A point at 41:17 Hornet is waiting for you at the black egg temple and The Hollow Knight leaves the temple, not the ghost/knight, it has the Hollow Knight's nail and is wearing its tattered cloak and is much bigger than you are. With the Absolute Radiance truly defeated, the Hollow Knight no longer needs to be contained and is free.
@@waderomonosky6706 Yes, there's many clues that it's the Hollow Knight approaching hornet : the "chin" of that person is very pointy, their cloak is tattered and they have a long, broken Pure Nail.
This is such an interesting read. Personally I read so much personality into our little ghost. They’re strange and alien, but they have choices they can make independent of us. We choose to sit with Quirrel, and Marissa, but Ghost is the one who gives us the option in the first place. I hesitate to trust the Pale King’s trust in his own ability to create an empty vessel when out of tens of thousands his one judged a success eventually failed.
The one he judged a success failed because the Empty Vessel was filled with one day's worth of a father's love. The Pale King, in spite of the horrific extent to which he would sacrifice to save the kingdom he created, longed for something more than just one more sacrifice to make. If he had left well enough alone and kept his cold veneer to the bitter end, the Empty Vessel would have succeeded. The King's folly did him in. That folly? To stop sacrificing, even for one moment, and allow himself a tender time with his creation. That faltering of will cost him everything that his cruel design needed to succeed. This was not a creature just doing as it pleased. It was a creature desperate to save the life it had made. *No cost too great.*
@@conormccue2871 the cut scene regarding out little Knight's past suggests otherwise. Despite how 'hollow' they're supposed to be... The Vessel looked back. They didn't stay or help us, but they still looked back. If it was only following what was intended, it likely shouldn't have. But it did.
I still need to get through the later areas of the game, but I always liked how Lilly isn't necessarily the one that fights, but the spirits that protect her. I think games should be more creative in that way so they can represent more kinds of people in their stories, including those who aren't capable of swinging a sword. I guess it's a detail I'm very peculiar about because of my chronic illness and it really drew me to the game that I might play as someone I could relate to. It almost is more meaningful for me to see in a game that features violence than seeing it in your typical non-violent comfy games.
my personal interpretation of little Ghost is that , while they start out hollow at the beginning of the game, their experiences develop and change them (alike to how THK failed to be truly empty because of their relationship with the pale king) - all depending on what the player chooses to do. You can save the grubs, talk with hornet about your life, her life, and her very strong opinions on you, you can meet your mother, you can talk and sit with quirrel, you can give many npc's delicate flowers, you can do every single optional thing in the game, thereby influencing little ghost to be substantially less hollow. which in this way it could be argued that the more hopeful endings are spawned from a more experienced player - you can defeat the radience with THK as your shades, killing you both but ending the cycle. You can defeat the radiance in godhome with everysingle one of your siblings, becoming a higher being yourself and saving the hollow knight from their torment + suffering. These more hopeful endings come with experience, with the most basic ending coming from not playing the game to it's fullest. so, arguably, little ghost isn't COMPLETELY hollow + without a mind, at least that's my interpretation anyway
The travesty of not acknowledging Ender Lilies’s music, sung and hummed by Mili shall not be forgiven. It is by far one of the best soundtracks in all of the games I have ever played and adds so much depth to the story and lily’s character. That aside, great video! Can’t wait for the next one
I can't believe I forgot to actually name Mili but my original plan was to end with Bulbel so there'd a be a Priestess singing (never sure whether it's meant to be Lily or Fretia or both singing?) but it immediately restricted the video both with the main and instrumental version 😭 hopefully more people will find Ender Lilies because of this video though and get to hear it!!
I kinda disagree about the little guy lacking all will in HK, mostly because of ending 1. We know that in the first ending the Knight's eyes shine orange when the radiance was sealed in it, implying that it was going to go the same way HK sealing the radiance did... which sort of implies that there was a will hidden somewhere deep inside the knight. Other than that, amazing video. I loved both HK and Ender Lillies. Now if only they released Silk Song 😭
Yeah, I largely think that the Knight doesn't have will right now, but has the potential for it considering the ending after Absolute Radiance, and given how much the other bugs are interacting with it... It's probably only a matter of time which is so tragic, love breaks them. I thought the orange in the Night's eyes in ending 1 was just the shell being filled up with the plague but you could certainly read it that way!
That thumbnail and Channel name threw me so much into a loop, then remembered its the lady who did the Rose video that i rewatched 5 times. I immediately lock in
Eyyy really glad you liked the Rule of Rose one! (One day when I have time I want to make a CHUNKY video on that because I adore that game), but ye! thanks for watching this one too! 💛
I think it is an interesting detail that, in the white palace, there is a room for a baby, implied to be the room that held the Hollow Knight that became the vessel. By the King treating it with a small amount of kindness, he gave the Knight enough personhood to not be a perfect vessel. And then the player controlling the ghost comes along and we give the vessel another kind of personhood in the god trials. Arguably! I definitely need to play Ender Lilies now!
Ender Lilies is one of the very few games without spoken dialog, which made me cry and feel depressed/deeply sad while playing it. Seeing Lily be practically pure as snow at the beginning, to becoming almost completely corrupted by the end... left me honestly broken. I felt like her mother, but a horrible one that forced my child to go through pointless, undo suffering. All for a cause for which she had no choice in fighting for or not.
There's something really neat in the idea (as expressed by Team Cherry) that none of the endings are canon and are all equally valid. Because even though we'd traditionally see the sacrifice ending (confusingly and fittingly called "Hollow Knight) as the bad one, but it's also the one with more stakes (though I agree that if there is no mind or will, there is a lot less of a sacrifice). It's also the one where the Void doesn't eradicate the Radiance, which is also interesting in that it leaves neither god at the peak of their influence.
Yeah, even Hornet who is kind of a hands off guide says that there's a harder choice and she'd prefer if you did that but still actively leaves the choice with the Knight, and by extension, the player and I like that! I didn't know Team Cherry considered all of them to be on equal ground but it's very fitting, and also builds into the potential of the Knight to develop that will if they keep digging
I absolutely love your video essays and I enjoy the discussion of murderous reverence. That the people who treat the saviour as a holy, sacred being will see them dead, their faith and worship based on that eventual death. There is no escaping, you can't 'win' and survive, you can't against all odds slay the dragon and come out of it alive; your death is the win and you living is sacreligious. You'd feel like a monster for your desire for life and yet you'd do everything to live.
one of my favorite example/subversion? of this trope is prince lothric from darks souls 3 the prince born specifically to link the fire yet he is cursed beyond believe ,having a frail body and never even swung his sword once at the end he decides to let the fire fades and the age of the flame ends . "Mind you, the mantle of Lord interests me none. The fire linking curse, the legacy of lords, let it all fade into nothing. You’ve done quite enough, now have your rest."
You’ve made me interested in Ender Lilies now. I can’t watch this for a while now because I have to play another metroidvania to prevent myself from being spoiled. I will see you all later, thanks for putting this game on my radar. It’s a fantasy metroidvania, perfect for my tastes.
It's an absolutely gorgeous game in art, music and plot to string together and the controls are pretty precision based like Hollow Knight! I hope you enjoy playing it when you get to it 💛
I'm so glad to be seeing someone talk about Ender Lilies, I've seen so many people start the game and just not give it a chance at all because the movement isn't super snappy or it's got a difficulty spike. I was too interested in the story to put the game down, but it seems to me from what I've seen that more people measure the merit of a game based solely on the gameplay and not the story being told. Games are such an interesting medium for storytelling and I feel like it's not treated like as much of a real storytelling medium as books or movies. This video is lovely to see, I love the way you talk about these games.
With all the clip references you use, I can't help but hope for more videos on those stories too, especially Signalis and Slay the Princess. Maybe something on the concept of having to experience every outcome to better know yourself, and find a new end to your story? Or perhaps finding new peace in a doomed narrative. Keep up the great work!
Excellent video I loved it! It makes me reflect upon why stories about sacrifice of children for the sins of their fathers is seeing a resurgence at the moment....
I like how the idea of the knight making a choice being what dooms the world around it because there's a hopeful version of this as well. The knight can give the God seeker a flower and if it is given the ending is different, with the flower somehow absorbing the God seeker and the knight as well as the void inside of it, using your video as a frame for this we can say the Knight made a choice of giving the flower...choosing to show kindness like the many others showed him as he travelled in Hallownest, and with that he saved them, the void following his will and being absorbed by said kindness. I really like your content, your Bloodborne essay is so amazing and this one is on the same level! Amazing work!
I'm so grateful to this video for existing, and to Honey Bat for making it. It was actually one of the streams on this channel that first convinced me to pick up Ender Lilies, which has become one of my favorite games (along with Hollow Knight). And I couldn't ask for better timing on this video's release. Many thanks!
Something about your videos is so comforting, your bloodborne, nier, and cat lady video I rewatch often. Sometimes I fall asleep to your videos after finishing it, idk what it is but your voice and the subject of what you talk about is somehow so comfortable to me.
I discovered your Bloodborne video right when Ender Lillies got handed out as a PS+ game. I've already bought Ender Magnolia in early access on Steam because holy crap, these are gorgeous games.
This... is interesting. There's a compliment encapsulated in there that I can barely comprehend, much less express, delirious as I am from a lack of sleep.
This channel is criminally underrated. I've sent this and your Bloodborne video to my gaming chat. I love how both of these games immerse themselves in darkness and find a way to show how to make our own light when there's none to be found.
It was an honor to be part of the video, I woke up at 2am and played the best Hollow Knight of my life for this and it was worth reinstalling the game for the 8th time
This got me jumping up and down because I actually found your channel a week ago and just binged all your videos in a day and wasn't expecting anything soon. Thanks for the content ma'am. love ya 🫡
A brilliantly made and well thought out video. Well done. These and Ori 2 are my favorite metroidvanias, not just in gameplay, but in the weight of the stories. You've put it more poignantly than most how truely tragic being born to die is, but that's the magic of the stories that really matter. "Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Cuz they were holding onto something... That there's some good in the world... and it's worth fighting for."
I've been watching your videos on repeat every now and then. They speak to me in very innate way and I truly apprete how beautifully you portray what you want to relay. Life has been a bit tumultuous for me and seeing a new video really lifted my spirits! Especially when I was very much scouring your channel yesterday so this really feels like a special treat. You have my best wishes in whatever you try to do and well thank you for cheering me up!
i love your video essays, you do a really great job of choosing music and clips that are resonant with the mood you're going for and the themes you're covering! your videos aren't just well-written, they're crafted in a way that supports your writing in a way only this medium can. speaking of: as a huge madoka magica fan, i love your subtle inclusions of it and i spent the whole video thinking about the themes you mentioned in relation to that show. if you're ever interested in covering madoka magica in more detail in a future essay, i'd love to see it! regardless of what you decide to cover, i'll totally be there for it. congrats on the release, time to watch this video like 10 more times!
