Moss Mother Boss Guide

Overview & Location

Moss Mother is the very first boss you'll encounter in Hollow Knight: Silksong, and she's designed to teach you the fundamentals of combat. She guards the exit of Moss Grotto, blocking your path to Bone Bottom - the first main hub area of the game.

Don't let the "first boss" label fool you though - if you're coming straight from the tutorial, she can still catch you off guard. Team Cherry designed her as a "teaching boss" that prepares you for the aerial combat Silksong is known for.

How to Find Her

1. Progress through Moss Grotto until you reach the Ruined Chapel
2. Rest at the bench (highly recommended - this becomes your respawn point)
3. Climb upward from the chapel
4. Slash through the moss curtain to enter her arena

Pro tip: Make sure you've practiced your basic attacks on the enemies in Moss Grotto first. The Mossflies and Mosskin here are perfect for getting comfortable with Hornet's moveset.

Attack Patterns

Moss Mother has a simple but effective moveset with three main attacks. Learning to recognize and react to each one is key to an easy victory.

Stinger Dive

Moss Mother coils up in midair, then dives diagonally at the ground with her stinger extended. After hitting the ground, she slides across the arena before returning to the air.

Counter: Time your jump as she hits the ground and jump OVER her - not in place. You can pogo off her during the dive for extra damage.

Ceiling Drop

She aims at the ceiling with her body, causing it to shake. Three rocks then fall from above, marked by dust particles and light beams before they drop.

Counter: Watch for the light indicators on the ground - they show exactly where rocks will fall. Move to a safe spot and use this window to heal if needed.

Mossgrub Summon (Phase 2)

Once her health drops below 50%, Moss Mother starts summoning small Mossgrubs to complicate the fight. These little bugs crawl toward you and deal contact damage.

Counter: Kill Mossgrubs immediately when they spawn - they're one-hit kills and drop Silk, which helps you heal. Don't let them pile up!

Strategy & Tips

Core Strategy

The key to this fight is pogo attacks. Stay in the air as much as possible, attack downward to bounce off Moss Mother, and use the height to avoid her ground-level attacks. This fight teaches you a skill you'll use throughout all of Silksong.

Step-by-Step

1. 1 Position yourself: Stay on the opposite side of the arena from Moss Mother. This gives you reaction time for her dive attack.
2. 2 Wait for the dive: When she coils up, get ready to jump. As she dives, jump toward her and attack downward (pogo).
3. 3 Capitalize on recovery: After her dive, she pauses briefly. Land 2-3 hits while she's recovering.
4. 4 Heal during rocks: The ceiling attack gives you the longest safe window. Dodge the rocks, then Bind to heal.
5. 5 Clear adds fast: In phase 2, prioritize killing Mossgrubs. They give you Silk and remove distractions.

Common Mistakes

• • Standing directly under her (easy target for dive)
• • Trying to tank hits instead of dodging
• • Ignoring Mossgrubs until they overwhelm you
• • Being too aggressive - patience wins this fight

Rewards

Defeating Moss Mother grants you access to a chain mechanism that lets you "Ascend" - escaping the tutorial area and reaching Bone Bottom, the first real hub of the game.

What You Unlock

• Access to Bone Bottom (first hub area)
• Progression to the rest of Act 1
• New benches and fast travel options

Double Boss Rematch

Think you've mastered Moss Mother? There's a secret rematch waiting for you - but this time it's two Moss Mothers at once.

Location

Found in the far west side of Weavenest Atla. You'll need the Needolin tool to access this secret area.

Double Fight Tips

• • Focus on one Moss Mother at a time
• • Their attacks can overlap, making dodging harder
• • Use the wider arena to create space
• • Same attack patterns, just doubled chaos

There's also a "Lost Moss Mother" variant in Act 3 that uses new tentacle attacks - but that's a whole different beast. Check back for a separate guide on that fight!

Wrapping Up

Moss Mother is the perfect introduction to Silksong's combat. She teaches you to stay mobile, use pogo attacks, manage healing windows, and deal with adds - all skills you'll need for the much harder bosses ahead.

If you're struggling, don't sweat it. Take your time to learn her patterns, and remember that patience beats aggression here. Once you've got her down, you're ready for Bone Bottom and the real adventure begins.

Good luck, and remember - pogo is life in Silksong!