Infinite Silk Glitch

The Infinite Silk Glitch is one of the most game-breaking discoveries in Hollow Knight: Silksong speedrunning history. By popping a Silkeater at the precise moment during a boss fight's ending animation, players can create a second, ethereal Hornet who exists outside the normal constraints of the game world. This phantom Hornet can fly freely through the air, pass through solid walls, and explore areas that would normally be completely inaccessible.

The glitch was originally discovered by Wuffie on the Silksong speedrunning Discord, who used cheats to demonstrate the concept. YouTuber Kilroy Was Here then proved it could be performed legitimately on the Act 2 final boss without any external tools. While flying, Hornet sometimes floats uncontrollably and cannot interact with the world unless standing on solid ground. To regain normal movement, players must carefully nudge Hornet into a ledge so she grabs it as if performing a normal jump.

The most powerful aspect of this glitch occurs after landing. For reasons unknown, Hornet's silk meter becomes completely infinite in this state. Players can attack enemies to fill the meter as high as they want, then spam healing and special attacks indefinitely. This essentially makes Hornet an unkillable god - perfect for Steel Soul runs where a single death ends the game. The current glitched Any% speedrun record sits at around 10 minutes, and this discovery could push that time even lower, potentially below 5 minutes.