Working out how to use the Twisted Bud in Hollow Knight: Silksong is something you'll want to do as soon as possible, especially as it'll just sit screaming in your inventory if you leave it be. This whiny little plant is actually quite important, unlocking either a new crest or an entirely new ending to Act 2 called Twisted Child.
If you want to get this ending, you effectively have to infect yourself with the Twisted Bud, which places a load of restrictions on Hornet's healing and tool use, and then complete a challenge run to beat the last boss. It's really quite tricky, so you'll likely prefer to just remove the Twisted Bud instead, which involves its very own questline.
For all you Elden Ring fans out there, think of it a little like getting infected with the Flame of Frenzy—you can get a unique ending, or return to normal via a few extra steps. Below, I'll explain where to find the Twisted Bud and how to immediately remove it once you regret your decision and get the Witch crest.
Where to find the Twisted Bud in Silksong
You can get the Twisted Bud in a chamber sealed off by roots in the northwest of Bilewater. This is accessible via either Sinner's Road if you progress through the area, or by dropping down nearby from the Whispering Vaults above. If coming from the Whispering Vaults, you'll find the hidden passage in the corner of the room in the screen below, then you just have to jump over some cogs and drop down a giant shaft into a worm pit.
Once at the bottom, go right, drop down, and then head left, smashing vines and following the crying sound, to find the Twisted Bud on a pedestal. It's worth noting that you can still grab the Twisted Bud in Act 3 if you haven't already (which is what I did).
How to use the Twisted Bud in Silksong
You'll first have to complete the Rite of the Pollip quest for Greyroot in Shellwood to use the Twisted Bud, which you still do in Act 3. Deliver all six pollips to her, and you'll unlock the Rite of Rebirth quest, in which Greyroot infests you with the bud. Now, before you do this, here's what the Twisted Bud actually does:
- It removes your crest so you can't equip tools
- It heavily limits your silk so you can't bind to heal
- You'll be stuck with the Witch Crest moveset
There is a way to remove it, though, through the Infestation Operation quest. You can either:
- Remove the Twisted Bud: This gets you the Witch Crest
- Keep the Twisted Bud: Once you defeat the final boss of Act 2, you'll get the unique Twisted Child ending
Obviously, that second option is a very tough self-imposed challenge with these limitations, so you might prefer to remove the Twisted Bud for the crest instead.
How to remove the Twisted Bud in Silksong
Before you go through with the Rite of Rebirth quest from Greyroot, make sure you have 260 Rosaries (preferably in the form of Rosary Strings) since you'll be needing them. After Greyroot uses the root, you'll wake up in the Chapel of the Witch, and can either escape into the top half of The Marrow or back into the Shellwood.
Either way, you'll want to head to Greymoor and the tower that contains the Chapel of the Reaper, on its left side. Since you can't equip tools, you won't have a compass, so I suggest finding a point of the map you know (like Bellhart) and tracking your movements from there. Climb that tower and then take the upper left passage, which will lead you to a bellhome where you can knock on the front door.
Yarnaby will let you in and give you the Infestation Operation quest. Now you'll have to head to Sinner's Road to find Crull and Benjin and purchase Steel Spines. From the Sinner's Road bench, head right across the shaft into the room with the hanging cages and worm pits, then climb it to reach them in the top right corner. If you haven't been to Sinner's Road yet, it's accessible on the upper level of Greymoor, directly above the Halfway House—just beeline right from Yarnaby to find the lift shortcut, then climb a bit higher.
Crull and Benjin will ask for 260 Rosaries for the Steel Spines, but if you're in Act 3, they have simply died, and you can loot the items from them. Return to Yarnaby via the same route and let him remove the Twisted Bud. This will get you the Witch Crest.
Now, the Witch Crest is a little confusing in that it seems like you can't heal, but it has an offensive heal. When you bind, it'll emit roots, and you have to hit enemies with these in order for it to heal you.
