Crests are the single most important build decision you make in Hollow Knight: Silksong. Each one rewrites Hornet's moveset, changes her attack range and speed, and dictates which Tools you can equip. Picking the right Crest for the situation is the difference between fighting Pharloom on its terms and fighting it on yours.
This guide breaks down all seven Crests, where to find each one, how the Tool slot system works, and the loadout that gets the most out of every playstyle. If you are brand new, start with our Silksong beginner's guide first, then come back here to lock in a build.
How Crests Work
A Crest is Hornet's core loadout frame. Swapping Crests at a bench does three things at once:
- It changes her moveset. Attack range, swing speed, and the shape of her strikes all shift with the Crest. Reaper pokes from a distance, Wanderer flurries up close, Beast claws in tight.
- It sets your Tool slots. Every Crest has a different layout of Tool slots, and the slot colors decide what you can equip. This is the heart of building.
- It determines your Silk Skill access. Some Crests support a Silk Skill in a dedicated slot. At least one, the Architect, gives that up entirely in exchange for raw Tool power.
You are meant to swap Crests for different content. Treat them as tools in a kit, not a permanent class choice.
The Tool Slot System
Tools slot into your Crest by color, and understanding the three colors is what turns a random assortment of gadgets into an actual build.
- Red (Active): Offensive Tools. These grant new attacks or enhance existing ones. This is your damage and your combat options.
- Blue (Passive): Defensive Tools. Passive buffs, protection, and survivability utility that work without input.
- Yellow (Utility): Exploration Tools. Traversal aids and collection helpers that make getting around Pharloom smoother.
Each Crest offers a different mix and number of these slots, which is precisely why the "best" Tools change depending on what Crest you are running. A Crest heavy on Red slots wants aggressive damage Tools. A Crest with room for Blue and Yellow wants survivability and exploration.
One universal note: Spool Extender is one of the most valuable Tools in the game on any slow-attacking build, because it gives you extra Silk on hand for healing and Silk Skills. Keep it in mind for every loadout below.
All 7 Crests, Where to Find Them, and the Best Build for Each
1. Hunter Crest (Starting Crest)
Where: Equipped by default from the start of the game.
Playstyle: The generalist. The Hunter is a balanced Crest with one of each Tool slot type, built to handle any situation whether you are fighting or exploring.
Best build: Keep it flexible. Slot a reliable Red damage Tool, a Blue Tool that covers your most common threat, and a Yellow traversal Tool for whatever area you are mapping. The Hunter is the Crest you fall back to when you do not know what a zone will throw at you, and it is genuinely strong the whole game. Do not treat it as a starter you outgrow. Treat it as your default.
2. Reaper Crest
Where: At the Chapel of the Reaper in Greymoor.
Playstyle: Long-range poke. The Reaper trades attack speed for reach, letting you strike enemies from a safe distance with a scythe-like swing. Its slow rhythm is deceptively powerful once you learn to space with it.
Best build: Because Reaper's slow attacks generate less Silk outside of its Silk buff window, Spool Extender is close to mandatory so you always have Silk to heal. Pair extra range with Red Tools that reward committed hits, and lean into the safe-distance poking that defines the Crest. Reaper is a fantastic answer to aggressive bosses you want to keep at arm's length.
3. Wanderer Crest
Where: At the Chapel of the Wanderer in Bonegrave, Moss Grotto.
Playstyle: Fast and mobile. The Wanderer has a very fast attack speed, which fills your Silk meter quickly and lets you heal far more often. Its down-attack is excellent for pogo puzzles, making it the premier exploration Crest.
Best build: Lean into quality of life and traversal. The fast attacks mean Silk is rarely a problem, so you can spend Yellow slots on exploration Tools and Blue slots on comfort. This is the Crest to wear when you are mapping a new region, chasing collectibles, or clearing platforming challenges. It is the smoothest way to experience Pharloom.
4. Beast Crest
Where: At the Chapel of the Beast, southeast of Hunter's March near the Deep Docks.
Playstyle: Aggressive lifesteal bruiser. The Beast strikes with shorter-range slashes shaped like claw marks, and its standout feature is a Berserker mode triggered by Bind: it grants lifesteal on hit, increased damage, and increased attack speed.
Best build: This is the all-in combat Crest. Stack Red damage Tools, get comfortable Binding at the right moments to enter Berserker mode, and use the lifesteal to trade aggressively in fights where a defensive Crest would just stall. Beast is high-risk, high-reward, and it melts bosses when you have learned to be fearless with it.
5. Witch Crest
Where: Unlocked by completing the Rite of Rebirth and Infestation Operation wishes.
Playstyle: Tool and utility oriented. The Witch is a later unlock earned through questing rather than found in a chapel, and it rewards players who lean into Silksong's Tool ecosystem rather than raw melee.
Best build: Build around your Tools rather than your nail swings. The Witch shines when you have accumulated a strong stable of Red active Tools and want a Crest that lets them carry the encounter. Because it comes from wish completion, most players unlock it well into the game, by which point you have the Tool collection to make it sing.
6. Architect Crest
Where: At the Chapel of the Architect, above the Twelfth Architect NPC in the Underworks.
Playstyle: Pure Tool powerhouse. The Architect starts with three Red Tool slots and can unlock two Blue and two Yellow slots, but it cannot equip a Silk Skill. Its gimmick is that it spends Silk to repair Tools on the fly, keeping your gadgets running.
Best build: This is the Crest for players who have fallen in love with Tools. With three Red slots out of the gate, you can run a stacked offensive kit and let the self-repair keep everything online. Give up the Silk Skill, embrace the Tool-centric identity, and you get one of the highest raw-damage frames in the game. It is a specialist, and specialists win when you build into their strength.
7. Shaman Crest
Where: At the Ruined Chapel, after meeting the Shaman in Act 3.
Playstyle: Late-game Silk specialist. The Shaman is one of the last Crests you unlock, tied to Act 3 progression, and it is built for players deep enough into Pharloom to have mastered Silk management.
Best build: By the time you have the Shaman, you should know exactly what you want from a loadout. Treat it as an endgame option and build it around the Silk and Tool synergies you have come to rely on. Because it arrives so late, it is best evaluated once your full Tool collection and playstyle are settled.
Which Crest Should You Use?
There is no single best Crest, and that is the point. Match the Crest to the job:
- Exploring a new area or clearing platforming: Wanderer. Fast Silk, great pogo, smoothest traversal.
- A boss you want to keep at range: Reaper. Poke it down safely.
- A boss you want to burst down: Beast. Berserker lifesteal and aggression.
- You do not know what is coming: Hunter. The generalist never lets you down.
- You love Tools over melee: Architect or Witch. Build the whole kit around your gadgets.
For a full ranking of Crests, Tools, and bosses as the game stands in 2026, see our Silksong tier list. And with the Sea of Sorrow expansion bringing new Tools that slot into this exact system, getting comfortable swapping Crests now is the best prep you can do for the content coming next.
Final Tips
- Swap Crests often. The players who struggle are usually the ones who pick one Crest and refuse to change. The game is designed around switching.
- Match Tools to slots, not habit. A great Tool in the wrong-colored slot does nothing. Build to the Crest's layout.
- Spool Extender on every slow build. If your attacks are slow, you need the Silk buffer. Non-negotiable on Reaper.
- Learn Bind timing for Beast. Berserker mode is the whole payoff. Get comfortable Binding under pressure.
Master the Crest system and Pharloom stops feeling like a wall and starts feeling like a toolbox. Pick the right frame, fill the right slots, and every fight becomes a build problem you already know how to solve.
