Facebook
Reddit
Email
Explore this tier list to learn about the best Silk skills Hornet can use to survive her journey through Pharloom in Hollow Knight Silksong.
Silk Skills in Hollow Knight Silksong are unique abilities that replace the spell system from the previous game. Unlike the Knight, who uses Soul to channel spells, Hornet has to consume Silk to unleash unique and powerful Silk Skills. These skills are much more fitting for Hornet due to her lineage as part Weaver.
Hornet can acquire a total of six Silk Skills throughout her journey. Some appear very early in the game in Act 1, but some are locked in mid-late game areas. That said, here’s a tier list of all the Silk Skills you can use in Hollow Knight Silksong.
All Silk Skills Tier List in Hollow Knight Silksong
The ranking in the tier list below is based on how well the abilities provide combat advantage during fights. Therefore, both offense and defense are taken into consideration for this list.
S Tier Silk Skills
Sharpdart
The Sharpdart is a Silk Skill that you can learn near the end of Act 1 and can stick with it till the end of the game. Using this allows you to dash past your enemy while dealing damage and negating their attack. Due to how unforgiving most enemy attacks are, this is the perfect skill to have all the time in case you wish to defend yourself while attacking.
If you have played Hollow Knight before, this skill is akin to the Shade Cloak, which allows you to dash past attacks and barriers.
Cross Stitch
The Cross Stitch is yet another skill that you can play the whole game with and complete it without having to switch to other skills. Using it covers your pin with silk, and Hornet takes a defensive stance. Any attack made on Hornet during this time gets parried, and she deals damage to every enemy in a small range.
Having this skill turns Silksong from a metroidvania title to a soulslike like Sekiro. Note that you need a good understanding of enemies and their movesets for the parry to work correctly.
Pale Nails
The final skill in Silksong that belongs in the S tier is the Pale Nails. Using it spawns three darts made of silk that track down enemies and deal moderate amounts of damage. This attack is nearly impossible to miss, as the homing effect of the darts is very good.
Unlike most other skills, the Pale Nails provide Hornet with a solid ranged attack. Pale Nails can help her during a lot of fights, like the very annoying crow enemies in Greymoor.
A Tier Silk Skills
Silkspear
The Silkspear is the first skill you get in Silksong at the beginning of Act 1, and is an excellent option during fights. When used, Hornet strikes with a spear in the direction she is looking, dealing a lot of damage in a moderate range. However, this can become obsolete when facing most enemies with erratic movement patterns.
The Silkspear, while a good offensive choice, can become very punishing if you miss the attack.
Rune Rage
The Rune Rage is a forgotten Weaver technique that gives Hornet a much-needed AoE attack. Using this skill suspends Hornet in the air, and she sends out a large shockwave that deals damage on contact. In addition, she also spawns multiple circles near enemies that deal damage after a short countdown.
If you are stuck in an arena gauntlet, using the Rune Rage can become a key winning factor. However, being suspended in the air leaves you open to any damage that comes your way.
Also Read: Hollow Knight Silksong: How to Reach Weavenest Atla
B Tier Silk Skill
Thread Storm
At the very last is the Thread Storm ability in this skill tier list for Silksong. This is very similar to Rune Rage, but creates a storm of threads around you that deal damage in rapid succession. However, Thread Storm’s position in this list is so low for several reasons.
Firstly, the range of the attack is minimal, which means you have to be very close to the enemy to deal damage. This ties with the second reason, which is that you get suspended in the air like Rune Rage. Having to get close to the enemy while being defenseless means you are going to take damage from most enemies if you use this Silk Skill.
In conclusion, the risk you have to take to utilize the Thread Storm fully is not worth it when compared to other skills in this tier list.
![Silksong Logo [Source: Team Cherry]](https://static.deltiasgaming.com/2025/09/header.jpg)
We provide the latest news and create guides for Hollow Knight Silksong. Meanwhile, you can check out the following articles or catch us playing games on YouTube:
