Sister Splinter Hollow Knight Silksong: How to Pluck That Bug Off The Ceiling

Sister Splinter (not Master Splinter!) has made her home in the northern part of Shellwood, a bit northeast of the central bench (isn’t that nice of her to block you way like that). To get to her lair, find the pressure plate to the right of the Shellwood bench and hop on the elevator. Ride it up and head into the room on your right. From there, travel to the far side of the room, go up, and take the first left. You’ll need to do some fancy platforming, striking blooms to bounce over brambles. Keep following this path, and you’ll eventually stumble into Sister Splinter’s thorny arena.

How to Fight and Defect Sister Splinter

Alright, let’s get down to business. Her clinging to the ceiling means your best friend in this fight is going to be a short jump, followed by an upward strike. If you jump too high, you’ll kiss her spiky underside and take damage, which is not the kind of romance we’re looking for. Save your stronger attacks for when she’s stunned or for dealing with her pesky reinforcements.

Phase One: The Ceiling Strikes Back!

As soon as the fight starts, Sister Splinter will introduce you to her favorite move: a three-hit claw swipe combo. She’ll swipe left, right, then left again, all while tracking your every move. She’s surprisingly quick for a giant ceiling bug, so your priority should be dodging. Weave around her attacks, and once the combo is over, you’ll have a small window to get in a few upward strikes. After her claw dance, she’ll retreat into the thorny ceiling.

Keep an eye out for falling debris and a telltale ray of light; that’s your cue to dodge before a massive spike slams down. These spikes stick around, cluttering the arena and making it harder to move. You can break them with a few hits, and you’ll need to. As the fight goes on, she’ll start dropping more at once. If you let them build up, you’ll find yourself trapped with nowhere to run.

Hit her enough times during her swipe combo, and she’ll get stunned and fall to the ground. This is your moment! Unleash everything you’ve got to deal out as much as you can. Deal enough damage here, and you’ll push her into the next phase. The next phase is going to be a tsunami.

Phase Two: Now with Friends!

You’ll know phase two has started when she lets out a piercing shriek. She’ll retreat to the ceiling and call in some airborne buddies to make your life miserable. These little flyers will spin around for a bit before coming after you. A few quick upward stabs or your silk strikes should take them out. Focus on them first, because trying to dodge Sister Splinter’s attacks while these guys are buzzing around is a recipe for disaster.

From this point on, she’ll mix things up by summoning more flying enemies and dropping spikes at weird angles. The flying minions are unpredictable and will throw off your timing, so make them your top priority. Eventually, she’ll scream again and flood the arena with spikes in what can only be described as the world’s most violent game of The Floor is Lava. At this point, don’t waste time trying to clear them all. Your instinct might be to clear out all these thorny obstacles, but resist that urge. Just break enough to give yourself some breathing room to dodge her main attacks.

The goal is less housekeeping in the arena and more swatting at Sister Splinter.  The key to victory is patience and precision, so keep up the dodge-and-strike dance and manage the extra chaos. You’ll eventually wear her down with enough punishment, and then Sister Splinter will finally hit the floor for good. And with that, you’ve conquered another one of Hollow Knight: Silksong’s challenges. Hopefully, she wasn’t too much of a thorn in your side. (Sorry, but not sorry for my jokes)

Sister Splinter’s Defeat Changes the Game

Beyond the obvious satisfaction of finally beating this thorny nuisance, defeating Sister Splinter unlocks crucial progress in your journey. Despite not receiving a “boss” ton of rosary beads, you will be rewarded with a vital ability that will come in handy for the rest of the game: the wall-jump skill.

This boss fight, in a way, represents everything that makes Hollow Knight Silksong such a chaotically fun experience. It forces you to change your entire approach, throws multiple mechanics at you simultaneously, and demands near-perfect execution. In other words, it keeps you on your toes and trains you for the next big baddy.

Post-Battle Thoughts

The fight also serves as excellent preparation for what’s to come. If you can handle Sister Splinter’s ceiling-based shenanigans and multi-phase chaos, you’ll be better equipped for the other nightmares that Team Cherry has lovingly crafted for your suffering. Sister Splinter might test every ounce of patience you have, but beating her will feel like a genuine accomplishment, reward or none. She’s proof that sometimes the most frustrating challenges in gaming are also the most rewarding. Just don’t expect your blood pressure to thank you for the experience.