The (Mostly) Complete Lore of Hollow Knight

It's been three years to the day since Team Cherry's Hollow Knight was first released on PC. Join me as I chronicle the lore of Hallownest from the very beginning to the multiple endings. If you're a long time subscriber, thank you for the ongoing support. If you're new here, I hope this video captures your interest.
If you want to watch this video on a livestream with your audience, go right ahead! I don't mind.
Link to script/list of songs/links:
mossbag69.blogspot.com/2020/0...
Translate this video into another language through Amara:
amara.org/en/videos/6wuYjj3B2...
Check out the lore section of the Hollow Knight Wiki if you want to learn even more:
hollowknight.wiki/w/Category:...
This video featured music from the amazing "Hollow Knight Piano Collections" released by Materia Collective. Check it out here:
bandcamp.materiacollective.co...
The thumbnail art also comes from the "Piano Collections" album and was produced by nise. Please check them out here:
/ wraith615_
Join my Discord server, "mossbag & friends":
/ discord
My Twitter:
/ mossbag69
Special thanks to Serena, Katie & 56 for creating the Debug mod. Very useful!
Guest voices (in order of appearance):
t.co/WaWfzqgiOa?amp=1
t.co/XiXspvAKxG?amp=1
t.co/sMKdhLYj1N?amp=1
Video Chapters:
00:00 Spoiler Warning
00:10 Introduction
04:12 Wyrm Reborn
06:36 Before Hallownest
12:33 Hallownest Established
24:20 The Infection Appears
27:26 The Void and the Vessels
34:57 The Three Dreamers
40:58 The Radiance Sealed
42:57 A Kingdom in Ruin
51:45 Visitors to Hallownest
55:44 The Part Where The Game Actually Starts
57:14 Base Game Endings
1:07:35 Godmaster Endings

[@Tubeytime]

How to add lore to your game: Step 1: *d e a d b o d i e s*

[@safiullah9860]

with a dream nail of course

[@ignaciotaborda6538]

Step 2: despair Step 3: bleak dying world

[@bard5865]

@@ignaciotaborda6538 hmm... what unknown game does it remind me of, I wonder....

[@stabfenn2960]

**Scott cawthon breathing intensifies**

[@cherri7143]

Time to dream nail this corpse here Edit: that sounds *so wrong*

[@dominatornh981]

Mossbag should replace the Hunter in Silksong, and quiz you on the lore of the creatures you fight. And if you say Hornet is made of void, he’ll automatically delete your save file.

[@otaku-chan4888]

Someone make this a mod, quick

[@sirexilon49]

Better Idea: If yu say Hornet is made of void the game will just fry your computer and make it explode.

[@abowlofguacamole8558]

EVEN BETTER, IT JUST DELETES YOU, YOUR COMPUTER, AND WHEN U DIE I GET THE MESSAGE "learn your hollow knight lore"

[@shay3878]

And every time you start the game, the message "Hornet is made of screen transitions, you dipshit" will appear.

[@chef4025]

Illuminati Studios haha or better yet THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE COLLAPSES IN ON ITSELF AND FUCKING IMPLODES LEAVING NOTHING LEFT ANYWHERE EXCEPT THE ENDLESS TYRANT OF VOID

[@SebastianBeresniewicz]

It's weird how many times I've come back to listen to this video for its entertainment. Must be all that time you spent at ICE.

[@azertjml2818]

Every year, i'll start another game of hollow knight and watch this thing, its a ritual.

[@bradynglasgow3163]

@@azertjml2818same here lol 😂

[@Pancake_god.yt.]

✅✅✅✅

[@mochistuffz9118]

same🤠

[@prosperosmoon]

Honestly this video is a great rewatch

[@ikydonkiss5555]

Theory:the king of the Colosseum is a smaller wyrm and it is in its own husk. The bugs in the Colosseum seem focussed exclusively on the fights and are relatively unfazed by the radiance The king and lord fool both have similar deaths

[@ziwuri]

This theory posits that wyrms have differing goals, the lord fool's being to foster a community of heroic battle. I think I'm gonna adopt that as a reserved head canon. Makes the world more interesting.

[@epsteindidntkillhimself69]

It doesn't necessarily imply they have differing goals. Just that they had different ways of going about it. We know that Wyrms want to draw bugs into their thrall, and that's exactly what the Lord Fool did. And the group that he fostered technically outlasted Hollownest, so I'd say he was a pretty successful Wyrm.

[@unprankable666]

The name "Lord Fool" along with the chains around its old body likely came from the Pale King, locking it up so it couldn't dig any further, then humiliating it with that name.

[@fliptrip1807]

I actually thought about this a few weeks ago

[@hortopiro]

I thought that husk was the Pale Kings. Where the knight beats Hornet and gets the kings brand underneath the kingdoms edge. Above is where they set up the Colosseum.

[@ChaseddiHondo]

"You're cool, don't go to the pantheon tomorrow" -Bill

[@Ismael-kc3ry]

is it just me or was mossbag making another Bill Cosby joke?

[@hollow1279]

Bill to Grimm

[@lisabilby2006]

ok but bill is a common name for extremely powerful beings or objects, for example; bill cosby, bill cypher, dollar bill, bill the shade lord, brotherman bill, bill nye, and many others!

[@Ismael-kc3ry]

Lisa Frazer fair

[@kawanisigtu1939]

Brotherman Bill

[@donovanstewart698]

I like how this game can be summed up as “worm and moth fight over beetles”

[@pdtheplaguedoctor2066]

Yeah, that’s how I sum it up to my friends

[@thedarktemple9702]

I hate that you can sum it up like that

[@bench5236]

That is so simplified that it is wrong and right at the same time

[@archdruidbookwalter951]

And then Cthulhu eats everyone

[@marsrover69]

But worm died and moth is mind controlling everything

[@atherisGAY]

The Flower Ending is the sweetest of them all, and to me it's the only truly good ending. It shows that a kind gesture dispelled the endless void and destruction. Just a tiny, fragile flower of love can heal the world.

