DOG_M_BEAR

My native language is not English, so I tend to make grammar mistakes, or there may be some imprecise word choices. Please excuse me. I'll unhesitatingly block anyone who annoys me. Blocking users is a way of self-defense. Thank you.

[akaebidon]

Due to a certain article receiving more responses than I expected, which included content I don't like, I feel the need to add a supplementary statement: I will block users; if I'm unhappy, I'll block you. I hope everything I see is something I like. I didn't mention this before, so that's my problem, but it won't be from now on.

[akaebidon]

I think people need to realize one thing: when we say "GMS is the mother of Weavers," we don't mean she literally gave birth to them.

We mean she is their mother narratively and conceptually.

Their connection is defined by the roles of mother and daughters, rather than just some random crazy woman forcing a group of poor girls to play "house" with her.

GMS doesn't need a biological bloodline to be their mother. Technically, GMS and Lace aren't blood-related either—Lace is a creation of GMS—yet they are still seen as mother and daughter in the story. The same logic should apply to Weavers.

As for the "She lied" accusation, I don't think it's a cliché line like "You kidnapped and brainwashed us! You're not our real mom!" Instead, it's more likely that GMS reduced Weavers' entire existence to just being "daughters."

It's like toxic parents who don't want their children to have their own lives or relationships, expecting them to serve them forever.

Rather than GMS deceiving them about being their mother, it’s more of a manipulation along the lines of: "You are only allowed to be my daughters. You are no one else, and you can never become anything else."

It’s not so much that FS is denying GMS as their mother; rather, she is furious that GMS NEVER treated them as REAL daughters. To GMS, they were just toys labeled "daughters," yet she still had the audacity to call them her daughters.

Side Note: Just in case, I want to add that I couldn't care less whether you like Lacenet or not. What I do care about is that people shouldn't deny their technical "kinship" in the narrative just for the sake of shipping. This connection is essentially the same as saying "the Knight is Grimmchild’s adoptive father"—it's really not that deep. If you want to ship them, just go for it!

There is literally NO ethical or moral issue here, okay?!!!!!

[akaebidon]

PK probably really likes his current small, tiny body.

Considering he deliberately gave up his former gargantuan form, all those claims that he's "insecure about his height," "doesn't want to be seen as a mortal," or "wants to look powerful in front of others" just don't make any sense.

Honestly, he might even be happy if someone calls him short—because it means that even if he's as bright as a lightbulb, at least in terms of height, he's similar enough to his citizens.

I feel like he's probably more troubled by being too bright and blinding, or by the fact that bugs worship him so much that it's hard to interact with them as equals. (That's why I think he really likes Monomon.)

I even suspect he might often forget he's shrunk, still stuck in his old mindset, subconsciously thinking Husk Guards or Great Hoppers are "too small" and worrying he might accidentally crush them, lol.

[akaebidon]

A headcanon

I love imagining a scene where Hornet encounters Ogrim after the events of Silksong.

It’s just a headcanon, but perhaps Ogrim would shower the long-lost Hornet with praise—much like he did when he met the Knight—and begin to compare her to PK.

However, he might suddenly stop, apologize dejectedly, and explain that the King had once told him not to suggest Hornet took after him in front of the Weavers, even if it were meant as a compliment.

Ogrim always assumed this was due to Deepnest’s resentment toward Hallownest, or perhaps some strange Weaver custom where "pointing out how much a daughter took after her father" was considered a grave insult. Eventually, he would ask Hornet curiously if his theories were true.

Hornet might ponder for a moment, let out a sigh, and reply, "There is no such custom, neither in Deepnest nor among the Weavers. He (PK) simply... misunderstood." Upon hearing this, Ogrim would laugh, remarking that even a King can make such blunders, and that perhaps if there had been more communication with Deepnest, such a misunderstanding could have been avoided.

To me, the most intriguing part of this headcanon is that Ogrim is completely oblivious to the awkwardness of Hornet’s position as a "half-breed." He tries to understand it through the only lens he knows, while Hornet, choosing not to explain, simply offers a brief, "You’re overthinking it."

