0:00:10.960,0:00:15.110
If you were to ask me, “What is your favorite[br]video game ever made?”

0:00:15.110,0:00:18.320
I would have[br]to say Cory in the House for the Nintendo

0:00:18.320,0:00:19.320
DS.

0:00:19.320,0:00:22.170
But Hollow Knight would be a close second.

0:00:22.170,0:00:28.779
Hollow Knight was released on February 24th,[br]2017 by Team Cherry, an indie game studio

0:00:28.779,0:00:32.710
based in the mythical land of Adelaide, South[br]Australia.

0:00:32.710,0:00:36.300
Over the past three years, Hollow Knight has[br]become an indie darling.

0:00:36.300,0:00:42.360
The game has sold over three and a half million[br]copies, it was the opening game at AGDQ 2019.

0:00:42.360,0:00:49.260
There’s a Hollow Knight book, a line of[br]plushies, T-shirts, nicotine patches, nuclear

0:00:49.260,0:00:53.530
warheads, and even vinyl records for all you[br]goddamn hipsters.

0:00:53.530,0:00:56.090
Team Cherry had one goal when making Hollow[br]Knight.

0:00:56.090,0:01:01.269
They wanted to create a world that allowed[br]players to get completely lost in exploration.

0:01:01.269,0:01:04.140
We can see this desire in Hollow Knight’s[br]design.

0:01:04.140,0:01:08.860
The levels in Hollow Knight are massive, with[br]secrets and rewards hidden in every nook and

0:01:08.860,0:01:14.000
cranny, be that powerful charms, special abilities[br]or uhh...

0:01:14.000,0:01:17.700
The game’s navigation system requires the[br]player to work for their map, forcing them

0:01:17.700,0:01:21.210
to make a stronger mental image of the world[br]in their head.

0:01:21.210,0:01:26.090
Christopher Larkin’s score and Ari Gibson’s[br]artwork lend to this as well, creating an

0:01:26.090,0:01:28.400
atmosphere that the player won’t want to[br]leave.

0:01:28.400,0:01:35.060
But there’s one aspect of Hollow Knight[br]that keeps people like me coming back: the

0:01:35.060,0:01:38.170
world building.

0:01:38.170,0:01:44.539
When Super Metroid launched in 1994, it stood[br]out for its amazing sense of immersion.

0:01:44.539,0:01:49.870
Now in 1994, I was busy not being alive, but[br]I’ve watched enough YouTube video essays

0:01:49.870,0:01:53.430
to know that this game was a big deal.

0:01:53.430,0:01:57.229
In case you didn’t know, Super Metroid is[br]basically the granddaddy of all Metroidvanias.

0:01:57.229,0:02:01.140
That’s why they’re called “MetroidVANIAs”.

0:02:01.140,0:02:05.450
Now in Super Metroid, there are moments that[br]give the player a sense of depth.

0:02:05.450,0:02:09.940
Basically the feeling that this world exists[br]outside of Samus’ interactions with it.

0:02:09.940,0:02:14.620
In the room right before that diabetic crocodile[br]thing, Samus can find the corpse of a random

0:02:14.620,0:02:15.620
soldier.

0:02:15.620,0:02:19.370
His inclusion here doesn’t change the gameplay[br]at all, but instead gives the player a sense

0:02:19.370,0:02:22.050
of wonder about the world they are exploring.

0:02:22.050,0:02:23.660
Who was this guy?

0:02:23.660,0:02:25.180
Why was he here in the first place?

0:02:25.180,0:02:27.640
Did he like jazz?

0:02:27.640,0:02:31.620
Now finding dead bodies and other random garbage[br]is pretty cool, right?

0:02:31.620,0:02:34.450
Well, Hollow Knight basically does the same[br]thing.

0:02:34.450,0:02:37.040
About a dozen times.

0:02:37.040,0:02:41.040
Through its world building, Hollow Knight[br]turns Hallownest into a living kingdom.

0:02:41.040,0:02:45.100
You can sense the ancient history of the land[br]when you look at dilapidated structures or

0:02:45.100,0:02:47.530
giant barred doors.

0:02:47.530,0:02:52.480
Nothing feels like it was put into the game[br]randomly; there’s a reason for it all.

0:02:52.480,0:02:55.010
Except those reasons aren’t the easiest[br]to uncover.

0:02:55.010,0:02:59.420
Hollow Knight’s narrative is buried under[br]layers of NPC dialogue, item descriptions,

0:02:59.420,0:03:05.070
lore tablets, and even additional content[br]like the Quirrel comic and Fangamer’s Wanderer’s

0:03:05.070,0:03:06.070
Journal.

0:03:06.070,0:03:10.280
These past three years have seen an insane[br]amount of research by the Hollow Knight community

0:03:10.280,0:03:13.230
to make sense of Team Cherry’s sprawling[br]world.

0:03:13.230,0:03:18.170
We’ve even made it to the point where people[br]are looking at the in-game signs to try and

0:03:18.170,0:03:21.110
decipher Hallownest’s logographic language.

0:03:21.110,0:03:25.720
In this video, I hope to give you a long and[br]detailed look into the world of Hollow Knight,

0:03:25.720,0:03:28.450
exploring Hallownest’s history and uncertain[br]future.

0:03:28.450,0:03:34.400
When I’m not busy making surprisingly accurate[br]Super Smash Brothers roster speculation videos,

0:03:34.400,0:03:39.660
or insightful podcasts about beloved subjects[br]like the Donkey Kong Country television series,

0:03:39.660,0:03:43.770
or whatever this was supposed to be, I’m[br]usually making videos about Hollow Knight.

0:03:43.770,0:03:49.010
And while I am a seasoned Hollow Knight lore[br]expert, I cannot confirm that every musing

0:03:49.010,0:03:52.330
or theory presented in this video is completely[br]correct.

0:03:52.330,0:03:57.070
I highly recommend checking out the lore section[br]of the Hollow Knight Wiki if you want a more

0:03:57.070,0:03:59.270
neutral explanation of Hollow Knight’s lore.

0:03:59.270,0:04:05.230
But if you’re too lazy to read, then I suggest[br]you sit back, order some Domino’s pizza

0:04:05.230,0:04:10.420
or just grab a block of cheese from the fridge,[br]and enjoy the mostly complete lore of Hollow

0:04:10.420,0:04:12.110
Knight.

0:04:12.110,0:04:20.350
It’s a simple fact of life that every human[br]worships a god, be that technology, ideologies,

0:04:20.350,0:04:23.180
or in rare cases, God.

0:04:23.180,0:04:27.199
As it turns out, the bugs in Hallownest pretty[br]much operate in the same way.

0:04:27.199,0:04:32.420
From the mosskin born from the dream of a[br]giant slug, to the emo kids of the Ancient

0:04:32.420,0:04:36.509
Civilization who literally worshipped the[br]darkness, there is no shortage of things to

0:04:36.509,0:04:38.819
worship in the world of Hollow Knight.

0:04:38.819,0:04:42.949
Our story begins with a creature very much[br]worthy of worship: a creature born from the

0:04:42.949,0:04:45.119
carcass of a Wyrm.

0:04:45.119,0:04:49.009
The carcass can still be found in the Kingdom’s[br]Edge and it’s our only good look at what

0:04:49.009,0:04:51.120
Wyrms actually looked like.

0:04:51.120,0:04:55.919
At the time Hollow Knight occurs, it is suggested[br]there are no Wyrms left in the world.

0:04:55.919,0:04:59.789
They were incredibly long creatures that featured[br]little to no limbs.

0:04:59.789,0:05:04.419
Another, more mysterious property of Wyrms[br]was that they had some kind of prescience

0:05:04.419,0:05:05.580
or foresight.

0:05:05.580,0:05:08.259
Basically, they could see the future to some[br]capacity.

0:05:08.259,0:05:11.569
It isn’t clear how effective this ability[br]was.

0:05:11.569,0:05:16.520
Considering how the entire race went extinct,[br]this foresight ability must have been pretty

0:05:16.520,0:05:17.729
shit.

0:05:17.729,0:05:21.550
Getting back to this particular Wyrm carcass,[br]it is explained that this Wyrm traveled across

0:05:21.550,0:05:25.259
the distant mountains and wastelands beyond[br]Hallownest.

0:05:25.259,0:05:29.340
Once it arrived in Hallownest, the Wyrm died.

0:05:29.340,0:05:30.800
Except not really.

0:05:30.800,0:05:35.180
Inside the maw of the carcass sits a pale,[br]broken egg, out of which hatched a new form

0:05:35.180,0:05:38.379
of Wyrm, a being of meager shell.

0:05:38.379,0:05:42.819
This form of the Wyrm is usually referred[br]to as the Pale King, and he’s the character

0:05:42.819,0:05:47.349
basically responsible for everything that[br]happens in Hollow Knight.

0:05:47.349,0:05:52.919
The Pale King is a higher being, a type of[br]creature that exists above all others.

0:05:52.919,0:05:57.039
His body was said to shine with a radiant[br]vistage that harmed those who looked upon

0:05:57.039,0:05:58.039
him.

0:05:58.039,0:06:01.400
The ultimate goal of the Pale King seemed[br]to be in line with that of other Wyrms.

0:06:01.400,0:06:04.750
A line from the cryptic Mister Mushroom reads:

0:06:04.750,0:06:09.229
...Wyrms pull bugs into their thrall,[br]Till ages pass and kingdoms fall,

0:06:09.229,0:06:12.050
In other words, it’s just in their nature.

0:06:12.050,0:06:17.939
Dogs wag their tails, cats bury their shit,[br]and Wyrms bring massive amounts of bugs into

0:06:17.939,0:06:22.840
their service in order to form long standing[br]kingdoms and civilizations.

0:06:22.840,0:06:26.889
And here in a far corner of the world, the[br]Pale King emerged from the corpse of his former

0:06:26.889,0:06:30.689
self and began to build his eternal kingdom,[br]Hallownest.

0:06:30.689,0:06:33.340
There’s just one slight problem.

0:06:33.340,0:06:37.069
There’s like… people already living there.

0:06:37.069,0:06:43.090
The area that would eventually become Hallownest[br]was already filled with mantises, bees, moths,

0:06:43.090,0:06:46.999
spiders, mushrooms, and bush cosplayers.

0:06:46.999,0:06:51.150
Each of these groups were already operating[br]with their own cultures and societies, and

0:06:51.150,0:06:54.569
each group had a different interaction with[br]the Pale King.

0:06:54.569,0:06:58.160
One of the more receptive groups to the arrival[br]of the Pale King were the mushrooms of the

0:06:58.160,0:07:00.060
Fungal Wastes.

0:07:00.060,0:07:04.460
These creatures were able to communicate with[br]one another through one shared mind.

0:07:04.460,0:07:08.680
The mushrooms viewed this shared mind as a[br]strength, and they were kinda smug dickheads

0:07:08.680,0:07:09.680
about it.

0:07:09.680,0:07:14.229
Ultimately, the mushrooms wearly accepted[br]the Pale King’s rule, viewing his foresight

0:07:14.229,0:07:17.230
as a shield to the dangers of the future.

0:07:17.230,0:07:20.909
Another group living in the Fungal Wastes[br]is the Mantis Tribe.

0:07:20.909,0:07:24.759
The mantises have a rich cultural history[br]reaching back to long before the birth of

0:07:24.759,0:07:26.199
Hallownest.

0:07:26.199,0:07:31.090
The mantises are a proud tribe, believing[br]in the importance of proving one’s physical

0:07:31.090,0:07:32.090
strength.

0:07:32.090,0:07:36.340
The mantises are fiercely territorial but[br]will show respect to those who display great

0:07:36.340,0:07:37.470
power.

0:07:37.470,0:07:41.969
These Fight Club enthusiasts were lead by[br]four powerful Mantis Lords who I guess just

0:07:41.969,0:07:45.229
kinda sat around waiting for outsiders to[br]challenge them.

0:07:45.229,0:07:49.479
The Mantis Tribe had no interest in the Pale[br]King’s kingdom, but the two communities

0:07:49.479,0:07:51.270
did come to a truce.

0:07:51.270,0:07:55.909
In exchange for their independence from Hallownest,[br]the Mantis Tribe kept the beasts of Deepnest

0:07:55.909,0:07:57.999
from invading Hallownest.

0:07:57.999,0:08:02.300
Not sure why they didn’t just go out the[br]other exits from Deepnest, but whatever.

0:08:02.300,0:08:04.219
I’m not an expert on border patrol.

0:08:04.219,0:08:06.169
I don’t work at ICE anymore.

0:08:06.169,0:08:08.499
Let’s move on to Deepnest.

0:08:08.499,0:08:13.029
Now many of the different tribes of Hallownest[br]were kind enough to leave lore tablets behind

0:08:13.029,0:08:16.330
detailing pretty much everything we need to[br]know about them.

0:08:16.330,0:08:19.909
Unfortunately the bugs of Deepnest didn’t[br]do that.

0:08:19.909,0:08:24.249
We know that the spiders of Deepnest had a[br]monarchy because why not.

0:08:24.249,0:08:26.199
Those are always good, right?

0:08:26.199,0:08:29.849
Also within Deepnest are a separate group[br]of spiders that immigrated to Deepnest at

0:08:29.849,0:08:31.620
some point in the past.

0:08:31.620,0:08:35.530
This group was known as the Weavers, and they[br]established their own culture and history

0:08:35.530,0:08:36.669
within Deepnest.

0:08:36.669,0:08:41.680
They used looms of silk to weave stories,[br]spells and shields.

0:08:41.680,0:08:44.660
One thing we know for sure about Deepnest[br]is that they really didn’t want anything

0:08:44.660,0:08:46.430
to do with Hallownest.

0:08:46.430,0:08:50.370
The struggles of Deepnest-Hallownest relations[br]would become painfully clear as time goes

0:08:50.370,0:08:55.660
on, but for right now, it seems like the two[br]remained fairly isolated from one another.

0:08:55.660,0:08:58.440
Another section of pre-Hallownest includes[br]Greenpath.

0:08:58.440,0:09:03.040
Now as far as we can tell, the Mushrooms,[br]Mantises and spiders of Deepnest didn’t

0:09:03.040,0:09:04.670
worship any Higher Beings.

0:09:04.670,0:09:08.540
There is this giant mushroom corpse in the[br]Fungal Core, but I don’t think this is a

0:09:08.540,0:09:09.540
Higher Being.

0:09:09.540,0:09:12.020
I mean, who the hell would want to worship[br]a fatass mushroom?

0:09:12.020,0:09:13.340
Fatass slugs?

0:09:13.340,0:09:15.310
Now that’s dope.

0:09:15.310,0:09:19.640
The land we know as Greenpath was created[br]by the Higher Being known as Unn.

0:09:19.640,0:09:25.270
Unn used her great mind to dream the vegetation[br]of Greenpath into the once barren caverns.

0:09:25.270,0:09:30.860
Unn’s followers, the Mosskin, were also[br]born out of Unn’s dream, making her their

0:09:30.860,0:09:31.980
creator.

0:09:31.980,0:09:35.680
Greenpath at its heigth was actually much[br]larger than what we see ingame.

0:09:35.680,0:09:40.020
At one point, Greenpath stretched into both[br]modern day Queen’s Gardens and possibly

0:09:40.020,0:09:41.310
Fog Canyon.

0:09:41.310,0:09:45.640
Greenpath’s citizens showed themselves to[br]be a fairly developed society.

