The below comment is from the channel Sumwan who did an incredible job critiquing this episode. Unfortunately, the comment got lost (UA-cam 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.
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
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.
The Knight being his "child" could also just be the continuation of the Pale King's past life. The Knight was born from the Pale King whether it was the reincarnation or him as a whole different person. The Knight isn't exactly the Pale King but the Pale King isn't also exactly the Wyrm.
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
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
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
@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"
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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
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
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 )
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?
@@klrway 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.
@@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 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
The game clearly considers the Knight to be the Pale King's son, though that might just be an interpretation of their connection. On three separate occasions (one of them the name of an achievement) Hornet and the Knight are referred to as siblings.
The vessels come from eggs made by the White Lady and The Pale King. Hornet is the daughter of The Pale King and The Beast. So, yeah, kind of half brothers.
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
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
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..
I mean, the soul master uses soul too, but he isn’t a higher being... Also, the pale lady says the knight reminds him of the wyrm... have you never heard someone say that you remind them of your father/mother??? The pale lady also straight out says that the knight is her son...
That still wouldn't change the fact if her exact words were my spawn in that context it still relates to them being the child or creation of the Divine lady Btw i dont know her name dont roast me
This theory is ultimately incorrect from what I’ve learned after playing the game but hey, this theory introduced me to one of my favourite games of all time, thanks matpat.
I still like watching game/film/food theory even tho some of them are ultimately incorrect. Mat has introduced some of my favorite games and movies to me so I can't be too mad when he messes up.
11:27 "During one of your interactions..." It's BECAUSE you have the completed Kingsoul charm, and since the Pale King was the only one to have the other piece, THAT'S what she was sensing.
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
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
@@mekullag 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*
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
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 »
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.
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.
Only one major problem: when the knight accesses his memories through the black egg, we see that the king was still alive when the knight was discarded, and they even both occupied the same space for some time. So for both of them to be sentient at the same time this means they can't be the same person
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."
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!
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.
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.
"Hallownest shall recognize a new king" "The kingdom's gates are open to you" King's Brand text upon adquiring it. This basically means that NPCs like the retainers recognizing you as king is because of the Brand, not because you're the Pale King
@@tireddipstick1661 Yeah, our character is almost certainly a "son" (failed vessel) of the Pale King. When you get the Void Heart, it shows a little cutscene that really shows
@@LTDLetsPlays Mossbag is amazing, I'd like to see his response to this. His bit about Hornet being void (or rather, that she super-definitely-isn't) was great.
So wait. To answer the question on how the Knight got out of the Abyss in the first place is simple. He probably just forgot to use a bench, quit the game and spawned outside the map.
This is nice theory, but it does not hold ground for a few reasons: First and foremost, we can see the exact moment when our knight is left to fall in the abyss by both the newly born hollow knight and the pale king himself. This happens when dream-nailing the egg from which our knight is supposed to have hatched. At the same time it is the only surface in which we can see our reflection in the game and we could also say that we dream-nailed ourselves in order to remember that scene. As such it can be said that one knight was not created after another, our knight was not raised in the palace and so, the crib in the white palace belongs to the first knight. If i remember correctly White Lady said that she was the one that raised him, with the Pale King being his mentor. (All vessles are children of the king and lady, thanks The Gsp, i forgot about that) Another argument against this theory is that we are not actually the Pale King, we just took his brand. With the brand alone you can open the great door in the Ancient Basin. In the White Palace the servants may bow down simply because, as the brand`s description says "it marks the bearer as a king". At the same time, that piece of dialogue of the White Lady about the Pale King happens only when you wear the king`s soul charm. She could say that because she feels some of the kings presence through the charm. (the cut dialogues mentioned are also meant to be for when you dream-nail while having the brand/kingsoul, as pointed by Technic G4meplays, thanks) A third argument is that soul is essence that can be harnessed not only by god-like creatures like Radiance. Normal bugs can harness and control soul too, for example Soul Master and his disciples who had a whole wing of the city dedicated for the study and mastery of soul, thinking soul was the key to seal the Radiance, or the shamans from whom we get all our spells. Some semblance of such magic could have been used to seal the chains around the Hollow Knight and then to finally seal the Black Egg with the help of the dreamers. Our mastery of soul is sluggish. As a hollow vessel we absorbed most of the knowledge required to use our spells either from the shamans or from the Soul Master. This proves that the only ability that we naturally posses is the focus. In Godmaster DLC when we fight the Hollow Knight in his prime, we get to see his mastery of soul which is way better then ours because of his training including his version of focus. As such we can say that all bugs and vessels have the inborn ability to harness soul and that the soul focus that we learn in the tutorial is a vessel specific ability because no other soul-mastering being can use it. (i used more space this time ^^ )
Alsoooooo vessels are children of king and white lady. Two higher beings. I think that also makes them royality (why guys bow down in white palace) and why they have some power over soul
just want to point out that when the knight born, the pale king still well and alive. from the scene when getting the voidheart. and also did you forgot that the knight is pale king child and also grab the mark of king which make him the king of hallownest which explain why the royal retainer bow to the knight
@@kayrathekebab9913 if you were a royal retainer and someone who looked very similar to your dead king entered a super secret palace that the king locked away in the dream world, which most mortals can’t access, you would probably bow too. Also, the royal retainers likely knew about the vessels, and would recognize you as a Prince/Princess/whatever you would call it
All vessels are higher beings, as they are children of the pale king and the white lady. As you can see in the false ending, the knight is completely hollow because he can subdue the radiance. If he can kill the radiance, why would he become completely hollow?
