience the core narrative without hunting down every collectible.
Complete Main Story Acts
Progress through Acts 1-3, defeating mandatory bosses and exploring key areas
Reach Final Area
Navigate to the Crown Chamber after completing all three acts
Accept the Crown
Choose to take the crown when offered during the final sequence
With knowledge from your first run, you can now pursue the Wanderer's Path or Silk Weaver's Legacy endings. These require more exploration and specific choices but offer rewarding alternative conclusions to Hornet's story.
The most coveted of all Silksong endings requires dedication, skill, and near-perfect completion. This path is for players who want to experience everything the game has to offer and unlock the canonical true conclusion.
Start tracking collectibles from the very beginning of your playthrough. Missing even one item can lock you out of this ending. Use our completion tracker tool to ensure you don't miss anything. The true ending represents mastery of all aspects of Silksong, so take your time and enjoy the journey through every corner of Pharloom.
| Aspect | Hollow Crown | Wanderer's Path | Silk Weaver | Shattered Crown | True Ending |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Difficulty | Easy | Medium | Hard | Hard | Expert |
| Playtime Required | 12-15 hours | 15-18 hours | 20-25 hours | 20-25 hours | 30+ hours |
| Collectibles Needed | None | Minimal | All Silk Threads | All Lore Tablets | Everything (100%) |
| Boss Fights | Main bosses only | Main + 2 optional | Main + silk challenges | Main + lore bosses | All bosses + secret boss |
Before attempting to unlock specific Silksong endings, use this checklist to ensure you're properly prepared. These steps will help you avoid common pitfalls and maximize your chances of achieving your desired ending.
Create Multiple Save Files
Always maintain backup saves before making irreversible choices or entering final areas
Track Collectibles Progress
Use our completion tracker to monitor all collectibles required for specific endings
Complete Key NPC Questlines
Talk to all major NPCs and complete their storylines to unlock dialogue options for endings
Master Advanced Silk Techniques
Practice movement and combat skills needed for challenging ending requirements
Explore All Major Areas
Thoroughly explore each region to find hidden items and trigger ending-related events
Document Your Dialogue Choices
Keep notes on major decisions as they affect which Silksong endings become available
Many players enter the final area without creating a separate save file, making it impossible to try different Silksong endings without replaying the entire game. Always create multiple saves before the point of no return.
Solution: Create at least 3 save slots at different progression points.
Several Silksong endings require specific NPC interactions throughout the game. Skipping conversations means missing crucial hints and unlocking opportunities for certain endings.
Solution: Talk to every NPC multiple times after major story events.
Trying to speedrun to a specific ending often results in missing requirements. Most Silksong endings reward thorough exploration and patience rather than rushing to the finale.
Solution: Take your time exploring every area and completing side content.
Some Silksong endings have secret requirements not immediately obvious. For example, the Shattered Crown ending requires never using the Crown's power, which isn't stated anywhere in-game.
Solution: Read our detailed ending requirements above and follow them carefully.
The true ending requires 100% completion, and backtracking to find missed items after reaching the endgame is tedious. Not tracking your progress means potentially missing one crucial collectible.
Solution: Use our interactive completion checklist from the start of your run.
Certain Silksong endings like the Wanderer's Path require consistent thematic choices throughout the game. Mixing contradictory dialogue options can lock you out of specific endings.
Solution: Commit to a playstyle (freedom, power, sacrifice) and stick with it.
Create multiple save files before entering the final area to experiment with different choices without replaying the entire game.
Use our completion tracker tool to ensure you don't miss any collectibles required for specific endings.
Many ending requirements are hinted at through NPC dialogue throughout the game, not just at the end.
Some endings have dialogue requirements - the choices you make throughout the game affect which endings become available.
Hollow Knight Silksong features five distinct endings: the Hollow Crown (standard ending), the Wanderer's Path (freedom ending), the Silk Weaver's Legacy (achievement ending), the Shattered Crown (destruction ending), and the True Weaver's Ascension (true/secret ending). Each of these Silksong endings offers a unique conclusion to Hornet's journey through Pharloom, with varying difficulty levels and requirements. The variety in Silksong endings ensures that players of all skill levels can experience a satisfying conclusion while also providing challenging objectives for completionists.
