I Marathoned Hollow Knight And Silksong, And I Want To Play As These Characters In A Third Game

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Let me tell you, I’ve been completely obsessed with Hollow Knight since September 2025. I originally played it years ago, and then again when my girlfriend took it on – it’s just that good. Ever since, I’ve been desperately waiting for Hollow Knight: Silksong. So, when Team Cherry announced at Gamescom 2025 that it was coming this year – and incredibly, in just two weeks! – I was floored. I was actually on vacation, but with a week until Silksong’s launch, I immediately dove back into the original Hollow Knight for a refresher. It was time to prepare for what I considered my most anticipated game of the year, and honestly, it didn’t disappoint.

It’s been two and a half months, and I’ve finished both Hollow Knight games. I really lost myself in what I think is one of the best video game worlds ever created, and I have a lot of thoughts about both games. Instead of just looking back (and acknowledging that Silksong feels like a distant memory now), I want to start getting excited about what Team Cherry creates next. I met so many wonderful and well-designed characters while exploring Hallownest and Pharloom. If the next Hollow Knight game follows the same pattern as Silksong – featuring a protagonist who was a side character in the previous game – here are the characters I’d love to see take the lead.

Major Spoilers Ahead for Hollow Knight and Hollow Knight: Silksong.

Shakra

A Brave Warrior Who Lost Her Master

I expected to be hesitant about who filled the role of map-maker in Hollow Knight: Silksong, as I really loved Cornifer from Hollow Knight. Hearing his cheerful tune in each area was always a welcome surprise. But Shakra quickly won me over. She’s a warrior from a tribe that highly values strength, and they actually name people after the weapons they use. Similar to how Cornifer left his quills behind, you’ll often find Shakra’s shakras scattered around where she’s been.

Shakra would make an excellent main character in a future Hollow Knight game for several reasons. First, she fights with ranged attacks, unlike Hornet and The Knight, offering a fresh and different combat style. Second, she’s significantly larger than both previous protagonists – almost twice Hornet’s size. With the ending of Silksong hinting at a journey to the Surface, and the presence of massive creatures there, a bigger character like Shakra would be better equipped to handle the challenges. Finally, Shakra has a compelling story arc ready to be explored. After losing her master, she’s searching for purpose, and having recently protected Bellhart from the Void, she’s now ready for a personal quest following Hornet’s success in containing the Void’s spread.

Zote

Mighty Warrior Or Unreliable Narrator?

This idea goes beyond just an interesting story. When the developers of Hollow Knight initially raised funds through Kickstarter, they had two goals. Reaching those goals would have added two new characters to the game. One of those characters was Hornet, but instead of being playable in Hollow Knight, she’s now the main character in her own game, Hollow Knight: Silksong. Interestingly, the image used to promote the second fundraising goal showed a character that strongly resembled Zote.

Many characters in Hollow Knight, including the Knight, share a similar appearance with Zote. Though it’s widely believed Zote isn’t a vessel – likely just a bug with a troubled past – there’s still a compelling story to be told. Zote’s strong desire for his father’s approval fuels his overconfidence, despite a lack of actual accomplishment (as far as we know). The powerful hidden Dream bosses, Zote the Mighty and Grey Prince Zote, are generally considered to be representations of Zote’s self-image, rather than his past selves. Currently, very little is known about Zote, which makes him a fascinating character to explore. Team Cherry could develop his backstory, or take a creative approach similar to Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, where Zote narrates an exaggerated and ever-changing tale. This would allow players to experience the story as it unfolds, deciphering truth from boastful exaggeration.

Lace

The Antagonist Turned Protagonist

Like The Knight and Hornet, Lace has a powerful parent – Grand Mother Silk. The Knight was born from the Pale King and the White Lady, and Hornet from the Pale King and Herrah the Beast, but Lace was literally created from silk by Grand Mother Silk as a loyal daughter, intended to help awaken her. While Phantom faltered in his devotion, Lace remained steadfast. However, Grand Mother Silk’s fascination with Hornet’s natural ability to produce silk sparked such jealousy in Lace that she ultimately rebelled against her mother.

