Moorwing is one of the toughest early bosses in Hollow Knight: Silksong and can frustrate even veteran players. This deadly bird enemy comes equipped with an arsenal of punishing attacks that demand precision, patience, and sharp reflexes. Here’s a full guide on how to beat Moorwing, plus a cheese strategy and even a way to skip the fight entirely.
How to Defeat Moorwing in Hollow Knight Silksong
Beating Moorwing is less about raw damage and more about endurance. While it only has four main attacks, every single hit from Moorwing deals 2 Masks of damage, and the fight requires roughly 75 successful hits to finish. This makes the encounter feel like a marathon where mistakes are heavily punished.
The key is to learn its moveset, stay calm, and avoid being greedy. If you’re struggling, we’ve also got a reliable cheese method and a skip option further below.
Charge Attack
Moorwing dives straight toward you with a charging strike. The safest counter is to jump over it and land a downward strike mid-air, then squeeze in an extra hit as the animation ends.
Slicing Claws Attack
A close-range claw slash that punishes aggression. The best strategy is to keep your distance, wait it out, and counter at the end of the attack. This move leaves Moorwing vulnerable long enough for a couple of safe hits.
Single Saw Attack
Moorwing launches a fast-moving saw blade from its feet. While quick, its small hitbox makes it easy to dodge. Use this chance to land one hit, but don’t get greedy—Moorwing often follows up with the Slicing Claws if you linger too long.
Spinning Double Saws
This is the fight’s most dangerous move. Moorwing sends out two spinning saws that rotate and cover vertical space, forcing you to carefully time your jumps. The attack becomes more frequent as Moorwing’s health drops, turning the arena into chaos.
Other Tips & Tricks
- Equip the Reaper Crest for heavier swings and safer timings.
- Moorwing must be knocked down five times before the fight ends, with each knockdown taking about 15 hits.
- Use knockdowns to track its remaining health.
- Platforms on the right side of the arena provide space to heal and regroup.
- If it feels overwhelming, you can cheese or even skip the fight entirely.
How to Cheese Moorwing
There’s a reliable cheese method: move to the right side of the arena and bait Moorwing into dashing between the platforms. From here, you can safely attack while staying out of reach.
This works with both the Hunter Crest and Reaper Crest. The trick was discovered by GTS on YouTube, though it may be patched in future updates.
How to Skip Moorwing
Interestingly, it’s possible to completely skip Moorwing. If you finish the Lost Fleas quest before triggering the fight, the Flea Caravan will move into Moorwing’s arena—bypassing the boss entirely.
This does mean missing out on a boss encounter, but it seems intentional, given how notoriously difficult the fight is.
✅ Summary: Moorwing is one of Silksong’s toughest early bosses, requiring mastery of its four punishing attacks. But if you don’t want to endure the marathon fight, you can either cheese it or skip it completely.