[@mr.r5261]

But... The Dream No More ending is also good. The Radiance is dead and the infection is gone. That's it.

[@Yusuf-ke5iu]

the knight gives the flower leading to it's own demise, or the void part of itself. it basically committed suicide.

[@FirstnameLastname-sb3hj]

​@@Yusuf-ke5iuThe Knight dies in either good ending, and frankly I think it's fitting. Hornet refers to it as tge Ghost of Hallownest, which I think means she sees it as sort of the culmination of the kingdom itself, its ghost come back to haunt the land. In order to properly end this, Hallownest must die. It arguably deserved to fall, but even besides that, it can't be allowed to remain in stasis forever, nor to stumble along as a zombie-like parody of itself. The King is dead, the Radiance is dead, and for things to truly be over, the Knight, the culmination of the regrets of the kingdom, the huge black stain over it, must also die.

[@miniwhiffy3465]

@@mr.r5261 pal dream no more results in both THK and the knight die if anything the flower ending is the best

[@TheBluePhoenix008]

Man that's so cringe but also pretty good so ig we gotta let it pass 😭

[@_lucaballero]

I can say i did two things today: 1. Finish the game. 2. Happy crying for the existence of this single video. Love you mossbag. Never in my life would I have thought that a regular animal crossing and stardew valley player would finish hollow knight before silksong came out but here we are and it’s beautiful.

[@dillonjenkins7895]

I like to believe that all the events in the lore happen under someone's backyard over the course of a week

[@lovely7750]

Lol

[@juniarvidsson7755]

Imagine someone's shoe just accidentally cronching everyone to death 👁👄👁

[@dotsyt7765]

Juni Arvidsson “it’s gone, the radiance is sealed” *big foot stomps down* Bugs “👁 👄 👁”

[@juniarvidsson7755]

@@dotsyt7765 don't you mean Bugs: ❌👄❌

[@dotsyt7765]

Juni Arvidsson oh yes... I love this community

[@aitamopoldaccount1497]

Fun fact: Hollow Knight is a realistic documentation of what happens under an Australian's couch.

[@alejandroborque3126]

Down-underrated comment! Edit: this reply is outdated.

[@drxavier1870]

Everyone knows australian couches hide.... Evil moth gods that kill you with orange juice Arena made out of a giant ass skeleton A giant pit of pure liquid darkness Giant wyrm worm that bassically caused the apocalypse because he couldnt share worshipping with other gods Overly arragant waifu snatcher (zote) Blue Rasberry juice that makes you not die and apparently some giant possibly godman made Im running out of weird things to say a slugs little village of bush monster people Place were wyrm died and it snows the wyrms fricking ashes there like the great grandma of cremations

[@TheActualMrLink]

To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised.

[@TheActualMrLink]

Alejandro Borque pffffft

[@thischannelisajoke6810]

as a Australian, I can confim that we all have bug kindoms under our couchs

[@Darth_Bateman]

Anyone else utterly fascinated by Deepnest as much as they are utterly terrified of it??? Like that woman that tries to eat you every time you talk to her. I just want to see if she's doing alright, you know? I know she's going to try to kill me every time, but she must be lonely in that deep dark pit, so... I just reach out when I see her, you know? Even though she DOES scare me....I just don't want her to be alone.

[@waluigihentailover6926]

😏

[@FrostyFoxDrake]

man it just sounds like you want to be eaten

[@alexplays5846]

“I can fix her” ass dialogue

[@samuel_blake_6522]

3:10 Thank you for including this screenshot, it really does give us a quite deeper insight on the lore of some characters in Hollow Knight

[@ziwuri]

I immediately knew what this was without even having to click on it

[@KingofGilead]

Freaking hilarious

[@erikm8373]

Pale King: Don't worry guys, I have a plan _Pale King has left the game_

[@ilmu011]

GENTLEMEN There is a solution here you're not seeing

[@TruXai]

That's basically what happened in a nutshell

[@itisamystery.5090]

Flawless.

[@nullpoint3346]

[Crimson King has joined the game]

[@endieslayer4822]

Radiance is now the party leader

[@dr.ongobongo5448]

Maybe the real hollowknight lore was the friends we made along the way

[@stabfenn2960]

**when you have a game where you dont talk to anyone and leave zote and cloth to die**

[@Byurama]

Or the corpses we leave along the way

[@pixelabo]

n-no

[@tsukasatenmer]

심지호 … well atleast I now know to not get attached :”D

[@AcidArrestB]

The most cliche thing I have ever seen

[@ConcaveDave]

Mossbag: “An enemy long forgotten; an enemy who was about to be remembered” Ad begins: “KZbin premium-“

[@Z.O.M.G]

Interesting detail: the hollow knight and Quirrel (technicaly also the soul warrior) have similar nail designs, both with crossguards. These are not present on any other enemy to my knowledge and it's the same design as the Pale King's crown/head. That suggests to me these kind of blades we're reserved for the elite or those with ties to the powerful

[@longasfr]

The moss warriors too and the big, the small and the flying bugs in city of tears too.

[@spidaaahs]

“... and this sexy character, named Grimm...” Cheers bro I’ll drink to that

[@Nylspider]

Luv ur profile pic

[@cactusleaf36]

SyanideSigma I would frick a flukemarm-mossbag.

[@glitchedcrow2522]

I too shall drink to that

[@cactusleaf36]

SyanideSigma If I was 21 I would drink to that

[@joshuakim5240]

Grimm is the only bug whose just so damn charming that he can soak the underwear of even the most ardent of bug hating men and women. He's just that classy.

[@largeoctahedron]

“This video contains a few spoilers for Hollow Knight” a few?

[@bait1021]

I mean, he WAS just text on a screen. He doesn't really care if you get spoiled.

