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Hollow Knight: Silksong continues the signature narrative style from the first game, dispersing historical fragments and character growth in various corners. As you assemble the full picture, the transformation from a seemingly simple beginning to a deeply significant conclusion is striking. Similar to the overall experience, the plot is grander in scope and more refined than its predecessor, centered around a powerful core concept and a significant revelation.

However, the word "Almost" is crucial. There is one major issue: the development team seem uncertain about whether the main character is Hornet or the player.

Editor's Note: The following discussion contains major plot reveals for both the regular and secret conclusions of Silksong.

Hornet's Journey

The adventure begins with the protagonist imprisoned in a cage. The Weavers of Pharloom took her prisoner on the bidding of Grand Mother Silk, from whom she is partly descended. After breaking free, she encounters a group of pilgrims and begins her ascent. Her path takes her from the dark underworld filled with remains of the fallen up towards the Citadel, home to Pharloom's corrupt religious caste. Along the way, she witnesses the cruelty and suffering inflicted upon the exploited masses in the name of religion—laborers who sacrifice their lives, free-thinkers imprisoned for their beliefs, and more.

Lace and the Central Conflict

Lace, also born from the deity's own silk, is also making her way to the stronghold. Her goal is to revive the deity, exact revenge on the ministers who imprisoned her, and take over. Hornet's arrival changes everything. In the standard ending, she takes over from Mother Silk. In the true ending, she locks away Mother Silk, battles the Void, frees Lace, and sees Mother Silk give herself up so they may go free.

A Deeper Allegory

Silksong is, at its core, a pilgrimage story. It is modeled after ancient spiritual journeys and morality plays, with a Reformation-style critique at institutional faith. Hornet's journey—descending into darkness, through a middle realm of struggle, and rising toward revelation—strongly echoes the classic epic poem. That Renaissance masterpiece follows a protagonist through the afterlife on a journey of enlightenment, which perfectly encapsulates Silksong.

One can even see parallels to the Christian ritual, albeit rearranged. Hornet is arrested and stripped, faces judgment, endures a tortuous ascent, and is temporarily entombed in the abyss. In essence, the game invites contemplation on religion, spirituality, and transformation, all of which are vital for grasping the ending.

Backstory of the Weavers

Delving into the lore of the ancient race reveals that the belief system and culture previously upheld by Mother Silk has become corrupt. Her followers forsook her path, and a caste of self-serving ministers took over the temple, perverting the faith for their personal benefit.

Hornet, as a blood relative of the deity, was pre-ordained to obey her commands, whether she wanted to or not. Thanks to her true mother, Herrah, she was kept away from the internal conflicts and taught to live for herself, which is why Mother Silk imprisons her at the beginning—to force her to fulfill her Weaver responsibilities.

Endings and Meanings

If Hornet defeats Mother Silk in the standard ending, she absorbs her spirit and ascends to divinity. The fact that this is not the true ending indicates that Pharloom's troubles would continue—she would have simply swapped one corrupt deity for another. By resolving all conflicts, players unlock Act 3 and the true ending.

Like any meaningful pilgrimage, this one concludes with enlightenment. The protagonist's realization is that she can now exist independently of the Weaver taint in her lineage and choose her own path. Her rival, reminded of love's power, freed from selfishness, will likely rebuild Pharloom as a fairer society. In the true ending, faith is abolished, and all can live autonomously.

As a conclusion to the pilgrimage, it is an brilliant narrative device that fits seamlessly into the traditions it references. It tells players that the sole path to a better society is to show compassion. Few games use interactivity to convey this theme so powerfully, and the creators deserve praise for this innovative approach.

A Central Dilemma

Despite the power of its conclusion, the development team struggled to support this theme throughout the game and, more importantly, to tie it to the adventure's heart: the heroine.

The message might be for the player, but the story is about Hornet. When a narrative features a protagonist with her own agency, she must be the central focus, and her decisions and development should communicate the ideas. Even in allegorical works, the protagonist's identity and role are usually clearly defined to ensure understanding.

Yet, Hornet does not grow or evolve on her journey. Her only goal is to return home. The conflict between free will and fate only surfaces in the climactic battle and some obscure backstory. If players tick every box to reach the true ending, an supporting figure remarks about Hornet's compassion, but he is addressing the player, not her.

Missing Growth

This approach would have been fine in the original game, where the protagonist is a blank slate. She, however, is a defined character, a driven hunter with a clear purpose. If she is made to choose uncharacteristic deeds—such as aiding the helpless—there should be some resistance. One would anticipate her to complain, act gruff, or at least react. A brief complaint when initially assisting, later showing hope that her aid might help, would suffice.

When initially requested to help the weak bugs of Pharloom, Hornet responds with apathy, treating it as a low priority. Even if the user decides to assist, Hornet develops no attachment with any of them. There is no transformation, no shift in perspective. It is notable that the player would show such care, but not the heroine. The game provides little justification to think she would.

Wasted Character Potential

The protagonist's dialogues with figures such as the Caretaker were the ideal chance to flesh out her character and reinforce the themes without heavy-handed exposition. However, many end up being purely decorative, just filling space. This problem stems from both the writing of Hornet and the haphazard role of the supporting cast.

Garmond is essentially a charming but irrelevant figure—there for atmosphere but playing no crucial part. Others, like the Moss Druid and Huntress, represent different ideologies contrary to the establishment, a concept that aligns with the message but goes unexplored.

Aside from key figures, one of the few NPCs with a story spanning all three acts is a specific character, thanks to a tale of lost love. While emotionally powerful, it leans heavily on a troubling trope and feels disconnected from the main narrative. Taking it out would have little impact on the protagonist's arc or the core message.

Hornet as a Passenger

The seemingly random distribution of focus makes subplots feel unfinished and added hastily. The biggest misstep, however, is that the heroine is shown as largely inactive in almost every situation. The rare moments she comments, her observations are terribly bland, such as stating the obvious to another character. Even blunter commentary on oppression and free will would have linked her more closely to the game's ideas. Instead, she is just along for the ride—in the backseat of her narrative.

Acknowledging the Achievement

Despite these issues with thematic execution, there is still much to respect for what the developers accomplished. Rare titles blend so many inspirations into a set of themes so strong and layered that they are literally embedded into the in-game world. If the future game from the developers is larger and improved, one can only hope that those enhancements include the fundamentals of storytelling as well.