[akaebidon]

【Comic】 Pale Memory 【HK/HKSS】

>>>Notice: Please read from right to left. <<<

Sorry, I forgot English comics are read from left to right when I was drawing this...

This comic also includes spoilers for Hollow Knight: Silksong.

20 pages in total.

Summary: Interactions between PK and young Hornet.

[akaebidon]

I have always struggled to understand why people believe the Pale King has the ability to discern whether vessels are "pure," and would kill those judged as unqualified as a result.

Hasn't anyone considered that, if this theory holds true, how could THK evade PK's inspection?

Were all the previous vessels idiots who didn't know to disguise themselves?

Moreover, if THK was really "smart" enough to know it had to disguise itself, why would it risk coming before PK? And why did the Knight in the cutscene climb up just to die?

It makes absolutely no sense.

To prop up the view that "Pale King is a cold-blooded baby-killing enthusiast," they forcibly turn all the vessels—including THK and the protagonist—into a bunch of truly "mindless" fools who would charge forward without hesitation, even with a meat grinder right in front of them.

Even more contradictory is that, even if we assume the Pale King is truly an evil murderer (oh, that's so stupid)... wait, we actually have another character who did the "killing unqualified vessels" thing.

Yet most fans still regard that character as an admirable hero, even though she tries to kill the protagonist twice in the game.

Of course, we all know Hornet has her reasons for doing so. Based on the game's text and the main theme it aims to convey, we all know that it cannot be interpreted this way.

But if we ignore the facts and force the "evil Pale King" theory to hold at all costs, Hornet becomes someone who knows full well her father is an infant-killing lunatic, yet still helps that lunatic father protect his damned kingdom and assists in slaughtering the remaining siblings who luckily escaped death.

It's just plain stupid even reading it as text. The entire message the game intends to convey is utterly destroyed.

What truly happened in Hallownest is a tragedy; the game's theme is the confrontation between order and instinct.

It's not the absurd story of "Someone did bad things, so everything that happened afterward is what he deserved. But he stubbornly refuses to die properly, causing everyone to suffer along with him. Yet those victims are all fools, willing to sacrifice their lives to perpetuate the tyrant's personal interests, including being separated from their daughter who was born not long ago."

If the game really wanted us to think that way, it wouldn't make us feel that Hallownest as a whole is a beautiful place.

There wouldn't be Elegy for Hallownest, there wouldn't be a character like Ogrim, and the condemnation would be much stronger—like what TC did in Silksong.

It would be more like something that's beautiful on the outside but rotten inside, a decaying thing that deserves to perish as such.

The Knight wouldn't accept the King's Brand and become the new king.

[coolbattlegirl]

Without the whole Radiance situation, I believe that the Pale King would have been a good parent. I feel like he would show his affection towards his children through action rather than words.

It’s like when you mention liking a certain fruit or snack around your parent and a few days later they buy a ton of said certain foods.

[akaebidon]

I believe many people tend to confuse these two, so I feel it’s necessary to point out:

What Grand Mother Silk truly desires is "to be a mother," not "to have a child."

I know the two sound similar, but they are fundamentally different. The biggest distinction is that when one "wants to be a mother," the child becomes merely a means to an end rather than the end itself.

This also means that as long as it serves the purpose of making her "more of a mother," she is willing to "filter" her children to obtain the one who best validates her status—the one who ensures she remains a "mother" forever.

Between Lace and Phantom, she chose Lace; between Lace and Weaver (Hornet), she chose Weaver (Hornet).

GMS does not embody the idealized "altruistic" mother figure; instead, she is a mother who views everything from her own perspective. A significant reason why she protects Lace in Act 3 is that Lace is currently her only child. Only by protecting her and keeping Lace alive can she continue to hold onto her role as a "mother."