I'd love to do a Madoka video! I need to watch all the wider media around it as I've only seen the 12 part series without the films or anything, though admittedly I have watched the series a fair few times at this point. I've considered writing something before and gone welllll everyone knows about Madoka, it always comes up in discussions of magical girls so there's nothing really I can contribute that won't have already been said a million times but that's also what stopped me doing Hollow Knight for so long. I thought there'd be loads of stuff like this but when I actually looked, it was predominantly lore summary rather than analysis, which is still fascinating but also there's something I can add here! (this also happened with Bloodborne XD)
@@HoneyBat so much of its discussion in magical girl circles is just arguing whether it destroyed the genre or not (it didn't, obv) instead of engaging with its core ideas😭definitely a similar situation to hollow knight where it's so good that you'd expect everyone to have covered it in depth by now. i really like sulmatul's "in defense of sayaka miki" and anime slushie's ep-by-ep discussions though! also imo the only other part of the franchise worth watching is rebellion and maaaaaybe the manga "the different story", there's tons of side material but it's much more generic and less thematically coherent than the 12-ep show. the show is just so immaculately self-contained!
Tuloks new Elden Ring run was exploring themes of motherhood and femininity while he was running around gathering Scadutree fragments and I thought of you when he brought up Bloodborne. Yay parallels!
Lovely coincidence, I have just finished Ender Lilies and here you are with a video essay. Thank you, dear. Something of note about the improvement via leveling: Lily's improvements are... interesting, as they seem to be based on the Blight as well. From what I understand, after you defeat a story boss, the game advances by a "chapter". This seems to be why spirits you pick up later on start at a higher level (well that and a bit of game balance to not waste your time with new level 1 scrubs...). Now, spirits are also improved by infusing them with blight (or ancient souls for the Umbral Knight) which you have taken from blighted bodies all over, purifying them. So by purifying the bosses and taking on an ostensibly large amount of Blight, your connection to the blighted spirits seems to grow more intense. Or something like that, does that make any sense? There is also the matter of exp for leveling up, which is not called such, it's also Blight. Certain blighted items held dear by their owners can increase the Blight you absorb from enemies you kill (but don't properly purify, I suppose?). It's interesting, this obviously dangerous thing that is transformed into power to help more victims, weaponizing a plague in a sense. Also something about Faden I find interesting. Besides the name being likely German for "thread", he seems to be cradling something which looks rather insectoid to me. This "bundle" is apparently also where he fires his attacks from, "Manipulates Blighted to blast enemies" as it says in the game. Due to his intense cradling of this blighted bundle I can't help but read this as him holding either the Miriel/child hybrid in a cocoon of sorts (we do see a large one in the background, too, from which the monster likely emerged) or maybe even the blighted baby itself. It would be a contrast of a caring lover and/or father compared to the mean-spirited last king of the land, whom you touched upon as well. Implicitly, Faden is also father to the clones, of course and he did in fact care... to a degree. Video essay about parenthood when?
I find Fretia fascinating in this context. She was the duty bound sacrifice in this world, someone who would bear the pain of carrying the Blight. Except, she had people who truly cared for her, who wanted to save her from her fate. And that love and care is what turned her sacrifice into the kingdoms downfall. Meanwhile Lily was made to sacrifice herself to save Fretia, but the true ending is only possible because of Eleine, Fretia's childhood friend, and the one person who saw her as Fretia, not the Priestess of the Fount, who delivered the Aegis Curio to the Parish where Lily slept under Fretias wishes to spare her from her own fate.
With Hollow Knight, i have a lot of thoughts about the Void and What It Is. The themes of darkness, of forgetting, the way that our Vessel can weild the Dream Nail and enter dreams and collect echoes even of forgotten souls not just warrior ones, and the way that the void exists as it is regardless of if anyone knows about it-I am of the personal opinion that the Void is, itself, a higher being and thats part of how the Lord of Shadows is formed. If the Pale King and the Radience are not just light, but life and dreams and logic and physical consciousness and emotion, then the Void is apathy, instinctual consciousness and subconsciousness, it is illogical and death and darkness and the lack of dreams, of nightmares. Void is, in that way, peace and order, not chaos. It unifies, quiets, and collects like a grim reaper. It is an end to suffering, to the pain of remembrance, to an echoing existence. It absorbs light so completely, of course the thoughts and life and emotions of a void being cannot be typically percieved. And it doesnt help that the Vessels are all children meant to be sacrificed before their birth to become vessels. But i wholly believe that the Pale King never understood what he was experimenting with, that the way void beings given a more recognizable form learn is the same as how children learn. They only seem mindless, thoughtless, because they are so alien that the typical bug and higher being of Hollow Knight cannot recognize what theyre looking at properly.
It makes you wonder what the ancient civilization that worshipped the void was like? Did these ancient bugs try to achieve the same level of emptiness as the void, divesting themselves to it or tried to understand it like the pale king?
Another banger, and an inspiration as always. That said, Im not too proud to admit that when you said "be a good little lamb, get on the altar" the only thought in my head was "yes ma'am"
Coming back to this video later and thank you for making this video. I some how stumbled into ending A in Ender Lilies without realising it and then after that I didn't play much else of the game after that. I started replaying it this week and I realised there is so much of the game that I missed. Your video has helped me to appreciate this beautiful game even more.
I always considered the Embrace the Void ending scene with Hornet was kind of just a "here's what else is going on in the world". Not a scene where the Knight controls THK. Mostly because, THK doesn't help us kill Absolute Radience, The Knight does, as the Shade Lord. Completely on it's own. That's an interesting conclusion.
You didn't need to jumpscare me with Long Quiet like that! If it weren't for the specific part about the MC taking the issues of the world INTO themself, I'd say you probably could've talked about him a bit too.
