Summary
- Silksong's protagonist is Hornet, who can speak and share her thoughts, changing character interactions in the game.
- Hornet's ability to express emotions provides opportunities for character development that the silent Knight from the first game never had.
- While Hornet may streamline Silksong's plot and make it easier to understand, it may sacrifice some of the mystery and personal connection of the original game.
Hollow Knight: Silksong is Team Cherry's opportunity to create a strong player-character with a personality that people can empathize with . Having Hornet as Silksong's main protagonist means big changes compared to the previous game, specifically in character interactions. Hornet being able to speak and express her thoughts is better for overall character building, but this also means it might come up short of what Hollow Knight achieved with its silent protagonist.
During E3 2019, Hollow Knight: Silksong's gameplay demo was presented during Nintendo Treehouse's live segment. It showed the new world that players will get to explore, enemies to face, and most importantly, a returning character called Hornet who players will get to control. Hollow Knight's mysterious princess-protector gets the spotlight in Silksong, giving players a chance to see how her established personality harmonizes with the environments and inhabitants of Pharloom. Hornet's ability to produce dialogue and express emotions can have positive and negative consequences on the game's story and the player's perception of the world.
The Potential of Hornet's Ability to Provide Dialogue
When comparing Hornet to The Knight, the clear difference is that Silksong's protagonist can speak and share her thoughts about the different situations she finds herself in. Although those who have played Hollow Knight will already know about her selfless and relentless nature, the sequel will allow for further character development. Having a main protagonist that is not a blank slate gives Team Cherry more to work with regarding the kind of story it wants to tell. This allows for different opportunities, such as:
- Different expressions that Hornet can show upon discovering the many areas of Pharloom
- Character interactions that either synergize or clash with Hornet's personality
- Hornet's personal thoughts on key events or items of significance to the plot
All of this can also aid Team Cherry in streamlining the plot, making it easier for the players to understand what is happening while seeing how the protagonist feels about the events unfolding. With everything known about Hornet prior to Silksong, composing a deep and meaningful narrative that effectively ties to her identity is highly likely.
The Consequences of Hornet as a Speaking Protagonist
In the previous title, the world of Hollow Knight was filled with different areas and creatures that told a captivating story through both verbal and non-verbal means. The Knight's lack of a personality allowed players to form unfiltered connections with the world they were exploring and the story being told, making even the smallest details more personal. With Hornet being more vocal and expressive than her predecessor, players will see and feel everything from her perspective rather than just their own.
Having Hollow Knight's main protagonist act as a link to the player allowed for immersive world-building, giving every action and interaction more meaning. Since Hornet is already established with her own character, the player will be compelled to go along with her thoughts and conclusions rather than formulating all of them themselves. Although this will make it easier for the developers to show how emotionally impacting certain key events or areas should be, it leaves less to the player's imagination.
While the question of when Hollow Knight: Silksong will be released remains unanswered, fans at least know that Silksong hopes to make Hornet an even more memorable figure than she already is. With Hornet's ability to speak, players will have an easier time understanding the sequel's narrative, giving her a storytelling edge over The Knight, albeit at the cost of some of the first game's identity.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Released
- September 4, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
Become the Princess Knight
As the lethal hunter Hornet, adventure through a kingdom ruled by silk and song! Captured and taken to this unfamiliar world, prepare to battle mighty foes and solve ancient mysteries as you ascend on a deadly pilgrimage to the kingdom’s peak.
Hollow Knight: Silksong is the epic sequel to Hollow Knight, the award winning action-adventure. Journey to all-new lands, discover new powers, battle vast hordes of bugs and beasts and uncover secrets tied to your nature and your past.
- Developer(s)
- Team Cherry
- Publisher(s)
- Team Cherry
- Franchise
- Hollow Knight
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC
