To defeat Silksong’s Widow boss in Bellhart, focus on mastering its attack patterns while utilizing precise dodges and well-timed strikes. Equip the right charms to enhance your survivability and maximize damage during openings.

Beating the Widow Boss in Silksong’s Bellhart

To free the town of Bellhart from its cursed webs, you’ll need to take down the Widow, a boss battle in Hollow Knight: Silksong that’s both thrilling and daunting. This is one of the coolest fights you’ll encounter in Act 1, thanks to quick respawns from benches and manageable damage—her hits only take away one mask (health point) instead of the usual two from other bosses.

Gear Up for the Fight!

You don’t need any fancy equipment to beat the Widow, which is nice because you won’t spend forever grinding for gear before the battle. Here’s what I found useful:

• Five health masks (your starting amount)
• Reaper crest for extended attack range
• Tools: Straight pin, warding bell, and flea brew (awarded from the Silksong lost fleas quest)
• Drifter’s cloak and cling grip skills (you should have these by the time you face the Widow)

How to Beat the Widow

The Widow is fast, but her attacks are easier to dodge than you might think. Here are some general tips to keep in mind while battling her:

• Be Patient: Focus on dodging her bell attacks and pay attention to the threads. Avoiding damage is key!
• Hug the Wall: When she summons spiky debris from the floor, move to the wall she started from so you can hit her once she reappears.
• Healing Opportunity: If she skitters across the floor, it’s a great time to jump up and heal.
• Watch for Her Fake-Out: She can seem defeated at first—stun her three times, but be ready because she comes back with a more aggressive set of attacks in her second phase.
• Save Your Ranged Attacks: In the second phase, the action heats up, so use any ranged weapons or flea brew you have for safer hits.

Key Attacks to Watch Out For

1. Summoning Bell Floor Debris

• Damage: 2 masks
• How to Avoid: When she runs left or right, jump on her head, cling to the wall, or mid-air heal right before the debris spawns.

2. Vertical and Diagonal Bell Attacks

• Damage: 1 mask
• Strategy: Get in hits when she’s summoning bells. They’re visible due to golden threads, so step out of the way rather than trying to deflect!

3. Diagonal Air Strike Followed by Flurry Rush

• Damage: 1 mask, then 2 masks
• Avoidance Tips: Dash beneath her when she attacks diagonally, and after that, you’ve got options—jump and heal, or pogo off her for damage.

4. Multi-Bell Attacks

• Damage: 1 mask
• Dodge Mechanism: As the fight progresses, she’ll summon multiple bells. Keep an eye on the threads for dodging hints, and remember they can bounce if you jump at the wrong time!

Extra Tips & Tricks

• Practice Makes Perfect: Familiarize yourself with her attack patterns. The more you face her, the easier it’ll become.
• Use Your Upgrades: Make full use of new abilities like the cling grip to give yourself an edge during the fight.
• Stay Calm: It’s easy to panic during the chaotic second phase. Take a breath, stay aware, and remember—patience is key!

Now get out there and show that Widow who’s boss! Good luck!

Game Information Box

Game Name: Hollow Knight: Silksong
Developer: Team Cherry
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Retail Price: Estimated $29.99
Release Date: Expected in 2024
Where to Buy: Steam, Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Store, Xbox Store

To free the town of Bellhart from its cursed webs, you’re going to have to defeat the spider spinstress hiding above it: the Widow. This challenging boss is also one of the most fun in Act 1 of Hollow Knight: Silksong, thanks to a quick runback from the nearest bench and a number of attacks that deal only one damage to Hornet rather than the more painful double hits of so many Silksong bosses. The Widow is fast but her attacks are well-telegraphed, so with a little study and patience you can learn her patterns and get through the first phase by making use of your drifter’s cloak and new cling grip ability. The second phase gets a bit more chaotic, but I’ve got some tips for how to beat the Widow in phase two before she smooshes you to death with a rain of bells.

Here’s what I used to beat the Widow, but there’s no must-have bit of gear for this fight. I guess that’s both good and bad—there’s no way to trivialize this fight with a specific weapon, but it also means you don’t need to be out there grinding for rosaries before the battle. You’ve got this!

Be patient and focus on your positioning to avoid her Bell attacks. Pay attention to the threads to make sure you’re not going to get domed by one of those while you’re up close getting in some hits. Whenever Widow summons the spiky debris from the floor, you can count on her to reappear on the same side she started the attack from, so if you can hug that wall with cling claw or float in that direction, you’ll have a good window to get in a couple hits. Both of her skittering-across-the-floor attacks provide a safe window to jump and heal in the air. Be ready for Widow’s fake-out death. You can stun Widow three times during the first phase of her fight, and then have to hit her a little more to “kill” her… or so it seems. She comes back for a shorter, more aggressive second phase doing all the same attacks, but with more intensity. Save your ranged weapons and flea brew for her second phase, when the fight gets much more intense. Then go all-out with them to get in safer damage. This phase is short, so fling those knives anytime you have a clear shot. Try to be at full health for the start of the final phase; if you have enough silk, you’ll have a safe heal window during Widow’s fake-out death.

Let’s hear your tips and tricks for taking down the Widow! Any codes or strategies you found helpful? Share your thoughts in the comments!