I've enjoyed your bloodborne essay about a half dozen times. Cat lady a few, ouroboros a couple of times and even your silent hill essay, a series i have zero investment in, i found thoroughly enjoyable... And now you're talking about hollow knight??? Next you'll be talking about Lies of P and I'll have to change my answer when people ask for my favourite TH-cam gaming channel. (Currently you're second only to Jacob Geller but only really through quantity, quality wise I can't separate the two of you
I neeeeeed to play Lies of P, it looks very up my alley hahaha. Also thank you for such a lovely comment! I love Jacob Geller's channel so the comparison is an honour 💛
Always love hearing your insights on games like this. I don’t think I ever quite picked up on the idea that the Knight is empty not only because it needs to be a vessel but also the idea that it can’t have will or a soul or thoughts because otherwise they’ll be corrupted. I never really thought of that but it’s such a fascinating concept! And like, the idea that Hornet names it “Ghost” as an acknowledgment of her respect and as almost a gift is so cool! Also I’ve never heard of Ender Lillies until now but yeah I’m completely sold here. Definitely gonna check it out. Btw, I noticed at one point you put a Clip from Slay the Princess, any chance you’ll be making a video on that? It’s probably my favorite game I’ve played this year and I’d definitely be fascinated to hear your thoughts on it.
Thank you so much for this beautiful video, I love your content! When I found you before I binged everything in a day and was devastated there wasn't tons more and now I'm getting new stuff!
Thank you for this lovely video, Especially since i was never able to play Hollow Knight... For me the worst possible fate is to have to live as male. Thankfully you get to be Hornet in the sequel. Between this and Hades 2 Its going to be such a treat to get to play these critically claimed games.
The music and art is gorgeous in both of these!! Very different styles but they're both incredible games- I'm hoping more people get into Ender Lilies if they see it with Hollow Knight too ^.^
Didn’t watch yet but got the notif that a new honey bat vid dropped, oh i am so excited!!! Edit: as expected, AMAZING video!! Appreciate your talent in weaving in literary references into these analyses :)
Great video! If you want a good example of a series that explores the consequences of someone refusing to be the world saving sacrifice try the Legacy of Kain series!
The Godhome plot in Hollow Knight is so strange. On one hand it feels like fanfiction/mods, but on another i like the idea that there are just other higher beings that can interrupt and usurp the plans of the Pale King/Radiance.
I really enjoyed your video but my read on the last ending of hollow knight is a bit different, I think the knight chooses to sacrifice itself to spare the Hollow Knight and Hornet. imo the one approaching Hornet at the end is a purified Hollow Knight, I think there's some lore somewhere about the chains grabbing beings containing the radiance so they would have been released after the radiance was gone. Also there's another version of the ending when the knight gives the godseeker a delicate flower which destroys the void and the god seeker in the final cut scene.
Listening to this while practicing Absolute Radiance, I’m so close to beating the fifth pantheon I can taste it. I love how much work it takes to get an ending that’s still pretty damn bleak, but none the less well worth effort
Content Warning: Absence of Silksong is legendary
I yeeeeeeeearn
I haven't even gotten todays daily silksong news yet 😭
Move over, "Evil is the absence of God", true evil is the Absence of Silksong.
Omg I literally JUST rewatched the Bloodborne essay last night and was like “man I hope we get a new essay soon”
Ta da!! Hope you enjoy it haha 💛
@@HoneyBat I very much am!!
I regularly put that one on to fall asleep to, and sometimes just to listen to when I'm chillin
@@dreamfletcher779 that’s precisely why I put it on actually lol
Yeah, that one popped up in my feed again just this morning.
A point at 41:17 Hornet is waiting for you at the black egg temple and The Hollow Knight leaves the temple, not the ghost/knight, it has the Hollow Knight's nail and is wearing its tattered cloak and is much bigger than you are. With the Absolute Radiance truly defeated, the Hollow Knight no longer needs to be contained and is free.
I was just about to comment this but duck on my face for not expecting someone else to already have commented it.
@@waderomonosky6706 Yes, there's many clues that it's the Hollow Knight approaching hornet : the "chin" of that person is very pointy, their cloak is tattered and they have a long, broken Pure Nail.
This is such an interesting read. Personally I read so much personality into our little ghost. They’re strange and alien, but they have choices they can make independent of us. We choose to sit with Quirrel, and Marissa, but Ghost is the one who gives us the option in the first place. I hesitate to trust the Pale King’s trust in his own ability to create an empty vessel when out of tens of thousands his one judged a success eventually failed.
That's a really lovely way of looking at it! Having the option presented meaning that's something the Knight would actually do 💛
The one he judged a success failed because the Empty Vessel was filled with one day's worth of a father's love. The Pale King, in spite of the horrific extent to which he would sacrifice to save the kingdom he created, longed for something more than just one more sacrifice to make. If he had left well enough alone and kept his cold veneer to the bitter end, the Empty Vessel would have succeeded.
The King's folly did him in. That folly? To stop sacrificing, even for one moment, and allow himself a tender time with his creation. That faltering of will cost him everything that his cruel design needed to succeed.
This was not a creature just doing as it pleased. It was a creature desperate to save the life it had made. *No cost too great.*
@@conormccue2871 the cut scene regarding out little Knight's past suggests otherwise. Despite how 'hollow' they're supposed to be... The Vessel looked back. They didn't stay or help us, but they still looked back. If it was only following what was intended, it likely shouldn't have. But it did.
Unless.. you give the GodSeeker a flower. A pale, fragile flower. From near the farthest reaches to the garbage pit you find it locked away in.
Bug-Sam: Take my Tarsus!
Bug-Frodo: Which one?
I thought a tarsus was the thing the doctor who rode in
/sarcasm
I still need to get through the later areas of the game, but I always liked how Lilly isn't necessarily the one that fights, but the spirits that protect her. I think games should be more creative in that way so they can represent more kinds of people in their stories, including those who aren't capable of swinging a sword.
