The World of Hollow Knight Through the Lens of Biology

(Warning! Contains minor spoilers!)

There is a series of games created by an independent studio called Hollow Knight. Recently, the second chapter of the series was released: Hollow Knight – Silksong, which continues the story of the first title, following Hornet, an important character in both games.

In these works, praised for their artistic care and fluid, yet extremely challenging gameplay, the story unfolds in underground worlds inhabited by bugs. The first takes place in Hallownest and the second in Pharloom. Although the beings found in these adventures have a fantastical appearance, many of these fictional species have clear parallels in real-world biology!

Let’s take a look at some that best match their biological counterparts.

Beetles:

Scientifically known as Coleoptera, this order of insects is easily recognized by its elytra — the protective shell that covers the wings and lifts during flight. Technically, these are modified wings hardened to protect the more delicate membranous wings underneath. This order is the most diverse in terms of species; in fact, more than a quarter of all known animal species are beetles!

Flies:

Belonging to the order Diptera (meaning “two wings”), this group includes all flies, gnats, and mosquitoes. In the world of Hollow Knight, these creatures appear in the filthiest areas, alluding to their real-life behavior of feeding on decaying matter. They possess a peculiar mouthpart, not for chewing or sucking sap or blood, as seen in other insects, but for absorbing nutritious liquids as if with a sponge.

Praying Mantises:

Members of the order Mantodea, these insects are known for their modified front legs, called raptorial legs, which are used to efficiently seize prey. Since they keep these “arms” folded in front of their bodies, their posture resembles that of a person in prayer. In Hallownest, they are fierce warriors, reflecting their real-world efficiency and success as predators.

Bees, Wasps, and Ants:

In their appearances throughout the games, bees and ants share a striking characteristic found in some species of the order Hymenoptera: the formation of societies. In these unique ecological arrangements, many individuals of the same species, closely related, form large colonies that work in harmony, dividing roles for the survival of the group. In the games, they are also formidable fighters, wielding dangerous stingers, relying on teamwork, and drawing strength from numbers.

Arachnids:

The main arachnids featured in these worlds are the Weavers—special spiders capable of producing silk. In Pharloom, silk is considered a magical and powerful substance. Although other groups of arthropods are also capable of producing silk-like threads composed of long protein chains secreted from specialized glands, spiders stand out for the strength of their silk, which is often stronger than steel threads of the same thickness.

Hollow Knight and Silksong stand out not only for their artistic style and gameplay but also for presenting worlds that respect and creatively draw inspiration from the diversity and anatomy of real invertebrates.

Observing these digital creatures through a biological lens is a fun way to see how science can inspire even the most fantastic worlds—and shows that even in video games, one can learn and practice scientific concepts while honing the ability to recognize the characteristics and details of what we observe.