The Infection

The Infection, also known as the plague, pestilence, or other synonyms, is the main antagonistic force in Hollow Knight, leading to the deaths of thousands of bugs and ultimately the downfall of the kingdom of Hallownest.

Description & Effects
When compared to the general softer tones of blues and black used within the game, The Infection displays itself as a bright orange. Visually this tone of orange can be found most commonly as the colour of an infected bug's eyes, though it can also display itself within spores and even projectiles. However the most straightforward way to distinguish between an infected and a non-infected bug is when they are being struck, as infected bugs will release out splatters of orange blood while non-infected bugs won't.

Other more noticeable physical mutations that can be caused by The Infection include:
 * Physical Bloating
 * "Natural" Adaptations ie. mushrooms on a Fungified Husk
 * Large Orange Cysts

The Infection however has shown to have a much bigger effect on the behaviour of the Bugs, with different degrees of severity. In the case of dead bugs such as Husks, the bodies are reanimated with only a small fragment of it's mind. Other cases with living bugs, they may be sent into a sort of waking coma as we see with Sly and Bretta. The best example would be Myla, as throughout the knight's journey the player can witness Myla slowly losing her mind and succumbing to the infection.

Other Behavioural modifications The Infection can impose on a host include: However The Infection has been shown to be resisted, by a select number of NPCs but most notably the Mantis tribe. Although how they managed to stay uncontaminated stays up to speculation, Quirrel gives us an idea that the Mantises were more intelligent or powerful than a "lesser bug". The full quote being:
 * The loss of a will
 * Fragmenting of a mind
 * Tendencies to attack non-infected bugs
 * Linking up to the hive mind of The Radiance
 * Increase in strength and courage
 * " The sickness in the air that clouds the mind of lesser beasts... they resist it."

Even once The Infection is resisted it is seen to still have persuasive properties as demonstrated by the outcast pack of Mantis Traitors and the Traitor Lord. Who even after initially withstanding the effects of the plague, relinquished their minds at their own liberty due to the promising strength The Infection could grant them. The Hunter even states:


 * "I have felt the desire. The desire to take the infection into myself. To become stronger, more powerful... these thoughts haunt my dreams during the darkest times. A false hope, but it can burn brilliantly in one's mind."

History
Sometime after The Pale King had made the kingdom of Hallownest forget about the Radiance, The Infection was released and spread through the dreams of bugs. Though this was caused by The Radiance, it unsure whether this was purposeful or just an unprecedented side effect of her anger. As Moss Prophet states:


 * “Light is life, beaming, pure, brilliant. To stifle that light is to suppress nature. Nature suppressed distorts, plagues us. Embrace light! Achieve union! Oohh..Ahhh.”

Which proposes the idea of Radiance's light being nature and that only when suppressed will then create a plague providing the concept that The Infection was not under the Radiance's control to begin with. However this does not imply that the Radiance has nothing to do with the the ruined desolation we see now. As even if the infection was created by accident, at some point, it is suggested that the Radiance discovered how to actively use the plague as a weapon, and proceeded to use against specific bugs to take over or twist their minds.

The Infection eventually ended up consuming the kingdom of Hallownest as some went mad trying to stop it and others turned to a king who was occupied with his own methods of trying to stop the infection. Pale King's idea of sealing up the Radiance within The Hollow Knight. May have worked, but didn't and as the infection grew, The Pale King went into hiding. Now the infected bugs and citizens of the fallen kingdom make up nearly all the "life" that greet The Knight as it wanders the ruins of HallownestИнфекция L'Infection