Comprehensive Guide to Simple Keys in Hollow Knight: Silksong

Unlocking new areas in Hollow Knight: Silksong often hinges on finding elusive Simple Keys, which are crucial for progressing through the enigmatic world of Pharloom. This guide meticulously details the acquisition of all four Simple Keys and provides clear instructions on where to utilize them, ensuring players can navigate the game's intricate map and uncover hidden pathways. Each key opens up a new segment of the world, rich with challenges, valuable resources, and additional narrative elements, making their discovery a cornerstone of the gameplay experience. From bustling merchant hubs to treacherous enemy strongholds and serene, forgotten benches, the journey to collect these keys is as much a part of the adventure as the doors they unlock. Understanding their precise locations and the specific barriers they remove is vital for any player looking to fully explore the vast and challenging landscapes presented in the game.

This comprehensive overview will delve into the specific methods for obtaining each of the four Simple Keys, whether through commerce with the game's quirky vendors, by overcoming formidable adversaries, or by discerning hidden paths within the environment. Following this, the guide will pinpoint the exact locations where these keys can be employed, offering strategic advice on how to access the new areas revealed behind these once-locked doors. This structured approach aims to equip players with all the necessary information to efficiently collect and use these essential items, thereby enhancing their exploration and progression within Hollow Knight: Silksong.

Discovering Simple Keys Across Pharloom

In Hollow Knight: Silksong, Simple Keys are rare yet indispensable items, with only four available across the vast expanse of Pharloom. These keys are strategically placed, requiring players to either purchase them from specific vendors, defeat particular adversaries, or uncover them in hidden locations. Each method of acquisition presents its own set of challenges, ranging from gathering enough currency to mastering combat encounters or navigating complex environmental puzzles. For instance, players can obtain a key by trading with Pebb in Bone Bottom and Jubliana at the First Shrine, each requiring a different amount of rosaries. Another key is secured by besting a tough Roachkeeper on Sinner's Road, a fight that demands skill and strategic movement. The final key is cleverly concealed on a bench in the Sands of Karak, accessible only after unlocking the 'Clawline' ability and traversing a labyrinthine path. Locating these keys is paramount for unlocking progress and discovering new regions, making them a high priority for adventurers.

The journey to collect these four Simple Keys is varied and engaging. The first key can be procured from Pebb in Bone Bottom village for 500 rosaries, an accessible but essential early acquisition. The second key is a reward for triumphing over a Roachkeeper found at the summit of Sinner's Road; reaching this enemy necessitates acquiring the 'Cling Grip' ability from Shellwood and successfully traversing a series of demanding platforming sections and enemy encounters in Greymoor and Half Home. Jubliana, another merchant located at the First Shrine in Choral Chambers, offers the third key for 750 rosaries, though she may require the completion of a specific quest, 'The Wandering Merchant,' to appear. The fourth and final key is less straightforward, nestled on a bench within the treacherous Sands of Karak. Accessing this area demands the 'Clawline' ability, obtainable in The Cauldron, followed by intricate grappling and platforming sequences through the Blasted Steps and a spike-filled cave, culminating in a challenging parkour segment over winding branches and spiked walls to reach the hidden bench.

Unlocking Pharloom's Hidden Passages

With all four Simple Keys in hand, players are equipped to unlock numerous previously inaccessible areas across Pharloom, each containing new challenges, rewards, and lore. The strategic placement of these locked doors ensures that players feel a sense of accomplishment upon gaining entry, often leading to significant advancements in the game's narrative or granting access to valuable resources. The locations for key usage are diverse, spanning from a critical door northwest of Bone Bottom village that paves the way to new zones, to a sealed path in the Deep Docks revealing submerged secrets. Additionally, a key is used to free the Green Prince from a cage in Sinner's Road, potentially impacting future interactions or quests, and another opens a rosary-filled chamber in the High Halls, providing a significant boost to a player's in-game currency. These openings are not merely decorative; they serve as vital progression points that expand the game world and deepen the player's engagement.

Each Simple Key corresponds to a specific lock, carefully positioned throughout Pharloom to encourage exploration and backtracking. One key unlocks a door situated northwest of Bone Bottom village; reaching it requires the 'Swift Step' ability to navigate a treacherous acid-filled area and cross large gaps using hanging cages, ultimately leading to a critical progression point. Another key grants access to a door in the Deep Docks; this involves using 'Swift Step' to dash across a lava pool after clearing a room of enemies, revealing further depths of the game. A third key is crucial for liberating the Green Prince, an important character imprisoned in a cage within Sinner's Road, easily found by following signs to a bench and gliding through a thorny path. Lastly, a key provides entry to a rosary-filled room in the High Halls, a lucrative area discovered after progressing through Act 2 and reaching a Ventrica room, offering a substantial collection of rosaries to the persistent explorer. Successfully using these keys unveils significant portions of the game, enriching the player's journey through Hollow Knight: Silksong.