The Hunter’s March: Hollow Knight: Silksong’s Brutal Gauntlet Divides the Community

Since its shadow-drop release on September 4, 2025, Hollow Knight: Silksong has been lauded as a worthy successor to its legendary predecessor. Critics and fans alike have praised its expanded world, stunning art direction, and Hornet’s fluid, acrobatic movement. However, one specific area has emerged as a major point of contention and a source of collective frustration for the player base: the Hunter’s March. This treacherous, late-game gauntlet has sparked a heated debate online, with players taking to forums and social media with a single, desperate question: “Am I just terrible?”

The Hunter’s March is a perfect microcosm of Silksong’s core design philosophy: to take the brutally difficult but fair challenges of the original Hollow Knight and turn the dial up to eleven. For many, this is a thrilling evolution. For others, it’s a roadblock that has led to genuine moments of despair and self-doubt.

What Makes the Hunter’s March So Difficult?

Located in a remote, ant-infested section of Pharloom, the Hunter’s March is not a single boss fight but a sustained test of every skill Hornet has acquired. The area is a vertical climb through a series of interlocking, hazard-filled rooms, each one designed to push the player’s platforming and combat abilities to their absolute limit.

• No Benches: Unlike other areas in the game, the Hunter’s March offers no benches or rest points for long stretches. This means every death sends you back to the very beginning of the gauntlet, creating a sense of mounting dread and a terrifyingly high-stakes environment.
• Challenging Platforming: The platforming here is unforgiving. Players must utilize a combination of Hornet’s unique moves—including the new diagonal Needle Pogo—to navigate platforms and avoid spikes. A single mistimed jump can lead to a long fall and instant death.
• Relentless Enemies: The Hunter’s March is populated by a new class of enemies known as Skarrs—powerful, armored ants that hit hard and often appear in groups. The game forces you into a series of mini-gauntlets, where you must defeat waves of these relentless foes before the path forward is unlocked.
• The “Booby-Trapped Bench”: The most talked-about and psychologically damaging part of the Hunter’s March is the infamous bench. After a particularly grueling section of the climb, players finally see the light at the end of the tunnel: a lone, welcoming bench. However, upon approaching it, they discover it is booby-trapped. The bench collapses, dropping Hornet into a pit of spikes and a gauntlet of angry enemies. This “troll” moment from Team Cherry has been both praised for its thematic brilliance and reviled for its perceived cruelty.

Community Reactions: From Frustration to Triumph

The online discourse surrounding the Hunter’s March has been a mix of raw frustration and shared struggle. On Reddit forums and Discord servers, players have been posting their horror stories, with many questioning their own abilities. “I’ve beaten the Path of Pain, but this feels different,” one user wrote. Another added, “I’m genuinely a little scared to go back. Is this what games are supposed to feel like?”

However, others have come to the defense of the area, arguing that it is a test of true mastery. They contend that the Hunter’s March is an optional, late-game challenge designed for those who want to push themselves. They point out that Hornet’s moveset, particularly with the right Crests (like the Wanderer Crest, which provides a more Knight-like downward pogo), makes the challenge not only surmountable but deeply rewarding. Completing the area, they argue, provides a sense of triumph and genuine accomplishment that is rare in modern gaming.

The Broader Impact and SEO Implications

The debate over the Hunter’s March highlights a core theme in the gaming community: the balance between challenge and accessibility. While some argue for more forgiving mechanics, others believe that an uncompromising difficulty is what makes a game like Silksong so special.

For content creators and gaming news sites, the Hunter’s March is a goldmine for high-traffic, high-value keywords. Terms such as “Hollow Knight Silksong Hunter’s March walkthrough”, “Hunter’s March booby-trapped bench”, and “Silksong hardest areas” are seeing massive search volume. The discussion also provides a rich source for content on “game difficulty debate” and “Metroidvania level design”. This single area has become a viral phenomenon, cementing its place in the game’s cultural legacy and ensuring that it will be a major talking point for months to come.

Ultimately, the Hunter’s March is not just a difficult level; it is a rite of passage for Silksong players. It’s a test of patience, skill, and perseverance that forces players to ask, “Am I just terrible?” The answer, as many have discovered, is no. You’re just playing one of the most punishingly brilliant games of the decade.