EDITOR’S NOTE: this article contains spoilers for “Hollow Knight: Silksong”. Please read at your own discretion.
“Hollow Knight: Silksong”, much like its predecessor, “Hollow Knight”, is widely regarded throughout the gaming community as a thematic masterpiece. Though the story can at times be difficult to piece together, once a player is able to do so, they will be left with the feeling that they just experienced something extraordinary. The easiest way to string together the events and lore of this game is to understand its major overarching themes, because, just like with any other piece of media, understanding the thematic elements of this story is the first and most vital step to understanding the piece as a whole. This is why it can be beneficial to view “Silksong” through a specific critical lens.
Viewing a piece of media through a critical lens can be vital to understanding the full scope of the work. It’s like putting on a pair of tinted glasses. When doing so, the wearer is able to view their environment with a wash of a single color. The same idea can be applied to putting on a critical literary lens: the “wearer” is honing in on a certain thematic element of the piece and will view the rest of the story through the “lens” of said thematic element. This process can be extremely helpful in understanding how a certain theme affects the story as a whole, and it may even spark certain ideas and revelations in the wearer that would never have been thought of otherwise. A person can put on any number of critical literary lenses when viewing a piece.
There are many different critical lenses that could be applied to “Silksong”, such as a critique on a capitalistic society, the effects of poverty, the exploitation of the working class, etc. Though one of the most central and important thematic elements that could be honed in on within the story are the ideas of womanhood and femininity. These ideas branch off into several different subthemes, most of which encompass the story as a whole.
One of the most clear-cut aspects of “Silksong”’s femininity is the fact that, as opposed to its predecessor, “Hollow Knight”, “Silksong” features a majority female cast. Most of the major NPCs are women, including the fast travel NPC: the Bell Beast; and the cartographer: Shakara. Moreover, the main antagonist, Lace, and the protagonist, Hornet, are also both women. “Silksong” is not unique in this front; there are many video games that showcase majority-women casts. However what sets this particular story apart is that none of the aforementioned characters are placed solely into traditionally feminine stereotypes, nor are they particularly held back in any way by their womanhood. In fact, certain aspects of Hornet’s femininity are seamlessly integrated into some of the gameplay mechanics, and serve only to enhance the experience and sense of progression for the player.
Though there are several notable examples of this, one of the most major is the floating mechanic, in which Hornet can ride up streams of rising air or glide down from high surfaces using her dress. This mechanic is not unique to “Silksong”, as it has historically been implemented into the play-styles of a lot of stereotypically feminine video game characters, the most famous and prime example being Princess Peach in many of the “Super Mario Bros.” games. However, Hornet stands out among characters with this particular ability, like Peach, as Hornet is not exactly stereotypically feminine. While many feminine figures in video games are painted as dainty and fragile, Hornet is a frightening hunter, who is stoic and resilient. Giving this traditionally feminine mechanic to a female character who carries more traditionally masculine traits is a great way to subtly break down the metaphorical walls that so many female characters in gaming have historically been confined to.
The feminine aspects of this game go far beyond character genders and gameplay mechanics; though, many of the game’s most central ideas about womanhood and femininity can be found within the thematic elements of its story and lore as well. The subtheme found throughout the game that is most central to this idea is the theme of motherhood.
The theme of motherhood is explored through several major characters, including the Bell Beast who is revealed to be a mother during the game’s third act and the final boss of the game, Grand Mother Silk. However, the player will find their first encounter with this thematic element during the first boss fight of the game, which is against a boss called Moss Mother. This boss is particularly important to this string of thought, as she has an entry in Hornet’s “Hunter’s Journal”, a journal within the game in which enemy encounters are logged that also includes brief descriptions and insights from Hornet for each enemy. She writes, “Motherhood is an instinct that can push creatures beyond what seems their natural limits. It even turns weaker beasts like this into formidable foes.” As this is one of the first attainable entries for the journal, its intent is likely to turn players on to and foreshadow the importance of the idea of motherhood within the story.
“Hollow Knight: Silksong” is a game which is uniquely feminine, and it is a breath of fresh air within the objectively misogynistic gaming community to see a game like “Silksong” gain such notoriety. Seeing the stories of the female characters within the game get such high praise is especially poignant to me, as many of these stories reflect the experiences and obstacles that women are faced with in real life, though within the confines of the game they are, of course, very fantastical and allegorical.
