Game Theory: The Secret Identity of Hollow Knight's Hero (Hollow Knight)
Get your NEW Theory Wear!! ► bit.ly/2VtMR7Q
A game that grabbed my attention recently is Hollow Knight, the indie darling about insect creatures in masks being terrorized by a creature corrupted by Randiance. This game is LOADED with theory material but what grabbed my attention most was the character we play as - the Knight. There is so much we don't know but the clues are EVERYWHERE! Today Loyal Theorists, we are unmasking the secret identity of the Knight or Hollow Knight!
Find the game here ► hollowknight.com/
SUBSCRIBE for Every Theory! ► ► bit.ly/1qV8fd6
Hang out with us on GTLive! ► bit.ly/1LkSBnz
Need Royalty Free Music for your Content? Try Epidemic Sound.
Get A 30 Day Free Trial! ► share.epidemicsound.com/MatPat
#HollowKnight #PaleKing #HollowKnightTheory #Silksong #Explained #Lore #Theory #GameTheory
More THEORIES:
The END of Princess Peach! ► bit.ly/2CJuYbm
Final Fantasy 7, Shinra, Mako, and Oil ►► bit.ly/2JaawEF
Mario Kart 8, Mario's SCARIEST Game? ► bit.ly/2wyeell
Final Fantasy VII, Who Killed Aerith? ► bit.ly/2Tzcx22
Credits:
Writers: Matthew Patrick
Researcher: Alan Baker
Editors: Alex "Sedge" Sedgwick, BanditRants, and Tyler Mascola
Assistant Editor: AlyssaBeCrazy
Sound Editor: Yosi Berman
Sources:
MossBag's Hollow Knight video, • Hollow Knight Lore and...
www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comme...
hollowknight.fandom.com/wiki/...
The below comment is from the channel Sumwan who did an incredible job critiquing this episode. Unfortunately, the comment got lost (KZhead has an algorithm that is constantly "turning over" comments on high-view videos) and despite digging around for hours looking for it, I couldn't find the original. But the work that she put in was SO thorough that I wanted to make sure it got seen, so here it is! ***Original Text from Sumwan*** I've seen this claim many times and it really does not make any sense. Not only does it contradict evidence in the game but it is very misleading. I'll go through the points one by one and explain why: 6:35 “We too might be in the ranks of a higher being” The Knight is the child of the Pale King and the White Lady, who are both higher beings. It makes sense that the Knight is able to read these higher being tablets. This doesn't mean that the Pale King IS the Knight. 7:20 “Does it really sound like we're just some failed experiment cast into the depths of this world?” No, it doesn't sound like that. The Vessels are the children of the Pale King and the White Lady who are born from eggs in the Abyss, which gave them a Shade. The Vessels are not just “failed experiments”. 8:12 “This poem is addressed to the Pale King” It literally says “elegy for HALLOWNEST”. This poem is about Hallownest. “Under palest watch” refers to the Pale King, but the “you”, is most definitely Hallownest. 8:30 “In the beginning of the game's lore, all bugs were basically a hive mind controlled by the moth god Radiance” This information is not supported by anything. Only the Radiance's descendants, the moth tribe, worshipped her. Nowhere is it stated that the Radiance controlled everything else. The Mantis Tribe, the Mosskin, Deepnest, and the Hive were all separate tribes and already had minds before the Pale King. 8:51 “This isn't just a poem about the Pale King, it is directed TO the Pale King” It is about Hallownest and it is direct to Hallownest (elegy for Hallownest). 8:55 “What do we see appear on screen just moments later? Our Knight” After the poem we see THE HOLLOW KNIGHT, not the Knight. The Knight scene appears after we see the Radiance break out of the Hollow Knight. Team Cherry is NOT drawing a parallel between the Knight and the Pale King. The poem is about Hallownest. It is FOR Hallownest. And the scene with the Knight does not appear right after the poem. 10:27 “Elderbug says we are seeking our dreams in perhaps a very literal sense.” The context of this sentence matters. Elderbug is talking about how all the previous travellers went down into Hallownest to follow their dreams. He does not actually know if the Knight has any “dreams” themselves. 11:00 “Elderbug wondering if he's seen a ghost is another potentially clever play on words” No it's not. Elderbug is just referring to how he thought maybe he didn't see anyone pass him because the Knight left so quickly. This dialogue has no other meaning besides that. 11:36 “White Lady: Is it more than simply a Vessel? I almost feel like I'm once again in the presence of my beloved Wyrm” The White Lady only says this because the Knight is wearing the Kingsoul. The Kingsoul reminds her of the Pale King, not the Knight themselves. Also, the White Lady literally calls the Knight her spawn when they visit her with Grimmchild equipped: “Success then for the scarlet heart, and irony, to use my spawn to grow its own.” Are you saying that the White Lady gave birth to her own husband? 11:46 “Your noble bearing reminds me of our dear King” No surprise there since the Knight is the child of the Pale King. 12:05 “The bugs in White Palace bowing as you approach them is just screaming that you're the king” White Palace is a whole other issue, but this is really not concrete evidence. Also their dream nail dialogue makes no sense if it refers to the Knight. 12:19 “10/10 Royal Retainers can't be wrong. You are royalty” You're actually right there. The Knight IS royalty, since they're the child of the King. Not because they ARE the King. 13:28 “This line of “more transformation” seems to imply that the Pale King's death would only lead to yet another form” Not really. Bardoon says that the Pale King's death in Kingdom's Edge was not an actual death, but that it was more like a transformation. This does not mean that the Pale King can transform again after he became his bug shape. A caterpillar transforming into a butterfly also cannot transform into another being again. 