Parrying returns in Hollow Knight Silksong, and it’s a combat mechanic that can be extremely useful once you understand it—but it’s not explained in the game. It’s a risky move because it leaves you vulnerable to attacks, so knowing how to perform it correctly is crucial.
How to Parry in Hollow Knight Silksong
Parrying in Silksong works similarly to the original game. To parry, you need to time your attack so that it collides with an incoming strike. A successful parry negates damage, and you’ll see a visible white clash when it lands.
It’s also important to match the direction of the enemy’s attack. If an enemy strikes horizontally, you should counter with a horizontal slash. For a downward thrust, you need to attack upward.
In practice, this means carefully observing enemy attack patterns and timing your slashes to intersect theirs. This version makes it easier thanks to Hornet’s faster basic attack and more detailed animations, which provide a clearer read on enemy movements.
This approach is similar to parrying in games like Devil May Cry, where timing your attack to match the incoming strike is more important than relying purely on reaction. To practice, try visiting Hunter’s March and fight the many armed ants to perfect your timing.
Enemies You Can and Should Parry
Parrying works best against enemies and bosses carrying melee weapons, as they are almost always parryable.
It isn’t always immediately obvious which attacks can be parried just by watching. It’s something you learn organically, through experience. Be careful with enemies that throw their full body into an attack, as they usually hit multiple times and are not ideal for parrying.
Enemies with multiple-hit combos can be parried, but if the hits come in rapid succession, it’s often safer to dodge instead. The same applies to bosses—sometimes dodging or jumping is simply the better option.
While parrying is a useful skill in Hollow Knight Silksong, it is situational and carries risk since it leaves you exposed. That said, it’s very effective against armed enemies, especially those with slower, more predictable attacks.