One of the first major bosses you come face-to-face with in Hollow Knight: Silksong is the Bell Beast. This fearsome but oddly adorable foe will not only attack you with its body, but it’ll use the giant bells it has hoarded to mess with you.
Not only do you have to beat this boss, but to gain access to it, you need to unlock your first ability. If you’re stuck trying to figure out either of these issues, let’s dive into how you can access and defeat the Bell Beast in Hollow Knight: Silksong.
How to defeat the Bell Beast in Silksong
The Bell Beast has two phases, so let’s break them down separately.
Phase One
Like most video game bosses, the Bell Beast in Hollow Knight: Silksong has two phases. We’ll start with the first one, which has you dealing with this creature’s various moves. First, the Bell Beast will scurry on the ground from one corner to the next, so make sure to jump, point down, and attack to get in at least one hit here. Avoid landing on the Bell Beast, or else it’ll chip away at your health.
Anytime you see smoke coming from the ground, avoid that area. He’ll sometimes leap out of the ground instead of running, and the best way to attack here is to wait until he lands and faceplants at the other end of the room. For a couple of seconds, you have the chance to get 2-3 hits in before he disappears.
Another annoying move is when he pushes up vertically, tossing two bells alongside him. Sometimes, you can manage to get one hit in before the bells drop. Do this quickly, because as soon as the bells drop, they will roll across the ground and hurt you. Land a quick hit, then leap over it.
Phase Two
You’ll know it’s the second phase when the Bell Beast juts out of the ground and wails loudly. You’ll soon see the entire ground shake, but don’t worry, the danger lies above. Giant bells will fall from the ceiling, but you can anticipate where they’ll drop by looking for the streams of light above. They don’t roll that far, so you just have to stay clear of the light rays.
Once that’s over, the Bell Beast will copy a few of its traditional moves. But this time, when it shoots out and drops two bells, a third will fall from the sky as well. So keep a lookout for that third bell, as it usually lands near where you’re standing.
Also, when it leaps and lands at the other side, a bell will drop from the ceiling there, too. Other than those changes, this second phase isn’t so different from the first. Remember to use your Silkspear ability you just learned, as it can deal a hefty amount of damage.
How to free the Bell Beast and break the silk
Before the fight even starts, you need to unlock the Silkspear ability to break the silk that’s blocking your access to the Bell Beast. To do so, use your map to find Mosshome, which is just west of where you’ll find the Bell Beast’s home.
Upon entering Mosshome, keep going west until you find the lever on the west-most side and hit it. Now, jump up into the area north. Head east once you’re in the next section, and you’ll find a sign you can inspect mentioning the Weaver of Pharloom.
From there, keep heading east and run past the ledge that shoots up spikes. There’s a little hovel on the eastern side with a few pillbug enemies, so take them down and climb up until you can continue your climb west. Once you hop over one more ledge, you’ll find a statue you can inspect.
Do so, and then after reading the text, press your Bind button to unlock the Silkspear! With that ability unlocked, you can use your Silk Skill to break the silk blocking the way to the Bell Beast.
