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There are seven principal Crests in Hollow Knight: Silksong. Each changes Hornet’s Needle attack patterns and Tool or Silk Skill slots; some also change what Bind does. This guide covers what each Crest does, where and when to find it, and the separate Vesticrest reward that adds shared Tool slots.
How Crests work
You can equip or change Crests at a bench. A Crest sets Hornet’s attack style and determines which Tool or Silk Skill slots are available. Some Crests alter Bind, the action that normally heals Hornet. Memory Lockets unlock additional slots where a Crest supports them. The locations and effects below are described in Nintendo Life’s guide, published September 14, 2025; the Vesticrest details are documented separately by the Hollow Knight Wiki.
All seven principal Crest locations and effects
| Crest | Location and requirement | Attacks and Bind | Slots and other effects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter | Hornet’s starting Crest. | Quick forward slash; upward arc; lunging dash attack that rebounds from an enemy; 45-degree downward stab. Bind heals three Masks. | Starts with three Tool slots, one of each type. Can be upgraded twice through Eva at Weavenest Atla after reaching the area and speaking with her. |
| Reaper | Chapel of the Reaper, at the far left of Greymoor. | Slow, heavy forward slash; quick upward slash; ground-up dash sweep; broad arcing downward slash. Bind heals and temporarily makes successful attacks generate extra Silk. | Tool and Silk Skill slot counts are not stated in the cited guide. |
| Wanderer | Chapel of the Wanderer, west of Bone Bottom. The route described in the guide climbs above a sealed door, passes through an opening, then continues left through water. Cling Grip is one route requirement; alternatively, buy the 500-Rosary Simple Key in Bone Bottom to open a route into the chapel area without first obtaining Cling Grip. | Quick, short attacks; its downward slash supports pogoing. Bind heals three Masks. | Tool and Silk Skill slot counts are not stated in the cited guide. |
| Beast | Chapel of the Beast at the end of Hunter’s March. Defeat the boss encounter; the Drifter’s Cloak is required to reach the chapel. | Clawing scratches and an airborne spin. Bind heals, then triggers Berserk: increased damage, larger attacks, and life steal. | Starts with two Red Tool slots. Two Yellow slots can be unlocked with Memory Lockets. |
| Witch | Complete the quest chain involving Bilewater and two Wishes: find the Twisted Bud, give it to Greyroot in Shellwood, complete Rite of Rebirth, then complete Infestation Operation to remove the curse. | Wide slashes. Bind creates vines that damage nearby enemies and drain their health instead of healing Hornet. | Starts with two Red Tool slots and three locked Blue slots. |
| Architect | Available from Act 2. Own 25 Tools, then buy it from the Twelfth Architect in the Underworks’ Cauldron for 110 Rosaries. Reach the Cauldron from Whiteward or the Whispering Vaults. | Needle attacks resemble drill thrusts and charges. Bind is a basic heal. The Crest uses Silk to repair Tools. | Starts with three Red Tool slots and can unlock two Blue and two Yellow slots. Cannot equip a Silk Skill. |
| Shaman | Available in Act 3 after obtaining Silk Soar in the Abyss. Return to the Ruined Chapel, use Silk Soar on the right side to reach a deeper section, then bind the snail-shaped rock. | Needle attacks send beams, including upward and downward attacks. Bind is a basic heal with a ground-stab animation. | No Tool slots. Starts with three Silk Skill slots and can unlock two more. |
What each Crest changes in practice
- Hunter: the starting, balanced setup, with a different attack for each direction and a three-Mask Bind.
- Reaper: trades speed on its forward attack for heavy arcs, while its Bind supports Silk generation through attacking.
- Wanderer: favors quick, short-range attacks and a downward slash useful for pogoing.
- Beast: centers on aggressive attacks and a Berserk Bind that adds damage, larger attacks, and life steal.
- Witch: turns Bind into an offensive, health-draining vine effect rather than a self-heal.
- Architect: offers Tool repair and a larger Tool-slot configuration, but cannot equip Silk Skills.
- Shaman: has no Tool slots and instead emphasizes Silk Skills and beam attacks.
The sources do not provide named damage, range, or speed statistics for comparing these styles numerically, so the distinctions here are qualitative.
What is the Vesticrest?
The Vesticrest is not an eighth principal combat style. The Hollow Knight Wiki describes it as a separate shared Tool-slot system: its Tools remain equipped whichever Crest Hornet uses. Eva gives it to Hornet at Weavenest Atla after the player has unlocked 12 slots across Crests other than Hunter. It initially accepts one Yellow Tool. After 20 slots have been unlocked, Eva upgrades it to accept one Blue Tool as well.
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