Hollow Knight Silksong Jail Guide: Escape The Slab Prison
The Slab is Hornet’s grim detour through Pharloom’s underground prison system. Known by fans as the “Silksong jail,” this sequence strips you of your needle and cloak, forcing you to escape with quick thinking and precision movement. Here’s how to get locked up, find every key, and break free.
Entering The Slab
Travel through Deep Docks and take the upper-right tunnel leading toward Far Fields. You’ll need the Cling Grip ability to continue. Eventually, a flying enemy carrying a cage appears. Allow it to grab you, and it’ll drag Hornet into The Slab to start the prison segment.
Escaping The Slab
Hornet begins without her needle or cloak. Move quietly through the cell blocks, avoiding traps and collecting keys to unlock each section.
Head downward first, then take the left passage. A locked Indolent door blocks the way, so climb the wall and smash through the ceiling. Watch out for floor spikes as you proceed.
Keep moving up and left until you reach the outside. Slide down the outer wall to another door leading deeper into the jail. Prison guards patrol this stretch, so dodge carefully until you meet Grindle. Past him, sprint across two pressure traps to find a glowing Indolent Key. Bring it back to Grindle’s room to open the first locked path.
Continue exploring through looping passages and rest at the bench when you find it. The next Indolent door leads to a chamber full of spinning blade traps. Use those traps against enemies to survive and unlock the next route.
Outside again, scale the frozen walls with Cling Grip. Avoid frostbite damage by stopping at fire spots along the way. Move left until you reach another bench, then drop into the tunnel below. Hornet will regain her needle and cloak during a forced battle. Win the fight against Guardflies, Wardenflies, and Scabflies to claim the Heretic Key.
Use the Heretic Key on the door to the left. Past a few more hazards and one final bench, you’ll reach a Bellway sign. Pay 50 Rosaries to summon the Bell Beast and leave The Slab for good.
All Keys in The Slab
Indolent Key – Found early near Grindle, used on Indolent doors throughout the prison.
Heretic Key – Dropped after Hornet’s wave fight, used on the Heretic door before the Bellway.
Apostate Key – Found later in Bilewater, used on sealed doors if you revisit The Slab.
Final Blurb
The Slab in Hollow Knight Silksong is the game’s prison section. You get captured, stripped of your weapon, and forced to escape by collecting keys hidden through the icy jail. Once Hornet recovers her gear and defeats the guards, she can leave by Bell Beast and continue her journey through Pharloom.
FAQ
Where is The Slab located?
It’s reached by traveling east from Deep Docks and letting the flying cage enemy capture you.
How do you get out of The Slab?
Find the Indolent and Heretic Keys, regain your gear, and unlock the exit leading to the Bellway.
What are all the jail keys?
The Indolent Key and Heretic Key are inside The Slab, while the Apostate Key appears later in Bilewater.
Can you skip this part of the story?
No, The Slab is a mandatory sequence in Hornet’s main progression.
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