How to Get Pale Oil in Hollow Knight: Silksong
In Hollow Knight: Silksong, Hornet wields the Needle, her signature weapon and primary source of melee damage. The Needle’s damage can be upgraded by collecting a rare upgrade material called Pale Oil. Finding these items isn’t easy, but they’re essential if you want to maximize Hornet’s damage output. This guide explains everything you need to know about Pale Oil, including what it’s used for and where to find each one.
What to Do With Pale Oil – Pinmaster Plinney Explained
Before looking at the Pale Oil locations, it helps to know how upgrades work. Each time you find a Pale Oil, bring it to Pinmaster Plinney in his shop in the upper right-side of Bellhart. Plinney is the craftsman who sharpens your Needle, and every Pale Oil you give him boosts your weapon’s damage, making fights much easier as you progress.
On your first visit, Plinney gives you a special Wish called “Pinmaster’s Oil.” This Wish teaches you how sharpening works and completes as soon as you perform your first upgrade.
Needle Upgrade Costs
| Needle Upgrade | Cost in Rosaries |
|---|---|
| Sharpened | Free |
| Hivesteel | 500 |
| Pale Steel | 900 |
Where Does Pinmaster Plinney Go?
The first time you bring Pale Oil to Plinney, he will upgrade your Needle without issue. However, when you return with a second Pale Oil, you’ll find his shop closed. On the door is a note explaining that he has gone into the forest to visit a grave.
Head into the Shellwood and climb to the top room (see map above). There, you’ll find a graveyard where Plinney mourns. Waves of enemies attack as you arrive, and you must cut them down to protect him. After you clear the area, speak with Plinney. He will return to his shop in Bellhart, ready to keep sharpening your Needle with the Pale Oil you bring him.
Pale Oil Locations
Pale Oil #1 – The Citadel
The first Pale Oil is located inside the Citadel, specifically in the Cogwork Core. To reach it, you’ll need to complete a challenging platforming sequence filled with saw blades, a combat room, and some box moving puzzles. At the end of this section, you will find a corpse holding the Pale Oil. Collect it to earn your first upgrade material.
Pale Oil #2 – The Grand Gourmand’s Wish
Another Pale Oil is rewarded for completing the Wish “The Great Taste of Pharloom.” This quest is given by Mergwin in the Citadel and tasks you with gathering five rare delicacies from across Pharloom. Once you deliver them, Mergwin prepares a dish for the Grand Gourmand, who eats it and rewards you with a Pale Oil, along with the Glutton achievement or trophy.
Pale Oil #3 – Festival of the Flea
The third Pale Oil comes from the Wish “Ecstasy of the End,” which unlocks once you’ve found all of the hidden fleas scattered across Pharloom. After unlocking it, you can accept the Wish from any Wish board. This leads to the Festival of the Flea in the Putrified Ducts.
Travel to the Putrified Ducts and speak with the flea leader to begin the festival. Once it starts, you’ll need to compete in three different mini-games. Place first in all three to trigger a winners’ celebration. During the celebration, destroy the piñata to claim the final Pale Oil and complete the Wish.
That’s everything you need to know about finding and using Pale Oil in Hollow Knight: Silksong. This rare material is essential if you want to boost your damage output and make tougher fights more manageable.
If you’re interested in more side content, check out our guide to the Mister Mushroom Wish, “Passing of the Age,” for another unique Pharloom quest.
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