Parts of Hollow Knight that blatantly refer to the Knight as a child or imply they are a child. Quote analysis. Updated with additional information if some was missed.
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1 update.
Showing the Knight in their just hatched form, similar to the Hollow Knight, & showing Broken Vessel who could be a tall child, preteen, or a teenage vessel. This is only an implication. I try not to use headcanons in my posts, as most people try to use their own against others to prove their point, or justify the things they do.
BLATANT. (Explicitly referring to the Knight as a child.)
ELDER HU: "Wait, child! Why have you come here? Have you come to tame this savage, ruined land?"
"Beware dreams of glory, child. Turn back, and do not return."
"My mind... it clears. Have we been... sleeping, child?"
- Unlike No Eyes who does not seem to be blatantly speaking about the Knight when referring to a child, later calling the Knight a monster, Elder Hu seems to be directly speaking to the Knight.
IMPLIED TO BE A CHILD. (Not explicit, but child coding is implication enough.)
NAILMASTER MATO: "I hope you don't think me too forward when I say that I consider you to be my child. Yes! When I saw you perform my Nail Art I felt a bond between us suddenly flash into existence!" - A grown adult would not look at another grown adult, and forwardly press to them, who is likely capable of caring for themself that they are now their father. But a child bug without parents, or a home, is a little more feasible.
ELDERBUG: "Little did I know, one young bug was taking my words to heart and would repay my kindness." - While Elderbug is known for calling most bugs around him young, while being the youngest in the game, it is notable that he refers to the Knight & Bretta as young, two of the most child coded characters in the game.
ZOTE: "What are you still bothering me for? I'm a Knight. I'm not interested in your childish games. I need my rest." - Zote implies that being a Knight makes him the Knight's senior, that they're simply being a child.
ETERNAL EMILITIA: "No doubt this one will meet its demise at the nails of the city's guards. I'll outlive you too little grub, as I did all the others."
NAILMASTER SHEO: "A visitor! Why have you crept in here, little grub? Perhaps, like me, you have a taste for discovering new things?"
- Grub is a word for a young, recently hatched bug. A synonym for nymph, larvae mean the same thing. A pupa would be a teenage bug. It is unlikely this word is used for adults, and is more a recognition of a child.
"Fully-grown vessel, carrying the plague's heart within it's body." - Implies the Hollow Knight is a grown adult, whereas all other Vessels aren't. Common theory or headcanon is that the Hollow Knight grew unnaturally, but this implies that all Vessels would grow to this state but have not lived long enough to get to this point. Despite living long enough to grow or molt to this size, Ghost is still small, and thus is still a child in comparison.
THE HUNTER: "Tiny squib... You approach fearless. Are you a hunter like me?" -
- INFORMAL: a small, slight, or weak person, especially a child.
- To refer to the Knight as a tiny & little squib, would be redundant. So to use the word as a recognition of them being a weak child, is likely. Until he recognizes the Knight as a skilled hunter, he will refer to them as 'squib'.
The same can be said for Tiso's Dirtmouth dreamnail dialogue.
TISO: "This little squib clearly fears me."
BOSS, SPIRIT'S GLADE: "You too are a warrior? I see your nail, but your shell seems underdeveloped." - They can recognize that the Knight is a warrior, but sees that they are a child and likely have not molted or grown.
REFERRED TO AS 'LITTLE (NICKNAME)':
- This will not include moments of being referred to as small, or tiny, as those are usually remarks on their height. Little one, or little '(blank)' is usually used as a term of endearment. This is disregarding Silksong dialogue since that is subject to change, and how the relationship between Hornet & her rival may change with time.
HORNET:
"Too weak, little ghost..."
"Again we meet little ghost."
"I'm impressed little ghost. You've burdened yourself with the fate of this world, yet you still stand strong."
"Little Ghost... What dreams we share..."
- Hornet knows the Knight's age, she was raised around the same time as the Hollow Knight and knows that the Hollow Knight is an adult.
She isn't afraid to only call them Ghost, meaning she is either doting on them (she does recognize them as her sibling, "Would you supplant our birth-cursed sibling, or would you transcend it?"), or pitying them ("Only pity for your cursed kind.")
"Ghost. I see you've faced the place of your birth, and now drape yourself in the substance of its shadow."
"Ghost of Hallownest, you possess the strength to enact an end of your choosing."
"Leave me now, ghost. Allow me a moment alone before this bedchamber becomes forever a shrine."
"Then do it, Ghost of Hallownest! Head onward. Burn that mark upon your shell and claim yourself as King."
"Come no closer, ghost."
THE DREAMERS:
"Let us sleep little shadow."
"Go no further, little shadow."
"Fade away, little shadow."
SNAIL SHAMAN:
"Oho! What brings you back through here, little shadow? Are you lost?"
"It's just perfect for a little one like you! Ohoho!"
OGRIM: "How funny that I see you in my dreams too, little one."
- Ogrim was around during the time of the Hollow Knight, and recognizes the Knight as a Vessel or the Hollow Knight's sibling. ("...So there were others...") He would recognize the Knight as a child, much like the Hollow Knight once was.
GHOSTS:
GRAVEDIGGER: "Do as you will little wanderer. Cut a path toward your goal."
CASPIAN: "Beware your own mind little one." "Do you think dark thoughts little one?"
GARRO: "Are you a warrior, little one?" "Stand strong little warrior."
MARISSA: "Welcome to my stage little one."
ATRA: "Don't fear little creature."
HUNDRED NAIL WARRIOR: "Do you like my nails little wanderer?"
