Of Stealth and Song
There are quite a few interesting topics that one can cover while talking about Hollow Knight: Silksong (2025). For now, I'd decided to revisit one specific narrative sequence which had shaped my perception of Hornet's character going forward.
Exploring Pharloom: The inciting Incident
The joy of a first playthrough lies in the exploration. However, in games like these it's not too uncommon to walk around more or less aimlessly - searching for that next important upgrade; Or maybe just exploring as much as one can.
For me, this had meant that, on a gameplay level, a certain routine had started to set in.
The more Hornet traverses through all the biomes and hidden rooms, the more familiar the player would become with both Hornet's and her enemies' move-sets. What might have once been a hard pattern to keep track of slowly turned into a familiar dance as Hornet uses her agility and (potentially) upgraded needle to fight any potential threat.
Hornet is doing all of this for the sake of the larger mission, of course. The exploration is a means to an end, be it for upgrades or due to a wish she'd taken from any of the Quest-boards. Even as she's running around, the actual goal does not ever leave her mind: She has to reach that Citadel.
For my playthrough, routine had turned into complacency. Not too long ago I'd found the Cling Grip and with that new addition to the movement set I'd decided to backtrack once again; To see if there had been anything new in a place that I'd thought I'd explored quite well already.
There was nothing special about it, just the need to be thorough - and that was when my routine had been forcefully interrupted, and I'd found myself quickly humbled.
Hornet just climbed a previously unreachable room in the Far Fields, and that's when I came across a new enemy type. It looked like a fly, and on its back there was something glimmering. My own curiosity had me move further into the room, putting Hornet into its reach - and then the thing spit at her. Whatever that had been, it ensured that Hornet couldn't easily move. This moment was enough for it to move closer and taking the thing from its back.
I'd looked on in confusion, until I realised that the enemy had been carrying a cage. The cage was smaller than the one Hornet had been in at the start of the game, but other than that it seemed familiar in its style. Now, while I had been trying to make sense of what I'd seen, the fly had already acted. In mere seconds it managed to trap Hornet.
All thoughts of a routine had left me, though - for a second - I wondered if the cage might do double damage, before I realised that there was no counter to this attack. Hornet is slowly falling unconscious as the cage seems to dampen the power of her silk.
With that the screen faded to black.
This didn't seem like an instant game over, none of it felt like anything I'd seen before; And part of me felt guilty for getting Hornet into this situation in the first place.
But if this wasn't an end, then what would happen next?
Imprisoned
It is a jarring switch of scenery. Hornet had just been in the lush lands of the Far Fields - and now she was somewhere dark, still in that cage - which had by now been lifted off the ground.
It's quiet.
Hornet isn't even wearing her cloak any longer.
Now, while this is a terrible place to wake up in, Hornet does not think about any of that for too long. Instead, she focuses on her silk. Unlike the last time she'd been forced into a cage she'd not spent that much time in it. More importantly, even if the cage could resist her silk, the chains that were used to lift that cage up could not.
She does this once, twice... a few more times - and then the chain actually breaks. The cage, with Hornet still inside, falls to the ground. The force of the fall causing it to break, and with it for Hornet to break free.
Only then is the player shown the title card for this new location; Only then does the music set in. Christopher Larkin's musical arrangement adding to the oppressive feeling of this moment.
This was The Slab.
Hornet isn't wasting any time, though. She can hear the squabble of her captors somewhere close by. The room she found herself in was at least bereft of anyone else.
She's one step closer to freedom. But she's also limited in her options. The lack of her cloak wasn't just a cosmetic choice, but also indicative of the gameplay for this section:
Hornet has no crest equipped, nor does she have any of her tools, currency, or her needle - all of it had been taken while she'd been unconscious. The one thing that she managed to keep are her silk abilities. She can steal heal, and she can still cling to walls.
If Hornet attacks, she has to resort to kicks. Her damage output is now at its lowest. This will have to suffice.
Regarding the gameplay, this had concerned me initially - these limitations might make any potential enemy encounter far rougher than absolutely necessary.
Narratively speaking, Hornet doesn't share my concerns. It might not have been ideal, but this isn't anything that could deter her from her mission.