I guess it's a detail I'm very peculiar about because of my chronic illness and it really drew me to the game that I might play as someone I could relate to. It almost is more meaningful for me to see in a game that features violence than seeing it in your typical non-violent comfy games.
my personal interpretation of little Ghost is that , while they start out hollow at the beginning of the game, their experiences develop and change them (alike to how THK failed to be truly empty because of their relationship with the pale king) - all depending on what the player chooses to do.
You can save the grubs, talk with hornet about your life, her life, and her very strong opinions on you, you can meet your mother, you can talk and sit with quirrel, you can give many npc's delicate flowers, you can do every single optional thing in the game, thereby influencing little ghost to be substantially less hollow.
which in this way it could be argued that the more hopeful endings are spawned from a more experienced player - you can defeat the radience with THK as your shades, killing you both but ending the cycle. You can defeat the radiance in godhome with everysingle one of your siblings, becoming a higher being yourself and saving the hollow knight from their torment + suffering.
These more hopeful endings come with experience, with the most basic ending coming from not playing the game to it's fullest.
so, arguably, little ghost isn't COMPLETELY hollow + without a mind, at least that's my interpretation anyway
The travesty of not acknowledging Ender Lilies’s music, sung and hummed by Mili shall not be forgiven. It is by far one of the best soundtracks in all of the games I have ever played and adds so much depth to the story and lily’s character. That aside, great video! Can’t wait for the next one
I can't believe I forgot to actually name Mili but my original plan was to end with Bulbel so there'd a be a Priestess singing (never sure whether it's meant to be Lily or Fretia or both singing?) but it immediately restricted the video both with the main and instrumental version 😭 hopefully more people will find Ender Lilies because of this video though and get to hear it!!
I kinda disagree about the little guy lacking all will in HK, mostly because of ending 1. We know that in the first ending the Knight's eyes shine orange when the radiance was sealed in it, implying that it was going to go the same way HK sealing the radiance did... which sort of implies that there was a will hidden somewhere deep inside the knight.
Other than that, amazing video. I loved both HK and Ender Lillies. Now if only they released Silk Song 😭
Yeah, I largely think that the Knight doesn't have will right now, but has the potential for it considering the ending after Absolute Radiance, and given how much the other bugs are interacting with it... It's probably only a matter of time which is so tragic, love breaks them. I thought the orange in the Night's eyes in ending 1 was just the shell being filled up with the plague but you could certainly read it that way!
The knight is a perfect vessel according to the white lady though, but it can be said that she is just senile
That thumbnail and Channel name threw me so much into a loop, then remembered its the lady who did the Rose video that i rewatched 5 times. I immediately lock in
Eyyy really glad you liked the Rule of Rose one! (One day when I have time I want to make a CHUNKY video on that because I adore that game), but ye! thanks for watching this one too! 💛
I love how you specify video essay everytime
Hahahaha, my partner says I should for doing algorithm stuff but also it's about the theeeeeeeeeemes! Love a theme XD
41:13 as someone whose never played hollow knight: oh, so THATS why people are so excited for silksong.
I think it is an interesting detail that, in the white palace, there is a room for a baby, implied to be the room that held the Hollow Knight that became the vessel. By the King treating it with a small amount of kindness, he gave the Knight enough personhood to not be a perfect vessel. And then the player controlling the ghost comes along and we give the vessel another kind of personhood in the god trials. Arguably!
I definitely need to play Ender Lilies now!
Ender Lilies is one of the very few games without spoken dialog, which made me cry and feel depressed/deeply sad while playing it. Seeing Lily be practically pure as snow at the beginning, to becoming almost completely corrupted by the end... left me honestly broken. I felt like her mother, but a horrible one that forced my child to go through pointless, undo suffering. All for a cause for which she had no choice in fighting for or not.
There's something really neat in the idea (as expressed by Team Cherry) that none of the endings are canon and are all equally valid. Because even though we'd traditionally see the sacrifice ending (confusingly and fittingly called "Hollow Knight) as the bad one, but it's also the one with more stakes (though I agree that if there is no mind or will, there is a lot less of a sacrifice).
It's also the one where the Void doesn't eradicate the Radiance, which is also interesting in that it leaves neither god at the peak of their influence.
Yeah, even Hornet who is kind of a hands off guide says that there's a harder choice and she'd prefer if you did that but still actively leaves the choice with the Knight, and by extension, the player and I like that! I didn't know Team Cherry considered all of them to be on equal ground but it's very fitting, and also builds into the potential of the Knight to develop that will if they keep digging
I absolutely love your video essays and I enjoy the discussion of murderous reverence. That the people who treat the saviour as a holy, sacred being will see them dead, their faith and worship based on that eventual death. There is no escaping, you can't 'win' and survive, you can't against all odds slay the dragon and come out of it alive; your death is the win and you living is sacreligious. You'd feel like a monster for your desire for life and yet you'd do everything to live.
I'm delighted to see someone talking about ender lilies. Such a striking piece.
one of my favorite example/subversion? of this trope is prince lothric from darks souls 3 the prince born specifically to link the fire yet he is cursed beyond believe ,having a frail body and never even swung his sword once at the end he decides to let the fire fades and the age of the flame ends . "Mind you, the mantle of Lord interests me none. The fire linking curse, the legacy of lords, let it all fade into nothing. You’ve done quite enough, now have your rest."
You’ve made me interested in Ender Lilies now. I can’t watch this for a while now because I have to play another metroidvania to prevent myself from being spoiled. I will see you all later, thanks for putting this game on my radar. It’s a fantasy metroidvania, perfect for my tastes.
