Summary
The expectantHollow Knightfandom should eventually be rewarded for their patience withHollow Knight: Silksong. This sequel to Team Cherry’s 2017 action-platformer was spun off from crowdfunded campaign DLC for the rival character Hornet and is expected to outclass both the original game and its DLC in scope. After being announced in 2019,Hollow Knight: Silksonghas only made sporadic announcements involving new details and platforms since, with hype sustaining fans through the long periods of silence. No one knows whenSilksongwill arrive, but there’s hope that it will be worth the wait.
Said hope is based on both high expectations set by the firstHollow Knight, and what little ofSilksonghas been revealed so far.Hollow Knightwas full of imaginative enemies, areas, NPCs, and Charms at launch, and only gained more through free updates. Topping that level of content is only possible throughSilksong’s new features, like Hornet’s mobile play styleand the setting of Pharloom, asHollow Knightdidn’t leave much room to expand. One major quest NPC is among the hanging threads still available toSilksong, and it would be remiss not to include an entire boss fight its predecessor skipped.
Hollow Knight’s Unused Boss Candidates Are Rare
Nearly every living or dead combatant in Hallownest could either be fought, found dead without a ghost, or, in the cases of Quirrel and Cloth, fought alongside players against other foes. Even the Nailmasters and powered-up forms of some other bosses can be encountered inHollow Knight’s final DLC, Godmaster. Out of all of these characters, only one explicitly battle-ready individual never fights on-screen. Despite constant hints to the contrary, even after his quest is complete, the Hunter is never fought inHollow Knight.
The Hunter Is Hollow Knight’s Only Fake Boss
WhileHollow Knightreserves most of its comedy for Zote, the Hunter can be the source of a lot of dark humor. From the moment players receive the Hunter’s Journal from him in Greenpath, they start to slowly unravel how much of a lonely, brutal, and eccentric individual he is. Accepting a dialogue prompt from him after completing his Journal, afeatureHollow Knight: Silksongshould reprise, causes the Hunter to break his room’s floor, stand from his hiding place, roar like many bosses, prompt boss music — and offer the player a Hunter’s Mark.
Using the Dream Nail on him reveals that he does want to fight, but will not initiate a battle himself, leaving the quest to end in a comically awkward anticlimax.
A Hunter Boss Fight Would Suit Hollow Knight: Silksong Perfectly
The lack of a true Hunter boss fight inHollow Knightis unfortunate, but there is a reason for it besides the obvious joke. None ofHollow Knight’s bosses are as large as the Hunter turns out to be, and designing a near-screen-height melee-oriented boss was likely not in Team Cherry’s plans. However, an evenlarger boss was spotted inHollow Knight: Silksongtrailers, so giant opponents like the Hunter are back on the table. Not only that, but the Hunter’s presence in Pharloom is better justified than any other existing character.
Hornet Fighting The Hunter Has Already Been Foreshadowed
At the end of the Hunter’s quest, he makes it clear that he’s done with Hallownest and will travel elsewhere, which is another unique attribute that may have further contributed to why he wasn’t a boss. Pharloom is the obvious next stop for a character like this, possibly following in the footsteps ofHollow Knight’s long-gone Weaver NPCs.
In addition, Journal text states that he and Hornet met and briefly fought, with him wondering if she was another Hunter. That’s ample justification for having the Hunter show up inHollow Knight: Silksongwith another bestiary quest, but this one can end with the climactic fight that the Hunter deserves.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
WHERE TO PLAY
Play as Hornet, princess-protector of Hallownest, and adventure through a whole new kingdom ruled by silk and song! Captured and brought to this unfamiliar world, Hornet must battle foes and solve mysteries as she ascends on a deadly pilgrimage to the kingdom’s peak.Hollow Knight: Silksong is the epic sequel to Hollow Knight, the award winning action-adventure. As the lethal hunter Hornet, journey to all-new lands, discover new powers, battle vast hordes of bugs and beasts and uncover ancient secrets tied to your nature and your past.