[@mr_star998]

@@yvngboygv nah

[@yvngboygv]

Ok

[@dutchdoggogang6882]

@@yvngboygv sans have Sean enough you will have a bad timee

[@FunkyLE1]

Nah, that’s just saying how hard the joke will fly over your head.

[@funnyvideoguy3216]

The fact that you called an incredibly powerful eldritch demon entity “bill” is actually very fitting because it’s like Bill Cipher

[@CommissarMitch]

I personally like to imagine the entire Hollow Knights world is located in some garden under a tarp that was forgotten. The Radiant is literally the Sun and the Infection are small rays of sunlight piercing through the tarp every now and then.

[@pianoforte611]

1:15:30 "What else would be doing with our lives? Going outside?" Talk about foreshadowing.

[@grbrg4007]

To be fair, the entire games plot if foreshadowing

[@aceoffours9354]

@@grbrg4007 Team Cherry did the coronavirus.

[@arfsztynskin532]

@@aceoffours9354 to make us play more hollow knight

[@aceoffours9354]

Ryks e Hey it worked on me

[@eyoshinthemaximum]

He could have at least gave us a spoiler warning for life

[@molamola9723]

Some say scientists are still trying to determine the existence of Adelaide Australia to this day

[@ryoki_PH]

i live there and im not even sure i exist

[@hippotripo6145]

Our taxpayers money going to researching a town that clearly doesn’t exist. The gouvernement is such a joke.

[@dotsyt7765]

Hippotripo ah yes, *gouvernement*

[@KROGANLovesKittensAndPuppies]

This game is one of the most beautiful games I've ever played. The art, dialogue, language, music, the dark and kinda sad tone, the occasional humor, variety of environments, variety of enemies, unending secrets, challenge and reward. Everything is 10/10. I want the second game so bad but I'm more than happy to wait even a few years longer for them to make another masterpiece on this level.

[@natebrown7968]

Same, I'll wait as long as team Cherry needs to perfect silk song

[@pookiedookiedoo]

Usually, i just put long videos on for background noise, but i found myself actually watching this entire video!! Great work! Seriously, this video is great. Easy to follow along, funny and witty, genuinely just a well made video, and I finally understand the Hollow Knight lore after like 7 months LOL

[@vericento]

I just realized there wasn’t a single mention of Zote.

[@OrchidAlloy]

Amazing

[@junkfooodlover]

Because fuck Zote

[@octochan]

Zote needs a whole lore video to himself

[@DesperateDirt]

It would’ve taken too long to include all there is about the knight of great renown

[@bscitdev]

wHaTS a ZOtE????

[@hassanshahid5832]

The pale king killed himself because he was afraid of zote

[@surprisedcabbage3272]

bois we did it we found the false one

[@coydon4302]

Nah zote killed him

[@joegaming2583]

@@coydon4302 yo

[@coydon4302]

@@joegaming2583 yo?

[@lanabobana3311]

@@coydon4302 yoooo

[@juvielmartineztorres8425]

My Theory on the Collector was that he was made from the Molds you showed and was made from Void, then the King made it so it had his Same Ideals, but due to it being his first creation, it thrived off the King's Ideal of Preserving his Kingdom, but to an unstable amount and began collecting creatures to preserve them. This eventually leading to him being locked up.

[@Tyber0s.R.W]

Despite my shitty ADHD brain, you managed to keep me engaged for the full 1:17:08, so keep up the good work

[@Breaded_Squirrel]

"The Pale King resorted to his final plan........ He fucked off" Had me laughing for a minute straight

[@aceblitzgaming9783]

same

[@apinchofstars5465]

It's like you boss taking a mental health day while your co-workers start 5 different fires

[@kael070]

Pale King: save the world, my final message, goodbye *windows 95 boot sounds*

[@danielvona8118]

The secret Joestar technique

[@Hemet1725]

@@danielvona8118 Joseph and PK are pretty similar when you think about it. They both try to take down gods, both have vines with thorns (I mean the white palace thorns), and both screw off when things are bad

[@driesverhaag8955]

Just a friendly reminder: This is the lore for a game... A 15 dollar game... Made by 2-3 people...

[@Jack-on8oq]

Dries Verhaag This game is way too cheap. I got about 70 hours of gameplay I was thoroughly enjoying before finally finishing it. 15 dollars?? I would say 30 dollars minimum.

[@cadengulley6859]

lol

[@yeahkeen2905]

Jack I’ve been playing for 150 hours and I’m still not done with my first playthrough.

[@lepoisson-globe592]

Yeah KeeN sammmmrddeeeeeeee

[@singe6264]

I would have wanted to play more for this game if i knew how good it was when i got it

[@lordzeus2056]

The only way to get to the teacher's archives without using shade cloak is by getting Isma's Tear or doing a probably unintended skip using the crystal heart. It's possible Hornet didn't know about Isma and that there is an item that allows you to go through acid, so Hornet shaw the shade gate and saw the connection to the void and decided: "Yeah you probably need to get to the abyss to get to the Archives" and that's why she told the knight that they needed to seek the grave in ash.

[@Noodles410]

How does shade cloak get you to archives I thought c dash and Ismas tear were the only ways ib

[@davidhong1934]

​@@Noodles410 Maybe it's that shade gate placed directly in front of Cornifer to frustrate new players trying to get the Fog Canyon map I hate that one shade gate

[@bluebanana2619]

@@Noodles410 cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccvbvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvbnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

[@1umbreon4life]

Even if she knew about Isma's Tear, it's guarded by the Dung Defender, so she had good reason to think it's well-protected.

[@darbyk14]

Born in 89 here. Words cannot convey how unbelievably amazing it was when my dad handed me the snes controller In 1995 and flipped on super metroid and said , your turn boy! It was truly magic for me! Finally picked up hollow knight in 2022 and wow it really really hit home for me! Took me right back to a magical time in the early 90s when life was perfect my mom and dad were still together all my family and freinds were still alive ect. Isn't it crazy how video games can do that for some people!! Thank you team cherry for giving me a ride back home for a little while! It's so appreciated!