It's an absolutely gorgeous game in art, music and plot to string together and the controls are pretty precision based like Hollow Knight! I hope you enjoy playing it when you get to it 💛
It's so good! It can be pretty hard but I really encourage getting through it, it's so beautiful and satisfying
I'm so glad to be seeing someone talk about Ender Lilies, I've seen so many people start the game and just not give it a chance at all because the movement isn't super snappy or it's got a difficulty spike. I was too interested in the story to put the game down, but it seems to me from what I've seen that more people measure the merit of a game based solely on the gameplay and not the story being told. Games are such an interesting medium for storytelling and I feel like it's not treated like as much of a real storytelling medium as books or movies. This video is lovely to see, I love the way you talk about these games.
Guys, guys wake up, Honeybat new upload!
Bat jumpscare! 🦇
With all the clip references you use, I can't help but hope for more videos on those stories too, especially Signalis and Slay the Princess. Maybe something on the concept of having to experience every outcome to better know yourself, and find a new end to your story? Or perhaps finding new peace in a doomed narrative. Keep up the great work!
Excellent video I loved it! It makes me reflect upon why stories about sacrifice of children for the sins of their fathers is seeing a resurgence at the moment....
I like how the idea of the knight making a choice being what dooms the world around it because there's a hopeful version of this as well.
The knight can give the God seeker a flower and if it is given the ending is different, with the flower somehow absorbing the God seeker and the knight as well as the void inside of it, using your video as a frame for this we can say the Knight made a choice of giving the flower...choosing to show kindness like the many others showed him as he travelled in Hallownest, and with that he saved them, the void following his will and being absorbed by said kindness.
I really like your content, your Bloodborne essay is so amazing and this one is on the same level! Amazing work!
I'm so grateful to this video for existing, and to Honey Bat for making it. It was actually one of the streams on this channel that first convinced me to pick up Ender Lilies, which has become one of my favorite games (along with Hollow Knight). And I couldn't ask for better timing on this video's release. Many thanks!
We are so back. The theme of the sacrificial lamb is so interesting, glad you analysed Hollow Knight.
NEW BAT ESSAY!! I'll have to chew on this one for a bit but it was a delight to watch, ty Bat!
GOD BLESS
it’s been a rough week and seeing this new upload really made my day! I LOVE hollow knight and I’m so happy you made an essay for it
Something about your videos is so comforting, your bloodborne, nier, and cat lady video I rewatch often. Sometimes I fall asleep to your videos after finishing it, idk what it is but your voice and the subject of what you talk about is somehow so comfortable to me.
Clonal daughters are so in right now.
Ender Lilies, Elden Ring, even my orchids are getting in on the fun!
I was just watching some of your older stuff what a pleasant surprise!
Bat jumpscare! 🦇 💛
I discovered your Bloodborne video right when Ender Lillies got handed out as a PS+ game. I've already bought Ender Magnolia in early access on Steam because holy crap, these are gorgeous games.
This... is interesting. There's a compliment encapsulated in there that I can barely comprehend, much less express, delirious as I am from a lack of sleep.
The Madness Returns soundtrack while talking about Hollow Knight fits soo good.
Beautiful video. I really enjoy the alchemical theme running through your work. I also really enjoy the Rule of Rose music sprinkled throughout.
This channel is criminally underrated. I've sent this and your Bloodborne video to my gaming chat.
I love how both of these games immerse themselves in darkness and find a way to show how to make our own light when there's none to be found.
I have been thinking abour how to tachle this topic for Ender Lillies for years now. Thank you for this!
not me tearing up immediately at hearing the hollow knight soundtrack - i cried about that game for MONTHS, the poor little guys :
It was an honor to be part of the video, I woke up at 2am and played the best Hollow Knight of my life for this and it was worth reinstalling the game for the 8th time
Soooo normal about Hollow knight
It was a massive help, thank you!! Plus enrichment until Silksong comes out XD
Your sleep schedule is so not okay bestie.
This got me jumping up and down because I actually found your channel a week ago and just binged all your videos in a day and wasn't expecting anything soon. Thanks for the content ma'am. love ya 🫡
A brilliantly made and well thought out video. Well done. These and Ori 2 are my favorite metroidvanias, not just in gameplay, but in the weight of the stories. You've put it more poignantly than most how truely tragic being born to die is, but that's the magic of the stories that really matter.
"Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Cuz they were holding onto something... That there's some good in the world... and it's worth fighting for."
I cant believe I am a month late seeing this. You are legit one of my favorite video essayists these days!
I've been watching your videos on repeat every now and then. They speak to me in very innate way and I truly apprete how beautifully you portray what you want to relay. Life has been a bit tumultuous for me and seeing a new video really lifted my spirits! Especially when I was very much scouring your channel yesterday so this really feels like a special treat. You have my best wishes in whatever you try to do and well thank you for cheering me up!
Yaaay HoneyBat posted, my day just got a lot better.
Gonna watch this later after work
THANK YOU IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE
I love ender lilies!! Im glad you're covering it.
i love your video essays, you do a really great job of choosing music and clips that are resonant with the mood you're going for and the themes you're covering! your videos aren't just well-written, they're crafted in a way that supports your writing in a way only this medium can. speaking of: as a huge madoka magica fan, i love your subtle inclusions of it and i spent the whole video thinking about the themes you mentioned in relation to that show. if you're ever interested in covering madoka magica in more detail in a future essay, i'd love to see it! regardless of what you decide to cover, i'll totally be there for it. congrats on the release, time to watch this video like 10 more times!