0:09:45.640,0:09:49.670
They built a temple at the Lake of Unn in[br]order to worship her, and they even had their

0:09:49.670,0:09:55.090
own line of defense, with Moss Knights showing[br]proficiency in combat, using nails and shells

0:09:55.090,0:09:56.090
as weapons.

0:09:56.090,0:10:01.540
The Law of Unn continued to remain in effect[br]even after the Pale King arrived, but it seems

0:10:01.540,0:10:05.460
like they allowed the King to establish a[br]road through their lands leading travelers

0:10:05.460,0:10:09.340
to the Heart of Hallownest, hence the name[br]Greenpath.

0:10:09.340,0:10:14.470
Yeah, Team Cherry really racked their brains[br]when naming this area, didn’t they?

0:10:14.470,0:10:16.160
Next we have the Bees.

0:10:16.160,0:10:20.100
And while there is no lore on how these bees[br]can turn into fucking drills, or how they

0:10:20.100,0:10:25.430
can ignore all known laws of aviation, we[br]do know how they reacted to the Pale King.

0:10:25.430,0:10:29.610
These bugs decided to seal their hive off[br]from the rest of the world, with only patrol

0:10:29.610,0:10:32.460
bees being able to enter and exit the Hive.

0:10:32.460,0:10:35.500
So yeah, the bees are pretty much pointless[br]in this story.

0:10:35.500,0:10:37.240
And finally, we have the moth tribe.

0:10:37.240,0:10:42.630
In game, the only moth settlement is the Resting[br]Grounds, but the tribe might have also inhabited

0:10:42.630,0:10:44.790
the Crystal Peak at one point.

0:10:44.790,0:10:49.380
Now as we all know, moths in real life are[br]just complete assholes.

0:10:49.380,0:10:53.870
As for moths in Hollow Knight, well… it’s[br]a bit complicated.

0:10:53.870,0:10:58.590
The moth race is described as being a rather[br]pacifist group, with few ever choosing to

0:10:58.590,0:11:00.250
take up a weapon.

0:11:00.250,0:11:04.990
During the Pale King’s reign, the moth race[br]delved amongst dreams and the dead, displaying

0:11:04.990,0:11:09.310
the importance of remembering those who have[br]passed, as well as learning how to shape dreams

0:11:09.310,0:11:10.680
themselves.

0:11:10.680,0:11:16.840
Similar to the Mosskin, the Moth Tribe was[br]born from a Higher Being known as the Radiance.

0:11:16.840,0:11:21.310
The Radiance is described as being a light[br]in which the Moth Tribe basked.

0:11:21.310,0:11:24.390
So she was basically a giant lamp to them.

0:11:24.390,0:11:28.430
Another important aspect about the Radiance[br]is her ties to dreams and a substance known

0:11:28.430,0:11:29.430
as Essence.

0:11:29.430,0:11:34.530
Essence are the remnants of wishes and dreams,[br]and are represented in game by these dream

0:11:34.530,0:11:36.770
catcher particle effects.

0:11:36.770,0:11:41.290
Essence can take the form of Whispering Roots[br]as well as Dream ghosts, both of which are

0:11:41.290,0:11:43.820
memories taking root in the world.

0:11:43.820,0:11:48.280
The Radiance appears to be a creature made[br]of Essence, but she isn’t the only Higher

0:11:48.280,0:11:50.250
Being to give off Essence.

0:11:50.250,0:11:55.490
Unn has green particles, the Pale King has[br]grey particles, and this sexy character named

0:11:55.490,0:11:58.540
Grimm gives off fiery red particles.

0:11:58.540,0:12:03.580
However, the Radiance appears to be the main[br]god when it comes to dreams, even if other

0:12:03.580,0:12:06.780
gods also dabble in the Dream Realm.

0:12:06.780,0:12:10.630
Getting back to the Moth Tribe, it is their[br]interaction with the Pale King that we need

0:12:10.630,0:12:11.790
to discuss.

0:12:11.790,0:12:16.130
Basically, the moths turned their backs on[br]the Radiance completely, in order to worship

0:12:16.130,0:12:19.840
the new light that had appeared, the Pale[br]King’s light.

0:12:19.840,0:12:23.870
So yeah, moths are assholes in this game too.

0:12:23.870,0:12:28.480
With her tribe forsaking her, the Radiance[br]became a forgotten memory, a remnant of the

0:12:28.480,0:12:33.960
past, and a thing that’s definitely not[br]going to come up again later in the video.

0:12:33.960,0:12:38.280
And so the Pale King’s new kingdom was established:[br]Hallownest.

0:12:38.280,0:12:41.300
But there is one aspect of Hallownest that[br]we need to discuss.

0:12:41.300,0:12:47.060
Unfortunately, to better understand this,[br]we’re going to have to read some poetry.

0:12:47.060,0:12:50.980
In wilds beyond they speak your name with[br]reverence and regret,

0:12:50.980,0:12:54.810
For none could tame our savage souls yet you[br]the challenge met,

0:12:54.810,0:12:59.150
Under palest watch, you taught, we changed,[br]base instincts were redeemed,

0:12:59.150,0:13:03.150
A world you gave to bug and beast as they[br]had never dreamed.

0:13:03.150,0:13:08.360
This is from a poem titled Elegy for Hallownest[br]written by Monomon the Teacher.

0:13:08.360,0:13:12.271
The poem appears at the beginning of every[br]playthrough and hints at what the Pale King

0:13:12.271,0:13:14.120
and his kingdom offered.

0:13:14.120,0:13:18.200
Much of the land outside of Hallownest appears[br]to be a wasteland, where bugs survive off

0:13:18.200,0:13:21.280
of instinct without the burden of mind.

0:13:21.280,0:13:25.370
Hallownest somehow taught these bugs and tamed[br]their savagery.

0:13:25.370,0:13:30.390
Basically the Pale King changed the instincts[br]of his subjects and granted them higher thought.

0:13:30.390,0:13:36.000
To get a better picture of this, let’s look[br]at two different characters: Boon and Tuk.

0:13:36.000,0:13:40.730
These adorable panda bug things give us a[br]clear display of Hallownest’s effect.

0:13:40.730,0:13:45.850
While both appear to be the same species of[br]bug, Boon is dumb as a sack of rocks, struggling

0:13:45.850,0:13:49.750
to string together words, while Tuk speaks[br]fairly clearly.

0:13:49.750,0:13:54.290
The main difference between these two characters[br]is that while Boon lives outside of Hallownest,

0:13:54.290,0:13:57.190
Tuk lives beneath the city’s capital.

0:13:57.190,0:14:01.680
Basically, it appears as though Hallownest[br]is a literal holy ground that raises the intelligence

0:14:01.680,0:14:03.800
of those who dwell within.

0:14:03.800,0:14:08.060
The Pale King established a path, starting[br]from the kingdom’s entrance in King’s

0:14:08.060,0:14:12.780
Pass, winding through Greenpath and the Fungal[br]Wastes, and finally ending at the massive

0:14:12.780,0:14:15.060
capital at Hallownest’s Heart.

0:14:15.060,0:14:20.030
We now know the capital city as the City of[br]Tears, but this was likely not its original

0:14:20.030,0:14:21.030
name.

0:14:21.030,0:14:25.070
The rain that falls down onto the city from[br]the Blue Lake above didn’t begin until after

0:14:25.070,0:14:26.700
the kingdom collapsed.

0:14:26.700,0:14:30.780
So unless the capital was originally named[br]by some edgy literature student, the name

0:14:30.780,0:14:34.240
City of Tears wouldn’t have made much sense.

0:14:34.240,0:14:38.350
The King’s motivation for all this appears[br]to have been his desire to be worshipped.

0:14:38.350,0:14:42.800
The citizens of Hallownest believed that the[br]Pale King created the world and everything

0:14:42.800,0:14:43.800
in it.

0:14:43.800,0:14:47.440
Shrines to the King can be found scattered[br]throughout the kingdom, and King’s Idols

0:14:47.440,0:14:51.470
were created and distributed to followers[br]of the King.

0:14:51.470,0:14:55.660
Despite the worship, the Pale King often kept[br]himself hidden from his subjects, possibly

0:14:55.660,0:14:56.990
to hide his blemishes.

0:14:56.990,0:15:02.210
I mean, if you look at the size of the real[br]Pale King to his statue in the Ancient Basin,

0:15:02.210,0:15:04.700
the man is clearly overcompensating.

0:15:04.700,0:15:08.770
The Pale King’s White Palace was also built[br]underneath the city, separating him from his

0:15:08.770,0:15:10.960
subjects even moreso.

0:15:10.960,0:15:15.270
At the same time, the certain powers became[br]shunned in Hallownest, though we don’t know

0:15:15.270,0:15:19.120
for sure if the Pale King had anything to[br]do with this.

0:15:19.120,0:15:22.980
Lifeblood is a blue liquidy substance that[br]leaves those who drink it feeling refreshed.

0:15:22.980,0:15:27.610
However, the use of lifeblood was seen as[br]a taboo, and those who used it were demonized

0:15:27.610,0:15:29.230
as heretics.

0:15:29.230,0:15:31.940
The use of soul for combat was also shunned.

0:15:31.940,0:15:37.600
Soul is a sort of lifeforce in Hollow Knight[br]that animates the bodies of living creatures.

0:15:37.600,0:15:41.840
But some characters are able to control the[br]soul of others to conjure powerful spirits.

0:15:41.840,0:15:46.840
But aside from a few exceptions, no citizens[br]of Hallownest ever used this power.

0:15:47.360,0:15:50.160
However, the Pale King didn’t rule Hallownest[br]alone.

0:15:50.160,0:15:54.650
There was another Higher Being in the mix,[br]a being known as the White Lady.

0:15:54.650,0:15:59.380
The White Lady is this weird root-like being[br]that can be found in the modern day Queen’s

0:15:59.380,0:16:00.380
Gardens.

0:16:00.380,0:16:04.470
She is encased inside a strange cocoon, and[br]we know very little about her.

0:16:04.470,0:16:08.650
With as much exposition we get for the Pale[br]King, there is next to nothing on the White

0:16:08.650,0:16:09.650
Lady.

0:16:09.650,0:16:14.560
But one thing we do know is she likes to breed...[br]like a lot.

0:16:14.560,0:16:19.020
The White Lady would often retreat to the[br]Queen’s Gardens, an area of land once controlled

0:16:19.020,0:16:20.790
by the Mosskin.

0:16:20.790,0:16:25.480
How exactly she walked around and actually[br]went places is a lore question to deep for

0:16:25.480,0:16:27.430
even my expertise.

0:16:27.430,0:16:32.090
The White Lady is also known as a Pale being,[br]along with the Pale King.

0:16:32.090,0:16:33.730
What exactly are Pale Beings?

0:16:33.730,0:16:38.240
Well, we don’t really know for sure, but[br]they seem to stand out even amongst Higher

0:16:38.240,0:16:40.550
Beings as being even more powerful.

0:16:40.550,0:16:44.990
I know that’s a little confusing, so let’s[br]try using an example.

0:16:44.990,0:16:52.280
I’d say that regular higher beings are like[br]a TP-Link Archer C7 AC1750 Wireless Dual Band

0:16:52.280,0:16:59.820
Gigabit Router while Pale Beings are like[br]the Asus RT-AX88U AX6000 Dual-Band 8x Gigabit

0:16:59.820,0:17:01.180
Wifi Router.

0:17:01.180,0:17:05.490
Under the Pale King, Hallownest underwent[br]a bit of an industrial revolution.

0:17:05.490,0:17:09.819
He ordered the construction of the stagways,[br]which were used to transport passengers and

0:17:09.819,0:17:10.819
goods.

0:17:10.819,0:17:15.189
The Forgotten Crossroads and the storerooms[br]above the City of Tears were used to store

0:17:15.189,0:17:18.120
goods that traveled along these stagways.

0:17:18.120,0:17:22.280
The King also ordered the construction of[br]the tramways because literally no one is safe

0:17:22.280,0:17:24.079
from the threat of automation.

0:17:24.079,0:17:27.929
A tram was built between the Forgotten Crossroads[br]and the Resting Grounds.

0:17:27.929,0:17:33.809
A second tram was built from the Kingdom’s[br]Edge, across the Ancient Basin, over to Deepnest.

0:17:33.809,0:17:38.610
And then a third tram was started in Deepnest[br]and attempted to go further into Deepnest.

0:17:38.610,0:17:42.750
Not sure how useful that would have been to[br]the bugs of Hallownest, but whatever.

0:17:42.750,0:17:45.700
The Pale King’s a smart guy, I’m not gonna[br]question him.

0:17:45.700,0:17:50.399
But anyway, the Pale King’s super smart[br]plan to build a tram in Deepnest ended up

0:17:50.399,0:17:53.000
getting a few of his tram workers killed.

0:17:53.000,0:17:57.260
The bugs of Deepnest rejected the Pale King’s[br]attempt to build a tram in their territory,

0:17:57.260,0:18:00.600
further cementing the poor relations shared[br]between the two groups.

0:18:00.600,0:18:05.850
Aside from convenient fast travel, regular[br]pathways were also used to cart goods around

0:18:05.850,0:18:07.220
the kingdom.

0:18:07.220,0:18:11.649
From this was born probably one of the most[br]important groups in Hallownest and perhaps

0:18:11.649,0:18:13.080
even all of fiction.

0:18:13.080,0:18:19.299
An elusive guild of bugs simply known as menderbugs[br]took to maintaining the various signs scattered

0:18:19.299,0:18:20.470
throughout Hallownest.

0:18:20.470,0:18:25.789
From the journal entry of one Menderbug, we[br]can catch a glimpse into their ancient and

0:18:25.789,0:18:27.630
unknowable minds.

0:18:27.630,0:18:32.519
Dear Dear Diary,[br]Isn't life just the most beautiful thing.

0:18:32.519,0:18:35.690
Fixing signs, mending posts, let them break[br]I say!

0:18:35.690,0:18:38.230
I'm a better mender for all that repairing.

0:18:38.230,0:18:44.499
I sometimes doubt there's a single bug in[br]all of Hallownest happier than me.

0:18:44.499,0:18:49.340
Another example of the Pale King’s expanding[br]infrastructure is the Crystal Peak.

0:18:49.340,0:18:54.139
This area is filled with crystals that grow[br]rapidly along walls, ceilings, and even the

0:18:54.139,0:18:56.200
shells of certain bugs.

0:18:56.200,0:19:00.169
These crystals were considered valuable to[br]the bugs of Hallownest, resulting in large

0:19:00.169,0:19:02.110
scale mining efforts.

0:19:02.110,0:19:06.190
We don’t actually see the crystals used[br]anywhere else in Hallownest, but they are

0:19:06.190,0:19:08.320
said to be able to contain a sort of energy.

0:19:08.320,0:19:12.460
The crystals are also said to sing if you[br]listen very carefully.

0:19:17.980,0:19:20.519
♫ A strange angelic singing ♫

0:19:20.519,0:19:25.260
In terms of military, Hallownest’s first[br]line of defense appeared to be a group simply

0:19:25.260,0:19:28.220
known as the Five Great Knights.

0:19:28.220,0:19:36.240
The members of this esteemed coalition were[br]Ogrim, Hegemol, Ze’mer, Dryya, and Isma.

0:19:36.240,0:19:41.360
For being so important, most of the information[br]about these Knights has been lost to time.

