Hollow Knight: Silksong has basically become the stuff of legend. You’ve seen the trailers. You’ve watched the 2019 Nintendo Treehouse demo on loop until the pixels started to blur. Everyone is obsessed with how Hornet moves because, let’s be honest, she makes the Knight look like he’s wearing lead boots. But the big question that keeps coming up in every Discord thread and Reddit theory post is how to get the double jump in Silksong. Is it even a thing this time around?
In the original game, the Monarch Wings were a total game-changer. They opened up the Ancient Basin and made the late-game platforming in the White Palace possible. For Hornet, things are different. She’s taller. She’s faster. Her jump arc is already higher than the Knight’s ever was.
The Reality of the Double Jump in Silksong
Here is the truth: Team Cherry hasn't explicitly named a "double jump" ability in their limited press releases or demos. However, we have seen Hornet perform mid-air maneuvers that function almost exactly like one. In the Pharloom’s Folly demo, Hornet exhibits a "flutter" or a secondary lift. It’s not a magical pair of wings sprouting from her back. It’s a physical, silk-based propulsion.
Basically, the double jump in Silksong is tied to her thread.
If you’re looking for a button-press miracle, you have to understand Hornet’s resource management. Unlike the Knight, who used Soul to heal or blast spells, Hornet uses Silk. Her mobility is inextricably linked to her spool. We've seen her use a diagonal dash in the air, which covers significant distance, but the vertical "hop" usually comes from interacting with the environment or using specific "Tools."
Why Hornet’s Movement Changes the Search for Upgrades
In most Metroidvanias, you expect the standard progression: dash, double jump, wall climb. Silksong is messing with that template. Because Hornet can grab ledges automatically—a massive change from the first game—the need for a traditional double jump is actually lower.
Think about the Moss Grotto or the Deep Docks. The level design is vertical. Team Cherry designed these spaces for Hornet's "diagonal" nature. If you’re struggling to reach a high platform, the answer in Silksong often isn't "I need a double jump," but rather "I need to hit that enemy with a pogo and use the reset to dash again."
It’s all about the Silk.
Tools That Mimic the Double Jump Functionality
We know about the Tool system. This is where Silksong gets really crunchy and complex. Instead of just permanent ability upgrades, Hornet equips tools at benches using her gathered shards.
- The Sprinting Tool: While mostly horizontal, it can be used to bridge gaps that would normally require a double jump.
- The Scavenger Hunt for "Crest" Abilities: There is heavy speculation among the community—based on the UI seen in the 2022 Xbox trailer—that certain Crests will modify how Hornet spends silk in the air. This might be where your "double jump" is hiding. It’s not an item you find in a chest; it’s a configuration of your gear.
Honestly, the "Double Jump" might not even be a single item. It could be an evolution of her "Aislow" movement or a specific silk-spend. In the trailers, we see her performing a massive leap after consuming a portion of her silk bar. This implies that mobility is a choice. You can heal, or you can jump higher. That’s a brutal trade-off when you’re stuck in a boss fight against someone like Lace.
Fact-Checking the "Leaked" Locations
Don't believe every YouTube thumbnail you see. There are dozens of videos claiming you find the double jump in the "Shining Citadel" or by defeating a specific boss in the "Gilded City."
Let’s be real: until the game is in our hands, we only have the demo footage and the trailers. In the demo, Hornet had a very specific set of moves. She had a dash and a pogo. She did not have a traditional Monarch Wing-style double jump. If it exists—and most experts think it does because of the sheer height of Pharloom—it’s likely tucked away in the mid-game, perhaps after the second encounter with a major rival character.
Team Cherry likes to hide movement upgrades behind "skill gates." You won't just stumble upon it. You'll have to prove you can navigate the world without it first. That's their design philosophy. They want you to feel the struggle of the height before they give you the wings to conquer it.
How to Prepare for Silksong’s Mobility
If you want to be ready for whenever the game finally drops, you need to change how you play. Stop thinking like a vessel and start thinking like a predator.
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- Master the Ledge Grab: This is your primary "second jump." In Silksong, if you are anywhere near a corner, Hornet will pull herself up. This replaces the need for that extra bit of height in 40% of platforming scenarios.
- Practice the Diagonal Dash: The Knight’s dash was horizontal (until the Shade Cloak/Sharp Shadow modifications). Hornet’s dash has an upward tilt. This is her bread and butter.
- Manage Your Spool: If the "double jump" ends up being a Silk-consuming move, you’ll need to get used to hitting enemies mid-air to refill your meter. No Silk, no flight. Simple as that.
The wait for Silksong has been agonizing. We’ve all been there. We’ve all felt the sting of another "Indie World" presentation going by without a release date. But the depth of the movement system suggests that when we finally do get to find that double jump—or whatever Team Cherry calls it—it’s going to feel significantly more rewarding than a simple button press.
Keep an eye on the official Team Cherry blog and their rare Twitter updates. Anything else is just silk-spun rumors. Focus on mastering the mechanics we've already seen, because Pharloom looks like it’s going to be a lot less forgiving than Hallownest ever was.
Actionable Next Steps
Start by revisiting the 2019 Treehouse gameplay footage and pay close attention to the "Silk Gauge" whenever Hornet performs an aerial maneuver. You'll notice that her most impressive leaps often correlate with a decrease in her silk reserves. To stay ahead of the curve, practice "pogoing" in the original Hollow Knight without touching the ground for as long as possible; Silksong’s verticality will demand that level of air control. Finally, join the official Hollow Knight Discord to monitor the #silksong-news channel, which is the most reliable way to catch the actual ability names and locations the second the game launches.