In this instance, the general lack of Hornet talking unless while in conversation led me to wonder how she was actually feeling about this. Her internal musings remaining barred for me.
The exploration of the Slab itself is actually quite linear. A prison tends to have quite a few locked doors, thus, Hornet requires a few keys. Except for a few hidden rooms or shortcut unlocks, the track through the Slab does not offer that much freedom - quite apt.
Hornet enters one of the rooms that are available to her, and there she quickly climbs a wall to break off a section of the roof. Entering this part, she finds herself in-between the two floors. She carefully evades a trap and reaches the spot underneath the flies' nest. This must have been where the earlier noises had come from. The gate seems to be see-through, and that's how Hornet catches a glimpse of her captors once again: A group of flies, with two of them holding her needle and cloak respectively.
I couldn't tell how Hornet was feeling during this moment, but as a player this had been the moment I'd set a new personal mission. This wasn't just about escaping prison any longer, this was about teaching those flies a lesson that they wouldn't forget.
Taking a different approach
One of the reasons why I still adore the Slab as a sequence is quite simple: at this point the game asks you the play it differently. This is the moment it asks you to consider a stealthier approach.
Until that point I had mostly engaged with all enemies in quite the upfront manner. It might have been my experience with the Hollow Knight series, or just my enjoyment of Hornet's agility; But with her I'd always felt more than evenly matched during any potential fight.
That meant that I did try to punch my way through the first few 'simple' enemies while in prison as well, and it hadn't been impossible! If Hornet wanted she'd be able to slowly chip away at these enemies until they dropped.
However, why do this when other options had been available? Hornet was quick, she didn't have to engage in any fight. She could run.... Or she could use the environment to her advantage.
Before I'd been annoyed that I had to keep an eye out for traps, but now I could see them for what they were: an opportunity.
An idea takes shape just as an enemy backs into a trap.
Hornet continues her journey, and she finds a bench to rest at. Not too far away from that spot she finds a crude map etched onto a dead bugs carcass and that's when its location in relation to the rest of Pharloom becomes clear. She's far north, closer to the Citadel than she'd ever been before. Then too, there was the cold to consider. The only other way not leading toward the Citadel led to a place with freezing temperatures.
As a player, this actually made me feel trapped during this section. This was far removed from the Far Fields, and I kept wondering how this situation would be resolved - and how I'd find my way back to where I'd been before I'd come across that annoying fly.
However, simultaneously I couldn't help but enjoy this change of pace. It had been so unexpected! I found myself intrigued about this place and its place within the Citadel mythos. Why was it so neglected? Why were the necessary keys titled "Key of the Indolent", "Key of the Heretic", and "Key of the Apostate"?
Also, why was this prison solely manned by those flies? If those ties to the Citadel were true, then why were none of those figures there that had taken Hornet captive in Hallownest?
Not that Hornet was outwardly interested in any of that.
Hornet might take note of the occasional lore tablet, but her main focus remains the actual escape. With the correct key in hand she enters a new room and finds herself encountering an enemy gauntlet.
And how fun it was to realise that even at her lowest, Hornet wouldn't be spared from a gauntlet. It was even more fun after I'd noted that this room had enough traps to use against the quick onslaught of enemies.
Afterwards Hornet climbs up the outer wall of the prison until she reaches the roof. The cold temperature putting her on a timer, as she has to find spots of warmth in-between.
On the roof are a few guards on patrol, and this is where Hornet gets to sneakily evade them all as she runs from spot to spot. In this cold, the time it would take to successfully kite an enemy would cause enough cold damage to kill her - thus, it's better to evade them altogether. She runs from one torchlight to the other until she finds a new entryway into the prison. From what she knows this must be somewhat above the nest...
She enters and walks through the tiny walkway and finds one more bench. For me, a bench at this point was a decent enough indicator that there might be some form of challenge coming soon.
Hornet sits down. Her posture doesn't relax. Unlike many other benches, this isn't restful for her.