0:19:41.360,0:19:46.230
Ogrim is the Knight we know most about, since[br]he is one of the few Knights still alive during

0:19:46.230,0:19:47.789
the events of the game.

0:19:47.789,0:19:52.419
Ogrim expressed a great amount of loyalty[br]towards the King, and he maybe had something

0:19:52.419,0:19:54.090
going on with Isma.

0:19:54.090,0:19:55.600
But we really don’t know.

0:19:55.600,0:19:59.220
Hegemol was known for his sense of humor and[br]his soft spoken voice.

0:19:59.220,0:20:03.470
But at the same time, he was also dummy thicc.

0:20:03.470,0:20:07.700
Mysterious Ze’mer arrived in Hallownest[br]from a serene land, bringing with her a collection

0:20:07.700,0:20:09.590
of delicate flowers.

0:20:09.590,0:20:15.090
At some point, she also got into a relationship[br]with a mantis, but not just any mantis, a

0:20:15.090,0:20:17.129
daughter of one of the Mantis Lords.

0:20:17.129,0:20:22.159
So yeah, it seems like some of these Great[br]Knights were slaying in more ways than one.

0:20:22.159,0:20:27.499
All we really know about Dryya is that she[br]was fierce, caring and wise.

0:20:27.499,0:20:30.980
As for Isma, she was described as being kind.

0:20:30.980,0:20:35.480
She also appears to be some kind of weird[br]plant life form, but there’s no information

0:20:35.480,0:20:38.480
on where she’s from or what her powers were.

0:20:38.480,0:20:42.990
The Five Great Knights played an important[br]role in the Champion’s Call, the Knotted

0:20:42.990,0:20:45.700
Grove, and the Battle of the Blackwyrm.

0:20:45.700,0:20:50.020
We have no idea what these events were or[br]how they affected Hallownest, but they sound

0:20:50.020,0:20:52.070
cool nonetheless.

0:20:52.070,0:20:55.909
During Hallownest’s reign, there was another[br]strange area that seemed to exist separate

0:20:55.909,0:20:57.279
from the Pale King’s rule.

0:20:57.279,0:21:02.249
Carved out of the corpse of an ancient bug,[br]an arena called the Colosseum of Fools was

0:21:02.249,0:21:06.909
constructed, and it was a destination for[br]warriors from outside Hallownest.

0:21:06.909,0:21:12.260
The sole purpose for fighting in the Colosseum[br]appeared to be simply for glory, with a mysterous

0:21:12.260,0:21:15.309
figure known as the Lord Fool overseeing the[br]combat.

0:21:15.309,0:21:20.381
We don’t know when the Colosseum was constructed,[br]or if the Pale King was involved, but one

0:21:20.381,0:21:25.869
of his servants, the Pale Lurker, became a[br]champion in the Colosseum, perhaps indicating

0:21:25.869,0:21:27.730
the Pale King’s approval.

0:21:27.730,0:21:32.600
Finally, there was the Royal Waterways, where[br]the fecal excrement of the kingdom was washed

0:21:32.600,0:21:34.809
out into the Fungal Wastes.

0:21:34.809,0:21:39.360
This area saw the rise of a species of parasite-like[br]creatures called the Flukes.

0:21:39.360,0:21:45.090
The Flukes spawn from the Flukemarm, a giant[br]monster with cavities in which tinier flukes

0:21:45.090,0:21:46.090
live.

0:21:46.090,0:21:49.600
There really isn’t too much lore involved[br]with the Flukes, but I do need to point out

0:21:49.600,0:21:52.759
that Flukemarm is canonicall a MILF.

0:21:52.759,0:21:55.669
Like, that’s not even debatable.

0:21:55.669,0:22:01.630
The sky is blue, 2 + 2 = 4, and we all want[br]to fuck this thing.

0:22:01.630,0:22:04.399
And so this was the Kingdom of Hallownest[br]at its height.

0:22:04.399,0:22:09.570
Hallownest was a vast kingdom connected by[br]a network of stagways and tram stations.

0:22:09.570,0:22:13.840
The bugs of Hallownest mourned their dead[br]in the Resting Grounds, engaged in commerce

0:22:13.840,0:22:19.309
using Geo, the de facto currency of the region,[br]and a thriving capital located in the middle

0:22:19.309,0:22:20.840
of the kingdom.

0:22:20.840,0:22:25.470
The Pale King had succeeded in crafting a[br]full blown society, but we all know there

0:22:25.470,0:22:28.529
are pitfalls to living in a society.

0:22:28.529,0:22:33.380
As the suspiciously knowledgeable Hunter points[br]out in his journal, the Pale King had created

0:22:33.380,0:22:36.700
a population of weak and pathetic creatures.

0:22:36.700,0:22:41.500
The bugs of Hallownest did not hunt for their[br]own food and had become complacent with their

0:22:41.500,0:22:42.570
comfort.

0:22:42.570,0:22:45.669
This is even more obvious with the east wing[br]of the capital.

0:22:45.669,0:22:50.640
These greedy members of Hallownest’s high[br]society became complete cowards, obsessed

0:22:50.640,0:22:53.619
with riches and plumb from excess wealth.

0:22:53.619,0:22:58.119
The bugs living in Hallownest’s prime looked[br]quite different than the instinctive simpletons

0:22:58.119,0:22:59.760
they once were.

0:22:59.760,0:23:04.659
Their savagery had been replaced with intelligence[br]and through that intellect, they gave the

0:23:04.659,0:23:07.830
Pale King the devotion and service he desired.

0:23:07.830,0:23:11.890
And while there were a few snags along the[br]way, they were shining times for the King

0:23:11.890,0:23:14.010
and his subjects.

0:23:14.010,0:23:18.539
Resting at the threshold of Hallownest is[br]a strange lore tablet, proclaiming Hallownest

0:23:18.539,0:23:21.590
to be the last and only civilization.

0:23:21.590,0:23:24.200
It calls Hallownest an eternal kingdom.

0:23:24.200,0:23:28.769
This appears to have been the Pale King’s[br]goal: for Hallownest to stand against a wasted

0:23:28.769,0:23:32.019
world as a final beacon for civilization.

0:23:32.019,0:23:34.749
And that was the Pale King’s ultimate folly.

0:23:34.749,0:23:39.370
To think that he could succeed where so many[br]others had failed before.

0:23:39.370,0:23:44.600
Long before the Pale Kings or the Berry Bensons[br]of the world, the land of Hallownest was controlled

0:23:44.600,0:23:46.710
by an ancient caste.

0:23:46.710,0:23:50.279
Hints of Hallownest’s history are littered[br]throughout the land, with the most notable

0:23:50.279,0:23:54.029
examples being the soul totems and arcane[br]eggs.

0:23:54.029,0:23:58.740
One sect of these ancient bugs didn’t worship[br]a god like the Pale King, or any lord, but

0:23:58.740,0:24:03.110
instead a dark and mysterious substance known[br]as the Void.

0:24:03.110,0:24:08.440
This Ancient Caste once also tried to lay[br]claim to the entire land of Hallownest, but

0:24:08.440,0:24:09.619
they too failed.

0:24:09.619,0:24:14.610
In his quest to conquer all of Hallownest,[br]the Pale King had made an enemy, an enemy

0:24:14.610,0:24:20.270
long forgotten, an enemy that was about to[br]be remembered.

0:24:20.270,0:24:25.309
I mentioned earlier that the Moth Tribe entirely[br]forgot about the Radiance in order to worship

0:24:25.309,0:24:26.899
the Pale King.

0:24:26.899,0:24:29.169
But that isn’t quite true.

0:24:29.169,0:24:34.269
Memories of her still lingered, and hushed[br]whispers of faith kept the Radiance alive.

0:24:34.269,0:24:39.210
At the summit of the Crystal Peak, a location[br]known as Hallownest’s crown, a strange collection

0:24:39.210,0:24:40.899
of glyphs can be found.

0:24:40.899,0:24:46.260
Joining these glyphs is a statue of the Radiance,[br]presiding over the kingdom below.

0:24:46.260,0:24:50.190
This old summit is the sole standing shrine[br]left for the Radiance.

0:24:50.190,0:24:54.450
This was built in order to keep the memory[br]of the Radiance alive.

0:24:54.450,0:24:58.730
The Radiance’s light began to appear in[br]the dreams of Hallownest’s citizens.

0:24:58.730,0:25:04.210
This light manifested itself in an infection[br]that ravaged through the kingdom’s tunnels.

0:25:04.210,0:25:09.309
Those infected would fall into a deep sleep[br]and awaken with broken minds.

0:25:09.309,0:25:13.870
Some of the lesser bugs tried to resist the[br]Radiance’s light, which only resulted in

0:25:13.870,0:25:16.789
them being consumed by it even moreso.

0:25:16.789,0:25:22.789
Many infected bugs lost their wills and began[br]attacking bugs that weren’t infected.

0:25:22.789,0:25:28.019
The infection also twisted the bodies of its[br]hosts, causing them to bloat, and occasionally

0:25:28.019,0:25:31.240
develop orange cysts on their bodies.

0:25:31.240,0:25:35.909
For many victims, they were reverted back[br]to their basic instincts, carrying out the

0:25:35.909,0:25:40.309
duties they once fulfilled in life, but now[br]as mindless slaves.

0:25:40.309,0:25:44.779
Those caught up in the infection were linked[br]into the Radiance’s hivemind, allowing her

0:25:44.779,0:25:47.509
to control their bodies if needed.

0:25:47.509,0:25:51.970
As the infection spread across Hallownest,[br]many groups looked to solutions to fight off

0:25:51.970,0:25:53.730
the Radiance’s light.

0:25:53.730,0:25:57.970
The gates to the City of Tears were closed[br]in an attempt to keep the infection from reaching

0:25:57.970,0:25:59.429
the city.

0:25:59.429,0:26:04.640
The stagways were also shut down at some point,[br]and many of the stags eventually died out.

0:26:04.640,0:26:08.269
But some took more proactive efforts against[br]the infection.

0:26:08.269,0:26:12.990
The scholars of the Soul Sanctum decided to[br]harness the power of soul in an attempt to

0:26:12.990,0:26:14.960
fight the infection.

0:26:14.960,0:26:19.669
This resulted in the deaths of hundreds of[br]bugs whose souls were sucked out and injected

0:26:19.669,0:26:22.110
into the bodies of the scholars.

0:26:22.110,0:26:26.299
Their goal was to achieve some kind of pure[br]focus which would somehow protect them from

0:26:26.299,0:26:28.210
plagues of the mind.

0:26:28.210,0:26:33.470
The scholars’ leader, the Soul Master, was[br]driven mad by the sheer power of soul and

0:26:33.470,0:26:36.390
his entire sect failed to avoid infection.

0:26:36.390,0:26:41.769
But hey, at least they took as many innocent[br]people down with them as they could.

0:26:41.769,0:26:46.799
The Mantis Tribe, showing a stronger will[br]than the common bug, were able to stave off

0:26:46.799,0:26:48.070
the infection.

0:26:48.070,0:26:52.539
However, one of the four Mantis Lords turned[br]against his sisters.

0:26:52.539,0:26:57.399
He and his followers took in the infection[br]willingly, as it gave them more strength and

0:26:57.399,0:26:58.399
courage.

0:26:58.399,0:27:02.250
At some point during all this, The Traitor[br]Lord and his followers were exiled from the

0:27:02.250,0:27:05.559
Mantis Village, eventually taking up residence[br]in the Queen’s Gardens.

0:27:05.559,0:27:09.500
The Traitor Lord’s daughter ended up dying[br]at some point.

0:27:09.500,0:27:14.470
This is the same mantis that was in a relationship[br]with Ze’mer, one of the Five Great Knights.

0:27:14.470,0:27:19.769
But the mantises rejected their union because[br]of Ze’mer’s outsideness.

0:27:19.769,0:27:26.480
As a Gamer, this type of prejudice is all[br]too familiar, and honestly, it makes me sick.

0:27:26.480,0:27:30.950
With the Five Great Knights completely useless[br]to fight against the infection, the Pale King

0:27:30.950,0:27:36.389
devised his own scheme: a scheme involving[br]a strange substance known as Void.

0:27:36.389,0:27:41.419
As I mentioned earlier, the Pale King’s[br]White Palace was built in an area called the

0:27:41.419,0:27:46.169
Ancient Basin, but his castle wasn’t the[br]only noteworthy thing down there.

0:27:46.169,0:27:51.749
At the bottom of the Ancient Basin was the[br]entrance to a pit known as the Abyss.

0:27:51.749,0:27:54.899
Within the Abyss was a lake composed of Void.

0:27:54.899,0:27:59.279
The Pale King realized that this Void could[br]be given form, as evidenced by an imprint

0:27:59.279,0:28:04.859
of such deep within the Abyss, possibly left[br]there by the Ancient Civilization that predated

0:28:04.859,0:28:06.100
Hallownest.

0:28:06.100,0:28:11.320
The Pale King devised a workshop in his palace[br]where he placed Void in armor shells imbued

0:28:11.320,0:28:16.149
with soul, creating servants known as Kingsmoulds[br]and Wingmoulds.

0:28:16.149,0:28:20.480
These Void creatures were somehow imprinted[br]with the desire of the Pale King, so that

0:28:20.480,0:28:21.570
they would serve him.

0:28:21.570,0:28:25.659
It isn’t clear when the Pale King started[br]making these creatures.

0:28:25.659,0:28:30.250
There is evidence to imply that even common[br]bugs were aware of Kingsmoulds, but the point

0:28:30.250,0:28:35.059
is, the Pale King turned to the Void in order[br]to create another creature.

0:28:35.059,0:28:38.820
One that he believed could contain the Radiance[br]and her infection.

0:28:38.820,0:28:41.549
He tried to create a pure Vessel.

0:28:41.549,0:28:46.640
The Radiance’s infection needs its host[br]to have a will and a mind in order to enslave

0:28:46.640,0:28:47.640
it.

0:28:47.640,0:28:51.909
A pure Vessel would be a creature made of[br]Void, designed to lack those features.

0:28:51.909,0:28:56.080
The Pale King believed that by harnessing[br]the Void inside a pure Vessel, he would be

0:28:56.080,0:28:59.649
able to stop the infection and keep Hallownest[br]lasting eternal.

0:28:59.649,0:29:05.120
But his method for creating this so-called[br]pure Vessel was incredibly cruel.

0:29:05.120,0:29:09.570
This is where the White Lady and her King[br]Kong sized libido come into play.

0:29:09.570,0:29:13.830
These two Higher Beings engaged in a union[br]of some kind, resulting in the creation of

0:29:13.830,0:29:17.200
several eggs that were dropped down into the[br]Abyss.

0:29:17.200,0:29:23.580
There, the Void seeped into these eggs, corrupting[br]the offspring of the Pale King and White Lady.

0:29:23.580,0:29:27.450
This act resulted in the creation of the Vessels.

0:29:27.450,0:29:30.720
The Vessels are not technically considered[br]to be alive.

0:29:30.720,0:29:34.490
They are shells created from the Pale King[br]and White Lady that have been filled by the

0:29:34.490,0:29:35.929
Void.

0:29:35.929,0:29:42.169
Within each Vessel is a shade, a completely[br]Void being hidden behind the face of the Vessel.

0:29:42.169,0:29:43.269
Vessels are also non-gendered.

0:29:43.269,0:29:46.429
I guess because they’re dead or something.

0:29:46.429,0:29:49.659
I’m not sure if that’s how that works[br]but whatever.

