What to know

  • Groal the Great is found at the top of Bilewater, accessible through a difficult gauntlet and runback.
  • The fight begins after a mini-boss rush, featuring arena waves and environmental hazards.
  • Groal’s attacks include dives, area suction, acid spits, summons, and hefty damage with each hit.
  • Key cheese and strategy tips make the battle more manageable, including platforming tricks, attack warning tells, and healing windows.

Groal the Great is often called Silksong’s toughest boss before the final act, requiring skill and patience to locate and defeat. Knowing where to find him and how to counter his unique moves can make all the difference for success.

Groal the Great’s moves and counter strategies

Groal boasts a massive body and varied attack patterns, combining environmental dangers with forceful moves. Knowing the cues and counters helps:

Dive

Visual Cue: Groal crouches low before suddenly leaping and plunging into the muck.

How to Respond: Move left or right to avoid his landing spot. When he resurfaces, that’s your chance to double-jump or pogo off him for safe damage.

Resurface

Visual Cue: Green particles bubble up from the muck, showing exactly where he’ll come back.

How to Respond: Stay clear of the glowing spot. As he pops out, you can pogo off his head for a few free hits.

Suck In (Inhale)

Visual Cue: Groal opens his mouth wide and begins pulling you toward him in a cone-shaped suction.

How to Respond: Run away to resist the pull. If you’re confident, you can toss a bomb to interrupt the move. Even while being dragged in, you still have opportunities to strike him.

Acid Spit

Visual Cue: A faint green glow builds up before he spits out two explosive blobs that arc outward.

How to Respond: Keep your distance so the blobs land harmlessly. If you’re too close, dash underneath him or pogo over his head to stay safe.

Vengeful Spirit

Visual Cue: Groal pauses for a brief wind-up, then fires a fast-moving projectile in a straight line.

How to Respond: Jump or drop vertically to evade. Don’t stay on the same horizontal line as him for too long, or you’ll be in the projectile’s path.

How to heal and maximize survival

  • The safest time to heal is right after Groal dives below the muck or during his spit animation.
  • The arena is full of hazards—stay nimble and use wall-jumps or harpoon moves to escape trouble.
  • If you’re infected from the water, find a secret chamber nearby with clean water to cleanse before the fight.
  • Harpoon and double jump immediately after dropping in the water to minimize infection and avoid path detours.

Step-by-step guide to beating Groal the Great

Step 1

Reach Bilewater, move through the upper routes and eastward in Songclave, and search for Shakra to acquire the Bilewater Map.

Step 2

Once you get the map, check your position. You will find Shakra near the Bilehave. Progress westwards through Bilewater to reach Bilehaven.

Step 3

Enter Groal’s lair with full health and silk. If needed, refill by finding secret chambers to heal.

Position on the left platform. Use charged needles to burst down trappers from afar, then Cogfly to handle maggot clusters. Dash through poison sprays; each wave lasts 20-30 seconds.

Step 4

During the fight, prioritize dodging his dive and inhalation attacks. Position on low platforms, pogo when he resurfaces, and avoid the marked bubbling spots.

Step 5

Interrupt the suck-in move with a bomb. If caught, mash attack to break free while damaging the boss.

Step 6

Heal directly after Groal dives or spits. Avoid healing when minions are summoned or Groal is airborne.

Step 7

Maintain patience. Losing progress happens because of the hard runback, but persistence and learning each attack pattern pays off.

What you get after the win

Defeating Groal unlocks access to new Bilehaven areas as a bench unlocks after the win, most notably letting you acquire the Seeker’s Soul, an important progression item for entering Act 3 and advancing to the Putrefied Ducts zone.

Groal the Great: Battle Recap

Patience, learning the attack cues, and strategic positioning transform Groal from Silksong’s greatest wall to a satisfying victory. Master platforming, resource use, and exploit every healing window for the smoothest win.