So you’ve made it through Act 2 of Hollow Knight Silksong and seen those credits roll, but something tells you there’s more to discover. You’re absolutely right! Hidden behind one of the most complex quest chains in the game is Act 3: Abyss – a secret third act that adds hours of additional content, new bosses, and story revelations that’ll blow your mind.
Getting to Act 3 isn’t just about beating the game normally. It requires completing a massive side quest called Silk and Soul before your final confrontation with Grand Mother Silk. Fair warning: this is probably the most involved unlock requirement in all of Silksong.
What Makes Act 3 Worth the Effort
Before we dive into the requirements (and trust me, there are a lot), let’s talk about what you’re working toward. Act 3 isn’t just a short epilogue – it’s a substantial chunk of content that includes:
- Additional story content that provides crucial context for Silksong’s lore
- New boss encounters to test all the skills you’ve developed
- One of five possible endings that completely recontextualizes your journey
- The Abyss itself – a mysterious new area unlike anything else in Pharloom
Think of Act 3 as Silksong’s “true” ending content. While you can absolutely enjoy the game without it, experiencing the Abyss feels like uncovering the game’s deepest secrets.
The Big Picture: What You Need to Do
Here’s the reality check – unlocking Act 3 requires completing virtually all of Silksong’s side content. We’re talking about finishing every single Wish across multiple wishboards, managing a flea caravan, getting your own house, and then embarking on a multi-part collection quest.
It sounds overwhelming because it is. But here’s the thing: most players who attempt this unlock are already deep into Silksong and have completed much of this content naturally. If you’re the type who explores every corner and talks to every NPC, you might be closer than you think.
Step 1: Complete Every Possible Wish
This is the big one. You need to complete every wish from wishboards in Songclave, Bone Bottom, Bellhart, and The Citadel. I’m talking about 44 different wishes spanning every category the game offers.
The Complete Wish List:
Ascend Wishes:
- Pharloom’s Crown
Delivery Wishes:
- Liquid Lacquer
- Queen’s Egg
Donate Wishes:
- An Icon of Hope
- A Lifesaving Bridge
- Bellhart’s Glory
- Bone Bottom Repairs
- Building Up Songclave
- Restoration of Bellhart
- Strengthening Songclave
Gather Wishes:
- Alchemist’s Assistant
- Berry Picking
- Great Taste of Pharloom
- Rite of the Pollip
- Silver Bells
Grand Hunt Wishes:
- Savage Beastfly
- The Terrible Tyrant
- The Wailing Mother
Hunt Wishes:
- Broodfeast
- Cloaks of the Choir
- Crawbug Clearing
- Fine Pins
- Flexible Spines
- Garb of the Pilgrims
- Roach Guts
- Volatile Flintbeetles
Learn Wishes:
- Architect’s Melody
- Bugs of Pharloom
- Conductor’s Melody
- Vaultkeeper’s Melody
Open Wishes:
- Grand Gate
Save Wishes:
- The Threadspun Town
Search Wishes:
- Silent Halls
Seek Wishes:
- The Great Citadel
Wayfarer Wishes:
- Balm for the Wounded
- Infestation Operation
- My Missing Brother
- My Missing Courier
- Pinmaster’s Oil
- Rite of Rebirth
- The Lost Fleas
- The Lost Merchant
- The Wandering Merchant
- Trail’s End
Some of these tie directly into major game progression and boss fights. If you need help with specific challenges, our guides for boss encounters and quest completion can help you tackle the tougher requirements.
Step 2: Get Your Bellhome from Pavo
After completing all those wishes, head to Bellhart and speak with Pavo. He’ll reward your dedication by giving you your very own Bellhome located at the top of the area. This isn’t just a cosmetic reward – it’s actually a requirement for progressing the Silk and Soul quest.
Having your own Bellhome feels like a real achievement after all that quest completion. It’s Silksong’s way of saying “congratulations, you’re really committed to this.”
Step 3: The Flea Caravan Management Mini-Game
This is where things get weird. You need to collect at least 25 fleas and then convince Fleamaster Mooshka to move the flea caravan three times until it ends up in the Putrified Ducts area.