I'd love to do a Madoka video! I need to watch all the wider media around it as I've only seen the 12 part series without the films or anything, though admittedly I have watched the series a fair few times at this point. I've considered writing something before and gone welllll everyone knows about Madoka, it always comes up in discussions of magical girls so there's nothing really I can contribute that won't have already been said a million times but that's also what stopped me doing Hollow Knight for so long. I thought there'd be loads of stuff like this but when I actually looked, it was predominantly lore summary rather than analysis, which is still fascinating but also there's something I can add here! (this also happened with Bloodborne XD)
@@HoneyBat so much of its discussion in magical girl circles is just arguing whether it destroyed the genre or not (it didn't, obv) instead of engaging with its core ideas😭definitely a similar situation to hollow knight where it's so good that you'd expect everyone to have covered it in depth by now. i really like sulmatul's "in defense of sayaka miki" and anime slushie's ep-by-ep discussions though! also imo the only other part of the franchise worth watching is rebellion and maaaaaybe the manga "the different story", there's tons of side material but it's much more generic and less thematically coherent than the 12-ep show. the show is just so immaculately self-contained!
What a banger! Thank you so much for yet another lovely video essay. Keep it real!
every time i get your videos on my recommended im shocked theyre not more popular lol, you make really good analysis
HONEY BAT VIDEO HONEY BAT VIDEO HONEY BAT VIDEO
I can't explain in one comment how excited I got after seeing a notification today, love your stuff!!
So glad you're still here! Also I ended up picking up Ender Lilies just before this came out >.
Tuloks new Elden Ring run was exploring themes of motherhood and femininity while he was running around gathering Scadutree fragments and I thought of you when he brought up Bloodborne. Yay parallels!
I'm glad to see Ender Lillies getting some recognition 😊
What a welcome surprise upload!
Hope you enjoy it!
Lovely coincidence, I have just finished Ender Lilies and here you are with a video essay. Thank you, dear.
Something of note about the improvement via leveling: Lily's improvements are... interesting, as they seem to be based on the Blight as well. From what I understand, after you defeat a story boss, the game advances by a "chapter". This seems to be why spirits you pick up later on start at a higher level (well that and a bit of game balance to not waste your time with new level 1 scrubs...). Now, spirits are also improved by infusing them with blight (or ancient souls for the Umbral Knight) which you have taken from blighted bodies all over, purifying them. So by purifying the bosses and taking on an ostensibly large amount of Blight, your connection to the blighted spirits seems to grow more intense. Or something like that, does that make any sense? There is also the matter of exp for leveling up, which is not called such, it's also Blight. Certain blighted items held dear by their owners can increase the Blight you absorb from enemies you kill (but don't properly purify, I suppose?). It's interesting, this obviously dangerous thing that is transformed into power to help more victims, weaponizing a plague in a sense.
Also something about Faden I find interesting. Besides the name being likely German for "thread", he seems to be cradling something which looks rather insectoid to me. This "bundle" is apparently also where he fires his attacks from, "Manipulates Blighted to blast enemies" as it says in the game. Due to his intense cradling of this blighted bundle I can't help but read this as him holding either the Miriel/child hybrid in a cocoon of sorts (we do see a large one in the background, too, from which the monster likely emerged) or maybe even the blighted baby itself. It would be a contrast of a caring lover and/or father compared to the mean-spirited last king of the land, whom you touched upon as well. Implicitly, Faden is also father to the clones, of course and he did in fact care... to a degree. Video essay about parenthood when?
I find Fretia fascinating in this context. She was the duty bound sacrifice in this world, someone who would bear the pain of carrying the Blight. Except, she had people who truly cared for her, who wanted to save her from her fate. And that love and care is what turned her sacrifice into the kingdoms downfall.
Meanwhile Lily was made to sacrifice herself to save Fretia, but the true ending is only possible because of Eleine, Fretia's childhood friend, and the one person who saw her as Fretia, not the Priestess of the Fount, who delivered the Aegis Curio to the Parish where Lily slept under Fretias wishes to spare her from her own fate.
Was not expecting a new Honeybat video today but fuck yeah!
With Hollow Knight, i have a lot of thoughts about the Void and What It Is. The themes of darkness, of forgetting, the way that our Vessel can weild the Dream Nail and enter dreams and collect echoes even of forgotten souls not just warrior ones, and the way that the void exists as it is regardless of if anyone knows about it-I am of the personal opinion that the Void is, itself, a higher being and thats part of how the Lord of Shadows is formed.
If the Pale King and the Radience are not just light, but life and dreams and logic and physical consciousness and emotion, then the Void is apathy, instinctual consciousness and subconsciousness, it is illogical and death and darkness and the lack of dreams, of nightmares. Void is, in that way, peace and order, not chaos. It unifies, quiets, and collects like a grim reaper. It is an end to suffering, to the pain of remembrance, to an echoing existence.
It absorbs light so completely, of course the thoughts and life and emotions of a void being cannot be typically percieved. And it doesnt help that the Vessels are all children meant to be sacrificed before their birth to become vessels. But i wholly believe that the Pale King never understood what he was experimenting with, that the way void beings given a more recognizable form learn is the same as how children learn. They only seem mindless, thoughtless, because they are so alien that the typical bug and higher being of Hollow Knight cannot recognize what theyre looking at properly.
It makes you wonder what the ancient civilization that worshipped the void was like? Did these ancient bugs try to achieve the same level of emptiness as the void, divesting themselves to it or tried to understand it like the pale king?
This is nuts. I rewatched your bloodborne video within the last couple days as inspiration for a TTRPG I'm running!
That's amazing!! I hope you all have fun and come up with some eldritch brain spaghetti!!
Another banger, and an inspiration as always. That said, Im not too proud to admit that when you said "be a good little lamb, get on the altar" the only thought in my head was "yes ma'am"
Always a good day when a video essayist you love posts
Coming back to this video later and thank you for making this video. I some how stumbled into ending A in Ender Lilies without realising it and then after that I didn't play much else of the game after that. I started replaying it this week and I realised there is so much of the game that I missed. Your video has helped me to appreciate this beautiful game even more.
