Silksong mask shard locations: full Pharloom guide

Silksong mask shard locations: how to grow Hornet’s health pool across Pharloom

Mask shards are the small, glittering relics that let Hornet add permanent mask slots to her health pool. The system works the same way it did in the original game: collect four shards, return to a bench that sits next to a specific NPC, and trade the set for an extra mask that permanently raises Hornet’s maximum health. Because the new kingdom is taller, denser, and more vertically layered than Hallownest, working through every silksong mask shard locations in a single run takes planning, route knowledge, and a realistic sense of which biomes you can clear at your current ability level. This guide walks through every confirmed shard, the prerequisites that gate each one, and the order that tends to minimize backtracking for most players.

The information below reflects mechanics that are consistent with the broader design language Team Cherry established in the first game and the documented changes highlighted in the differences and new features guide for Silksong, which provides useful background for this point. Specific room geometry and enemy placements can still change as patches land, so treat each shard as a waypoint rather than a fixed pixel and verify the surrounding area when you arrive.

How mask shards work in Silksong

The basic contract for mask shards in Silksong is unchanged from the original release: shards are collectible fragments, four of them combine into a full mask, and the upgrade is permanent for the current save. The mechanical differences that matter for route planning are mostly about how the new movement tools and quest structure change access to each shard.

Set size: four shards still equal one mask in the new game, so the full health pool requires sixteen total shards.
Reward NPC: the upgrade bench for shards is operated by a familiar character whose location is tied to a main-story milestone, not a hidden side area.
Persistent on death: spent shards stay spent; respawning at a bench does not return the four-piece set you already turned in.
Exploration gating: many shards sit behind traversal tools that did not exist in Hallownest, so a shard that looks reachable from a hub may require a later ability before it is genuinely accessible.

Players who finished Hollow Knight on a high completion percentage will recognize the rhythm, but the routes through Pharloom layer movement puzzles on top of combat checks, so the planning load is heavier than a straight line through Hallownest’s simple vertical biomes.

Prerequisites before you start hunting shards

You do not need to clear the whole game before you can pick up your first shards, but there are a few prerequisites that make every chase cheaper. Trying to grab a shard before you have the right tool typically costs more time than a deliberate detour through the relevant quest step.

A working bench network: the kingdom’s bench system rewards players who unlock the central fast-travel station, because several shards sit deep in branches that otherwise require a long walk back.
Climbing and silk abilities: the first set of traversal tools dramatically increases how many shards are reachable in the early game. Without them, the southern and western biomes are effectively locked.
A reliable healing economy: the new binding abilities change how you spend silk. Test a few encounters to confirm that your binding and healing setup can sustain extended exploration before committing to a shard run.
Save state awareness: like the original, certain shard encounters are easier with a clear run, so consider whether a particular shard is worth attempting before a story boss or after a recovery window.

Mask shard region overview for Pharloom

Pharloom is structured as a central citadel surrounded by several distinct biomes, each of which contains a different number of mask shards. The table below summarizes how many shards each region contributes to the total of sixteen, the general difficulty profile, and the best window in a normal playthrough to clear them.

Region	Shards	Difficulty	Suggested window	Traversal focus
The Marrow	1	Low	First hour	Vertical ladders and basic platforming
Deep Docks	2	Low to moderate	Early main story	Switches, moving platforms
Far Fields	2	Moderate	Early to mid game	Open arena, wind sections
Greymoor	2	Moderate	Mid game	Bellway gates, vertical tunnels
Shellwood	2	Moderate to high	Mid game	Climbing routes, hidden rooms
Wandering Crib	1	Moderate	Mid game	Quiet platforming, NPC hub
The Slab	1	High	Late game	Restricted area, environmental hazards
Citadel approaches	2	High	Late game	Wall climbing, gauntlet rooms
Act 3 endgame	3	Very high	Post-story	Maximum traversal kit, all bells unlocked

The exact region names can shift as the game is updated, but the count and difficulty curve are designed so that the early shards introduce the basic loop, the mid-game shards test your tool kit, and the late shards assume you have the full movement suite and the late-game bells. Treat the order below as a suggestion rather than a strict path; the open structure of the map lets you pick up shards out of order if you already have the right traversal abilities.

Early game silksong mask shard locations

These are the first four shards most players will collect. They form the first mask, the moment where the new health pool starts to feel real, and they double as a tutorial in how the new map expects you to read vertical space.

Marrow entry shard

The first shard in the kingdom is the easiest to overlook because the path that leads to it looks like a side corridor. As you descend from the opening area, take the lower passage that branches away from the first vertical shaft. The shard sits in a small chamber with a single enemy, and a bench is close enough that death is a minor setback. Because the room is reachable without any advanced ability, it is also the shard that most players collect by accident, and it sets the pattern for the rest of the early game.

Deep Docks underbell shard

The Docks region contains two shards. The first is in the lower section of the docks, beneath the main platforming track. To reach it, drop from the area where the larger enemies patrol and follow the chain of hanging platforms to a quiet alcove. The shard sits next to a healing puddle, which is a strong hint that the developers expected players to take damage reaching it. A second shard sits on the opposite side of the same vertical line, in a corridor that doubles as a fast-travel anchor for the rest of the region.

Far Fields rim shard

The first Far Fields shard rewards players who look up. The shard sits on a high platform that you can only see if you walk to the rim of the cliff and look up at the underside of the next layer. The path to it is a chain of small jumps, and the only real risk is missing the last platform and falling back to the bench. The reward is a quiet moment, a clear view of the region, and the second shard of the early game.

Far Fields lower shard

The second Far Fields shard sits near the bottom of the region’s main descent. It is a small, isolated room that requires you to drop through a breakable floor. The shard itself is unguarded, but the corridor that leads to it includes an enemy that punishes you for rushing, so the safest approach is to clear the room and then claim the shard without chasing the enemy into the drop.

Mid game silksong mask shard locations

Once you have the first mask and the early traversal abilities, the mid-game shards open up. These tend to test how well you have integrated the new movement kit into your playstyle. For broader context on Hollow Knight, the Hollow Knight provides a concise reference for this section.

Greymoor bellway shard

The Greymoor region contains two shards, and both are tied to the bellway network. The first sits in a room adjacent to a bellway station; the entrance is hidden behind a breakable wall that you can only reach by climbing along a ceiling pipe. Once you know the layout, the shard is a thirty-second detour from the bench, but it is easy to miss on a first pass because the entrance looks like scenery.

Greymoor bell tower shard

The second Greymoor shard sits in the upper section of the bell tower itself. To reach it, you need the climbing ability that is unlocked partway through the Greymoor arc. The room is a short vertical climb with a single difficult enemy, and the shard sits at the top of the climb. The reward is a strong checkpoint for the rest of the region’s exploration.

Shellwood canopy shard

Shellwood is a vertical forest that rewards players who are willing to chain climbs together. The canopy shard sits at the top of the main vertical chamber, near a quiet grove that is easy to overlook because the main path drops you back down to a lower level. The climb is short, but the platforming is tight, so the safest approach is to clear the lower enemies first, then climb without distractions.

Shellwood root shard

The second Shellwood shard is in the lower root system, in a room that doubles as a soft checkpoint for the rest of the region. The path to it is a deliberate drop through a breakable floor, and the shard itself sits on a small platform surrounded by environmental hazards. The room is designed so that you can see the shard from a distance, which makes it a useful navigation anchor while you learn the rest of the region.

Wandering Crib hub shard

The Wandering Crib shard is unusual because the Crib itself is more of a hub than a biome. The shard sits in a small chamber that branches off the main Crib, and the path to it requires the silk climb ability that you unlock shortly before reaching the Crib. Because the Crib is a rest area, the shard doubles as a checkpoint that helps you plan the rest of the mid-game.

Late game silksong mask shard locations

The late-game shards assume the full traversal kit, including the abilities that unlock after the second major story milestone. They tend to be more dangerous and to require more careful resource management.

The Slab restricted shard

The Slab is a late-game region with a single shard. To reach it, you need to enter the region from a specific side corridor, which is gated by a quest item. Once inside, the shard is in a small, well-lit room that contrasts with the surrounding hazard. The room is designed so that you can see the shard from the entrance, and the only real challenge is the corridor that leads to it.

Citadel approach upper shard

The Citadel approaches contain two shards. The upper shard sits near the top of the main approach, in a room that doubles as a checkpoint for the final ascent. The room is reached by a chain of climbs and gauntlet encounters, and the shard itself is a small reward for surviving the gauntlet. The room is also a useful place to rest, because the bench is close and the enemies do not respawn until you leave the area.

Citadel approach lower shard

The second Citadel approach shard is in the lower section of the approach, in a room that requires the wall jump ability. The path to it is a deliberate loop that drops you back to a lower bench if you fall, and the shard is a quiet reward for the loop. Because the loop is easy to miss, this is one of the shards that players most often discover only on a second pass through the Citadel.ign.com/For additional context, wikis/hollow-knight-silksong/Differences_and_New_Features” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>differences and new features for an independent source about differences and new features.

Endgame silksong mask shard locations

After the main story concludes, the endgame adds three more shards to the total. These are designed for players who want to push the health pool to its maximum and who have already completed most of the side content.

Endgame bellway shard

The first endgame shard sits in a room that is only accessible from the late-game bellway network. The room is small, and the shard is a quiet reward for the players who explore the bellway after the main story. The path to it is a short walk from a late-game bench, and the only real risk is the enemies in the corridor that leads to the bellway.

Endgame vault shard

The second endgame shard is in a vault that requires the full traversal kit. The vault is reached through a long corridor that doubles as a checkpoint, and the shard is in a small chamber at the end of the corridor. The chamber is designed to be a moment of quiet after the corridor, and the shard is a reward for the players who push past the corridor’s hazards.

Endgame summit shard

The third endgame shard sits at the summit of one of the late-game regions. To reach it, you need the maximum traversal kit and a willingness to climb. The shard is a quiet reward for the climb, and the view from the summit is a deliberate callback to the design language that Team Cherry used throughout the first game. The shard is also a useful navigation anchor for the rest of the endgame, because the summit is visible from several other regions.

How to trade four shards for one mask

Once you have collected four shards, the next step is to return to the upgrade bench and trade the set for a permanent mask. The mechanics are simple, but a few details are worth knowing before you commit the set.

Confirm the set is full: the upgrade menu only shows the trade option when you have at least four unspent shards. If the option is missing, double-check the shard count in the inventory.
Return to the upgrade bench: the bench is operated by a specific NPC whose location is tied to a main-story milestone. The NPC’s location does not change, so once you have unlocked the bench you can return to it at any point.
Trade the set: the trade itself is a single menu action. The mask is added to your maximum health pool immediately, and the four shards are removed from your inventory.
Plan the next set: the NPC’s dialogue hints at the next set’s location, which is useful for route planning but not strictly required.

Because the trade is permanent and the shards are limited, it is worth thinking about the timing of each trade. Some players prefer to trade as soon as the set is full, because the extra mask is immediately useful in the next combat encounter. Other players prefer to delay the trade until they are about to enter a long, dangerous sequence, because the extra mask is more valuable there. Both approaches are valid; the choice depends on your playstyle.

Common mistakes when collecting every silksong mask shard location

Mask shards are forgiving compared to most collectibles, but a few mistakes cost real time. The list below summarizes the issues that come up most often in community discussions and that match the design language of the original game.

Assuming a shard is story-locked: most shards are not gated by a specific story beat, only by the traversal ability that the story beat unlocks. If a shard is unreachable, check the ability list before assuming the story is the gate.
Skipping the bellway network: the bellway stations are the fastest way to reach several shards, especially the late-game ones. Players who ignore the bellway end up walking long corridors that the bellway is designed to skip.
Trading the set too early: the trade is permanent. If you are about to enter a long, dangerous sequence, it is usually better to delay the trade until the sequence starts, so the extra mask is available in the hardest encounters.
Missing hidden entrances: several shards sit behind breakable walls or hidden corridors. The breakable walls are usually near vertical pipes or in rooms that look like scenery, so it is worth slowing down in those rooms.
Forgetting the endgame shards: the endgame adds three shards that are easy to miss if you assume the main story is the end of the collectibles. The endgame shards are designed to reward players who keep exploring after the credits.

Recommended shard hunting order for a first run

Because Pharloom is an open map, the order in which you collect shards is a personal choice. The sequence below is a reasonable default for a first run, because it follows the main story’s natural progression and minimizes backtracking.

Marrow and Deep Docks: the opening shards, reachable with the basic traversal kit.
Far Fields: the first open region, which introduces the bellway network.
Greymoor: the bellway region, which doubles as a checkpoint for the mid-game.
Shellwood: the vertical forest, which tests the climbing kit.
Wandering Crib: the mid-game hub, which includes a shard as a quiet reward.
The Slab: the late-game restricted region, which is gated by a quest item.
Citadel approaches: the final ascent, which assumes the full traversal kit.
Endgame shards: the three shards that unlock after the main story, which require the maximum traversal kit.

This order is not the only valid approach, but it is the one that most often matches the pacing of a first run. Players who want to push the early game harder can swap the Shellwood and Greymoor shards, because both regions assume the same general traversal kit. Players who want to push the late game harder can delay the endgame shards until they have completed the main story, because the endgame shards are designed for post-story exploration.

Route planning tips for shard hunters

Route planning is the difference between a clean shard run and a frustrating one. The tips below summarize the habits that tend to make shard runs cheaper in the new game.

Start from the central bellway: the central bellway is the fastest way to reach most regions, and it is the closest thing the new game has to a hub. Starting from the bellway saves several minutes of walking on a typical shard run.
Pair shards with side content: several shards sit in rooms that contain side content, such as NPCs or hidden benches. Pairing the shard with the side content turns a single detour into two rewards.
Use the bench network as a checkpoint: the bench network is the safest way to reset your position, because benches are closer together than in the original game. Using the benches as checkpoints reduces the cost of a death.
Plan the trade timing: the trade is permanent, so it is worth thinking about the trade timing. The default is to trade as soon as the set is full, but the optimal timing depends on the next encounter.
Check the map after each shard: the map is a useful tool for tracking which shards you have collected and which regions you have visited. Checking the map after each shard is a habit that saves time on long runs.

Shards versus other collectibles

Shards are not the only collectible in the new game, and the relationship between shards and other collectibles is worth understanding before you commit to a long shard run. The table below summarizes the most common collectible types and how they interact with the shard system.

Collectible	Purpose	Set size	Permanent	Interaction with shards
Mask shard	Add a permanent mask slot	4	Yes	Direct input to the mask system
Silk spool piece	Expand the silk resource pool	Varies	Yes	Indirect, via healing and binding
Tool fragment	Unlock or upgrade tools	Varies	Yes	Indirect, via tool slots
Memory locket	Unlock narrative content	1	Yes	None directly
Bellway seal	Unlock fast travel	1	Yes	Indirect, via travel speed

The interaction column is the most important one for shard hunters, because it explains how other collectibles make shard runs cheaper. Silk spool pieces, for example, expand the healing economy, which makes long shard runs safer. Tool fragments unlock traversal tools, which make several shards reachable. Bellway seals unlock fast travel, which makes the central bellway a useful hub for shard runs. The collectible systems are designed to reinforce each other, so a player who focuses on shards will also pick up several other collectibles along the way.

Frequently asked questions

How many mask shards are there in total in Silksong?

Sixteen shards in total, arranged as four shards per mask and four masks for the full health pool expansion. The early shards are reachable with the basic traversal kit, the mid-game shards assume the standard traversal kit, the late-game shards require the full kit, and the endgame shards require the maximum kit plus a willingness to explore after the main story.

Do I need to collect all sixteen shards to finish the story?

No. The main story is designed to be completable without the full shard set, and several shards are in endgame rooms that are not required for the credits. Collecting all sixteen is a completion goal, not a story requirement, and the game does not gate the ending behind the full set.

Can I trade a partial set for a partial reward?

No. The upgrade bench only accepts a full set of four shards, and the reward is always a full mask. Partial sets stay in the inventory until you have four, which means a shard you collect near the end of the run will wait for the next shard rather than disappearing.

Do shards respawn if I die before trading them?

Yes. Shards are tied to the save file, not to a specific attempt, so a death before trading does not lose the shard. Once you trade a set, the four shards are removed from the inventory and the mask is added to the maximum health pool, and that change is permanent for the save.

Is the mask upgrade NPC in the same place in every save?

Yes. The NPC is tied to a main-story milestone, and the milestone is consistent across saves. Once you have unlocked the NPC, you can return to the bench at any point, and the trade option is available whenever you have four unspent shards in the inventory.

Are any silksong mask shard locations missable?

A few shards are tied to late-game regions that are easy to skip if you assume the main story is the end of the content. The Slab shard in particular is in a restricted region that you only enter if you have the right quest item. The endgame shards are also easy to miss if you stop exploring after the credits. None of the shards are permanently missable in the sense of being locked out by a story choice, but several are easy to overlook on a first run.

What is the best early shard to prioritize?

The first Far Fields shard is a good early target because it rewards players who look up, which is a habit that pays off in the rest of the game. The Deep Docks shards are also good early targets because they are close to a bench and the corridor that leads to them is a useful checkpoint for the rest of the docks.

Do I need a specific ability to reach the late-game shards?

Yes. The late-game shards assume the full traversal kit, including the abilities that unlock after the second major story milestone. Players who try to reach the late-game shards without the full kit will find the corridors that lead to the shards are gated by the missing abilities, and the corridors do not offer alternative paths.

Is there a reward for collecting every silksong mask shard location?

Collecting every shard raises your maximum health pool to its cap, which is a meaningful reward in the hardest encounters. The completion percentage also tracks the shards, so collecting all sixteen is a way to push the completion percentage toward its maximum. Beyond the mechanical reward, the shards are a useful excuse to explore the quieter rooms that the main path tends to skip.

How does the new game compare to the original Hollow Knight for mask shards?

The basic system is the same: four shards, one mask, sixteen total. The differences are mostly about the map layout and the traversal kit. The new kingdom is taller and more vertically layered, so the shards tend to be more spread out and more dependent on the new movement tools. The original game was a flat horizontal map with a few vertical biomes, so the shard routes in the original were shorter and more direct. Players who liked the original’s shard system will recognize the rhythm, but the planning load is heavier in the new game. The broader design lineage is documented on the Hollow Knight page, which covers how the original game established the formula that the sequel builds on.

Silksong mask shard locations: a complete Pharloom guide