13:49 “It's an ancient force that opposes the blinding light of [the Radiance]” Not just the Radiance's light, but the Pale King's too. He is referred to as a light in multiple places: The Seer: “But another light appeared in our world... A wyrm that took the form of a king.” The Pale King calls himself a light in the throne room lore tablet: “No blazing kin. Only one light shall shine against the dark.” As does the Teacher’s Archives lore tablet: “-KINGLIGHT-EM-GROWTH-INKIND-FLOW-ALLTHINK-ENFIELD” Other bugs talk about the Pale King emanating light: “Though even its pure aura is no match for the light of our dear King.” (Eternal Emilitia) “I've heard he was a glorious bug to behold, bright and radiant in visage, so much so it hurt to look at him.” (Last/Old Stag) “That lingering power alone was beacon enough to draw Us to Hallownest. How bright it must have been to mortal bug stood before it.” (Godseeker) 14:45 “The Pale King used Void to fight time itself. He wants to use the Void to attain eternal life. He births himself as a Void-based creature” Not literally time. Time here is capitalized, and it is more likely to just refer to the Radiance. Locking up the Radiance is generally seen as being what has caused the Kingdom to remain in a stasis: “Bear witness to the last and only civilisation, the eternal Kingdom. Hallownest”” “Eternity in promise and charge in progeny cursed.” “Now this Kingdom's stasis becomes the Wyrm's legacy.” “Though this hive exists within Hallownest, we play no part in its attempt at perpetuation.” It is not literally time. He is a higher being, he does not need to use the Void to “achieve eternal life”. Not to mention that the Void opposes his own powers too (see previous point). 15:25 “It seems to suggest that this egg [in White Palace] is where version 1.0 of the Pale King hatched into its upgraded form” It does not. The Pale King became his current bug form in the Cast-Off shell. The Wanderer's Journal even mentions that too on page 111: “Deep within the maw of the [Cast-Off Shell], a pale, broken egg of some sort hints at such a rebirth.” Not only that, but the egg of the Knight in the Abyss would be DEADLY for the Pale King. Void opposes his power, it would simply kill him if he were to become corrupted by the Void like the eggs of the Vessels were. 15:40 “Elsewhere in White Palace there is a nursery playing this song on the music box (shade theme). The sound that accompanies our Knight's past life coincides with the same sound from a nursery housed in the Pale King's palace.” Yes, this is true, but not because of the reason you're describing. It's because the Hollow Knight grew up in White Palace (see Path of Pain scene). This nursery was probably for them. And since the Hollow Knight is a Vessel too, it makes sense that the Shade theme place for that area. 16:21 “The existence of a connection between our Knight and the Pale King seems undeniable” Yes, it is undeniable. The Knight is the child of the Pale King. 18:13 “In cut dialogue that was datamined from the game, it shows that the Hollow Knight says “father”. Cut dialogue is not evidence. The "Father?" is cut dream nail dialogue. It was cut for a reason. We don't know when this line was written, in which context it would be used exactly, maybe the Hollow Knight's fight was different at the time, etc. 19:20 “Losing his memory helps make him purely hollow” It does not. Quirrel lost his memory and this does not happen to him. Not to mention that the Knight is not hollow. There are multiple places where the Knight is said to have a will: Steel Soul Jinn: "...It refuses to trade...? It has a will... all Its own." Void Heart description: "Unifies the void under the bearer's will." Description of a pure Vessel: "No will to break." Lastly I'm going to address some fundamental problems with this entire theory that you did not address or seem to have forgotten about. The most obvious evidence that contradicts that the Pale King is the Knight is that the Knight and the Pale King are both seen at the same time. This is during the Birthplace memory cutscene where the Hollow Knight is led out of the Abyss by the Pale King. This is a memory of the Knight themselves since the Knight dreamnails their own reflection to access this memory. Furthermore, the achievement for acquiring Void Heart also says: "Remember the past and unite the Abyss" This supports the fact that it is the Knight’s memory. Therefore, the Pale King cannot be the Knight, since they were alive at the same time. Secondly, the Knight is the child of the Pale King, not a transformation. The lore tablet to the right of the throne in White Palace says that the Vessels are the progeny of the Pale King, and the Pale King also says that the Vessels are "born of God and Void", the God obviously referring to him and the White Lady who are both higher beings. Since the Knight is the child of the Pale King (and the White Lady), the Pale King cannot BE the Knight. None of the points that were brought up align with the evidence that is in the game, and it even contradicts it in various places. To put it quite simply, the Knight is NOT the Pale King.
It’s great to see dedicated people share their thoughts.
it’s good that matpat talks about evidence against his theories, instead of just saying that he’s right and ignoring critiques int he comments
Mat who's your favorite boss? Mine is the mantis lords.
The Game Theorists, cool, I get to comment your comment. Someone comment this comment so it can be a comment on a comment on a comment on a video.
