Character

Eva Upgrades Guide

Master the Crest system and unlock Eva's powerful Bind ability for enhanced combat effectiveness

15 min read Crest System Video Available
eva crests upgrades

Complete Eva Upgrades Walkthrough

Watch this comprehensive video guide covering Eva's location, all upgrade stages, and the Bind process:

Overview

Eva is one of Hollow Knight: Silksong's most consequential NPCs, offering powerful upgrades to Hornet's combat capabilities through the Crest system. Hidden away in Weavenest Atla, Eva provides progressive upgrades based on your Crest collection and Memory Locket investment, culminating in the game-changing Bind ability that permanently enhances silk restoration at benches.

Who is Eva?

Eva's Background:

  • Child of Weavers: Eva is described as a "thing" difficult to describe - a child of Weavers, yet not quite their kin
  • Imprisoned by Weavers: She was imprisoned in a shell of iron within Weavenest Atla, but not out of malice
  • Recognizes Hornet's Uniqueness: Eva recognizes Hornet's unusual ability to obtain multiple Crests beyond her birth Crest

How to Reach Weavenest Atla and Meet Eva

Prerequisites:

  • Needolin - An Ancestral Art obtained after defeating Widow in Bellhart
  • Access to Moss Grotto - The spider-marked gate location

Step-by-Step Location Guide

Reaching Weavenest Atla:

  1. Return to Moss Grotto - Locate the spider-marked gate you likely noticed early in the game
  2. Play Needolin at the gate - This unseals the entrance to Weavenest Atla
  3. Enter and explore - Head right past the first chamber into Weavenest Atla proper
  4. Activate the lighting - In a side room, strike the two ceiling triggers to light the area and reveal the local map
  5. Use the beam platform - Step onto the central device in the main chamber to beam down
  6. Find Eva's chamber - From the beam platform, go right and break several walls to reach Eva's imprisonment chamber

Note: The Moss Grotto door seals itself between visits. You'll need to play Needolin each time you want to access Weavenest Atla.

Eva's Upgrade System

Eva's upgrades are tied directly to your overall Crest progression and Memory Locket investment. Based on the Hollow Knight Wiki data, she provides five distinct upgrade tiers based on your total tool slot count across all Crests (excluding Hunter Crest).

Eva's Five Upgrade Tiers

First Reward (Initial Meeting)

  • • Hunter Crest Enhancement: Adds the "Focus" mechanic
  • • Focus Effect: Increases needle damage for landing attacks without getting hit
  • • Additional Tool Slot: Unlocks an extra yellow tool slot regardless of equipped Crest

Second Reward (12 Total Tool Slots)

  • • Vesticrest Unlock: Awards an additional yellow tool slot
  • • Permanent Benefit: Available regardless of equipped Crest
  • • Build Flexibility: Expands your combat configuration options

Third Reward (20 Total Tool Slots)

  • • Vesticrest Expansion: Awards an additional blue tool slot
  • • Enhanced Utility: Blue tools typically provide defensive or utility benefits
  • • Strategic Depth: More options for tailoring your playstyle

Fourth Reward (27 Total Tool Slots)

  • • Hunter Crest Evolution: Further upgrades the Hunter Crest
  • • Increased Focus Cap: Maximum amount of Focus that can be built is increased
  • • Combat Enhancement: Higher sustained damage potential

Final Reward (32+ Total Tool Slots) - The Bind

  • • Sylphsong: Eva becomes bound to Hornet as the Sylphsong
  • • Silk Restoration: Gradually restores Hornet's silk to full when resting at benches
  • • Game-Changing: Removes resource management friction throughout the game
  • • Achievement: Triggers an associated in-game achievement

Understanding Tool Slot Counting

Eva's upgrade system counts every tool slot of every color (Red, Blue, Yellow, White) including base slots given when unlocking new Crests. However, the Hunter Crest is NOT considered in this count at all.

✅ What Counts:

  • • Base slots from Reaper, Wanderer, Beast Crests
  • • Memory Locket expansions on non-Hunter Crests
  • • All color types: Red, Blue, Yellow, White slots
  • • Any additional Crests discovered in Acts 2-3

❌ What Doesn't Count:

  • • Hunter Crest base slots
  • • Hunter Crest Memory Locket expansions
  • • Eva's own Vesticrest additions
  • • Any other special upgrades

Memory Lockets and Crest Strategy

According to comprehensive testing documented on AllThings.how, the key to unlocking Eva's Bind ability lies in strategic use of Memory Lockets across your Crest collection.

Optimal Memory Locket Strategy

Priority Crest Investment:

  1. Hunter Crest First: This is critical - fully expand Hunter Crest with Memory Lockets before others
  2. Your Most-Used Crest: Invest in the Crest you use most frequently for combat
  3. Broad Collection: Collect as many different Crests as possible (Reaper, Wanderer, Beast, plus Act 2-3 Crests)
  4. Systematic Expansion: Use remaining Lockets to expand the majority of your owned Crests

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

  • Never investing in Hunter Crest: This consistently prevents Bind unlock
  • Hoarding Memory Lockets: Use them actively rather than saving
  • Spreading too thin: Focus on fewer Crests with full investment

Unlocking Eva's Bind

The Bind is Eva's final and most powerful offering - a late-game interaction that permanently enables silk restoration at benches. This quality-of-life improvement transforms the game experience by removing resource management friction.

