Summary:

  • You will get the first free Silksong Needle upgrade when you go to Bellhart, find Plinney in the bellhouse, and choose Sharpen Needle.
  • After that, you can find Pale Oil from Whispering Vaults, quest rewards, etc., to unlock further damage boosts.
  • Use upgraded Needle to speed up kills, especially in tougher zones.

In Hollow Knight: Silksong, the needle is the Hornet’s weapon. In essence, it is like the Nail in the original Hollow Knight. Players need to upgrade it to enhance its ability to fight enemies. With that, it makes a difference against tougher opponents and it helps you defeat them easily. This guide contains everything you need to know about Silksong Needle Upgrade, where to find upgrade items, and tips to make sure you use them well.

How to Get the First Silksong Needle Upgrade

To strengthen Hornet’s Needle, you will need to gather special items and visit the right NPCs. Each upgrade increases your attack power, which makes combat and exploration smoother. In relation, the table below lists the steps and what you need to do to get the first needle upgrade.

StepWhat You Need / Do Reach and Free Bellhart Complete the tasks up through The Widow boss. Bellhart is initially cursed. So once you free the town, the access unlocks. Find Pinmaster Plinney Once Bellhart is freed, Plinney appears in the bellhouse. Too see, You should for three white pins over the door. “Sharpen Needle?” Dialogue Talk to Plinney and select the “Sharpen Needle?” option. This gives your first silksong needle upgrade for free.

It increases Hornet’s damage with the Needle. After this upgrade, standard enemies take fewer hits, and skills that scale with Needle damage also benefit. 

Further Upgrades For Silksong Needle Upgrade Using Pale Oil

Once you have the basic upgrade, you can further enhance the Needle using a material called Pale Oil. These upgrades improve weapon damage more significantly.  

Pale Oil Location / How to Get ItRequirements / Notes Whispering Vaults in the Citadel This is accessible after completing parts of the story, which are through Underworks, then Choral Chambers, defeating its boss, then descending into Cogwork Core. This requires platforming and creating puzzles.  Quest: Great Taste of Pharloom Another Pale Oil comes as a reward from this quest. Then, you will need several ingredients from spread-out regions.  Other Pale Oil Vials There are multiple Pale Oil upgrade locations; some are hidden, some require exploration and solving puzzles. 

After getting a Pale Oil, you need to return to Pinmaster Plinney in Bellhart to apply the upgrade. Consequently, each Pale Oil gives one more level of Needle damage boost. 

Tips & Things to Watch Out For

Before you do the Silksong Needle Upgrade, there are some things you need to do first or watch out for. These includes:

  • Make sure you defeat The Widow boss first, or else the Bellhart remains inaccessible. No Plinney will appear until that happens.
  • Exploration is required. Sometimes access to vaults or puzzle areas requires certain movement upgrades (like Cling Grip) to reach places.
  • Some Pale Oil locations are easier to miss because they hide behind crates or moving platforms and beams. That means, you have to be wary and look in puzzle-zones.
  • Once you get the upgraded Needle, revisit earlier areas: the extra damage makes many fights much easier, and you can kill enemies faster.

Final Thoughts

The Needle is the Hornet’s most reliable tool in Hollow Knight: Silksong. If you want to have smooth progress, you need to upgrade the needle and master it. However, make sure that you have defeated The Widow boss first. In the Silksong Needle upgrade, you will need to start with the free enhancement from Pinmaster Plinney in Belhart. Then, you can enhance its damage by collecting from hidden vaults, quiet rewards, and late-game areas. Essentially, each upgrade makes exploration and boss fights much easier. 

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