It's those tiny details that I still adore about this game; And it had me reflect on the whole sequence thus far. The way I had adapted to this new playstyle - and how all of it had been a punishment for my apparent failure while in the Far Fields. Once more I wondered how Hornet would get her equipment back. Who she would have to fight for it...
Enough time had been wasted. Hornet gets up from the bench and takes her last few steps until she's right above the flies' nest. There is another gate, and through this Hornet can see how one of those flies had put on her dress and is jokingly wielding her needle in clear mockery.
When I noted the layout of the room, I realised that there were no more traps. Even if Hornet had managed to get through all of this using solely her wits, this felt like too much of a challenge. I felt like I was missing something, but out of curiosity I'd kept going.
This was it. The culmination of this whole mess. Would it be a boss room? A gauntlet? Did I care? I simply knew it had to be a moment of triumph for Hornet in some form, even if I couldn't quite imagine the specifics.
As Hornet moves closer, the prompt appears: "Attack". She doesn't say a thing as she opens the gate and drops into the room. Her actions will speak louder than any word ever could.
The Hidden Boss.
Now, unlike any of these flies... Hornet does not take prisoners.
By this point I hadn't really thought about the implications of her character and her nature as a fighter; How her time in Hallownest had hardened her quite a bit and how she'd always been shown as a character that didn't shy away from hemolymphshed.
I'd thought I was mentally prepared for the fight that would ensue, but instead I found myself in shock as I witnessed Hornet's nonchalance towards violence pushed to its extreme.
She does it quickly, she does it efficiently, and then she's already taken all of her things back. She is still without a crest, but it's not like she needs it for what she's about to do.
It is only after the death of the guard that the actual fight begins. The music had tapered of and transitioned into the track for gauntlets or bosses. It hadn't been a track that I recognised from previous gauntlets - instead it seemed to be a wholly new boss theme. I had actually struggled to focus at that point. I was too shaken from the neck-snap, and too curious about the music that I didn't pay much attention to the fight for a bit. I wanted to hear what was going on; I wanted to know what was so different about this fight when compared to any other gauntlet.
And then it happened.
Hornet keeps fighting those flies in the room, and as she does... a variation of her original theme is playing in the background.
Her theme is playing, because in this instance Hornet was the boss that those flies were now up against.
It clicked. In most other cases throughout this game Hornet found herself ambushed by the occasional boss; But this time? When Hornet decided to drop into this room - the gate having closed behind her - she hadn't been locked into a room with them. No. She'd taken one of those guards out before the fight had even started; Those flies were locked in with HER.
Her theme plays triumphantly, because this is what this was. It was her moment of triumph; A clear showcase that she could not be stopped.
Previously, I'd lamented the lack of insight into Hornet's mind. At this point it wasn't needed, it had become quite evident.
No mercy.
This was personal.
The fight only ends when Hornet is the only one left standing. The music too comes to and end, and Hornet moves to grab the final key that she needs to leave the Slab behind. There will be no more flies out in the world attempting to capture her.
She'd made her point.
Most of them are dead.
Even after, her distaste for those flies won't cease. Her entries in the Hunter's Journal note her frustrations and hatred, and she even finds the time to complain that her dress now (sadly) smelled of fly. Luckily, a few deliberate jumps into some water will be enough to remove the stench.
To me, this whole sequence managed to cement the essence of Hornet's character: Heroic, but deadly.
...What had started as a moment of weakness had lead to one of the most satisfying moments of my playthrough thus far; And afterwards I couldn't help but wonder what else this game had in store.
This sequence is optional, actually.
This might not come as a surprise, but this sequence is missable. There are a few locations where those Wardenflies can spawn, but Hornet can kill them; They are mere enemies after all.
There's also a chance that Hornet never even crosses their path, if she sprints through Pharloom in an attempt to reach the very top of the Citadel in less than five hours...
... and then there's also another element that could hinder her capture, but that includes a different spoiler, which doesn't need to be brought up here.
Personally, I think the Slab remains one of the coolest sequences that the game has to offer. The actual escape isn't too time-consuming, and it also provides a nice change of pace during those early- to mid-game moments.
Though, admittedly, I also just enjoy witnessing Hornet's undiluted wrath as her theme plays triumphantly in the background.
