Years after its release, Team Cherry's Hollow Knight still serves as a golden example of how successful independent game development can be with hard work and a bit of luck. Fans quickly absorbed all that this fantasy-inspired world had to offer and fell in love with its mixture of genre tropes and insect-inspired designs.

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It's still unclear when the sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong, will release, but until then there's plenty of time to learn about the characters inside of Hallownest and the world itself.

8 The Stags

Hollow Knight The Last Stag eagerly awaiting you in the station to hop on for a ride to a destination.

In the game, you encounter a character known as The Last Stag who serves as the last of his kind - a group of stag beetles who serves as the best and most efficient form of transportation for anyone residing in Hallownest. Once the Infection kicked in and Hallownest fell, so did the stagways.

No one traveled and thus the large beetles became unnecessary. Thankfully there's still one left trying to honor the legacy of his people, who were core to what Hallownest was in its prime. Unn is the least problematic of the bunch as it seems to exist as a silent omnipotent being.

7 The Pale King's Disappearance

Hollow Knight Hallownest Lore 7 the pale king

The Pale King is interesting, but he isn't ashamed of following in the footsteps of many rulers featured in works of fiction. As Hallownest began to fall and the creatures occupying it succumb to the Infection, the Pale King fled.

There were plenty of glaring red flags with the Pale King, and considering he operated under a false identity to trick lesser beings, it's clear he held self-preservation above all else when it came to his list of priorities.

6 Major Beliefs

Hollow Knight Hallownest Lore 6 kingdom beliefs

Inside Hallownest people worship any number of beings, objects, or ways of life. The three most prominent happen to be those that worship either the Pale King, the Radiance, or Unn. Each has a distinct flaw or issue that becomes rather apparent.

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The Pale King lives in a false identity and disappeared when his people needed him most. The Radiance created a group of subjects to worship her, and once they revolted, her forceful temptation caused serious damage.

5 What Caused The Infection

Hollow Knight Hallownest Lore 5 radiance infection

As with most stories, the downfall of Hallownest was due to personal greed and benefit. The Radiance was a powerful being who created the Moth tribe to have worshipers.

It backfired as these creatures eventually stopped worshipping her, and as a result of her trying to indoctrinate them in their dreams, it led to the manifestation of the Infection. These people resisted the temptation of her influence in such a manner that it spurned a disease worse than death.

4 All Of The Tribes

Hollow Knight Hallownest Lore 4 bug tribes

The world of Hallownest is full of different species, with many of these bugs and insects belonging to and claiming certain tribes. Among these are the Mosskin, who are plant-like bugs, as well as the Spider and Mantis tribes, which are pretty self-explanatory.

A fourth tribe known as the Moth tribe was created by a being known as the Radiance who did so for the sole purpose of having worshipers. She is also known as the enemy of the Void, a substance that could be found at the bottom of the Abyss.

3 City of Tears

Hollow Knight Hallownest Lore 3 city of tears

When you get far enough in the game, you'll come across a grand city known as the City of Tears. It's clear, despite its worn-down appearance, that this place was once an area of extreme importance.

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As it turns out, the City of Tears once served as the capital city of Hallownest. The lake above drips onto the buildings through cracks and is the inspiration for the city's name and the sole reason as to why it is constantly raining.

2 Those Before Hallownest

Hollow Knight Hallownest Lore 2 ancient civilization

Anyone who plays Hollow Knight is familiar with the idea of Hallownest once being a thriving kingdom. Before these days occurred, the land was once occupied by an ancient civilization.

These creatures didn't worship power or lords like the modern Hallownest creatures, but instead became obsessed with a substance found at the bottom of the Abyss known as the Void. This civilization disappeared without explanation, but it's safe to assume that either the Abyss or the Void substance played a key role.

1 Pale King's Real Identity

Hollow Knight Hallownest Lore 1 pale king wyrm

The Pale King resembles the Knight in a way, but its real identity is much more interesting and equally terrifying. It was originally a Wyrm creature who stumbled upon Kingdom's Edge and once it saw the other living forms, it shed its shell and morphed itself into a form that would be more welcoming to the people it wished to rule.

It was a higher being who could expand the mind of other living species and was thus giving the label of a light.

NEXT: Hollow Knight: Every Area Of The Hallownest, Ranked