Yes. My personal theory is that the Vessels are considered higher because of the Void energy used in their creation. And, of course the fact that they are kind of, but not literally, the children of the Pale King.
@@cseve8801 There's what's called the "Bad Ending", which is different from what's calledd the "True Ending" What's the opposite of True? False. It's not the canonical ending therefore it's false
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
@@SadSmash547 Perhaps he's trying to tease us and is making us wait another month?? I can't wait that long! I'm so excited for his new channel! (well, actually I never watched Film Theory's stuff because I'm a gamer at heart, but maybe this one I'll like!)
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.
I was the exact same. when I watched this I only just reached the city of tears. After I got about same more ways through and started readying up on lore I was like... Yeah sorry but you're wrong this time
@@catsarecool7247 Or maybe the king used a part of himself (like a piece of his soul?) to create a successful hollow being. Cause those bug at the palace DO in fact bow down so there should be some meaning there. I'm still not half way through the game but Mats theory is so sad and beautiful and i really with for it to be true.
@@Nim... What I got out of it was that yes we are the hollow knight.... or at least A hollow knight. I think the theory might be correct in a way, if not a literal reincarnation of the king, at least a symbolic one...also...bugs...metamorphosis. the Hollow Knight at the end of the game looks like a mature final form of the knight we play as, or maybe its the middle transformation toward something greater I don't know to be honest.
@@Nim... Go check out moss bag's video "Debunking a mat pat theory". He is a hollow knight lore you-tuber that gives a terrific debunk. Not to hate on mat or anything he respects the theory and some of his points. But this theory has so many problems in the lore.
It's a great video, but there's a cutscene that needs to be addressed. The one where the Pale king and the hollow knight walk away from the player character and the Hollow knight looks back at the Knight.
Yeah and saying the knight is the pale king would suggest that the king is void which makes no sense if the void is from hallownest and the Wyrm is not.
"Born of God and void" God as in the pale king and void. You are royalty but not the king. You are part of the king just like all the other siblings and the hollow knight. That is why the knight is referred as a higher being and such, because he is considered demigod.
You're not considered a demigod. The Godseeker completely blows you off when you first speak to it. It is only when you prove your strength by defeating all of the bosses that you're given any respect by the Godseeker.
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.
"Most people see the final boss's title card come up and it dawns on them; oh I guess Im not playing as the hollow knight..." I mean, unless you actually play the game and see any of the DOZENS of things that expliditly tell you youre not the hollow knight way way back in the very beginning.
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.
I'm surprised MatPat played the whole thing and missed that you weren't the hollow knight till the end (it says in statues and dialogue) and missed all the times it said explicitly that you are the child of the pale king and a sibling to hornet and the hollow knight.
That's cause he probably didn't even play the game but looked up a summary of everything. It would make since to make a theory like this just by looking up a summary
@@Cool_Turp would make sense. Because there is the scene that shows THE KING AND THE KNIGHT EXISTING AT THE SAME TIME. You wouldnt miss that if you played the game
The below comment is from the channel Sumwan who did an incredible job critiquing this episode. Unfortunately, the comment got lost (UA-cam 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
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 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
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
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 Knight being his "child" could also just be the continuation of the Pale King's past life. The Knight was born from the Pale King whether it was the reincarnation or him as a whole different person. The Knight isn't exactly the Pale King but the Pale King isn't also exactly the Wyrm.