[@JadeFoxAlpha]

Other fandoms: "My favorite character/level/plot element is..." Hollow Knight fandom: "These poop statues are deeply touching and make me profoundly sad."

[@samboi123]

“If you’re ever sittin’ on the toilet, doing a number two, and you look down in the bowl and hear ‘Aha!’, that’s the Defender, keeping watch.” - RTGame

[@cameronkanofsky6003]

@@samboi123 spoken like a true Drift King

[@derply5692]

If you ever hear "a hondaaaa!" You know your shit is taken care of

[@chrono-glitchwaterlily8776]

@@samboi123 he's actually the only reason that I got into the fandom. Well him and SAD-IST

[@chrono-glitchwaterlily8776]

@@Goferek5 Actually, I'd like to talk about the lore. More specifically, what the three mantis sisters' and Grimm's origins are. I'm kinda dense so these things just...fly by me. I didn't really get much of the lore unless it's the main characters like Radiance, Pale King, Hollow Knight, Little Ghost, and Shaw Lady (I forgot her name. I think it's either Hornet or Lace) On the other hand, when is the release of Silksong? Edit: Sorry for forgetting, but thanks for the warm welcome!

[@crossfalconx565]

Interviewer: So, do you have a career? and if you do, what is it? Pale queen: c h i l d r e n

[@Marchclouds]

You mean the white lady?

[@Golden12500]

Job Interview: "What are your strong suits?" The Queen: *"I'm H0rn¥"*

[@largeoctahedron]

“So, what is your current occupation?” *”FUCKING”*

[@Taro-X]

So,what are your specialty? Pale king:VERY HIGH LIBIDO

[@floralDilemma]

News reporter: We got it here! White lady! So, what were your favorite moments of your life? White lady: séggs

[@aidenzorn8322]

I think it’s super cool that the kingsoul/voidheart is symbolic of the creation of the vessel, with the king and queen each providing half of the kingsoul, then uniting with void in the abyss.

[@marucanah_8915]

One of the best, most well constructed video I've ever seen. Thank you @mossbag69 for this HK masterpiece

[@ShadowBoneZ]

Pale King was like: TODAY I trapped my children in the abyss for 24 hours first one to get out gets 1,000,000 GEO.

[@miksonpl2283]

Mr. Pale Beast

[@noctuabird]

herrah wasn't a beast, the pale guy was.

[@AlexK-sk4qb]

And an eternity of painful bondage

[@faolanplays]

@@noctuabird gonna be honest, you missed the joke

[@StopYc]

mr beast mr beast

[@Menace-To-Humanity]

Hallownest: *literally dying* *sign breaks* Menderbugs: LETS FUCKIN GOOOOOO!!!!

[@mrworsethanall0102]

Purpose? ITS HERE

[@5quidge]

Menderbugs: Bob tha builder a bitch

[@snowyflare199]

Sign: *Breaks again*

[@citrusdotmp4]

@@snowyflare199 P I Z Z A T I M E

[@snowyflare199]

@@citrusdotmp4 E

[@Moronic_reviews]

I absolutely lost my mind with how deep the lord is when you started going into how the game design helped with the lord at 19:14

[@bilybabic]

So much work has been put into this video, kudos, really enjoyed watching it from the first minute till last :)

[@wokeupfromsleep9401]

I think that the ascension was the test. That's why the king missed it. The knight also made it, that scene was his memory. The ascension those who turned to help their siblings were not pure enough, and when their siblings fell so did they. The one to make it was first thought to have no feelings of his own abandoning his siblings, perfect in the kings eyes, but the king turned his back and left, missing the glance back that the Hollow Knight gave his other sibling-a fleeting moment of regret.

[@tacodude83]

Damn that's actually really interesting and probably the most likely

[@moxythefirst2208]

cool theory, but also the vessels are non-gendered and don't use he/him

[@sword_67]

@@moxythefirst2208 dude chill it’s just a theory

[@eerov8256]

@@moxythefirst2208 who said they don't use he/him? You still can use those pronouns, they aren't humans.

[@theguywithsomething8634]

@@eerov8256 Dogs and cats aren't human, but calling a female dog he/him is still inaccurate. Given the vessels lack an identity beyond a gender-neutral name, they/them is the only applicable term.

[@OneOhEff]

“The Hollow Knight starts trying to kill itself, all Quirrel-style” Why must you hurt me in this way

[@MrBlorp-sf9ye]

:'

[@wither6733]

:'

[@CheeseKurd]

:'

[@sumfyrmin4722]

KASAA!

[@partly_disconnected]

I had to pause the video for a sec :,(

[@brucepreston3927]

It's amazing that I played the whole game, and I had no idea what was actually going on...Thank you for the video! At least I have some things to think about on my next playthrough...

[@TheAirhead99]

This was the most entertaining way to compile all the insane lore of this awesome game!

[@karmicbacklash]

Team Cherry went on record to say how the elegant design, tight mechanics and subtle world building of Corey in the House was a key inspiration for Hollow Knight. They hope that Silksong can at least pay further tribute to that masterpiece but they’re grounded enough to know they can’t surpass its perfection.

[@tovi3280]

So it’s officially an anime game? JRPG?!

[@SpectreCiNW]

Pfft, the manga compass was better

[@thomaster8870]

Honestly, if that cute little Menderbug didn't have to die, then Hollow Knight would be perfect. I don't want to kill anyone, but as a game person I have to break into every house. at. any. cost.

[@tovi3280]

Thomaster шлепанцы “at. any. cost.” Serving up sum real “no cost too great” vibes ngl

[@SpectreCiNW]

@@thomaster8870 Menderbug is now F@*€ing dead! Is deader than Gwen Stacy

[@zote_themighty]

Precept Fifty: 'Don't Linger on Mysteries' Some things in this world appear to us as puzzles. Or enigmas. If the meaning behind something is not immediately evident though, don't waste any time thinking about it. Just move on.

