After nearly a decade of waiting, Hollow Knight: Silksong has finally been released, and fans who are returning to the series are finding it much more difficult than they anticipated, especially against the new bosses. With almost 50 unique boss fights in the game, we've rounded up the four that gave us the hardest time, and offer a few tricks that make them easier to deal with.

4 Grand Mother Silk

The “final” boss fight

Grand Mother Silk is Silksong's “final” boss fight, one that has many players questioning their life decisions. Her main weapon is a set of needles that float around the arena and strike the player from all directions. While dodging the needles, you will also need to watch for her low sweep attack. Every time you knock her to the ground, she ramps up her speed with a few new attacks thrown in, including a web attack that covers most of the arena and will leave you in a bad spot if you get caught in it.

Her second phase adds in environmental hazards like falling boulders and spike traps, making it difficult for you to catch your breath or heal before the final blow. The best way to take on Grand Mother Silk is to use the drifter's cloak as much as possible. Allowing yourself to hover in between needle and web strikes while using well-timed dash strikes to slowly take down her health. This is a boss fight where speed takes a backseat to precision. Don't strike until the opportunity arrives, or you'll risk putting yourself in a bad spot you can't recover from.

3 Nyleth

Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide

Nyleth is one of Hollow Knight: Silksong's most intense mid-to-late game bosses. The fight takes place in an arena covered in thorns, where platforms crumble and reform mid-battle, forcing you to stay on the move and on the walls. Nyleth's attack patterns alternate between rapid slashes, energy bursts, and projectiles. What makes Nyleth so difficult is how little room she gives you to recover.

Finding any time to heal is rare, and even if you find a safe spot, the ground beneath you might disappear seconds later. To beat Nyleth, players are going to have to spend a lot of time jumping to and from the walls of the arena. It is recommended to get the Ascendant's grip from the thief's ship and any other wall-climbing upgrades/tools, as well as the Faydown Cloak, which will give you extra jumps to dodge projectiles.

2 Skarrsinger Karmelita

The most entertaining fight in the game

Karmelita, a bard-turned-warrior, is one of the more artistic fighters in Pharloom. She fights with both her voice and her blades, and she is by no means easy to beat. Before you even face her, you will need to beat two waves of enemies while she performs a concert for the audience in the back. After dispatching her bodyguards, she will face you. ​​​​​​​

Skarrsinger Karmelita is a singer, dancer, and fighter, and she uses her skills to their full advantage in the arena. Not only will she sing while fighting you, but her tone will also change to indicate different attacks that are incoming. Her attacks consist of two different close-up blade attacks and a ground-slam move that creates a row of spikes. Using wall climbs, double jumps, and glides are your best options for avoiding her attacks. Her attacks are direction-specific, so jump over her or dash past her and be aggressive while she is attacking you.

1 Lost Lace

The true final boss of Silksong

Lost Lace is considered the true final boss of Hollow Knight: Silksong. And it is also one of the toughest boss fights and the most beautifully designed levels in the whole game. Found deep within Pharloom, this battle is the ultimate test of your skills in the game. Lost Lace moves with incredible speed, chaining together teleport strikes, void projectiles, and sweeping melee attacks that leave very few safe spots in the arena.

The general darkness of the arena also makes it incredibly difficult for you to spot Lost Lace or her attacks. There is no definitive way to beat her. The only chance you have is to max out your build as much as you can and fight tooth and nail until you beat her. And after putting in the work and beating her, you will be rewarded with what many consider to be the true ending of the game.

Hollow Knight: Silksong doesn’t pull any punches

Hollow Knight: Silksong is just as unforgiving as its predecessor and has easily cemented itself as one of the best Metroidvania games currently on the market. Managing to beat these bosses in Silksong proves your mastery over the game's main mechanics and is a true badge of honor to wear for gamers who like a challenge.