@@snapppyturtle4412the hk and the pale king were in the same room i didnt get to the pale king i walked away hk is his child
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
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
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
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
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
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**
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"
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
Matpat: our knight is a reincarnation of the pale ki-
mossbag: *no*
Almost every other hollow knight player: no
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.
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
@@anonymoushuman1568 isn't that the hollow knight himself
@@anonymoushuman1568 yeah, the dead pale king corpse
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
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.
“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
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
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.
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.
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
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!
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?
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
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...*
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.
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*
The dialogue when npcs mistake you for the king comes from the king's brand
Well, they do technically do that even if you don’t have the brand.
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.
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 ._.*
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.
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..
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
@@klrway 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*
"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
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?
The worst part is that the beginning implies he thinks hornet is void
The game clearly considers the Knight to be the Pale King's son, though that might just be an interpretation of their connection. On three separate occasions (one of them the name of an achievement) Hornet and the Knight are referred to as siblings.
The vessels come from eggs made by the White Lady and The Pale King. Hornet is the daughter of The Pale King and The Beast.
So, yeah, kind of half brothers.
the main difference is that Vessels are made of void and therefore able to focus soul, and Hornet is not
So could the king place his soul into his son's body making it both the father and the son?
@@Nortrodamas maybe but then he wouldn't absorb the radiance
So the Knight is Jesus?
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
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
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..
I get what you mean, but that's most likely a symbolic scene.
But the player character isn't specifically part of that memory, we're watching them as they see the memory.
I mean, the soul master uses soul too, but he isn’t a higher being...
Also, the pale lady says the knight reminds him of the wyrm...
have you never heard someone say that you remind them of your father/mother??? The pale lady also straight out says that the knight is her son...
Well, not son. But that's the idea.
@@starthing1255 i think the word she used was "my spawn"
That still wouldn't change the fact if her exact words were my spawn in that context it still relates to them being the child or creation of the Divine lady
Btw i dont know her name dont roast me
She is also blind.
oR dAuGhTeRrRrRr...
I love how you can disprove the entire theory by a single line of dialogue or cutscene
It shows how connected the game
I mean, you literally walk up to the pale king's corpse in the white palace.
@@enter_the_pain5762 I mean, the wyrm’s body was still present even as the pale king was alive, but yeah this theory is wrong lmao
@Soldier [TF2] It's important to note that his team is fine. One of his editors I know has his own UA-cam channel, and he's a great guy.
@@enter_the_pain5762 in a cutscene after you approach the black egg, you literally see the Pale King and the Knight in he same room
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 kinda want MatPat to make a new Hollow Knight theory after learning his mistakes with this one
Maybe smth about the grimm troupe
This theory is ultimately incorrect from what I’ve learned after playing the game but hey, this theory introduced me to one of my favourite games of all time, thanks matpat.
Yeah same
I still like watching game/film/food theory even tho some of them are ultimately incorrect. Mat has introduced some of my favorite games and movies to me so I can't be too mad when he messes up.
S A M E
Its Matpat's theory UvU
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?
11:27 "During one of your interactions..." It's BECAUSE you have the completed Kingsoul charm, and since the Pale King was the only one to have the other piece, THAT'S what she was sensing.
Royal retainers also bow because of it...
Can confirm, that dialogue only happens if you have the Kingsoul, which is a fragment of Pale King (or at least taken from his corpse)
@@dryptosaurus It also marks you as the NEW king
Mat didn’t unmask the little ghost, he unmasked his inability to do basic thought
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
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
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
@@mekullag 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 is royalty”
So are all of the other vessels
Dunkey recommended this game genuinely and that sold it for me
The game was the best. It’s level progression was god tier
ilovecodemonkeys same
Then this abomination is here. Let’s try not to stare at it.
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.
@@lazilexi Yeah, that one exactly.
I’m just happy HK is getting more attention before silksong releases.
in like 3 years
Si
@@Villfuk02 it's already like 70% done probably, this isn't petscop 2.
Probably comes out in 2020. Or it comes out in 2019 and Team Cherry just doesn’t want to reveal that
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
yeah, petscop 2 is like 110% done, Pyro's just teasing us
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.
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.
~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.
Only one major problem: when the knight accesses his memories through the black egg, we see that the king was still alive when the knight was discarded, and they even both occupied the same space for some time. So for both of them to be sentient at the same time this means they can't be the same person
we might just be an intruder in our own memory. we don't know how dreams work exactly
Thank you! I was waiting the whole episode to see how he explained that
Vessels aren't sentient beings by definition?
