Travel in Hollow Knight: Silksong has never been cuter without the aid of the infamously adorable, lil' nubbins of a guy: the Bell Beast. Fortunately for us, finding him is a blessedly quick endeavour. However, finding the Bell beast is only half the struggle.

Once found, you'll have to ensure you not only have the means to help him but also the skill to best him in single combat. This will require no small amount of exploration and a few meandering journeys from bench to battlefield. The struggle, thankfully, is definitely worth it. I mean, look at the big guy. He's perfect.

How To Free The Bell Beast

The Bell Beast can be foundin The Marrow region at the northmost point (above Shakra's first location and right). Unfortunately, he's trapped in spider silk.

Freeing the Bell Beast is the first step you must take in order to unlock the Fast Travel system: Bellways. This system operates like the Stagways in the preceding game, meaning:

  • You must locate stations at set locations in each map area.
  • You may need to pay to unlock the use of a Bellway.
  • After unlocking locations, you can travel between stations for free.

You can regenerate your own silk by striking the strands that hold Bell Beast captive with a normal attack. This is true here and everywhere else you find these strands in-game.

To free him from the pesky silks, you need the Silk Spear upgrade. You can find this upgrade by following these steps:

  1. Head northwest to the Mosshome area.
  2. Climb the topmost, central location until you find a statue with Hera's face (the six-eyed queen).
  3. Inspect the statue to receive Silkspear.
  4. Place Silkspear in your active equipment at a bench.

Return to Bell Beast's location to use Silkspear on his restraints and free him.

How To Defeat The Bell Beast

Attack

Wind-Up Tells And Attack Description

Suggested Counters

Ground Dash

Rising from the ground, Bell Beast faces Hornet and dashes across the arena. After reaching the far side, he digs underground.

Jump over Bell Beast and attack downward in the direction he is running.

Flying Leap

Jumping from the ground, the beast flies into the air and across the arena. After landing, he digs underground.

Stay under Bell Beast and then run toward him as he lands. Attack his behind twice.

Bell Burst

Bursting from the ground with only his head and front half straight upward, the beast throws two bells into the air that hit the ground on either side of him and then bounce once in opposite directions.

Stay away from Bell Beast and jump over the bell on your side.

Bell Fall

Transition move. Bell Beast roars with his front half sticking out of the ground. This triggers the second half of the fight. The ground begins to shake, and bells will begin falling rapidly from the ceiling. From this point on, one bell will fall from the ceiling after every Flying Leap and Bell Burst attack.

Hide in one corner and wait for the ground to stop shaking. Later, stay away from Bell Beast's location during the Bell Burst attack, and be mindful of falling debris during Flying Leap.

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The Bell Beast will still be upset from his confinement when you release him, immediately triggering combat. There are three phases during this fight:

Phase One

100%

Introduces only the first two attacks.

Phase Two

70-80%

Introduces the Bell Burst attack.

Phase Three

50%

Bell Fall is activated. Falling debris hazards begin.

Phase Two has far less warning, progressing normally and becoming a surprise during each battle. However, the clearer Phase Three will always begin with a roar.

The first half of the fight is about quickly deciding the correct course of action each time Bell Beast emerges from the ground. Never preemptively make a move.

There is no clear indication which move will appear when Bell Beast is underground, but you can always react quickly to Bell Burst since it is the only move where Bell Beast emerges with only his front half.

The second half of the fight will be about taking everything you learned from the first half but increasing your deftness. Now, you will have to perform all the counters you learned in the first half while avoiding debris.

To do this, we recommend keeping these tips in mind:

  • Play defensively; do not rush Bell Beast.
  • Attack only during his Ground Rush and after his Flying Leap.
  • Head to the center of the map after each attack to bait Bell Beast to the middle.
  • Try to avoid becoming pinned in a corner (especially with Bell Burst attacks).
  • Always look for dust signifying falling debris.
  • Avoid needless jumping to reduce accidental hits from falling bells.

Once Bell Beast is defeated, a glowing orb will appear in the arena. Jump into it to trigger a unique cutscene where you'll do some light platforming and strike elevator levers.

After the cutscene, you will be rewarded with a Silk Heart and, further inside this chamber, the ability to use Bellways. For now, you can only travel to Bone Bottom.

Silk Hearts will, once enough are gathered, expand the amount of silk that Hornet is able to use. Silk Hearts are similar to the previous title's Vessel Fragments (or Soul Vessels).