🔗 Share this article

Hollow Knight: Silksong continues the signature narrative style from the first game, tucking away historical fragments and character development across the landscape. Once everything is connected, the evolution from a seemingly simple start to a deeply significant conclusion is striking. Similar to the rest of the game, the plot is more ambitious and better executed than its predecessor, centered around a strong central idea and a significant revelation.

However, the word "Nearly" is key. There is a significant problem: the creators seem unsure about whether the protagonist is the heroine or the person controlling her.

Heads Up: The following discussion contains heavy spoilers for both the regular and secret conclusions of Silksong.

The Pilgrimage of Hornet

The adventure starts with Hornet imprisoned in a cage. A group known as the Weavers captured her on the bidding of Grand Mother Silk, from whom Hornet is partially born. After escaping, she joins a band of travelers and embarks on a journey. Her path takes her from the dark underworld filled with bones and corpses up towards the fortress, home to Pharloom's corrupt religious caste. Along the way, she observes the cruelty and suffering endured by the exploited masses in the name of religion—laborers who toil unto death, free-thinkers imprisoned for their beliefs, and more.

Lace and the Central Conflict

Lace, also born from Grand Mother Silk's essence, is likewise ascending to the stronghold. Her plan is to awaken her mother, seek vengeance on the corrupt clergy, and take over. The protagonist's interference complicates matters. In the regular conclusion, Hornet takes over from the deity. In the true ending, she locks away Mother Silk, confronts the dark entity, frees Lace, and witnesses a sacrifice so they may go free.

A Deeper Allegory

Silksong is, at its heart, a tale of journey. It is modeled after ancient spiritual journeys and allegorical dramas, with a critical look at organized religion. The protagonist's path—through hell, through a middle realm of struggle, and rising toward revelation—directly parallels Dante's The Divine Comedy. That literary work follows a protagonist through hell, purgatory, and heaven on a quest for spiritual transformation, which is the essence of Silksong.

One can even draw connections to the Christian ritual, albeit out of order. The heroine is arrested and stripped, stands trial, suffers a grueling climb, and is briefly imprisoned in the abyss. In essence, the game encourages reflection on religion, spirituality, and transformation, all of which are vital for understanding the finale.

The Weaver Lore

Delving into the mythology of the ancient race reveals that the belief system and culture once championed by Mother Silk has turned toxic. Her followers abandoned her teachings, and a caste of self-serving ministers took over the temple, twisting its doctrines for their own gain.

The protagonist, as a part-Weaver descendant of the deity, was destined to follow her will, whether she wanted to or not. Thanks to her true mother, Herrah, Hornet was raised outside from the Weaver drama and encouraged to be independent, which is why Mother Silk imprisons her at the start—to compel her to accept her inherited duties.

Conclusions and Interpretations

If Hornet defeats Mother Silk in the standard ending, she takes her power and becomes a new god. The fact that this is not the good outcome indicates that the kingdom's problems would persist—she would have merely replaced one corrupt deity for another. By resolving all conflicts, players access the final chapter and the true ending.

Like any significant journey, this one concludes with enlightenment. Hornet's discovery is that she can now live free of the hereditary burden in her lineage and choose her own path. Her rival, recalling that love triumphs, freed from selfishness, will presumably rebuild Pharloom as a fairer society. In the true ending, faith is abolished, and everyone is free.

As a end of the journey, it is an brilliant narrative device that perfectly aligns with the traditions it references. It tells players that the sole path to a better society is to care for others. Few games use player agency to convey this theme so powerfully, and the developers deserve credit for this innovative approach.

The Protagonist Problem

Despite the power of its conclusion, the studio had difficulty reinforcing this message throughout the game and, crucially, to connect it to the main character: Hornet.

The moral might be for the player, but the story is about Hornet. When a story features a protagonist with her own agency, she must be the central focus, and her decisions and development should convey the themes. Even in allegorical works, the main character's purpose are usually clearly defined to avoid confusion.

Yet, Hornet does not learn or change on her journey. Her sole purpose is to return home. The struggle of destiny versus choice only surfaces in the climactic battle and some obscure backstory. If players tick every box to reach the true ending, an supporting figure comments on her kindness, but he is addressing the player, not her.

Lack of Character Development

This method would have worked in the original game, where the player and the Knight are one. She, however, is her own person, a focused warrior with a set objective. If she is forced to perform actions against her nature—such as helping weak bugs—there should be some resistance. One would anticipate her to complain, act unpleasant, or at least respond. A brief complaint when initially assisting, later showing hope that her actions do good, would suffice.

When initially requested to help the weak bugs of Pharloom, Hornet responds with apathy, treating it as a minor task. Even if the player chooses to help, Hornet forms no bond with any of them. There is no transformation, no evolution of viewpoint. It is notable that the user would show such care, but not Hornet. The game provides no reason to think she would.

Underutilized Supporting Cast

Hornet's interactions with characters like the Caretaker were the perfect opportunity to flesh out her character and reinforce the themes without obvious explanation. Most of these end up being purely decorative, just padding the runtime. This issue stems from both the writing of Hornet and the random placement of the other characters.

One character is essentially a lovable, doddering old fool—present for atmosphere but having no real impact. Others, like the Moss Druid and Huntress, embody alternative beliefs outside the Citadel's norms, a concept that fits the themes but is never developed.

Aside from key figures, one of the few NPCs with a thread through the entire game is The Green Prince, thanks to a tragic romance. While compelling, it relies too much on a problematic cliché and feels separate from the main narrative. Taking it out would have little impact on Hornet's story or the primary theme.

Hornet as a Passenger

The seemingly random distribution of focus makes side stories feel unfinished and added hastily. The largest error, however, is that the heroine is shown as largely inactive in almost every situation. The rare moments she comments, her remarks are uninspiring, such as offering clichéd advice to another character. Even blunter commentary on the core themes would have tied her better to the game's ideas. Instead, she is merely a passenger—in the passenger seat of her own story.

Acknowledging the Achievement

Despite these problems in storytelling, there is still much to respect for what the team accomplished. Rare titles synthesize so many influences into a collection of ideas so strong and layered that they are literally embedded into the environment itself. If the future game from the developers is larger and improved, one can only hope that those enhancements include the basics of narrative as well.