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Hollow Knight: Silksong

First Sinner Boss Guide

3
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☆ Walkthrough in Progress: Bookmark for Updates!
★ Best Crest Builds | Best Tools
☆ Full Interactive Map of Pharloom!
★ Mask Shards | Spool Fragments | Abilities
☆ Boss Guides: The Unravelled | First Sinner
★ Wishes: Broodfeast | The Lost Fleas

First Sinner - Hollow Knight Silksong

First Sinner is a boss located in The Slab in Hollow Knight: Silksong. See a loadout you can use to beat First Sinner, its attack patterns, and rewards in this guide!

List of Contents

First Sinner Recommended Loadout

Silk Skill ・Silkspear
・Sharpdart
Tools
Hollow Knight: Silksong - Fractured Mask Fractured Mask
Hollow Knight: Silksong - Magnetite Dice Magnetite Dice
Hollow Knight: Silksong - Pollip Pouch Pollip Pouch
Hollow Knight: Silksong - Threefold Pin Threefold Pin
Crests
Hollow Knight: Silksong - Reaper Crest Reaper Crest
Hollow Knight: Silksong - Witch Crest Witch Crest

✎ Press on either Silk Skills, Tools, or Crests to see a full list of each!

Since this fight pressures you to keep attacking the First Sinner before it heals itself, you will want to bring the Silkspear to be able to hit them even from a distance.

The Sharp Dart can also be an alternative to Silkspear. Its quick cast makes it invaluable in a fast-paced boss fight like the First Sinner.

For longer survivability, have the Fractued Mask and Magnetite Dice equipped in your crest. The Fractured Mask acts as an extra life that prevents you from instantly dying if you get hit on your last health. Meanwhile, the Magnetite Dice allows you to take zero damage at random.

The Pollip Pouch coats your tools in poison. Combined with the Threefold Pin, you will be able to inflict poison on the First Sinner from afar.

The Reaper Crest is an ideal mid-game crest that you can use to change your attacks into wide crescent swings, allowing more hit coverage. If you attack after healing without getting hurt, you can generate extra Silk balls that you can pick up to charge your Silk Gauge faster.

The Witch Crest is one of the best end-game crests in the game. In replacement of your yellow tools, you will gain three slots for your blue tools. This allows you to bring more passive effects that can help you last longer in battle.

First Sinner Location

Unlocked in The Slab After Acquiring the Key of the Apostate

First Sinner Location

The First Sinner can be found in The Slab. However, to get to the boss area, you will need three keys: Key of the Apostate, Key of the Indolent, Key of the Heretic.

Interactive Map

How to Get Key of Apostate

Key of Apostate Guide
1
Exit to the right of the bench in the Memorium to find a long bridge that looks to be connected to nowhere. Cling Grip onto the wall then double jump with the Faydown Cloak to get to the upper wall. Destroy the breakable wall, then enter the hidden path. This will lead to the Putrified Ducts.
2
Enter the Putrified Ducts and keep going right while avoiding enemies. Exit to the next room.
3
Upon entering the vertical area, head straight down. In the underground area, there will be a tunnel going to the left.

Take the tunnel and keep heading left. You will run into enemies that will grab you when you touch their tongue. Once you get past them, the Key will be in a cage to the left of the room.

Key of Apostate Location and Where to Use

How to Beat First Sinner

First Sinner Boss Fight Tips
Checkmark Avoid the Silk Lines
Checkmark Attack When They Try to Bind
Checkmark Attack During Their Needle Summons

Avoid the Silk Lines

Avoid the Silk Lines

Anticipate First Sinner's needles by avoiding the strings. First Sinner's needle attacks are telegraphed by a Silk string that shoots out in different patterns, so you will be able to tell which direction the needles are going to follow.

Attack When They Try to Bind

The First Sinner Healing Itself

When you see the First Sinner start to bind, attack them immediately. If they successfully bind, the First Sinner will get healed.

Attack During Their Needle Summons

Attack While They Do Needle Summons

While they are summoning their next needle attack, the First Sinner will do a brief binding animation. You can use this as an opportunity to attack. However, do not overstay, since once the Silk strings are set up, you will need to focus on dodging the needles.

