Among the mysteries tucked deep within Hollow Knight: Silksong, few items stir as much unease as the Twisted Bud. This strange, vine-wrapped relic is not only unsettling in appearance—it weeps and wails in your inventory like a cursed seedling—but it also serves as the key to one of the game’s most harrowing challenges and endings.

If you’ve been chasing every hidden thread in Pharloom, you’ve likely heard whispers of the Twisted Bud. Below, we’ll walk through where to find it, what it does, and how it leads you to the infamous Cursed Ending, “Twisted Child.”

Where to Find the Twisted Bud in Silksong

The Twisted Bud does not appear on your quest log, nor does the game hint at its purpose. You’ll have to unearth it through careful exploration:

Step 1 – Hidden Path in the Whispering Vaults

Travel through the Whispering Vaults, keeping an eye out near a chamber that also hides a Mask Shard.
In the top-right corner of this room, strike the large blocks to create makeshift ledges.
Break through the weakened wall to reveal a secret passage.

A map of the "Whispering Vaults" area in Hollow Knight: Silksong, showing the character Hornet's location and a secret path leading to the "Underworks." The map highlights the "Choral Chambers," "Songclave," and "Underworks" sections of the dungeon. — Credit: Team Cherry

This hidden route is booby-trapped with spinning cogs and precarious jumps. Beyond it lies a vast shaft that plunges straight down into Bilewater.

Step 2 – Bilewater’s Infested Depths

Once in Bilewater, prepare for a gauntlet of hazards: spiked walls, stamina-sapping pools of sludge, and hostile plant matter.
Push forward through twisting corridors, cutting away vines that choke your path.
At last, you’ll reach a secluded chamber where the Twisted Bud rests glowing on a pedestal, its cries echoing against the stone.

An in-game map of the "Bilewater" area in Hollow Knight: Silksong. The map highlights a path leading from "Whispering Vaults" to the "Exhaust Organ" and a secluded chamber where the Twisted Bud is located. A red arrow points to the precise location of the item. — Credit: Team Cherry

What to Do With the Twisted Bud?

On its own, the Twisted Bud seems like nothing more than a grotesque trinket. But its true purpose is revealed when you return it to Greyroot, the mysterious NPC in Shellwood.

The Rite of Rebirth

Handing over the Twisted Bud to Greyroot unlocks the Rite of Rebirth questline.
In doing so, Hornet becomes cursed:
- Healing via bind is disabled—you can only heal at benches.
- Silk energy is drastically reduced.
- All crests and tools, including essentials like the Compass, are stripped away.

This transforms your journey into a relentless trial, forcing you to rely on precision, memory, and grit.

The Cursed Ending – “Twisted Child”

If you accept the Rite of Rebirth and carry the curse into the final confrontation, you can unlock one of Silksong’s most elusive conclusions:

Defeat the final boss while still afflicted by the Twisted Bud.
Endure the heightened difficulty—no crests, no healing magic, only benches for respite.
Succeed, and you’ll witness the Twisted Child ending, a chilling alternate resolution to Hornet’s saga.

A screenshot of the "Cursed Ending," "Twisted Child," from Hollow Knight: Silksong. It shows the character Hornet transformed with twisted, vine-like appendages, entangled with the final boss, which is a bright, ethereal figure. — Credit: Team Cherry

However, there’s a caveat: once you cure the curse, the opportunity to see this ending disappears. If you wish to claim it, you must commit.

How to Remove the Twisted Bud?

Not every player will want to endure the limitations. If you regret carrying the Bud’s curse, you can cleanse it through the Infestation Operation questline:

Speak with Yarnaby, a hidden physician in Greymoor.
Collect Steel Spines from NPCs Crull and Benjin in Sinner’s Road (or loot them later in Act 3).
Return the spines to Yarnaby, who will extract the Bud and replace it with the Witch’s Crest—a powerful crest that introduces a new, root-infused healing mechanic.