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Hollow Knight: Silksong carries on the distinctive narrative style from the first game, tucking away pieces of history and character development across the landscape. Once everything is connected, the transformation from a apparently straightforward beginning to a deeply significant ending is striking. Much like the overall experience, the story 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 key. There is a central flaw: the creators seem unable to decide about whether the protagonist is Hornet or the person controlling her.

Heads Up: The following discussion contains major plot reveals for both the regular and secret conclusions of Silksong.

The Pilgrimage of Hornet

The quest starts with the protagonist imprisoned in a cage. The Weavers of Pharloom captured her on the bidding of the deity Mother Silk, from whom Hornet is partly descended. After breaking free, she encounters a band of travelers and begins her ascent. Her route takes her from the dark underworld filled with remains of the fallen up towards the fortress, home to Pharloom's corrupt religious caste. Along the way, she witnesses the hardship and pain endured by the exploited masses in the name of faith—laborers who sacrifice their lives, free-thinkers imprisoned for their beliefs, and more.

The Rival Weaver Lace

Another Weaver, also created by Grand Mother Silk's essence, is likewise ascending to the Citadel. Her goal is to revive the deity, exact revenge on the ministers who imprisoned her, and take over. The protagonist's interference changes everything. In the standard ending, she usurps the deity. In the secret finale, Hornet imprisons the deity, battles the Void, rescues her rival, and witnesses a sacrifice so both can escape.

A Deeper Allegory

Silksong is, at its core, a tale of journey. It is inspired by ancient spiritual journeys and allegorical dramas, with a Reformation-style critique at organized religion. Hornet's journey—descending into darkness, navigating a purgatorial layer, 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 is the essence of Silksong.

One can even see parallels to the Stations of the Cross, albeit rearranged. Hornet is captured and divested, faces judgment, suffers a grueling climb, and is temporarily entombed in the void. In essence, the game encourages reflection on faith, the soul, and change, all of which are essential for understanding the finale.

Backstory of the Weavers

Delving into the mythology of the ancient race reveals that the religion and way of life previously upheld by Mother Silk has turned toxic. Her followers forsook her path, and a group of power-hungry clergy seized control the Citadel, perverting the faith for their own gain.

Hornet, as a part-Weaver descendant of the deity, was destined to follow her will, willingly or not. Thanks to her upbringing by Herrah, she was kept away from the Weaver drama and encouraged to be independent, which is why the deity imprisons her at the beginning—to force her to fulfill her Weaver responsibilities.

Conclusions and Interpretations

If the heroine overcomes the deity in the regular finale, she takes her power and ascends to divinity. The fact that this is not the good outcome indicates that the kingdom's problems would continue—Hornet would have merely replaced one corrupt deity for another. By resolving all conflicts, players unlock Act 3 and the ideal conclusion.

Like any significant journey, this one ends with revelation. Hornet's discovery is that she can now live free of the Weaver taint in her blood and decide her own fate. Lace, recalling that love triumphs, liberated from her single-mindedness, will presumably restore the kingdom as a fairer society. In the finale, faith is abolished, and all can live autonomously.

As a end of the journey, it is an brilliant narrative device that perfectly aligns with the traditions it references. It communicates players that the only way to improve the world is to care for others. Few games use player agency to deliver such a message so effectively, and the developers deserve credit for this innovative approach.

A Central Dilemma

Despite the strength of its final message, the studio struggled to support this theme consistently and, more importantly, to tie it to the adventure's heart: the heroine.

The message might be for the audience, but the narrative is about her. When a narrative features a main character who speaks and thinks independently, she must be the primary subject, and her decisions and development should convey the themes. Even in allegorical works, the protagonist's identity and role are usually clearly defined to ensure understanding.

Yet, Hornet does not learn or change on her journey. Her sole purpose is to get back. The conflict between free will and fate only appears in the climactic battle and some obscure backstory. If players complete all requirements to reach the true ending, an NPC character remarks about her kindness, but he is talking to you, not her.

Lack of Character Development

This approach would have been fine in the first Hollow Knight, where the player and the Knight are one. She, however, is her own person, a focused warrior with a clear purpose. If she is forced to perform uncharacteristic deeds—such as helping weak bugs—there should be some friction. One would expect her to complain, act gruff, or at least respond. A brief complaint when first helping, later showing hope that her aid might help, would work.

When first asked to assist the oppressed citizens, Hornet responds with apathy, treating it as a minor task. Even if the user decides to assist, Hornet develops no attachment with any of them. There is no transformation, no evolution of viewpoint. It is remarkable that the player would demonstrate compassion, but not Hornet. The game provides little justification to think she would.

Underutilized Supporting Cast

The protagonist's dialogues with figures such as the Caretaker were the perfect opportunity to flesh out her character and strengthen the message without heavy-handed exposition. However, many end up being purely decorative, just padding the runtime. This problem stems from both the characterization of the heroine and the haphazard role of the other characters.

Garmond is essentially a lovable, doddering old fool—there for atmosphere but having no real impact. Others, like the certain NPCs, embody alternative beliefs contrary to the establishment, a concept that aligns with the message but goes unexplored.

Aside from key figures, one of the only characters with a thread through the entire game is a specific character, thanks to a tale of lost love. While compelling, it leans heavily on a problematic cliché and feels separate from the main narrative. Taking it out would have no effect 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 biggest misstep, however, is that the heroine is shown as largely inactive in almost every situation. The few times she speaks up, her observations 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 blend so many inspirations into a set of themes so powerful and complex that they are literally embedded into the in-game world. If the next project from the studio is larger and improved, one can only wish that those enhancements include the basics of narrative as well.