Managing the flea caravan is one of Silksong’s more unusual mechanics, but it’s essential for this questline. The fleas themselves can be found throughout Pharloom, often in hidden or hard-to-reach locations.
Step 4: Speak with the Caretaker
Once you’ve completed all the wishes, gotten your Bellhome, and positioned the flea caravan correctly, head to Songclave and speak with the Caretaker. He’ll finally share his plan to end Grand Mother Silk’s reign once and for all.
This conversation triggers the Silk and Soul wish, which is your gateway to Act 3. The Caretaker essentially recruits you for a secret mission that goes way beyond just defeating Grand Mother Silk.
The Silk and Soul Collection Quest
Now comes the actual Silk and Soul quest, which involves gathering four specific components for a trap:
1. Maiden’s Soul (Bone Bottom) Find the Maiden in Bone Bottom and speak with her. If she’s not there, try sitting on the Bone Bottom bench – this might trigger the second Skull Tyrant fight, which causes her to appear.
2. Hermit’s Soul (Bellhart) Locate the Bell Hermit in the pipe beneath the Bellhart Bellway. You’ll need to break through a fake wall on the right side of the Bellway room to access this area.
3. Seeker’s Soul (Bilewater) Pick this up from the abandoned bellhome to the left of the bench at the top of Bilewater. This one’s straightforward – just grab it from the location.
4. Snare Setter (Weavenest Atla) Get this from the table above the bench in Weavenest Atla. To access this area, you’ll need to open the Needolin door beneath Bone Bottom.
The good news is that you can actually collect the Snare Setter and Seeker’s Soul before even triggering the Silk and Soul wish, so you might already have some of these components.
The Final Confrontation and Act 3 Trigger
With all components collected, return to the Caretaker in Songclave and hand everything over. Now you’re ready for the modified final boss sequence.
Head to The Cradle as you normally would for the Grand Mother Silk fight. Just before reaching the boss arena, you’ll encounter the Caretaker one last time. He’ll explain that the trap is set and all you need to do is play Needolin to trigger it.
Fight Grand Mother Silk as normal, but here’s the crucial part: when given the choice at the end, choose to play Needolin instead of binding Grand Mother Silk. This triggers the trap and leads to one of Silksong’s five main endings.
Loading Into Act 3: The Abyss Awaits
After the ending sequence, you’ll return to the title screen as usual. But when you go to load your save file, you’ll notice something strange – it’s covered in black vines.
Don’t panic! This is exactly what should happen. Press the action button multiple times to break through these vines. Once they’re cleared, you can load into your save file and begin Act 3: Abyss.
Pro Tips for the Journey
Start Early: Many of these wishes take significant time to complete. Don’t wait until the end of Act 2 to start working on them.
Track Your Progress: Keep a checklist of completed wishes. It’s easy to lose track with 44 different requirements.
Explore Thoroughly: Some wish requirements involve finding hidden items or NPCs that aren’t obvious. Take your time exploring each area.
Save Before the Final Choice: Make sure to save before the Grand Mother Silk fight so you can experience both the normal ending and the Act 3 path.
Building Your Skills for Success
Many of the wishes require advanced combat and exploration skills. Make sure you’re comfortable with techniques like parrying for tougher boss encounters and have mastered movement abilities like the double jump for accessing hard-to-reach areas.
Final Thoughts: Is Act 3 Worth It?
Absolutely. While the requirements are extensive, Act 3 provides some of the most rewarding content in all of Silksong. The story revelations alone make the journey worthwhile, and the additional bosses will test every skill you’ve developed throughout your playthrough.
Plus, there’s something deeply satisfying about uncovering Silksong’s deepest secrets. Most players will never see Act 3, which makes experiencing it feel like joining an exclusive club of dedicated explorers.
Ready to embark on this epic quest? You can start your journey through Pharloom by getting Hollow Knight: Silksong on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, or Xbox.
The path to the Abyss is long and challenging, but for those willing to see it through, Act 3 offers some of the most memorable moments in all of Hollow Knight Silksong.
