diff --git a/callbacks.go b/callbacks.go
index 6096a26..ecc5353 100644
--- a/callbacks.go
+++ b/callbacks.go
@@ -132,43 +132,48 @@ func getMethod(value reflect.Value, name string) reflect.Value {
 //
 // Returns a slice of bound methods that can be called directly.
 func getMethods(value reflect.Value, name string) (methods []reflect.Value) {
-	if value.Kind() == reflect.Ptr {
+	walkEmbedded(value, func(v reflect.Value) {
+		if method := getMethod(v, name); method.IsValid() {
+			methods = append(methods, method)
+		}
+	})
+	return
+}
+
+// walkEmbedded calls visit on v and recursively on every exported field
+// of v that is either a standard Go anonymous field or tagged `embed:""`.
+// Pointer values are dereferenced before traversal; nil/invalid pointers
+// are skipped. [Plugins] are descended into element-by-element, matching how
+// [flattenedFields] treats them at build time.
+func walkEmbedded(value reflect.Value, visit func(reflect.Value)) {
+	if value.Kind() == reflect.Pointer {
 		value = value.Elem()
 	}
 	if !value.IsValid() {
 		return
 	}
-
-	if method := getMethod(value, name); method.IsValid() {
-		methods = append(methods, method)
+	visit(value)
+	if value.Type() == reflect.TypeOf(Plugins{}) {
+		for i := 0; i < value.Len(); i++ {
+			walkEmbedded(value.Index(i).Elem(), visit)
+		}
+		return
 	}
-
 	if value.Kind() != reflect.Struct {
 		return
 	}
-	// If the current value is a struct, also consider embedded fields.
-	// Two kinds of embedded fields are considered if they're exported:
-	//
-	//   - standard Go embedded fields
-	//   - fields tagged with `embed:""`
 	t := value.Type()
 	for i := 0; i < value.NumField(); i++ {
-		fieldValue := value.Field(i)
 		field := t.Field(i)
-
 		if !field.IsExported() {
 			continue
 		}
-
-		// Consider a field embedded if it's actually embedded
-		// or if it's tagged with `embed:""`.
 		_, isEmbedded := field.Tag.Lookup("embed")
-		isEmbedded = isEmbedded || field.Anonymous
-		if isEmbedded {
-			methods = append(methods, getMethods(fieldValue, name)...)
+		if !isEmbedded && !field.Anonymous {
+			continue
 		}
+		walkEmbedded(value.Field(i), visit)
 	}
-	return
 }
 
 func callFunction(f reflect.Value, bindings bindings) error {
diff --git a/context.go b/context.go
index 784e8cc..1e38bf5 100644
--- a/context.go
+++ b/context.go
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ func (c *Context) Validate() error { //nolint: gocyclo
 			value = node.Target
 			desc = node.Path()
 		}
-		if validate := isValidatable(value); validate != nil {
+		for _, validate := range getValidators(value) {
 			if err := validate.Validate(c); err != nil {
 				if desc != "" {
 					return fmt.Errorf("%s: %w", desc, err)
@@ -1178,6 +1178,17 @@ func isValidatable(v reflect.Value) extendedValidatable {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// getValidators returns validators implemented by v and by any embedded fields,
+// matching how hooks are discovered (see getMethods).
+func getValidators(v reflect.Value) (validators []extendedValidatable) {
+	walkEmbedded(v, func(v reflect.Value) {
+		if validate := isValidatable(v); validate != nil {
+			validators = append(validators, validate)
+		}
+	})
+	return
+}
+
 func atLeastOneEnvSet(envs []string) bool {
 	for _, env := range envs {
 		if _, ok := os.LookupEnv(env); ok {
diff --git a/kong_test.go b/kong_test.go
index 00add0a..ef2300c 100644
--- a/kong_test.go
+++ b/kong_test.go
@@ -1600,6 +1600,82 @@ func TestExtendedValidateFlag(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.EqualError(t, err, "--flag: flag error")
 }
 
+type embeddedValidate struct {
+	Flag string
+}
+
+func (v *embeddedValidate) Validate() error { return errors.New("embedded error") }
+
+func TestValidateEmbed(t *testing.T) {
+	cli := struct {
+		Embedded embeddedValidate `embed:""`
+	}{}
+	p := mustNew(t, &cli)
+	_, err := p.Parse([]string{})
+	assert.EqualError(t, err, "embedded error")
+}
+
+func TestValidateEmbedOnCommand(t *testing.T) {
+	type cmd struct {
+		Embedded embeddedValidate `embed:""`
+	}
+	cli := struct {
+		Cmd cmd `cmd:""`
+	}{}
+	p := mustNew(t, &cli)
+	_, err := p.Parse([]string{"cmd"})
+	assert.EqualError(t, err, "cmd: embedded error")
+}
+
+type pluginValidate struct {
+	PluginFlag string
+}
+
+func (v *pluginValidate) Validate() error { return errors.New("plugin error") }
+
+func TestValidatePlugin(t *testing.T) {
+	plugin := &pluginValidate{}
+	cli := struct {
+		Base string
+		kong.Plugins
+	}{
+		Plugins: kong.Plugins{plugin},
+	}
+	p := mustNew(t, &cli)
+	_, err := p.Parse([]string{})
+	assert.EqualError(t, err, "plugin error")
+}
+
+type nestedEmbedOuter struct {
+	Inner embeddedValidate `embed:""`
+}
+
+func TestValidateNestedEmbed(t *testing.T) {
+	cli := struct {
+		Outer nestedEmbedOuter `embed:""`
+	}{}
+	p := mustNew(t, &cli)
+	_, err := p.Parse([]string{})
+	assert.EqualError(t, err, "embedded error")
+}
+
+type extendedEmbeddedValidate struct {
+	Flag string
+}
+
+func (v *extendedEmbeddedValidate) Validate(kctx *kong.Context) error {
+	return errors.New("extended embedded error")
+}
+
+func TestExtendedValidateEmbed(t *testing.T) {
+	cli := struct {
+		Embedded extendedEmbeddedValidate `embed:""`
+	}{}
+	p := mustNew(t, &cli)
+	_, err := p.Parse([]string{})
+	assert.EqualError(t, err, "extended embedded error")
+}
+
 func TestPointers(t *testing.T) {
 	cli := struct {
 		Mapped *mappedValue