Hornet

"Skilled protector of Hallownest's ruins. Wields a needle and thread. I have seen this nimble little creature. I thought her prey and pounced at her, but with a flash she stabbed me with her flying stinger and darted away. Could she be... a Hunter?"

Hornet is the mysterious princess-protector of Hallownest’s ruins, a major character in Hollow Knight and the protagonist of Hollow Knight: Silksong. She wields a needle and thread with deadly prowess. As a boss, Hornet appears in two forms, Hornet Protector in Greenpath and Hornet Sentinel in Kingdom's Edge, which both have to be beaten to unlock her Hunter's Journal entry.

Lore Hornet is the daughter of Herrah the Beast, the queen of Deepnest, and the Pale King. Her birth was the result of a bargain for her mother to become a Dreamer, and as such, she spent only a short time with Herrah. Her shared heritage with the Knight and the rest of the Vessels makes them siblings.

Raised in Deepnest by the Weavers, Hornet survived the Infection and the fall of the kingdom. She wanders its ruins, chasing off travellers who would seek to desecrate them, but also to protect the sealing of the Black Egg. She also guards the Cast-Off Shell in the Kingdom's Edge which can grant the King's Brand, the key to the Abyss. In her duties, she encountered Quirrel in the Howling Cliffs at his arrival in Hallownest. She attempted to fight him but was repelled by the mask of Monomon he wears on his head. Hornet leaves him be after recognizing the mask, knowing that he was called upon, despite him not knowing it.

Like Quirrel and the Knight, she sensed the awakening of the Infection and started wandering Hallownest in search of answers. In Hollow Knight, she works to stop the impending doom looming on Hallownest. In Silksong, she ends up captured and brought to the haunted kingdom of Pharloom.

In-game events

Hornet appears at first as a wandering and recurring antagonist to the Knight. As their journey progress, her involvement will influence their quest in Hallownest.

The Protector
Hornet is first encountered at the entrance to Greenpath, where she observes the Knight before moving away. She is quickly seen two more times dashing away from them throughout the overgrown Pilgrim's Way. The Knight finally catches up with her at the standing stones marking the entrance to the Lake of Unn, standing by the body of another Vessel. Relating the Knight's quest to the awakening of the infection, she defies them to pursue any further. They clash, and when defeated, Hornet flees without a word.

Hornet reappears briefly before the end of the Pilgrim's Way in the Fungal Wastes, going in the direction of the City of Tears. She, later on, catches up with the Knight at Fountain Square in the middle of the drenched capital. Finally understanding the truth behind their origin and their quest, she encourages them to learn of Hallownest's sacrifice. She then asks them before leaving to find her at the Cast-Off Shell if, knowing the truth, the Knight would still want to take part in Hallownest's perpetuation. That encounter will not occur if the Knight met her first at Kingdom's Edge before entering Fountain Square.

Locations
Hornet can be found in several locations across Hallownest. However, she may not appear in some due to events within the game.

Trivia

 * Hornet was revealed in one of the Kickstarter updates:
 * "Quick with her deadly needle, relentless in battle, Hornet is exploring Hallownest to find the answer to a riddle that has plagued her. She has so far resisted the infection, but will still cut you down if you stand in her path."


 * "You may catch glimpses of Hornet during your exploration of Hallownest, although she always seems to be one or two steps ahead of you. If you do manage to catch up with her, be wary! Her needle can cut a bug down from thirty yards."


 * Team Cherry explained in a Reddit comment that an unused concept for Hornet had her be the "Child of Three Queens": born to Herrah, raised by the White Lady and trained under and named by Hive Queen Vespa. They cannot confirm so far if that aspect of her story is still canon.
 * Hornet's needle was made especially for her, and not many other bugs are skillful enough to wield it.
 * On Silksong's steam page Hornet is called a "Princess Knight".

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