To be clear, I am by no means saying that GMS lacks maternal love or that she doesn't love her children. Quite the opposite—this is certainly maternal love, and GMS loves her children to death.

It is simply that she cares about her own feelings more than she cares about them.

To her, Lace is not "Lace"; she is merely "a child."

[bugy-bugs]

i cant believe I have to say this again but

THE PALE KING IS NOT A VILLAIN

Antagonistic? Maybe. Evil? NO! Desperate king trying to save his kingdom? YES

I have seen one to many things recently being like "GrAnD mOtHeR sIlK mAkEs EvIl PaLe MaN lOoK lIkE nOt a ViLlAiN" NO SHIT. He was never a villain in the FUCKING FIRST PLACE.

I have big emotions on this and I know this has been dying down recently but Im haven't a moment rn so please forgive me.

[akaebidon]

If Silksong's future DLC includes Boss Rush content similar to the Godmaster DLC, I hope it could be tied to the fourth Old Heart. My idea is to introduce another Snail Shaman, one who is even more heretical than the others. This Shaman could harness the power of the Old Hearts, combined with Hornet playing the Elegy of the Deep, to awaken the memories of all beings that once existed throughout Pharloom.

This ritual doesn't need to delve into Hornet's own memories and pull physical things out of them. Instead, it’s more like supercharging the Needolin's power, allowing Hornet to play the Elegy of the Deep for the entire land of Pharloom.

I think this approach could also neatly resolve the moral controversy that some people argue about (though I personally don't think it's a big deal) regarding obtaining the fourth Old Heart—turning the act of taking that heart into something truly unavoidable and necessary.

Hornet would have to battle those past memories. Some are real memories (the Pinstress trio), while others may not even exist (a duo battle with Lace and Phantom). This process would feel like a more direct form of self-reflection, perhaps allowing us to delve deeper into Hornet's inner world while also addressing her feelings about her identity as a "Monarch."

We know Hornet has always resisted the possibility of becoming a Monarch. Is there a chance that, through this ritual, she could transform the "Monarch Crests"—which she might possess but doesn't want to use—into something she can more readily accept, and that would be more helpful for the future (perhaps even another ending)?

I'd love to see Hornet embrace her traits as a Pale being and wield them in service of her ideals, just like she does with her other tools. Instead of her constantly insisting "I'm different from them" or "They're all awful, and I'm one of them too," desperately trying to shed some stereotypical label or always feeling like she doesn't fit in with mortals.

What I mean is that Hornet acts as if she's been brainwashed since childhood, constantly told that there's an evil part inside her. This makes her believe that a portion of her very nature is bad, and she worries that if she ever becomes a monarch, she might turn out just as terrible as "those villains." That's why she feels compelled to keep proving she's not like that.

But we know that being a Pale Being isn't a label exclusive to evil creatures; it's simply an attribute. That attribute comes with certain traits, just like blood type or zodiac sign.

The key point is that Hornet doesn't hate her stepmother, and her father didn't exactly do a terrible job handling his own instincts either—both of them were Pale Beings. Hornet also knows full well that she's not the type to bully ordinary bugs like GMS did. So really, she could afford to have a lot more confidence in herself.

[akaebidon]

I want to provide a possible theory for the Green Prince: on a soul level, he and his partner might be the same being.

The primary basis for this theory is the description "Two children born entwined, apart," the shape of the Conjoined Heart, and Hornet's evaluation of them: "For one to love another so similar to themselves, is that selfless or vain?"

I believe they were meant to be born as a single individual, but due to various factors, they were born as two separate beings, hence described as "born entwined, apart." In a sense, they are the same bug, only complete when together; thus, the Conjoined Heart takes the shape of two leaf-like objects touching each other—it is the Green Prince's heart, but also his and his partner's heart. Perhaps it's two halves of the same being who fell in love: "For lovers born on beat exact" may not simply refer to them being born at the same time, but also imply that they are "too similar"—they love each other, but also love another version of themselves. This better explains why merely loving each other results in them being "forever cursed."

