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After exploring multiple biomes and defeating the Last Judge in Hollow Knight: Silksong, you’ll reach the second act, which takes place inside the Citadel. While there are many small biomes throughout this area, there is one hidden zone you can only access after obtaining the White Key.
This secret area is called Whiteward, and it’s where you’ll face The Unravelled boss. Although this boss fight is quite different from ones you’ve encountered so far, it’s very important because it awards one of the three Silk Hearts available in the game.
How to Reach The Unravelled
Before you can fight The Unravelled, you need to get the White Key in the Songclave part of the Citadel. If you haven’t unlocked Jubilana through The Wandering Merchant yet, you’ll find this key on a corpse at the Citadel’s right edge. There, a large metal cage blocks your path to the right.
If Jubliana is unlocked, you can buy the White Key from her. To access Whiteward, take the exit just left of where the Choral Chambers are marked on your map. Use this key to activate an elevator there. Before descending, go to the right and activate the nearby bench to save your progress.
While in Whiteward, your main goal is to locate a Surgeon key on the right side of this area by reaching a hidden upper section.
Finding the Surgeon’s Key
When you arrive in Whiteward via the elevator, head all the way to the far left to find a path going upward. Continue moving right along this route until you loop back through the middle, and then go further right through a concealed passage. In this zone, you’ll see enemies crawling around near some furnaces glowing with orange light.
Next, find a way upward. Climb here, and in the gap just above, jump twice toward the light source to enter a hidden corridor. Proceed upward, then break the walls on the left to reach the room containing the Surgeon’s Key. You’ll need to use Clawline to dangle from a small ring in this area, which will open a compartment and reveal a corpse holding the key.
With the Surgeon’s Key, return to the elevator and use it to access a locked door. The key opens this door, revealing the entrance to The Unravelled boss fight. Make sure to activate the bench to the right of the elevator before entering—this will serve as a nearby save point in case you are defeated.
The Unravelled Phase One
The fight begins with a big enemy that you must defeat regardless of its name. Before the boss fully appears, two waves of smaller mobs will attack: the first with a flying enemy, and the second with both a land and a flying enemy. During the first wave, stay underneath the flying enemy to attack safely without taking damage. For the second wave, quickly take out the land enemy, then repeat the process against the flying threat.
Be careful—if the land enemy isn’t defeated quickly, it will grow longer and start spinning around the arena while targeting you. You can stop this by hitting it when it comes near the ground, which will also push it away from you.
Once past the waves, the first phase of the boss begins. It has mainly two attacks:
| Attack | Wind-Up & Description | Recommended Response |
|---|---|---|
| Dash Attack | The boss drops its head forward, charges up, then dashes across the arena, hitting anything in its path for double damage. | Jump at the start of the charge to dodge it and strike down on the boss’s head afterward. You might even land a hit during the dash. |
| Projectile | The boss extends its stomach, pulls its head back, then launches two (or three) bodies at random spots. The bodies sometimes anticipate your movements. | Move away from the boss, jump, and dodge the projectiles. Staying mobile keeps you safe. |
The key challenge here is that the boss’s head, which you can attack, doesn’t take damage and can be deceptive in its hitboxes, especially during the dash. Maintain your distance, strike after the boss finishes a dash or throws projectiles, and avoid hitting the lower body where possible.
The Unravelled Second Phase
After dealing enough damage, the boss gets briefly stunned and retreats underground. This triggers a wave of mobs that you only have to defeat two ground enemies. Once eliminated, the second phase begins, during which the boss positions four spears around the battlefield to attack.
Initially, the spears create a ring on the ground before poking out at different spots. These attacks are straightforward to dodge but will start occurring amidst the boss’s other attacks, demanding constant vigilance.
The spears may also appear mid-battle, sometimes spawning in the middle of the arena and then retracting underground elsewhere. Sometimes, the boss will briefly emerge in the middle of the arena before diving back again. Defeating this boss will reward you with a Silk Heart, which regenerates silk on your spool and allows continuous use of skills like Needolin.
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