Hornet (Hollow Knight)

Lore & Background

In the lore of Hollow Knight, Hornet was born from a cross between the wyrm king of Hallownest, the Pale King, and the weaver Herrah the Beast, as a result of a deal made between them. Herrah would be able to have a child, but in turn become a 'Dreamer', one of three beings who entered an eternal sleep to seal the Hollow Knight and contain the Infection. This led Hornet to spend little time with her mother. Unlike the Pale King's other children, who are genderless, empty 'vessels' born to contain the mind-controlling Infection, she is referred to as 'the Gendered Child' and cannot contain the infection. She was raised in Deepnest and trained in the Hive by its late Hive Queen Vespa. Hornet survived the fall of the Kingdom and remained unaffected by the Infection, staying sane.

In Hollow Knight, Hornet wanders the kingdom, testing escaped vessels to see if they can successfully defeat the Hollow Knight and replace it, while also protecting the kingdom from invaders. She confronts the protagonist on two occasions, starting boss battles. After her second defeat, she places her trust in the Knight, soon saving it from getting crushed by rubble. Once the Knight kills Herrah, Hornet can be seen mourning her depending on the player's progress. If the player has achieved certain steps to unlock alternate endings, Hornet later decides to help the protagonist defeat the Hollow Knight, appearing near the end of the fight to open part of the Hollow Knight's shell. Her fate from that point on depends on the player's choice.

In Silksong, Hornet is kidnapped and brought to the unfamiliar kingdom of Pharloom. Throughout the game, she discovers her connection to the kingdom, grows attached to and assists the bugs of Pharloom, battles foes such as Lace—whom she later saves—and eventually is able to leave and free Pharloom from its 'Haunting', getting rescued by the Knight and its fellow vessels in the game's 'true' ending, 'Sister of the Void'. Alternatively, her fate differs in other endings: she becomes the new ruler of Pharloom in 'Weaver Queen', and in 'Twisted Child', she intertwines with Grand Mother Silk, creating a tree with petrified versions of them both.

Reader's Guide

Hornet was created by Ari Gibson and William Pellen, the co-founders and co-directors of Team Cherry, who also wrote her dialogue, and was drawn by Gibson. She is voiced by Japanese animator and Gibson's wife Makoto Koji, who voiced her by 'making up [her] own gibberish' that felt 'natural' and 'instinctual'. Pellen describes Hornet as being a 'natural rival character', which made him feel like she was a 'natural pick' for a playable character, also calling her the 'secondary protagonist' of Hollow Knight. Her height is cited as being a major reason why Silksong was expanded from a Hollow Knight DLC to its own game, as she would not naturally fit as the player character in Hallownest. Her speed and skillset are described as being why enemies in Silksong were more complex than enemies in Hollow Knight.

Since her introduction in Hollow Knight, Hornet has been given praise, especially for her role as the protagonist of Silksong. Critics laud elements such as her character development, her having more personality than Hollow Knight's protagonist, and her showcase of both ruthless and compassionate aspects. IGN writer Tom Marks called Hornet an 'excellent hero' in Silksong, describing her as 'polite but stern, reserved but not cold'. AV Club writer Maddy Myers praised her character development throughout Silksong, writing that 'although she starts off wary of almost everyone—even the bugs who try to help her—Hornet learns, over time, that there are bugs she can trust in this strange world, and that helping people feels good, actually'. PC Gamer's Tyler Colp enjoyed 'Hornet's tendency to soften from cold-blooded warrior to empathetic survivor when confronted with a bug-in-need or a fluffy flea'.

Did You Know?

• Hornet is voiced by Makoto Koji, a Japanese animator and the wife of Team Cherry co-founder Ari Gibson.
• Hornet is referred to as 'the Gendered Child' because, unlike the Pale King's other children, she has a gender and cannot contain the Infection.
• In one ending of Silksong, Hornet becomes the new ruler of Pharloom, replacing the antagonist Grand Mother Silk.