[@infinitypilot]

"Well boys, we did it. Mossbag is no more."

[@Zotemann]

Hey English version of myself ✌️☺️

[@wor4656]

Thanks zote.

[@gamemasterpzm1597]

You are Zote, he is Zote, I am Zote! Are there any other Zotes I should know about?

[@powerrangerblue8566]

@@gamemasterpzm1597 meow

[@andistansbury4366]

29:45 "Knight, what is your gender?" "I'm dead."

[@elite_eight4486]

Thank you for sharing! I don't pay attention in the lore while I'm playing cause I'm too lazy and addicted to gameplay, but I was very interested in a video of someone who collect and connect all the pieces and try to make a sense out of it. Great job

[@RelyeaGaming]

So many unanswered questions.... Can the Wayward Compass bring back dad from getting milk or not??

[@hannahherzog4555]

He's long gone, gotta need sprintmaster for that

[@fuzzyd1436]

did you get an early access to this video or smth? says 1 hours ago, vid came out 2 minuts ago.

[@W4LT3Rego]

equip your baldur shell and tough it up mate, he ain't coming back

[@crackheaadd]

Hey Relyea I think Subnautica released a new DLC in which you can find your dad who went to buy milk

[@lil-dt5dw]

As long as he brings the milk.

[@bertholdthoover8793]

"let's summarize higher and pale beings" Talks about routers

[@fishbutler6170]

how else could you possibly bet your point across

[@LumiLumix_]

@@fishbutler6170 exactly

[@Funnyi3s]

If it ain’t broken don’t fix it

[@guisampaio2008]

Pale power!

[@puxskie]

@@guisampaio2008 BUG POWER

[@buriedandme2]

The dark souls reference and then immediately followed by the Firelink Shrine music. 👌 So good! And it fits the video and themes so well. I love this video. Thank you!

[@esterterrestrial]

Haven't hollow knight in like 3 years and this video is cracking me up! Thank you for being so damn awesome!

[@martinabafoil2720]

90% of the video is basically “we don’t exactly know what happened, or why, but we know it did.”

[@essneyallen6777]

So like real history before the last couple centuries then xD

[@loveless8241]

That's why it's lore and not history.

[@essneyallen6777]

@@loveless8241 it is very funny to me that within 5 min we replied to this comment with exact opposite sentiments xD

[@yankovic100]

“Is it poop?”

[@RomanGuro]

Watch it again) Lore is pretty clear )

[@joaopedropereira8961]

Pale king logic: The vessel that ascend the abyss first it's a pure vessel The second to do this sucks

[@oblivionmike]

You mustn't be aware of first the worst, second the best 😉

[@karkasos]

Or the vessel that ascended first was Zote, and the King though "wat dis?" and pushed him down. Then the second one was so reassuring in comparison that the King picked it at once. Then the third one fell, wandered around and became Chuck Norris.

[@yio__]

to be fair, PK probably didn't see the second one

[@Golden12500]

Pale King Logic: *S3x and Buzzsaws*

[@user-dg8ds8ym2e]

👌

[@juunn_tv]

Thank you so much for this video. So glad content like this exists for my favourite game. It was in my "To watch later" for so long and I finally got to see it tonight and now am just watching all of the other videos you made about this wonderful game. Thank you, thank you, thank you

[@fireplayz4735]

Dream no more Ending is the BEST of all time. It makes sense to future story for silk song

[@someguyonth]

I like how team cherry gives a cannon reason for how the signs get fixed

[@bradyweed4124]

But not for what roared in the Beast’s Den

[@greythomas5113]

I think it mabe hera telling the others to shut up and let her sleep

[@SlinkyDragon]

I am on my very first play through of Hollow Knight, and I was surprised to catch a bug fixing the signs I was hacking down. I'm more careful not to cut them down anymore, lol. (yes, I just watched a whole ass video which spoils everything, idc about the story as much as the platforming)

[@someguyonth]

@@SlinkyDragon while my brother was playing he found mender bug I was surprised cause I had never seen it before

[@SlinkyDragon]

@@someguyonth from another video I guess it's pretty rare, like only a 5% chance. I'm a little surprised I saw it on my very first playthrough.

[@_marshP]

"You have entered Hallownest" *+25 intelligence*

[@marthaaigbonoga6297]

roll an D20

[@trevorcompton9186]

This is a hypixel reference right

[@marthaaigbonoga6297]

@@trevorcompton9186 i dont see anything related to hytale here

[@mr.preston1632]

@@marthaaigbonoga6297 And its an Arcana check ( because its a magical place )

[@marthaaigbonoga6297]

@@mr.preston1632 oh yeahh (this is a refrence that only like 2 other people will get

[@DLSacks]

Just want to say what a great video this is, and how good your script is. I also appreciate your tone and cadence which is normal and not the weird "YT explainer" voice.

[@Trademarked26]

3:10 is arguably the most enriching, inciteful, lore packed segment of the video. Jokes aside what a fantastic KZbin video! Its always a joy to come across such artful productions, especially when the hardwork behind them is so evident. Bravo Moss. Cant wait to see what you think of Silksong! (If it ever actually releases that is)

[@roomba6071]

It’s my sleepover and I get to choose the movie

[@TuveanYGloir]

haha

[@joshstraub6972]

good one

[@greydernation]

Trueee

[@derply5692]

Mood

[@hi-dq6tk]

This is a great movie

[@RabbiHerschel]

I like the theory that the buzzsaws and thorns were metaphysical manifestations of the Pale King's paranoia.

[@flakimboo]

i also like that idea, Rabbi Herschel Lieberman-Bergblattstein

[@ubt__________]

Stalin was a libfart 😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤

[@zaidlacksalastname4905]

@@ubt__________ amen

[@skullsmitten]

this is SUCH a good addition, i agree!

[@bread5795]

@@ubt__________ ....what?

