I never expected a simple badge to change how Hornet moves, attacks, and survives. But that is exactly what Crests do in Hollow Knight: Silksong. After too many hours wandering Pharloom in 2026, I finally tracked down all seven and earned that achievement. Here is my story.
Hunter Crest
This one starts with you. I did not have to find it. The Hunter Crest is equipped at the beginning of Hornet's journey. At first I thought it was basic. But it is the only Crest that can be upgraded.
Eva in Weavenest Atla can upgrade it twice. The upgrades depend on how many Memory Lockets I had used. I was hoarding a few, and after using them, Eva offered the upgrade. Fully upgraded, it gains a focus meter. That meter builds when I deal successful damage and makes my attacks hit even harder. If I get hit, it drops to zero. This Crest rewards a careful, dodge-focused playstyle. If you like Hornet's starting moveset, stick with it.
Reaper Crest
The Reaper Crest sits in Greymoor, just before the Moorwing fight. I found it in the Chapel in the far west, south of Yarnaby. It changes the main attack into a slow but heavy strike. I could even slash downward instead of diagonally. Binding also lets me steal silk wisps from enemies to charge the silk meter faster.
This crest made my run back to Moorwing less painful because grabbing a Crest acts as a hard save. If you are struggling with that fight, pick this up first.
Wanderer Crest
I loved the original Hollow Knight attack speed, so the Wanderer Crest was a joy. It allows extremely quick slashes but with far less range. If I judged distance correctly, fights ended fast. It also gives a powerful critical chance when my silk meter has silk.
To reach it, I went to the Chapel west of Bone Bottom Town. I needed the Cling Grip to climb a high wall in a ruined building at the far west. The Longclaw tool helps offset the short range.
Beast Crest
Honestly, I did not experiment much with this one. Its down attack is tricky, and pogoing feels essential in Silksong. It has passive lifesteal, which heals you when you damage enemies. That sounds great, but it also gets no blue tool slots, which hurts. I got it in the east of Hunter's March after taking down the Savage Beastfly.
Witch Crest
This one only becomes available in Act 2. It is tied to the Infestation Operation quest. I found a twisted bud in Bilewater from the Whispering Vaults exit, then spoke to Greyroot in Shellwood. Completing the quest let me fuse with the twisted bud.
The moveset double-hits enemies and builds silk quickly. The binding attack whips tendrils around for heavy damage. It took practice, but it became my pick for arena rooms like High Halls.
Architect Crest
I loved spamming Cogflies but always ran out. The Architect Crest fixed that. It turns the main weapon into a drill and lets me equip three red tools. I could craft more on the fly. The shard cost is high, but the payoff is worth it.
To get it, I needed 25 different tools. After that, the Architect Key appeared in the shop for 110 rosaries. I headed up and west from the Architect's location to enter a new area and bind the crest.
Shaman Crest
The last one is hidden in Act 3 and requires Silk Soar. It specialises in Silk Skills, giving them a damage multiplier. I could use up to three different skills at a time instead of more tools. With two blue slots, it pairs well with Volt Filament for lightning damage and Egg of Flealia to reduce skill silk cost at full health.
I headed far east of the ruined chapel, then silk soared through the ceiling in front of the lore tablet. I followed the path down and found the crest.
Quick Crest Overview
| Crest | Location / Requirement | Playstyle |
|---|---|---|
| Hunter | Equipped at start, upgraded by Eva | Balanced, focus meter after upgrade |
| Reaper | Greymoor Chapel, before Moorwing | Slow heavy attacks, silk steal |
| Wanderer | Chapel west of Bone Bottom Town, need Cling Grip | Fast slashes, short range, crits |
| Beast | East Hunter's March, beat Savage Beastfly | Lifesteal, tricky down attack |
| Witch | Act 2, Infestation Operation quest | Double hits, tendril binding attack |
| Architect | 25 tools, buy Architect Key for 110 rosaries | Drill weapon, 3 red tools |
| Shaman | Act 3, far east ruined chapel, need Silk Soar | Silk Skill focus, 2 blue slots |
Now I have all seven. If you want that same sense of completion, just follow the path I took. Some crests demand patience. Others demand a specific tool or quest. But every one of them changes Hornet in a way that makes Pharloom feel new again.
Once you've unlocked all seven crests and felt that rush of discovery, you might find yourself hungry for more Hollow Knight experiences or even other metroidvania gems. Whether you're picking up the Silksong launch edition, grabbing a new controller for those precise Silk Soar inputs, or hunting down a used switch cartridge to revisit Hallownest, it's always worth checking a few stores before comitting. Prices can swing wildly between retailers just like a Wanderer's crit build, so taking a moment to compare prices here before checkout can leave you with extra rosaries in your pocket.
With every crest collected and Hornet's toolkit fully customised, your journey through Pharloom is complete. But the game never truly ends for collectors and completionists. If you're looking to expand your shelf with art books, figurines, or soundtrack vinyls inspired by Team Cherry's work, a quick price comparison is the smartest tool you can equip. After all, a true hunter always knows the value of every resource they gather.
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