WHO FRICKING CARES IF HES WRONG? It was a fun and chilling theory, that's all its supposed to be honestly. If he made a theory that was important because it was about real things, that would be different. He is making a fun perspective on a fictional game that he is fully aware has flaws, and people give him angry comments. Idk anymore. No more faith in humanity
Matpats editors: animates hornet leaking void M o s s b a g g w a n t s t o k n o w y o u r l o c a t I o n
She is 100% waifu
@@jotaroknight8312 cringe
@@shrub8644 BrO yOu PoSTeD crIngE BrUH YoU'rE gONnA loOsE sUmScriBer bRo
Hornet is void = earth is flat
@@tendermoisturized4199 bro, thats pretty cringe
MatPat: The Knight is the Pale King The entire HK community: *say sike right now*
I mean, your not wrong
ikr
the entire HK community : *OR WE WILL THROW YOU IN DEEPNEST*
Melissa Bennett No he’s more than wrong
mossbag's video on it made it so much better
The ending where the knight and hornet are trapped within the Black egg temple is litterally called : sealed siblings. Refering to the fact that both hornet and the knight are children of the pale King.
and thk
love the HK pfp!
@@slimy1552 no HK pfp
The story that MatPat has theorized is honestly really heart warming and touching. This would have been a great video if not for the fact that The Knight is the Pale King’s child
The Knight being the Pale King would sacrifice the message behind the story, though. The Hollow Knight, his perfect vessel, failed. Meanwhile, this discarded vessel rose out of the abyss and did the impossible, and.... (spoilers) In the Dream No More path, all of those discarded vessels are working together to take the Radiance down. No one person can defeat the Radiance, but those hundreds of souls working together can.
And that in the godhome radiance and the true ending radiance you see that the knight is made is void and the shell just contains that and in the god home ending the knight is shown to be the king of void
Truee its really heartbreaking ngl :
The question is how identity is defined here. Isn't a child the continuation of his father? The lines get even more blurry as the pale king had another body which he left and which then died while he lived in his new form. So the knight is not exactly the pale king but the pale king isn't exactly the wyrm either. So it really comes down to how we define identity. In some sense the knight is definitely the pale king.
I have seen a manga that the mc is actually the demon king but in the entire story he called the demon child but in the end that is revealed that he is the demon king,maybe this similar to that
MatPat: “Does it really sound like we're just some failed experiment cast into the depths of this world?” The Pale King: Yes...
The entire game: Yes...
@@Tech_Marauder the entire hollow knight community: YES
The entirety of people who actually paid attention to the game:Yes...
*Father how could you-*
Everyone that got to the abyss: *YES*
this theory: exists S E V E R A L P E O P L E A R E T Y P I N G
How does this have no replies?
ye why?
Yeh
well now it does :)
I was writing a theroy
I can't believe Matt Patt would have the audacity to even entertain the possibility that The Knight could be the Pale King, the idea is simply absurd and flies in the face of simple logic. Obviously, Zote the Mighty is the reincarnation of the Pale King, who else could contain such greatness?
I think you mean Invincible, Fearless, Sensual, Mysterious, Enchanting, Vigorous, Diligent, Overwhelming, Gorgeous, Passionate, Terrifying, Beautiful, Powerful, Zote
Zote is so strong that he in the is to strong for the hall of gods
@Happy Magolor Yeah duh it's because Zote the Mighty IS the pale king
@Happy Magolor Zote The Mighty does not have a dad, and please say "Zote the Mighty" instead of "zote" as he is no regular foe
@Happy Magolor What Zote the Mighty means is that he actually has no father and is born of pure void but still keeps that in his dialogue to make the player THINK that he is vulnerable even though he has no weaknesses. Zote the Mighty in fact knows that you are reading his mind and tests your ability to detect the truth, he even points this out with Precept forty-one "Precept Forty-One: 'Learn to Detect Lies'. When others speak, they usually lie. Scrutinise and question them relentlessly until they reveal their deceit." Only a true theorist would know this. And Also, please capitalize "Zote" and "Mighty"
Man mossbag DUMPED on poor matpat after he *Shaw* this and debunked this to death Crazy how this is such a small fan base yet the best theorist’s in the world have Studied and attempted to solve the wonderful world of hollow knight
yee shaw
@@purevessel123 YEESHAW
@@hotbelgianwaffles3448 y es
Wdym "small fanbase", Hollow Knight is one of the most popular indie games out there
SSSSHHHHHAAAAAAAWW
This is in the hollow knight meme playlist and i love it
This is where it belongs
@@alfredjames4530 and forever be
Hahaa
Bruh I got this when I randomized the playlist. I was so confused xD
See’s void coming out of hornet in the intro ME: MOSSBAG WE GOT A CODE 3
haha i thought the same thing
When I seen this comment it had 11 likes when I clicked like it was 26
Hornetisnotvoidhornetisnotvoid Hornetisnotvoidhornetisnotvoid Hornetisnotvoidhornetisnotvoid
She voidn't
Vornet
As terribly wrong as this theory is, it was what got me into Hollow Knight in the first place. So... Thanks, Matpat. Also, nice to see you acknowledge the counterargument in the comments.
Same here. This theory is how I discovered Hollow Knight and now it’s one of my favorite games. Thank you Matpat.
