🔗 Share this article

Team Cherry's Silksong continues the unique storytelling approach from the original title, dispersing bits of lore and character development throughout the world. When you piece it all together, the transformation from a seemingly simple start to a profoundly important ending is striking. Much like the overall experience, the story is more ambitious and better executed than its forerunner, centered around a powerful core concept and a remarkable twist.

However, the word "Almost" is crucial. There is a significant problem: the creators seem uncertain about whether the main character is the heroine or the player.

Editor's Note: This analysis contains heavy spoilers for both the regular and secret conclusions of Silksong.

The Pilgrimage of Hornet

The quest starts with the protagonist imprisoned in a cage. A group known as the Weavers took her prisoner on the bidding of the deity Mother Silk, from whom Hornet is partially born. After escaping, she encounters a group of pilgrims and embarks on a journey. Her route takes her from the hellish depths filled with bones and corpses up towards the fortress, home to Pharloom's corrupt religious caste. Along the way, she witnesses the cruelty and suffering endured by the oppressed populace in the name of faith—laborers who toil unto death, dissenters imprisoned for their beliefs, and more.

Lace and the Central Conflict

Lace, also created by Grand Mother Silk's essence, is likewise ascending to the Citadel. Her plan is to awaken her mother, seek vengeance on the ministers who imprisoned her, and seize control. Hornet's arrival complicates matters. In the regular conclusion, Hornet usurps the deity. In the secret finale, Hornet locks away Mother Silk, battles the Void, rescues her rival, and witnesses a sacrifice so both can escape.

Thematic Foundations

Silksong is, at its core, a pilgrimage story. It is inspired by medieval pilgrimages and allegorical dramas, with a Reformation-style critique at organized religion. The protagonist's path—through hell, navigating a purgatorial layer, and rising toward revelation—directly parallels the classic epic poem. That literary work follows a fictional Dante through the afterlife on a quest for spiritual transformation, which perfectly encapsulates Silksong.

One can even draw connections to the Christian ritual, albeit out of order. Hornet is arrested and stripped, stands trial, endures a tortuous ascent, and is temporarily entombed in the abyss. In essence, the game invites contemplation on religion, spirituality, and transformation, all of which are vital for grasping the ending.

Backstory of the Weavers

Delving into the mythology of the Weavers reveals that the belief system and culture once championed by the deity has become corrupt. Her followers abandoned her teachings, and a caste of self-serving ministers took over the temple, twisting its doctrines for their own gain.

Hornet, as a blood relative of Grand Mother Silk, was destined to follow her will, whether she wanted to or not. Thanks to her upbringing by Herrah, she was raised outside from the internal conflicts and encouraged to be independent, which is why Mother Silk captures her at the beginning—to force her to fulfill her inherited duties.

Endings and Meanings

If the heroine defeats Mother Silk in the standard ending, she takes her power and becomes a new god. The fact that this is not the true ending indicates that Pharloom's troubles would continue—Hornet would have merely replaced one corrupt deity for another. By solving everyone's problems, players unlock Act 3 and the true ending.

Like any meaningful pilgrimage, this one ends with revelation. The protagonist's realization is that she can now live free of the hereditary burden in her lineage and decide her own fate. Her rival, reminded of love's power, freed from selfishness, will presumably restore the kingdom in a better image. In the finale, religion is dead, and all can live autonomously.

As a conclusion to the pilgrimage, it is an brilliant narrative device that perfectly aligns with the inspirations it draws upon. It communicates players that the only way to improve the world is to show compassion. Rarely do titles use interactivity to deliver such a message so effectively, and the developers deserve praise for this thoughtful use of the medium.

The Protagonist Problem

Despite the power of its conclusion, the studio struggled to support this theme throughout the game and, more importantly, to connect it to the main character: the heroine.

The message might be for the audience, but the narrative is about Hornet. When a story features a protagonist with her own agency, she must be the central focus, and her actions and growth should communicate the ideas. Even in symbolic stories, the main character's purpose are usually explicitly stated to avoid confusion.

Yet, Hornet does not learn or change on her quest. Her only goal is to get back. The struggle of destiny versus choice only surfaces in the climactic battle and some obscure backstory. If players complete all requirements to unlock Act 3, an NPC character comments on Hornet's compassion, but he is talking to you, not her.

Lack of Character Development

This approach would have been fine in the first Hollow Knight, where the protagonist is a blank slate. She, however, is a defined character, a driven hunter with a set objective. If she is made to choose uncharacteristic deeds—such as helping weak bugs—there should be some resistance. One would anticipate her to complain, act unpleasant, or at least respond. A brief complaint when first helping, later expressing concern that her aid might help, would suffice.

When initially requested to help the weak bugs of Pharloom, Hornet responds with apathy, treating it as a minor task. Even if the player chooses to help, she forms no bond with any of them. There is no transformation, no evolution of viewpoint. It is notable that the player would show such care, but not the heroine. The game provides no reason to think she would.

Underutilized Supporting Cast

Hornet's interactions with figures such as the Caretaker were the ideal chance to develop her personality and reinforce the themes without obvious explanation. However, many end up being purely decorative, just padding the runtime. This issue stems from both the writing of Hornet and the haphazard role of the supporting cast.

One character is essentially a charming but irrelevant figure—there for flavor but playing no crucial part. Others, like the certain NPCs, represent different ideologies contrary to the establishment, a idea that fits the themes but goes unexplored.

Aside from Lace and Sherma, one of the few NPCs with a story spanning all three acts is The Green Prince, thanks to a tale of lost love. While emotionally powerful, it leans heavily on a troubling trope and feels disconnected from the central plot. Taking it out would have little impact on Hornet's story or the primary theme.

Hornet as a Passenger

The seemingly random allocation of attention makes side stories feel unfinished and added hastily. The largest error, however, is that Hornet is portrayed as a passive participant in nearly all events. The rare moments she comments, her remarks are terribly bland, such as offering clichéd advice to another character. Even blunter commentary on oppression and free will would have tied her better to the game's concepts. Instead, she is merely a passenger—in the backseat of her narrative.

Acknowledging the Achievement

Despite these problems in storytelling, there is still much to respect for what the team accomplished. Few games blend so many inspirations into a set of themes so powerful and complex that they are built directly into the in-game world. If the next project from the studio is larger and improved, one can only wish that those improvements include the basics of narrative as well.