This theory makes Hornet's comment about them seem less harsh; she might simply be stating her objective interpretation (though somewhat sharp). It also explains why Team Cherry designed the Green Prince's story to end in death—without his partner, he can never be whole again; he cannot live alone, and only dying by his partner's side is true redemption for this character.

The Green Prince is destined to die, but I also emphasize that Hornet's actions are not some brutal atrocity, nor can they be called "assisted suicide" or "mercy killing." Hornet didn't take his heart to make him die. Killing him was not her goal; she was simply carrying out what she believed she should do in the process of saving Pharloom (whether collecting hearts or honing herself), and the Green Prince happened to use this as an opportunity to recall the beauty of the past—that's why he wasn't grateful to Hornet for invading his memories, but also not surprised, and didn't resist or struggle beforehand. The Green Prince simply used Hornet's actions to let her witness the most glorious moment of him and his partner, while conveniently achieving his own desired outcome—dying together with his partner.

[akaebidon]

I think after the Sister of the Void ending, the way Hornet and Lace interact should be that for a period of time, Lace keeps trying to provoke her, but Hornet always responds in a very mature way, making Lace feel very embarrassed.

Lace: Haha, I'm going to deliberately sweep these glasses off the table!

Hornet: You don't need to do that on purpose to get my attention. Even if you do nothing, I still value and care about you.

Lace: Stu... Stupid little spider! (Feels touched) (Gets angry from embarrassment) (Stops provoking)

[lounging-joyful-guy-with-bicycle]

Someone said that 'Oh, the pale King apologists are so funny to me' and that made me laugh a bit because I'm not sure that Pale King Haters even... make sense?

They presume the Pale King resorted to the vessel plan immediately when the first sign of the infection came up. They also assume that the vessel failed immediately and that he booked it when that happened. Ignoring the fact the civilization obviously survived long enough for a statue to be built honoring the Hollow Knight. Not the Pale King for devising the plan, barely even acknowledging the Dreamers for their efforts, the Hollow Knight itself is the main centerpiece.

"But he murdered a billion of his children and then abused one of them." Killing eggs and killing children is far different. The Pale King probably didn't think he had a kid to abuse. He had an eldritch flesh automaton wearing the skin of a potential son that he trained for his purposes. And guess what? He had affection for that flesh automaton anyways, despite the fact that he thought that would make it impure, that it would make it fail of he loved it. He felt affection for his dead gay son and thought himself a failure and a horrible person for it.

"He's an imperialist jackass!" Yes, of course, he's an imperialist because he conquered *checks notes* 1 civilization, if we stretch the definition of conquer? Because the moths weren't taken by force, all the Seers dialogue suggests that they joined him of their own volition. If the Radiance herself just told the Pale King that her people coming to her side made her feel bad, I see no reason that he wouldn't suggest she join him and make some agreement, considering every other civilization in Hallownest.

The Mantises, the Hive, The Green Children, and the Weavers were all left alone, and Hallownest traded with the latter. And there is no evidence that there was any prolonged violent conflict between their people. Like there isn't a Radahn-like battlefield covered in weapons and corpses to suggest that Pale King resorted to conquering first. He seemed perfectly content with having his little civilization and letting the other beings have theirs.

And I'm sure someone will bring up the maggots or the class difference, but that sort of stuff exists in every civilization *in our own history*, and its clear he didn't micromanage his civilization because of the emphasis he put on individuality.

"He was an absentee father" except his theme is all throughout the flashback. Hornet's creativity and aptitude for tools is reflected by his obvious talent for creation. She followed in his footsteps by using the void to try and fix a problem (even unknowingly) only to make the problem more dire.

Not only that, but it's obvious that he cared for his people over his own, over his relationship for his White Lady, over the potential of him having children. His kingdom was everything to him, and I think that also reflects Hornet's actions. Sure, her Wyrm blood might make her predisposed to dominate, but it was how she was raised that makes her want to do that by helping others.

