The Last Judge is the final boss of Hollow Knight: Silksong and is one of the toughest challenges in the game. The biggest hurdle isn’t just the fight itself, but the runback—making multiple attempts exhausting. To help you get through this, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to defeat the Last Judge efficiently.
Phase 1 – How to Beat the Last Judge
Jump Attack
A straightforward jump attack. Simply dash out of the way, preferably behind her, and punish with 2–3 quick hits.
Wind-Up Throw
She pulls her bell back and hurls it forward before pulling it back to her. You can either dash away to avoid the throw and recall, or stay close to punish—but be ready to jump over the returning bell.
Spinning Attack
This is her most dangerous move in phase one. Learn to tell the difference between the wind-up for this attack and her throw. The spin creates a safe opportunity to heal, so use it wisely.
Phase 2 – How to Beat the Last Judge
After phase one, the Last Judge triggers a small fiery explosion and begins using fire-based attacks.
Spinning Heat Waves
She spins her flaming bell to create heat waves. Watch for the glowing steam particles that ignite, and position yourself in safe gaps between them. Use tools to chip away at her health while waiting it out. During her roar, she may spam this attack repeatedly.
Dash Attack
Her deadliest move in phase two. When you see her charging, jump over her dash and carefully land between the flaming pillars left behind. This is another good chance to deal ranged damage with tools.
Empowered Slam
This upgraded slam ignites the floor and can chain into follow-up attacks. The best counter is to dash behind her, then jump over the flames to avoid extra damage. From there, you’ll have a brief punish window.
Explosive Throw
Her throw now creates an explosion when it lands. To survive, either retreat farther than before or stay very close if you can anticipate the animation. Staying close is riskier due to her expanded move set.
Self-Destruct
Once her health is gone, she will collapse and start a massive self-destruct AoE. Immediately run far away, or risk losing the fight at the very end and having to restart from scratch.
Extra Tips and Tricks
- Equip the Pollip Pouch charm to slowly wear her down with poisoned tools during phase two.
- Don’t stress over the runback as long as you’re confident in your platforming. Phase one is manageable enough to recover health.
- Use her phase one spinning attack as a safe moment to heal.
- You don’t need to kill all the enemies along the path to reach her—skip them if possible.
- If you die on the left side of the stage, you can safely recover your Rosaries without immediately triggering the fight again.
With patience and good timing, you’ll bring down the Last Judge and finally conquer Hollow Knight: Silksong’s final challenge.