Hollow Knight: Silksong Could Be Foreshadowing a Tragic Ending in Plain Sight

Summary

Even if Team Cherry has gone quiet with news aboutHollow Knight: Silksong, it hasn’t stopped speculation from picking apart what little is known about the game to reveal a possible tragic twist hiding in the open. Since anyupdates surroundingHollow Knight: Silksongonly seem to confirm that the game isn’t stuck in development limbo, ranging from an updated Steam page to an official age rating, eager fans are left without much to go on when it comes to the game’s story, its villains, and so much more. However, despite many theories surroundingSilksong’s characters, locations, and mechanics, one overlooked detail could hold a missing clue.

In what could be the first signs of an official franchise for Team Cherry,Hollow Knight: Silksongdifferentiates itself from the firstHollow Knightgame with its subtitle. Thanks to this and its protagonist, Hornet, being lifted directly fromHollow Knight, it’s arguably not surprising that fans have explored the potential connections between the two games and how this might impactSilksong. But this focus on the two games as a pair has pulled attention away from the face value of the sequel’s name, as Team Cherry’s choice of “Silksong” could foreshadow much more about the upcoming game than players may have yet realized.

Hollow Knight Silksong Hornet Defeat

The Potential Meaning Behind Hollow Knight: Silksong’s Subtitle

WhenSilksongwas first announced, it was clear that the new game would serve the unique role of both sequel and spiritual successor, continuing the adventure of the enigmaticrival-turned-ally Hornet based onHollow Knight’s missing stretch goal for a second playable character. Combined with early trailers and in-game footage,Silksongestablished its own identity with fast-paced gameplay, vibrant visuals, and a starker tone toHollow Knight’s melancholic story. By extension, the sequel’s subtitle “Silksong” appeared to reflect this shift in focus to Hornet, as it tied into her spider heritage, needle-and-thread weapon, and silk-based combat and crafting mechanics.

Hollow Knight: Silksong’s Subtitle Could Foreshadow Its Story

However, this surface-level reading ofSilksong’s subtitle might be missing some other obvious clues about what to expect from the upcoming sequel, especially when considering the firstHollow Knight, its story, and the variety of endings players could have received. For example, one of the first game’s subtler twists was the revelation that, despite the assumption that players took the titular Knight role, this was actually referring to one ofHollow Knight’s final bosseswhom the player’s protagonist may wind up replacing in certain endings. Moreover, in anotherHollow Knightending, even Hornet herself can meet a similar fate entombed alongside the player’s Knight.

Hollow Knight: Silksong Might End Tragically for Hornet

But whileSilksongwill likely canonize one ofHollow Knight’s “good” endings where at least Hornet survived the final boss, knowing that Team Cherry is fully prepared to give players dark and tragic stories could put the sequel’s subtitle in a new light. Since the fate ofHollow Knight’s Knight hasn’t yet been confirmed andHornet appears to beSilksong’s only protagonist, it seems entirely possible that the Knight remains sealed away with the Radiance. Therefore, Hornet could be headed for her own tragic ending as a parallel toHollow Knight, as the word “Silksong” seems to suggest when broken down.

Based on Team Cherry’s site which refers to Pharloom as “haunted by silk and song,“Silksong’s subtitle could just be a catchy portmanteau that reflects the sequel’s design, narrative, and tone. Yet the introduction of music to Hornet’s existing silk imagery could evoke the idea of a swan song, as this would continue the original themes ofHollow Knightof death, defeat, and decay. As a part of the expandingHollow Knightstory and franchise,Silksong’s subtitle might foreshadow a futile tale of yet another fated kingdom where this time around, the player might witness its downfall in real-time through Hornet’s own swan song.

Hollow Knight: Silksong Tag Page Cover Art