How to pogo jump in Hollow Knight Silksong

Hollow Knight Silksong pogo jump off large skull enemy
(Image credit: Team Cherry)

The Hollow Knight Silksong pogo jump is an essential mechanic to learn and master as early as possible, being both useful for combat and required for some platforming sections. It's a returning mechanic from the first game, but it works a little differently in Hollow Knight Silksong, and the game doesn't mention it or explain how it works at all. So, if you're struggling to figure out how this diving attack works, I've explained the essentials of pogo jumping in Hollow Knight Silksong below.

Hollow Knight Silksong pogo jumping explained

Hollow Knight Silksong pogo jump air dive attack at enemy

(Image credit: Team Cherry)

A pogo jump in Silksong happens when you hit an enemy or a platforming object after performing an air dive attack. Doing so propels Hornet directly upwards, gaining extra height, which is essential for reaching certain areas and is useful in combat.

If this is completely new to you, you first need to learn about Hornet's air dive, which can be a little finnicky as you need to press several buttons quickly. To perform one of these attacks, you need to jump then, while in the air, aim down (using the left stick, D-pad or WASD depending on your input device) and attack. This will cause Hornet to dive diagonally downward (whether she goes left or right depends on the direction you're facing) with her needle outstretched, stabbing whatever's ahead. Obviously if she hits an enemy or a platforming object, she'll leap up with a pogo jump too.

Hollow Knight Silksong pogo jump off red flower chain

(Image credit: Team Cherry)

As I've mentioned, pogo jumping is an important mechanic in Silksong that's worth practising early, particularly as it's most useful when chained together to stay in the air. As an example, you'll need to pogo jump repeatedly to climb the red flowers found in The Marrow in the first couple of hours of the game. You can even use it to bounce off silver spikes to protect Hornet from harm and you collect one of the three Hollow Knight Silksong Mossberries very early on using this technique.

In combat, it's also useful for both dealing damage to enemies and avoiding damage from enemy attacks, as in the first game. Obviously, the major difference between pogo-ing in that game versus Silksong is that Hornet must move diagonally downward rather than vertically downward, so positioning is a lot more important and follow-up pogo-jumps can be trickier to execute. And there are even attack-altering Crests that you can equip that will affect your air dive, and therefore your pogo-jumping abilities.

So now that you're armed with knowledge of how to air dive and pogo jump, you can use it to overcome the many Hollow Knight Silksong bosses and reach new areas you might have spotted on your Hollow Knight Silksong map.

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Will Sawyer
Guides Writer

Will Sawyer is a guides writer at GamesRadar+ who works with the rest of the guides team to give readers great information and advice on the best items, how to complete a particular challenge, or where to go in some of the biggest video games. Will joined the GameRadar+ team in August 2021 and has written about service titles, including Fortnite, Destiny 2, and Warzone, as well as some of the biggest releases like Halo Infinite, Elden Ring, and God of War Ragnarok.

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