First Sinner Attack Patterns

Jump to a Section!
Phase 1 Phase 2

Phase 1 Attacks

Scuttle Attack

The First Sinner scuttles from one end of the arena to the other while slashing the air in front of them.

Slice Attack

The First Sinner appears mid-air then slices down diagonally towards Hornet.

Cross Stitch Attack

The First Sinner summons two needles that will attack from above in a cross-shaped pattern.

Forward Needle Attack

The First Sinner summons two needles, one floating above, and the other near the ground. Once they are set up, they will shoot forward across the arena.

Falling Needle Attack

The First Sinner summons a row of needles that will shoot down from above.

Binding

The First Sinner binds themselves. If they manages to bind, they will heal some of their own HP.

Phase 2 Attacks

Area Wide AoE

The First Sinner will trigger explosions across the entire arena. The explosions can be dodged by avoiding the Circle AoEs.

First Sinner Rewards

Rune Rage

Skill How to Get Effect
Hollow Knight: Silksong - Rune Rage Rune Rage
Rune Rage
Obtained by defeating the First Sinner in The Slab. You will need the Key of the Apostate, Key of the Indolent, and Key of the Heretic to unlock the door to its room.		 Forgotten Weaver technique. Sew rending runes upon one's enemies.

Rune Rage is a powerful AoE Silk Skill that hits enemies with targeted Silk explosions.

Silk Skills Effects and How to Unlock

Hollow Knight: Silksong Related Guides

Hollow Knight Silksong Bosses

List of All Boss Guides

Act 1 Bosses

Main Story Bosses
Moss Mother Moss Mother Bell BeastBell Beast Lace Hollow Knight SilksongLace
Fourth ChorusFourth Chorus Moorwing IconMoorwing Sister Splinter IconSister Splinter
WidowWidow Last Judge IconLast Judge -
Optional Bosses
Savage BeastflySavage Beastfly Skull TyrantSkull Tyrant Silksong - Great ConchfliesGreat Conchflies
Summoned Saviour IconSummoned Saviour - -
Secret Bosses
Phantom Phantom - -

Act 2 Bosses

Main Story Bosses
Cogwork Dancers iconCogwork Dancers Hollow Knight Silksong - Trobbio Boss Icon Trobbio Lace Act 2Lace (Act 2)
Grand Mother SilkGrand Mother Silk - -
Optional Bosses
Forebrothers Signis and GronForebrothers Signis and Gron Raging Conchfly Raging Conchfly Groal the GreatGroal the Great
Disgraced Chef Lugoli Disgraced Chef Lugoli The BroodmotherBroodmother Father of the FlameFather of the Flame
Voltvyrm - Hollow Knight SilksongVoltvyrm - -
Secret Bosses
First Sinner First Sinner UnravelledUnravelled -

Act 3 Bosses

Main Bosses
Silksong - Bell EaterBell Eater Silksong - Skarrsinger KarmelitaSkarrsinger Karmelita Silksong - Nyleth IconNyleth
Silksong - Seth IconSeth Silksong - Crust King Khann IconCrust King Khann Lost Lace IconLost Lace
Optional Bosses
Watcher at the EdgeWatcher at the Edge Silksong - Gurr the Outcast IconGurr the Outcast Silksong - Second Sentinel IconSecond Sentinel
Silksong - Gurr the Outcast IconLost Garmond Silksong - Crawfather IconCrawfather Silksong - Plasmified Zango IconPlasmified Zango
Silksong - Tormented Trobbio IconTormented Trobbio Clover Dancers icon Clover Dancers Pinstress IconPinstress
Silksong - Palestag IconPalestag - -

Comment

3 Anonymous Anonymous about 2 months

One of the most peak bosses in game, up there with Karmelita and Cogwork Dancers for me. Clawline is like the best thing ever for this fight, glad i remembered it because i still struggled despite only finding her in act 3 with a fully upgraded needle

2 Anonymous Anonymous 3 months

Found the boss battle really fun and fast paced when i used the clawline ability as my main attack style. It also made the boss fight way easier for me.

See more comments (3 Comments)

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