What to know

  • Red Memory is an unskippable late-game story event tied to Hornet's past.
  • It unlocks after collecting three “hearts” from memory bosses and completing a ritual.
  • The sequence combines challenging platforming and combat inside a crimson dreamscape.
  • Completing Red Memory rewards you with the Everbloom, letting Hornet progress to the deepest areas in the Abyss.

After you’ve put together the hearts of Pharloom’s rulers and returned them for the ritual, Silksong draws you into the vivid “Red Memory”—a dreamlike world built from fragments of Hornet’s past. This area not only offers one of the toughest gauntlets but also serves as a pivotal moment for understanding Silksong’s lore and unlocking the path to the game’s true final act.

The Red Memory sequence

Red Memory takes place in Act 3’s main quest. After meeting the Snail Shamans and learning the Elegy of the Deep, you’re tasked with collecting three out of four memory hearts—from arenas which feature combat with primeval monarchs and bespoke platforming challenges.

Upon turning these in, the Snail Shamans enact a ritual that plunges Hornet into her own memories, represented as a visually striking red-hued space echoing locations and motifs from both Silksong and the earlier Hollow Knight.

What happens during Red Memory

Throughout the segment, Hornet revisits formative events—training with the Weavers, advice from Herrah the Beast, battles overseen by Vespa, and a final encounter with the White Lady who gifts her the Everbloom. Unique mechanics are present here, such as attacks from the Hunter Crest are used exclusively, and the area’s hazards reflect Hornet’s historical struggles.

The music, titled “Red Memory” by Christopher Larkin, weaves earlier musical motifs, deepening the sense of recalling and reconciling lineage. The narrative reinforces Hornet’s mixed heritage as Weaver, Wyrm, and Hive descendant, sharpening the personal stakes and closing story arcs begun in Hallownest.

How to trigger and conquer Red Memory

Step 1

Advance to Act 3 and speak with the Snail Shamans after clearing Act 2’s gate.

Step 2

Learn the Elegy of the Deep, unlocking the ability to access memory arenas.

Step 3

Collect three ancient hearts by finding memory bosses, playing the Elegy, and defeating each monarch in specialized combat trials. Hearts can be claimed in any order.

Step 4

Return the three hearts to the Shamans, who’ll initiate the Red Memory ritual. You’ll be dropped into the Red Memory sequence automatically.

Step 5

Traverse through the Red Memory’s platforming and combat sections.

At the end, Hornet will confront memory echoes and extracts the Everbloom from the White Lady.

Step 6

Upon completion, you'll gain the Everbloom—enabling traversal past the void and access to Silksong’s true ending path.

Red Memory is loved for its fusion of gameplay and storytelling. The various memories, tableau-style cutscenes, and thematic enemies drive home Hornet’s connection to three monarchs and her role as the possible inheritor of Pharloom’s fate. Visuals and sound design mark the area as uniquely personal, blending red visual motifs with heartbeat-like music and cryptic dialogue from major lore figures.