Hollow Knight Silksong Double Damage Explained

Double damage is one of the most controversial mechanics in Hollow Knight Silksong. Many are noticing that even common enemies hit for two masks, while bosses and hazards punish mistakes even harder. This guide explains how double damage works in the game, why it feels so different from teh original Hollow Knight, and what tools you can use to survive Pharloom’s new brutality.

How Double Damage Works in Silksong

In Hollow Knight, double damage was mostly tied to late bosses or high-level threats. In Silksong, many enemies and hazards deal two masks right from the early zones. Some mid-game fights even feature three-mask attacks. This means your health pool shrinks faster, and mistakes that once cost one mask now chunk two or more.

The result is a harsher baseline difficulty. Even small mobs like ants or flying bugs can kill you in just a handful of hits. Bosses, already aggressive, become lethal when every touch feels like a heavy blow.

Healing and Why It Feels Worse

Bind replaces Focus, and while it heals three masks at once, it requires a full Silk spool. The cast is shorter than Focus, but if you get hit while binding, you lose the Silk and heal nothing. Combined with double damage, this creates situations where you may die trying to heal if your timing is poor.

Health upgrades also feel weaker. Adding one or two masks of max health doesn’t change the fact that many enemies kill you in three or four hits. Players quickly learn to heal smart rather than tank damage.

How to Manage Two-Mask Damage

Movement is the most important tool. Unlocking Swift Step in Deep Docks gives you dash and sprint, letting you avoid contact hits that drain two masks at once. Staying mobile is the best way to reduce free damage.

Use your Silk offensively. Many players report that Silk attacks deal strong damage and can melt tanky mobs and bosses quickly. Spending Silk for offense often prevents more damage than saving it for heals.

Learn to read contact zones. In Silksong, even brushing against bosses or large enemies can deal two masks of contact damage. Staying above, behind, or dashing through is safer than trading blows.

Fixing the Downward Pogo Problem

The other mechanic frustrating players is Hornet’s angled downward attack. Unlike the Knight’s straight slam, Hornet strikes at a 45-degree angle. This makes bouncing off red pods in Hunter’s March unreliable and often lethal.

There is a solution. Unlocking the Wanderer’s Crest changes Hornet’s pogo back to a straight drop. To get it, buy the Simple Key in Bone Bottom for 500 Rosaries, then head west of Mosshome to the Chapel of the Wanderer. Equip it, and pogoing feels far closer to the original Hollow Knight.

Final Blurb

Double damage makes Hollow Knight Silksong harder across the board. Enemies hit harder, healing is riskier, and careless contact can wipe your health bar. Swift Step and Wanderer’s Crest are must-have upgrades for surviving Pharloom. With patience, smart Silk use, and tighter movement, the higher damage becomes manageable.

FAQ

Does every enemy do two masks of damage

No, but many common mobs and hazards do two masks, especially in early zones. Bosses and some mid-game enemies can reach three.

Why does healing feel weaker

Bind requires a full Silk spool and can be interrupted. Even though it heals three masks, the risk and the higher incoming damage make it harder to rely on.