Hollow Knight: Silksong is full of challenging bosses that you have to defeat to progress forward. However, some of these bosses are optional, like the Skull Tyrant, and you might not encounter them unless you’re specifically looking for them.
In this guide, we’ll break down the location, moveset, and strategies that you need to apply to defeat the Skull Tryrant.
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Table of contents
Skull Tyrant’s Location
In order to fight against the Skull Tyrant, you’ll need to unlock The Terrible Tyrant Great Hunt first. You can unlock this wish from the Wishwall inside the Bone Bottom town. The wish doesn’t state anything aside from the fact that you’d have to hunt a Skull Tyrant in the Marrow area.
Finding this boss can be challenging because you’ll need the Cling Grip ability to reach it. First, head to the huge room with lots of lava in it, the one where there’s a lift to take you across from one end to the other.
Go to the right side of this room, and just above the elevator, there is a ledge where you can stand. Get on the ledge and cling to the wall on the top-left. Go up from there. Now, you’ll find a breakable wall to your right, where you may find some Rosaries, but to get to the boss, you’ll have to head left from there.
There are some spine bugs here to block your way, but you’ll have to defeat them to continue on the path without any problems. As you keep heading left, you’ll come across a path going down near the dead on the left.
You have to cling to the wall to the left here and keep going up. A rock will drop on your head as you’re going up, so be quick. Once you get up, you’ll find a path going upwards. Go up from the path and you’ll find a way going towards the left.
However, you don’t have to go left here. Instead, attack the wall to the right. It’s a breakable wall, and a new path will be open for you, with a gigantic skull bug waiting behind it. Defeat and progress ahead to reach the next section.
As you jump into the next section, you’ll find a spool of Silk to your right. Attacking it will replenish your Silk bar. You have to go left here so you can unlock the shortcut. Keep heading left, and you’ll enter another section with a lever to unlock the gate, which will be your shortcut to return to the boss area.
Now, head back inside and jump on the ledge. Keep heading towards the right, and you’ll come across the Skull Tyrant.
Skull Tyrant’s Moveset
Skull Tyrant focuses on straightforward dashes and jumps, but what makes this boss fight challenging is the rocks falling from the ceiling. You have to watch where you step, otherwise you’ll have a lot of trouble sustaining yourself in this battle.
Skull Charge
Skull Tyrant takes a few steps back, preparing to charge straight ahead. You have to jump over its head to avoid this attack because attacking it won’t make it stop. Use the Drifter’s Cloak or Swift Step to move in the air and avoid the boss dashing below you.
Skull Stomp
The boss shakes itself a little, and then jumps towards Hornet in an attempt to stomp her. Dash away to avoid this attack. The Stomp may also make rocks fall from above.
Rock Fall
Skull Tyrant will roar, jumping where he stands a few times. This action will make rocks fall all over the boss arena. You can spot where a rock is going to fall from the dust leaking from the ceiling, and then you’ll have to move accordingly to avoid the falling rocks.
Skull Tyrant Strategy
Skull Tyrant is a lot easier compared to many other bosses in the game, and that’s because its attacks are straightforward to avoid. You have to keep in mind that it has a hard skull, so you won’t be able to deal damage to it by using diagonal jump attacks.
Instead, you have to wait for the Skull Tyrant to stop moving. Once it does so, hit it with as many attacks as you can without getting hit by the falling rocks before it starts moving again.
In the latter half of the fight, Skull Tyrant will start to move more aggressively. You don’t have to force the attacks. If you feel like you might get hit by the falling rocks, it’s best to simply give up your turn to attack or heal yourself at a distance.
Rewards For Defeating Skull Tyrant
On defeat, Skull Tyrant will drop a Crown Fragment, which is required to complete the Terrible Tyrant Great Hunt. After picking up the Crown Fragment, you’ll have to head to the Wish Wall in the Bone Bottom town.
After completing the Great Hunt, you’ll receive the Heavy Rosary Necklace, which grants you 220 Rosaries on use.
For more guides and walkthroughs of Hollow Knight: Silksong, don’t forget to check out our main hub.
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Fahad Suleman is an avid fan of fighting games who spends most of his time writing walkthroughs and reviews for cozy indie titles or mashing around in Tekken. If he’s not writing or playing any games, you’ll often find him watching historical videos on YouTube for hours.