You could easily bring up the Birthplace cutscene and say that it debunks the entire theory, but I'm gonna try harder than that. Starting with Hornet. Hornet is confirmed to be the child of Herrah the Beast, one of the 3 dreamers who sealed the Black Egg. Herrah was skeptical of the Pale King's plan, but agreed to do so, on the condition that PK gave her a child. This can be inferred through dialogue through different characters. Herrah: "Bound...for brood...for child" "...Fair bargain made..." Midwife: "A spritely thing, isn't she? Pale gift to the Nest and the Beast, and fair trade for sacrifice made." The use of Pale refers to the King. This basically confirms that Hornet is the daughter of the Pale King and Herrah. What does this have to do with the Knight? Before fighting the Hollow Knight in the Dream No More ending. should you let the Hollow Knight fling Hornet around like a 9-year-old raging on a mobile game, and kill the Hollow Knight, you get the ending Sealed Siblings, where you usurp the Hollow Knight and Hornet is sealed inside the black egg with you, becoming a dreamer. So, if you and Hornet are siblings, and Hornet is the daughter of the Pale King, this confirms that either Team Cherry took a long visit to Alabama, or you're not the Pale King, rather his child.
I think the foremost is obviously the answer
The lead up to sweet home Alabama was fantastic. Mad respect
In the pinned comment he includes someone else's comment that debunks every single point.
His soul could just be sucked in the body of his unborned child, rather way - why is there a moment where knight sit on the pale kings throne and strange musik start playing on background.
@@zergrush_9704 The Music is there to symbolize that the weight of the kingdom now rests on the knight. And there's no evidence in the game to prove that PK was experimenting with FNAF technology.
MatPat: makes a theory about this game The HK community: You are not a fool, you are the entire colosseum.
Ah yes
stolen but *yes*
Best variation right here
The video recommended to me next is “debunking matpad’s theory video”
I get that reference
“Brutally difficult bosses” *Shows vengefly king* Funny! How, funny...
Just picture the watcher knights
Just getting to hornet made me cry
@@gralden I got the walljumping thing then I got lost
Easy two minute boss
Ancient aspid strongest boss
I just realized that in the intro Hornet dies in the same way as the knight, so matpat effectively said HORNET IS VOI-
I had to end them before they could finish the cursed sentence
@@watermellonqwerty9252 thanks
@@watermellonqwerty9252 I thank you for your service
Hornet is at your door
@@watermellonqwerty9252 Thank you
You know this theory is impossible because during the game you see a memory of you hanging on a ledge and the pale king with the hollow knight walk away from you
Even if the theory is wrong (the pinned comment explained it) I think this cutscene is just a memory because the hollow knight is trapped in the egg and...grown up Maybe I am making some mistakes here Because if the hollow knight is older than the knight wy would they make more vessels after finding the perfect one I haven't played th full game so..
MatPat: Even Shakespeare had to get explicit sometimes. Shakespeare: What, you egg? *he stabs him*
That meme
You are a saucy boy
@Logan-James Lacson _he_ _stabs_ _him_
Little Hawk Ok, I just beat this game. My opinions.... not worth the hype. 7/10
**sometimes**
Just waiting the moment that silksong launch and matpat says that hornet and herrah are the same person
You made me choke on my water wtf
I don't like how that might imply to people who think the knight is the pale king
Wtf
We stan hornet and pale king!
hahaha
The dialogue when npcs mistake you for the king comes from the king's brand
The worst part is that the beginning implies he thinks hornet is void
"Though our strength is born of similar source, that part of you, that crucial emptiness, I do not share."
I love how MatPat keeps saying things like “You are royalty” and “there is a lear connection between you and the king” and all I can think is: uhhhhh.....yeah. You're his CHILD. right?
Yep. You're the perfect vessel child
@@klrwayant hopefully, but the lady has been wrong before, and besides a senile old woman who was wrong about this exact thing before, we have no reason to think the ghost is pure
The pale king already reincarnated, and the knight lost his memory because he left hollow nest. This is literally confirmed, it’s literally in the beginning cutscenes, there’s no void even at howling cliffs.
You also have King's Brand...
Considering how young hollow night and you look sameish that’s would be a possible answer. You could be…. THE HOLLOW *PRINCE*
Matpat: The Secret Identity of Hollow Knight's Hero Mossbag: Oh? You're approaching me?
JoJo references are the best references
@@genoaguirre9745 you are goddamn right.
I can't make theories without getting closer Hoho, then come close as you'd like
Yeah moss bag kinda did this already
IS THAT *laugh* A MUTHAFUCKIN’ *w h e e z e* JOJO’S REFERENCE?!?!?1?
Me: So you beat the radiance? MatPat: Yup Me: So you know how to get void heart? MatPat: Makes sense to me Me: so who is the knight? MatPat: The Pale King Me: ( Internal mossbag screeching )
**Mantaray Man screaming intensifies** HE'S A SON OF THE KING (I think, correct me if this is wrong)
@@isaiaholaru5013 the vessels have no gender so... IT is the CHILD of the pale king
@the_lord_of_the_frenzied_flame, THANK YOU! it bugged me (pun VERY much intended) the way MatPat kept calling the hollow knight his SON.
This is corny dude..
"You're not a fool. You're the entire colosseum."
Poor Elderbug stuck his little hand out like "Wait don't leave me alone up here" poor little dude 10:37
I think he was waving
Or maybe the middle finger?
It was a little wave. How I think the Elderdug was thinking: Oh hi... Oh ok bye. Omg the person on top of me that killed me. 😂
Yeah if you listen closely, he let's out a surprised, sad "Oh!" as he reaches out. Definitely lonely guy
So The bugs under my bed are actually a kingdom that can bend time and control The void
Yes
Don't let the bed bugs consume your soul
You need to make a preemptive strike before they figure out time travel.
