In Hollow Knight: Silksong you’ll face the second boss, the Bell Beast, just a few hours into the game. Here’s how to prepare for the fight and take it down.
The Bell Beast is Silksong’s second major boss. Its attacks are built around clear patterns that you can learn with a bit of practice. Preparation is key before heading into the arena. In this guide, we’ll give you tips for the battle and explain which signs to watch for before each attack.
General tips for the fight
- Checkpoint: Make sure you’ve unlocked the checkpoint at merchant Shakra. It’s close to the arena, so you can retry quickly if needed.
- Gear & healing: Keep your healing ability charged so you can top up your health when things get tight.
- Patience over damage: Don’t rush it. Use the gaps between attacks instead of constantly forcing damage. This was already important in the Moss Mother fight, where waiting and learning the patterns made all the difference.
Bell Beast attack patterns
You can predict most of its moves by watching the dust on the ground. Pay attention to where the surface looks disturbed – that’s the signal for the next attack.
- Dust at the edge, low:
The Bell Beast burrows and bursts upward at that spot, then glides toward you. Jump over it to avoid damage – you won’t be able to hit it during this move. - Dust at the edge, reaching the ceiling:
It leaps across the entire screen to the opposite side. Follow the jump and strike quickly when it lands for some free hits. - Dust in the center:
When it emerges here, two large bells are launched from the ground. Time a careful jump to dodge them safely.
Once you get used to the signals, you’ll be able to read the animations and react accordingly.
Step-by-step strategy
Keep moving at all times to stay flexible against its attacks. The most dangerous moment is its full-room leap, but this is also your biggest opening: chase it down and use the landing delay to hit its tail multiple times.
If it stays low to the ground, a simple jump over it is enough – no need to risk extra damage. Your new ability also lets you pressure it from a distance, keeping up the offense even when melee feels unsafe.
Keep building your needle with regular hits and use downtime in the attack cycle to heal. The rhythm of dodging, chasing, striking, and retreating will carry you to victory step by step.
Phase two – increased difficulty
After taking some damage, the Bell Beast adds new twists to its patterns:
- When it surfaces, it lets out a loud scream. Moments later, bells rain down from above. Watch for dust particles that signal this move.
- The attacks speed up, giving you less time to dodge. Stay calm – the core patterns don’t change.
The golden rule stays the same: dodge – strike – retreat. After two or three more cycles, the boss will finally go down.
Once defeated, the Bell Beast leaves behind a glowing core that teleports you into a spider-infested area. Fight your way to the top, and this chapter is complete.
