How I Got Hollow Knight: Silksong's Cursed Ending While Bearing the Twisted Bud Curse

Our Hollow Knight: Silksong Cursed ending guide reveals the Rite of Rebirth steps and Act 2 restrictions required to unlock this dark secret.

Now that Silksong is out and I've had time to dig into it, I finally went after the Cursed ending. I had no idea what I was about to unlock, but after seeing a normal playthrough I decided to chase an obscure secret. It sounded exactly like the kind of weird, specific ending I wanted to see for myself. There is one brutal rule: if you have already entered Act 3, there is no way to get this ending without starting another save file. I was still in Act 2 and had not finished the Rite of Rebirth, so I had a chance.

The Setup I Almost Messed Up

Before I even began the Rite of Rebirth, I made sure I had these done. I would strongly advise doing all of this before you accept the curse, because after that you cannot heal, cannot change crests, and lose your tools.

Open the Bellway in the Citadel.

Open the Ventrica Station to the Bellway.

Obtain the Three-Part Melody to unlock the elevator.

Finish the second fight with Lace to unlock the final boss route.

Open the shortcut in the Cradle that leads to the Terminus.

Have at least seven masks total; I went in with eight, which felt just barely enough.

Whispering Vaults and a Long Descent

I started the Rite of Rebirth by heading into the Whispering Vaults. Below the Vaultkeeper's room there is a large area with shifting boxes on the right. I climbed the top right wall, found an open vault door, and stepped inside. The platforming wasn't too bad at first: wall jump up, head right, grapple a ring to open the floor. Then it turned into a downward gauntlet with Path of Pain-esque gears, spike dodging, and careful floating. Eventually I fell into Bilewater.

The murky maggot mixture was exactly as unpleasant as it sounds. I swam right beneath the cavern walls, jumped up, dropped into another hole, and ended up in even more worm water. I moved left, slipped under some platforms, and pushed through a mess of twisty, gnarly vines. Exploding critters and spike jumps tried to end me there, but I made it through.

At the end of that tunnel I found a Twisted Bud in a strange cradle. It went into my inventory and cried every time I opened it. I wanted it out, so I headed down to Shellwood.

Accepting the Curse

I had already finished the Rite of the Pollip quest, so I grabbed my poison pouch and returned to the hut where Greyroot was. The Twisted Bud bore a keen resemblance to what Greyroot had going on, so its involvement wasn't surprising. I interacted with Greyroot, accepted the Rite of Rebirth, and the crying parasite was placed inside Hornet. That cursed me.

I broke out of the trapped room and immediately noticed the restrictions: no tools, no crest changes, and no healing. I did not finish the quest to remove the curse yet. Instead, I climbed all the way back up to the Citadel.

Fighting Grand Mother Silk with No Healing

This was the hardest part. I fought Grand Mother Silk with no healing and no tools. I had eight masks, which let me survive maybe three or four hits. My best tool was the dive kick. It hits twice when it connects and launches me high enough to dodge her needle projectiles.

I had to play extremely patiently. Every time she committed to an attack, I went for upward slashes. The moment I saw a claw strike coming across the screen, I backed off. I only dealt damage when it was completely safe.

Phase 2 didn't change the strategy much, but the lack of healing made stage hazards terrifying. Spikes and boulders could finish me if I stood in the wrong place. Pogoing off Grand Mother Silk's body became my best escape tool. The upward force plus Hornet's wings and cape let me dodge attacks and drift into a safer zone for a moment. After dozens of careful strikes, she went down. The binding cutscene was different: Hornet released the parasite from her body.

The Cursed Ending

Then it happened. As I bound to Grand Mother Silk, the parasite made its presence known. It seemed to absorb both Hornet and the higher being at once. Their bodies took on that same wooden-like appearance I had seen on Greyroot earlier. The parasite spread its roots through the entire kingdom and took over every living being within it.

That was the Cursed ending. I didn't just bear a curse to get there. I cursed the entire world.

Experiencing that dark conclusion made me want to see every other ending Silksong has to offer, but unlocking them all takes serious time and patience. Between the grueling boss fights and the cryptic quest lines that branch into different outcomes, there's a lot of replay value hiding beneath the surface. For players who want to dive into the full range of Hollow Knight adventures or pick up similar metroidvania gems without stretching their budget, keeping an eye on game deals today can make building that collection much easier.

Whether you're chasing alternative endings, hunting down every collectible, or simply exploring new indie titles that scratch the same itch, being smart about when you buy is part of the fun. I've learned that waiting for the right moment to grab a game can open doors to experiences I might have otherwise missed. If you are looking to expand your library without overspending, checking out [game deals today]( might just lead you to your next obsession.

https://dealnesthq.com

It’s smart to stay alert rather than just ride the hype. Your long-term plan is solid if you’re diversified, but you should keep an eye on "whales" moving their coins to exchanges — that’s usually a sign that a sell-off is coming. Also, watch out if money starts flowing out of ETFs steadily; that means the big players are exiting.

Now, you should know that in April 2026, Bitcoin has been leaning on a support level around $77,700. If it drops below that, it might be your signal to take some profits and run.

The good news is that because of the GENIUS Act on stablecoins, we are less likely to face those scary, sudden total crashes like in the past. You’ve got a much better safety net now.

If marketing is like an "eternal heartbeat," how can a solo founder maintain it while juggling everything else? How can I maintain simplicity and profitability in product development with limited funds, without burning out or neglecting the business?

If Iran and the USA both claim victory while their main demands still clash, can this two-week pause really end decades of conflict, or is it just a temporary break before more destruction?

I’m looking at lenders like Wells Fargo, Bluevine, or American Express, but have I actually crunched the numbers to see if my inventory covers the payments? I know almost 40% of small businesses fail from cash flow issues, so could this loan accidentally make things tighter?

You're right, family dynamics are changing. The IRS still hasn’t updated the Section 125 rules for grandparents. To use pre-tax money for your grandkids, you must have legal custody or pay more than half of their costs. This way, they count as your tax dependents.

The current laws don't meet the needs of families, so pay attention to new rules that assist caregivers. In the meantime, touch base with your HR department to see if your plan can be tweaked. If not, just stick to the current rules to avoid any extra tax costs. Taking care of your family shouldn’t be this hard.