If you want to find out everything you need to know about the Hollow Knight Hornet, we’ve got it all in this guide. Showing up early in Hollow Knight – as a boss fight and later as a friend of sorts – Hollow Knight’s Hornet is a crucial character to the story and one that we will learn much more about in the upcoming sequel Hollow Knight: Silksong.
While we haven’t seen too much about Hollow Knight: Silksong yet, or the Hollow Knight: Silksong release date, we do know it will dive much further into the story of Hornet, as they explore the land of Pharloom. Silksong will also play host to a swarm of new bug bosses, so you’d better get honing your skills.
How do I beat Greenpath Hollow Knight Hornet?
Players face Hornet twice in Hollow Knight, with the first fight being very early on in Greenpath, on the west side of the area near the Stag Station. In this first fight, Hornet uses a very simple pattern of attacks. The main issue is that they are quick, and take up lots of space, especially as Hornet throws her Needle weapon across the room. Here is each unique attack, so you know what you’re up against.
The first thing you should be wary of, is how Hornet leaps up and lobs needle and thread around while still in mid-air. This acts as an AoE attack and takes up a fair amount of space, so when you’re so early into the game, the best defense to this is simply to avoid it altogether. However, if you’re quick enough, you might be able to land a quick strike or two when Hornet lands.
Hornet’s second attack is a diagonal slash, indicated by her hopping backwards towards one side of the room. If you time it right, this is a great chance to get in an attack as she lands, especially if you jump to where she is heading and unleash an attack from above.
The next attack is a ground slash, similar to the diagonal slash, but… on the ground, obviously. This one is also fairly easy to dodge, and a great chance to attack from above if you time it right.
The final attack has Hornet throw her needle all the way across the room, before pulling it back like a boomerang. This one is difficult to get the timing right, especially as you may get caught by the returning needle as you try to land a sideways slash.
If you get a few hits on Hornet she will be stunned, and stay motionless for a few moments. While this can be a great time to get in a few hits, only do this if you have full health, otherwise use the time to heal as it’s the only chance you get. Beating her and inspecting the body in the room awards you the Mothwing Cloak, an essential piece of equipment that makes traversal much easier.
How do I beat Hollow Knight’s Hornet the second time?
As daunting as Hornet is when you first meet her in Greenpath, taking her on for a second time is not nearly as intimidating. Hornet uses the exact same moveset as before, but with a couple of slight differences to keep you on your toes. Her AoE attack covers slightly more ground – or, air – and she’s also a lot speedier. Hornet also recovers from stuns a lot faster, so instead of trying to land a cheeky hit when she’s catching her breath, you should focus on healing yourself in preparation for the rest of the fight. You can dash to one side of the room when Hornet uses her main Needle throw attack, just make sure you’ve left yourself enough space to avoid it.
When Hornet starts flinging spiked balls, take the time to attack them with your nail when you’re near them, as they can be quite a pain to try and avoid. We recommend upgrading the nail before this fight, otherwise it takes a lot of attacks to finally beat Hornet. This second phase requires a lot of patience, so play cautiously and sneak in some smaller hits whenever you can.
That’s our guide to Hollow Knight Hornet and her boss fights, though if you need a bit more help then check out our Hollow Knight charms guide to make sure you have the right tools for the job, and once you’re prepared, you can take on all the other Hollow Knight bosses while you’re at it.