Silksong Hokers and their Spine Cores are a part of the Flexible Spine Wish, needed to unlock the glide ability. Despite the fact that most Wishes in Hollow Knight Silksong are optional, this quest is not, as the reward it gives you is mandatory if you want to progress though the game. That means that finding the location of Hokers and harvesting their Spine Cores is an essential puzzle for Silksong, one that I'll explain in our guide below.
Where to find Hokers and Spine Cores in Silksong
Hokers are the round, spikey enemies found in the southeast cave region of the Far Fields. They look like a bowling ball with a green beard and four to six pale spikes sticking out. Thankfully, they're one of Silksong's more docile enemies, only shooting out all their spines at once when attacked by Hornet, and it's telegraphed with plenty of time for you to get out the way.
To recover a Hoker's Spine Cores, you need to attack it to get it to fire out its spines and then attack those spines, causing them to turn into the collectible Spine Core item, which is just a glowing, white orb. Since Hokers regenerate their spikes and die in three hits, you can collect up to three lots of spines per Hoker, which will help you reach the necessary 25 Spine Cores quickly.
There are several Hokers along the ground-level path in this cave region and a couple more on the upper path, so more than enough. Just keep attacking Hokers and their spines in this area until you have enough, then return to the Seamstress and hand them over to get your reward – just like with the Druid's Silksong Mossberries.
Silksong Flexible Spine Wish rewards
Completing the Flexible Spine Wish in Silksong is critical as it unlocks the Drifter's Cloak for Hornet, which is essential for reaching new areas. The Drifter's Cloak opens like a parachute when holding the jump button (X on Playstation/A on Xbox/B on Switch) while in the air, allowing Hornet to glide as she falls and ride air updrafts to reach new heights.
Using this, you can ascend through the Far Fields to reach Greymoor and continue your journey towards the Citadel in Pharloom. Combining it with your Swift Step ability and Silksong pogo jumps will let you travel really quite far too, potentially helping you get to previously unreachable areas.
Much later in the game, you can unlock a Silksong double jump move for even more mobility. Or find out how to hunt the nearby Silksong Savage Beastfly!
© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.