@@yanchukcha9748They are, actually. remember, the vessels were discarded because they had too much thought, thus being sentient.
i was about to comment that-
I like that for “brutally difficult bosses” he displayed the Vengefly King 😂
Team Cherry: Mossbag we choose you to enforce our will
MatPat: You are the Pale ki-
Team Cherry: well done Mossbag
Good comment
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
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
Hollow knight is my single favorite game right now and even though I have beaten it, I am still not bored of it 😂
"Hallownest shall recognize a new king"
"The kingdom's gates are open to you"
King's Brand text upon adquiring it. This basically means that NPCs like the retainers recognizing you as king is because of the Brand, not because you're the Pale King
i was thinking about this while watching the video
What if he's another of the pale kings son, and that's why it says son at the end and why he only gets the Kings brand after the pale king dies
s_o_m_e_w_e_i_r_d_o
It's confirmed that the Pale King is the father of The Hollow Knight, the Knight, and all of the other vessels.
@@tireddipstick1661 Yeah, our character is almost certainly a "son" (failed vessel) of the Pale King. When you get the Void Heart, it shows a little cutscene that really shows
Also, you literally acquire the King's Soul...
the day that the knight is the pale king is the day that hornet is void
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?
@@josh_the_alien why're you turning a joke into something about climate change
Come forth!
Mossbag!
Time for some Hollow Knight Lore!
rusty....is very,,,,meh mossbag is the best boi
@@LTDLetsPlays Mossbag is amazing, I'd like to see his response to this. His bit about Hornet being void (or rather, that she super-definitely-isn't) was great.
Love mossbag tho
A W A K E N M Y M A S T E R S
@@LTDLetsPlays Rusty is awesome! Don't say he's worse than Mossbag. He just isn't really the lore guy.
So wait. To answer the question on how the Knight got out of the Abyss in the first place is simple.
He probably just forgot to use a bench, quit the game and spawned outside the map.
This hit near home
Your sir are correct there are indeed no benches in the Abyss therefore the Knight respawns at the starting area.
Genius. You should be in harvard
wHY YOU-
*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.
MatPat: -You eight legged freaks.
Me!: Something's not right. I believe the correct term is
*Creepy Crawly Death Dealers*
Or gods
Lol a senders sides reference
I see that Sanders Sides reference
It's The Great Spider Threat of 2019 😂😂😂
Hey it’s a fellow guy/gal/nonbinary pal
Abyss Climb Cutscene: Exists
Matpat: *Erases Pale King*
"Only higher beings can use soul"
Soul Masters. You forgot about the entire tower of souls
MatPat: Clearly the Pale King is also the Soul masters
@HellHeater Snail shamans: hey I'm here for the meeting ,you know the one we're debunking matpats entire theory.
Edit spelling
“You are not just a soul, you are the whole sanctum.
Isn't the soul master only the boss, aren't the enemys soul scholars, soul aprentices or somthing?
@@mrfrog0913 l said soul, not soul MASTER
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
This is nice theory, but it does not hold ground for a few reasons:
First and foremost, we can see the exact moment when our knight is left to fall in the abyss by both the newly born hollow knight and the pale king himself. This happens when dream-nailing the egg from which our knight is supposed to have hatched. At the same time it is the only surface in which we can see our reflection in the game and we could also say that we dream-nailed ourselves in order to remember that scene. As such it can be said that one knight was not created after another, our knight was not raised in the palace and so, the crib in the white palace belongs to the first knight. If i remember correctly White Lady said that she was the one that raised him, with the Pale King being his mentor. (All vessles are children of the king and lady, thanks The Gsp, i forgot about that)
Another argument against this theory is that we are not actually the Pale King, we just took his brand. With the brand alone you can open the great door in the Ancient Basin. In the White Palace the servants may bow down simply because, as the brand`s description says "it marks the bearer as a king". At the same time, that piece of dialogue of the White Lady about the Pale King happens only when you wear the king`s soul charm. She could say that because she feels some of the kings presence through the charm. (the cut dialogues mentioned are also meant to be for when you dream-nail while having the brand/kingsoul, as pointed by Technic G4meplays, thanks)
A third argument is that soul is essence that can be harnessed not only by god-like creatures like Radiance. Normal bugs can harness and control soul too, for example Soul Master and his disciples who had a whole wing of the city dedicated for the study and mastery of soul, thinking soul was the key to seal the Radiance, or the shamans from whom we get all our spells. Some semblance of such magic could have been used to seal the chains around the Hollow Knight and then to finally seal the Black Egg with the help of the dreamers.
