How to defeat Phantom in Hollow Knight: Silksong? The key is to be on the move

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As befits a metroidvania, Hollow Knight: Silksong gives the player a lot of freedom in exploration. Your main goal during the first act of the game is to reach the Citadel, a huge area at the very top of the Pharloom kingdom. Your expedition will eventually lead you to the doors of the Citadel, guarded by the demanding boss, Last Judge. If, however, you feel like licking some walls and visiting a few optional locations, you can head to Exhaust Organ – a secret, back entrance to the Citadel, which is guarded by a completely different boss. In this text, we described how to defeat Phantom and included a video showing a successful fight with this boss.

You can find more useful information in our short guide:

  1. Hollow Knight: Silksong starting tips

How to defeat Phantom?

When confronting Phantom, expect a lengthy and challenging duel. This boss is remarkably swift and agile, making her attacks come swiftly with minimal gaps in between. Therefore, you’ll find yourself often able to attack just once, rather than executing longer combos.

Reaper Crest proves quite effective against Phantom as it slows down your attacks while increasing their range and producing extra silk immediately post-healing. Moreover, we advise obtaining the Silkspear skill, which allows you to dish out significant damage from a secure distance. At the onset of the battle, stay close to the right wall. When Phantom enters the arena, she’ll be accompanied by a damaging steam pillar.

In the game, Phantom has four uninterrupted moves:

1. Her initial move consists of repeatedly stabbing with a needle. You can either flee or jump to dodge this attack.
2. If she’s standing on the ground, her second move is a horizontal needle throw. But when she’s airborne, it’s aimed directly at you. The thrown needle hovers for a moment before she leaps towards it, causing damage if you get hit by either the weapon or her.
3. Her third move is a counterattack. If her weapon glows and flashes, avoid attacking her. Instead, dodge her parry by jumping over the attack if on the ground or dropping to the ground if in the air.
4. Lastly, she can teleport to the ceiling and strike from above, causing area damage. When the floor glows, move to the side to avoid this attack.

To outmaneuver Phantom, you should never stop moving and should aim to evade her persistently. She’s relentless, always hot on your tail, leaping through the air and patrolling the area. Dodge her by sprinting, duck beneath her when she jumps, and use wall-bounces to leap over her obstacles. After Phantom finishes an attack, swiftly retaliate with a quick strike (ideally an airborne or dash attack) before you dash away again. The upside is that her attacks and needle throws only cause minimal damage, so you can afford to err frequently.

Healing should only be done in safe situations – it’s often best to heal immediately after avoiding Phantom’s assault, even if it means forgoing the opportunity to inflict damage in favor of healing instead.

After the intense battle, Phantom will unleash five consecutive air assaults in rapid succession. Interestingly, the fight doesn’t have distinct phases – she maintains her relentless approach throughout. As the screen fades to black, there’s a lightning-fast exchange of blows, then Hornet and Phantom lunge at each other one final time. In this critical moment, I swiftly press the special attack button, executing Hornet’s newly perfected skill to deflect Phantom’s attack, delivering a lethal counterstrike, and concluding our fierce duel.

What are the rewards for defeating Phantom?

Defeating Phantom grants you a new unique attack called Cross Stitch. Similar to Hornet, you can use some silk to temporarily take on a defensive posture. If an enemy strikes you while in this position, a potent counterattack ensues. Overcoming Phantom also opens the route to the Citadel and the second chapter. Choosing this alternate path leads you to stumble upon Memory Locket and a rapid travel location. After investing 120 Rosaries, this spot allows for quick movement between the Citadel and the rest of Pharloom.

See also:

  1. How to defeat Savage Beastfly in Hollow Knight: Silksong?

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2025-09-10 18:03