Groal the Great is the giant, frog-like monstrosity boss Hornet encounters at the end of Bilewater, and if you’ve gotten this far in Hollow Knight: Silksong, you should expect that he’s not a usual miniboss. He is big in size, has speed, poison, surprise attacks, and even a few unfair mechanics thrown in for good measure. On top of that, the runback to reach him is one of the roughest in Silksong. And once you finally get there, Groal makes you prove yourself by surviving enemy hordes before he himself enters the arena. He’s huge, unpredictable, and fills the screen with poison and projectiles. But once you learn his tells and play with strategy and patience, this tough boss is beatable. This guide tells Groal the Great location in Silksong, how to win this fight, and what rewards you get after defeating this froggy creature.
Where to Find Groal the Great in Silksong
You can find Groal the Great in Bilehaven, right at the top of Bilewater as shown in the above image. The trek there is long, poisonous, and full of ambushes. If you haven’t obtained the Faydown Cloak Double Jump from Mount Fay, you should do that first as you can’t progress without it and need Hornet’s Double Jump for the climb and the fight.
There are two main paths into Bilewater:
- Sinner’s Road – hidden entrance above Halfway Home. Long but accessible earlier.
- Putrefied Ducts – shorter, but locked until Act 2.
No matter the route, keep an eye on poison pools and remember: if you get poisoned, you’ll have to burn a Bind charge to cleanse instead of heal. Eventually, you’ll reach the bench near the ascent to Bilehaven. Sit there, because you’re going to die a few times. From here, you’ll face multiple enemy waves (you have to kill first) and traps before Groal the Great makes its appearance.
Surviving the Pre-Boss Gauntlet
The warm-up is honestly harder than some actual bosses. You’ll face needle shooters, mosquitoes, spike-ball traps, and more. The safest strategy is to stay grounded and be patient:
- When fliers spawn, pogo on their heads rather than chasing them midair.
- The swinging spike traps? Just camp in the corner and jump as they pass.
- Use these waves to farm Silk. Don’t waste heavy tools here; save them for the boss.
By the end, you should walk into the boss arena with full Silk and solid HP.
How to Defeat Groal the Great in Silksong
Groal is a big target, but he doesn’t give you much time to hit him. You need to understand when it’s safe to punish and when you need to get out. Here’s how to handle each of his attacks and turn them into damage opportunities:
Dive & Resurface
He’ll crouch slightly, then leap into the poison below. Watch for green bubbles in the muck. Move to the side and wait for him to move back up. As he emerges, pogo off his head or land a quick slash before he takes off again. This is one of your safest damage windows.
Mouth Pull (Suck)
Groal stops and opens his big mouth, pulling you toward him in a wide cone. If you get eaten, you’ll take two Masks of damage even if you slash free. Don’t risk it — just dash and run opposite to him until it ends. Once the pull stops, he lingers briefly, so you can deliver a couple of hits.
Poison Spit
He spits out two green poison balls that bounce once, then explode. If you’re underneath him, you can walk or dash under and punish with upward strikes. But if you’re above him, pogo off his head while he spits.
Spike-Ball Trap
Every so often, the huge spiked ball swings across the entire arena. Listen for the chain snapping, wait a half-second, then jump. The safest play is to hug the corner and hop over it as it passes. Don’t try to sneak in attacks here, simply reset and get ready for his next move.
Surprise Lunge (Dive Burst)
When he’s underwater, sometimes he’ll launch straight up to smash you. The warning is the water rising slightly. The second you see it, move away. If you bait him into jumping near you, you can punish with one or two quick strikes as he lands.
Summons
He’ll dive under and spit out smaller enemies from green fountains. They disappear quickly, but if you’re above the spawn point, you can pogo them for extra Silk. Otherwise, just dodge and reset but don’t let them pin you with Groal’s other attacks.
Vengeful Spirit
When Groal roars and his eyes glow, he then fires white Soul projectiles horizontally, up to three in a row. He aims at your vertical height, so jump right before he shoots to bait the shot higher, then drop back down and punish from below. Tools like trip mines or knives are a good choice here since he’s in the air a lot.
Groal the Great Boss Strategy & Tips
- Groal doesn’t give many safe punish windows, so take one or two hits at a time and reset.
- If you cling too high on the walls, his spit and Soul shots become harder to dodge so keep the fight grounded.
- The good pattern for this combat is pogoing him, then moving back to the wall and repeating. Once you get this loop down, the fight will be more under control.
- Don’t blow your mines or ranged knives during the gauntlet or early fight, you’ll need them when he starts mixing projectiles with dives.
- After his dive (while he’s still underground) or during Poison Spit. Don’t risk heals during Mouth Pull or Vengeful Spirit.
There’s a some cheese. If you jump into the poison pools and hug the far left or right wall, Groal struggles to reach you. It’s risky, but it can buy time to heal or reset.
Rewards for Defeating Groal
Defeating Groal gives access to the rest of Bilehaven. Past his arena on the left, you’ll come across a swampy hut with the Seeker’s Soul inside, an important item tied to late-game progression to enter Act 3. From here, it also gives you a direct path into the Putrefied Ducts, cutting down on backtracking through Bilewater. You get the Key of Apostate in Ducts and run into the Huntress, who sends you on the Broodfeast questline.