I have whole nation under mine😂
Damn.
Mat didn’t unmask the little ghost, he unmasked his inability to do basic thought
I kinda want MatPat to make a new Hollow Knight theory after learning his mistakes with this one
Maybe smth about the grimm troupe
Everyone: Light=Good and Darkness=Evil Hollow Knight: Hold my dream nail.
This is what I thought too, but what is too much of something? Say, too much order... Chaos and order make balance, balance is peace, therefore too much of anything is bad even something good for you in great abundancess can be bad, take water for example if you were to drink too much water, your body shuts down, thus proving that too much of anything, despite the fact that it is good for you.
True
Although light is evil, Void isn’t the nicest of things
Too much light can blind you from the truth and too much darkness can hide the truth
As we saw in Super Smash Bros Ultimate, too much light is evil too. It blinds and destroys. Darkness is bad too, but a controlled amount of darkness can be good. Only when there's a true balance between light and darkness will the universe achieve equilibrium.
Matpat: our knight is a reincarnation of the pale ki- mossbag: *no*
Almost every other hollow knight player: no
Sjoed14 06 is it cause he’s wrong or because they refuse to consider it? I haven’t finished it yet.
When you get far enough in the game, you’ll see that matpats theory is bullshit. You don’t even need to look into the lore to see that.
@SharkySaber don't worry, i don't have enough info to argue.
TFS Nappa there is a part in the game where our player character and the hollow knight and pale king are in the same room
Despite the fact that this theory is obviously refutable, I do find the idea quite interesting. Essentially making a silent protagonist being a reincarnation of an important lore character is a pretty cool idea.
All of the dialogue referring to the knight having a "regal bearing" and the king's devouts bowing to the knight all occur after the knight has been branded by the King's mark. And the knight is still a prince.
Video: ThE hOlLoW kNiGhT iS tHe PaLe KiNg Hornet: Are you suggesting that my half brother is my father?!
Wait *wot*
@@shom924 your profile picture just sells that feeling off perfectly.
You said "Hollow Knight where you canonically meant "The Hungry Knight". Just gettin' that out of the way.
@@matthewmatthew981 You’re right , I have sinned
@@bluesleeper8677 You are forgiven. And probably hungry. You might want to go make a sandwich.
MatPat: The Knight is the Pale King. The entire HK community: You are not a clown, you are the entire circus.
So basically The Grimm troupe? :D
I’m sold on Matpat’s theory
@@jackschoellkopf5664 visit mossbags video on this it clearly debunks matpats theory
Angie has seen some stuff. I want more lore on the grimm troupe. I feel like its the least clear higher being with grimm being the only character related to nightmares and the nightmare realm. It would make sense for the grimm troupe to be in silksong because the grimm troupe comes to any place that calls them
It’s because the knight is the shade lord
I like that for “brutally difficult bosses” he displayed the Vengefly King 😂
What about the cut scene of the knight watching the hollow knight and king before he falls back into the abyss
Matpat:The knight is the pale king The entire community: splish splash your opinion is trash
boopity bapity your money is our property
yea the knight is the pale kings son
Matpat:hay another theor- The comunity: Wonk bonk you are wrong
@@totallynotgabby8569 hi charles
That’s because this theory is so easily debunked
this theory is the primal aspid to this fandom
You're saying we want it vanished from existance? Not that much, I mean...
You're saying it hits us once and we delete it from existence?
yeah, it is pain incarnate
the fandom is the fire aspid to matpat
True
i can see why he finishes with "but hey that's just a theory a game theory" it immediately snaps you at least partly out of the depressive stupor you get put into with his theories that always end in the saddest way possible
Can we just say how hard it was to get to the pale kings throne room with all the blades
Have you even tried path of pain? i spent 2 HOURS on it only to fail miserably.💀
Matpat: the elegy is just seconds before we see our character The entire cutscene in between: *B R U H*
Your pfp fits this perfectly
to be fair, that is a common mechanic in cinema
it seems like he came up with a theory and just nitpicked "evidence" out of the game that "proves" it completely ignoring the overwhelming amount of evidence that contradicts what he is saying
The hollow knight is the pale king confirmed.
@@nuclearbomb9483 (*╹▽╹*) n o
Mossbag: Tweets about matpat’s hollow knight video Matpat: Why do I hear boss music?
Sad Cat *primal aspid theme plays*
A B S O L U T E L O R E K E E P E R
It is a game show, of course there would be boss music
**slow zote theme plays**
@@ne0space Who summons me?
The only problem here is that the advancement for one of the endings is called "Sealed Siblings", which you get after beating the Radiance with the help of Hornet. Hornet clearly is your sister. How can she be that if you yourself are the Pale King?
The ONLY problem?
@@Vexatious_Humanoid you know what fair
There is no true ending
@@elijahevans4276 sorry lol, i'm editing that
MatPad: “Actions speak louder than words” Me: Cages or Wings? Which do you prefer? ASK THE BIIIIIIIIIIRDS
MatPat: This song is hinting at there being a relationship between The Knight and The Pale King. Me: The relationship is that they're family?
Nope, you can’t have relationships with someone unless you are them
@@ishthewall1915 lol
The fact that the hollow knight, hornet and the knight are siblings really makes me uncomfortable
@@Aresofthevoid why?
