Honestly, after spending what feels like a lifetime grinding through Hollow Knight: Silksong, I’ve come to a painful realization: the bosses aren’t what’s making me age prematurely—it’s the soul-crushing runbacks. Sure, Team Cherry's sequel is tough as nails, and we all expected that. But nothing prepared me for the gauntlets of pure agony you have to trek through just to get another shot at a boss that’s already handed you your rear on a silver platter. It’s not the dying that stings; it’s the repeated, maddening journey back that really makes you want to put your controller through the screen. Let’s dive into the most aggravating boss runbacks that have probably made you scream “not again!” more times than you’d like to admit.

The Cogwork Dancers in the Citadel are a classic example of “the fight is a cakewalk, but the runback will make you wish you’d never been born.” If you slip up against these mechanical menaces, you’ll be cursing your life choices as you respawn at one of two benches. Don’t fall for the bench in Songclave—it’s a trap. That route forces you to tangle with Grand Reeds, the kind of enemies that chip away at your health before you even see the boss door. I’ve lost count of how many times I arrived already battered, only to eat a combo and die in seconds. It’s enough to make you practice the fight blindfolded just to avoid ever dying again.

Then there’s Father of the Flame, a boss that turns the Wisp Thicket into a fiery gauntlet straight out of the underworld. With only one bench smack dab in the middle of the area, you have to hoof it all the way to the far left, dodging Burning Bugs and Wisps that deal two damage a pop if you don’t have the Magma Bell. Every step feels like walking on hot coals, and by the time you reach the arena, you’re already sweating bullets. It’s a miracle if you have any composure left to actually fight.

Early game already throws a curveball with the Savage Beastfly in Hunter’s March. The boss itself is a living meme of annoying design, but the runback? It’s short, sure, but it’s packed with awkward platforming over those devilish red bud things suspended above spikes. What’s worse, the closest bench is a hidden gem that many players completely miss—they just assume it’s another one of the game’s trap benches. So they unwittingly subject themselves to a tripled-down nightmare run from a bench miles away. I bet half the community still has no idea that bench even exists.

Later in the game, things get truly diabolical. The Clover Dancers, hidden away in the memory realm of Lost Verdania, are a magnificent nightmare. The runback is one of the longest in the game, with each room throwing vicious enemies and precision platforming at you while you’re already tilted from dying. There are no benches to speak of in this green hell, so every attempt is a test of sheer endurance. It’s a fitting final challenge for Act Three, but by the time I finally beat them, I felt more relief than triumph.

The Sands of Karak deserve their own special place in infamy. Both the Watcher at the Edge and the Raging Conchfly lurk in this sprawling desert, and their runbacks are the stuff of legend. The Watcher’s only bench is on the complete opposite side of the map, meaning you’ll be trudging through sand for what feels like an eternity, battling Driznits and Judges while the environment itself tries to kill you. The Raging Conchfly, available even earlier, is arguably worse because players often stumble in underpowered. Minutes of platforming and fighting later, you arrive only to die again and repeat the cycle. You’ll find sand in places you didn’t know existed.

Moorwing is a special case: you can take a shortcut through the catacombs under Greymoor, but that’s like choosing to swim in a piranha tank to save time. The pitch-black pipeways are crawling with bugtraps and critters that’ll drain your health before you even get to the boss. The fight itself is already rough, but the shortcut path is so punishing that the battle feels fair by comparison. Honestly, I’d rather fight Moorwing twice in a row than do that runback once.

The Last Judge in the Blasted Steps is another exercise in patience annihilation. You’d think after nerfing the Sandcarvers to one damage, it would be manageable, but nope. The vertical climb is a festival of annoying Driznits and tanky Judges that send ricocheting shells straight at Hornet’s head. You’ll dodge perfectly only to get clipped by a stray shell from off-screen. It’s the kind of runback that makes you contemplate uninstalling and taking up knitting instead.

And then, there’s Groal the Great. Or should I say, Groal the Worst. This fight in Bilewater is the undisputed champion of terrible runbacks, the pièce de résistance of frustration. First, Bilewater is already an area that makes you want to take a shower after visiting. The nearest bench is a laughable distance away, even the secret one. But the real kicker? Before you can even challenge Groal, you must survive waves of enemies that drench you in Muckmaggot slime. By the time you face the big guy, you’re already battered, bruised, and questioning every life decision that led you to this moment. I’ve never seen a community unite in mutual hatred as much as over this runback. Team Cherry, what were you thinking?

At the end of the day, Silksong is a masterpiece, but these runbacks are like the developer’s twisted joke on us. They turn each boss encounter into a war of attrition, testing not just your skill but your sanity. If you’ve conquered these dreadful treks, give yourself a pat on the back—and maybe an ice pack for your frayed nerves. As for me, I’ll be here, still trying to get the sand out of Hornet’s eyes.