Hollow Knight: Silksong Guide | How to Beat the Last Judge

Here's a guide on how to beat the Last Judge in Hollow Knight: Silksong

Game Guide by Imdeadfrfr on Sep 24, 2025

Hollow Knight: Silksong is a Metroidvania with many Souls-like features, one of them being the high difficulty of each of its later-stage bosses and the boss run-backs.

The Last Judge is one of these challenging bosses with a difficult run back, but it is essential to defeat it due to its role as a primary stepping stone in advancing the story.

In this guide, I will help you through the Last Judge boss fight in Hollow Knight: Silksong.

Hollow Knight: Silksong, Guide, How to Beat, the Last Judge

About the Boss

The Last Judge is the boss that you encounter at the end of the Blasted Steps. The fight is a three-phase showdown; leading up to it are sections of platforming that test your skills and your reflexes, which you have been honing all through Act One.

Getting to the Fight

To reach the fight, you have to make your way to the area known as the Blasted Steps. This area can be reached by traveling through the Shellwood area. You have to head left from the section with the bench and bellway at the top left. Leaving Shellwood, you will reach a desolate land; this is the start of Blasted Steps.

To reach the arena, you have to keep moving forward until you find a room with a large bell where you can ring the bell, unlocking the rest of the area. From here, you will have to platform through sections where there will be winds that will push back the Hornet and sandworms that will punish you for staying on the ground for too long.

Before reaching the top, ensure you clear the area of all the loot; this will aid you further in the fight. You should also put your best crest on with your best tools. After reaching the top, approach the sealed gate at the top of the steps. Once it opens, you'll have started the main boss fight.

Hollow Knight: Silksong, Guide, How to Beat, the Last Judge

This fight rewards patience and good positioning more than flashy combos. The Blasted Steps itself is a vertical gauntlet of winds and sandworms, so you should expect a long run back to the boss arena if you die.

Understanding the Fight

Phase one mostly entails simple spacing and avoiding ending up in the corners. You can see the strikes from the Judge, as they are well telegraphed, and they are also slow enough so that you can dodge and step in to land one or two hits.

If you have the Hunter Needle or the Needle upgrade, you can safely thrust from range to chip at her health. If not, then you can take short, timed hits, confident swings, and immediately retreat.

The biggest danger in this fight is being pushed to the arena edge, where some of the Judge's moves can trap you against the scenery, so try to stay in the middle of the arena so that you do not get pinned.

Phase two introduces the fire attacks of the Judge, where she begins to infuse attacks with flame, creating cues through smoke and explosive zones on the ground. Here, you have to learn to watch the smoke, as it always precedes the flame, and use the gaps between smoke columns as safe spots.

Hollow Knight: Silksong, Guide, How to Beat, the Last Judge

The boss has two similar-looking flame attacks that are telegraphed differently: a thrown, underhand bell shot, which is also thrown, and a ground slam that produces lingering fire.

You can recognize whether the Judge is preparing an underhand throw by seeing whether he is holding the weapon low or a slam, which can be recognized by the boss jumping up in the air.

Recognizing these cues will save you from being baited into a reckless dodge. After the slam that creates fire trails, you'll typically get the largest safe window to move in on and land multiple hits or heal; that is usually your best, lowest-risk opportunity to punish.

Phase three is where things escalate. Faster combinations, wider flame arcs, and melee swipes layered over the fire patterns. The same rules apply to each of these attacks, but the timing is tighter, requiring your reflexes to be on your A-game.

Jumping over flame waves, dodging the spinning bell arcs, and keeping your eye on the boss's body language, she often holds the bell under or behind her before choosing a specific attack. This will let you separate safe openings from deadly attacks.

Hollow Knight: Silksong, Guide, How to Beat, the Last Judge

If you prefer a safer approach, wait for the big slam or the flaming spin to finish; that's the safest way to sneak a heal in or land several hits.

Aggressive players can weave in more hits between tells, but each additional strike raises the risk of being caught by the next chained attack. However, overall, you need to be patient and not stress, as excessive stress can lead to mistakes.

Practical equipment and resource choices can significantly alter the entire fight. Grab the Needle upgrade before the fight if you can, which increases damage per hit and lets you get away with fewer risky strikes.

Consider equipping tools and crests that increase your longevity in the fight—items like a health-boosting phial or a defensive crest may cut down on the pressure.

I also suggest that you save the defensive tools for later, as that is when the fight is the most risky, as well as your Silk, to use it only when you actually need it.

Finally, you have to be aware of the boss's death animation; the Last Judge self-destructs when it dies, so dash away as soon as it falls to avoid being caught in the final blast.

Hollow Knight: Silksong, Guide, How to Beat, the Last Judge

A Few Suggestions for the Fight

A few tips that might increase your chance of winning are to stay near the center of the arena to avoid being boxed into corners and, if you are unsure about what attack will take place, back off just enough to preserve line of sight.

Use short, passive attack windows, and land one or two hits instead of trying to chain long combos. Prioritize healing windows after large slams or during a clear stun.

If you die, you will have to run back up the Blasted Steps; you should treat this as part of the fight loop. Use this opportunity to build up Silk and tool charges as you climb, so you have enough Silk for the fight.

Hopefully, with all this and a bit of resilience, you will be able to overcome this fight.

Also, check our Hollow Knight: Silksong Review and other guides below: