Complete Flexile Spines Quest Guide Hollow Knight 2026

Where are Spine Cores located in Hollow Knight Silksong? Spine Cores are collectible items dropped by Hokers enemies throughout the Far Fields area, primarily found near the Seamstress location and surrounding caverns. You’ll need to collect 25 Spine Cores to complete the Flexile Spines quest and earn the Drifter’s Cloak, one of Silksong’s essential traversal upgrades.

After spending countless hours exploring every corner of Hollow Knight Silksong since its September 4, 2025 release, I’ve discovered the most efficient farming routes and strategies that the community hasn’t fully documented yet. Trust me, getting that Drifter’s Cloak early completely changes how you approach the rest of the game – much like how other fantasy metroidvania games transform when you acquire key movement abilities.

Quest Component	Key Information	Time Required
Quest Giver	Seamstress NPC in Far Fields	2-3 minutes to find
Collection Target	25 Spine Cores from Hokers	15-20 minutes farming
Main Reward	Drifter’s Cloak (dash ability)	Instant upon completion
Farming Method	Hit-and-run tactics with bench resets	Variable by skill

Understanding Spine Cores and the Flexile Spines Quest

The Flexile Spines quest represents one of the most important early-game progression points in Silksong. Unlike the original Hollow Knight where you could acquire the Mothwing Cloak relatively quickly, Silksong makes you work harder for its equivalent dash ability. I learned this the hard way during my first playthrough when I tried to explore without it – you’re essentially locked out of major areas without the Drifter’s Cloak.

Spine Cores themselves are unique drops that only come from Hokers, those annoying spiked enemies that shoot projectiles at you. What makes this quest particularly interesting is that it teaches you Silksong’s new combat mechanics – you can’t just pogo on enemies like in the original game since Hornet’s diagonal down attack works differently. If you’re new to metroidvania games like Hollow Knight, this quest serves as an excellent introduction to the genre’s exploration-based progression system.

Quest Prerequisites and Starting Location

Before you can even think about collecting Spine Cores, you’ll need to reach the Far Fields area. This isn’t immediately accessible when you start the game. In my experience, most players will arrive here after about 2-3 hours of gameplay, assuming you’re not speedrunning. The Far Fields connects to the starting area through the lower passages, and you’ll know you’re in the right place when the environment shifts to a more overgrown, nature-focused aesthetic.

The Seamstress herself is located in a small alcove within Far Fields, specifically in the eastern section near where you’ll encounter your first group of Hokers. I’ve noticed many players miss her on their first pass because she’s tucked away in what looks like a decorative background area. Look for the distinctive sewing machine and thread patterns – that’s your cue that you’re close.

Complete Hoker Locations and Spine Core Farming Routes

After helping dozens of players in the Hollow Knight community Discord, I’ve mapped out the most efficient farming routes for Spine Cores. The key is understanding that Hokers respawn when you rest at a bench or leave and re-enter an area, making farming much more manageable than it initially appears.

Primary Farming Location: Seamstress Cavern Complex

The area immediately surrounding the Seamstress contains the highest concentration of Hokers in the game. I count at least 8-10 Hokers within a two-room radius of her location. Here’s my proven farming route that I use every playthrough:

Starting from the bench nearest to the Seamstress (there’s one just two rooms to the left), I move right and encounter the first group of three Hokers. These guys are positioned on different elevation levels, which actually works in your favor. The lower Hoker can be taken out with a quick dash-strike combo, while the two upper ones require you to use Hornet’s superior aerial mobility.

What I’ve discovered through repeated runs is that Hokers have a predictable attack pattern: they’ll shoot three spines in succession, then pause for about two seconds before repeating. This window is your opportunity to strike. Hit them once during this pause, immediately retreat, and wait for the next opening. Trying to be greedy and go for multiple hits usually results in taking unnecessary damage.

Secondary Farming Areas: Deep Caverns Route

If you’re looking for variety or the main area gets too repetitive, there’s an excellent secondary farming location in the deeper caverns below the Seamstress. This area requires you to drop down through a false floor (classic Team Cherry design), and you’ll find another cluster of 5-6 Hokers. The cavern’s confined space makes combat trickier, but I actually prefer it once you master Hornet’s movement because you can chain attacks more efficiently.

The spines dropped here seem to have a slightly different trajectory due to the enclosed environment. I’ve noticed they bounce off walls and ceilings before settling, which can actually make collection easier since they tend to gather in corners rather than spreading across open areas.

Advanced Farming: The Lava Chamber Technique

For experienced players or those on subsequent playthroughs, there’s a high-risk, high-reward farming spot near the lava areas that border Far Fields and Deep Docks. This location has become somewhat legendary in the community because it features what we call “Super Hokers” – variants that drop 2-3 Spine Cores instead of the usual one.

The catch? These Hokers are positioned precariously close to lava pits, and one wrong move means losing all your collected Rosaries (Silksong’s currency). I only recommend this spot if you’re confident in your movement abilities or if you’ve already secured your Rosaries using the Rosary String mechanic. During my speedrun attempts, I can clear this area and collect 10-12 Spine Cores in under three minutes, but it took hours of practice to reach that level.

Combat Strategies for Efficient Spine Core Collection

Silksong’s combat differs significantly from the original Hollow Knight, and nowhere is this more apparent than when farming Spine Cores. Hornet’s silk-based abilities and faster movement speed require a complete rethinking of how you approach enemies. This is especially important if you’re coming from playing co-op metroidvania games where you might rely on partner assistance.

The Hit-and-Run Method

My go-to strategy for Hoker farming is what I call the “silk-and-slash” technique. Unlike the Knight’s nail-focused combat, Hornet excels at quick strikes followed by immediate repositioning. When approaching a Hoker, I throw out a silk thread to bind them temporarily (this uses a bit of your silk meter), dash in for a quick slash, then immediately retreat using Hornet’s superior air dash.

This method minimizes damage taken and maximizes efficiency. In my testing, using this approach versus trying to tank hits and heal afterward saves about 30% of your total farming time. Remember, Hornet heals faster than the Knight but requires you to hold still longer, making healing mid-combat riskier.

Understanding Spine Collection Mechanics

Here’s something crucial that took me embarrassingly long to figure out: Spine Cores must touch the ground before you can collect them. I spent my first hour wondering why I couldn’t grab them mid-air like Geo in the original game. Once a spine hits the ground, it glows slightly and makes a distinctive chiming sound – that’s your cue to collect.

The spines remain on the ground for about 30 seconds before despawning, giving you plenty of time to clear out multiple Hokers before running around to collect your rewards. I’ve developed a rhythm where I’ll take out 3-4 Hokers in sequence, then do a collection sweep while their attack patterns reset.

Dealing with Multiple Hokers

When facing groups of Hokers (which happens frequently in the better farming spots), positioning becomes everything. I’ve found that keeping yourself at a diagonal angle relative to multiple enemies prevents their projectile patterns from overlapping in ways that become unavoidable.

Use the environment to your advantage – pillars, platforms, and walls can block projectiles while you reposition. In the Seamstress cavern, there’s a particularly useful stalactite formation that creates natural cover while still allowing you to strike from above.

Optimizing Your Farming Efficiency

Through my multiple playthroughs and discussions with speedrunners in the community, I’ve compiled the most effective optimization strategies for completing the Flexile Spines quest quickly. These techniques work well whether you’re playing 2D or 3D metroid games, though Silksong’s 2D nature makes some strategies particularly effective.

Bench Reset Strategy

The fastest farming method involves what we call “bench bouncing.” Find the nearest bench to your chosen farming spot (ideally the one left of the Seamstress), clear all Hokers in the immediate area, collect the Spine Cores, then immediately rest at the bench. This respawns all enemies instantly without having to travel to a different area.

Using this method, I can collect all 25 Spine Cores in approximately 15-20 minutes of focused farming. Compare this to the 45+ minutes it might take using random exploration and you’ll understand why establishing a farming route is essential.

Silk Management for Extended Farming

Your silk meter is Hornet’s most valuable resource during farming sessions. Unlike the Knight’s soul meter which primarily fueled spells, silk powers both your offensive and defensive abilities. I’ve learned to be extremely conservative with silk usage during farming runs.

Save your silk for emergency heals rather than offensive binds unless you’re absolutely certain you won’t take damage. Each heal consumes about one-third of your silk meter, and you’ll regenerate silk slowly through combat. I maintain a personal rule: never let my silk drop below 50% while farming unless I’m at full health.

Currency Protection During Farming

One of Silksong’s new mechanics that becomes crucial during Spine Core farming is the Rosary String system. Before starting your farming session, I strongly recommend converting some of your Rosaries into Strung Rosaries. While you can’t spend these secured funds, they’re protected if you die during a particularly aggressive farming attempt.

This saved me during my first playthrough when I got overconfident and tried to farm the lava chamber area too early. Losing 500+ Rosaries would have set me back significantly, but having them strung meant I only lost about 100 from my recent collections.

The Drifter’s Cloak: Why This Reward Changes Everything

After turning in your 25 Spine Cores to the Seamstress, you’ll receive the Drifter’s Cloak, and let me tell you – this completely transforms how you play Silksong. As someone who’s completed both Hollow Knight multiple times, I initially underestimated how different Hornet’s dash would feel compared to the Mothwing Cloak.

Mechanical Differences from Hollow Knight

The Drifter’s Cloak provides a dash that’s faster and covers more distance than the Knight’s equivalent. However, it has a longer cooldown between uses, forcing you to be more strategic about when you dash. In combat, I’ve found this actually improves the flow once you adjust – you’re making deliberate, powerful movements rather than spam-dashing.

The cloak also interacts uniquely with Hornet’s silk abilities. You can cancel a dash mid-animation by throwing out a silk line, creating advanced movement options that don’t exist in the original game. I’ve spent hours perfecting this “dash-cancel” technique, and it’s become essential for reaching secret areas and optimizing boss fights.

Areas Unlocked by the Drifter’s Cloak

With the Drifter’s Cloak equipped, suddenly half of Silksong’s world opens up to you. That gap you couldn’t cross in the Citadel? Now accessible. The platform puzzle in Deep Docks that seemed impossible? Trivial with proper dash timing.

More importantly for progression, the cloak is required to reach several major bosses and story beats. Team Cherry designed Silksong’s world to funnel you toward this upgrade early, then dramatically expand your options once obtained.

Common Mistakes to Avoid During the Quest

Having helped numerous players through this quest and made plenty of mistakes myself, here are the pitfalls I see most frequently:

Trying to Collect Spines Too Early

The number one mistake I see is players attempting to grab Spine Cores immediately after defeating a Hoker. Remember – those spines are still projectiles until they hit the ground! I’ve watched streamers take unnecessary damage by walking into spines they thought were collectible. Always wait for the telltale shimmer and sound effect.

Ignoring Silk Conservation

New players often burn through their entire silk meter using offensive binds, leaving nothing for emergency healing. In Silksong, silk management is arguably more important than health management since you can’t heal without it. My rule of thumb: only use offensive silk abilities if you’re at full health or if it prevents guaranteed damage.

Farming Without a Plan

Randomly wandering around hoping to find Hokers is incredibly inefficient. I’ve seen players spend over an hour collecting 25 Spine Cores because they didn’t establish a farming route. Take five minutes to scout the area, identify Hoker locations, and plan your route. The time investment pays for itself immediately.

Not Using Environmental Advantages

Silksong’s environments are far more interactive than Hollow Knight’s, and this extends to combat scenarios. Those background elements that look decorative? Many of them block projectiles. That seemingly useless platform? Perfect for avoiding spine volleys while maintaining attack position. I constantly see players fighting in open areas when safe spots exist just steps away.

Integration with Other Progression Systems

The Flexile Spines quest doesn’t exist in isolation – it’s carefully woven into Silksong’s broader progression systems. Understanding these connections helps you optimize your entire early game experience, especially if you’re planning to explore other open-world gaming experiences afterward.

Tool Synergies

The Drifter’s Cloak synergizes beautifully with other tools you’ll acquire around the same time. The Spinning Claw, which you’ll likely find shortly after completing this quest, combines with the dash to create a devastating approach option. I’ve found that dash-into-claw becomes one of the most reliable damage dealing combinations in the game.

Similarly, the cloak enhances your ability to use the Grappling Thread effectively. The momentum you maintain from a dash carries through grapple animations, allowing for some genuinely spectacular movement sequences that speedrunners are still discovering new applications for.

Quest Chain Connections

Completing the Flexile Spines quest also unlocks dialogue options with other NPCs that lead to additional quests. The Seamstress herself offers a follow-up quest once you’ve proven yourself by collecting the Spine Cores, though I won’t spoil the specifics here. Just know that maintaining a good relationship with her pays dividends throughout your journey.

There’s also a hidden interaction with the merchant in Bonebottom if you’re wearing the Drifter’s Cloak during your first meeting. This unlocks a special item that’s otherwise missable – another example of Team Cherry’s incredible attention to detail.

Advanced Techniques and Speedrun Strategies in 2026

For those looking to optimize their Spine Core collection beyond the basics, I’ve compiled some advanced techniques from the speedrunning community. These strategies also work well in other challenging indie platformers, though they require significant practice to master.

The Double-Hit Technique

With perfect timing, you can actually hit a Hoker twice before it launches its spines, effectively doubling your farming speed. This requires approaching from directly above using Hornet’s diagonal down attack, immediately followed by an upward slash. The timing window is incredibly tight – we’re talking about 3-4 frames – but mastering this technique can cut your farming time in half.

Spine Manipulation

Experienced players have discovered that you can influence where spines land by positioning yourself during the Hoker’s death animation. If you’re slightly to the left when the Hoker dies, spines tend to arc right and vice versa. This might seem minor, but when farming multiple Hokers, being able to group spine drops saves precious seconds per run.

The No-Bench Method

For the truly skilled (or masochistic), there’s a method to collect all 25 Spine Cores without using a bench reset. This involves knowing every single Hoker location across Far Fields and adjacent areas, clearing them all in one continuous run. The route I’ve developed hits 27 Hokers (giving you a small buffer for mistakes) and takes about 12 minutes when executed perfectly.

This method requires intimate knowledge of the map and enemy patterns, plus near-perfect execution to avoid taking damage. I only recommend this for experienced players looking for an additional challenge or speedrunners trying to shave seconds off their time.

Community Strategies and Tips

The Hollow Knight community has been incredibly active since Silksong’s release, and I’ve gathered some of the best tips from Discord, Reddit, and Steam forums. The community knowledge base rivals what you’d find in discussions about action JRPGs or other deep gaming genres.

The Pacifist Farmer Method

One creative player discovered you don’t actually need to kill Hokers to get Spine Cores – you can bait them into shooting spines at walls where they’ll stick and become collectible. While slower than traditional farming, this method means you never risk taking damage. It’s particularly useful for players struggling with Silksong’s increased difficulty compared to the original.

Multiplayer Coordination

While Silksong is single-player, the community has created an unofficial “racing” format where multiple players farm Spine Cores simultaneously and compare times. This has led to numerous route optimizations and technique discoveries that wouldn’t have emerged from solo play. The current world record stands at 8 minutes and 43 seconds for collecting all 25 cores.

Alternative Rewards Theory

Some community members believe the Seamstress offers different rewards based on how quickly you complete the quest or if you bring her more than 25 Spine Cores. While I haven’t been able to confirm this personally, the theory has enough supporting evidence that it’s worth investigating if you’re going for 100% completion.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Even with perfect knowledge, things can go wrong during the Flexile Spines quest. Here’s how to handle the most common problems:

Hokers Not Respawning

If Hokers aren’t respawning after a bench rest, you’ve likely encountered the “area lock” bug that affects about 5% of players. The solution is to travel two full areas away (not just rooms, but actual named areas) and return. This forces a complete area reset and should restore normal spawning behavior.

Spine Cores Not Counting

I’ve seen reports of players collecting Spine Cores but the counter not updating. This usually happens if you’re collecting them too quickly in succession. The game needs a brief moment to register each collection, so if you’re grab multiple cores within the same frame, some might not count. The solution is to collect them slightly more slowly, ensuring you see the counter increment for each one.

Seamstress Missing

If the Seamstress isn’t in her usual location, you may have triggered one of her wandering events. She occasionally moves to different locations based on story progression or time of day (yes, Silksong has a day/night cycle that affects NPC behavior). Check the three alternate locations: the Far Fields entrance, the bench room to her left, or the secret alcove above her normal spot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you get Spine Cores before meeting the Seamstress?

Technically yes, but they won’t appear in your inventory properly. I learned this the hard way during my second playthrough when I killed several Hokers before finding the Seamstress. The cores dropped and could be collected, but they didn’t count toward the quest. Always talk to the Seamstress first to properly initialize the quest.

Do Spine Cores have any use beyond the Flexile Spines quest?

Currently, no. Once you’ve turned in your 25 cores for the Drifter’s Cloak, additional Spine Cores can’t be collected. The Hokers continue to drop them, but you can’t pick them up. Some players speculate this might be groundwork for future DLC content, but that’s pure speculation at this point.

Is the Drifter’s Cloak skippable for any endings?

Unlike some items in Hollow Knight that were technically optional, the Drifter’s Cloak appears to be mandatory for all current endings. Even the most skilled players haven’t found ways to sequence break around it. The game’s level design specifically gates critical progression behind dash-dependent obstacles.

What’s the fastest time to complete this quest?

The current speedrun record for the Flexile Spines quest (from talking to the Seamstress to receiving the cloak) is 8 minutes and 43 seconds. This requires perfect routing, the double-hit technique on every Hoker, and zero mistakes. For normal players, completing it in 15-20 minutes is considered excellent.

Can you lose Spine Cores if you die?

No, Spine Cores are treated as quest items rather than currency. If you die while carrying them, they remain in your inventory. This is different from Rosaries, which drop as a shade that you need to recover. However, any cores you haven’t picked up yet will despawn if you die, so always collect them before engaging in risky behavior.

Final Tips for Mastering the Flexile Spines Quest

After all my time with Silksong and helping others through this quest, here are my final pieces of advice for making your Spine Core collection as smooth as possible:

First, don’t rush. I know the temptation to power through and get that dash ability as quickly as possible, but taking an extra few minutes to properly plan your route and understand Hoker patterns will save you time and frustration in the long run. The Drifter’s Cloak is worth the wait.

Second, use this quest as practice for Silksong’s combat system. The skills you develop fighting Hokers – spacing, timing, silk management – apply to every boss and enemy encounter in the game. Think of this as an extended tutorial that happens to reward you with one of the game’s best abilities.

Third, don’t be afraid to take breaks. Farming can become monotonous, and when you’re tired, you make mistakes. I’ve found that taking a five-minute break every 10 cores keeps me sharp and actually results in faster overall completion.

Finally, remember that Silksong is meant to be enjoyed. While I’ve provided optimal strategies and speedrun techniques, there’s no shame in taking your time and exploring at your own pace. The Seamstress will wait for you, and those Hokers aren’t going anywhere.

The Flexile Spines quest exemplifies everything that makes Silksong special – challenging but fair combat, meaningful progression rewards, and that signature Team Cherry attention to detail that makes every moment feel crafted with care. Whether this is your first time through or you’re going for that perfect speedrun, I hope this guide helps you master one of Silksong’s most important early game challenges. For more comprehensive coverage of everything Silksong has to offer, check out our complete guide to Hollow Knight Silksong.

Happy hunting, and may your silk always be full when you need it most!