You are sure to collect a ton of Shell Shards in Hollow Knight: Silksong. It acts as a secondary currency, but its purpose isn’t entirely clear from the outset. If you’re maxed out and wondering how to use them, we can tell you everything.
It only took an hour or so to start being confused by Hollow Knight: Silksong. This is perfect, and it’s what we want! This is why the original Hollow Knight was so endearing—it’s a classic Metroidvania filled with mysteries and questions. Silksong picks up where its predecessor left off and throws a host of random items at us. Shell Shards are bound to have you confused at first.
This guide has information on what they do, how to use them, how to get more, and how to refill Tools.
How Do You Use Shell Shards in Hollow Knight: Silksong?
Shell Shards are used automatically in Hollow Knight: Silksong when you sit down at a rest spot.
As our screenshot shows above, if you’ve used your Red Tool, it needs replenishing, and using any of the game’s ‘Rest’ benches will automatically refill your Red Tool. Shell Shards can’t be used manually (as far as we can tell) and are only reserved for those somber resting moments where Hornet’s Red Tool needs a top-up.
What Do Shell Shards Do in Hollow Knight: Silksong?
Shell Shards are used specifically to refill your Red Tool in Silksong.
As you progress through Silksong, you collect Shell Shards. They’re meaningless and useless at first, but once you acquire your first Red Tool—the Straight Pin is the first tool you can realistically acquire—and equip it to Hornet, you have a finite amount of uses with it.
Red Tools can only be recharged from Rest spots. So be careful about how often you use the ability. We recommend saving Red Tools for bigger and more Elite enemies, or making sure you have a full inventory ready to tackle a boss—such as Lace in the Deep Docks.
How To Get More Shell Shards in Hollow Knight: Silksong
The best ways to get Shell Shards are to explore the environment and break Shell Shard Deposits, find hidden areas, farm enemies, and use the Shard Pendant.
Farming
Enter an area, kill enemies, and leave. Simple. This effective copy-and-paste method allows you to quickly dart back and forth between loading screens to respawn the enemies you just killed. Doing this a few times is a quick way to restore your Shell Shards fast and without too much trouble.
Shard Pendant
The Shard Pendant increases the amount of Shell Shards you earn. While we probably wouldn’t recommend it over other items, it’s great if you’re struggling and need to restore your Shards for a boss that keeps toying with you.
Check out its precise location in The Marrow.
Shell Shard Deposits
Like Hollow Knight, Silksong has a ton of hidden areas for you to find. Many of them have goodies, collectibles, and contributions towards side missions. A few of them will include Shell Shard Deposit boxes brimming with Shell Shards. These provide huge boosts to your stockpile.
Look out for dark spaces where you can enter, and look for breakable walls as they are found scattered around every area in the overall map.
Let us know how you get on with Shell Shards. Did you find this guide useful? What other guides do you need to help you out with Hollow Knight: Silksong? Let us know through the Insider Gaming forum.
Also, check out how to defeat the Bell Beast and the game’s file sizes on every platform.
Andy is Insider Gaming's Senior Evergreen Editor and has been in the games journalism sphere in one way or another for over 7 years. His video game taste is as…
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