Starting Act 3 of Hollow Knight: Silksong isn’t as simple as beating one boss or reaching one certain area. There are several quests, tasks, and milestones you need to complete before you can unlock the final act. If you like, I can give you a walkthrough that avoids spoilers. For now, here’s how to start Act 3—with enough detail to help you unlock it, but without spoiling the biggest surprises.
What is Act 3, “Silk and Soul”
- Act 3 is the final act of Silksong. It becomes available only after you’ve done enough in Acts 1 & 2.
- You’ll need to finish a special quest called Silk and Soul. Once that’s done, you’ll trigger the events that let you move on.
Key Requirements Before Act 3
To get to Act 3, you must satisfy a number of conditions. Think of them as major waypoints. You don’t necessarily need everything in the game done, but many of the main quests and side objectives do need to be finished. Here are the most important:
- Complete all Wish Board wishes in three towns: Bone Bottom, Bellhart, and Songclave.
- Complete the “Trail’s End” quest (also called Shakra’s quest). You will have to collect or see multiple regional maps, depending on your exploration.
- Get your Bellhome in Bellhart. Speak to the character Pavo, after doing enough restoration and related quests in Bellhart.
- Move the Flea Caravan to the lake in the Putrified Ducts (also called Pale Lake sometimes). You’ll need to rescue a good number of lost fleas.
- Complete “Final Audience” in Songclave. This quest involves gathering Cogwork Heart pieces, encountering a “Second Sentinel” character, and solving bell puzzles.
The Silk and Soul Quest
Once the above steps are done, the Silk and Soul quest opens up:
- The Caretaker in Songclave gives you this quest.
- You need four items to complete it:
- Maiden’s Soul
- Hermit’s Soul
- Seeker’s Soul
- Snare Setter tool or soul
- Finding each of these involves exploring particular areas, defeating bosses in some cases, navigating hidden paths or secret walls, and sometimes backtracking.
What Happens After Completing Silk and Soul
- Once you bring all four required items to the Caretaker, you finish the Silk and Soul quest.
- Completing this quest triggers the act change: the game rolls credits, and after that you can return to your save file. There will be a visual indicator—black tendrils around your save—letting you actually start Act 3.
Tips & Advice
- Don’t rush. Explore thoroughly because many quests require you to discover hidden walls, secret rooms, or talk to NPCs in special places.
- Keep a notebook or map of what quests you’ve done and what you still need. It’s easy to miss one small part (for example, a bell puzzle or a piece tied to an NPC dialogue).
- Collect fleas as you go. The Flea Caravan moving is one of the bigger gating mechanics, so try to gather as many as possible early.
- If certain quests seem locked, make sure prerequisite quests are done. Some quests unlock only after you finish others.
