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Team Cherry's Silksong upholds the signature narrative style from the original title, scattering pieces of history and character growth in various corners. When you piece it all together, the evolution from a apparently straightforward beginning to a deeply significant conclusion is remarkable. Much like the rest of the game, the plot is grander in scope and more refined than its predecessor, centered around a powerful core concept and a significant revelation.

However, the word "Nearly" is key. There is a significant problem: the development team seem uncertain about whether the protagonist is the heroine or the player.

Heads Up: The following discussion contains major plot reveals for both the regular and secret conclusions of Silksong.

The Pilgrimage of Hornet

The adventure starts with Hornet imprisoned in a cage. A group known as the Weavers captured her on orders from the deity Mother Silk, from whom Hornet is partially born. After escaping, she joins a band of travelers and begins her ascent. Her path takes her from the dark underworld littered with bones and corpses up towards the fortress, home to Pharloom's corrupt religious caste. Along the way, she observes the hardship and pain inflicted upon the exploited masses in the name of religion—workers who toil unto death, dissenters jailed for daring to question, and more.

Lace and the Central Conflict

Lace, also born from Grand Mother Silk's essence, is likewise ascending to the stronghold. Her plan is to revive the deity, exact revenge on the corrupt clergy, and seize control. Hornet's arrival changes everything. In the regular conclusion, she takes over from the deity. In the true ending, she locks away Mother Silk, confronts the dark entity, rescues her rival, and sees Mother Silk give herself up so they may go free.

Thematic Foundations

Silksong is, at its heart, a tale of journey. It is inspired by ancient spiritual journeys and morality plays, with a Reformation-style critique at organized religion. Hornet's journey—descending into darkness, through a middle realm of struggle, and rising toward revelation—directly parallels the classic epic poem. That Renaissance masterpiece follows a protagonist through hell, purgatory, and heaven on a quest for spiritual transformation, which perfectly encapsulates Silksong.

One can even see parallels to the Stations of the Cross, albeit rearranged. Hornet is captured and divested, stands trial, suffers a grueling climb, and is briefly imprisoned in the abyss. In other words, the game encourages reflection on religion, spirituality, and transformation, all of which are vital for grasping the ending.

Backstory of the Weavers

Delving into the lore of the Weavers reveals that the religion and way of life once championed by the deity has turned toxic. Her followers forsook her path, and a group of power-hungry clergy took over the temple, twisting its doctrines for their personal benefit.

Hornet, as a blood relative of Grand Mother Silk, was destined to follow her will, willingly or not. Thanks to her upbringing by Herrah, Hornet was kept away from the Weaver drama and encouraged to be independent, which is why Mother Silk imprisons her at the beginning—to compel her to accept her inherited duties.

Endings and Meanings

If Hornet overcomes the deity in the regular finale, she takes her power and ascends to divinity. The fact that this is not the true ending indicates that Pharloom's troubles would persist—Hornet would have simply swapped one fallen god for another. By resolving all conflicts, players unlock Act 3 and the ideal conclusion.

Like any meaningful pilgrimage, this one ends with revelation. The protagonist's realization is that she can now exist independently of the hereditary burden in her lineage and choose her own path. Her rival, recalling that love triumphs, freed from selfishness, will likely restore the kingdom in a better image. In the finale, religion is dead, and everyone is free.

As a conclusion to the pilgrimage, it is an exceptional piece of meta-storytelling that fits seamlessly into the inspirations it draws upon. It tells players that the only way to improve the world is to care for others. Few games use interactivity to convey this theme so powerfully, and the creators deserve praise for this thoughtful use of the medium.

A Central Dilemma

Despite the strength of its final message, the studio struggled to support this theme consistently and, more importantly, to connect it to the main character: the heroine.

The message might be for the audience, but the narrative is about her. When a story features a main character who speaks and thinks independently, she must be the primary subject, and her actions and growth should communicate the ideas. Even in symbolic stories, the main character's purpose are usually clearly defined to ensure understanding.

Yet, she does not grow or evolve on her quest. Her sole purpose is to get back. The struggle of destiny versus choice only surfaces in the Act 2 boss fight and some obscure backstory. If players tick every box to reach the true ending, an supporting figure remarks about Hornet's compassion, but he is addressing the player, not her.

Missing Growth

This approach would have been fine in the original game, where the protagonist is a blank slate. Hornet, however, is her own person, a driven hunter with a clear purpose. If she is made to choose uncharacteristic deeds—such as helping weak bugs—there should be some friction. One would expect her to grumble, act gruff, or at least react. A simple grumble when first helping, later showing hope that her actions do good, would suffice.

When first asked to assist the weak bugs of Pharloom, Hornet responds with indifference, treating it as a minor task. Even if the user decides to assist, she develops no attachment with any of them. There is no transformation, no evolution of viewpoint. It is notable that the player would demonstrate compassion, but not the heroine. The game provides no reason to think she would.

Underutilized Supporting Cast

Hornet's interactions with figures such as the Caretaker were the perfect opportunity to flesh out her character and reinforce the themes without obvious explanation. Most of these end up being purely decorative, just filling space. This problem stems from both the writing of Hornet and the random placement of the supporting cast.

One character is essentially a lovable, doddering old fool—there for atmosphere but playing no crucial part. Others, like the certain NPCs, embody alternative beliefs contrary to the establishment, a concept that fits the themes but goes unexplored.

Aside from Lace and Sherma, one of the only characters with a thread through the entire game is a specific character, thanks to a tale of lost love. While emotionally powerful, it leans heavily on a troubling trope and feels disconnected from the main narrative. Taking it out would have little impact on Hornet's story or the core message.

A Passive Protagonist

The apparently arbitrary distribution of focus makes subplots feel incomplete and tacked on. The largest error, however, is that the heroine is shown as largely inactive in nearly all events. The few times she speaks up, her remarks are uninspiring, such as offering clichéd advice to another character. Even more direct remarks on oppression and free will would have tied her better to the game's concepts. Instead, she is merely a passenger—in the passenger seat of her own story.

Acknowledging the Achievement

Despite these problems in storytelling, there is still great admiration for what the developers accomplished. Few games synthesize so many influences into a collection of ideas so strong and layered that they are literally embedded into the in-game world. If the next project from the studio is even bigger and better, one can only hope that those enhancements include the basics of narrative as well.