It’s become more common in recent years for games to use their safe zones to lull you into a false sense of security. From the jumpscare moment of Ellie being attacked at a crafting bench in The Last of Us Part 2 to Sam’s nightmares in his private room in Death Stranding, nowhere truly provides sanctuary anymore. Well, it seems even Hollow Knight: Silksong is jumping in on the trend now and killing players with a devious trap.
In both the original Hollow Knight and its sequel, Silksong, benches provide moments of respite in the otherwise harsh, cruel worlds of Hallownest and Pharloom. They act similarly to bonfires in Dark Souls, healing you, becoming a checkpoint should you die, and respawning all the enemies you felled. However, as reported by Kotaku, one is not like the others.
In Hunter’s March, a long, challenging part of the game, you’ll find a bench tucked away in an unassuming corner of the map. Seeing it, your instinct will be to sit on it to get a much-needed break, but doing so will actually trigger a deadly trap.
Me in my head thinking “This hunter’s march area is super hard, there’s no benches” then I find a bench… #hollowknight #Silksong pic.twitter.com/mTXKgMUtNUSeptember 5, 2025
Once Hornet plops herself down to take a rest, a spiked pendulum swings down quickly and deals two masks’ worth of damage. By the time you’ve gotten to this point, you’re likely very low on health, so this is an instant kill for most players who’ve encountered it.
“I have no words. This is the most anger I have ever felt for any game ever. I had one mask,” writes a frustrated player on Reddit (spotted by TheGamer). “I even sat down a second time, thinking it was a one-time trap,” admits another. I want to feel bad, but fool me once and all that.
So, when you get to Hunter’s March, keep your wits about you. And if you’re struggling with early bosses, check out our guide on how to kill the Bell Beast.