Our mastery of soul is sluggish. As a hollow vessel we absorbed most of the knowledge required to use our spells either from the shamans or from the Soul Master. This proves that the only ability that we naturally posses is the focus. In Godmaster DLC when we fight the Hollow Knight in his prime, we get to see his mastery of soul which is way better then ours because of his training including his version of focus. As such we can say that all bugs and vessels have the inborn ability to harness soul and that the soul focus that we learn in the tutorial is a vessel specific ability because no other soul-mastering being can use it.
(i used more space this time ^^ )
Use space bar.
Alsoooooo vessels are children of king and white lady. Two higher beings. I think that also makes them royality (why guys bow down in white palace) and why they have some power over soul
Hmmm..... I really need to finish the game. Cursed time constraints!!!
...
Thank you! I totally agree!
What about the cut scene of the knight watching the hollow knight and king before he falls back into the abyss
Matt: _Covers Hollow Knight_
r/HollowKnightMemes: *It's showtime*
Ha ha yes
@@theweevilman HORAAAAAA lmao
Plus the #Lore room in the Discord Server that Matt clearly didn't consult
@@purkat6349 heyyo!
I'm just waiting for mossbag to pull up
just want to point out that when the knight born, the pale king still well and alive. from the scene when getting the voidheart. and also did you forgot that the knight is pale king child and also grab the mark of king which make him the king of hallownest which explain why the royal retainer bow to the knight
Totally agree, of course everyone treat us like a king : we indeed became the king !
not that im supporting this shitty theory but they bow even if you dont have the kings brand
@@kayrathekebab9913 if you were a royal retainer and someone who looked very similar to your dead king entered a super secret palace that the king locked away in the dream world, which most mortals can’t access, you would probably bow too. Also, the royal retainers likely knew about the vessels, and would recognize you as a Prince/Princess/whatever you would call it
@@AshenDust_ ...i know
@@kayrathekebab9913 Well, they probably respected the Hollow Knight as well and thought that it was them.
All vessels are higher beings, as they are children of the pale king and the white lady.
As you can see in the false ending, the knight is completely hollow because he can subdue the radiance. If he can kill the radiance, why would he become completely hollow?
Knight isn't Hollow, that's another misconception
Yes. My personal theory is that the Vessels are considered higher because of the Void energy used in their creation. And, of course the fact that they are kind of, but not literally, the children of the Pale King.
@@jakehuang1049 just like primarchs!
There are no false endings.
@@cseve8801 There's what's called the "Bad Ending", which is different from what's calledd the "True Ending"
What's the opposite of True? False. It's not the canonical ending therefore it's false
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
Red, green, yellow. He teased Film Theory with red. BOOK THEORY CONFIRMED?
Hi, haven't found anything explicit About the yellow in the logo. Any official words about that? Greetings Juy Juka
YES!! More people need to notice this!! Make this top comment or something, I want to know what the heck Yellow Theory is!!!
I noticed that too. 0:29 Green, red, then yellow.
@@SadSmash547 Perhaps he's trying to tease us and is making us wait another month?? I can't wait that long! I'm so excited for his new channel! (well, actually I never watched Film Theory's stuff because I'm a gamer at heart, but maybe this one I'll like!)
Do you think it could just be the addition of the arg game he’s doing with his fans?
HI Mat Pat!
I suggest you do a video where you show all the theories that were confirmed.
Please concider this!
Which wouldn't be this one lmao
why watch a 1 second video
@@shooshydooshy lol
How about an episode about every single theory which was proven wrong. You'll have new content in that case
@@tikoblocks3224 Jokes...
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.
when i first watched this i was like "huh, kewl"
but then i actually played the game and was like "matpat, how did you ever even think this"
I was the exact same. when I watched this I only just reached the city of tears. After I got about same more ways through and started readying up on lore I was like... Yeah sorry but you're wrong this time
@@xxswagmastermike_7kxx568 he is actually one of the failed experiments. Except actually a successful one.
@@catsarecool7247 Or maybe the king used a part of himself (like a piece of his soul?) to create a successful hollow being. Cause those bug at the palace DO in fact bow down so there should be some meaning there. I'm still not half way through the game but Mats theory is so sad and beautiful and i really with for it to be true.
@@Nim... What I got out of it was that yes we are the hollow knight.... or at least A hollow knight. I think the theory might be correct in a way, if not a literal reincarnation of the king, at least a symbolic one...also...bugs...metamorphosis. the Hollow Knight at the end of the game looks like a mature final form of the knight we play as, or maybe its the middle transformation toward something greater I don't know to be honest.