Reliable Bind Trigger Checklist

Based on community testing, players who successfully triggered the Bind option consistently had these elements in place:

Crest Collection:

  • ☐ Hunter, Reaper, Wanderer, Beast Crests
  • ☐ Additional Crests from Acts 2-3
  • ☐ Most available Crests collected (not necessarily all)
  • ☐ Broad Crest progression rather than minimal set

Memory Locket Investment:

  • ☐ Hunter Crest fully expanded with Memory Lockets
  • ☐ Majority of owned Crests have Memory Locket upgrades
  • ☐ At least 32 total tool slots across all non-Hunter Crests
  • ☐ Systematic investment, not random spreading

Key Point: The Bind prompt won't appear mid-run. After making investments, you must return to Weavenest Atla and talk to Eva again.

Troubleshooting: No Bind Prompt Yet?

If Eva isn't offering the Bind option despite your progress, try these solutions in order:

Double-check Hunter Crest expansion:

If Hunter is the only Crest without Memory Locket investment, fix this first and revisit Eva

Add one more Crest or slot:

Pick up an additional Crest you skipped or open another slot on a different Crest, then return

Progress further in the main story:

Some players only saw the prompt after obtaining later Act abilities, even with requirements met

Optional Content in Weavenest Atla

While visiting Eva, Weavenest Atla offers several valuable optional rewards that significantly improve your midgame experience:

Bench & Hidden Passage

From the beam platform, go left to find a bench. Drop into the water beside it and swim left through a hidden path.

Reward: Safe rest point and secret route back to Moss Grotto

Moss Mother Rematch

Continue left from the bench to face two Moss Mothers simultaneously in a challenging double boss fight.

Reward: Weavelight Tool (accelerates silk regeneration)

Spool Fragment

In a room above/right of the main chamber, defeat two Marrowmaws and collect the fragment from the adjacent shaft.

Reward: Expanded silk capacity for longer combat sequences

Mask Fragment

From the bottom of the main vertical shaft, break the right wall and navigate lava platforming.

Reward: Increased health capacity via Mask Fragment

Why Eva's Bind Transforms the Game

The Sylphsong's Impact

Silk is Silksong's tempo - it powers movement, offense, and recovery. The Sylphsong transforms benches into complete restoration points:

Combat Benefits:

  • • No resource anxiety during boss fights
  • • Full silk for repeated attempts
  • • Enables aggressive playstyles
  • • Removes combat pacing constraints

Exploration Benefits:

  • • Full movement abilities after rest
  • • Extended exploration runs possible
  • • Reduced backtracking for resources
  • • Quality-of-life improvement throughout

Result: One of the few late-game upgrades that quietly transforms the day-to-day feel of Pharloom exploration and combat.

What Binding Eva Doesn't Do

It's important to understand that binding Eva is purely beneficial with no downsides:

  • Does not alter your Crest loadout or available options
  • Does not consume additional items or resources
  • Does not remove any existing abilities or mechanics
  • Only adds the global silk restoration convenience at benches

Re-entering Weavenest Atla

Access Requirements:

  • • The Moss Grotto door seals between visits
  • • Play Needolin each time you return
  • • No permanent access after first visit
  • • Plan multiple visits for Eva's progression

Inside the Area:

  • • Beam elevator remains usable once activated
  • • Lighting triggers stay activated
  • • Map remains available after first reveal
  • • All broken walls stay accessible

Expert Tips for Eva's Questline

Success Strategies

  • Don't Hoard Memory Lockets:

    Use them actively for progression rather than saving them

  • Hunter Crest Priority:

    Always fully expand Hunter Crest first with Memory Lockets

  • Regular Check-ins:

    Return to Eva after major Crest acquisitions or upgrades

Common Mistakes

  • Ignoring Hunter Crest:

    Not investing Memory Lockets in Hunter consistently blocks Bind

  • Spreading Too Thin:

    Better to fully upgrade fewer Crests than partially upgrade many

  • Expecting Mid-Run Updates:

    Eva's upgrades only trigger when returning to speak with her

Conclusion

Eva represents one of Silksong's most rewarding long-term progression systems. While her upgrades require substantial investment in the Crest system and Memory Lockets, the payoff - especially the game-changing Sylphsong Bind - fundamentally transforms your experience with resource management and combat flow.

Focus on collecting a broad range of Crests, prioritize Memory Locket investment in the Hunter Crest, and return to Eva regularly as you progress. The Sylphsong's silk restoration at benches is one of the most impactful quality-of-life upgrades in the entire game.

"Our senses' limits... What worlds beyond? This life confined... This shell of iron... This form so fragile... Our silken sight..." - Eva

Guide accurate as of September 2025 based on AllThings.how research and Wiki documentation

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