How to Beat First Sinner in Silksong: Full Boss Strategy and Attack Guide

The First Sinner is one of Silksong’s most demanding late-game bosses, blending fast melee pressure, unpredictable teleports, and the rare ability to heal mid-fight. Beating her requires tight movement, quick punish windows, and a build tailored for long engagements.

How to Beat First Sinner in Silksong: Full Boss Strategy and Attack Guide
How to Beat First Sinner in Silksong: Full Boss Strategy and Attack Guide

Where to Find the First Sinner

The First Sinner is hidden deep in The Slab, behind a locked chamber that cannot be opened on your initial arrival. To access her arena, you must obtain the Apostate Key, located in the Putrified Ducts. Reaching this area requires the Faydown Cloak, and once inside, the key rests near the lower section of the zone where Huntress can be found.

Once you have the Apostate Key:

  1. Head to the Bellway station at the bottom of The Slab.
  2. Unlock the eastern sealed door.
  3. Enter the Rosary chamber above the doorway.
  4. Double-jump into the hidden upper passage.
  5. Follow the tunnel until you reach a large, silk-bound container holding the First Sinner.
  6. Break each chain pinning the cell and Bind to the Weaver statue to begin the encounter.

Preparation Before the Fight

This battle is long and punishing, so preparation matters as much as skill. You won’t lose Rosaries when defeated, but you also won’t refill tools or adjust builds unless you run back to the nearby bench. Build carefully before entering.

How to Beat First Sinner in Silksong: Full Boss Strategy and Attack Guide
How to Beat First Sinner in Silksong: Full Boss Strategy and Attack Guide

Recommended Gear

  • Upgraded Needle (+1 minimum, ideally Hivesteel Blade)
    • Higher damage shortens the fight significantly.
  • Beast Crest or Witch Crest
    • Both allow aggressive, self-sustaining healing that fits the pace of this fight. Witch Crest pairs especially well with close-range healing thanks to its extra damage effects.
  • Claw Mirror
    • Helpful for adding chip damage during close binds.
  • Reaper Crest / Silkspear
    • Great for interrupting her Bind from range.
  • Straight Pin or Threefold Pin
    • Ideal for punishing healing attempts or catching her between teleports.
  • Pollip Pouch + Flea Brew (optional)
    • A powerful combination for chip damage when staying close.
  • Fractured Mask or Magnetite Dice
    • Useful for survivability in long attempts.

First Sinner’s Full Moveset

The fight has two phases, though she fakes a death between them. Her speed increases dramatically in phase two, but the core attacks remain similar.

How to Beat First Sinner in Silksong: Full Boss Strategy and Attack Guide

Phase 1: Attacks and Counters

1. Silkspear Patterns

Silk needles fire from different positions depending on the pattern:

  • Horizontal spears: Jump or dash.
  • Diagonal spears: Step toward her previous location to avoid them.
  • Vertical spears: Sidestep through the landing zones.
  • Cross pattern: Dash outward from the center.

These attacks become more common as the fight progresses.

2. Pounce

She leaps diagonally with wide claw arcs.

Counter: Move under her initial leap, or dash back toward her landing point to punish.

3. Frenzied Slashes

She slides across the ground with rapid multi-hit claw attacks, dealing heavy damage.

Counter: Jump and pogo, or jump once and stay airborne until she passes.

4. Healing Bind

She gathers silk and begins healing.
Counter: Instantly interrupt with a dash-in attack or a ranged Skill like Silkspear or Pin Tools.
Missing this gives her a large chunk of health back.

5. Teleport

Not a direct attack, but one of her most annoying tools.
She blinks rapidly between points, sometimes overlapping Silk attacks during the animation.

Counter: Stay in the center of the arena to avoid walking into her post-teleport.

Phase 2: Rune Rage and Increased Speed

When she collapses and seemingly dies, the fight is not over. She returns with:

Rune Rage

Multiple runic spheres appear around the arena and explode after a brief delay.

Counter: Stay grounded, watch for safe gaps, and sidestep accordingly.
You must also keep an eye on her other attacks, as she continues fighting during explosions.

All earlier attacks also speed up, and teleports chain into claw strikes more frequently.

How to Beat First Sinner in Silksong: Full Boss Strategy and Attack Guide

Strategy: How to Beat First Sinner Safely

1. Play Hit-and-Run

This is not a fight where extended combos are safe. Dash in for one solid hit, then reset your spacing.
Greed will get punished instantly.

2. Interrupt Every Bind

This is your top priority.

If she heals, the fight becomes significantly longer and more stressful.
Use Silkspear or a Pin tool if she begins healing out of melee range.

3. Stay Near the Center

It reduces the risk of accidentally stepping into spear trails or teleport paths.
Cornering yourself makes her horizontal and diagonal patterns much harder to dodge.

4. Healing Windows

Opportunities to heal are extremely limited:

  • During her stagger
  • When she begins Frenzied Slashes (jump early to create a gap)
  • Or when using Witch/Beast Crest’s built-in healing mechanics

Even then, heal only one mask unless you’re using a boosted heal setup.

5. Save Offensive Tools for Phase Two

Tools like Pins or Pollip Pouch help keep damage ticking even when you cannot get close during Rune Rage explosions.

6. Movement > Damage

Most players lose because they try to force hits.
Your goal is to:

  • Dodge consistently
  • Interrupt healing
  • Punish only when guaranteed

This fight rewards patience more than aggression.

Rewards for Defeating the First Sinner

Once defeated, you’ll enter a dreamlike space requiring platforming with the Faydown Cloak. At the end, you gain the Rune Rage Silk Skill—the same destructive AoE she used against you. This power becomes a strong option for clearing groups and disrupting aggressive enemies.

Tips for Players

  • Practice teleporter tracking—she often hits where you were, not where you’re going.
  • Prioritize survival tools for your first few attempts.
  • Once you understand her rhythm, tighten your punish windows and refine your build.
  • Trust the process; this boss is designed to test everything you’ve learned so far.

The First Sinner is a relentless duel, but with smart movements, disciplined aggression, and the right tools, you’ll overcome her and claim one of Silksong’s most satisfying victories. Play Now!

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