And sure, maybe that was fostered mostly by her mothers, but also consider Hornet's thoughts on him via her Hunter's Journal entries; the only bad thing she calls him is a fool. I think that speaks volumes of their relationship, and what the Pale King was.

He was a fool, but he was well intentioned.

[jimmyjakes]

Also people tend to forget the the pale king is not a bug or even a king he is a GOD a higher being a pale god to be exact a being that natural desires to conquer and dominate and a Wyrm another higher being born with the desire to build kingdoms and civilizations. He’s a fundamentally incomprehensible being the hunter one of the most critical of the pale king believing he coddle hollownest and made it weak still fears and admits to being unable to comprehend him. To judge him by mortal standards is unfair as he is not a mortal. Like is he a innocent bumpkin no but he’s also not incompetent and will do what he needs for his civilization like a god would.

[akaebidon]

Some characters not appearing in Red Memory does not mean they are unimportant to Hornet. Ghost doesn't appear in Red Memory, and Hornet's past partners also don't appear in it, and this cannot be interpreted as Hornet not caring about her partners, let alone concluding from this that Hornet doesn't care about her siblings. Similarly, the Weavers appearing in Red Memory does not mean Hornet considers the Weavers' importance to her equal to that of the three queens. The Weavers appear to create a contrast with good mother Herrah (the Weavers demand that Hornet become the ideal form they envision, while Herrah tells her daughter not to listen to them and hopes she will forge her own path).

The characters appearing in Red Memory have a clear thematic focus, which is "mothers"—one of the meanings of Red Memory is to confirm that Hornet's setting as the "Child of Three Queens" is true; in other words, this is a mother-daughter gathering, and having other characters appear would instead easily disrupt the overall theme.

[akaebidon]

Since it seems like not many people have mentioned this point, I think it's necessary for me to point it out—Pale King is not only interested in civil engineering, but he also pays great attention to the impact of the construction process on the environment, and tries to minimize the damage to the environment as much as possible.

According to the description of Queen's Station by Ellina the Chronicler in the book Hollow Knight: Wanderer's Journal, we can know that Pale King is not just an engineer, but also an engineer with concepts of sustainable development and environmental protection.

[zememerrramble]

I think there's some sneaky parallelism going on with the Old Hearts (not including the Clover Dancers) and Hornet's 3 mothers.

Khann/Herrah: They both led a large kingdom that ultimately rejected the infection/haunting much longer than most civilizations. They're also both quite brutish in nature. The cut coral area is where final-version Blasted Steps and Sands of Karak are. These two areas are filled with difficult enemies and are fairly difficult to traverse, similar to Deepnest.

Nyleth/White Lady: Both are plant creatures (Nyleth does not seem to necessarily be a higher being, but White Lady is) who live in the heart of a forest/garden. They're both watched over by an eternal guardian, Dryya being dead and Seth being alive. Whereas White Lady felt guilt for her part in the vessel's creation and conquering of the Queen's Gardens, Nyleth instead had to compromise over her Shellwood and ultimately still lost out to the Haunting.

Karmelita/Vespa: Ants and bees generally follow similar hive-mind structures with a central matriarchal figure guiding their colony, so they have a lot of similarities on that front. Both are also fighters/hunters naturally. The bees of the Hive were "unmarred" by the Infection even after Vespa's passing because of this, although Vespa certainly fought, so long as her body allowed her. Karmelita was able to fend off the Haunting for quite some time with her singing, although just like Vespa her old age became her downfall. The Skarr are somewhat unmarred by the Haunting and were able to keep Karmelita alive in the meantime, but their power certainly weakened overtime. Interesting that the "mottled" Skarrs seem to be some of the only remaining Skarrs not haunted, there's not quite an equivalent with the bees of Hallownest.

So, under this interpretation, the main quest of Act 3 is Hornet coming to terms with the sacrifices, mistakes, but also love of her mothers by engaging with similar powers. All this also further strengthens the game's themes of motherhood.

[akaebidon]

Team Cherry love saws