To upgrade Hornet’s Needle in Hollow Knight: Silksong, free Bellhart by defeating Widow, then visit Pinmaster Plinney’s workshop in the upper-right of town. He gives you the first upgrade for free. Three more upgrades follow: one requires Pale Oil from the Whispering Vaults, one requires the Great Taste of Pharloom wish and 500 Rosaries, and the final upgrade is an Act 3 reward with a cost that varies between current guides. Hornet’s weapon is called the Needle in-game, though players often search for sword damage.
Needle upgrade damage at a glance
Each upgrade adds four points to the listed damage of a basic Needle attack. These are reference values, not a promise that every enemy will take exactly that much damage: enemy-specific modifiers and player effects can change the result.
| Needle tier | Listed basic attack damage | How to get it |
|---|---|---|
| Needle | 5 | Starting weapon |
| Sharpened Needle | 9 | First upgrade from Plinney; free |
| Shining Needle | 13 | Pale Oil from the Whispering Vaults; return it to Plinney |
| Hivesteel Needle | 17 | Complete Great Taste of Pharloom, then pay Plinney 500 Rosaries |
| Pale Steel Needle | 21 | Act 3 Ecstasy of the End and Festival of the Flea route; confirm the price with Plinney |
The tier names and damage figures are listed by the Hollow Knight Wiki and Gamer Guides.
How to unlock Plinney and get the first upgrade
- Progress through Shellwood and defeat Widow at the top of Bellhart. This frees the town.
- Go to the highest house on Bellhart’s right side, marked with a pin sign, and speak with Pinmaster Plinney.
- Accept the Sharpened Needle upgrade. It costs no Rosaries and raises the listed basic attack damage from 5 to 9.
After the first sharpening, speak with Plinney again to accept the Pinmaster’s Oil quest. The next step is gated by later progression.
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Second upgrade: find Pale Oil in the Whispering Vaults
The second upgrade requires reaching Act 2 and gaining access to the Citadel. Progress through the Citadel and Cogwork Core route, including the relevant boss, to reach the Whispering Vaults.
- In the Whispering Vaults, find the large chamber that descends through the area.
- Look for the entrance on the chamber’s left side and solve the movable-block puzzle to retrieve Pale Oil.
- Return the oil to Plinney to receive the Shining Needle, which has a listed basic attack damage of 13.
If you have only just freed Bellhart, you cannot finish this upgrade yet; continue through the main progression until Act 2 opens the route.
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Third upgrade: complete Great Taste of Pharloom
The third Pale Oil is a reward for the Great Taste of Pharloom wish. Collect its five ingredients from across Pharloom and turn in the completed wish to claim the oil. Bring it to Plinney with 500 Rosaries to receive the Hivesteel Needle, listed at 17 basic attack damage.
Fourth upgrade: Act 3, Ecstasy of the End, and Festival of the Flea
The final Pale Oil is tied to the Act 3 Ecstasy of the End wish and Festival of the Flea. The route involves finding the lost flea caravan, accepting the wish, and winning the festival’s three minigames. Nintendo Life’s guide describes rescuing all 30 Lost Fleas and rescuing Plinney from danger in Shellwood before paying him; PC Gamer also covers the final upgrade route.
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The reported Rosary cost is not settled: Nintendo Life lists 900, while PC Gamer describes it as about 500. Nintendo Life also notes that a Switch patch could affect the price. Check Plinney’s in-game prompt before spending or farming Rosaries rather than relying on either figure. The resulting Pale Steel Needle has a listed basic attack damage of 21.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why damage in a fight may differ from the table
The listed damage is a starting point, not a universal hit value. The damage reference describes an enemy-specific modifier based on weapon level, with player-side modifiers applied as well. For example, its level-1 example uses a 9-damage Needle hit, a 0.8 enemy modifier, and a 1.25 Barbed Bracelet modifier to resolve to 9 damage. Consequently, an upgrade may not change the number of hits needed against every enemy by the same amount.
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- Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings.
- Forge your own path! The world of Hallownest is expansive and open. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face and find your own way forward.
- Evolve with powerful new skills and abilities! Gain spells, strength and speed. Leap to new heights on ethereal wings. Dash forward in a blazing flash. Blast foes with fiery Soul!
- Equip Charms! Ancient relics that offer bizarre new powers and abilities. Choose your favorites and make your journey unique!
- An enormous cast of cute and creepy characters all brought to life with traditional 2D frame-by-frame animation.
Crests also alter Needle movesets, while certain crests or tools can add conditional damage effects. These are optional build choices, not replacements for the permanent upgrades from Plinney. The damage reference details enemy and player modifiers; the Needle reference lists crest and tool effects, including bonuses that depend on consecutive hits.
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