There are a ton of different things to discover in Hollow Knight: Silksong. From different kinds of equipment to brand-new ways to move around the map, this Metroidvania really delivers on the exploration part of the fantasy.

That isn’t to say the combat is any slouch, but you’ll certainly be searching for a lot of the combat abilities you don’t get at the start. One of these, the charge-up ability, is the Needle Strike.

This guide will cover where to find it and how to get there. It’s a good way into the game, so you won’t be able to grab it for some time.

Where to Find Needle Strike

If you’re hoping to acquire the Needle Strike attack, you’ll need to make it to the Blasted Steps. You’ll need to have acquired the Cling Grip if you’re going to get up to the zone you need to.

You can only access the area you need if you beat the Great Conchflies and unlock the area to the left of the boss fight. Getting to the actual spot can be a bit difficult, so in the next section, I’ll break down how to reach that area.

How to Get to Needle Strike

To actually reach Needle Strike, you’ll want to start at the Bench toward the bottom of the Blasted Steps to work your way upward. You can use the video below to help guide you as you navigate through the area.

In case you prefer not to watch the video, a set of instructions is provided below that should explain the pathing and how everything works.

• Head left from the bench.
• Jump across the sand to the hanging platforms.
• Jump up the sides of both rock platforms until you reach the top one with a shield enemy.
• Get past them and jump, then float and dash into the rock platform on the left.
• Head left until you reach another rock wall to climb up.
• You’ll encounter two small enemies that you can either avoid or fight.
• Head to the right until you see a new set of hanging platforms.
• Jump and float until you reach the next platform with enemies that will spawn once you reach the center.
• Jump and float, then down attack the bells to get across the gap.
• You’ll encounter a shield enemy and a smaller enemy.
• You can either drop down a level to the right and flip the switch or head along the tops of the platforms to the right.
• Once you enter the next zone, head to the right across the gap.
• Instead of entering the next area, climb the wall on the right side.
• Climb up the cages and past the enemies until you see a blue banner by an entrance.
• You’ll need to jump and avoid the sand to reach the area where the Conchfly fight takes place.
• Head out the left side of the area until you reach a more open area.
• Run and jump from the first platform and use your float and dash to stay on the platforms.
• You’ll eventually arrive at an airship reaching your destination.

Once you awaken the Pinstress, she’ll give you a talking to about manners. Speak to her again, and she should offer some training, which will trigger a little montage and give you the Needle Strike ability.

There’s far more to discover here in Pharloom, so make sure to explore plenty. If you want to make sure you didn’t miss anything, you can check out our complete guide to see what you might be missing.

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Released

September 4, 2025

Developer(s)

Team Cherry

Publisher(s)

Team Cherry

Engine

Unity

Franchise

Hollow Knight

Number of Players

Single-player

Steam Deck Compatibility

Verified