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Hollow Knight: Silksong carries on the distinctive narrative style from the original title, tucking away historical fragments and character development throughout the world. When you piece it all together, the transformation from a apparently straightforward start to a profoundly important ending is astounding. Much like the rest of the game, the plot is more ambitious and more refined than its predecessor, built upon a strong central idea and a remarkable twist.

However, the word "Nearly" is key. There is a significant problem: the development team seem uncertain about whether the main character 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 quest starts with Hornet imprisoned in a cage. The Weavers of Pharloom took her prisoner on the bidding of Grand Mother Silk, from whom Hornet is partially born. After breaking free, she joins a band of travelers and begins her ascent. Her path takes her from the hellish depths filled with bones and corpses up towards the fortress, home to Pharloom's decadent priesthood. Along the journey, she witnesses the hardship and pain inflicted upon the oppressed populace in the name of religion—workers who sacrifice their lives, free-thinkers imprisoned for their beliefs, and more.

The Rival Weaver Lace

Another Weaver, also born from Grand Mother Silk's essence, is also making her way to the Citadel. Her plan is to awaken her mother, exact revenge on the corrupt clergy, and seize control. The protagonist's interference complicates matters. In the standard ending, she takes over from Mother Silk. In the secret finale, she imprisons the deity, confronts the dark entity, frees Lace, and sees Mother Silk give herself up so they may go free.

Thematic Foundations

Silksong is, at its core, a tale of journey. It is inspired by ancient spiritual journeys and morality plays, with a critical look at institutional faith. Hornet's journey—through hell, through a middle realm of struggle, and ascending to enlightenment—directly parallels the classic epic poem. That Renaissance masterpiece follows a fictional Dante through the afterlife on a quest for spiritual transformation, which perfectly encapsulates Silksong.

One can even see parallels to the Christian ritual, albeit out of order. Hornet is captured and divested, stands trial, suffers a grueling climb, and is briefly imprisoned in the void. In other words, the game encourages reflection on faith, the soul, and change, all of which are vital for understanding the finale.

The Weaver Lore

Delving into the lore of the Weavers reveals that the belief system and culture once championed by Mother Silk has turned toxic. Her children abandoned her teachings, and a caste of self-serving ministers took over the Citadel, twisting its doctrines for their personal benefit.

Hornet, as a blood relative of the deity, was destined to follow her will, whether she wanted to or not. Thanks to her upbringing by Herrah, she was kept away from the Weaver drama and taught to live for herself, which is why the deity captures her at the start—to compel her to accept her Weaver responsibilities.

Endings and Meanings

If the heroine defeats Mother Silk in the regular finale, she takes her power and becomes a new god. The fact that this is not the true ending indicates that the kingdom's problems would persist—she would have merely replaced one fallen god for another. By solving everyone's problems, players unlock Act 3 and the true ending.

Like any significant journey, this one ends with revelation. The protagonist's realization is that she can now live free of the hereditary burden in her blood and choose her own path. Her rival, recalling that love triumphs, liberated from her single-mindedness, will presumably rebuild Pharloom in a better image. In the finale, faith is abolished, and all can live autonomously.

As a end of the journey, 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 care for others. Few games use interactivity to deliver such a message so effectively, and the creators deserve credit for this thoughtful use of the medium.

The Protagonist Problem

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

The moral might be for the player, but the story is about her. When a story features a protagonist with her own agency, she must be the primary subject, and her decisions and development should convey the themes. Even in symbolic stories, the protagonist's identity and role are usually clearly defined to avoid confusion.

Yet, Hornet does not learn or change on her quest. Her only goal is to return home. The struggle of destiny versus choice only surfaces in the Act 2 boss fight and some obscure backstory. If players tick every box to reach the true ending, an supporting figure remarks about her kindness, but he is talking to you, not her.

Lack of Character Development

This method would have been fine in the first Hollow Knight, where the protagonist is a blank slate. She, however, is her own person, a focused warrior with a set objective. If she is made to choose uncharacteristic deeds—such as helping weak bugs—there should be some friction. One would expect her to grumble, act unpleasant, or at least react. A brief complaint when initially assisting, later expressing concern that her aid might help, would suffice.

When first asked to assist the oppressed citizens, Hornet responds with apathy, treating it as a low priority. Even if the user decides to assist, she forms no bond with any of them. There is no transformation, no evolution of viewpoint. It is notable that the player would demonstrate compassion, but not Hornet. The game provides no reason to think she would.

Underutilized Supporting Cast

The protagonist's dialogues with figures such as the Caretaker were the perfect opportunity to develop her personality and strengthen the message without heavy-handed exposition. However, many end up being merely ornamental, just padding the runtime. This problem stems from both the writing of Hornet and the random placement of the other characters.

Garmond is essentially a lovable, doddering old fool—present for atmosphere but playing no crucial part. Others, like the certain NPCs, represent different ideologies contrary to the establishment, a idea that fits the themes but is never developed.

Aside from Lace and Sherma, one of the few NPCs with a story spanning all three acts is a specific character, thanks to a tragic romance. While emotionally powerful, it relies too much on a problematic cliché and feels separate from the main narrative. Removing it would have little impact on the protagonist's arc or the core message.

A Passive Protagonist

The apparently arbitrary allocation of attention makes subplots feel incomplete and tacked on. The biggest misstep, however, is that Hornet is portrayed as a passive participant in nearly all events. 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 linked her more closely to the game's concepts. Instead, she is just along for the ride—in the passenger seat of her own story.

Acknowledging the Achievement

Despite these problems in storytelling, there is still great admiration for what the team accomplished. Few games synthesize so many influences into a set of themes so powerful and complex that they are built directly into the environment itself. If the next project from the studio is larger and improved, one can only hope that those enhancements include the fundamentals of storytelling as well.