What caused the infection?

What caused the infection in Hollow Knight stems from the tragic backstory of the Radiance, an ancient moth deity whose forgotten worship led to catastrophic consequences for Hallownest.

The Radiance: Source of the Infection

The infection originated from the Radiance, a powerful light-based entity who once ruled over the moth tribe as their primary deity. When the Pale King arrived in Hallownest and established his kingdom, the moths abandoned their worship of the Radiance in favor of the new ruler. This betrayal caused the Radiance to be forgotten and sealed away in the realm of dreams.

The Pale King's Failed Solution

To contain the growing infection, the Pale King devised a plan involving the creation of Vessels - hollow beings born from Void who could theoretically contain the Radiance without being corrupted by her influence. The chosen Vessel, known as the Hollow Knight, was meant to be completely empty of thought, feeling, and will.

The Hollow Knight's Imperfection

However, the plan ultimately failed because the Hollow Knight was not truly hollow. The Vessel had developed an idea instilled - a bond with the Pale King that created a flaw in its perfect emptiness. This imperfection allowed the Radiance to eventually corrupt the Hollow Knight from within, causing the infection to leak out and spread throughout Hallownest.

The Infection's Manifestation

The infection appears as bright orange pustules and affects the minds of Hallownest's inhabitants, turning them into mindless, aggressive creatures. It represents the Radiance's desperate attempt to reclaim her followers and escape her imprisonment within the Hollow Knight's failing containment.

Understanding the infection's origins reveals the deeper themes of forgotten gods, flawed sacrifices, and the cyclical nature of Hallownest's tragic history. The player character's journey ultimately becomes about potentially succeeding where the original Hollow Knight failed.