Hollow Knight: Silksong Tools replace the original game’s Charms — equippable items that slot into a Crest’s limited sockets and shape how Hornet fights, explores, and survives. Silksong sold 7 million copies by December 2025, three months after its September 2025 launch, according to TheGamer, and with dozens of Tools scattered across Pharloom, a handful consistently rise to the top regardless of which Crest you’re running.
Tools vs. Crests: The Quick Version
If you’re coming from the original Hollow Knight, the fastest way to think about it: Crests are Hornet’s loadout — each one changes her base moveset and how many Tool sockets she has, split across Red (limited-use gadgets like bombs and projectiles, refilled with Shell Shards), Blue (passive buffs), Yellow (passive offense and exploration perks), and White (Silk Skills). Tools are what you actually slot into those sockets.
A Crest decides your playstyle; Tools decide how good you are at it. This list focuses on Tools that pull weight across most Crests, not ones tied to a single niche build — for full loadouts built around a specific Crest, see our Silksong Crest builds guide.
The Best Tools in Silksong, Ranked
1. Cogfly
A craftable winged companion that automatically seeks out and attacks nearby enemies on its own. It doesn’t cost an action to use once it’s out, which makes it one of the few Tools that adds pure extra damage to every fight without asking you to change how you play. Crafted at a bench for one Craftmetal once unlocked at High Halls, per Fextralife’s Tools tracker, and it shows up at the top of nearly every published community tier list for exactly that reason.
2. Magnetite Dice
A Yellow Tool won by beating ten gambling games with Lumble or Grindle, then bought for 300 Rosaries in Act 3. It introduces a luck mechanic that skews in the player’s favor over a full run, and enough Silksong veterans have tracked its effect over time that it’s treated as a near-mandatory pickup once you can afford it, rather than a novelty item.
3. Pollip Pouch
This Blue Tool, earned from the Rite of the Pollip quest in Shellwood, applies venom to whatever Tools you have equipped — turning ordinary Red Tool hits into damage-over-time hits. It rewards a kit built around throwing tools rather than pure needle combat, and it stacks with poison-focused builds particularly well.
4. Fractured Mask
A Blue Tool from Mottled Skarr in Hunter’s March (260 Rosaries) that shields Hornet from what would otherwise be a critical hit, at the cost of shattering and needing a bench repair afterward. It is, in plain terms, a free life against the kind of one-shot attack that ends a boss run, which is why it’s a fixture in most high-difficulty Tool loadouts.
5. Longclaw
A Blue Tool bought from the Huntress via the Broodfeast wish in Bilewater that simply increases needle attack range. It sounds minor next to gadgets and gambling dice, but extra reach changes which attacks are safe to punish, and it’s one of the cheapest, most universally useful upgrades in the whole Tool list.
6. Wreath of Purity
Found in a hidden passage in Putrified Ducts, this Blue Tool repels Muckmaggots, one of the more reliably annoying enemy types in that region. It’s a narrower pick than the five above — genuinely great in the areas that need it, close to dead weight anywhere else — which is exactly the kind of situational Tool worth swapping in rather than leaving equipped full time.
Worth Skipping Until You Need Them
Community tier lists from Game8, DualShockers, and Game Rant put Thief’s Mark, Shard Pendant, Spider Strings, and the Cogwork Wheel near the bottom consistently. None are useless — Thief’s Mark can work in a deliberately risky rosary-farming build, and Spider Strings only matters if you’re actively using the Needolin — but none earn a permanent socket over the six above for a typical playthrough.
| Tool | Type | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Cogfly | Yellow (craftable) | Passive extra damage in every fight |
| Magnetite Dice | Yellow | Consistent luck-based sustain, once affordable |
| Pollip Pouch | Blue | Builds centered on Red Tool throws |
| Fractured Mask | Blue | Surviving one-shot boss attacks |
| Longclaw | Blue | Safer needle punishes at low cost |
| Wreath of Purity | Blue | Putrified Ducts and Muckmaggot-heavy areas |
If Silksong has you in the mood for another unforgiving, hand-crafted 2D adventure, our breakdown of Metroid Ravenous’s reveal trailer covers the next major genre entry, due out January 2027.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Silksong have Charms like the original Hollow Knight?
No. Silksong replaced the Charm system entirely with Tools, which slot into sockets defined by whichever Crest Hornet has equipped.
What is the single best all-around Tool in Silksong?
Cogfly is the most commonly cited top pick: it’s a craftable companion that attacks automatically and adds damage without changing how you otherwise play.
How many Tool slots does Hornet have?
It depends on the equipped Crest — each Crest defines its own number and mix of Red, Blue, Yellow, and White Tool sockets rather than Hornet having one fixed pool.
Can you unequip and swap Tools freely?
Yes, Tools can be swapped at benches, which is why situational picks like Wreath of Purity are worth carrying and rotating in for specific areas rather than ignoring.
