At some point in the coming year,Hollow Knightfans hope to finally see the release of their anticipated sequel. Initially pitched as character DLC for the rival Hornet in the game’s Kickstarter, Team Cherry ended up realizing that its ambitions for her campaign were getting too large. Thus,Hollow Knight: Silksongwas spun off into its own project.Hollow Knightis already bursting with content, so the community was very receptive to the idea of a full sequel. With much being shown off in the games initial February 2019 Nintendo Direct reveal, it seemed likeHollow Knight: Silksongwas well on its way.
Unfortunately, development onSilksongwas waylaid by the pandemic, so fans have been left waiting in long stretches of silence. Fortunately, the reveal at the 2022 Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase thatHollow Knight: Silksongwould be available day one on Game Pass teased more than that.Silksongwill be coming to consoles other than the Switch, and it might even release within the next 12 months. Excitement for unraveling the game’s mysteries has been renewed, and fans are now waiting for the next Nintendo Direct to presumably reveal theactual release date forHollow Knight: Silksong. There are a lot of mysteries to unravel, too, especially the nature of the new setting Pharloom and what Hornet is doing there.
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What Pharloom Is, and Hornet’s Goals Within It
At the moment, minimal details have been revealed aboutHollow Knight: Silksong’s setting. In relation to the firstHollow Knight’s kingdom of Hallownest, Pharloom is in a distant and decaying land. It is said to be both ruled and haunted by two powerful forces, those being silk and song. What that means isn’t clear yet, but it seems to refer to the state of the kingdom and what its well-being is predicated upon. Like Hallownest before it fell to the Infection, Pharloom is dedicated to faith and pilgrimage, presumably in accordance with whatever beings embody silk and song.
Hornet’s entry into Pharloom is seemingly abrupt, though not unplanned. It’s not clear what happens to Hornet after the events ofHollow Knight, as she outlives both the valiant Knight and the plague-bringing Radiance. As the Pale King’s only surviving child, Hornet technically has the right to rule Hallownest, though her warrior upbringing may have pushed her back into adventuring. Hornet is captured by forces in Pharloom, and then set free after an incident sends her cage off a cliff. This may have been a planned trip by both parties, as Hornet sets her sights onclimbing to Pharloom’s shining Citadelinstead of escaping. Whatever is happening in Pharloom, Hallownest’s princess has a stake in it.
Pharloom May Prove to be Tied to Hollow Knight’s Wider World
At first glance, Pharloom and Hallownest just seem to be two kingdoms occupying the same dark fantasy world. They both consist of scattered communities, andexploringHollow Knighttakes players to the depthsof the earth. Meanwhile,Silksongfocuses on climbing in both its gameplay and plot. What is found in those extremes also may reflect the otherworldly powers upholding each nation; the Void and the Wyrm’s machinations inHollow Knight, and whatever bestial sleeping heart is referred to in the text known as Pharloom’s Folly. Hornet’s goal may be to expose this corrupt power source, perhaps even retrieving it for Hallownest’s sake.
There is one other oddity that implies a deeper link between Hallownest and Pharloom, and that is Hornet’s signature weapon. In Pharloom, a gilded pin is considered a traditional weapon, and a silk spool is the kingdom’s symbol. Hornet uses both, and has been fighting with them since the first game. This was always assumed to be a combination of her name referencing a stinger, and the fact that her mother was the spider queen Herrah the Beast. It’s possible that theWeavers formerly inhabiting Hallownest’s Deepnestmay have originated in Pharloom, and have since returned there. Whatever the case, Hallownest’s princess is proficiently wielding the symbols of Pharloom, and that will undoubtedly become relevant asHollow Knight: Silksongprogresses.
Hollow Knight: Silksongis in development for PC, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