@@highlander1075 because of the ships
The entirety Hollownest: "You are the child of the pale king, you are the vessel. You are born of god and void." Matpat: "I'm gonna pretend I didn't see that."
*Tru dat*
Child could be metaphor meaning you decended from him or are the follow up to him?
This is amazing to point out, but if we're going with the theory the "you are the child of the pale king" could just be a reference to the fact he was (by this theory) MADE by the King to later be the King. Like a prince or a child of the king, the vessel could also apply there. And he was (from this theory) "born" from a "god" (the king) and was really born from the destruction of the god that stole his son. And was also made/found in the void or something that represents it! So by the theory those lines don't really contradic what mat was saying but it doesn't add on anything we know! I really hope that makes sense/helps 🙏
@@ed_the3rd917 IT IS NOT A THEORY! THERE ARE MANY MENTIONS OF THE KNIGHT BEING HIS CHILD! THE KNIGHT ALSO IS LITERALLY *ON SCREEN* RIGHT NEXT TO THE KNIGHT! HORNET REFERS TO IT AS HER SIBLING!
@@zotethemighty4712 jeez, Zote, calm down. This just proves how annoying you are
In the abyss, hornet single handedly debunks all of this. "Though our strength comes from a similar source (soul), that crucial emptiness that you have I do not share. (Void)" This says that the knight has void in it, which the pale king doesn't. It also confirms that hornet isn't void.
Abyss Climb Cutscene: Exists Matpat: *Erases Pale King*
Matpat: The Pale King is The Knight Mossbag: *ahem*
i think mossbag video about it also has pretty big holes.
Lolol
I do think we should still just let mossbag do all the lore
@@nicolasinvernizzi6140 im sure mossbag is gonna make a "response" video
@@rosapaga1776 yep with a vidoe or not
Most of this can be debunked by simply saying "The knight is the kings child"
C-HasArrived Lad's yep the pale lady says so
I think that we can interpret as being that the knight, as a child of the queen and king, had no soul. Was a vessel for the king to try and reinhabit. So, in a way, we could interpret this theory to be somewhat true, albeit the idea that the 'Vessels' were failed experiments, is incorrect. They are the children of the rulers. Not experiments. The fallen souls, would be their fallen children. And while the bowing to the knight may be just interpreted as a sign of royalty, perhaps they are seeing it differently through the dream nail
Magnus&Jaexen no we can’t interpret it as that because there’s no reason to. Occam’s razor. The vessels are experiments and they are also his children, the Pale King experimented on his children. It’s that simple.
@@yeahkeen2905 I'm trying to state that maybe the failsafe for the pale king was that if the hollow knight fails to contain the virus, and his death is inevitable, the next child to leave the void will be used by the pale king as his new vessel. That's the short of it
@@ZynetESLD except for the fact that other vessels have left the abyss far before our knight did
Sorry MatPat i’ma have to throw your theory train off the rails because, well. In the Abyss memory cutscene when you reach the you see the Pale King walking out of the abyss, we also see our character. Proving these 2 are not the same.
Hollow knight is my single favorite game right now and even though I have beaten it, I am still not bored of it 😂
This theory: *exists* Everyone ever: *you are not just grimm, you are the entire troupe*
I love this
You are not a fool, you are the entire colosseum.
@@noizepusher7594 I came to this comment to say that
@@noizepusher7594 respect
Both Ace's and Goat's insults are gold.
Team Cherry: Mossbag we choose you to enforce our will MatPat: You are the Pale ki- Team Cherry: well done Mossbag
Good comment
Mat we literally hear the pale king in the knights memory
Before the intro, I noticed 3 things wrong. 1. The Knight uses a nail, not their hands 2. Hornet is a weaver and is killing their own kind 3. Hornet is not void
Additional problem with this theory: After gaining Kingsoul, you can visit the Birthplace in the Abyss, which shows a memory of YOU, the Knight, being cast into the Abyss after reaching the top and seeing the OG Hollow Knight being taken away by the Pale King, indicating that you were alive at the same time as the King
Yessss finally someone said I was about to till I sow your post
It’s clear he didn’t get the “true” ending
@@1179next yea probably
me: sees hornet leaking void also me: confused screaming
@@1179next no true ending
Mossbag: "Game Theory: ZOTE is THE PALE KING?!?" MatPat: "Game Theory: THE KNIGHT is THE PALE KING?!?" mossbag was so frickin close to predicting the eventual theory.
But are Ari and William void?
I know right XD
Wasn't that a joke? I thought he was kidding
senor pepper He was poking fun at how, if Matpat were to discover this game, he would probably make a really nonsensical theory about it that doesn't fit into anything. And he was right because that did happen.
It really is crazy how close he was to calling Matpat out exactly
When the game says, "Higher beings, these words are for you alone", it's referring to the player directly. we are definitely a higher being since we control what happens in the game and also because everyone in the game are bugs while we're gigantic humans in comparison.
HK community: and I took that personally
"Skills reserved for the godlike beings" The entire soul sanctum wants to know your location
@@dragonairdragon6173 I think they could, but wanted a PURE focus. As in the focus they used wasn't quite enough to achieve immortality. (probably the healing mechanic in the game?)
The Snail Shamans would also like to protest that statement.
@@dragonairdragon6173 One of the lore tablets outright STATES that they are seeking a "Pure focus". Not "Focus".