0:29:49.659,0:29:52.000
I’m not an expert on these kinds of things.

0:29:52.000,0:29:53.619
I don’t work at ICE anymore

0:29:53.619,0:29:59.429
Thousands of Vessels were created during this[br]process, but only one was chosen as the pure

0:29:59.429,0:30:00.669
Vessel.

0:30:00.669,0:30:05.580
This particular Vessel chosen by the Pale[br]King was deemed the Hollow Knight, and was

0:30:05.580,0:30:07.320
taken away to the White Palace.

0:30:07.320,0:30:11.179
But I want to take a bit of a closer look[br]at this part of the story.

0:30:11.179,0:30:14.940
There are a number of questions and theories[br]surrounding this moment that I really want

0:30:14.940,0:30:16.489
to dig into.

0:30:16.489,0:30:20.090
The big question surrounding this moment is[br]why was the Hollow Knight chosen over any

0:30:20.090,0:30:21.850
other vessel.

0:30:21.850,0:30:25.960
One common theory is that the Pale King took[br]these Vessels back to the White Palace and

0:30:25.960,0:30:30.220
evaluated them using his giant collection[br]of buzzsaws.

0:30:30.220,0:30:33.489
This theory is probably the least likely explanation.

0:30:33.489,0:30:38.399
It kinda exists just to explain the buzzsaws,[br]which is quite the mystery, I’ll admit,

0:30:38.399,0:30:41.620
but doesn’t really mesh with the Vessels[br]very well.

0:30:41.620,0:30:45.409
How does being good at Super Meat Boy prove[br]that you are a worthy Vessel?

0:30:45.409,0:30:50.280
And while thinking about logistics in a game[br]about magic bugs is never a good idea, how

0:30:50.280,0:30:55.210
exactly did the Pale King transfer these thousands[br]of Vessels to his Palace without characters

0:30:55.210,0:30:57.879
like the Dung Defender finding out?

0:30:57.879,0:31:01.749
So this means that the Pale King probably[br]made his decision without taking any of the

0:31:01.749,0:31:03.870
Vessels out of the Abyss.

0:31:03.870,0:31:06.590
So how did the Pale King make his evaluation?

0:31:06.590,0:31:10.919
I think the best explanation comes from a[br]theory I originally heard from a user named

0:31:10.919,0:31:12.419
GoldenFlowerFan.

0:31:12.419,0:31:17.210
Basically, the Vessels were hatched down at[br]the bottom of the Abyss, and the first one

0:31:17.210,0:31:20.149
to make it to the top was chosen by the Pale[br]King.

0:31:20.149,0:31:25.049
In a memory of this event, we see Vessels[br]falling from above back down into the pit

0:31:25.049,0:31:26.690
of the Abyss.

0:31:26.690,0:31:30.900
Perhaps these Vessels weren’t being cast[br]down into the Abyss, but fell while trying

0:31:30.900,0:31:32.799
to escape out of it.

0:31:32.799,0:31:36.279
The lore tablet outside the Abyss appears[br]to support this theory.

0:31:36.279,0:31:37.710
It reads:

0:31:37.710,0:31:40.159
Our pure Vessel has ascended.

0:31:40.159,0:31:43.200
Beyond lies only the refuse and regret of[br]its creation.

0:31:43.200,0:31:45.940
We shall enter that place no longer.

0:31:45.940,0:31:50.190
This tablet was likely written right after[br]the Hollow Knight was chosen, considering

0:31:50.190,0:31:53.320
that is when the entrance to the Abyss was[br]sealed off.

0:31:53.320,0:31:58.350
The tablet proclaims that the pure Vessel[br]has “ascended” or in other words, climbed

0:31:58.350,0:32:00.049
out of the Abyss.

0:32:00.049,0:32:04.830
And while cut content should never be considered[br]canon, I would just like to point out that

0:32:04.830,0:32:10.340
an earlier version of this tablet found in[br]the game’s code was even more explicit about

0:32:10.340,0:32:11.340
this.

0:32:11.340,0:32:15.690
It read: “From below, our pure Vessel has[br]ascended.”

0:32:15.690,0:32:19.609
But how does making it to the top of the Abyss[br]first prove that the Hollow Knight is somehow

0:32:19.609,0:32:21.440
a perfectly hollow Vessel?

0:32:21.440,0:32:25.850
Well, I think this whole concept might just[br]be a misconception.

0:32:25.850,0:32:29.289
What if the Hollow Knight wasn’t any different[br]from the other Vessels?

0:32:29.289,0:32:32.590
All Vessels were made in the exact same way[br]after all.

0:32:32.590,0:32:36.779
The idea that the Hollow Knight was somehow[br]more hollow than the other Vessels comes from

0:32:36.779,0:32:40.660
the fact that there were so many Vessels created[br]in the first place.

0:32:40.660,0:32:44.350
If they only needed one, then why create so[br]goddamn many?

0:32:44.350,0:32:47.499
I mean this is like Octomom on steroids.

0:32:47.499,0:32:52.649
Well, these are bugs we’re talking about,[br]so it would make sense that multiple offspring

0:32:52.649,0:32:54.960
would come from one egg.

0:32:54.960,0:32:59.210
And it might have been a precaution to produce[br]multiple Vessels in hopes that at least one

0:32:59.210,0:33:02.610
would be able to successfully escape the Abyss.

0:33:02.610,0:33:06.529
Now another explanation could be that the[br]Pale King just yeeted other Vessels that made

0:33:06.529,0:33:10.830
it to the top first after determining that[br]they weren’t hollow, which would better

0:33:10.830,0:33:13.100
explain why so many were created.

0:33:13.100,0:33:18.299
Ultimately, the exact details aren’t super[br]important, but I do find it interesting how

0:33:18.299,0:33:23.130
many different interpretations can be pulled[br]from this part of the lore.

0:33:23.130,0:33:27.419
After the Hollow Knight was chosen, the Pale[br]King sealed the doorway to the Abyss, leaving

0:33:27.419,0:33:30.820
the discarded Vessels to rot away in darkness.

0:33:30.820,0:33:34.379
These actions were not taken lightly by the[br]Pale King or the White Lady.

0:33:34.379,0:33:39.259
Both participants expressed shame in what[br]they did, but saw no other option to save

0:33:39.259,0:33:40.590
the kingdom.

0:33:40.590,0:33:43.909
But the Vessels weren’t the only poor saps[br]sealed away in the Abyss.

0:33:43.909,0:33:49.309
There’s also a lighthouse that was built[br]on top of a naturally formed spire, it’s

0:33:49.309,0:33:52.869
light shining down on an ocean of Abyss below.

0:33:52.869,0:33:56.840
Inside was one of the Pale King’s Royal[br]Retainers, who was left in charge of keeping

0:33:56.840,0:33:58.799
the lighthouse turned on.

0:33:58.799,0:34:02.909
So this brave soul was willingly sealed in[br]a dark and dangerous tomb for the rest of

0:34:02.909,0:34:06.210
his life just so he could not pull a lever.

0:34:06.210,0:34:09.629
Well, at least he was living with purpose.

0:34:09.629,0:34:13.929
With the Abyss sealed and the Hollow Knight[br]chosen, the Pale King’s plan was beginning

0:34:13.929,0:34:15.200
to come together.

0:34:15.200,0:34:19.700
The Hollow Knight was raised and trained to[br]prime form, causing it to grow to several

0:34:19.700,0:34:21.409
times its original size.

0:34:21.409,0:34:24.859
We don’t know exactly why this happened.

0:34:24.859,0:34:28.210
But I guess the Hollow Knight is a grower[br]and not a shower.

0:34:28.210,0:34:33.599
We know that the Hollow Knight was trained[br]to use a nail, but why was this even necessary?

0:34:33.599,0:34:37.940
One possible explanation is that the Hollow[br]Knight needed to protect itself in case an

0:34:37.940,0:34:41.929
intruder tried to kill it, you know, like[br]the player.

0:34:41.929,0:34:46.050
Or perhaps this was important in the process[br]of containing the Radiance.

0:34:46.050,0:34:49.960
Unfortunately the details of that are never[br]fully explained.

0:34:49.960,0:34:54.579
The Hollow Knight might have somehow focused[br]the Radiance inside itself, but Team Cherry

0:34:54.579,0:34:57.600
gives us no explanation of how that might[br]have worked.

0:34:57.600,0:35:00.210
But that still wasn’t enough for the Pale[br]King.

0:35:00.210,0:35:04.329
Additional seals were needed in order to protect[br]the Hollow Knight’s physical body while

0:35:04.329,0:35:06.599
the Radiance was trapped inside of it.

0:35:06.599,0:35:11.060
To achieve this, the Pale King sought the[br]help of three particular bugs who would later

0:35:11.060,0:35:18.289
be known as the Dreamers; Lurien the Watcher,[br]Monomon the Teacher, and Herrah the Beast.

0:35:18.289,0:35:21.600
Lurien is definitely the most mysterious of[br]the three dreamers.

0:35:21.600,0:35:24.809
He lived in the Watcher’s Spire in the City[br]of Tears.

0:35:24.809,0:35:28.309
From there, Lurien watched over the city with[br]his telescope.

0:35:28.309,0:35:33.119
Lurien was also a pretty big fan of the king,[br]so it probably took little convincing for

0:35:33.119,0:35:34.920
him to lie down for him.

0:35:34.920,0:35:40.230
Lurien might also be tied to another strange[br]incident that occurred in the City of Tears.

0:35:40.230,0:35:44.740
Hidden on some of Lurien’s lore tablets[br]are images of jars, the same jars that can

0:35:44.740,0:35:47.789
be found stockpiled in the Tower of Love.

0:35:47.789,0:35:51.940
This building sits on the outskirts of the[br]city, and is the setting of one of the most

0:35:51.940,0:35:55.260
bizzare bosses in the game: The Collector.

0:35:55.260,0:36:00.780
The Collector is a Void construct that appears[br]to be made from the same mold used to create

0:36:00.780,0:36:02.480
the kingsmoulds.

0:36:02.480,0:36:03.900
But the Collector is unique because....

0:36:03.900,0:36:05.540
Well uhh...

0:36:05.540,0:36:07.170
Good grief!

0:36:07.170,0:36:08.819
He’s naked!

0:36:08.819,0:36:14.250
The Collector stayed in the Tower of Love[br]with a noble bug who likely owned the establishment.

0:36:14.250,0:36:18.760
In the tower, a number of bugs can be found[br]captured in jars, implying that these two

0:36:18.760,0:36:21.270
were tasked with collecting these creatures.

0:36:21.270,0:36:26.640
However, the Collector somehow became obsessed[br]with grubs, creating a map to keep track of

0:36:26.640,0:36:32.150
grubs it captured in jars, as well as keeping[br]a strange shrine displaying a grub in the

0:36:32.150,0:36:35.390
style of the Vitruvian Man.

0:36:35.390,0:36:39.780
Eventually the bug staying with the Collector[br]decided to lock it inside the Tower of Love,

0:36:39.780,0:36:46.140
and fled to the Queen’s Gardens where it[br]died, likely due to overexposure to the Void.

0:36:46.140,0:36:50.079
Despite being locked up in the Tower, the[br]Collector is still spotted by the Hunter at

0:36:50.079,0:36:55.619
some point, which either means this only happened[br]recently, or the Hunter has been farting around

0:36:55.619,0:36:58.640
in Hallownest for a long ass time.

0:36:58.640,0:37:01.410
We have no idea what these creatures were[br]trying to do.

0:37:01.410,0:37:06.031
It’s implied that the Collector was trying[br]to preserve the creatures of Hallownest, perhaps

0:37:06.031,0:37:08.339
trying to protect them from the spread of[br]the infection.

0:37:08.339,0:37:12.680
But we don’t know where the Collector’s[br]obsession with grubs originated.

0:37:12.680,0:37:16.839
And while Lurien does seem connected to all[br]of this, we don’t know how involved he was

0:37:16.839,0:37:21.000
with this operation or what it’s end goal[br]exactly was.

0:37:21.000,0:37:25.770
Monomon the Teacher lived in the Teacher's[br]Archives, a library built atop a lake of acid

0:37:25.770,0:37:27.650
in the Fog Canyon.

0:37:27.650,0:37:32.619
The lower half of her body consists of tentacles,[br]making her a popular subject for the thriving

0:37:32.619,0:37:35.470
Hollow Knight R34 community.

0:37:35.470,0:37:41.880
The Archives, and Fog Canyon as a whole, are[br]also filled with these strange Metroid knockoffs.

0:37:41.880,0:37:44.910
These creatures are likely related to Monomon[br]in some way.

0:37:44.910,0:37:51.119
They could be her live offspring, her test[br]tube babies, or possibly even her shit.

0:37:51.119,0:37:57.440
Monomon used futuristic cathode ray tube things[br]to store information about Hallownest.

0:37:57.440,0:38:01.750
Several terminals in the Teacher’s Archive[br]go into detail about the Pale King’s plan

0:38:01.750,0:38:06.590
to defeat the Radiance, indicating that Monomon[br]had intimate knowledge of what she was taking

0:38:06.590,0:38:07.590
part in.

0:38:07.590,0:38:13.190
Finally, the Pale King sought the help of[br]Herrah the Beast, the Queen of Deepnest.

0:38:13.190,0:38:19.650
Now as I mentioned earlier, relations between[br]Hallownest and Deepnest were kinda… not

0:38:19.650,0:38:20.760
great.

0:38:20.760,0:38:25.020
Unlike the other two Dreamers, Herrah needed[br]to be convinced in order to help the Pale

0:38:25.020,0:38:26.020
King.

0:38:26.020,0:38:30.730
Herrah would eventually agree to become a[br]Dreamer in exchange for a child.

0:38:30.730,0:38:35.640
The Pale King agreed, and the two engaged[br]in a dalliance, which is a fancy way of saying

0:38:35.640,0:38:37.970
they totally boned.

0:38:37.970,0:38:39.930
The White Lady was okay with this arrangement.

0:38:39.930,0:38:43.609
In fact, she might have been watching from[br]the closet.

0:38:43.609,0:38:48.290
The motive behind Herrah’s request is never[br]elaborated on, but it appears as though the

0:38:48.290,0:38:50.829
King of Deepnest was dead at this point.

0:38:50.829,0:38:56.250
Herrah was a common bug, so perhaps she desired[br]the Pale King’s pale seed so that her child

0:38:56.250,0:38:58.450
could be of high birth.

0:38:58.450,0:39:02.890
The bargain between Herrah and the Pale King[br]resulted in the birth of Hornet.

0:39:02.890,0:39:07.890
She became known as the Gendered Child, because[br]unlike the Pale King’s other children, Hornet

0:39:07.890,0:39:09.710
was not hollowed out in the Abyss.

0:39:09.710,0:39:14.770
Herrah and Hornet spent little time together,[br]as Herrah had to make good on her end of the

0:39:14.770,0:39:15.860
bargain.

0:39:15.860,0:39:18.470
And so the three Dreamers were put to rest.

0:39:18.470,0:39:23.250
Through their actions, a seal was placed over[br]the Black Egg, prohibiting entrance into the

0:39:23.250,0:39:24.250
chamber.

0:39:24.250,0:39:26.830
These Dreamers also had their own protection.

0:39:26.830,0:39:31.340
At the base of Lurien’s spire, the Watcher[br]Knights guarded access to their master’s

0:39:31.340,0:39:32.340
body.

