An official release date for Hollow Knight: Silksong is widely anticipated by the indie community and Metroidvania fans alike, especially following the Xbox-Betheseda showcase, which dropped a surprise trailer after no word from the game developers since 2019. It seems that every game presented during the showcase is set to release within the next 12 months, which implies that Team Cherry's latest project is at most, only a year away.
Many players of the original game are quite familiar with the world of Hallownest, likely having multiple saves, achieved different endings, and spent plenty of time as The Knight. Hollow Knight: Silksong, however, is still fairly mysterious, as Hornet will find herself traversing the Kingdom of Pharloom and ascending to the citadel there. Since so much of the storyline is unknown, many fans have taken it upon themselves to analyze gameplay footage and trailers to uncover theories pertaining to the world of Silksong. Note: Potential spoilers for Silksong ahead.
Silksong's Final Boss Will Be The Lord of Shades
For players that achieved the Godmaster ending in the initial game, after giving the Delicate Flower to the Godseeker, they watched The Knight become the Lord of the Shades. Void Entity replaced The Knight, and defeated Absolute Radiance. This ending was left on a bit of a cliffhanger, as the ravaging of Hallownest by the Lord of the Shades left it in ruins. It is theorized that because Hornet is a sworn protector of others, she will face off against what is left of The Knight in her final battle. Perhaps the Lord of the Shades will venture to Pharloom or Hornet will return to Hallownest to restore balance.
Silksong is a Prequel to Hollow Knight
A different theory from YouTuber Mossbag suggests that the events of Silksong actually take place before Hollow Knight. In a French translation of the game, Hornet says "J' ai beaucoup trop tardé à revenir" which translates to "This ancient kingdom, I took too much time to come back. Now, a terrible thing awakens." According to Mossbag, this voice line does not appear in the German or Spanish translations of Hollow Knight, and instead, only a note from the developers in version 10.0.6 is left that says "The line 'I've returned late' has currently been removed. Should it be there?"
This theory can somewhat be combated by the fact that Team Cherry has called Silksong an official sequel. However, it could be that either the developers are trying to fool their audience, or that they simply mean this is the second installment of the Hollow Knight titles but is still a prequel in the sense of in-game chronology.
Silksong is a Boss in the New Game
Because the first game was named after an important boss - the "Hollow Knight" himself, it's been speculated that "Silksong" is the name of a boss in Hornet's game. Perhaps it's the same entity that haunts Pharloom, or it's the name of the curse that the final boss is responsible for fabricating.
The final boss could be asleep as well, with many of the citizens in Pharloom trying to awaken it, though they may have forgotten exactly what they are trying to accomplish. A poem cites that it will one day re-emerge and show its beastly nature. The bells, scattered around the map, are theorized to be cultural symbols of the kingdom but may also play a part in the awakening of the final boss.
The Bells Protect Pharloom's Citizens
The immense quantity of bells may actually be meant to protect the kingdom's bugs, rather than bring about their doom. Although, it could still be both, of course. Some fans think the ringing of the bells causes sound waves that keep the citizen's consciousnesses pure while keeping them away from savage thoughts. Silksong's Bell Beast, as seen in promotional mediums, is also theorized to be her fast travel method, replacing the Stag Stations.
However, some players believe the bells are binding an enemy to her cage, or may act as vessels that control the bugs, much like The Infection in Hollow Knight controlled Hallownest. The latter theory holds less weight since it seems the citizens of Pharloom already have strings attached to them, which are likely meant to manipulate them as if they were puppets.
The Puppeteer Theory
The Weavers have been confirmed to be a large part of the journey in Silksong, in addition to the strings that have already been observed upon bosses and bug citizens alike. During many, but not all, of the confirmed Silksong bosses' scream animations, it looks like a string is attached to them. It's been suggested that the Weavers were imprisoned by this final boss, and forced to create these strings for this puppeteer to use. Hornet's ascension to the top of the citadel in the kingdom of Pharloom may put her face to face with this master manipulator.
Multiple theories surround the ever-mysterious Hollow Knight: Silksong, but hopefully, future gameplay footage and new trailers will provide fans with a little more insight and content to analyze. How Silksong's world is affected by the events of Hollow Knight is still to be seen.
Hollow Knight: Silksong is expected to launch for Xbox, PC, and Nintendo Switch within the next 12 months.