The snail shamans and the Pure Vessel can as well. And there's no indication that the Snail Shamans are higher beings. Plus if that's proof of the Ghost being the Pale king then I guess so is the Hollow Knight
I'm afraid that there's one crucial factor you failed to incorporate, one of the most important characters in the entire game: Hornet. Should you choose to absorb the infection after she attempts to hold down the Hollow Knight, both you, the Knight, and she are trapped. The name for this ending is "Sealed Siblings", automatically confirming that the Knight and Hornet are siblings. And where else do you hear that name than with the souls left in the Abyss, the Pale King's children who died in the experiments. To add on to this, at the end of the true ending, Hornet sees the Knight's shell broken in two. He's gone, either dead or part of the Void. There is no one left to watch over Hallownest. No one except Hornet, the last surviving heir to the Pale King. And sure enough, the upcoming sequel focuses entirely on Hornet
Little Devil this comment doesn’t have as many likes as it deserves
Except Ghost is genderless, like all the other vessels, hints why Hornet is called the “gendered child”.
Or it means that the knight and the hollow knight were siblings and hornet was just sort of there
Shovel Knight Master n o. The knight and Hornet are siblings cause Hornet was the child of the Pale King and one of the sacrificed pales.
Silksong
“He is royalty” So are all of the other vessels
Or, you know, you're playing as a child of the Pale King.
Matpat: "Our knight can use souls! Which puts us apart from any other enemy!" Soul Master: "Am I a joke to you?"
to be fair, all of the creatures in the soul sanctum (including the soul master) were deformed from use of soul, so clearly to regular beings it isn't as easy to use
@Gytuj the snail shaman is able to give the knight vengeful spirit and he looks fine
@@tyranidhive8575 I said in the soul sanctum
@@gytuj6722 thats called cherry picking information my man
@@gytuj6722 It's because of the infection, not because of soul
MattPat: I played Hollow Knight all the way through. Also MattPat: *forgets an entire cutscene that debunks this entire theory.*
He never even mentioned the Void heart, the Shade lord or the God seekers Kinda important details
He also played Phoenix Wright, but that theory also fell apart rather easily. Him playing things might just be a theory too.
@@neondarkcro697 That could be a flashback from the night being the pale king
Ur boi have you even played the game?
Ur boi this theory is incorrect
15:41 I have ptsd from this song because I was playing late at night in the basement and all of a sudden I hear the music and then I realize it was just a game
matpat uses the argument that because all these other gods or bugs recognize the knight as the PK it means he is the PK, but what i think matpat is misinterpreting is that in the same way a young boy grows up and resembles his father, the knight bears uncanny resemblance in this way to the PK, coupled with the fact that he is also royalty being the PKs son. i think the knight reminds the bugs of the king because of the resemblance and aura that is very similar, and that they just mistake him for the pale knight
Pale king: **has over like 10 million vessel kids** Matpat: well he’s you
About 1,286,400 to 1,612,500
The next game isn't going to be silksong it's going to be The Knight goes to prison for child abuse, oh yeah also the Knight is the Pale King I can't wait for that game.
I love how this video has been added to the "born of god and meme" playlist.
oh really? lol
TRUE LULW
Oh my god
XD
*It has been written...*
"You're not a dung. You're the entre Ogrim arena"
you will be missed matpat
the day that the knight is the pale king is the day that hornet is void
AKA NEVER
Very accurate
the day that hornet is void is the day that the world ends
That hornet is screen transition
@@PantheonofCylinders wow ok have you heard of climate change?
~MatPat makes Hollow Knight video~ *MOSSBAG AND SUPERFORGE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW YOUR LOCATION*
RandysRage yup
you forgot reylea
kinda weird to mention Superforge since he spreads so much wrong stuff about the lore
@@nickiannetta7675 he even referenced mossbag, but its like he watched it on mute and just un muted every 5 minutes
RandysRage he even put in desc.
2:36 “it’s is!” lmfaoo
Oof. I recently got into HK, just finished my first playthrough and I learn about this theory. That hurts after having live witnessed the whole Sans is Ness ordeal. Rip
Instant debunk of this theory: the white lady literally says that you are her child to your face.
*alabama is typing about how that doesn't change anything*
@@zaidlacksalastname4905 tipes how the white lady is king wife's and to have a child you have to be alive so the king reincarnaited into his son while he was alive?????????????
And also there is a literal cutscene of pale king and YOU in the same room
actually im pretty sure that's the HK and pale king, as the emotion the HK felt was love for his father
@@that_one_duck9117 He's talking about the onw where you climb out of the abyss.
MatPat: The player character is the Pale King! Everyone in the HK fandom: Exactly Wrong!
Not everyone, because many have that feeling but know there is no proof. I bet they came here expecting gold but found an useless tram
lfestevao There is the cutscene to get the void heart, where The Knight literally sees the Pale King walk away with The Hollow Knight. That is a memory from The Knight, so it can’t be king as the memory shows that The Knight existed when the Pale King was still alive.
@@jkid391 Genuine question...how do we know it's a memory of the knight and not just one from the Pale King?
Little Greebes it’s from you pov. You control the knight during it. Also you see it after dream nailing yourself by using the reflection in your egg
Sad Cat gottem
I love/hate this video. It's like 'Sans is Ness' levels of being incorrect but it's just so infamous that you can't help but love it
I was nodding along until he hit me with “we are, in fact, royalty” and then I lost all hope
You're not just a fool, you're the entire colosseum. Edit: I can't believe this 3.5k liked comment is my claim to fame.