0:39:32.340,0:39:36.630
Monomon’s body was protected by a giant[br]jellyfish named Uumuu.

0:39:36.630,0:39:41.510
On top of this, Monomon entrusted her servant[br]Quirrel with a mask which would be required

0:39:41.510,0:39:45.210
to break an additional seal she had placed[br]over herself.

0:39:45.210,0:39:48.319
So she basically is double wrapping herself.

0:39:48.319,0:39:52.309
As for Herrah, we’re not really sure what[br]protected her, since it is never actually

0:39:52.309,0:39:54.180
seen in game.

0:39:54.180,0:39:58.859
We don’t know where this creature is hiding,[br]but whoever it is, they really suck at their

0:39:58.859,0:39:59.859
job.

0:39:59.859,0:40:04.840
Now there appears to be one more element to[br]the Pale King’s plan, involving the Weavers.

0:40:04.840,0:40:10.280
Hidden away in the Weaver’s Den is an incomplete[br]Seal of Binding woven from silk.

0:40:10.280,0:40:14.200
This design prominently features the Hollow[br]Knight’s head, and can be found in the White

0:40:14.200,0:40:18.690
Palace as well as blocking the exit during[br]the Hollow Knight fight.

0:40:18.690,0:40:22.950
Silk spools created by the Weavers can be[br]found in the stag station in Deepnest, as

0:40:22.950,0:40:25.980
well as the stag station next to the White[br]Palace.

0:40:25.980,0:40:28.920
These spools can also be found in the Pale[br]King’s workshop.

0:40:28.920,0:40:33.180
We know that the Weavers were closely tied[br]to Herrah and Hornet, so their actions might

0:40:33.180,0:40:36.600
have been a part of the deal between the Pale[br]King and Herrah.

0:40:36.600,0:40:41.030
Once the Hollow Knight was ready, the Radiance[br]was somehow channeled into the Vessel, which

0:40:41.030,0:40:46.390
was then placed inside of a giant black egg[br]located in the Forgotten Crossroads.

0:40:46.390,0:40:51.450
This egg was built to sustain the Hollow Knight,[br]and itself appears to be fashioned from Void.

0:40:51.450,0:40:54.960
The Hollow Knight was chained up, and the[br]entrance to the Black Egg was locked behind

0:40:54.960,0:40:58.400
a powerful seal created by the three Dreamers.

0:40:58.400,0:41:04.569
Initially, this convoluted plan actually worked,[br]and the infection was successfully contained.

0:41:04.569,0:41:09.520
Memorials to the Hollow Knight and the Dreamers[br]were erected in the City of Tears and the

0:41:09.520,0:41:11.160
Resting Grounds.

0:41:11.160,0:41:15.299
But this is the part of the story where things[br]get a little bit hazy.

0:41:15.299,0:41:19.790
By the time these statues were constructed,[br]citizens had taken to writing on parchment

0:41:19.790,0:41:24.190
woven from spider’s silk, which was all[br]destroyed when water started pouring down

0:41:24.190,0:41:25.799
onto the city.

0:41:25.799,0:41:29.810
We don’t know how long the Hollow Knight[br]was able to completely contain the infection.

0:41:29.810,0:41:33.630
Bugs from Dirtmouth used to go to the Temple[br]of the Black Egg to pray, saying they felt

0:41:33.630,0:41:35.109
at peace within the walls.

0:41:35.109,0:41:39.550
But after a while, they stopped going, perhaps[br]indicating that the infection was beginning

0:41:39.550,0:41:41.030
to leak out again.

0:41:41.030,0:41:45.750
The infectious air continued to seep through[br]Hallownest for years, eventually even reaching

0:41:45.750,0:41:48.460
the deepest parts of the kingdom.

0:41:48.460,0:41:53.619
As it turns out, the Pale King’s pure Vessel[br]wasn’t quite so pure after all.

0:41:53.619,0:41:57.160
The Hollow Knight had been tarnished by an[br]idea instilled.

0:41:57.160,0:42:01.670
While the game never explicitly tells us what[br]that idea was, it does hint strongly at what

0:42:01.670,0:42:02.880
it might be.

0:42:02.880,0:42:06.990
Hidden away in the White Palace is a memory[br]showing the Hollow Knight and the Pale King

0:42:06.990,0:42:08.780
sharing a moment.

0:42:08.780,0:42:13.329
The Hollow Knight might have developed a parental[br]bond to the Pale King, and who could blame

0:42:13.329,0:42:14.329
it?

0:42:14.329,0:42:15.920
The Pale King is a pretty great dad, after[br]all.

0:42:15.920,0:42:20.270
You know, if you ignore the infanticide and[br]everything.

0:42:20.270,0:42:22.029
Remember those smug mushroom dickheads?

0:42:22.029,0:42:26.660
Well it turns out their trust in the Pale[br]King was a complete mistake.

0:42:26.660,0:42:29.460
That shared mind isn’t looking too good[br]now is it?

0:42:29.460,0:42:32.880
In the Fungal Core, the corpse of a giant[br]mushroom lies dormant.

0:42:32.880,0:42:35.810
Its final thoughts were “Pale Wyrm…

0:42:35.810,0:42:38.609
What good to foresee a demise unavoidable?”

0:42:38.609,0:42:42.770
This could imply that the Pale King always[br]knew that his kingdom was doomed, all he could

0:42:42.770,0:42:45.440
do was delay the inevitable.

0:42:45.440,0:42:50.579
This is likely the moment when Hallownest[br]as it once was entirely collapsed.

0:42:50.579,0:42:54.779
The Hollow Knight had not completely stopped[br]the infection, and while it may have taken

0:42:54.779,0:42:57.480
a while, Hallownest was eventually brought[br]low.

0:42:57.480,0:43:02.430
It’s at this point that characters and areas[br]begin to resemble as we know them ingame.

0:43:02.430,0:43:07.430
When it became clear that the Hollow Knight[br]was not able to contain the Radiance, the

0:43:07.430,0:43:10.160
Pale King resorted to his final plan.

0:43:10.160,0:43:15.940
He fucked off, hiding himself, his White Palace[br]and his Pale Court in the Dream World.

0:43:15.940,0:43:20.521
At this point, all of the furniture in the[br]palace was covered under white sheets, similar

0:43:20.521,0:43:25.069
to how people in the real world cover their[br]furniture while away on long trips.

0:43:25.069,0:43:29.970
The palace was also completely covered with[br]thorns and buzzsaws, similar to how people

0:43:29.970,0:43:34.140
in the real world cover their houses with[br]thorns and buzzsaws.

0:43:34.140,0:43:38.049
The Pale King would eventually pass away while[br]sitting on his throne in the White Palace.

0:43:38.049,0:43:43.190
There’s no confirmation on what killed him,[br]but there are a few things to consider.

0:43:43.190,0:43:47.720
The throne room is incredibly dark compared[br]to the rest of the Palace, and the particle

0:43:47.720,0:43:52.839
effects and ambience track in this room are[br]identical to that of the Abyss.

0:43:52.839,0:43:55.900
All of the Kingsmoulds surrounding the Pale[br]King are dead.

0:43:55.900,0:44:00.940
The Ancient Basin itself also has become stained[br]with the presence of Void, as it can be seen

0:44:00.940,0:44:05.529
as high as the run down elevator shaft leading[br]back to the city.

0:44:05.529,0:44:09.390
Remember that bug that was sealed away in[br]the Abyss to make sure the lighthouse wasn’t

0:44:09.390,0:44:10.839
turned off.

0:44:10.839,0:44:13.190
Well, the lighthouse was turned off.

0:44:13.190,0:44:17.640
I guess that whole living with purpose thing[br]is a crock of shit after all.

0:44:17.640,0:44:21.640
It seems as though the sea of void itself[br]actually convinced this bug to betray his

0:44:21.640,0:44:24.590
king and turn off the lighthouse.

0:44:24.590,0:44:26.619
Now I know what you’re thinking.

0:44:26.619,0:44:29.059
Exactly how conscious is the Void?

0:44:29.059,0:44:31.460
Is the Void able to think for itself?

0:44:31.460,0:44:33.440
Can it form strategies?

0:44:33.440,0:44:34.700
Does it host a podcast?

0:44:34.700,0:44:40.570
Well according to this chozo statue ripoff,[br]the Void is powerful, but not unified.

0:44:40.570,0:44:45.890
So while it can thrash around at things that[br]come near it or call out in unison to turn

0:44:45.890,0:44:49.819
off a light, it’s not a single conscious[br]being.

0:44:49.819,0:44:54.010
Getting back to the Pale King, one could argue[br]that the Void might have played a role in

0:44:54.010,0:44:58.049
his ultimate demise, and I’ve argued that[br]viewpoint in the past.

0:44:58.049,0:45:01.730
But we have to remember that there isn’t[br]enough evidence to know for sure.

0:45:01.730,0:45:06.100
As an expert lawyer and a good friend of mine,[br]Johnnie Cochran, once said:

0:45:06.100,0:45:10.390
Any evidence that the Void was involved in[br]the Pale King’s death is circumstantial.

0:45:10.390,0:45:12.960
My name is Johnny Cockran.

0:45:12.960,0:45:17.550
Just above the White Palace, the bugs in the[br]City of Tears weren’t fairing much better.

0:45:17.550,0:45:20.990
Even if we ignore the fact that the infection[br]was still around, there were other issues

0:45:20.990,0:45:23.520
that helped lead to the city’s downfall.

0:45:23.520,0:45:29.390
Due to the gates being sealed, some bugs resorted[br]to cannibalism in order to avoid starvation.

0:45:29.390,0:45:34.220
And there’s also that metric fuck ton of[br]corpses lining the walls of the Soul Sanctum.

0:45:34.220,0:45:39.060
When all was said and done, the only citizen[br]left standing is Eternal Emilita, who just

0:45:39.060,0:45:43.400
laughs her ass off about it like she’s a[br]fucking Dark Souls character.

0:45:43.400,0:45:47.359
The White Lady ends up in a cocoon deep within[br]the Queen’s Gardens.

0:45:47.359,0:45:51.930
She decided to place bindings on herself in[br]order to keep her from spreading her seed.

0:45:51.930,0:45:56.130
She claims that this is because of the shame[br]she feels in helping the Pale King create

0:45:56.130,0:46:00.510
the Vessels, but honestly, it’s probably[br]just her kink.

0:46:00.510,0:46:04.650
The White Lady also diminished her power,[br]possibly as a way to keep herself hidden from

0:46:04.650,0:46:07.029
unwanted visitors.

0:46:07.029,0:46:12.550
Outside her cocoon, Dryya stood guard, protecting[br]her Queen from the violent traitor mantises.

0:46:12.550,0:46:16.970
Dryya is eventually killed off by these bugs,[br]which is actually pretty pathetic if you think

0:46:16.970,0:46:17.970
about it.

0:46:17.970,0:46:25.490
I mean we’re talking like the Netgear WPN824N[br]N150 Wireless Router pathetic.

0:46:25.490,0:46:31.020
Speaking of “Great Knights” dying pathetically,[br]let’s move on to Hegemol.

0:46:31.020,0:46:35.800
Hegemol held the City Crest, a key used to[br]open one of the gates to the City of Tears.

0:46:35.800,0:46:39.240
At some point, Hegemol’s armored shell was[br]stolen by a maggot.

0:46:39.240,0:46:43.680
Now maggots were generally looked down upon[br]and forced to do menial labor.

0:46:43.680,0:46:48.220
They were incredibly weak and basically deserved[br]all of the discrimination they got.

0:46:48.220,0:46:53.829
But this one maggot decided to turn the tide,[br]so he stole Hegemol’s shell so that he could

0:46:53.829,0:46:56.589
defend his downtrodden brothers.

0:46:56.589,0:47:01.440
His actions weren’t motivated by the infection,[br]but instead was the result of how hierarchical

0:47:01.440,0:47:06.490
caste system will always lead to revolution[br]from the working class and that true freedom

0:47:06.490,0:47:10.059
can only be achieved blah blah blah capitalism[br]is bad.

0:47:10.059,0:47:11.650
Subscribe to my Patreon.

0:47:11.650,0:47:16.930
Ogrim moved to the Royal Waterways and started[br]living in shit, changing his name to Dung

0:47:16.930,0:47:18.079
Defender.

0:47:18.079,0:47:22.640
Now I love wallowing in shit as much as the[br]next guy, but you’d have to really love

0:47:22.640,0:47:25.421
shit to put up with living with the flukes.

0:47:25.421,0:47:29.450
The Dung Defender kept an unwavering sense[br]of duty and loyalty to the King and love for

0:47:29.450,0:47:33.930
his fellow Knights, so much so that he made[br]shit statues out of them.

0:47:33.930,0:47:34.930
How nice.

0:47:34.930,0:47:39.119
Ogrim acted as the defender of the pipeways,[br]as well as Isma’s Grove.

0:47:39.119,0:47:43.970
A section of the Royal Waterways became filled[br]with acid, and in the middle of it all rests

0:47:43.970,0:47:47.410
Isma’s corpse, which has been overcome by[br]plant life.

0:47:47.410,0:47:52.109
Isma is likely the one responsible for this[br]acid blight, but we have no idea what happened

0:47:52.109,0:47:53.109
to her.

0:47:53.109,0:47:56.460
Hornet’s whereabouts during this time are[br]fairly mysterious.

0:47:56.460,0:48:00.830
We know that she departed Deepnest, and didn’t[br]return until the events of the game.

0:48:00.830,0:48:05.420
At some point, she took to guarding Hallownest[br]from intruding warriors as well as the Cast-Off

0:48:05.420,0:48:07.950
Shell in the Kingdom’s Edge.

0:48:07.950,0:48:12.450
Despite the kingdom’s woes at large, fortunately[br]this fate did not befall one of the fandom’s

0:48:12.450,0:48:14.010
favorite characters.

0:48:14.010,0:48:18.289
The menderbugs continued to fix the broken[br]signs and wayposts of Hallownest.

0:48:18.289,0:48:23.700
From a diary entry, we can see that one Menderbug[br]in particular had found himself on the precipice

0:48:23.700,0:48:26.940
of a long and loving relationship:

0:48:26.940,0:48:30.730
Hello Again Diary,[br]Not long now until the next Menderbash!

0:48:30.730,0:48:35.490
For a stealthy types, we're a riotous bunch[br]when we get together.

0:48:35.490,0:48:38.000
And Mender Berri kept flashing me that smile!

0:48:38.000,0:48:41.549
It might be time to muster my courage and[br]act on it.

0:48:41.549,0:48:48.500
I love my home and my life, but sharing it[br]with another, why that'd be the Berri on top!

0:48:48.500,0:48:51.750
Greenpath also underwent some changes during[br]this time.

0:48:51.750,0:48:55.400
The Mosskin were waiting for Unn’s call[br]which would bring them back into the dream

0:48:55.400,0:48:57.390
they were originally born from.

0:48:57.390,0:49:00.040
But for some reason, Unn strength deteriorated.

0:49:00.040,0:49:02.260
We don’t know why this happened exactly.

0:49:02.260,0:49:04.900
Was it due to the White Lady claiming part[br]of her kingdom?

0:49:04.900,0:49:07.539
Was it somehow due to the infection?

0:49:07.539,0:49:12.690
Some Mosskin believe that Unn went into hiding,[br]but it appears as though Unn is, in fact,

0:49:12.690,0:49:18.039
calling to her children, but many of the Mosskin[br]are unable to hear her call.

