Hollow Knight is a fantastic indie game that has no shortage of mysteries. Many of its aspects are left ambiguous, and some are outright unresolved or left to the player's imagination. Until these mysteries are clarified by the developers themselves or are answered in the next game, all the players can do at this point is speculate.
Thankfully, discussing these mysteries is one of the most entertaining things about Hollow Knight and its surrounding community. Not only do these give players a better understanding of the game's intricate lore, but they will also give them a fresher point of view the next time they replay the game.
10 What Truly Happened To The Pale King
The Pale King is the monarch of Hallownest, or he at least was. When encountered by the Knight in the White Palace throne room, the Pale King is seen hunched over while sitting on the throne. When struck, he drops one-half of the Kingsoul charm, and he falls to the ground.
This reveals that he is dead, perhaps he has been for a long time now. It should be noted though that the White Palace is located in the Dream Realm. It's unknown whether death in the Dream Realm differs from the real one is also unanswered. What's known though is that the Dream Realm holds memories of living and dead beings, which only makes the Pale King's fate even more ambiguous.
9 The Fate Of The Knight
The Knight's fate at the end of Hollow Knight is mysterious simply for the fact that the game has multiple endings. Team Cherry, the developers behind the game, has refused to proclaim which of the endings is the canon one.
In the end, it is up to the players to decide for themselves which of the endings they consider "canon." Most players have decided that the "Embrace the Void" ending, which is obtained at the end of the Godmaster DLC, is the game's true canonical ending. Perhaps the upcoming Hollow Knight: Silksong will answer this mystery.
8 The Knight's Life Before The Game
In the game, it is later revealed that the Knight tried to escape The Abyss. Upon reaching the top, he encounters the Hollow Knight and the Pale King. They then leave and seal the entrance before the Knight could pass through it, sending them back down. How the Knight managed to still escape after this is unknown.
There may be another exit in The Abyss since other Vessels aside from the Knight have also escaped. As for the case of the Knight, what happened since their escape up to the beginning of the game is also left unanswered. What we do know is that this journey caused the Knight's memories of their origin to fade.
7 Everything Else About The Wyrms
Wyrms are massive and ancient beings. One of these beings is the Pale King, the ruler of Hallownest. These creatures are veiled in mystery. What's known about them is that they're huge, as evident by the Pale King's former Wyrm body seen on the Kingdom's Edge.
While the Pale King, a Wyrm, managed to become a ruler of a kingdom, it's not explicitly said whether other Wyrms have also ruled their kingdoms. During the events of the game, the Wyrms have all gone extinct. Nothing else is said about them. Their origin isn't explained nor is the cause of their extinction.
6 How Is Zote Still Alive?
Zote is one of the NPCs the Knight comes across in the game. He's portrayed as this confident and supposedly valiant warrior, but his fighting skills and tendency to get captured and the Knight saving him say otherwise. Considering that and the fact that Hallownest is an immensely dangerous place, it's a wonder how Zote managed to survive for as long as he did.
Perhaps Zote is more skilled than most give him credit for. Perhaps he's just a lucky individual. It may just be a minor thing and non-consequential to the story of Hollow Knight as a whole, but Zote surviving the world of Hallownest is a mystery in and of itself.
5 Can All Vessels Grow As Big As The Hollow Knight?
Aside from the Hollow Knight, every other Vessel or Void Sibling the Knight meets in the game is the same size or stature as them. The Hollow Knight is the only "adult" Vessel in the game. This begs the question if Vessels were supposed to grow as big as the Hollow Knight in the first place.
That said, what caused the Hollow Knight to grow as big as they did? Is it because they have The Radiance sealed within them? Is it because of the training they underwent with the Pale King? If so, if another Vessel trains as much as the Hollow Knight did, will they also grow as big as the Hollow Knight?
4 The Nature Of Dreams
The Dream Realm is one of the game's most mysterious aspects. They seem to be related to higher beings, or the higher beings seem to have better control of the Dream Realm than normal beings. For example, when the Radiance got forgotten by the Moth Tribe, it started to appear in the dreams of other bugs. This is what caused the Infestation to arise. When the Pale King failed to contain the Infestation, he resigned to the Dream Realm, taking the White Palace with him.
What's known about the Dream Realm is that it is made of light. Most of the higher beings are thought to be creatures of light, which may explain their hold on the realm. How the realm came about or its true purpose is unknown. It may predate the higher beings. It may have no purpose at all.
3 What Happened To Isma?
Isma is one of the Five Great Knights. During the events of the game, Isma has since passed away. Her body can be seen at the end of the grove. Roots and plants seem to wrap around her, which may imply an ability or nature to control flora. Her tears also imply her immunity to acid, or at least her association with it.
Isma is thought to be kind. She's also supposed to be very strong. Stronger than Ogrim, in fact. Ogrim, also known as the Dung Defender, had a close relationship with Isma, which is why he guards her grove. There are no records or dialogue tidbits in the game that mentions how or why Isma died. However, those who have spoken about her definitely thought highly of her.
2 Do All Hallownest Inhabitants Lose Their Memory After Leaving It?
There are two instances of Hallownest inhabitants leaving Hallownest only for them to eventually lose their memory. The first one is the Knight. After the Knight escaped The Abyss, they journeyed outside Hallownest only to return when beckoned by the Hollow Knight. Their memory of their past faded when they left the kingdom. The same thing happened to Quirrel.
That said, are all Hallownest inhabitants fated to lose their memory if they leave the kingdom? Or are the cases with the Knight and Quirrel isolated situations? If it's the former, what's with the kingdom that makes one lose their memory once they leave it? All of these remain a mystery to this day.
1 Mister Mushroom
Mister Mushroom is undoubted one of the most mysterious figures in the game. The Knight can only understand his ramblings if the Spore Charm is equipped. They can meet seven times throughout the game. Each time the Knight meets him, Mister Mushroom will ignore the Knight as he talks to someone or something else off-screen. He'll only acknowledge the Knight's presence during their final encounter.
The entirety of Mister Mushroom's story is vague. No one knows where he comes from, what he's doing, or where he flies off to at the end of the game. It's almost as if he's merely a gag character. He even references a past game made by the Hollow Knight developer. Whatever the case, there's certainly more to this guy than meets the eye.
Hollow Knight is currently available on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.