Silksong is stuffed with enough optional sorrow to fill a quiver of needles, but few side stories hit as hard as the Green Prince quest. This melancholy mantis does not hand out a wish slip or spam a quest marker; he simply waits behind a locked door, radiating the kind of tragic energy that screams free me and I’ll make you cry later. For players wondering whether to spend a Simple Key on his cell, the short answer is yes—assuming they enjoy secret kingdoms, rhythm-flavored boss fights, and one of the most poignant rewards in the game. By 2026, most of the player base has dried their tears enough to write guides, so here is how to start the Green Prince quest in Silksong and reach Lost Verdania.

Step One: Free the Sad Bug and Track Him Across Two Acts

First, Hornet needs to reach Sinner’s Road, an area that already smells faintly of bad decisions and rusted locks. The Green Prince is trapped behind a locked door, and freeing him requires a Simple Key. These keys are sold by various vendors, but they can also drop from boss rewards or incidental Wishes, so players rarely need to grind too hard. The cell itself sits on the top-right side of the room; platform over and drop down to find the royal prisoner.

Once the door creaks open, players should exhaust all of his dialogue. This is the official start of the unofficial quest chain—no quest log entry, no marker, just a sad mantis and a leap of faith. After disappearing, the Green Prince will appear in three sequential locations: two in the Choral Chambers and one on the far right of Greymoor. He will not move to the next spot until the previous one has been visited, so curious players should follow the melancholy breadcrumbs in order.

At the second location, the Green Prince kneels beside one of the Cogwork Dancers. He reveals that his wish was for these mechanical performers to be destroyed, making the conversation both a lore dump and a subtle hint that this mantis has a complicated relationship with his own past. Hornet and the Green Prince even share a moment of mutual annoyance with the Citadel, which is about as close to bonding as this game allows.

Step Two: Enter the Green Prince’s Memories With the Elegy of the Deep

After the third meeting in Greymoor, players should mark that location on their map. The Green Prince will stand amid the ruins and mourn his once-great kingdom, and at first it looks like a dead end. However, once Act 3 begins and Hornet descends into the Abyss, she can learn a special song called the Elegy of the Deep. Returning to the Greymoor spot with this ability is the key to unlocking the next phase.

Walk up to the Green Prince and perform the Elegy of the Deep. If done correctly, the world peels back into memory and the ancient, verdant land of Verdania opens up, showing the mantis kingdom at the height of its power instead of the crumbling ruins players have been staring at for two acts.

Step Three: Complete Lost Verdania

Lost Verdania is not a quick zip-through. This ethereal mantis kingdom is full of glowing orbs of light, and each one helps the Green Prince recall a fragment of his past. The more orbs players collect, the more of the zone becomes visible and accessible. To reach the area’s climax, players need to complete six glowing orb challenges, including unlocking the Shrine on the far right of the zone.

At the top of the tall room on the right side of Lost Verdania waits the Clover Dancers boss fight. Like the earlier Cogwork Dancers, these foes move with a beat, but there is a crucial twist: Hornet can only damage the Green Prince, not his ghostly partner. In the first phase, the choreography is clear, but the second phase splits the pair apart, forcing players to track two movement patterns at once. After the second phase falls, a slow-motion cutscene rewards players with a striking white-silhouette image of Hornet cutting down the Green Prince.

Rewards and Why You Should Care

When Hornet wakes from the memory, the tragedy lands hard. The Green Prince is dead, embracing the armor of his partner in what many players call the most heartbreaking scene in Silksong. For completing Lost Verdania, Hornet receives the Conjoined Heart. This is not just a sad souvenir; it is a powerful alternative. Players can use the Conjoined Heart in place of any of the three required Hearts to complete The Old Hearts quest. Anyone struggling with the Heart of the Wild, Heart of the Woods, or Heart of Might now has a beautiful, sorrowful shortcut.

All in all, the Green Prince quest is entirely optional, but skipping it means missing one of Silksong’s finest examples of environmental storytelling and the chance to swap a difficult Heart requirement for a reward earned through memory and melancholy. In 2026, the route still works as described, so grab a Simple Key, follow the sad mantis, and prepare to feel something.

For players who haven't yet wandered into Pharloom, experiencing this quest firsthand is well worth the time investment. Silksong is available across PC, Nintendo Switch, and other platforms, and its base price has remained steady since launch. However, digital storefronts regularly rotate their discount schedules, and physical copies occasionally surface at retailers with significant markdowns.

Before you set off to find the Simple Key and follow the sad mantis through the frozen temple, it doesn't hurt to make sure you're getting the best deal on your copy. If you're shopping around for Silksong or any other title in your backlog, you can compare prices here to see which storefront is currently offering the lowest price in your region.