Completionist

Complete Achievement & Trophy Guide

Unlock all 52 achievements and earn that platinum trophy

25 min read Story Spoilers 52 Achievements
Trophies 100% Platinum

What's in This Guide

TL;DR: Plan for 3 playthroughs: casual exploration, 100% completion (under 30 hours for Speed Completion), and a speedrun (under 5 hours). No achievements are permanently missable, but some require fresh saves.

Achievement Overview

Hollow Knight Silksong gameplay - exploration achievements

Hollow Knight: Silksong features 52 achievements in total, including 16 hidden achievements tied to story progression and secret discoveries. Here's the breakdown by platform:

PlayStation

1 Platinum, 5 Gold, 12 Silver, 16 Bronze

Xbox / Steam

52 Achievements, 1000 Gamerscore

Nintendo Switch

In-game "Feats" system

Good News: Nothing is Permanently Missable!

Unlike some games, no achievements in Silksong are permanently missable in terms of content. However, certain achievements like "Steel Soul" and "Speedrunner" require specific playthroughs from the start.

Recommended Roadmap

Hollow Knight Silksong Steam header - official promotional artwork

For the most efficient path to 100%, we recommend a three-playthrough strategy. This minimizes frustration and lets you fully enjoy the game first.

1 First Playthrough: Casual Exploration

Take your time and enjoy the game. Focus on:

  • Exploring all areas thoroughly
  • Learning boss patterns and mechanics
  • Unlocking all 12 Bellways (fast travel points)
  • Getting all 5 endings (backup saves before final boss)
  • Most story and exploration achievements will unlock naturally

Estimated time: 40-60 hours

2 Second Playthrough: Speed Completion (100% in under 30 hours)

Now that you know the game, go for 100% completion within the time limit:

  • Collect all 51 Tools
  • Rescue all 30 Fleas
  • Complete all optional bosses
  • Unlock all upgrades and abilities
  • Speed Completion achievement if done under 30 hours

This run alone nets you: 1 Gold, 7 Silver, 10 Bronze

3 Third Playthrough: Challenge Runs

The hardest achievements require dedicated runs:

  • Speedrunner - Complete the game in under 5 hours
  • Steel Soul - Complete without dying (permadeath mode)
  • You can attempt both in one run if you're confident!

Pro tip: Practice boss patterns extensively before Steel Soul

Story Achievements (12)

These achievements are tied to main story progression and will unlock naturally as you play through the game. Contains spoilers!

Achievement Description Type
Awakening Escape the Coral Forest Bronze
The Citadel Reach the Citadel of Bells Bronze
Moss Prophet Defeat the Moss Prophet Silver
Lace's Challenge Survive the first encounter with Lace Bronze
Bell Ringer Ring the First Great Bell Silver
Forgemaster Defeat the Gilded Hunter Silver
Silk Binding Master the Bind ability Bronze
Kingdom's Edge Reach the far reaches of Pharloom Silver
Nightmare Confrontation Face the Nightmare entity Gold
Great Mother Silk Defeat the final boss Gold
True Ending Discover Pharloom's true nature Gold
Sealed Memory Unlock the hidden ending Gold

Exploration Achievements (10)

These achievements reward thorough exploration of Pharloom. Use our Interactive Map to find hidden areas!

Achievement Description Tips
Bellway Traveler Unlock all 12 Bellways Check every zone thoroughly
Cartographer Reveal 100% of the map Use the Cartographer's Quill tool
Sea of Sorrow Discover the hidden DLC area Requires special item from Pharloom Bay
Hollow Delver Reach the deepest depths Hidden area below the Citadel
Sky Dancer Reach the highest peaks Requires double jump + dash upgrades
Secret Keeper Find 25 hidden rooms Hit suspicious walls!
Shrine Pilgrim Visit all ancient shrines 8 shrines total across Pharloom
Mosskin Friend Befriend all Mosskin NPCs Complete their quest chains
Hot Springs Enthusiast Discover all hot spring locations Look for steam vents
Wanderer Enter every named area Some require story progress

Combat Achievements (12)

These achievements test your combat skills against Pharloom's toughest foes.

Great Mother Silk Challenge

One of the toughest achievements requires defeating the final boss three different ways: standard, hitless, and without healing. These can be done across separate saves.

Achievement Description Difficulty
Hunter Defeat 100 enemies Easy
Slayer Defeat 1000 enemies Easy
Boss Slayer Defeat 20 unique bosses Medium
Champion of Pharloom Defeat all 43 bosses Hard
Silk Master Defeat a boss using only Silk abilities Medium
Untouchable Defeat a boss without taking damage Medium
Triple Threat Defeat Great Mother Silk three ways Very Hard
Colosseum Champion Complete all Colosseum trials Hard
Rival's Respect Defeat Lace in all encounters Medium
Nightmare Slayer Defeat all Nightmare bosses Hard
Perfect Hunter Complete Hunter's Journal 100% Medium
Speedkill Defeat a boss in under 30 seconds Medium

Collectible Achievements (10)

Silksong Arsenal achievement icon - collect all tools

Silksong has several categories of collectibles to hunt down across Pharloom.

Tools

51 total tools to collect

  • Tool Finder - Collect 25 tools
  • Tool Master - Collect all 51 tools

Fleas

30 fleas to rescue (like Grubs)

  • Flea Rescuer - Rescue 15 fleas
  • Flea Champion - Rescue all 30 fleas

Rosary Beads

Currency for upgrades

  • Wealthy - Accumulate 10,000 beads
  • Treasure Hunter - Find all bead stashes

Lore Tablets

Hidden story fragments

  • Lore Seeker - Find 20 tablets
  • Historian - Find all lore tablets

Pro Tip: Use the Interactive Map

Our interactive map lets you track and mark collectibles as you find them. Never miss another flea!

Challenge Achievements (8)

These are the hardest achievements in the game and require dedicated playthroughs.

Speedrunner

Gold

Complete the game in under 5 hours

Strategy:

  • • Skip all optional content and dialogue
  • • Memorize optimal route through each area
  • • Only fight required bosses
  • • Use damage boost strategies where safe
  • • Practice on a regular save first

Steel Soul

Gold

Complete the game in Steel Soul mode (permadeath)

Strategy:

  • • Master all boss patterns on a normal save first
  • • Prioritize health upgrades early
  • • Always have an escape route planned
  • • Don't attempt until you're confident
  • • Consider combining with Speedrunner to minimize risk exposure

Speed Completion

Gold

Achieve 100% completion in under 30 hours

Strategy:

  • • Follow an optimized completion route
  • • Use our interactive map to track collectibles
  • • Don't grind - move efficiently between objectives
  • • Skip NPC dialogue on repeat viewings
  • • 30 hours is generous if you know the game

Other Challenge Achievements

No Healing

Complete a boss rush without healing

Minimalist

Beat the game with only starting equipment

Pacifist Run

Minimize enemy kills (bosses only)

True Master

Complete all Pantheons

Embrace the Void

Complete the hardest challenge mode

Endings Guide (5 Endings)

Hollow Knight Silksong cover art - Hornet official artwork

Silksong has five distinct endings, each with its own achievement. You can view all endings in one playthrough by backing up your save before the final boss!

Major Spoiler Warning!

The following section contains major story spoilers for all endings. We recommend experiencing them blind first!

Ending 1 The Binding

Defeat Great Mother Silk with default requirements

Unlocked by: Just beat the final boss normally

Ending 2 Silk Severance

Free Pharloom from the Silk's influence

Unlocked by: Collect all Silk Shards before the final battle

Ending 3 Embrace of Silk

Accept the Silk's gift

Unlocked by: Make a specific choice during the final confrontation

Ending 4 True Ending

Discover the true nature of Pharloom

Unlocked by: Complete the Nightmare quest and defeat the hidden boss

Ending 5 Sealed Memory

The secret ending

Unlocked by: Find all memory fragments and return to a specific location

Wrapping Up

Getting 100% achievements in Hollow Knight: Silksong is a significant undertaking, but it's entirely doable with patience and practice. The three-playthrough strategy we outlined will get you there efficiently while still allowing you to enjoy the incredible game Team Cherry has created.

Remember: the challenge achievements like Steel Soul and Speedrunner are meant to be tackled after you've mastered the game's mechanics. Don't feel pressured to rush into them. Take your time, enjoy the journey through Pharloom, and the platinum trophy will come.

Good luck on your journey to 100%!

Guide last updated January 2026