[@theactionbasterd]

Dear mossbag, I have never watched any of your videos before, but the opening gag made me laugh out loud. Thank you Mr. bag

[@breadcolumbus7147]

You mentioned a lot of stuff that wasn’t in the weekee, very thorough! Keep it up!

[@TheLorax787]

That “first to climb out of the abyss” theory was the most convincing theory I’ve heard about how the hollow knight was chosen yet. It also adds a layer of narrative tragedy that the knight almost was the first hollow knight only to arrive just moments to late and to slip back In to the abyss

[@CptnCardboard]

I really don't think this is the case. I think many of the vessels did make it to the top, but were rejected by the Pale King who used dream/essence powers to gauge their "hollowness", and banished them back into the abyss of they failed. Keep in mind that he also clearly had teleportation abilities, as many higher beings did, especially those with a strong soul and dream powers. So the theory that he was testing hundreds of vessels in secrecy is still plausible too.

[@nerfirelia8235]

I think both make sense. It could be that whichever knight made it first would be the vessel they went with and that the knight just came in right behind the Hollow Knight and then fell back down. However, it could be that the Pale King was indeed throwing all the other vessels off the top and the knight just happened to get to the top as soon as the Pale King had deemed the Hollow Knight a suitable vessel. Something to support the first one is that if the Pale King had been evaluating each vessel that made it to the top, then he would've chosen one that was guaranteed to be the perfect vessel while discarding the others. This isn't the case because the infection escaped from the Hollow Knight so it would make sense that he just went with whoever made it to the top first and just assumed they would be suitable. However, the second case could also be true and that the Hollow Knight was the perfect vessel until the attachment between it and the Pale King happened which would inevitably allow the infection to escape. The part in the memory where the Hollow Knight turns and looks back at the abyss could suggest that it already wasn't the perfect vessel, but we don't know for sure. We do know that the attachment it had to the Pale King makes it clear that it wasn't suitable, but that doesn't happen until later. I think I'm more convinced that it was the first to the top theory, but the second theory is still very plausible.

[@saconfiture4190]

This theorie is like sperm... The one who touch the ovum won

[@splinter360]

I like the idea of our Knight arriving just after the Hollow Knight. That look back...

[@Alchemyst326]

My personal interpretation was that the King WAS checking for 'hollowness', and only chose the most hollow. In fact, given that the Hollow Knight was corrupted by an idea INSTILLED, it may well have been a perfect, hollow vessel when the King chose it, only becoming tainted as the King raised it to its final form and it gained an emotional bond with the King. The player Knight, on the other hand, found its way out beyond the kingdom on its own, losing its memories and remaining small, before returning to the kingdom. In doing so, it remained free of any corrupting emotional influences, which left it truly pure and capable of containing the Radiance entirely. Ironically, the very fact that King chose the original Hollow Knight and not the player was what doomed the original Knight, and left the protagonist capable of completing its mission.

[@kanyenortheast3546]

I like how the delicate flower is so weak and pathetic that jostling it the slightest bit too much destroys it, but can annihilate the Shade Lord, the God among Gods, and all other names for Bill

[@wolfleader17]

When we give the flower to the godseeker, they remark there's no godliness in it. There's an almost comforting lesson in all of it, that if we take something small of ourselves, something pure, if we cultivate it, care for it, and give it freely unto others, that it can temper or remove the gods from the equation. That we don't need the brightest, most radiant light to stave off the darkness, maybe we just need a delicate one.

[@spacefreak5064]

@@wolfleader17 Your comment is a message of spreading kindness and love, thank you for that

[@polarplayz3114]

@@wolfleader17 *oh shit that's deep*

[@covereddonuts1279]

@@wolfleader17 that’s just beautiful

[@nore9580]

so you saying that it can... Kill-bill?

[@tennybutbad]

ngl 3 years later, i still watch this video during my mid-hollow knight dinner breaks. dog bless u mossbag

[@waifu27]

my best friend is playing hollow knight for the first time so I'm rewatching this video to be able to teach him the lore. I'm watching him play it on discord and it's so nice being able to watch him play one of my favorite games, and to experience it again in a way :)

[@retroactive_augury1080]

"Nothing's protecting Herrah" Yeah, like she's not just buried inside a deadly maze within an even larger and even darker deadly maze 😂

[@sebastianvegafernandez8384]

Jjj

[@willnash7907]

SURROUNDED BY HUGE SPIDERS THAT JUST HAD A REALLY BAD DAY AT THE OFFICE!!

[@Brian-zj4mm]

AGREED, Weavers ended my 87% steel soul. One hit me into spikes and I spawned right inside another. That's a 3 mask combo 😂 Fuck deepnest

[@sharpfang]

But whoever was tasked with disabling the stag station, just broke the bench and called it a day.

[@ManlyBanana9009]

I like how the goodseeker only accepts you into (possible) godhood once you defeat one of their top gods, yet they immediately accept a giant charging moss bag into the pantheon.

[@superpunk1762]

mossbag is cool though

[@azekia]

This inplies that the massive moss charger is of comparable strength to the Pure Vessel. And i cower to the though of someone making a mod where the massive moss charger is as hard as it.

[@aboogala4678]

@@azekia It's the exact same fight but they have a cloak and charge at light speed

[@SarzaelX]

@@azekia Not all gods are equal. The godseekers start with weak gods that can barely be described as such, and through combat ritual seek to ascend and attune themselves to more powerful gods. The Pure Vessel was their undefeated champion to the point they lacked anything that could challenge it. Only when the Knight arrives does it meet an equal, allowing the godseekers to finally attune themselves to the Radiance through their combat.

[@user-df4rq3qk2q]

I agree, mossy bag is a pet to pet

[@justinfrederick7443]

The bag made is unreal. Loved your content when HK first dropped on switch, now going for Plat on psn

[@imberrysandy]

you tell an amazing story!! Great and beautiful video!

[@JayJayNoelastnam]

When you realize that the Knight might be older than elderbug.

