Let's talk about Quirrel

Hey guys, I hope you’re ready for another
crazy Hollow Knight lore video!

So what fun topic are we going to talk about
today?

Well, it’s a good one.

You and everyone you know and love is going
to die.

Now I know what you’re thinking.

Oh great, here comes another one of mossbag’s
crazy conspiracies.

What’s next?

Is he gonna argue that Silksong is prequel
again?

Well, how about I give you an example of a
beloved character from Hollow Knight that

actually does die: Quirrel.

The last time we see Quirrel ingame, he is
sitting at the Blue Lake after the Knight

kills Monomon the Teacher.

After that, Quirrel disappears, leaving behind
his nail sticking out of the ground and his

ultimate fate left uncertain.

Except not really, because Quirrel is definitely
dead.

Now technically, the question of “What happened
to Quirrel?” is left open to interpretation.

And Team Cherry even said as such in an interview
with the reputable news source Kotaku.

Kirk Hamilton: Okay next question.

What happened to Quirrel?

William Pellen: We don’t know.

Ari Gibson: Yeah, we’re not sure.

Kirk: Okay.

But if you are a regular to my channel, you
know that Team Cherry are a bunch of liars.

And William and Ari know damn well what happened
to Quirrel.

But even still, once we look at the evidence,
having Quirrel die makes the most sense both

logically and narratively.

So what I am saying?

That Quirrel killed himself in some sort of
reverse-Jeffery Epstein maneuver?

Did he drowned himself in the Blue Lake?

Well, I can’t really say how he passed away,
but when looking at the evidence, it’s clear

that Quirrel was ready to die.

So before we start talking about what’s
actually in the game, it’s worth pointing

out something particular about the art asset
for Quirrel’s nail that we see after he

disappears.

Within the game’s files, this piece of art
is called “quirrel_death_nail”.

Now obviously, there are a lot of different
ways you can interpret what this means.

But if I were to hazard a guess, I would say
that Team Cherry thinks Quirrel is dead, or

at least they thought so at one point.

Now of course, this evidence isn’t canonical.

But as we dig into what is canonical in the
game, I think most of you will end up agreeing

with Team Cherry.

There are two main reasons why Quirrel is
probably dead: his age, and the fact that

he abandoned his nail.

Let’s start with his age.

When Quirrel first arrives in Hallownest,
he has completely forgotten about his past.

He doesn’t remember being Monomon’s assistant
or her participation in the sealing of the

Hollow Knight.

He is exploring Hallownest as a traveler,
drawn to the kingdom by stories of wonder

and horror.

Eventually, Quirrel arrives in the City of
Tears, remarking on how he’d like to see

the source of the rain, saying:

I'd like to see where it all comes from before
I leave this Kingdom.

What a sight it must be!

Now, Quirrel mentions that he plans on leaving
Hallownest here.

But we have to remember that Quirrel doesn’t
remember his past yet.

He’s going through what we would call a
“character arc”.

And we can see that his mood will drastically
change once he makes it to the Teacher’s

Archives.

Quirrel mentions how he remembers the Archives
and how he helped Monomon become a seal.

After the Knight smacks Monomon with the magic
stick thing and murders her, Quirrel mentions

how he begins to feel his age.

Finally, at the Blue Lake, we see Quirrel
quietly looking out over the waters.

He mentions how he feels at peace.

Even his voice lines here reflect how old
and tired he is.

At this point, Quirrel has no more reasons
to continue his exploring.

He’s lived an age and seen the glories of
Hallownest twice over, which I assume includes

Flukemarm.

So he’s basically seen Flukemarm twice.

Anyone would be ready to go after that.

And now we come to the second argument.

Why in the fuck would Quirrel leave his nail
behind?

As we will see, Quirrel is constantly talking
about the importance of having a weapon.

For him to just leave one behind implies he
had no intention of walking out of Hallownest

alive.

In the Temple of the Black Egg, Quirrel mentions
that the Knight’s old nail is too weak to

handle the challenges awaiting in the kingdom.

While in Greenpath, Quirrel also mentions
the importance of the Knight getting a better

nail when he says:

Your nail looks a fine instrument, but it's
showing signs of wear.

I'd wager up there it would take you far.

Down here however, I suspect you'll soon meet
dangers the surface world can't match.

In fact, in the very first encounter we have
with Qurriel, he strongly foreshadows his

own death, remarking:

Plenty have come before us and most have met
their grisly end, many more equipped than

you and I. I'm sure they wouldn't mind were
a fellow explorer to relieve them of their

tools.

It's a kindness really.

The dead shouldn't be burdened with such things.”

So at the end of his journey, Quirrel is choosing
to leave his nail behind so that he may not

be burdened by it in death.

He knows very well that abandoning his nail
spells certain death, but he doesn’t mind.

And while there’s nothing we can do to stop
Quirrel’s passing, besides just not talking

to him at the Blue Lake I guess, we can still
remember him.

At the heart of every red-blooded human being
is an adventurer's spirit.

The same spirit embodied by Quirrel.

Let’s keep that spirit alive, for his sake.

So go ask that cute girl out.

Go push that coworker you hate down the stairs.

Go Go Power Rangers.

Let’s remember to explore the world in which
we live.

Let’s remember to appreciate the wonders
that surround us.

And most importantly, let’s remember to
always remember that we should remember Quirrel.

[♫Appropriate Music for Honoring the life of Qurriel♫]