How to beat Moorwing in Hollow Knight: Silksong

Moorwing is a beast of a boss in Hollow Knight: Silksong, and knowing how to beat it will save you lots of time and frustration.

Where previous bosses were tests of one or two of the skills you need to master in Hollow Knight: Silksong, Moorwing asks you to showcase everything you have and more. Expect to learn through failure, but with the tips in this guide, you’ll have a better handle on how to beat Moorwing than those who encounter it blindly.

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How to beat Moorwing in Hollow Knight: Silksong

Moorwing is a major test of everything you’ve learned in Silksong up to meeting him. The precision platforming of the Fourth Chorus. Attack timings from the Bell Beast, and jump movement from Moth Mother  are among just some of the skills you’ll need.

The fight is also a test of your nerve, as it can quickly spiral out of control if you start to panic. Every jump must be measured, every attack calculated, and every heal perfectly timed.

In other words, don’t try to style on Moorwing with fancy dodges, spacing, or footwork. Focus purely on fundamentals and execution.

All of Moorwing’s attacks

Moorwing has five attacks across its two phases, but don't think this short move list makes it any less challenging. You’ll need to give a very specific response to each attack. That goes double in the second portion of the fight.

Dive bomb

One of Moorwing’s favorite attacks, the dive bomb sees it dive until it’s close to the floor, then fly as far as it takes to reach you before pulling itself higher. The only response here is to jump over the boss, but you need to already have some space between you, as Moorwing flies faster than you can dash, even with Surge Sprint.

Multiple slashes

Moorwing recoils a bit, then slashes at you multiple times with its front claws. This attack is the easiest to avoid of the bunch, as you can simply walk backward when you see it coming. The hitbox is deceptively sized, however, and if you’re a bit too close, the attack will catch you.

Wind blade ball

Moorwing creates a ball of white wind energy in its claws and sends it along the floor. After rolling for a set distance, it curves into the air. You’ll need to jump over the ball to avoid it, and soon after it comes out, as its rise is meant to catch poor jump timing.

Double wind blade ball

This second-phase attack works exactly how you think. Rather than summoning one blade ball, Moorwing creates two and sends them at you one quickly after the other. The trick is, the second one rises into the air much faster and comes back around in almost a full circle, meaning it can hit you even if you dodge it the first time.

Crossing blade balls

Here, Moorwing rises to the top of the screen and summons two blade balls that move in opposing semi-circle paths. You’ll need to jump over the one that ends up on your side of the boss, but beware that the other one will come your way shortly after you avoid the first.

Moorwing’s second phase is also much more chaotic than the first, as the time between its attacks shortens immensely. You have maybe a second or two after an attack to prepare for the next one. That’s not counting the time it takes to jump up to Moorwing and land an attack.

The biggest piece of advice I can give is to take it slow (or as slow as Moorwing will let you). Only jump when you need to avoid an attack. Only attack when you know there’s an opening, and only heal after you’ve outspaced an attack with a longer animation.

You will need to take risks during the Moorwing fight, but part of the give and take is when you can take those calculated risks and how often you feel comfortable doing so. Don’t be discouraged if the fight takes a little while to pin down. It did for me.

For much more on Hollow Knight: Silksong, check out our dedicated game page.