Discover all the Pale Oil locations to fully upgrade your weapon in Silksong!

In Hollow Knight: Silksong, upgrading your needle requires Pale Oil, which is scattered throughout the game world. To enhance your weapon’s damage, you’ll need to bring this resource to Pinmaster Plinney in Bellhart. While upgrading isn’t strictly necessary, tackling the late game without a few enhancements can be quite challenging. Below, I’ll guide you through obtaining all needle upgrades and locating the Pale Oil needed for those upgrades.

Needle upgrades are provided by Pinmaster Plinney, an NPC located in Bellhart. However, you must defeat the Silksong Widow boss to unlock these upgrades. You can reach Bellhart before the fight, but the area won’t be populated until after you’ve taken down the boss. Pinmaster Plinney is situated on a raised platform in the town, so be prepared to do some jumping to reach him.

When you first chat with him, he’ll permanently upgrade your Needle’s damage for free. After that, all subsequent upgrades will require Pale Oil, and you’ll receive a side quest called the Pinmaster’s Wish to help you start your search. There are three Pale Oil items in the game, but the Wish only tasks you with finding one.

Here are the locations of the three Pale Oil items in Silksong, listed from easiest to hardest:

The simplest Pale Oil can be found on the left side of the Whispering Vaults, hidden behind a series of moving crates. This puzzle is straightforward and can be solved using the wall jump ability. Once you collect the Pale Oil, you’ll also unlock a new route connecting the Vaults to the Choral Chambers. Just remember to approach from the right side, as the left path is initially blocked.

In the Choral Chambers, the NPC Loyal Mergwin will reward you with Pale Oil if you bring him five different dishes from across the game. Each dish is located in its own region and has specific requirements, making this a lengthy quest that you’ll likely complete toward the end of your journey.

The final Pale Oil is a reward from the Fleas, following a lengthy quest chain. To obtain it, you’ll need to complete several tasks. This process will take you through nearly the entire game, and reaching act three can be quite the challenge. I highly recommend finding the NPC Vog in the Putrified Ducts, as shown on the map. Once you locate her, she will head to the Flea Caravan and become a vendor, selling Flea maps that reveal their locations in various regions. It costs some in-game currency, but it’s a worthwhile investment to uncover all their locations!

If you need more assistance with Pharloom, there’s plenty of information available about the Silksong Slab and Apostate Key, or tips on defeating the legendary Silksong Savage Beastfly boss!