- Things to Learn There are 52 different achievements in Hollow Knight: Silksong, with 16 being hidden or secret.
- Hidden achievements usually link to tough bosses, rare quests, or quirky conditions.
- Some hidden achievements will ask you to be under certain conditions, like fighting with a curse.
- To get full completion and the Platinum trophy, you must unlock all hidden achievements.
In Hollow Knight: Silksong, curiosity and persistence are rewarded in a thousand ways, from the secret achievements coaxing players into the deepest of exploration into the darkest corners, down to the most obscure boss fights. Here, less of a spoiler alert, a full run-down on what the secret tasks entail and how to obtain them.
How hidden trophies/achievements are organized in Silksong
The hidden achievements cover everything from obscure bosses to secret endings and paths in the storyline. In total, there are 52 trophies/achievements, 16 of which are hidden; that means they will remain invisible or cryptic until they are actually achieved.Everything from rematches against bosses to side quests with rare outcomes; some only under very specific conditions, and some may only be done at specific times.
The hidden achievements in Silksong
Full List of Silksong’s hidden achievements
| Achievement | How to Unlock (Option 1: Descriptive) | How to Unlock (Option 2: Lore Hint) | How to Unlock (Option 3: Condensed) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonded | Unlock the Beastling Call ability. | To be Bonded, one must first learn the ancient Beastling Call. | ✨ Learn Beastling Call |
| White Knight | Conquer Lace in the perilous Cradle. | Only a true White Knight can hope to defeat Lace in the Cradle. | 🛡️ Defeat Lace (Cradle) |
| Grey Ghost | Vanquish the elusive Phantom. | Become the Grey Ghost by vanquishing the spectral Phantom. | 👻 Defeat Phantom |
| Heretic | Overcome the formidable First Sinner. | The title of Heretic is earned by those who stand against the First Sinner. | 😈 Defeat First Sinner |
| Tyrant | Defeat the mighty Crust King Khann. | Claim the mantle of Tyrant by bringing down the colossal Crust King Khann. | 👑 Defeat Crust King Khann |
| Seed | Prevail against Nyleth. | From a mere Seed, grow powerful enough to defeat Nyleth. | 🌿 Defeat Nyleth |
| Diva | Triumph over Skarrsinger Karmelita. | Silence the Diva by overcoming Skarrsinger Karmelita. | 🎤 Defeat Skarrsinger Karmelita |
| Lamenter | Master the challenge of the Clover Dancers. | The Lamenter will emerge victorious after besting the graceful Clover Dancers. | 💃 Defeat Clover Dancers |
| Hero’s Call | Defeat the legendary Lost Garmond. | Answer the Hero’s Call by defeating the storied Lost Garmond. | ⚔️ Defeat Lost Garmond |
| Fatal Resolve | Overthrow the menacing Pinstress. | Show Fatal Resolve in the face of Pinstress. | 🎯 Defeat Pinstress |
| Entwined | Successfully bind Eva. | Become Entwined by forging a bond with Eva. | 🔗 Bind Eva |
| Remembrance | Retrieve the coveted Everbloom from a long-forgotten memory. | Seek Remembrance by claiming the Everbloom from within a distant memory. | 🌸 Claim Everbloom |
| Weaver Queen | Defeat Grand Mother Silk and harness her power. | Rise as the Weaver Queen by defeating Grand Mother Silk and binding her formidable power. | 🕷️ Defeat Grand Mother Silk & bind power |
| Twisted Child | Defeat Grand Mother Silk while afflicted by a curse. | Beware the curse, for only a Twisted Child can defeat Grand Mother Silk while afflicted. | ☠️ Defeat Grand Mother Silk (cursed) |
| Sister of the Void | Defeat Lost Lace and liberate Pharloom. | Achieve the status of Sister of the Void by defeating Lost Lace and setting Pharloom free. | 🌌 Defeat Lost Lace & free Pharloom |
| Passing of the Age | Fulfill the Herald’s Wish. | Witness the Passing of the Age by granting the Herald’s Wish. | 🕊️ Grant Herald’s Wish |
If you wish to keep the secrets secret, then there is no way of avoiding spoilers. This is best aimed at the completionists out there:
Step 1
The first play is for you to take at a leisurely pace yourself, but remember to follow critical missable achievements like Twisted Child, so you do not lock yourself out of these. Early exploration and talking to every NPC will ensure key events have not been missed.
Step 2
Look around for clues in the environment—hidden rooms, suspicious arenas, and unfinished questlines are sure signs—for everything that is mentioned above: bosses or other side quests. Keep at least one extra save file if possible, before major story forks or application of curses. If all else fails, check our walkthroughs.
Step 3
Some tasks will require a particular state; for instance, Hornet having to be cursed before the actual boss—often a state lost if not held. Check with every side-quest NPC, especially within Shellwood, to keep track of such variables.
Step 4
For Bosses with two hidden achievements (i.e., Grand Mother Silk) there is a requirement of facing them in different modes: once under normal circumstances and the other with a curse. Prepare yourself accordingly, and keep an eye on hints from the in-game journals before any significant fights.
Step 5
For your last playthrough, blend Steel Soul mode with a speed run to get through the last of your hidden achievements. By this point, the knowledge gained from previous playthroughs will be of great help with efficiency, especially regarding the tougher boss and collection requirements.
Tips and useful info for hidden achievement hunting
Check every boss room and NPC hub in every story branch.
Tag potential missable achievements before embarking on a new run.
Backup or cloud save before going live with a unique quest state like a curse.
All that said, check the memory realms after obtaining the key quest items for Remembrance.
Go to our guides if you find one of the 16 secret achievements super elusive or even bugged.
Hidden versus standard
What makes hidden achievements special
Hidden achievements typically reveal themselves later in the game (or after certain other conditions are met). They tend to have much more dire or unusual conditions (e.g. curse, variant, non‐standard gameplay). They are much more tied to completionist goals such as collecting all crests, defeating optional/secret bosses, or exploring all areas. On the other hand, standard achievements are usually much more transparent/shown in the list from the start and are linked to progression, tools, getting mask shards, etc.
Hidden achievements some players might miss
Here are a few of the hidden ones many players tend to overlook:
Twisted Child, due to the fact that it is quite difficult to defeat Grand Mother Silk while cursed, one has to know how to get cursed and still be able to successfully mount the boss fight.
Entwined (Bind Eva), since binding Eva means gathering a lot of crests and memory lockets, which perhaps you might not focus on early in the game.
Passing of the Age, since that requires fulfilling the Herald’s Wish, which may be a bit less obvious unless you happen to be exploring some side content.
Hidden achievements in Silksong offer a rich layer of depth and reward for those players who go ahead and explore and experiment and push beyond the main story content. Keeping track of which ones are still locked, planning your route to acquire the necessary skills/items, and wisely saving your game will help you unlock them all. Even if you aren’t shooting for 100 percent, just shooting for a few hidden ones can enrich your experience in nice ways.
