Silksong Sleuthing: How Did Sherma Get Past The Last Judge?
Sherma appears in Hollow Knight: Silksong and can be found inside the Citadel shortly after the player defeats The Last Judge. Below are the confirmed in-game facts about those encounters, the known routes into the Citadel, and where players are discussing the mystery online.
- Where Sherma is seen
- The Last Judge and Citadel access
- Game notes and codex quotes
- Fan discussion and links
Where Sherma is seen
In Silksong, players encounter Sherma in multiple locations. One early, observable instance is in the Far Fields, where Sherma is present beside a non-hostile creature; at a later visit that creature is hostile. Later, after the player defeats The Last Judge, Sherma is found near the Citadel gate. These appearances are part of the game’s scripted non-player interactions and can be reproduced in normal playthroughs.
The Last Judge and Citadel access
The Last Judge is a named boss that stands on the Blasted Steps and is encountered by players on the approach to the Citadel. In normal progression, defeating The Last Judge is the immediate requirement to reach the Citadel’s main entrance.
Alternative routes
There is a documented alternative path into the Citadel via Sinner’s Road, which connects from Greymoor. This route passes through areas commonly called Bilewater and the Mist section. The Bilewater area includes environmental mechanics where falling into the water affects Hornet’s silk, and the Mist area disables the in-game map. This route also contains additional encounters and bosses that are separate from The Last Judge fight.
Game notes and codex quotes
The in-game codex contains entries about the Judge and the Citadel. Two exact codex lines read:
“The huge Judge likely stood through countless generations, never defeated, never wavering in their charge,”
and
“Final arbiter of the Blasted Steps, tasked to ensure only the sinless ever step beyond the Grand Gate,”
These codex excerpts are presented in-game and describe the Judge’s intended role in the game world.
Fan discussion and links
Players have debated how Sherma ends up inside the Citadel. For examples of player discussion, see this Reddit thread and another Reddit post where users suggest explanations and share observations.
Sherma opens the gate for us (fan animation)
had fun animating the silly bugs lol#Silksong pic.twitter.com/PUNz6gGlI7
— 🔥Celes Flames🔥 🤍COMMISSIONS OPEN🤍 (@Celes969) September 22, 2025
Additionally, players have shared short visual posts on Twitter about Sherma’s appearances and related moments in the game.
thank you sherma! #silksong pic.twitter.com/u0Lh37yzPr
— kalypsooooo (silksong spoilers) (@Whagiepie) September 24, 2025
If you want to check the in-game moments yourself, you can reproduce Sherma’s Far Fields encounter and the post-Judge Citadel scene during a standard playthrough of Hollow Knight: Silksong.