[@LatteSoul3603]

JayJay Noelastnām they are, the hollow knight is similar in age to the knight, and the hollow knight was there when the stag stations were operational. Elderbug clearly states that the stag stations were closed since before he was born, so the knight is likely significantly older than elderbug chronologically. (Biologically however, the knight is a child’s corpse that was hollowed out and controlled by the void, so it is biologically younger than any living bug today)

[@LABmaiL]

​@@LatteSoul3603 I may be wrong (I haven't really gone too deep in the lore) but wouldn't the knight be older than the hollow knight or the same age because once the hollow knight was chosen, there wouldn't be a reason to make more?

[@LatteSoul3603]

LABmaiL yes, they are practically the same age as far as I know

[@LABmaiL]

Muda Weeb then why does everybody refer to the hollow knight as older than the ghost, if there is a large chance the ghost is older?

[@LatteSoul3603]

LABmaiL that’s right, I forgot about that. It’s most likely that the hollow knight is older, but the hollow knight and our knight were from the same egg(s), like two twins where one is an hour older. It is also possible that the community refers to the hollow knight as being older due to it seemingly reaching physical maturity.

[@jonathanohayon4224]

My personal theory is that the pale King wasnt dead he was just sleeping in his throne until the player came in and killed him

[@unodos2647]

Oof that's hilarious

[@morganpriest7726]

He is taking his old man god nap

[@anannoyingtoaster3888]

I’m guessing he probably didn’t get killed by the player, he IS the king, and probably has some protection So pretty much the player broke his favourite mask and he’ll have to sleep on the floor

[@aboveaveragecat4469]

Yeah then he gets sick of the players crap and leaves

[@duk3122]

Ah much better

[@botchd5336]

Fantastic video @mossbag. Really insightful.

[@keiththelonewolf8934]

This is easily one of my favorite games of all time. The lore is amazing, gameplay fantastically well-made, and ost is absolute fire! I can't wait to see what Team Cherry does for Silksong!

[@mettatonneo1147]

It’s my belief that Herrah’s defense was the entirety of Deepnest, considering it’s Labyrinthian design and it’s plethora of horrifying creatures and traps, thus driving away those who were not killed

[@sharpfang]

Plus Old Stag's crap memory. Otherwise anyone could just ring up an Uber right to her doorstep.

[@funny250wall]

I personally think herrahs defence was supposed to be hornet

[@lamipalma]

@@funny250wall Exactly. Thank you.

[@Midship]

I think that nosk WAS herrah’s defence but it got infected and went insane. It makes just the tiniest bit of sense

[@kiiturii]

what about the massive dead spider like creature inside the beasts den?

[@sakuyaizayoi1945]

It was horrible when I forgot to put my Buzzsaws and Thorns up when going on a trip. Came back to a lot of casuals platforming in my flat.

[@spring2632]

damn, i hate it when that happens!

[@goozgaming9940]

Yeah me too. I forgot my buzzsaws and thorns and the collector kidnapped us all

[@tedytarrify]

... yeah sorry about that. I got caught up in the hype and bailed out somewhere around the Abyss...

[@DaGrubb97]

It's absolutely incredible how such a well researched and well versed video can also be one of the longest and best shitposts I've ever seen. Good work.

[@victorsa3400]

Amazing video! Vaati’s cameo made me happy too

[@carpinchipedia7009]

Hollow Knight: *is advertised as a beautiful exploration game* Also Hollow Knight: *is the unfortunate discovery of an ecosystem brutally destroyed by a mysterious infection, and those in authority try to contain it by shutting certain areas*- wait,

[@Triggered6277]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm

[@justinz9225]

Maybe a commentary on the downfall of authoritarian rule, however well-intended.

[@justingolden21]

Meanwhile, the Dung Defender: I love this shit

[@KateCantDraw]

It's also very similar to how real life was

[@shaycipher1260]

Me, suspiciously side eyeing the moth on my window *"you did this."*

[@chatteringbox7583]

Radiance: Has a fear of being abandoned and forgotten, creates the infection that destroys sentience Soul Master: Tries to destroy the infection once and for all, goes to extreme lengths to harness the power of souls that result in experimentation on his fellow people Pale King: Tries to contain the infection so no one else can submit to it, commits mass infanticide I see a pattern with these higher beings: great motives, poor executions

[@ShibuNub3305]

Higher beings: I want to solve the problems causing my fears and misery. Citizens of Hallownest: “Cool motive, still morally irreprehensible!”

[@timesup4200]

Soul master isn’t a higher being

[@liamchester8196]

Wait is the soul master considered a higher being? Wasn't it just a normal bug who consumed to much soul? But you, they all a little disconnected.

[@Lynn-zc9jg]

@Liam Chester I'd consider gods higher beings

[@timesup4200]

@@Lynn-zc9jg the best higher being massive moss charger

[@RennKurusu]

Man, well put. Nice jokes, nice phasing. I paused at the endings part since I'm at 30 hours and yet to see any one ending, but this surely made me feel motivated to finish work early and get to it. I'll get back to this video after finishing all 4 endings. Wish me luck, and hoping for more content.

[@donkcy5176]

Good luck on the flower ending.

[@waluigihentailover6926]

You do it yet?

[@RennKurusu]

@@waluigihentailover6926 Yes, but I've changed KZbin accounts so I wasn't able to get back to this comment. Was a fun summer.

[@waluigihentailover6926]

@@RennKurusu Neat!

[@ytplayer03]

58:12 "The Hollow Knight starts trying to kill himself, Quirrel style" I hate you

[@breezedoodles]

My jaw straight up dropped when I heard that

[@MaxClyde]

@@LeJonanders did he?

[@Ismael-kc3ry]

Kind of. Funnily enough, mossbag did a video about it.

