By the time the player is introduced to the world of Hollow Knight, the kingdom of Hallownest has long since fallen into disrepair. Only by venturing deeper into Hallownest and uncovering the mysteries underlying Hollow Knight does the player learn of an infection that took control of its denizens, driving them mad and corrupting their bodies. The origin of this infection, why it has spread across Hallownest, and how it involves the titular Hollow Knight are all driving forces in the indie gem's narrative.
Spoilers ahead for anybody who may be interested in playing Hollow Knight in advance of its sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong, as the infection is not a traditional virus or bacteria. Instead, it has a more supernatural or cosmic source, one that ties closely into Hollow Knight's sovereign lore and themes of worship and godhood. Given the infection and its source are the main antagonistic force behind Hollow Knight, it might impact Silksong too.
The Pale King and the Radiance
Before the arrival of the Pale King in Hallownest, the creatures who lived there were generally mindless and disorganized, with various tribes separate and isolated. One of these groups, the Moth Tribe, worshipped a higher being known as the Radiance. Though the Radiance is only witnessed through the inner minds of characters like the Hollow Knight, it is seen to be a reflection of an actual moth-like creature with glowing eyes, a skeletal frame, and white complexion. According to the game's lore, it is just one of many entities who seek to rule over others as a god, as revealed in the Godmaster DLC.
Upon the Pale King's arrival, he began to introduce free will to the various bugs of Hallownest, ultimately leading to the Moth Tribe turning their backs on the Radiance. As Hallownest grew and unified over time, the memories of the Radiance diminished until it was almost completely forgotten. With the Radiance effectively quashed, the Pale King took his place as ruler, leading to the even greater development of Hallownest and its history through the construction of the Stagways and the various other trams and lifts.
The Infection Takes Hold
Despite being almost forgotten, some bugs held onto memories of the Radiance, giving it just enough of a foothold to regain its strength. First manifesting through the dreams of the infected, the Radiance would gradually exert more control over various bugs until it had enslaved them to its will. Despite various efforts to stop the spread of the infection, such as the Soul Master attempting to hoard Soul, it took over nonetheless.
As the infection becomes more pronounced, it would begin to manifest physically. Infected creatures were seen to have glowing orange eyes, often mutated with glowing orange sacs. In later stages of the game, such as after defeating one of Hollow Knight's Dreamers, the earliest Crossroads area becomes heavily infected, showcasing just how far it can go if left unchecked. With no real ability to fight off the infection, it could run rampant wherever bugs thought of the Radiance.
The Void and The Hollow Knight
In order to try and save his kingdom, the Pale King turned to the Abyss and void deep in the depths of Hallownest as a means of countering the Radiance's light. Vessels were born, filled with nothing but void, and were conditioned into becoming a prison for the Radiance. It was reasoned that a creature like the Vessel, with no thoughts, feelings, or dreams, could contain the Radiance indefinitely by isolating it from others. Playing through the game reveals the extent the Pale King went to find the perfect, pure Vessel.
However, while the Hollow Knight was chosen to seal the Radiance away, it is revealed through flashbacks that the Pale King forged a bond between himself and his chosen Vessel given it was also his children. It's theorized that the Vessel who became the Hollow Knight was not as pure as had been believed due to this relationship, and through its desire to live up to the Pale King's expectations, the Radiance was capable of bleeding through. This caused the second wave of the infection, seen throughout the player's adventure across Hallownest.
Possible Ties to Silksong
In order for the events of Hollow Knight: Silksong to occur, this means only one of Hollow Knight's endings will be canon, and by extension it will need to be an ending in which Hornet survives and is able to leave Hallownest. While this may be one of Godmaster's endings, the likelier option is a main ending of the base game. The only endings in which Hornet survives then are where the Knight takes over the Hollow Knight's role of containing the Radiance, or the Knight dies after defeating the Radiance. In both scenarios, the Radiance and its infection are contained or destroyed.
Thus, the infection and the Radiance will likely not be threats in Silksong, but it will remain to be seen what the fate of Hallownest was, how Hornet left, or how she came to be captured. Given that Elegy to Hallownest reveals the game's premise, Pharloom's Folly in advance of Silksong could be an indicator of what sort of threat Hornet will encounter. The game might follow Hollow Knight's supernatural ethos and embrace concepts such as dream diving that were cut early in development, but until more details are revealed players are left to speculate.
Hollow Knight is available on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
