Hollow Knight is a video game series and small media franchise created by Australian independent developer Team Cherry. The games are Metroidvanias that focus on insects in large, ruined kingdoms. It began with the release of Hollow Knight in 2017, which started as a Kickstarter project, and has received critical praise.
The idea that prompted the creation of the Hollow Knight series originated in a game jam, Ludum Dare 2013, in which Team Cherry's later founders, Ari Gibson and William Pellen, developed a game called Hungry Knight, whose main character's design eventually became the protagonist in Hollow Knight, kills bugs to stave off starvation.[1] The game, considered "not very good", used to hold a 1/5 star rating on Newgrounds.[1] The developers decided to work on another game jam with the theme "Beneath the Surface", but missed the deadline. However, the concept gave them the idea to create a game with an underground setting, a "deep, old kingdom", and insect characters.[1][2]Hollow Knight was revealed on Kickstarter in November 2014, with a goal of A$35,000. The game passed this goal, raising more than A$57,000 from 2,158 backers, allowing its scope to be expanded, causing delays, with the game releasing in February 2017.[1]
Hollow Knight: Silksong began development as downloadable content for Hollow Knight, set to add major character Hornet as a playable character. The expansion greatly grew in scope, leading Team Cherry to announce in 2019 that it would become its own fully-fledged sequel.[3] Development continued for over 6 years, though the team described the process as enjoyable.[4]
In a November 2025 interview, Gibson stated that while Team Cherry "won’t [never] return to these Hollow Knight worlds", they "don’t want to be exclusively people that make Hollow Knight." He stated that they instead wanted their next game to be "maybe in a slightly different genre, [and have a] slightly different theme".[5] A December 2020 interview showcased Gibson stating that a non-Hollow Knight game that was in the early ideas phase, with him noting that it was similar to Hollow Knight, but had differences like the weapon used during combat.[6]
Setting and characters
The Hollow Knight series takes place in ruined insect kingdoms, with Hollow Knight focusing on Hallownest, a kingdom that fell to the mind-controlling "Infection",[7] while Silksong focuses on Pharloom, another kingdom that fell to a similar threat known as the "Haunting".[8] Major characters in Hollow Knight include the nameless vessel protagonist[9] (commonly known as "The Knight"[a][1]), Hornet, the princess-protector of Hallownest,[9] Zote, an arrogant weak warrior,[10] Cornifer, a map-selling cartographer,[10] Quirrel, a friendly and inquisitive explorer,[11] and the Radiance, the cause of the infection.[12] In Silksong, Hornet returns as the protagonist,[9] with other major characters including Grand Mother Silk, the monarch of Pharloom causing the Haunting,[13] Lace, a maniac fencer and the silk-spun daughter of Grand Mother Silk,[14][13] Sherma, a kind and innocent pilgrim,[14][15] Garmond and Zaza, a helpful warrior duo,[14][16] and Shakra, a merchant and warrior looking for her master.[14][17] A stange easter egg character known as Mister Mushroom appears in both games, having cryptic dialogue when spoken to.[5][18][19]
Hollow Knight released in 2017 for Windows, Linux and macOS, and in 2018 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The player controls a nameless insectoid warrior ("The Knight") in exploring Hallownest, a fallen kingdom plagued by a supernatural disease created by a god known as the Radiance. The game is set in diverse subterranean locations, featuring friendly and hostile insectoid characters and numerous bosses. Players have the opportunity to unlock abilities as they explore, along with pieces of lore and flavour text that are spread throughout the kingdom. Four free downloadable content (DLC) packs were released throughout 2017 and 2018.
Hollow Knight: Silksong released in 2025 for Linux, macOS, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The sequel to Hollow Knight, Silksong follows Hallownest's former princess-protector Hornet, after she is captured and transported to the unfamiliar land of Pharloom. Gameplay sees the player navigating through the large, interconnected areas of this kingdom, where they must battle enemies, traverse platforming challenges, and complete quests using various skills, tools, and movement mechanics. It was originally planned as downloadable content for Hollow Knight, and was first announced in 2019; it will have its own DLC.
Print publications
First Chapter: Quirrel (2017)
Hollow Knight First Chapter: Quirrel is a 14-page prequel comic released in early 2017 that follows Hollow Knight supporting character Quirrel, as he journeys to Hallownest, setting up his role in the game itself.[22][23][24] Originally released to certain Kickstarter backers as a tier reward,[25] it was later included in Hollow Knight's 2019 collector's edition, alongside other items.[23][24]
Wanderer's Journal (2019)
The Wanderer's Journal, named after a type of collectible in Hollow Knight, is a book released in 2019.[23][26] It acts as a comprehensive guide to the world of Hallownest, from the perspective of an in-universe character, and features colored art of the game's many characters and environments.[23] It was created by Kari Fry and Ryan Novak in collaboration with Team Cherry, and is sold by Fangamer.[27]
Merchandise
In collaboration with Fangamer, Team Cherry has released merchandise for the Hollow Knight franchise, such as plushes of characters like the Knight,[28] and Good Smile-made nendoroid figures of the Knight and Hornet.[29] In December 2025, Team Cherry announced a series of Silksong figurines, created in collaboration with artist Alex of Studio Tyto, with pre-orders beginning alongside the announcement.[30][31]
The Hollow Knight games have received critical praise. On review aggregateMetacritic, all aggregate scores for the series are either "generally favorable" or "critical acclaim", with all Silksong scores being the latter. On OpenCritic, both games are recommended by 97% of critics. Hollow Knight has been regarded by some critics as one of the greatest games of all time,[b] while Silksong has won and been nominated for many awards, including multiple Game of the Year nominations.[c]
Vice writer Dwayne Jenkins praised the Wanderer's Journal, calling it a "perfect collector’s item, [that] gives you so much lore without giving away all of Hollow Knight‘s secrets", stating that it includes "colorful" and "stunning art", and praising it for continuing Hollow Knight's "phenomenal environmental storytelling".[23]
Notes
↑This is the name that developers use when referring to the protagonist outside of the game
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