The Hollow Crown ending is the easiest among all Silksong endings. It requires only completing the three main acts and defeating the final boss, with no additional collectibles or special requirements. This ending is designed for players who want to experience the core story without pursuing optional content. Most players will naturally unlock this ending on their first playthrough simply by following the main quest line and accepting the crown when offered during the final sequence.
Unlocking the true ending (True Weaver's Ascension) among all Silksong endings requires achieving 100% game completion. This includes collecting all 12 Ancient Rosaries, solving the Ancient Bell Tower puzzle, defeating the hidden Shade Weaver superboss, completing all 5 major side quest chains, and finding all Crystal Heart fragments. The true ending is the most challenging of all Silksong endings and demands mastery of combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving. Players should track their completion percentage carefully and use guides to ensure they don't miss any critical collectibles.
No, you cannot unlock multiple Silksong endings in a single playthrough. The game saves which ending you achieve, and you must play through the game again (or reload a save before the point of no return) to experience different endings. However, the requirements for some Silksong endings overlap, so pursuing the true ending will naturally prepare you for several other endings in subsequent playthroughs. We strongly recommend creating multiple save files before entering the final area so you can easily try different endings without replaying the entire game.
While Team Cherry hasn't officially confirmed which of the Silksong endings is canonical, the True Weaver's Ascension ending is widely considered the true canonical conclusion due to its name, difficulty, and comprehensive requirements. Among all Silksong endings, this one provides the most complete resolution to Hornet's story and Pharloom's fate. That said, the beauty of multiple endings is that players can choose which conclusion feels most satisfying to them personally. Each of the Silksong endings offers thematic value and reflects different player choices and playstyles.
Yes, once you complete one of the Silksong endings, your save file will be marked with that ending. However, Silksong allows you to continue playing after the credits to complete any remaining collectibles or challenges. The game tracks which endings you've achieved across all your playthroughs. To experience different Silksong endings, you'll need to either start a new game or reload a save file from before the final area. The game doesn't lock you out of content, so you can always return to finish anything you missed.
The True Weaver's Ascension is definitively the hardest of all Silksong endings, rated as "Expert" difficulty. This ending requires 100% game completion, including defeating the secret Shade Weaver superboss, which is considered one of the hardest boss fights in the game. Among Silksong endings, this one demands the most time investment (30+ hours), perfect execution, and comprehensive knowledge of all game mechanics. Close seconds are the Silk Weaver's Legacy and Shattered Crown endings, both rated as "Hard" difficulty.
Yes, several Silksong endings have secret requirements not explicitly stated in-game. For example, the Shattered Crown ending requires never using the Crown's power throughout the entire game, including during the final boss fight. The Silk Weaver's Legacy ending has a hidden requirement to perform a perfect silk combo (7+ different abilities) during the final boss. The Wanderer's Path ending requires talking to a mysterious cloaked figure in each major area to unlock special dialogue options. These hidden aspects make some Silksong endings particularly challenging to discover without guides.
Seeing all Silksong endings requires significant time investment. The Hollow Crown ending takes about 12-15 hours for a first playthrough. The Wanderer's Path and medium-difficulty endings require 15-20 hours each. The harder Silksong endings (Silk Weaver's Legacy and Shattered Crown) need 20-25 hours. The true ending demands 30+ hours for 100% completion. In total, experiencing all five Silksong endings will take approximately 80-100 hours across multiple playthroughs, though subsequent runs are faster with knowledge from previous attempts.
Some Silksong endings allow last-minute choice changes, while others are locked in by earlier decisions. The Hollow Crown vs Wanderer's Path choice happens during the final sequence, so you can decide at that moment (if you meet the Wanderer's Path requirements). However, endings like the Silk Weaver's Legacy and Shattered Crown are determined by actions throughout the entire game and cannot be changed at the end. This is why creating save files before the final area is crucial - it lets you experience different Silksong endings without replaying the entire game from scratch.