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Hollow Knight: Silksong upholds the distinctive storytelling approach from the first game, scattering historical fragments and character growth across the landscape. When you piece it all together, the evolution from a apparently straightforward beginning to a deeply significant ending is astounding. Similar to the rest of the game, the story is more ambitious and more refined than its forerunner, centered around a strong central idea and a significant revelation.

However, the word "Almost" is crucial. There is a central flaw: the development team seem unable to decide about whether the protagonist is the heroine or the player.

Editor's Note: This analysis contains heavy spoilers for both the standard and true endings of Silksong.

Hornet's Journey

The adventure starts with Hornet imprisoned in a cage. The Weavers of Pharloom captured her on orders from Grand Mother Silk, from whom she is partly descended. After breaking free, she encounters a group of pilgrims and embarks on a journey. Her route takes her from the hellish depths littered with remains of the fallen up towards the Citadel, home to Pharloom's decadent priesthood. Along the journey, she observes the hardship and pain endured by the exploited masses in the name of faith—workers who toil unto death, dissenters imprisoned for their beliefs, and more.

Lace and the Central Conflict

Another Weaver, also created by the deity's own silk, is likewise ascending to the stronghold. Her goal is to awaken her mother, exact revenge on the corrupt clergy, and seize control. Hornet's arrival complicates matters. In the regular conclusion, she usurps Mother Silk. In the secret finale, Hornet locks away Mother Silk, battles the Void, frees Lace, and sees Mother Silk give herself up so they may go free.

Thematic Foundations

Silksong is, at its heart, a pilgrimage story. It is modeled after medieval pilgrimages and morality plays, with a critical look at institutional faith. Hornet's journey—descending into darkness, through a middle realm of struggle, and ascending to enlightenment—strongly echoes Dante's The Divine Comedy. That literary work follows a fictional Dante through hell, purgatory, and heaven on a quest for spiritual transformation, which perfectly encapsulates Silksong.

One can even see parallels to the Stations of the Cross, albeit out of order. The heroine is arrested and stripped, stands trial, endures a tortuous ascent, and is briefly imprisoned in the abyss. In essence, the game invites contemplation 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 Weavers reveals that the religion and way of life previously upheld by the deity has turned toxic. Her children forsook her path, and a caste of self-serving ministers seized control the Citadel, twisting its doctrines for their own gain.

The protagonist, as a blood relative of the deity, was destined to obey her commands, willingly or not. Thanks to her upbringing by Herrah, she was raised outside from the Weaver drama and encouraged to be independent, which is why the deity imprisons her at the start—to force her to fulfill her inherited duties.

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—she would have simply swapped one corrupt deity for another. By solving everyone's problems, players unlock Act 3 and the true ending.

Like any significant journey, this one ends with revelation. Hornet's discovery is that she can now exist independently of the hereditary burden in her lineage and choose her own path. Lace, reminded of love's power, freed from selfishness, will presumably rebuild Pharloom as a fairer society. In the finale, religion is dead, and everyone is free.

As a conclusion to the pilgrimage, it is an brilliant narrative device that perfectly aligns with the traditions it references. It tells players that the only way to improve the world is to show compassion. Few games use player agency to convey this theme so effectively, and the developers deserve credit for this innovative approach.

The Protagonist Problem

Despite the strength of its final message, the studio had difficulty reinforcing this message consistently and, crucially, to connect it to the adventure's heart: Hornet.

The message might be for the audience, but the narrative is about Hornet. When a narrative features a protagonist with her own agency, she must be the primary subject, and her actions and growth should convey the themes. Even in symbolic stories, the protagonist's identity and role are usually clearly defined to ensure understanding.

Yet, Hornet does not grow or evolve on her journey. Her sole purpose is to return home. The struggle of destiny versus choice only surfaces in the Act 2 boss fight and some hidden lore. If players tick every box to reach the true ending, an supporting figure remarks about her kindness, but he is addressing the player, not her.

Lack of Character Development

This method would have worked in the first Hollow Knight, where the protagonist is a blank slate. She, however, is her own person, a driven hunter with a clear purpose. If she is forced to perform uncharacteristic deeds—such as aiding the helpless—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 initially requested to help the oppressed citizens, Hornet responds with indifference, treating it as a low priority. Even if the user decides to assist, she develops no attachment with any of them. There is no change, no shift in perspective. It is remarkable that the player would demonstrate compassion, but not Hornet. The game provides little justification to think she would.

Wasted Character Potential

Hornet's interactions with characters like the Caretaker were the ideal chance to flesh out her character and strengthen the message without heavy-handed exposition. Most of these end up being purely decorative, just filling space. 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—present for flavor but having no real impact. Others, like the certain NPCs, embody alternative beliefs outside the Citadel's norms, a concept that aligns with the message but goes unexplored.

Aside from key figures, one of the only characters with a story spanning all three acts is The Green Prince, thanks to a tale of lost love. While emotionally powerful, it relies too much on a troubling trope and feels disconnected from the central plot. Removing it would have little impact on Hornet's story or the core message.

Hornet as a Passenger

The seemingly random 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 rare moments she comments, her observations are terribly bland, 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 merely a passenger—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 synthesize so many influences 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 developers is larger and improved, one can only hope that those improvements include the basics of narrative as well.