0:49:18.039,0:49:22.750
Instead many Mosskin seem to have taken the[br]Radiance’s infection into their leaves,

0:49:22.750,0:49:28.390
which might explain why Greenpath became overgrown[br]with vegetation, despite Unn’s deteriorating

0:49:28.390,0:49:29.390
powers.

0:49:29.390,0:49:34.359
Mossy Vagabonds even openly chose to forsake[br]Unn and worship the Radiance.

0:49:34.359,0:49:39.050
Another tribe to be screwed over by the Radiance[br]is the Hive, which fell to the infection after

0:49:39.050,0:49:42.079
the death of their leader, Hive Queen Vespa.

0:49:42.079,0:49:45.320
But it appears as though this had little effect[br]on their civilization.

0:49:45.320,0:49:50.410
The Radiance’s hivemind was already familiar[br]to the bees, since the Hive probably operated

0:49:50.410,0:49:52.019
under something similar already.

0:49:52.019,0:49:56.890
So in other words, the Hive probably made[br]out the best in this whole situation.

0:49:56.890,0:49:59.730
Let’s turn our attention back to the moths.

0:49:59.730,0:50:02.420
After all, it’s their god that keeps killing[br]everybody.

0:50:02.420,0:50:06.630
Well, the moth tribe didn’t fare too well[br]actually, as pretty much the entire tribe

0:50:06.630,0:50:07.630
died out.

0:50:07.630,0:50:10.220
The only known survivor is the Seer.

0:50:10.220,0:50:14.549
Despite the loss of her tribe, the Seer continued[br]to tend to the graves in the Resting Grounds,

0:50:14.549,0:50:19.510
while also awaiting the arrival of the Wielder,[br]a mysterious being that her tribe has dreamt

0:50:19.510,0:50:21.190
of for a while.

0:50:21.190,0:50:26.319
In the Kingdom’s Edge, the land became covered[br]in ash molting off of the Wyrm’s decomposing

0:50:26.319,0:50:27.319
corpse.

0:50:27.319,0:50:29.790
The Colosseum of Fools continued to thrive.

0:50:29.790,0:50:35.369
The Lord Fool passed away at some point, but[br]nobody really seems to notice or even care.

0:50:35.369,0:50:39.549
The Fools inside the Colosseum were infected,[br]but still seem to have maintained control

0:50:39.549,0:50:41.150
over themselves.

0:50:41.150,0:50:45.270
It seems possible that these bugs took in[br]the infection willingly, similar to the Traitor

0:50:45.270,0:50:47.299
Lord and his followers.

0:50:47.299,0:50:51.390
This would have given them an edge in combat,[br]similar to using steroids but without the

0:50:51.390,0:50:53.470
whole shrinking testicles thing.

0:50:53.470,0:50:58.170
However, even the Traitor Lord and his followers[br]went mad, so what makes these Fools any more

0:50:58.170,0:50:59.170
special?

0:50:59.170,0:51:03.640
As for the Pale King’s champion, the Pale[br]Lurker, well, she just went the normal kind

0:51:03.640,0:51:04.650
of insane.

0:51:04.650,0:51:08.970
There appears to have been another unforeseen[br]event with the Pale King’s plan.

0:51:08.970,0:51:13.060
When the Hollow Knight was originally chosen,[br]the door to the Abyss was sealed, trapping

0:51:13.060,0:51:15.020
the discarded Vessels within.

0:51:15.020,0:51:18.210
But apparently, some Vessels didn’t get[br]the memo.

0:51:18.210,0:51:20.839
Vessel corpses can be found littered throughout[br]the kingdom.

0:51:20.839,0:51:25.430
There’s one in the Ancient Basin, one in[br]Greenpath, and several trapped in Nosk’s

0:51:25.430,0:51:27.299
liar in Deepnest.

0:51:27.299,0:51:31.760
Another Vessel that escaped from the Abyss[br]is the player character: the Knight.

0:51:31.760,0:51:35.349
The exact details on how the Vessels escaped[br]the Abyss is unclear.

0:51:35.349,0:51:39.650
There are indications that they might have[br]slipped into Deepnest through some old passageway,

0:51:39.650,0:51:44.790
given Void influence in part of the area,[br]and all the corpses found in Nosk’s lair.

0:51:44.790,0:51:49.289
At some point, all entrances to Hallownest[br]were closed off, with the old well in Dirtmouth

0:51:49.289,0:51:51.609
being the only way to sneak back in.

0:51:51.609,0:51:57.490
Despite this, several people have wormed their[br]way into the kingdom with few ever returning.

0:51:57.490,0:52:01.809
Characters like Relic Seeker Lemm seemed content[br]to just pillage artifacts from the ruined

0:52:01.809,0:52:05.290
kingdom, but other bugs seemed interested[br]in something greater.

0:52:05.290,0:52:09.059
In the Howling Cliffs rests the corpse of[br]a member of the Grimm Troupe.

0:52:09.059,0:52:12.780
The task of this bug appears to have been[br]to seek out Hallownest, so that the Troupe

0:52:12.780,0:52:15.440
might be summoned to the kingdom in the future.

0:52:15.440,0:52:19.559
The Grimm Troupe are basically a group of[br]bugs that serve a Higher Being known as the

0:52:19.559,0:52:20.820
Nightmare Heart.

0:52:20.820,0:52:25.079
The troupe keeps the Heart alive by feeding[br]on the nightmares of fallen kingdoms.

0:52:25.079,0:52:30.450
This process also involves sacrificing the[br]Troupe Master his own child because... uh…

0:52:30.450,0:52:34.980
hey, look at this cool ass boss battle.

0:52:34.980,0:52:38.970
Another important group that travelled to[br]Hallownest are the Godseekers.

0:52:38.970,0:52:43.700
After being abandoned by their old Gods: the[br]Gods of Thunder and the Gods of Rain, these

0:52:43.700,0:52:47.620
bugs left their home in the Land of Storms[br]seeking out a new god to worship.

0:52:47.620,0:52:52.520
The Godseekers look to gods to save them from[br]their own silent mind.

0:52:52.520,0:52:57.700
While travelling through the wastelands, the[br]Godseekers constructed devices called Godtuners,

0:52:57.700,0:53:00.059
which helped them seek out new gods.

0:53:00.059,0:53:04.300
Through this device they were able to detect[br]the lingering power of the Pale King and find

0:53:04.300,0:53:06.180
their way to Hallownest.

0:53:06.180,0:53:09.670
When they arrived, however, the Godseeker[br]was forced into hibernation.

0:53:09.670,0:53:15.240
It was encased in a strange sarcophagus-like[br]cocoon which was itself chained up with a

0:53:15.240,0:53:16.240
lock.

0:53:16.240,0:53:20.150
It’s not clear how this forced hibernation[br]worked, seeing as the cocoon appears to have

0:53:20.150,0:53:22.809
been made by the Godseeker herself.

0:53:22.809,0:53:28.109
As for who put the cocoon in chains, I think[br]the most likely candidate is the Dung Defender,

0:53:28.109,0:53:32.369
considering how the Godseekers cocoon is found[br]in the Junk Pit in the Waterways, an area

0:53:32.369,0:53:35.890
the Dung Defender has tasked himself with[br]protecting.

0:53:35.890,0:53:39.200
This was the general picture of Hallownest[br]after the Hollow Knight was sealed inside

0:53:39.200,0:53:40.980
the Temple of the Black Egg.

0:53:40.980,0:53:45.059
The kingdom was stuck in a kind of stasis,[br]with the Pale King’s civilization destroyed

0:53:45.059,0:53:48.369
and the Radiance unable to break free from[br]her chains.

0:53:48.369,0:53:52.890
The Pale King was rebelling against nature,[br]trying to keep his work standing indefinitely.

0:53:52.890,0:53:56.529
The stasis over of Hallownest held for an[br]age.

0:53:56.529,0:53:58.160
How long is that exactly?

0:53:58.160,0:53:59.900
Well, we have no idea.

0:53:59.900,0:54:03.279
As I’m sure you’ve noticed, there really[br]isn’t a timeline for anything that happens

0:54:03.279,0:54:04.809
in this game.

0:54:04.809,0:54:08.539
We also have no idea how long any of these[br]bugs can actually live.

0:54:08.539,0:54:12.910
Elderbug wasn’t around to see the stagways[br]open, but we know several other characters

0:54:12.910,0:54:18.300
were, implying that Elderbug is probably one[br]of the youngest characters in the whole game.

0:54:18.300,0:54:21.490
But this stasis over Hallownest wasn’t going[br]to last forever.

0:54:21.490,0:54:25.610
At some point, the Radiance erupted out of[br]the Hollow Knight, cracking its shell and

0:54:25.610,0:54:28.180
releasing a loud and powerful roar.

0:54:28.180,0:54:32.109
The amount of infection leaking out of the[br]Hollow Knight became even greater.

0:54:32.109,0:54:36.390
The many corpses that lined the roads and[br]cities of the kingdom sprang to life with

0:54:36.390,0:54:38.809
the amplified power of the infection.

0:54:38.809,0:54:43.369
This strengthened infection prompted the departure[br]of the Weavers back to their old home.

0:54:43.369,0:54:47.680
Now this old home might actually be Pharloom,[br]the kingdom in which Hollow Knight Silksong

0:54:47.680,0:54:49.049
takes place.

0:54:49.049,0:54:52.731
But the amount of knowledge we have about[br]Silksong right now is pitiful, so I’m not

0:54:52.731,0:54:55.039
saying that’s confirmed or anything.

0:54:55.039,0:54:58.780
This is also around the time the Quirrel arrives[br]back in Hallownest.

0:54:58.780,0:55:03.190
His memory of Monomon appears to have been[br]clouded due to his time outside of Hallownest.

0:55:03.190,0:55:07.390
These events are depicted in the Quirrel prequel[br]comic, which also shows an image of the Hollow

0:55:07.390,0:55:09.349
Knight with a pre-cracked shell.

0:55:09.349,0:55:13.589
This could mean that Quirrel’s arrival happens[br]at roughly the same time the Hollow Knight’s

0:55:13.589,0:55:14.819
shell cracks.

0:55:14.819,0:55:18.349
At around the same time as Quirrel arrives[br]in Hallownest, we also see the arrival of

0:55:18.349,0:55:22.170
the player character, who is commonly referred[br]to as the Knight.

0:55:22.170,0:55:26.390
The Knight was one of the lucky Vessels that[br]was able to make its way out of the Abyss.

0:55:26.390,0:55:30.960
Somehow, the Knight ended up venturing beyond[br]Hallownest and into the wilds beyond.

0:55:30.960,0:55:34.400
It’s implied that the Knight was called[br]to Hallownest by either the sealed Hollow

0:55:34.400,0:55:36.750
Knight or the Radiance within.

0:55:36.750,0:55:41.339
Regardless, once the Knight shows up and yeets[br]itself off this cliff, the actual game of

0:55:41.339,0:55:44.099
Hollow Knight finally begins.

0:55:44.099,0:55:48.800
Now, there’s a lot of details we could get[br]into.

0:55:48.800,0:55:52.839
Hallownest is full of NPCs and bosses, each[br]with their own stories to tell.

0:55:52.839,0:55:56.809
But to be honest, I don’t think we need[br]to go through all of them, since their stories

0:55:56.809,0:55:58.930
are relatively straightforward.

0:55:58.930,0:56:01.640
For example, let’s look at the Brooding[br]Mawlek.

0:56:01.640,0:56:04.400
So why is the Brooding Mawlek brooding?

0:56:04.400,0:56:06.980
Because all its friends are dead.

0:56:06.980,0:56:09.210
And there you go, that’s the lore for the[br]Brooding Mawlek.

0:56:09.210,0:56:12.609
Also, it’s the only character in the game[br]with a visible asshole.

0:56:12.609,0:56:15.240
Now did you really need me to explain that[br]to you?

0:56:15.240,0:56:16.240
Probably not.

0:56:16.240,0:56:19.779
So instead, I’m just going to talk about[br]the interactions relating to Hollow Knight’s

0:56:19.779,0:56:21.250
main story.

0:56:21.250,0:56:25.140
The Knight is eventually noticed by Hornet,[br]who lures it deep into Greenpath.

0:56:25.140,0:56:29.059
There, Hornet attempts to kill the Knight,[br]claiming that she knows what it would try

0:56:29.059,0:56:30.240
to do.

0:56:30.240,0:56:33.859
At this point, Hornet views the Knight as[br]being too weak.

0:56:33.859,0:56:37.950
After the fight, Hornet can be found in the[br]City of Tears, next to the statue of the Hollow

0:56:37.950,0:56:38.950
Knight.

0:56:38.950,0:56:43.289
Hornet mentions that the Knight has gained[br]a resilience due to the time it spent in the

0:56:43.289,0:56:44.950
void beyond Hallownest.

0:56:44.950,0:56:49.310
This could be referring to the fact that some[br]of those who leave Hallownest lose their memories,

0:56:49.310,0:56:53.160
meaning the Knight would have no memories[br]of its own tragic conception.

0:56:53.160,0:56:57.079
Hornet tells the Knight that if it seeks to[br]continue the stasis that keeps Hallownest

0:56:57.079,0:57:01.910
standing, it must seek the “Grave in Ash”,[br]which is referring to the Kingdom’s Edge.

0:57:01.910,0:57:06.190
At this moment, Hornet sees the Knight as[br]a possible replacement for the Hollow Knight.

0:57:06.190,0:57:10.250
Basically, the Knight could break the seals[br]that keep the Hollow Knight locked away, defeat

0:57:10.250,0:57:13.539
the Hollow Knight and contain the infection[br]itself.

0:57:13.539,0:57:17.619
It’s at this point that I should mention[br]that Hollow Knight actually has five different

0:57:17.619,0:57:19.980
endings because of course it would.

0:57:19.980,0:57:24.090
I’m going to be explaining each of these[br]endings in this video, as they each give us

0:57:24.090,0:57:27.400
a different glimpse into the mechanics of[br]Hollow Knight’s world.

0:57:27.400,0:57:31.839
Now, to get the easiest ending to Hollow Knight,[br]Hornet’s instructions to go to the Kingdom’s

0:57:31.839,0:57:34.289
Edge can be ignored completely.

0:57:34.289,0:57:39.000
If the Knight stumbles upon the Resting Grounds,[br]the three Dreamers will appear and cast the

0:57:39.000,0:57:40.680
Knight into the Dream Realm.

0:57:40.680,0:57:45.589
There, Seer will come to the Knight’s rescue[br]and grant it the Dream Nail, a special blade

0:57:45.589,0:57:49.480
that can tear the veil between the real world[br]and the dream world.

0:57:49.480,0:57:53.559
With the Dream Nail, the Knight can venture[br]to the resting places of the three Dreamers,

0:57:53.559,0:57:58.289
curbstomp their asses, and unlock the entrance[br]to the Black Egg.

0:57:58.289,0:58:02.810
Inside the egg, the Knight finds the Hollow[br]Knight chained up, silently watching over

0:58:02.810,0:58:03.810
it.

0:58:03.810,0:58:07.980
Once the chains are broken, the Hollow Knight[br]screams with that familiar Radiance roar.

0:58:07.980,0:58:09.940
And pursues the Knight.

0:58:09.940,0:58:14.880
As the fight progresses, the Hollow Knight[br]starts trying to kill itself, Quirrel-style.

