All you need to know about the widow boss in Hollow Knight: Silksong is explained here in this guide. Her arena and how to reach it, the best road from the nearest Bench, complete moves of hers with counters, and what rewards you will get upon victory are included in this article. Use it to prepare for what may just be the hardest fight in Bellhart.
How to Reach Widow
Upon entering Bellhart for the first time, you will encounter a cutscene of residents suspended mid-air by silk. Widow is silently waiting above the village, but the road there is long. Leave Bellhart by taking the west exit into Shellwood, passing through the area until Sister Splinter is fought. Defeating her allows you to gain the Cling Grip power.
From the central Shellwood Bench, return to Sister Splinter’s arena. At the top-right of the chamber is a wall you can now scale with Cling Grip. Climb it and continue right to an interior passage above Bellhart. Before heading into the boss chamber, break the wall on the left to reveal a shortcut, this makes repeat runs far less painful.
Note: The nearest checkpoint is the central Shellwood Bench, which costs 60 Rosaries to unlock. From there, climb the right wall with Cling Grip, slip through the hidden passage near the first white flower enemy, and head right to reach Widow’s arena quickly.
Widow Boss Battle (Moveset)
Widow’s style is fast and unpredictable, combining silk manipulation with bell-themed attacks. Here’s a breakdown of her moves and how to deal with them:
- Bell Fling: When Widow pulls on a silk thread, glowing markers appear at the screen’s edges, signaling incoming bells. These projectiles fly in from the indicated directions and bounce once on impact. To avoid damage, steer clear of the marked paths, if they drop from above, simply step to either side.
- Ground Rush with Bell Traps: Widow will leap into a corner and dash across the ground, leaving silk markers that reveal where large bells will appear. These bells linger as hazards, so jump over her charge and use the Drifter’s Cloak to hover safely above them until the first set fades.
- Ceiling Bell Rain: There are moments when Widow tends to go back into the corner, and six silk threads come down from the ceiling, marking where the bells will fall straight down. You will have very little time to get out of these zones so stand ready to dodge the follow-up attack that almost always comes right afterward.
- Aerial Drop Slash: Widow will leap into the air, pause momentarily, then plummet straight at Hornet. This move is almost always followed by a quick ground rush, so you’ll need to dash away to avoid the dive and be prepared to leap over her as she charges across the arena.
Rewards
Beating Widow binds her and rewards Hornet with the Needolin, which lets her play the Needle like a violin to unlock doors and devices across Pharloom. After a brief Weaver-themed dream, you’ll exit to the right and return to a restored Bellhart, where you can shop, take quests from the Wishwall, trade relics with Scrounge, and get your first Needle upgrade from Pinmaster Plinney.
With Widow defeated, Bellhart returns to life, and Hornet walks away with a powerful new tool for exploring Silksong’s world.
