How to Beat Moss Mother - First Boss Guide

Moss Mother is the first boss in Hollow Knight Silksong, located in Moss Grotto. This bee-shaped boss teaches you the basics of aerial combat and serves as a tutorial for Hornet's new abilities.

Quick Strategy Overview

Key Tactic: Jump over her stinger dash, attack downward (pogo), then hit her during recovery.
Difficulty: Easy - Perfect for learning the combat system
Main Challenge: Don't get greedy with attacks

The 3 Attack Patterns

1. Stinger Dash

What she does: Rears back and dashes across the screen with her stinger
How to counter:

• Jump just as she starts moving forward
• Attack downward while jumping over her (pogo)
• Hit her 2-3 times during recovery

This is your main damage opportunity!

2. Ceiling Slam + Falling Rocks

What she does: Flies up and slams the ceiling, dropping rocks
How to survive:

• Watch for dust lines on the ground - rocks fall there
• Stand between the dust markers
• Stay mobile, don't commit to long combos

3. Minion Spawn

What she does: Same ceiling slam, but spawns crawling caterpillars instead of rocks
How to manage:

• Don't kill all minions - focus on Moss Mother
• Only clear minions blocking your movement
• 2 hits kills each caterpillar
• Never attack downward when minions are present

Winning Strategy

1. Position yourself in the corner opposite to her
2. When she does stinger dash:
   • Jump over her
   • Attack downward (pogo) for 2-3 hits
   • Attack her on the ground during recovery
3. During ceiling attacks: Stand between dust markers, stay patient
4. In minion phase: Ignore most caterpillars, focus on the boss

Key Tips

✅ DO:

• Jump over stinger dash and pogo
• Stay in corners for better positioning
• Be patient during ceiling slam phases
• Focus on Moss Mother, not minions

❌ DON'T:

• Get greedy with attacks
• Attack downward when minions are around
• Panic during falling rocks
• Try to clear all caterpillars

The Fight Rhythm

Phase 1 (100%-60%): Stinger dash + rock drops only
Phase 2 (60%-0%): Stinger dash + minion spawns

Master the jump-pogo-recover pattern and you'll win easily. This boss is all about finding your rhythm rather than complex strategies.

Need more boss guides? Check our complete Hollow Knight Silksong boss collection for strategies on every encounter.