Simple Key Location & Uses - Hollow Knight Silksong

Simple Keys make their return from the original Hollow Knight, and they’re just as mysterious and valuable as before. If you’re a veteran of Hallownest, you’ll remember the satisfaction of finally finding the right heavy gate for your precious key. In Silksong, Team Cherry has maintained this same sense of discovery and reward, but with some new twists that make the hunt even more engaging.

The challenge isn’t just getting your hands on a Simple Key – it’s knowing where to use it for maximum benefit. Unlike other items in Silksong, heavy gates aren’t marked on your map, making each discovery feel like uncovering a genuine secret.

Table of Contents

Understanding Simple Keys in Silksong

Simple Keys serve the exact same purpose they did in Hollow Knight: opening heavy gates that block access to secret areas, valuable items, or important progression paths. What makes them interesting in Silksong is how they’re integrated into the game’s economy and exploration systems.

The Investment Decision

At 500 Rosaries, a Simple Key represents a significant early-game investment. For context, that’s enough currency to buy several other useful items or upgrades, so you want to make sure you’re ready to use the key effectively before making the purchase.

Strategic timing tip: Don’t buy a Simple Key until you’ve done enough exploration to feel confident about finding heavy gates. There’s nothing more frustrating than spending 500 Rosaries and then carrying an unused key for hours.

Getting Your First Simple Key

Location: Bone Bottom

Your first opportunity to acquire a Simple Key comes in Bone Bottom, where you’ll find an NPC merchant selling one for 500 Rosaries. This is a substantial sum early in the game, so you’ll need to do some preparation before you can afford it.

Rosary Farming Strategy

Here’s a practical farming method that many players overlook: head to The Marrow area, specifically near the Bench close to where Shakra sells the area map. This location provides excellent enemy density and respawn rates, making it ideal for currency farming.

Farming efficiency tips:

Clear enemy groups systematically rather than rushing through
Return to the bench periodically to reset enemy spawns
Focus on enemies that drop multiple Rosaries rather than just going for quantity

The farming process isn’t as tedious as it might sound – most players can accumulate 500 Rosaries within 20-30 minutes of focused effort, and you’ll gain valuable combat practice in the process.

Your First Heavy Gate: Deep Docks Location

Getting to Deep Docks

From The Marrow, your destination is the bottom-right section of the map. This journey takes you through some challenging terrain, including areas with metal platforms suspended over lava pools.

Critical safety warning: The lava in Deep Docks deals two mask damage instead of the standard one damage from spikes. This might not sound like much, but it can quickly turn a minor mistake into a serious setback, especially if you’re not at full health.

Navigation Through Deep Docks

Once you reach Deep Docks proper, look for Shakra again – she’s selling the area map, which is absolutely worth purchasing before you start hunting for the heavy gate. The Deep Docks layout can be confusing without a map, and you don’t want to get lost while carrying a valuable Simple Key.

After getting your bearings with the map, head to the bottom-right corner of the room where Shakra is located. You’ll notice a sign pointing downward with a bench symbol – this is your navigation cue.

The Switch Sequence

Here’s where the path becomes more complex:

Hit the first switch near the bench sign to open the path downward
Descend and interact with the bench for a safe rest point
Meet the Forge Daughter – She’s positioned to the right of the bench and offers several valuable items, including a tool that reduces magma damage (very relevant for this area!)
Hit the second lever located just before the Forge Daughter NPC
Enter the room beneath that opens after activating the second lever

The Final Approach

The room beneath contains several enemies that you’ll need to defeat before proceeding. Don’t rush this combat – the enemies here can be challenging, and you don’t want to take unnecessary damage before reaching your goal.

After clearing the enemies, head right and jump across the gap to the other side of the room. Here, finally, you’ll discover your first heavy gate in Silksong.

What’s Behind the Heavy Gate?

Without spoiling the surprise, the area behind this particular heavy gate contains valuable resources and items that make the 500 Rosary investment worthwhile. The space includes crafting materials, currency, and potentially some equipment that will serve you well in future areas.

