Conquering Steel Soul Mode in Hollow Knight: Silksong Mastery

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One of the things that makes Hollow Knight: Silksong so tough is how it constantly challenges players. Its hardest mode, Steel Soul, is designed to push even experienced players to their limits. This mode, along with its related achievements for regular and 100% completion, is by far the most difficult part of the game.

You can unlock Steel Soul mode by beating the final boss and seeing any of the game’s endings for the first time, or by entering a secret code in the main menu. When starting a new game, you’ll be asked to choose between the normal mode or Steel Soul. While getting through Steel Soul mode and reaching 100% completion isn’t much different from normal gameplay, the fact that you only get one health bar makes it much harder, though there are some simple tricks to make it easier.

What You Need for 100% Completion & How to Track Progress

In Act 3 of Silksong’s story, you’ll find an item that shows your progress toward completing your save file. This item, called the Farsight decor, can be made in Hornet’s home and lets you see which items you are missing in your inventory and collections. It also shows your completion percentage on the save loader.

Although many bosses and areas in the game offer tools or access points, killing bosses doesn’t actually count toward your completion. This means you can skip certain bosses if you want to avoid difficult fights. Here’s what you need to fully complete Steel Soul mode:

All 4 Needle Upgrades
All 20 Mask Shards
All 18 Spool Fragments
All 3 Silk Hearts
The Sylphsong Ancestral Art
The Everbloom Quest Item
All 6 Crests
All 6 Silk Skills
All 4 Crafting Kits and 4 Tool Pouch Upgrades
All 6 Movement Abilities
51 out of 57 tools (excluding some upgrade tools and certain items)

Even though finishing all side quests isn’t required for 100%, some tools and materials needed for the achievement can only be obtained by completing full quest lines, similar to defeating certain bosses.

Note: Optional boss fights, like those against Shakra, Garmond, and the First Sinner, won’t end your Steel Soul run if you lose.

While most quests aren’t too hard on their own, some can lead to very dangerous fights, such as the Grand Hunts. Additional challenges like the Cursed Child ending aren’t necessary for 100%, but they can significantly raise the difficulty.

The best strategy for beating Steel Soul mode is to take advantage of the strongest tools and use ranged attacks whenever possible to stay safe.

Helpful Tip: Selling Silkeaters to Skynx in exchange for Rosaries allows you to buy powerful tools and upgrades, since Silkeaters are useless in Steel Soul.

To boost your survivability and efficiency, I recommend upgrading the Architect’s Crest early. It lets you equip three tools at once and increases your attack range, which is very useful in Steel Soul mode. For offense, tools like Cogfly, Tacks, Curveclaw, Flintslate, and Plasmium Phial are great options early on. You might also want to try Conchcutter and Voltvessels from the Sands of Karak, as they can do a lot of damage without risking your health.

For yellow and blue tools, some options are better than others. The Fractured Mask is almost essential because it offers extra defense if your final mask breaks, which can save you hours of retries. Combining it with quick-save tricks makes the game more manageable.

Here are some recommended tools:

Multibinder: Adds an extra mask to your armor
Pollip Pouch: Applies poison effects to tools
Shell Satchel (Steel Soul only): Increases the number of crafted tools
Warding Bell: Protects from damage while you’re binding masks
Injector Band: Speeds up binding
Quick Sling: Doubles projectile count
Shard Pendant: Makes enemies drop more shards
Magnetic Dice: Has a chance to avoid damage
Wreath of Purity: Protects from enemies like muckmaggots (in specific areas)

In Steel Soul, some items are exclusive to that mode, like the Growstone, which can regenerate shards over time, and the Shell Satchel. The Growstone is earned via a special quest in the Sands of Karak.

Best Ways to Fully Complete Steel Soul Mode

The most effective method is to make use of the save and quit feature. Returning to the main menu and reloading your save instantly takes you back to the last safe spot with all masks restored. Many players consider this cheating, but since it’s built into the game, it can make the challenge more doable without risking hours of frustration.

You can also skip certain bosses, like The Last Judge, by taking alternative routes, which speeds up progress. When facing essential fights, take your time and play cautiously to avoid unnecessary risks. Improving your nail, mask, and spool upgrades early, and avoiding tough fights like the Savage Beastfly, can give you a big advantage.

Using the save and exit trick might feel like cheating, but it’s a useful tool if you’re determined to get all achievements in Silksong’s extreme mode.