Things That Happened Between Hollow Knight And Silksong

This article contains major spoilers for both Hollow Knight and Hollow Knight: Silksong.

Similar to the first game, Hollow Knight: Silksong is rich with story and detailed background. The sequel continues the tradition of excellent world-building, featuring the kingdom of Pharloom, which has its own intricate history that shapes the present day. Though Pharloom feels distinct, the events of the original Hollow Knight in the kingdom of Hallownest still play a significant role in the new game.

The stories and background details in both Hollow Knight and its sequel are mostly hinted at, leaving players to piece things together. Because the important events from the endings of Hollow Knight greatly affect the world of Silksong, the world has changed considerably since the first game, and these changes play a role in Hornet’s adventure through Pharloom.

A Significant Amount Of Time Has Passed

The Old One

The game doesn’t state exactly how much time has passed since the Knight’s journey in Hollow Knight, but clues in Silksong suggest it’s been a significant amount of time. Discussions about Hornet’s age, along with an optional item from the first game, indicate that several years have passed since she helped the Knight complete his quest.

In the upcoming game Silksong, the Shaman snails are mysterious creatures focused on studying the dangerous realm known as the Void. These beings appear in both Silksong and Hollow Knight and are of interest to those researching the history of their world. Interestingly, they call Hornet the “Old One,” hinting at just how long she’s existed. A journal entry reveals she once looked for a partner, but no one could live as long as she has. This makes sense given Hornet’s origins – she’s the daughter of two god-like figures, which explains her exceptionally long life.

As a big fan of both games, I’ve been thinking a lot about how much time has passed between Hollow Knight and Silksong. Something really interesting came up regarding those Delicate Flowers! You might remember how tough it was to get one in Hollow Knight as part of a really hard side quest. Well, in Silksong, Hornet needs to find one too, but she says she’s recalling it from “the distant past.” The flower was still around during the first game, even if it wasn’t widely known. If Hornet is remembering it from around the time we last saw it in Hollow Knight, that means Silksong must take place way further in the future than a lot of us initially thought. It’s a small detail, but it really makes you think!

The Radiance’s Influence is Destroyed

The Healing Process Begins

In the game Hollow Knight, the true villain isn’t the Hollow Knight, but a being called The Radiance. The Radiance is the source of the corruption that turned the Hollow Knight into a danger to the kingdom of Hallownest and to The Knight. This corruption led to the Hollow Knight being sealed away, and his eventual awakening is what sets the game’s events in motion, prompting The Knight to intervene.

The Radiance spreads its power by influencing the minds of bugs, and even acknowledging its existence allows it to take hold. The Hollow Knight was created to be immune to this influence – he was intentionally born as an empty being, hence the name “Hollow.” However, his creator, the Pale King, made a crucial error: he began to care for the Hollow Knight like a son. This affection gave the Hollow Knight a sense of self, a soul, which made him vulnerable to The Radiance’s corruption. Because of this, he was sealed within a black egg, a protective prison designed to prevent further corruption until a truly perfect vessel could be created.

The true ending of Hollow Knight fully develops the idea of an empty vessel. The Knight is free from both the Radiance’s influence and the Pale King’s control. In a final battle, he confronts the Hollow Knight within its prison. Hornet may assist, depending on the player’s choices, helping The Knight enter the Hollow Knight’s mind and ultimately defeat the Radiance. With the Radiance gone, the kingdom is freed from corruption and can begin to heal, setting the stage for the next game.

The Knight Masters The Void

The Canon Ending

Hollow Knight has several different endings, and each one drastically changes the fate of the kingdom and the Knight. While some endings are more positive than others, all of them leave a lasting impact on the world. The upcoming game, Silksong, establishes one of these endings as the official storyline. Based on what we see of Hornet’s journey, it’s clear that the Knight returns to the Void, defeats the Radiance by harnessing its power, and ultimately accepts the darkness beneath Hallownest as his own.

Furthermore, The Knight’s siblings appear alongside him, no longer hidden behind masks and working together. This realm, called the Void, essentially gives them life, serving as a substitute for a soul and making them the opposite of the Radiance’s power from the first game. According to the true ending of Silksong – which is unlocked by completing a secret third part of the game – The Knight and his family have fully learned to control the Void by the time the game’s story unfolds.

Grand Mother Silk Spreads Her Corruption Once More

Before Hollow Knight, And Then Before Silksong

Hornet isn’t the only powerful being at play. In the faraway land of Pharloom lives Grand Mother Silk, a god-like entity similar to The Radiance. Long ago, before the events of the games, Grand Mother Silk used her special silk to awaken the wild spiders of Pharloom, creating the Weavers. This silk gives the Weavers amazing abilities, letting them create incredible things. However, it also makes them vulnerable to Grand Mother Silk’s control. Unlike The Radiance, whose power comes from belief, Grand Mother Silk’s influence is a physical corruption that spreads through a creature’s body and changes who they are.

For a while, the Weavers escaped the control of Grand Mother Silk by singing her a special lullaby. During this freedom, they traveled to different kingdoms, including Hallownest, where they established a small village in the shadowy depths of Deepnest. This is where Hornet grew up. When Hallownest began to fall into ruin, the Weavers returned to their home in Pharloom, but Hornet stayed behind to watch over the kingdom’s remains and safeguard its past. Now that Grand Mother Silk has regained power, she’s reclaiming her corrupted followers and sending them out to bring the Weavers who left back under her control.

Hornet Is Captured In Hallownest

The Start Of Silksong

As a huge Hollow Knight fan, I’ve always wondered what happened to Hornet after the Knight’s journey. It seems like she was around Hallownest for a long time, even before the game started! She was already there, guarding the kingdom’s history as things started to go wrong. And she didn’t just disappear after the Knight defeated the Radiance – she kept protecting Hallownest, which is how Grand Mother Silk eventually found and captured her. It’s amazing to think about how much she’s seen and how dedicated she is!

News of Hornet’s adventures eventually reached Grand Mother Silk, who wanted to recapture the Weavers that had escaped. Using her mind-controlling silk, she sent corrupted bugs from Pharloom to capture Hornet. Even though Hornet is incredibly strong, they managed to trap her, putting her in the cage we see her break out of at the start of Silksong.

2026-02-04 15:39