How to upgrade the Needle in Hollow Knight Silksong

Here’s how to track down the Pale Oil you need to upgrade your Needle in Silksong!

Image credit:Team Cherry

As Hornet delves ever-deeper into the mysterious, labyrinthine tunnels of Pharloom in Hollow Knight Silksong , she faces enemies who’re both many times her size and easily her equal in terms of speed and dexterity.

Most of the time, the only way Hornet will be able to strike back against her foes is using her trusty Needle . Wielded like a fencer’s foil, Hornet’s Needle provides the rapier point to end almost any altercation.

However, against Silksong’s biggest bosses, it can feel like you’ve brought, well, a Needle, to a sword fight. But to even the odds ever so slightly, Hornet can track down Tools and Buffs which upgrade her Needle , increasing the damage, range and attack speed of her precious poker.

Here’s where you can track down the upgrades to unlock the Shining Needle and Hivesteel Needle for a much-needed damage boost. We’ve also listed the locations of other optional upgrades which increase the range and speed of your primary weapon, so you’re packing the pointiest Needle Silksong can offer.

Hollow Knight Silksong Needle Upgrades

• How to upgrade the Needle in Silksong
• How to get Pale Oil for the Shining Needle
• How to get the Hivesteel Needle
• More optional Needle Upgrade locations

How to upgrade the Needle in Silksong

The main way to upgrade your Needle in Silksong is by completing Wishes for Pinmaster Plinney in the Threadspun Town of Bellhart.

First, in true Metroidvania style, you will need to collect the following Skills: Silk Spear, Swift Step, Drifter’s Cloak and Cling Grip . The locations of these are shown on the map below:

This is to first reach and then defeat the Widow boss in Bellhart . After the Widow is dealt with, you will be able to speak to Pinmaster Plinney in his workshop near the top of town.

As a reward for saving the townspeople, the Pinmaster will sharpen your Needle , increasing its damage. However, to get further upgrades, you will need to complete further Wishes.

How to get the Shining Needle

For the next Needle upgrade, you need to complete the Pinmaster’s Oil Wish in Act 2 . This involves collecting your first vial of Pale Oil from a room between the Choral Chambers and Whispering Vaults.

The location of the Pale Oil is shown on the map below:

How to get the Hivesteel Needle

Finally, to get the most potent Needle upgrade, you will have to complete the Great Taste of Pharloom Wish set by the Loyal Mergwin in the Choral Chambers .

This tasks you with collecting 5 gruesome dishes from the furthest reaches of Pharloom. These include the Mossberry Stew, Vintage Nectar, Courier’s Rasher, Crustnut and Pickled Muckmaggot.

The locations of these items, as well as their associated Wishes, are shown on the map below:

Other optional Needle Upgrade locations

Throughout your journey in Silksong, you can also take on additional Wishes to gather powerful rewards which also increase Hornet’s strength in combat.

Below, we’ve embedded an interactive map showing the locations of where to find them, as well as table listing their effects and how to obtain them:

For more useful items and locations, here are our maps of where to find every Mask Shard in Hollow Knight Silksong and every Lost Flea .

Hollow Knight: Silksong

PC , Nintendo Switch

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