Hollow Knight: Silksong: How To Beat The Father of the Flame

As someone who played and adored Demon’s Souls many moons ago, I’ve had a long fascination and appreciation for a gimmick boss fight. So, to learn that Silksong has its fair share of gimmick boss fights where the gimmicks are almost always fun was a real boon as I explored Pharloom.

There are some great gimmick fights, but the one that really resonated with me was The Father of the Flame, the resident boss of the Wisp Thicket.

You see, if I can get away with it, I approach just about every boss imaginable as a pogo boss. So, to find that this boss was a bona fide pogo boss was incredible. However, I understand that it plays into my skillset, and if you aren’t a confident pogo player, you may find this fight extremely difficult.

So, I’ll put my pro pogo skills to good use and guide you through this fight as best I can. This boss is lit, but if you can consistently pogo, they won’t be for long.

Where Is The Father of the Flame?

The Father of the Flame is a boss found in an optional area of the map called Wisp Thicket. An area filled with deadly enemies that can cast exploding fireballs at you, making Patches O’Houlihan’s five ‘D’s of dodgeball pertinent here.

To access Wisp Thicket, you need to have access to the Faydown Cloak, as this is needed to access the pathway up through the towers in Greymoor to reach this area above.

Once you’re up in Wisp Thicket, head left from the starting point. However, before doing so, enter the room on the right and use your needle to strike the hanging bags overhead. This will release a bench where you can rest to reduce the runback.

There is some platforming required to get to the boss, but you can use your Clawline to avoid most of the enemies along the path if you so choose, as there is no way to heal consistently during the Father of the Flame fight, so every mask counts.

Then, when you reach an area of the map marked with Bellhart colors, then you’ll be moments away from one of the most unique boss fights this game has to offer.

How to Prepare For Father of the Flame

Seeing as Father of the Flame is such a unique proposition in Silksong, it requires a rather specific approach. Here is the build that I would suggest to make short work of this boss fight:

Firstly, the Crest of the Reaper, at least in my humble opinion, is super important for this fight, as this is the most consistent pogo crest the game has to offer, making things a lot easier when it comes to chaining pogo attacks consistently.

Second, when selecting your weapon tools (red), I would suggest you pick weapons that don’t require you to aim or time your attack, as it’s not realistic in this fight. Cogfly is a superb option, and Conchcutter is a great one as well, provided you can make it through the Sands of Karak to claim it.

For blue tools, I would suggest the Multibinder and the Reserve Bind, as there is no way to gain additional silk during this fight. So, having a spare heal as a safety net and the ability to gain more masks back from your heal is vital.

Then, lastly, because there really isn’t any better choice, I would suggest the Magnetite Dice to see if you can luck out and avoid taking damage once or twice during this fight. But really, your yellow tools don’t really matter in this encounter.

How To Beat The Father Of The Flame

Phase One

So, as you might have gathered, the Father of the Flame doesn’t behave like a normal boss. Instead of being one single target to hit and avoid, this boss has five lanterns serving as their weak points, and they are dotted around the arena, forcing the player to platform and pogo to consistently hit them.

However, it’s not as simple as just getting to these weak points, as you’ll also have to contend with explosive wisps that track your position.

Based on a player who has upgraded their nail twice by this point, you will need to strike each lantern eight times to clear them, and I have a few tips that can help you navigate this first phase.

Firstly, I would suggest trying to focus on the higher lanterns on screen as they are the toughest to deal with. However, once they are dealt with, the lower ones are much easier to clear, as you can always drop to the floor and hop back up if you’re in danger of taking a hit.

Second, your double jump is your best friend in this fight, as you gain a double jump charge back with every successful pogo. So, when a wisp locks on your position, it’s best to try and time your pogo to help you get some air, and then time your double jump to near-miss this attack and get back to attacking the lantern without missing a beat. It takes some practice, but not panicking and bailing when a wisp comes at you is key to getting through this fight.

Then, thirdly, I would suggest that players don’t get too hung up on attacking one specific lantern. It’s best to be adaptive, as you may find yourself in a situation where Wisps have you cornered if you stay in one spot for too long.

So, if you sense some danger in your current position, drop low and take out some of the low-hanging lanterns instead. Deal with all the lanterns, and this will begin the second phase.

Phase Two

When all the lanterns are gone, you now have a clear shot at the Father of the Flame’s core. This section will start with the boss casting a stream of fireballs, so I suggest dropping to the floor and moving carefully to try to occupy the space between these fireballs.

When this stops, this will give you a window to hop up to the boss and attack the core. They will still spawn Wisps regularly, so be wary of their position and use your double jump to evade them, allowing you to stay on the offensive.

But be wary, they will begin this fireball attack after a few Wisps have left the field again, so keep an eye out for this and drop to the ground when they begin this attack again, because in the air, you’re a sitting duck.

Then lastly, when the battle ends, stand clear of their last explosion, because if you do get caught up in that, you might die and need to fight the thing all over again. But, provided you get some distance, you’ll have beaten the Father of the Flame and earned your reward.

Reward For Defeating The Father of the Flame

Upon defeating this fiery customer, you’ll be able to pick up a dropped item known as the Wispfire Lantern. A passive tool that makes use of your silk to provide an offensive edge.

Provided you have the silk, this tool will automatically summon a wisp, which acts as a homing missile, initiating an attack on any nearby enemies. Which, as you might have gathered, has its perks and pitfalls.

This tool makes healing a much less consistent option for you, as your silk will be consistently used to spawn offensive projectiles. However, this can be leaned into if the player is keen on relying on more offensive crests and tools.

If you’re someone who relies on silk buildup for consistent healing, I would give this a miss. But if you like to go in all guns blazing, this one burns brighter than most.