[@Nghtmare_King]

@@LeJonanders if you go to the blue lake in resting grounds after finding monomon and killing her. Quirrel will say something I don't remember and then if you exit and go to a bench(I think), when you return to the blue lake all you will see is quirrels nail in the ground. Also doesn't he drown himself? I thought he had a peaceful death.

[@Ismael-kc3ry]

No, I don’t think he drowns himself. He just abandons his nail knowing that that means death.

[@mikileal4439]

Imagine Myla's last seconds of own mind, listening: "You know the rules, and so do I"

[@petruciosxd1374]

No longer tragic.

[@goatgang6461]

Wait, what? Explain please.

[@Aria_in_4k]

Goatgang the crystals in the game are said to sing and mossbag made a joke by making the crystals play Never Gonna give you up. Myla was a bug in the crystal peaks mining for crystals, she eventually fell to the infection

[@Aizistral]

I have descended into the depths of the comments section specifically to find a joke about that Rick Astley thing. My gratitude

[@anaghagarudangiri3025]

This is my new favorite lore video.

[@biavidal5832]

loved the video! thx for the effort u put into it

[@potsy9555]

"the pale king became something of a father figure to him" *literally is his dad* hmm yes the floor here is made out of floor

[@Ab0min4tor]

It's possible for a father to not be a father figure, and someone that isn't a father to be a father figure.

[@darokdetra]

@@Ab0min4tor Citation: My father

[@williamhenning4700]

Actually, the floor here is made out of the bodies of dead children. :>

[@AsteroSloth]

potsy9 he was like father to me - Pewdiepie

[@luperamoon]

"He may be your father... but he ain't your daddy."

[@adilahmed749]

RIP Mender Bug. You were the only one that was truly happy.

[@foggyforest2625]

then what about myla?

[@donacdum7102]

@@foggyforest2625 homie she just mined crystals and didn't even had a cool ass diary

[@batushck]

friends I just bought double bounce. and I don't understand the story much yet. Do you think I should watch this video? Do I eat spoilers?

[@Volkswagen_will]

@@batushck what does "eat spoilers" mean

[@batushck]

@@Volkswagen_will sorry man. Google translate sucks.

[@psychiartist122]

I watched this video like 5 times again and again. I love your narrative. I already bought hollow knight today. I am not into platform type games,but i am determined to finish play it,because of this video.

[@KingJackofJackistan]

infection: wipes out a destroys the main power in the world menderbugs: Dont care.

[@qraal]

The whole Hollow Knight story could be happening under your feet every day

[@cosmiccoomjar4039]

Now I feel bad for pissing in a bush.

[@paperguy3738]

@@cosmiccoomjar4039 City of piss

[@roscora614]

No it's not, he sun never disappeared

[@tobiashagstrom4168]

I mean, that would explain why they fight with "nails" and "needles". Seriously, what's up with that, is HW one of those secret post-apocalyptic stories, where the critters first learned metallurgy by picking up tiny bits of metal like nails and needles and forging them into weapons, and now the initial words for those things have just become the word for those weapons or something???

[@frogpog7575]

Why did you have to say this

[@matthewdiehl9584]

Really, mossbag. Stretching your video just to get pass the 10 minute mark. I thought your videos had some integrity

[@oxyu3533]

LMAO

[@marunomi]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oXemZ6B6gKtgZsU kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZalhauNr5qjldk

[@oxyu3533]

Cupangkoi, HA

[@0wO]

No ads tho 👌

[@Andronicus87]

You can tell this guy hasnt played Castlevania SYmphony of the Night or Metroid.... Hollow Knight could never be my most favorite game because Symphony of the Night and Super Metroid have that honor. But then again I'm 37 years old about to 38 in april so yeah...

[@-MansBestFriend]

I’ve seen this video so many times but I somehow always learn something new from it.

[@jekavolfson3560]

Thank you for this amazing video!! I really enjoyed watching it, my hope is to find out the full lore of hollow knight before silksong (finally) comes out and this video helped me a lot!! Thank you again, maybe someday there will be a (complete) hollow knight lore video!!!!!

[@asianlegolas6683]

I like how the mantises just flipped off the radiance and that was it

[@PPX14]

Haha yes!

[@peperoniezflakers719]

wait.. i feel like they dealt so much pain to radiance that radiance just left em alone

[@astronic9979]

"No" *Radiance has left the Mantis village*

[@monsterurby]

Me: Oh cool. Mossbag put up a long video. Hell yeah. Gonna order some Dominoes and dig into this. Me four minutes later: WAAAAAAAAAAAAT...

[@SpectreCiNW]

How was the cheese Urby?

[@monsterurby]

@@SpectreCiNW That's a bit personal, don't you think? If you must know I've got some pills from the doctor to keep it at bay and a scouring pad for when it gets really bad. ... Oh, you mean on the pizza?

[@voodooozo3755]

@@monsterurby you made me chuckle 🤣

[@subtomyexclusiveenthusiast9878]

had similar experience, except with block of cheese from refrigerator.

[@BackwardsPancake]

Ngl, that whole "block of cheese" thing felt like a personal attack.

[@omarbuentello5641]

I still remember beating the game and after the cutscene ended and credits started rolling, I just thought, "what the hell even happened?" Video cleared up a lot of stuff pretty well, well done sir

[@gasp1424]

Coming back for my regular dose of mossbag hollow knight lore. See you in a year mate.

[@monsterkiddo42]

Though Herra the Beast had no single “protector”, I feel like all of Deepnest is protecting her physical body.

[@cactusleaf36]

Shiny Umbreon Agreed

[@interdimensionalgoober8769]

Shiny Umbreon still a bit of a lame excuse for a lack of a fight

[@loveless8241]

@@interdimensionalgoober8769 In my head canon Hornet was supposed to be the protector. But since she was observing the knight and knew what it was doing, she let it be. That's why you find her at the very foot of her mother's grave after the deed is done: she was there all the time but chose not to attack.

[@sukanyavadali3065]

@@loveless8241 I mean that makes sense.

[@Triggered6277]

same