Honestly this is the best comment yet
I see what you did there
Oh my god this is the best comment ever. Thank you for making my day
@BRYAR MUNCH And W.D. Gaster.
I think you roasted this man into a new reality.
*MatPat makes Hollow Knight video* Oh, Mossbag is gonna have to say something about this...
lol at least he gave Mossbag some credit
The Lucky Bunny yeah we have to give him that I don’t even know if this theory is true
@@hinoobs5304 gee, not knowing if a theory is true? Sounds like a theory to me!
@@hinoobs5304 well its just a game theory :D
r/hollowknightmemes has something to say about this.
13:22 ,I don't mean to be a dochbag but the reason why they are bowing to the knight is simple , the player has the king's crest
I know this theory is terrible, but the player can still get to the white palace before getting the kings brand
the thing that makes me think this can be true is the pure nail. how did the knight happen to get the ultimate wep of hollownest when nobody could tell it was the ancient nail?
Precept 45 “One thing is not another”
Most underrated comment in the history of underrated comments.
my god lmaoo
Profile pic checks out
The Grey Prince strikes again
Where's the other 87 precepts?
1- The Pure Vessel (past Hollow Knight) also uses the focus ability to attack. 2- You literally turn into the king as the king's brand is in your possesion, which would make the impression of you being the Pale King.
This exactly. The king's brand is also why the bugs bow to you in the White Palace because it's description is literally: "Marks the bearer as King."
Anternal amillia relizes you aren't the king.
I thought you could get to the white lady without the king's brand though? Does she still say you're similar to the king?
Pasty Tie the dialogue is unlocked with the brand
Yes. And the reason you can possess the brand is probably because it is your birthright!
The Pail King (PK) and the Knight (ghost) are indeed undeniably connected, but not for the reason you think! PK is Ghost's father. That's why they have similar eggs and Ghost reminds the Pail Lady and Oogrim of PK, cause they're father and child, not because Ghost is PK reincarnated.
I wish there was a Hollow Knight theory by Matpat that couldn't be debunked by a 2 second clip or a single sentece.
7:15 did matpat just forget that soul sanctum existed, that area is full of soul users or former soul users that overdosed and turned into the mistakes
Lol, that is such an important area too. There is literally a boss called The Soul Master.
How do you even forget Soul Sanctum though? It is a required area!
The snail shamans also use soul and I think there's a text that says something like spiral focus or something
@@EternalLostsEternalHell not technically required to beat the game, you can use the lantern to get to crystal peak
*Lemme tell you I'll certainly never forget it.... never ._.*
1:43 So you explored every inch of Hallownest - except for the inch with a plaque that tells you that you're not the hollow knight?
Rowan Hollingsworth And the minilevel when you got a flashback and see the PALE KING and the young pure vessel Like, dude, the pale king just fucked like rabbit before genocide because he defy a god Don’t try to make him sympatic
He wasn't talking about himself in that scene, instead he was talking about "most people"
Lord Taltan ... devellop, because I like I feel it like « yes, most of people been train in their childood before passing a test with small chance... before being yeet Alive by your own father in a dead place for letting die as a secret »
The one in the city on the statue? "Through its sacrifice Hallownest lasts eternal"? Because I agree.
@@llawliet1522 Yeah, that one exactly.
Hollow knight players watching this video: You are not a fool you are the entire colosseum
Might I also note, among the many, MANY mistakes in this video, that also there is not one true ending. Team Cherry has confirmed that all endings are *technically* canon.
and more specifically, all playthroughs are their own canon (according to an answer in an AMA)
A point I would like to make is that in the embrace the void ending the knight turns into a literal void god. But the pale king was originally a wyrm and no amount of research and experimenting would be able to have this effect
Well the knight is biologicaly the son of the white lady and the pale king, the king added void to the vessels before they born (in the eggs) so the vessel have the power of two higher beings (white lady and pale king) + void, he is much more powerfull than the pale king
@@rasmunaawangnik9397 Yes, but it can't just steal an already living body.
@@nuclearbomb9483 dead*
Matpat: mossbag didn’t give us a lot. mossbag: I have cover most part of the game, and some of silksong.
he said the guy made an excellent 45min video and still didn‘t cover everything. But yeah, why let an honest representation of the video disturb the circlejerk
@@mekullag9787 But he literally covered everything. From the first Time the Wyrm came to the failure of the Hollow Knight... So... he did cover everything. *Matpat just didn't actually watch it*
He did it. He called Hornet Void. SUMMON THE HORDE!
You forgot to explain the dlc ending of our knight turning into the shade lord
This came out before that You dropped this: 🤡
I am watching this video on a playlist titled, "Born of God and meme." Make of that what you will...
Irony
Best part: it wasn’t removed
It's because its such a bad theory that its become a meme
It’s so bad it’s funny
Dude same here lolz
Man, after reading that poem I saw the empty water bottle sitting on my desk, then I realized the water bottle must be the Pale King!!!
Lol
Lol
You have shut down his entire theory
Lmao
The Pale King must be Squidward! Think about it. The Pale King has eyes, and Squidward also has eyes!
I love that matpat made a video on Hollow Knight! But... And a major lore enthusiast for HK I can just say one simple thing... "You are not a fool, you are the entire Coliseum..."