Similar to how Shakra felt at the end of Silksong, Lace is now searching for a new direction in life. While Hornet saved her from the Void, Lace used up the last of Grand Mother Silk’s power in the process, leaving her motherless and without a clear purpose. Like Hornet in Hollow Knight, Lace initially appears as an antagonist, but has the potential to become a hero. Given this parallel, Lace seems like the most natural choice to lead a third Hollow Knight game. However, unlike Hornet, Lace struggles with self-doubt and needs to learn to find worth within herself, independent of her mother. This internal conflict creates a compelling opportunity for a rich and engaging character arc if Team Cherry chooses to explore it.

Quirrel

Intrepid Explorer And Dreamer’s Apprentice

It seems very likely that Quirrel has died. After witnessing the death of his teacher, Monomon, he becomes withdrawn and expresses a desire for rest. When you return to his usual location by the Lake of Tears, he’s nowhere to be found, but his nail is stuck in the ground. Considering how much Quirrel emphasizes the importance of having a weapon while traveling, leaving his nail behind is a strong indication that he’s no longer with us.

The biggest mystery surrounding Quirrel is his past – he doesn’t seem to know much about it himself. When we first meet him, he has no recollection of ever being in Hallownest, even though he was there when Monomon sealed the Hollow Knight. He regains that memory after Monomon’s defeat, but it’s unclear what happened between then and the start of the game. At some point, he left Hallownest and then came back, and he can’t remember any of it. We don’t know where he went, what he did, or why he returned. A prequel focusing on Quirrel’s adventures before the main game would be a refreshing change, even if it doesn’t directly advance the overall story.

Hornet

If It Ain’t Broke…

The Knight has essentially completed their journey. They returned to Hallownest, summoned by the Hollow Knight (or the Radiance it contained), to stop the spreading infection, and once that was accomplished, their story felt complete. However, that’s not true for Hornet. While Hollow Knight: Silksong reveals a lot about her past, her job as a wandering protector makes her a perfect character to return in future games as a continuing hero.

Near the end of Silksong, Hornet reveals she previously couldn’t save a kingdom from destruction and is determined not to let that happen again. Although the fall of Hallownest wasn’t her fault, she feels a sense of responsibility and takes on the task of protecting Pharloom from Grand Mother Silk and the growing threat of the Void. It would be perfectly fine to continue Hornet’s story by sending her to another troubled kingdom to act as its protector. Alternatively, since she’s already traveled to the surface, perhaps she could follow Mister Mushroom and explore the world above. Either way, Hornet’s narrative doesn’t have to conclude with Silksong; she’s a compelling enough character to lead multiple games.

Steel Assassin Sharpe

Where Did You Come From, Where Did You Go?

It’s a bit of a mystery, since the character Steel Assassin Sharpe isn’t actually in the game Silksong. What makes him so intriguing is that he was originally planned to be included – he even appeared in the first trailer! Sharpe was meant to lead a group of assassins hunting Hornet in the world of Pharloom, but for some reason, he and his team were removed. Interestingly, Sharpe was created as a reward for backers who supported the game’s Kickstarter campaign, and Team Cherry has a history of honoring their backers’ contributions.

There’s a good chance we’ll see the character Sharpe introduced in a future downloadable content pack, possibly in a way similar to how Grimm was presented in Hollow Knight. However, it’s also possible Team Cherry is holding him back for a bigger role in a third game. This would be a risk, as Sharpe isn’t as well-known as Hornet was before Silksong, but Team Cherry has earned a lot of trust with players. They could likely release a game with a bizarre premise and still find an audience. Sharpe is intriguing because of his unusual fighting style – using his proboscis like a sword and whip – and because he’s a gang leader, not a creature with royal lineage. This would offer a fresh perspective on the game’s world. While it’s the least probable scenario, it would be the most unexpected and ambitious path Team Cherry could take with a new game.

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2025-11-27 14:37