@@Nim... Go check out moss bag's video "Debunking a mat pat theory". He is a hollow knight lore you-tuber that gives a terrific debunk. Not to hate on mat or anything he respects the theory and some of his points. But this theory has so many problems in the lore.
0:21
oh no
is that void i see coming out hornet
HEY MOSSBAG COME QUICK, ITS AN *EMERGANCY*
Wait. That's illegal!
Thank
Absolute iss that you?
And knight doesn't use nail.
0% void 100% waifu apparently
Hollow Knight is literally my favorite game right now. The Silksong game is going to be so great!
Same
Definitely!!!
silksong could be a black screen and i would buy it
Same here! I'm replaying Hollow Knight for a 4th time mainly because of it
YESS!
I was nodding along until he hit me with “we are, in fact, royalty” and then I lost all hope
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!
As a Hollow Knight fan I can safely say I did *not* see this coming but WOOO LETS GO
Drifter never even heard of this but now I’m a fan. The best part is that it has such a deep lore and still has a happy and fulfilling ending.
Hahaha! Same :D
Ditto my dude
Agreed
Same
It's a great video, but there's a cutscene that needs to be addressed. The one where the Pale king and the hollow knight walk away from the player character and the Hollow knight looks back at the Knight.
James Becker exactly
It could have been a flashback for the Pale King and due to his ancient powers appear to the hollow knight
Thanks for rembembering.
It just doesn't fit in the theory
Yeah I was thinking about that as well
I believe that was the pale king walking away with his son
matpat: makes another video and adds captions
me wh always uses captions: what- why are they in cursive- why are they fancy!?
“You are playing as the Pale Ki-“
*Mossbag* has entered the chat
me: *sees hornet leaking void*
also me: *confused screaming*
Yeah and saying the knight is the pale king would suggest that the king is void which makes no sense if the void is from hallownest and the Wyrm is not.
@@gralden C R AM S W O R D
She’s actually leaking screen transitions
@@WooperGamerYT Oh ye forgot about that lore piece
Timestamp?
"Born of God and void"
God as in the pale king and void. You are royalty but not the king. You are part of the king just like all the other siblings and the hollow knight. That is why the knight is referred as a higher being and such, because he is considered demigod.
That is mind blowing
Jordan Jone no it’s not. You’re supposed to be able to pice it together by yourself if you ACTUALLY played the game
You're not considered a demigod. The Godseeker completely blows you off when you first speak to it. It is only when you prove your strength by defeating all of the bosses that you're given any respect by the Godseeker.
@@ZeroNumerous yeah but the fact that at any point several people consider them a God would say quite a bit
ZeroNumerous the godseeker thinks gruz mother is a god, they aren’t a reliable source.
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.
"Most people see the final boss's title card come up and it dawns on them; oh I guess Im not playing as the hollow knight..."
I mean, unless you actually play the game and see any of the DOZENS of things that expliditly tell you youre not the hollow knight way way back in the very beginning.
All the let's players I've seen realize when they discover the Hollowknight statue in the city of tears.
Jolly Good ol' Chap That statue was when I realized it
Jolly Good ol' Chap I’ve seen multiple playthroughs where the UA-camr realizes at the statue and then again somehow at the boss fight.
There's literally a giant statue that says "The memorial to The Hollow Knight..."
Like the Fountain in the City of Tears. Or Hornet's non-optional dialog
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
Matpat: * starts the theory *
mossbag: *I'm gonna stop you right there*
The game makes the radiance so high and powerful, when you realize you could just accidentally step on it and it would immidietly die 💀
"It's like the Dark Souls of Story Telling"
Scott : *Nervous Laugh In Animatronics*
@@Dramono YES
I'm just gonna sprinkle in the fact that you can literally "go hollow" in dark souls
@@Dramono true..
I'm surprised MatPat played the whole thing and missed that you weren't the hollow knight till the end (it says in statues and dialogue) and missed all the times it said explicitly that you are the child of the pale king and a sibling to hornet and the hollow knight.
That's cause he probably didn't even play the game but looked up a summary of everything. It would make since to make a theory like this just by looking up a summary
@@Cool_Turp would make sense. Because there is the scene that shows THE KING AND THE KNIGHT EXISTING AT THE SAME TIME. You wouldnt miss that if you played the game
@@kuhamarjis8552 that was THK not GK look closer their horns