Tag: Indie

Shrine Guardian Seth is a unique boss in Hollow Knight: Silksong. He’s not the toughest boss in the game, but he’s special because he talks directly to Hornet instead of just attacking her. After you beat him, there’s an ongoing sidequest involving him. The music during his fight is slow, simple, and a little sad, adding to the emotional feel.

Seth isn’t entirely an original character by the game developers, Team Cherry. He was created with the help of a fan named Seth Goldman, who was battling cancer. During his treatment, Goldman worked with the Marty Lyons Foundation to connect with Team Cherry and design a new character. Sadly, Goldman passed away before Silksong was released, but his legacy lives on through Shrine Guardian Seth. Here’s how you can find and defeat this boss.

How to Find Seth

Location: You’ll find Seth in a hidden area beneath the Citadel, in the Grand Gate. The map above shows his exact location. However, to reach him, you first need to find a secret passage.

Steps:

1. Enter the Grand Gate and go to the elevator shaft.
2. Climb to the top using your tools and skills.
3. When you get to the elevator, look on your left for a breakable wall.
4. Break through the wall and continue down the path.
5. Pogo jump along the way until you reach Seth.

How to Defeat Seth

Best Equipment:
Luckily, you don’t need special gear for this fight. Seth is a straightforward boss who wants a fair fight. Use whatever crest and tools you’re comfortable with. Ranged attacks and area-of-effect spells can help, but they’re not necessary.

Fight Strategy:
Seth mainly uses a needle and a cymbal shield to attack. Spend time learning his attack patterns and strike right after he completes his combos.

• First phase: He mostly lunges with a three-hit melee attack after jumping back. Dodge when he jumps, stay clear, and hit him when he’s open.
• Shield throws: He throws his shield across the arena and dashes to catch it. Jump over the shield, then move to attack him while he recovers.
• Jumping shield throws: Sometimes he jumps and throws the shield diagonally. Wait for the shield to bounce off the ground, then attack when Seth reappears.
• Dive attacks: Occasionally, he dashes downward from the air, following a diagonal path. Dodge like his shield throws.
• Shockwaves: After he lands, his shield creates a damaging shockwave. Avoid standing in the shockwave, and stay back until he recovers.
• Second phase: He strings together multiple dive attacks and lunges. Keep dodging and avoid getting hit.

Tips:
Keep your focus on his front or back while he recovers. Since he’s quick with his shield, aerial attacks aren’t very effective. Use short dashes or jumps to stay alert for his tells.

Rewards for Beating Seth

Unlocks:
Defeating Seth unlocks access to the Shellwood Shrine and grants you 200 Rosaries. More importantly, Seth survives the fight and becomes a wandering NPC throughout Pharloom, no longer a shrine guardian but a traveling figure.

He appears in various locations during Act Three of Silksong, including Greymoor, Shellwood, Grand Gate, and Fleatopia. Each encounter reveals new lines of dialogue. When you meet him in Fleatopia, he’ll talk about setting high scores in flea mini-games. Beating all his scores earns you the Guardian’s Memento, a special medallion you can display in Bellhome as a token of your friendly rivalry.

Lastly, if you play your Needolin in front of Seth after meeting him in Fleatopia, he will sing a song about perseverance and courage, making this encounter a heartfelt tribute rather than a simple cameo.

As you dive into Hollow Knight: Silksong, you’ll come across many side quests, called “Wishes” in the game. One of these quests, called “Rite of the Pollip,” involves finding Pollip Hearts for the mysterious Greyroot.

Pollip Hearts are connected to a group of purple flowers scattered throughout the Shellwood area. But finding all of them can be tricky if you’re not sure what to look for. So, if you’re struggling to find all six Pollip Hearts in the game, here’s what you need to know.

How to Start the Pollip Heart Quest

The quest “Rite of the Pollip” begins in the Shellwood region, near the exit to Bellhart. To start, head to the map point shown above. From Hornet’s location in the picture, jump to the left and climb to the higher ledge. In the next room, go inside the small hut and walk forward. Greyroot will emerge from a cocoon and start talking cryptic things.

You may need to speak with Greyroot more than once to unlock “Rite of the Pollip.” When you do, you’ll get the option to “Promise Wish” — meaning choosing whether or not to accept the side quest. Agree to it, then start searching for the purple flowers.

All Pollip Heart Locations in Silksong

Pollip Heart #1

The first Pollip Heart is near where you picked up the quest initially. Go to the northeast part of the large central room, climb the platforms, and reach the top. You’ll see a big purple flower surrounded by smaller ones. Attack it to get your first Pollip Heart.

Pollip Heart #2

This one is in the southeast room before the exit to Bellfort. Climb up and to the right until you see many purple flowers along a wall. Use your wall-jump to reach a small platform where a large purple flower hides, giving you your second heart.

Pollip Heart #3

For the third, go to the room directly above where you started. From the map point, jump left, then float down to another platform below. Attack the purple flower there to earn the third Pollip Heart.

Pollip Heart #4

Head northeast from the previous location. Jump onto the floating platform, wall-jump to the top, then move left and slightly right to find the purple flower. Break it to get the fourth Pollip Heart.

Pollip Heart #5

Find this one in the northeast part of a high-ceiling room. Notice the hanging white bulbs—use them to climb to the top-left corner. Destroy the purple flower there, then chase the falling Pollip Heart.

Pollip Heart #6

The final Pollip Heart is in a small, spike-filled room between Shellwood and Greymoor. Carefully jump over the spikes and take the lower path when split. In the bottom-left corner, you’ll spot the last purple flower to attack.

Rewards for Collecting All Six Hearts

After gathering all six Pollip Hearts, return to Greyroot where you started. Interact with Greyroot to hand over the hearts and end the side quest. Watch the animation and dialogue, where Greyroot offers you the “refusal of the rite.” This gives you an item called the Pollip Pouch.

The Pollip Pouch can be equipped on your crest and applies a poison effect to your tools when used. It’s stored in the blue slot, so you might need to swap out another piece of gear to make room.

Completing the Pollip Hearts quest unlocks new play options. You can now poison enemies more easily, which makes certain parts of the game much simpler and adds extra strategy to your fights.

That’s everything you need to know to find all the Pollip Hearts in Hollow Knight: Silksong!