Are they insects? An insect kingdom? Let’s go deeper into the lore of Hollow Knight.
There’s a lot to learn in the vast world of Hollow Knight but some of it is better left unsaid. It’s up to you to decide which pieces of Hollow Knight lore are worth investigating and which will only lead you on a wild goose chase through ancient ruins and dangerous swamps.
You cannot even know how much lore is behind this title. Although it may not seem like it, this game hides a lot of history that, when you know it, will allow you to realize many details. Especially, now that Silksong is around the corner – which is one of the best games from the Xbox & Bethesda Showcase 2022 – knowing the lore of the game is very important! This is why we have compiled some of the key parts of the lore that you must know about.
Discovering everything about Hollow Knight lore is half the fun
If you’re living under a rock, Hollow Knight is an action-adventure game where you play as a knight named Hollow Knight (or a princess if you are playing in co-op). The game is set in the kingdom of Hallownest, which was once a peaceful and prosperous land but has since been overrun by strange bugs.
These bugs have taken over the kingdom and corrupted its inhabitants into mindless drones. But this is just the tip of the iceberg! So, it’s time to explain some of the lore behind this amazing title.
The Pale King
Before you get too excited, you should know that The Pale King is a real downer. He’s not even around to see the heroics of your journey through Hallownest! No, he’s in some sort of coma and resting in the Dream Nail, which is like a dream world or something. So what can we learn about this guy?
I’m glad you asked! The Pale King is a moth-like creature with a crown and—you guessed it—pale skin. He was once the ruler of Hallownest before falling into his slumber (probably from overworking). In addition to being king, he also created the Soul Vessels that allow humans to become Hollow Knight characters after death. It sounds like he was quite an influential fellow before his nap; if only we could wake him up!
The Radiance
The Radiance is a powerful force for good, born from the sun. It can be used to heal the land and cure sickness, but it can also be used to fight the corruption that plagues Hallownest. It’s found in The White Palace, which is currently under siege by The White Lady and her hordes of corrupted creatures.
The only way to get your hands on this power is by defeating her (or sneaking past her). If you take it out of its pedestal in The White Palace, you’ll have access to some new powers (and a boss fight if you try to walk out with it).
Temple of The Black Egg
A Black Egg is a rare, golden egg that you can find in the game. The first one is hidden behind your house in Dirtmouth; it’s really tough to find. To get it, you must take a series of secret passages through the mines that lead off from Dirtmouth. If you’re lucky enough to find them, these passages will take you out onto a ledge looking over Dirtmouth where you can see all sorts of spiders milling about (which is totally creepy).
You’ll know that this is the right spot because there’s another secret passage nearby leading back into Dirtmouth—but if it’s nighttime when you reach this point, don’t go down that path! Instead, jump down into the pit below and search for an area with some mining tools lying around on tables near some large rocks—this area should be lit up by lanterns hanging from its walls.
After finding this place and making sure it’s not nighttime (if it is nighttime when coming down here then I’m sorry but we’ve got bigger problems than just getting lost), follow the path left between two boulders until reaching an opening into another chamber filled with even more mining equipment scattered about; here there will be four torches lighting up various things like tables or walls so make sure everything looks okay before continuing along because otherwise, those torches might end up being very important later on…
Hallownest
Hallownest is the kingdom of bugs. It was once a great civilization, but it fell into ruin long ago. These days, Hallownest is a vast network of caverns, tunnels, and ruins—and it’s not just inhabited by monsters: there are also many other creatures who call this strange world home.
The Moth Tribe
The Moth Tribe is a peaceful and reclusive race that lives in the ruins of Hallownest. They are the only ones who can enter the Dream Gate, which originates from their homeland and leads to an alternate dimension called the Kingdom of Dreams. The two kingdoms are connected by the Radiance, a mysterious force that seems to embody all light, hope, and happiness in both worlds.
The Moth Tribe’s relationship with Hallownest’s royal family is shrouded in mystery but it appears that they were at least somewhat close before Queen Alua stepped down from her throne; she left her crown behind for them when she departed for Dirtmouth after Hollow Knight was defeated by his brother Sir Lornikus (the former King).
The White Lady
The most important being in Hollow Knight lore, the White Lady was once the Queen of Hallownest. She is also a Pale King and creator of the Radiance. The Moth Tribe venerates her as their mother, and she is said to be able to grant wishes if you pray at her shrine.
In order to stop The Radiance, you’ll have to infiltrate her castle in the Iron Kingdom during your second visit there (after getting your first crystal shard). You’ll find yourself face-to-face with a giant moth statue—and it turns out this is actually an enormous incarnation of The White Lady herself! If you manage to defeat her here, she will turn into a swarm of bugs that can help guide you through an alternate route back through Hallownest where you can finally confront The Radiance itself!
Despite everything we’ve brought you today, we haven’t even covered 50% of all the lore behind the game. Don’t think it’s because we don’t want to do it, but because there is a lot of lore that hasn’t been fully discovered yet. But don’t worry, it’s a matter of time until die-hard Hollow Knight fans discover every single secret the story has to tell us.
If you haven’t played Hollow Knight, you can play it for free as part of Xbox Game Pass and the PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium game lineup. You can also find the PC version on sale for 50 percent off at Humble Store for the next few days.
