Hollow Knight: Silksong Players Should Go in Expecting at Least One Type of Boss Fight

Hollow Knight: Silksong is slated to release sometime later this year, and players have only gotten a small taste of the goodies on the horizon so far. The recent Nintendo Direct gave players a dense four seconds of gameplay footage that may help shed some light on how Team Cherry intends to handle its boss fights in the highly anticipated sequel. The only other gameplay footage players have to go on right now is the Hollow Knight: Silksong Game Pass Reveal Trailer from the 2022 Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase.

The recent Nintendo Direct showed that Hollow Knight: Silksong will have sloped environments, something unseen in the first Hollow Knight, and these new environmental pieces may change the game. It is proof that Hornet, Silksong’s protagonist, will be utilizing her environment in ways her predecessor never did. This is further proven by the wind tunnels, chain pulleys, and collapsing platforms shown in the Game Pass Reveal Trailer. That’s not all the footage shows; it also gives players a taste of some of the boss fights they should expect, and while most of these boss fights are only shown for one to two seconds, they leave many questions unanswered.

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Hollow Knight: Silksong May Have Dynamic Boss Arenas

With the variety of different environmental pieces players have seen in the trailers, assuming that boss arenas will share in that variety wouldn’t be a stretch. There is plenty of precedent for this idea in the first Hollow Knight. No two boss arenas are the same, and several of them have a novelty that can help level the playing field. Whether it’s a chandelier falling on an enemy’s head to thin out the number of enemies faced in the Watcher Knight fight, or a sweet spot in the arena from which the player can safely heal, the first Hollow Knight had several instances of environmental assistance – and hindrance – in its boss fights.

The first and most notable of these dynamic environmental changes is the collapsing floor, present in both the False Knight and Soul Master fights. About halfway through each of these battles, the boss will destroy the floor of the arena and drop the player into a new space to finish the fight. At its core, it’s a simple but classic premise, seen also in some of the boss battles of Dark Souls, which in turn is seen as an inspiration for Hollow Knight. But where some dynamic arena changes mainly serve to do just that – change the arena – others serve to heighten the challenge and turn the arena into a boss battle of its own.

Trap Arenas Would Have A Place In Hollow Knight: Silksong

One such example of these more challenging trap arenas is the optional Mantis Lords boss fight in Hollow Knight, in the deepest depths of the Mantis Village. During this fight, walls and spiked floors will pop up and confine the player as the Mantis Lords hop around and try to land attacks. If players come into the fight without a full slate of abilities, it can prove to be a considerable challenge.

Perhaps the most infamous example of a trap arena in Hollow Knight is the Colosseum of Fools. In each of the three trials, there are waves where raised platforms emerge from the floor and the floor becomes temporarily covered in spikes. These platforms change as the fight goes on, so the player cannot stay in one place for too long. It’s a clever way to add movement to what might otherwise be a tedious wave of enemies.

It remains to be seen how this will translate to Hollow Knight: Silksong. However, there is plenty of precedent for these boss fights to use varied arenas designed to throw surprises at the player. Considering that Hornet is intended to be far nimbler than her predecessor, it could open up a whole world of possibilities.

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Released

2025

Developer(s)

Team Cherry

Publisher(s)

Team Cherry

Engine

Unity

Franchise

Hollow Knight