Lecture on Hollow Knight

Introduction

• Favorite game: Cory in the House (Nintendo DS)
• Hollow Knight: close second
• Released: Feb 24, 2017 by Team Cherry (Adelaide, South Australia)
• Achievements:
  • Sold 3.5+ million copies
  • Opening game at AGDQ 2019
  • Merchandise: books, plushies, T-shirts, etc.

Game Design

• Goal: create an immersive world for exploration
• Elements:
  • Massive levels with secrets (charms, abilities, etc.)
  • Navigational challenge: players must work for their map
  • Atmosphere: Christopher Larkin’s score, Ari Gibson’s artwork

World Building

• Inspiration: Super Metroid’s immersion and depth
• Detail-oriented design: every element has a reason
• Hidden narrative: NPC dialogue, item descriptions, lore tablets, additional content (comics, journals)
• Community research: deciphering in-game signs, extensive lore examination

History and Lore

• Ancient Civilization
  • Controlled land predating Hallownest
  • Worshiped the Void
• Pale King
  • Hatched from a Wyrm’s carcass
  • A higher being responsible for Hallownest’s creation
  • Created a kingdom seeking worship
  • Introduced higher thought to bugs

Specific Tribes and Areas

• Fungal Wastes
  • Mushrooms: hive mind, initially resisted infection
  • Mantis Tribe: territorial, culturally rich, truce with Pale King
• Deepnest
  • Isolated, spider monarchy, Weavers' cultural contribution
• Greenpath
  • Created by Unn (Higher Being)
  • Mosskin: worship Unn, Greenpath once larger
• The Hive
  • Bees: isolationist, unaffected by Pale King
• Resting Grounds
  • Moth Tribe: worshipped Radiance initially
  • Radiance: dream and Essence related, sidelined by Pale King

Hallownest’s Fall

• Infection Origins
  • Relates to the Radiance
  • Infection: broke minds, linked hosts to Radiance’s hive mind
• Defensive Efforts
  • City sealed gates, stagways shut
  • Soul Sanctum’s failed experiments
  • Mantis Tribe’s resilience
• Pale King's Last Resort
  • Void experiments: Kingsmoulds, Wingmoulds
  • White Lady's breeding for Vessels
  • Vessels: part Void, meant to contain the Radiance

Key Locations and Characters

• White Palace
  • Home to Pale King, guarded heavily
  • Besieged by Void later
• City of Tears
  • Capital city, rain in remembrance
• Five Great Knights
  • Notable members: Ogrim, Hegemol, Ze’mer, Dryya, Isma
• Key Events and Lore
  • Champion’s Call, Knotted Grove, Battle of the Blackwyrm

Game Endings

• Main Endings
  • Hollow Knight (containment failed, prolonging stasis)
  • Sealed Siblings (Knight and Hornet contained, vague future)
• Good Ending
  • Dream No More (defeat the Radiance, ending infection)
• Godmaster Endings
  • Introduces Godseekers, complicated lore implications
  • Embrace the Void (new powerful entity emerging, ominous future)
• Secret Ending
  • Involving a pale flower, hinting at greater cosmic lore

Speculations and Future Content

• Bigger world beyond Hallownest
• Lingering questions about Pale Beings and Void’s origin
• Setup for potential sequels or related narratives (e.g., Hollow Knight: Silksong)

Conclusions

1. Hollow Knight explores bugs in a dark, immersive world
2. Complex lore with moral ambiguities (e.g., infanticide for greater good)
3. Offers various endings, each adding depth to the narrative
4. Encourages personal exploration and interpretation of its lore
5. Creates lasting engagement through detailed, mysterious world-building