0:58:14.880,0:58:19.420
But then the Radiance starts using the Hollow[br]Knight’s body to perform her own attacks.

0:58:19.420,0:58:23.549
Once defeated, the Hollow Knight begins to[br]spew infection all over the place.

0:58:23.549,0:58:26.890
The Knight can then Focus the infection into[br]itself.

0:58:26.890,0:58:30.569
This results in the first ending of the game,[br]called Hollow Knight.

0:58:30.569,0:58:35.690
In this ending, the Knight usurps the Hollow[br]Knight, prolonging the stasis over Hallownest.

0:58:35.690,0:58:40.650
New chains and bindings appear out of… fuck[br]if I know, and contain the Knight, and a new

0:58:40.650,0:58:43.819
seal is placed over the entrance to the Black[br]Egg.

0:58:43.819,0:58:47.019
Now there is one giant question looming over[br]this ending.

0:58:47.019,0:58:49.480
Can the Knight actually contain the infection[br]indefinitely?

0:58:49.480,0:58:53.430
Or will the Radiance still manage to break[br]free one day?

0:58:53.430,0:58:57.170
Before we answer this question, let’s look[br]at some of the other events that can transpire

0:58:57.170,0:58:58.670
while playing the game.

0:58:58.670,0:59:02.180
If the player chooses to go to Kingdom’s[br]Edge, Hornet will challenge the Knight one

0:59:02.180,0:59:05.730
last time as a final test of strength.

0:59:05.730,0:59:10.310
After her defeat, Hornet allows the Knight[br]to access the Cast-Off Shell where the Pale

0:59:10.310,0:59:12.440
King was originally hatched.

0:59:12.440,0:59:17.250
By interacting with the egg, the Knight’s[br]shell is marked with the King’s Brand, technically

0:59:17.250,0:59:20.780
making the Knight the new ruler of Hallownest.

0:59:20.780,0:59:24.400
With the King’s Brand, the Knight can now[br]open the entrance to the Abyss and discover

0:59:24.400,0:59:26.099
the place of its birth.

0:59:26.099,0:59:30.710
When leaving the Abyss, the Knight can encounter[br]Hornet again, where for the first time, Hornet

0:59:30.710,0:59:34.650
suggests that there are actually two outcomes[br]the Knight can enact.

0:59:34.650,0:59:39.190
She tells the Knight that it can either prolong[br]Hallownest’s stasis or face the heart of

0:59:39.190,0:59:41.099
the kingdom’s infection.

0:59:41.099,0:59:44.010
Within the Knight, Hornet sees a chance for[br]change.

0:59:44.010,0:59:47.730
Instead of just replacing the Hollow Knight,[br]Hornet believes that it may be possible to

0:59:47.730,0:59:52.799
get rid of the infection completely by using[br]the Void inside of the Knight.

0:59:52.799,0:59:56.750
After visiting the Abyss and obtaining the[br]Shade Cloak, the Knight is capable of reaching

0:59:56.750,1:00:00.200
the White Lady hidden away in the Queen’s[br]Gardens.

1:00:00.200,1:00:04.440
The White Lady tells the Knight that she has[br]been awaiting a Vessel to accept a gift, that

1:00:04.440,1:00:09.020
gift being one half of a charm called the[br]Kingsoul, which she claims will give the Knight

1:00:09.020,1:00:10.210
more power.

1:00:10.210,1:00:13.740
The White Lady goes on to explain that she[br]can feel the weakening of the Hollow Knight

1:00:13.740,1:00:15.069
within her roots.

1:00:15.069,1:00:19.349
She tells the Knight that it is free of the[br]blemishes that made the Hollow Knight a flawed

1:00:19.349,1:00:20.349
vessel.

1:00:20.349,1:00:25.079
From this dialogue, it is implied that the[br]Knight truly is a pure Vessel, capable of

1:00:25.079,1:00:27.359
containing the Radiance successfully.

1:00:27.359,1:00:32.160
But it’s not quite that simple, so we’re[br]going to have to dive a bit deeper into this.

1:00:32.160,1:00:34.730
Basically we need to answer a simple question.

1:00:34.730,1:00:38.230
What exactly does it mean to be a Hollow Knight?

1:00:38.230,1:00:41.640
Despite the White Lady’s words, we have[br]a number of instances where characters and

1:00:41.640,1:00:47.309
item descriptions mention that the Knight[br]has a will, and maybe even a mind.

1:00:47.309,1:00:51.529
But from the Pale King’s dialogue when describing[br]the Hollow Knight, it is stated that a pure

1:00:51.529,1:00:53.710
Vessel has no mind or will.

1:00:53.710,1:00:56.030
So is the White Lady wrong?

1:00:56.030,1:00:57.890
Or maybe even lying?

1:00:57.890,1:01:02.529
Her eyes have been clouded by time, and she[br]can be tricked into thinking that Ogrim is

1:01:02.529,1:01:05.589
in the room when the Knight is wearing the[br]Defender’s Crest charm.

1:01:05.589,1:01:09.810
She also thinks that Dryya is still alive[br]which…

1:01:09.810,1:01:12.380
uhh….

1:01:12.380,1:01:14.910
So maybe the White Lady is just senile?

1:01:14.910,1:01:18.529
My problem with that theory is that the White[br]Lady states that the Vessels stand out to

1:01:18.529,1:01:23.700
her clearly in a misted world, due to them[br]being her spawn.

1:01:23.700,1:01:28.010
She also questions whether or not the Knight[br]sought her aid, which would imply that the

1:01:28.010,1:01:31.000
Knight must have some kind of will.

1:01:31.000,1:01:34.589
So for whatever reason, the White Lady thinks[br]the Knight is still capable of containing

1:01:34.589,1:01:38.460
the Radiance, even if it’s still able to[br]make decisions.

1:01:38.460,1:01:42.289
After all, the Hollow Knight was considered[br]pure, but they still taught it how to wield

1:01:42.289,1:01:43.329
a fucking sword.

1:01:43.329,1:01:48.960
I mean, if the Knight were truly and completely[br]hollow in a literal sense, it probably shouldn’t

1:01:48.960,1:01:54.269
even be able to walk, or draw a map, or open[br]a goddamn bank account.

1:01:54.269,1:01:59.640
In short, this whole concept of being “hollow”[br]is so abstract and hard to define, I don’t

1:01:59.640,1:02:04.440
really feel comfortable giving a solid answer[br]on whether or not the Knight is or isn’t

1:02:04.440,1:02:05.440
truly hollow.

1:02:05.440,1:02:09.619
And I think the game leaves room open for[br]other interpretations.

1:02:09.619,1:02:14.150
Of course, the White Lady’s gift is useless[br]without the other half of the Kingsoul.

1:02:14.150,1:02:18.470
In order to reach it, however, the Knight[br]must travel to the White Palace, locked inside

1:02:18.470,1:02:20.390
the body of a Kingsmould.

1:02:20.390,1:02:24.450
In order to bypass the seal, the Knight must[br]use a fully awakened Dream Nail.

1:02:24.450,1:02:30.100
It can do this by bringing 1800 Essence to[br]the Seer, allowing her to sharpen the weapon’s

1:02:30.100,1:02:31.100
blade.

1:02:31.100,1:02:34.740
If the Knight does this, the Seer remarks[br]that the Knight truly is the Wielder that

1:02:34.740,1:02:36.619
her tribe has been dreaming of.

1:02:36.619,1:02:40.970
There’s no explicit reason why the Moth[br]Tribe was dreaming about this supposed Wielder

1:02:40.970,1:02:45.119
so much, but it seems like they believed the[br]Wielder would wash away the crimes the Moth

1:02:45.119,1:02:48.240
Tribe committed by turning their backs on[br]the Radiance.

1:02:48.240,1:02:52.079
The Seer seems to know that the Knight might[br]kill the Radiance, and she seems accepting

1:02:52.079,1:02:56.900
of it, ready for her and her tribe to disappear[br]and be forgotten forever.

1:02:56.900,1:03:01.180
With the Awoken Dream Nail in hand, the Knight[br]can travel to the Pale King’s refuge and

1:03:01.180,1:03:03.380
locate the other half of the Kingsoul charm.

1:03:03.380,1:03:08.940
When equipped, the Kingsoul provides a never[br]ending supply of soul, making it almost useful

1:03:08.940,1:03:13.329
if it weren’t for the insanely high cost[br]of the charm, and the painfully slow rate

1:03:13.329,1:03:17.970
at which it increases, and the fact that the[br]charm will get replaced about 5 minutes after

1:03:17.970,1:03:19.130
you get it.

1:03:19.130,1:03:23.670
The Kingsoul charm itself symbolizes the union[br]between two Higher Beings.

1:03:23.670,1:03:28.119
To me, this implies that the Kingsoul is a[br]representation of a Vessel, which also was

1:03:28.119,1:03:31.640
created by the union of two Higher Beings.

1:03:31.640,1:03:35.299
With the Kingsoul in their inventory, the[br]Knight now gains access to an area in the

1:03:35.299,1:03:37.289
Abyss called the Birthplace.

1:03:37.289,1:03:41.829
In this massive pile of Vessel shells the[br]Knight can find a giant egg.

1:03:41.829,1:03:45.829
Dream Nailing the egg allows the Knight to[br]access its own memory when it was cast down

1:03:45.829,1:03:47.430
into the Abyss.

1:03:47.430,1:03:51.999
From viewing that memory, the Kingsoul charm[br]is replaced with the Void Heart charm.

1:03:51.999,1:03:55.819
The recollection of this event allows the[br]Knight to come to terms with the Void inside

1:03:55.819,1:03:56.890
itself.

1:03:56.890,1:04:00.869
Once the Knight has the Void Heart, the shades[br]in the Abyss no longer attack it, and that

1:04:00.869,1:04:05.549
strange creature that gives the Knight the[br]Shade Cloak calls it the Lord of Shades.

1:04:05.549,1:04:10.829
In other words, the Knight has now bound the[br]once fragmented Void under its own will, allowing

1:04:10.829,1:04:14.060
it to control the Void in a powerful new way.

1:04:14.060,1:04:18.140
With the union of the Void, the Pale King[br]and the White Lady, the Knight has gained

1:04:18.140,1:04:19.880
a strength before unseen.

1:04:19.880,1:04:24.230
It is with this charm that two additional[br]endings become unlocked.

1:04:24.230,1:04:27.790
Hornet will now be standing outside of the[br]Black Egg, offering to help the Knight should

1:04:27.790,1:04:29.380
the opportunity arrive.

1:04:29.380,1:04:33.480
Midway through the fight with the Hollow Knight,[br]Hornet rushes into battle, subduing the Hollow

1:04:33.480,1:04:34.770
Knight and piercing its shell.

1:04:34.770,1:04:38.849
It’s at this point that the Knight is given[br]the perfect opportunity to enter into the

1:04:38.849,1:04:43.299
mind of its sibling, fighting the source of[br]the infection head on, and finally put an

1:04:43.299,1:04:44.420
end to the Radiance’s tyranny.

1:04:44.420,1:04:49.069
Or it can just stand there and let Hornet[br]get knocked unconscious.

1:04:49.069,1:04:54.569
If the Knight finishes off the Hollow Knight[br]as usual, the Sealed Siblings ending occurs.

1:04:54.569,1:04:58.920
Basically it’s the same as the Hollow Knight[br]ending, but now Hornet is in the room too,

1:04:58.920,1:05:01.390
and her face appears on the door to the Black[br]Egg.

1:05:01.390,1:05:04.849
It’s not clear what exactly this means for[br]Hallownest.

1:05:04.849,1:05:09.580
This might imply that Hornet is now a Dreamer,[br]but she’s inside the temple, meaning that

1:05:09.580,1:05:14.319
no one can actually get in there to kill her[br]should the Knight ever start leaking infection.

1:05:14.319,1:05:17.910
At the same time, Hornet mentions that the[br]bindings of the Black Egg would drain her,

1:05:17.910,1:05:21.410
so she’s probably just going to die anyway,[br]right?

1:05:21.410,1:05:26.240
Generally, people consider this one of the[br]worst endings, but it’s worth pointing out

1:05:26.240,1:05:30.309
that Team Cherry doesn’t support any one[br]ending as being the “true” ending.

1:05:30.309,1:05:32.910
Each ending is canonical in its own right.

1:05:32.910,1:05:36.099
And honestly, this ending isn’t the worst.

1:05:36.099,1:05:39.890
At least the Knight and Hornet will get to[br]spend some quality time together.

1:05:39.890,1:05:43.730
If the Knight does Dream Nail the Hollow Knight,[br]it will get taken to an arena where it can

1:05:43.730,1:05:45.619
finally fight the Radiance head on.

1:05:45.619,1:05:49.430
But the Knight isn’t alone, as the other[br]shades from the Abyss will appear in order

1:05:49.430,1:05:51.190
to help corner the Radiance.

1:05:51.190,1:05:54.650
Eventually, the Radiance gets trapped in the[br]tendrils of the Void.

1:05:54.650,1:05:58.720
The Knight bitch slaps her a couple times[br]and then the Radiance is consumed into the

1:05:58.720,1:05:59.800
darkness.

1:05:59.800,1:06:04.650
The Black Egg then appears to turn to shadows[br]and the void seeps down into the ground.

1:06:04.650,1:06:08.240
Hornet awakens to find the Knight’s broken[br]shell lying on the floor.

1:06:08.240,1:06:13.190
We get one final shot of the shades in the[br]Abyss going to rest, and the game is over.

1:06:13.190,1:06:15.720
This ending is called the Dream No More ending.

1:06:15.720,1:06:21.510
The Radiance is gone and Hallownest is finally[br]free from her infection.

1:06:21.510,1:06:26.259
Now I think it’s fair to ask a few questions[br]about how the Dream No More ending comes about.

1:06:26.259,1:06:30.300
When the Hollow Knight was initially chosen[br]to become the pure Vessel, the Abyss was sealed

1:06:30.300,1:06:33.509
up and the rest of the Vessels were left to[br]rot away.

1:06:33.509,1:06:36.480
But somehow, Vessels ended up outside of the[br]Abyss.

1:06:36.480,1:06:40.510
And then one of those Vessels was used to[br]replace the Hollow Knight.

1:06:40.510,1:06:44.349
Exactly how much of this operation was planned[br]if at all?

1:06:44.349,1:06:49.180
The White Lady was waiting for a Vessel, did[br]she have any communication with Hornet?

1:06:49.180,1:06:52.829
Hornet was guarding the King’s Brand, the[br]only way for a Vessel to enter the Abyss.

1:06:52.829,1:06:57.410
How did she know it was necessary to guard[br]the King’s Brand from weaker Vessels.

1:06:57.410,1:07:02.160
Hell, if the Vessels did escape the Abyss[br]by themselves, wouldn’t it be pointless

1:07:02.160,1:07:06.609
to guard the King’s Brand, since the Vessels[br]could just creep back into the Abyss the same

1:07:06.609,1:07:07.609
way?

1:07:07.609,1:07:11.059
I’m not going to provide any good answers[br]to these questions.

1:07:11.059,1:07:13.680
Because god forbid I answer anything in this[br]entire video.

1:07:13.680,1:07:18.819
But I do want to point out that no plans to[br]actually produce the Dream No More ending

1:07:18.819,1:07:24.410
are explicitly stated ingame, so we can only[br]speculate as to whether or not the White Lady

1:07:24.410,1:07:29.349
or Hornet or maybe even the Pale King knew[br]that they could defeat the Radiance by creating

1:07:29.349,1:07:32.039
a Lord of Shades like the Knight.

