In the western part of the Greenpath area, just before one reaches the Lake of Unn, players in Hollow Knight will come face to face with Hornet in their first appearance as a boss. This agile and powerful foe will try to bar one's way, impeding progress, so there is no choice but to defeat them in combat.
Due to their speed and strength, they can be difficult to take down, however, a great way to get better at fighting them is to pay attention to their attacks. This will allow most players to learn how to dodge them and when are the best openings to attack. Though, in games as genuinely challenging (in a good way) as Hollow Knight, such things are sometimes easier said than done.
Tips For Beating Hornet In Their First Encounter
All of Hornet's attacks can be dodged, with proper timing and a bit of preparation. It can take a little while to learn how to see each one coming, however, caution is often rewarded--as patience will make seeing windows for attack easier.
Hovering AOE Attack
This attack is arguably the most annoying to deal with, as it can be tough to see coming as opposed to her other more frequent attacks. It is even more tricky to avoid as Hornet can perform it from both on the ground and in the air. However, when the boss is about to use this AoE attack, they will always turn away from the camera slightly before unleashing their circular strike of silk. This means that when the player sees Hornet's legs, stay back--to put it simply. After they use this attack, there will be a decent window for getting a hit or two in before Hornet goes on the offensive once more.
Dash Attack
This is the boss' most-used attack, though, it's thankfully the easiest to dodge if one can see it coming. When Hornet lowers their head, so that it seems to be mostly surrounded by the red of their dress, they will perform a swift dash attack that will cause them to lunge forward, needle-pointed, at the player. To dodge this, simply get out of the linear path of the attack's hitbox by moving anywhere except toward the boss--a little jump or a side-step would do the job nicely. It's worth noting that Hornet can use this dashing attack from the ground or in the air. There is a window for one attack after the boss uses this maneuver, however, the downtime is quite low, so don't get greedy by going for a second hit unless one wants to risk taking damage.
Needle Throw
This move is easy to see coming but has virtually no downtime, so it will be difficult to land a hit after dodging before Hornet attacks again. However, with that said, Hornet can only use this attack from the ground and performs a notable wind-up that visibly telegraphs her intent to launch her needle-spear. Her needle travels in a linear path, which can be dodged by a single jump if the player times it correctly. It may be tempting to attack her while her weapon is away, but it can still do damage on its way back to its master, so be sure to stay out of the attack's hitbox the entire time that Hornet is stationary. As such, it will be difficult to approach her during or after this assault, though, a sneaky strike can be landed on her if the player is quick to unleash it while Hornet is winding up.
Final Tips
Overall, it would be safest to focus on purely dodging the Needle Throw, and only attacking Hornet after a Dash Attack or an AoE Attack--with the latter being the cause of the biggest openings in the boss' defenses.
Hollow Knight is available on Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.