Exploration tip: Don’t just grab the obvious items and leave. Heavy gate areas often contain multiple chambers or hidden sections that reward thorough exploration.

Strategic Considerations

Is This Gate Worth Your First Key?

For most players, yes. The Deep Docks heavy gate provides good value for your investment and is relatively accessible compared to some later heavy gates that require advanced movement abilities or completion of complex quest lines.

Future Simple Keys

The original text mentions that more Simple Keys become available as you progress, which is reassuring for players worried about “wasting” their first key. Don’t overthink this decision – the key is meant to be used, and hoarding it indefinitely defeats the purpose.

Resource Management

Consider your current progression needs before making the purchase. If you’re struggling with basic upgrades or essential items, it might be worth addressing those needs first. However, if you’re comfortable with your current equipment and have explored enough to feel confident about finding the gate, the Simple Key becomes a worthwhile investment.

Tips for Heavy Gate Hunting

What to Look For

Heavy gates in Silksong maintain their distinctive appearance from the original game:

Large, imposing metallic structures
Obvious keyhole mechanisms
Usually positioned at transition points between areas or blocking side passages
Often accompanied by environmental cues suggesting something important lies beyond

Exploration Strategy

Since heavy gates aren’t marked on maps, successful hunting requires systematic exploration:

Check dead-end passages thoroughly
Look for areas that seem intentionally blocked off
Pay attention to environmental storytelling that might hint at important secrets
Don’t ignore vertical spaces – some gates might be above or below your current level

Documentation

Consider keeping notes (mental or physical) about heavy gate locations you discover before you have keys. This prevents the frustrating experience of having a key but forgetting where you saw gates earlier in your playthrough.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don’t buy a key too early: Make sure you have enough exploration under your belt to actually find and use the heavy gate effectively.

Don’t ignore the Forge Daughter: Her magma-resistance tool is genuinely useful for Deep Docks exploration.

Don’t rush the combat sections: The enemies guarding the path to heavy gates often drop valuable resources.

Don’t forget about map purchases: Shakra’s maps are invaluable for navigation, especially in complex areas like Deep Docks.

Remember that some heavy gates might require advanced movement abilities to access, so make sure you have essential skills like dash and gliding abilities before attempting to reach more challenging locations.

The Bigger Picture

Simple Keys represent one of Silksong’s most elegant callbacks to the original game while serving an important gameplay function. They encourage thorough exploration, provide meaningful spending decisions, and create moments of genuine discovery that make the world feel more mysterious and rewarding.

The Deep Docks heavy gate serves as an excellent introduction to this system – accessible enough for newer players but rewarding enough to justify the investment. As you progress through Silksong, you’ll likely encounter more complex heavy gate puzzles and higher-stakes decisions about key usage.

Looking Ahead

Remember that this guide covers just one heavy gate location. Silksong contains multiple Simple Keys and heavy gates throughout its world, each guarding different types of rewards and secrets. The skills you develop finding and accessing your first heavy gate – systematic exploration, resource management, and environmental awareness – will serve you well as you encounter more challenging gates later in your journey.

The investment of time and Rosaries in your first Simple Key isn’t just about the immediate rewards – it’s about learning a system that becomes increasingly important as you delve deeper into Pharloom’s secrets.

Essential Next Steps:

Deep Docks Complete Guide – Master this challenging area thoroughly
Merchant Buying Priority Guide – Decide if Simple Keys fit your spending strategy
Rosary Management Guide – Farm currency efficiently for expensive purchases
Maps and Navigation Guide – Essential for finding unmarked heavy gates

Resource and Currency Help:

Shell Shard and Tool Pouch Guide – Optimize your resource collection
Crafting and Tool Strategies – Make the most of items found behind heavy gates
HP and Silk Upgrade Guide – Survive dangerous areas like Deep Docks

Movement and Exploration:

Dash and Movement Abilities – Access more challenging heavy gate locations
Fast Travel System – Efficient movement for gate hunting

For New Players:

Complete Beginner’s Guide – Master the fundamentals first
Essential Tips for New Players – Avoid costly early-game mistakes

External Resources:

Where to Find and Use Simple Keys in Hollow Knight Silksong