I will be watching this later, I wasn't aware a new video had been uploaded, can't wait to see what's your read on this game.
I always considered the Embrace the Void ending scene with Hornet was kind of just a "here's what else is going on in the world". Not a scene where the Knight controls THK. Mostly because, THK doesn't help us kill Absolute Radience, The Knight does, as the Shade Lord. Completely on it's own. That's an interesting conclusion.
25:18 not entirely true, you have one: when sitting on a bench, the Knight will slump forwards as if falling asleep if you sit there for long enough.
Hell yeah, new Honey Bat video! Have been recommending your channel to anyone listening lately.
Played this while playing Hollow Knight. Really great stuff, never thought about the themes of the rejection of sacrifice in the game before
Can’t wait to finish my shift at work so I can watch!! ✨✨✨
I adore your essays
You didn't need to jumpscare me with Long Quiet like that! If it weren't for the specific part about the MC taking the issues of the world INTO themself, I'd say you probably could've talked about him a bit too.
In embrace the void that's the hollow knight, the knights knees and bottom of mask don't look like that.
At this point, what's the difference? Is the knight puppeting the hollow knight?
I've enjoyed your bloodborne essay about a half dozen times. Cat lady a few, ouroboros a couple of times and even your silent hill essay, a series i have zero investment in, i found thoroughly enjoyable... And now you're talking about hollow knight??? Next you'll be talking about Lies of P and I'll have to change my answer when people ask for my favourite TH-cam gaming channel. (Currently you're second only to Jacob Geller but only really through quantity, quality wise I can't separate the two of you
I neeeeeed to play Lies of P, it looks very up my alley hahaha. Also thank you for such a lovely comment! I love Jacob Geller's channel so the comparison is an honour 💛
Always love hearing your insights on games like this. I don’t think I ever quite picked up on the idea that the Knight is empty not only because it needs to be a vessel but also the idea that it can’t have will or a soul or thoughts because otherwise they’ll be corrupted. I never really thought of that but it’s such a fascinating concept! And like, the idea that Hornet names it “Ghost” as an acknowledgment of her respect and as almost a gift is so cool! Also I’ve never heard of Ender Lillies until now but yeah I’m completely sold here. Definitely gonna check it out. Btw, I noticed at one point you put a Clip from Slay the Princess, any chance you’ll be making a video on that? It’s probably my favorite game I’ve played this year and I’d definitely be fascinated to hear your thoughts on it.
I love the Fatal Frame references. I would love to watch a video about them
Glad to see another upload, it was a very pleasant surprise, big fan of literally all your other video essays.
This thumbnail took randomly apprearing surprised me so much, like who did I subscribe to
hahaha, whatever draws people into my rambling (also I love your pfp!)
@@HoneyBat Thanks! I randomly saw the image one day and made it my pfp, I could never find the original source for it though.
The queen returns 💜💛🖤🤍
Im so glad you uploaded, missed you quite a bit. I hope you're doing great.
Great video for two great games.
Thank you so much for this beautiful video, I love your content! When I found you before I binged everything in a day and was devastated there wasn't tons more and now I'm getting new stuff!
i was crying by the 2 minutes mark,, pls 😭
Thank you for this lovely video, Especially since i was never able to play Hollow Knight... For me the worst possible fate is to have to live as male. Thankfully you get to be Hornet in the sequel. Between this and Hades 2 Its going to be such a treat to get to play these critically claimed games.
Always a joy to watch your videos, I love how well you convey these themes of these games. Thank you for the work you put into this one!
you were dearly missed
hope you've been well
Thank you💛 I'm alright! Just incredibly busy all the time, I hope you're well and having a good day too ^.^
YAY NEW VIDEO!!!! Im here from your Bloodborne video. Im happy you're still posting
Both of these games have such incredible soundtracks
The music and art is gorgeous in both of these!! Very different styles but they're both incredible games- I'm hoping more people get into Ender Lilies if they see it with Hollow Knight too ^.^
@HoneyBat So happy to see other people appreciate ender lilies
Didn’t watch yet but got the notif that a new honey bat vid dropped, oh i am so excited!!!
Edit: as expected, AMAZING video!! Appreciate your talent in weaving in literary references into these analyses :)
Hope you enjoy it!! (thanks for the comment boost💛)
2:06 yeah... I'd pack my things and rid away to the North Pole
Oh my god she's back with another essay 🙏
Great video! If you want a good example of a series that explores the consequences of someone refusing to be the world saving sacrifice try the Legacy of Kain series!
We are so back
The Godhome plot in Hollow Knight is so strange. On one hand it feels like fanfiction/mods, but on another i like the idea that there are just other higher beings that can interrupt and usurp the plans of the Pale King/Radiance.
I ADORE all of your videos thank you so much for what you do ❤❤❤
WAKE UP ANOTHER HONEYBAT UPLOAD LETS GOOOO
I really enjoyed your video but my read on the last ending of hollow knight is a bit different, I think the knight chooses to sacrifice itself to spare the Hollow Knight and Hornet.
imo the one approaching Hornet at the end is a purified Hollow Knight, I think there's some lore somewhere about the chains grabbing beings containing the radiance so they would have been released after the radiance was gone.
Also there's another version of the ending when the knight gives the godseeker a delicate flower which destroys the void and the god seeker in the final cut scene.
Listening to this while practicing Absolute Radiance, I’m so close to beating the fifth pantheon I can taste it. I love how much work it takes to get an ending that’s still pretty damn bleak, but none the less well worth effort
Shortening Tarsus to Tars is cute though!
Wake up babe, Honey Bat just uploaded a new video 🙏
Yet another honeybat video i cant watch till i play one of the relevant games.