Pale Oil is a late‑game resource in Hollow Knight: Silksong that fuels multiple Needle upgrades. The first upgrade is free; every subsequent upgrade consumes one Pale Oil, with later upgrades also requiring Rosaries. Below you’ll find the three confirmed locations and practical routes, followed by how to redeem them with the Pinmaster.

Before you start: access and prerequisites

• Meet the Pinmaster in Bellhart after finishing the Threadspun Town quest to unlock Needle upgrades. The first upgrade costs nothing; keep playing to unlock further routes and tasks.

• You’ll enter Whispering Vaults from the Cogwork Core after defeating the Cogwork Dancers. Mobility skills that improve wall movement make the first Pale Oil faster and safer to reach.

• Expect moderate platforming and timed traversal during the food delivery wish; planning a route and keeping enemies cleared greatly improves your odds.

Pale Oil #1 — Choral Chambers (via Whispering Vaults crate room)

This Pale Oil sits in a locked needle shop floor in the Choral Chambers but can only be reached by looping in from a crate puzzle room within Whispering Vaults.

Step 1: Enter Whispering Vaults from the Cogwork Core. From the rotating machinery room you unlock post‑Dancers, proceed into the Vaults and keep to the main corridors until you reach the cluster of rooms adjacent to the Citadel’s central section.

Step 2: Find the crate puzzle room to the west of the central vertical chamber. Look for a dingier chamber packed with large wooden blocks that can slide when struck; you’ll use these to build a route upward and across.

Step 3: Build a path through the crates. Strike ground‑level crates to create footholds, climb up the right wall using the blocks you’ve shifted, then redirect mid‑room crates to open a way left. The aim is to reach the upper‑left exit of the room.

Step 4: Pull the lever and drop into the Citadel shop. The lever opens a hatch into a sealed needle shop room in Choral Chambers. Drop through, collect the Pale Oil on the platform, then flip the floor switch to leave quickly.

Pale Oil #2 — “Great Taste of Pharloom” (Choral Chambers dining hall)

This Pale Oil is the reward for completing a multi‑stage wish in the Choral Chambers’ abandoned dining hall. The last step is a timed delivery that penalizes damage taken.

Step 1: Start the wish at the dining hall. Speak to Loyal Mergwin near the northeastern Citadel spa area to accept the request. You’ll collect five delicacies:

  • Mossberry Stew.
  • Vintage Nectar.
  • Courier’s Rasher.
  • Crustnut.
  • Pickled Muckmaggot.

Step 2: Gather each item as you explore. Several sit behind local tasks or bosses. Prioritize mapping a loop that lets you chain them without long backtracking; the wish giver will provide hints if you need direction.

Step 3: Prep the delivery run by clearing enemies along your intended path. Most foes won’t respawn until you rest, so walking the route once to “safe” it dramatically reduces mistakes during the timer.

Step 4: Execute the timed delivery to Mergwin. Sprint, avoid hits to preserve your time bar, and attack doors or switches with deliberate spacing to prevent faceplanting into them. Hand in the set to receive Pale Oil on the dining hall pedestal.

Tips: Plan a route that threads Shellwood → Blasted Steps/Grand Gate → Choral Chambers with minimal vertical detours. Equip movement‑oriented tools you’re comfortable with; consistency beats raw speed for hitless segments.

Pale Oil #3 — “Ecstasy of the End” (Fleatopia, Putrified Ducts; Act 3)

The final Pale Oil is tied to the Flea Caravan once they’ve settled in Fleatopia during Act 3. You’ll top three minigame leaderboards during the flea festival.

Step 1: Progress to Act 3 and relocate the Flea Caravan to Fleatopia (eastern Putrified Ducts). Ensure you’ve rescued the scattered fleas during exploration so the troupe can assemble.

Step 2: Pick up the “Ecstasy of the End” wish from Bellhart’s wishwell. Travel to Fleatopia and speak with Fleamaster Mooshka to begin the festival challenges.

Step 3: Win the three minigames: Juggle, Dodge, and Bounce. Each mode favors different spacing and rhythms; keep attempts short and adjust your loadout to the one that gives you the cleanest control.

Step 4: Break the piñata above the stage. After topping the boards in all three events, strike the piñata to drop the Pale Oil.

Note: If the smith’s bellhome in Bellhart is closed in Act 3 with a graveside note, you’ll need to find him at the cemetery in Shellwood and escort him back before turning in your oil.

Redeeming Pale Oil — upgrading the Needle

Step 1: Unlock upgrades by meeting the Pinmaster in Bellhart after the Threadspun Town quest. Accept the first, free Needle improvement to establish the upgrade track.

Step 2: Trade Pale Oil for subsequent upgrades. Each upgrade consumes one Pale Oil; later tiers also ask for Rosaries. Expect a noticeable damage boost per tier that reduces hits‑to‑kill on standard foes and shortens boss phases.

Step 3: Return after each Pale Oil find. The Pinmaster offers the next tier as soon as you have the material and currency, so cash in between major challenges to speed up clears.

FAQ and quick tips

• How many Pale Oils exist? Three. With the free first upgrade, that’s four total Needle tiers by endgame.

• What makes the delivery wish difficult? Time drains both passively and on hit. Clearing enemies first and avoiding benches preserves the cleared route and maximizes your margin.

• Which abilities help most? Reliable wall movement (for crate routing) and any mobility or survivability tools that keep your delivery clean. Pick what keeps you consistent under pressure.

With these routes planned and a calm approach to the delivery and festival, you can secure all three Pale Oils and bring your Needle up to full power.