1:07:32.039,1:07:35.800
Regardless, the next two endings were definitely[br]not planned.

1:07:35.800,1:07:41.119
In fact, the last two endings that were added[br]in the Godmaster update almost feel out of

1:07:41.119,1:07:42.119
place.

1:07:42.119,1:07:45.789
The Godseekers basically hijack everything[br]to the point where you don’t even have to

1:07:45.789,1:07:48.550
enter the Temple of the Black Egg to beat[br]the game.

1:07:48.550,1:07:52.029
That’s like beating Mario Bros. without[br]ever seeing Bowser.

1:07:52.029,1:07:56.670
But on the other hand, the Godmaster endings[br]basically reinforce that Hallownest does not

1:07:56.670,1:08:01.499
exist in a vacuum, which can help the world[br]of Hollow Knight feel more real.

1:08:01.499,1:08:05.460
Because what else is reality but just a bunch[br]of random chaotic stuff happening all the

1:08:05.460,1:08:06.460
time?

1:08:06.460,1:08:10.420
If the Knight finds the Godseeker in the Junk[br]Pit, it will be able to enter her mind and

1:08:10.420,1:08:12.759
refight all of the bosses in the game.

1:08:12.759,1:08:15.010
This is part of the Godseekers’ ritual.

1:08:15.010,1:08:19.299
They basically attune to the resonance of[br]gods through ritual combat.

1:08:19.299,1:08:24.730
This allows them to ascend their minds higher,[br]and eventually, through the use of Godly focus,

1:08:24.730,1:08:29.359
achieve communication with the god sleeping[br]at Hallownest’s heart, the Radiance.

1:08:29.359,1:08:30.730
Now I know what you’re thinking.

1:08:30.730,1:08:34.179
That’s a pretty convoluted little religious[br]practice they have going on here.

1:08:34.179,1:08:37.759
What’s next, are they going to start measuring[br]the Knight’s theon levels?

1:08:37.759,1:08:42.569
It’s pretty complicated, but the point is,[br]these Godseekers have some serious capabilities

1:08:42.569,1:08:46.480
to fuck things up in Hallownest, as we’re[br]about to see.

1:08:46.480,1:08:50.310
As the Knight makes it further and further[br]through the four pantheons, the Godseekers

1:08:50.310,1:08:54.650
get closer and closer to making contact with[br]the Radiance, locked away inside the Hollow

1:08:54.650,1:08:55.650
Knight.

1:08:55.650,1:08:59.940
At the end of the fourth Pantheon, the Radiance[br]makes herself aware in this strange reunion

1:08:59.940,1:09:01.390
cutscene between the Vessels.

1:09:01.390,1:09:04.520
But she isn’t the only one to make an appearance.

1:09:04.520,1:09:09.260
The Void itself appears to go on the attack,[br]rising up to meet the Radiance’s call.

1:09:09.260,1:09:14.720
It’s at this point that the final challenge,[br]the Pantheon of Hallownest, becomes available.

1:09:14.720,1:09:18.810
The Godseeker finally acknowledges the Knight[br]as being more than just a simple cringer,

1:09:18.810,1:09:22.009
and they begin to watch the Knight more intently.

1:09:22.009,1:09:26.359
After defeating like a bazillion bosses in[br]the final pantheon, the Knight finally comes

1:09:26.359,1:09:32.080
face to face with the Absolute Radiance, a[br]stronger, more enhanced version of the game’s

1:09:32.080,1:09:33.319
final boss.

1:09:33.319,1:09:35.509
Finally, the stage is set.

1:09:35.509,1:09:41.270
After roughly forty minutes of intense agony[br]and tedious boss battles, the Knight has finally

1:09:41.270,1:09:45.790
reached the ultimate enemy responsible for[br]the destruction of Hallownest.

1:09:45.790,1:09:48.500
Truly this will be a battle for the ages.

1:09:48.500,1:09:52.040
But first let’s check in on our old pal,[br]Menderbug.

1:09:52.040,1:09:54.830
As it turns out he’s still alive when the[br]Knight arrives in Hallownest.

1:09:54.830,1:09:58.110
And he’s still fulfilling his duty after[br]all this time.

1:09:58.110,1:10:01.010
Let’s take one last look at his diary.

1:10:01.010,1:10:05.120
My Lovely Diary,[br]Someone's gone and broke my favourite sign!

1:10:05.120,1:10:08.420
Right there at the top of the crossroads.

1:10:08.420,1:10:09.420
Keeps happening too!

1:10:09.420,1:10:12.480
But you know, I just can't get mad about it.

1:10:12.480,1:10:14.909
I should be thanking them really!

1:10:14.909,1:10:19.139
More chances to fix that beautiful, complex[br]sign.

1:10:19.139,1:10:25.290
And I've stocked up on spare parts, so I've[br]no fear it'll ever stay broken for long.

1:10:25.290,1:10:29.890
Unfortunately, the only way to ever read the[br]Menderbug’s diary is to kill him in cold

1:10:29.890,1:10:30.890
blood.

1:10:30.890,1:10:35.100
I’m not sure why Team Cherry thought this[br]was necessary, but the general consensus on

1:10:35.100,1:10:39.320
Reddit is that they are bloodthirsty warmongers[br]so it checks out.

1:10:39.320,1:10:43.440
But at least Menderbug’s last moments will[br]be spent fixing one of his favorite signs

1:10:43.440,1:10:45.080
in the Forgotten Crossroads.

1:10:45.080,1:10:49.179
It’s comforting to think that his final[br]seconds of consciousness were spent in total

1:10:49.179,1:10:54.300
bliss before we sent him hurtling into the[br]infinite chasm of oblivion.

1:10:54.300,1:10:55.800
Well anyway...

1:10:55.800,1:10:59.989
This alternate fight between the Knight and[br]the Radiance plays out differently than in

1:10:59.989,1:11:01.610
the vanilla endings.

1:11:01.610,1:11:05.800
This time around, the Knight is not accompanied[br]by any shades.

1:11:05.800,1:11:11.840
Instead, after defeating the Radiance, the[br]Knight seems to transform into this monstrosity.

1:11:11.840,1:11:18.860
Now this creature has several names, the God[br]of Gods, the Lord Shade, the Devourer, the

1:11:18.860,1:11:20.190
Void Entity.

1:11:20.190,1:11:23.840
But I don’t really like any of those, so[br]I will just call it Bill.

1:11:23.840,1:11:27.650
Bill proceeds to completely annihilate the[br]Radiance in spectacular fashion.

1:11:27.650,1:11:31.150
We are then treated to the “Embrace the[br]Void” ending.

1:11:31.150,1:11:35.490
Bill comes back down from the sky, dropping[br]into the rest of Godhome.

1:11:35.490,1:11:39.060
The Godseeker starts to get pulled into Bill[br]by Void tendrils.

1:11:39.060,1:11:42.480
We then cut to the Godseeker in the Junk Pit.

1:11:42.480,1:11:46.340
Void starts leaking out of her eyes, and it[br]appears as though Bill is making an escape

1:11:46.340,1:11:48.130
back into the real world.

1:11:48.130,1:11:50.270
Which is probably a bad thing?

1:11:50.270,1:11:54.949
Finally, we see Hornet standing outside of[br]the Black Egg as the infection begins to disappear

1:11:54.949,1:11:56.780
from the nearby vines.

1:11:56.780,1:12:00.860
Hornet hears footsteps coming from inside[br]the Black Egg, as the Hollow Knight reveals

1:12:00.860,1:12:04.239
itself to her and the two prepare for combat.

1:12:04.239,1:12:08.230
So from this cutscene, we can see that the[br]Radiance’s death in Godhome actually did

1:12:08.230,1:12:12.770
kill her for real, meaning that the infection[br]over Hallownest is now gone.

1:12:12.770,1:12:17.010
This means the seals inside of the Black Egg[br]probably wore off, allowing the Hollow Knight

1:12:17.010,1:12:18.300
to escape its prison.

1:12:18.300,1:12:23.510
In other words, the Embrace the Void ending[br]is a goddamn cliffhanger, and we have no idea

1:12:23.510,1:12:26.219
how Team Cherry plans to follow this up.

1:12:26.219,1:12:30.290
The Hollow Knight is running loose in Hallownest,[br]and the Knight has transformed into a raging

1:12:30.290,1:12:35.150
Void monster that might try to destroy the[br]entire kingdom, or at least what’s left

1:12:35.150,1:12:36.150
of it.

1:12:36.150,1:12:39.679
What’s even more strange about this ending[br]is that the announced sequel, Hollow Knight:

1:12:39.679,1:12:42.860
Silksong doesn’t seem to be related to this[br]ending at all.

1:12:42.860,1:12:45.030
But that’s a whole different shitshow.

1:12:45.030,1:12:49.550
Obviously, the biggest mystery surrounding[br]this ending is the appearance of Bill.

1:12:49.550,1:12:54.770
Did this creature exist in the Void already,[br]or was it somehow willed into existence by

1:12:54.770,1:12:56.340
the power of the Godseekers?

1:12:56.340,1:12:58.610
Did the Knight turn into this thing?

1:12:58.610,1:13:01.450
Or did it just become a part of it?

1:13:01.450,1:13:05.400
Examining a statue of this creature, and the[br]other forms of the Knight grant the player

1:13:05.400,1:13:09.929
a Hunter’s Journal entry for an ancient[br]artifact called the Void Idol, which might

1:13:09.929,1:13:13.020
imply this creature might have been worshipped[br]by the Ancient Civilization.

1:13:13.020,1:13:16.690
But again, that’s pure speculation.

1:13:16.690,1:13:20.030
We don’t know what this worship of the Void[br]exactly looked like.

1:13:20.030,1:13:23.940
Maybe the Void they worshipped took the form[br]of something more sinister.

1:13:23.940,1:13:26.420
There is one thing we know about this monster[br]though.

1:13:26.420,1:13:28.989
It’s weak to flowers.

1:13:28.989,1:13:31.380
Yes, these things.

1:13:31.380,1:13:35.900
As it turns out, those Delicate Flowers that[br]Ze’mer has stockpiled up her ass are actually

1:13:35.900,1:13:37.270
useful for something.

1:13:37.270,1:13:41.949
They contain a strange power that even deters[br]the White Lady from touching one.

1:13:41.949,1:13:46.389
The Godseeker, however, is dumb enough to[br]accept a flower from the Knight.

1:13:46.389,1:13:51.250
If the player does this, instead of Void being[br]released out into the world, this flower pulls

1:13:51.250,1:13:56.250
a no-u and the Godseeker and the Void disappear[br]into thin air.

1:13:56.250,1:14:00.830
The flower itself is described as giving off[br]a pale light, which appears to connect it

1:14:00.830,1:14:02.820
to the Pale Beings.

1:14:02.820,1:14:07.600
Like I said before, Pale Beings appear to[br]be some form of top tier Gods.

1:14:07.600,1:14:12.580
As of right now, we are only aware of two:[br]the Pale King and the White Lady.

1:14:12.580,1:14:16.969
But the fact that Ze’mer brought these pale[br]flowers from a faraway land implies that there

1:14:16.969,1:14:18.730
are definitely more of them out there.

1:14:18.730,1:14:23.469
Another small hint of the existence of Pale[br]Beings are the Pale Ore items that can be

1:14:23.469,1:14:25.590
found all over Hallownest.

1:14:25.590,1:14:29.260
Did these come from the Pale King, or possibly[br]some other Pale Being?

1:14:29.260,1:14:30.321
And what exactly are they?

1:14:30.321,1:14:32.530
Are they poop?

1:14:32.530,1:14:36.480
In general, the Godmaster endings appear to[br]be doing a lot of setup for future Hollow

1:14:36.480,1:14:37.490
Knight content.

1:14:37.490,1:14:41.489
Like I said before, Hollow Knight: Silksong[br]doesn’t seem connected to these events on

1:14:41.489,1:14:45.949
the surface, so we are in a bit of a bind[br]when trying to discuss what these endings

1:14:45.949,1:14:49.480
actually mean for the greater narrative Team[br]Cherry is building.

1:14:49.480,1:14:54.890
There’s definitely a lot more to consider[br]about what the pale beings are and what properties

1:14:54.890,1:14:55.960
they possess.

1:14:55.960,1:14:59.970
And we also have plenty of questions surrounding[br]the Void, and how bugs have interacted with

1:14:59.970,1:15:01.139
it in the past.

1:15:01.139,1:15:05.750
It almost feels like we are looking through[br]a keyhole trying to grasp onto the totality

1:15:05.750,1:15:07.820
of Team Cherry’s creation.

1:15:07.820,1:15:11.120
How powerful are creatures like Bill and the[br]Wyrms?

1:15:11.120,1:15:14.429
Where did things like the Void even come from[br]to begin with?

1:15:14.429,1:15:17.350
How much bigger is the world beyond Hallownest?

1:15:17.350,1:15:19.810
Is Bardoon into butt stuff?

1:15:19.810,1:15:22.590
But of course that’s the appeal of a game[br]like Hollow Knight.

1:15:22.590,1:15:27.270
Having all of the answers to every question[br]would just ruin the mystery of the world.

1:15:27.270,1:15:30.900
Plus if we didn’t have questions like this[br]to waste our time on, then what else would

1:15:30.900,1:15:33.360
we do with our lives?

1:15:33.360,1:15:35.120
Go outside?

1:15:35.120,1:15:36.540
Ugg…

1:15:36.540,1:15:38.980
And so this video comes to an end.

1:15:38.980,1:15:43.790
Now I know the average attention span of a[br]YouTube viewer is 9 minutes, so let me leave

1:15:43.790,1:15:45.680
you with a few takeaways:

1:15:45.680,1:15:46.620
1.

1:15:46.620,1:15:48.520
Hollow Knight is a game about bugs.

1:15:48.520,1:15:52.099
I know that may come as a shock, but it’s[br]true.

1:15:52.099,1:15:55.380
Watch the video again, and this time pay attention.

1:15:55.380,1:15:58.380
You’ll notice right away, I promise.

1:15:58.380,1:15:59.380
2.

1:15:59.380,1:16:02.650
Murdering your own babies might not be such[br]a good idea after all.

1:16:02.650,1:16:07.210
I mean, this is obviously just my interpretation[br]of the game’s lore.

1:16:07.210,1:16:11.421
Other people might have different views on[br]the subject of murdering babies, and every

1:16:11.421,1:16:16.000
opinion is valid so I don’t want to step[br]on anyone’s toes or anything.

1:16:16.000,1:16:16.960
3.

1:16:16.960,1:16:19.540
Menderbug is fucking dead.

1:16:19.540,1:16:20.840
4.

1:16:20.840,1:16:22.580
Nothing is certain.

1:16:22.590,1:16:25.650
This video probably has a few flaws in it.

1:16:25.650,1:16:30.300
Trying to construct a cohesive narrative with[br]the information found in Hollow Knight isn’t

1:16:30.300,1:16:31.310
exactly straightforward.

1:16:31.310,1:16:36.820
I’m sure my views will change in the future,[br]and I encourage you to explore the lore yourself.

1:16:36.820,1:16:38.110
5.

1:16:38.110,1:16:43.780
And this last point is fairly obvious but[br]I should mention it anyway; Cory in the House

1:16:43.780,1:16:44.940
is the best anime

1:16:44.940,1:17:08.020
(weeb shit)