Hornet's Cloak Removal in Hollow Knight: Silksong Sparks Fan Theories

Yesterday, IGN unveiled that Hollow Knight: Silksong will be available to play at an Australian museum starting in September 2025, alongside releasing a sprite sheet from the much-anticipated game. This news quickly ignited fervent discussions across the internet.

On Reddit, a user asked in a thread dedicated to dissecting the sprite sheet, "In what situation [is] making a sprite of naked Hornet necessary?" The sheet features numerous images of Silksong's protagonist, Hornet, in various battle-ready and relaxed poses. However, one particular sprite, showing Hornet casually carrying her cloak under one arm, caught the community's attention. (A close-up is provided below, but you can also find it on the original sheet on the right-hand side, directly under the topmost ring):

A close-up of the controversial sprite, located on the right-hand side of the original image. One redditor commented, "What kind of situation in-game calls for her to remove her cloak and hold it like she's an exhausted dad returning from work? This is cursed."

Another user posited, "Is this real???? There’s no way this is a sprite that is going to be in Silksong. Is that just what she looks like????" while another shouted, "IN WHAT KIND OF SITUATION WOULD THEY EVEN NEED THIS SPRITE?"

The discussion took a playful turn with one respondent stating, "So, we don't have to bother making a mod," and another said, "We're going straight to ESRB 18+ for this one." A different thread OP chastized, "HORNET PUT YOUR CLOAK BACK ON THAT'S SO INDECENT WHAT THE HELL," to which someone replied, "This looks so wrong," and "this is completely unnecessary." Another user announced, "I do not like this."

While the purpose of this sprite remains unclear, a plausible theory suggests that it might be related to upgrading or changing Hornet's cloak. Until more is revealed, fans are left to speculate and enjoy the creativity of Team Cherry.

Hollow Knight: Silksong 2025 Screenshots

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Team Cherry's sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong, remains one of the most eagerly awaited games globally, consistently topping Steam's wishlist charts. The game made a brief appearance at Nintendo’s Switch 2 Direct last month, and shortly thereafter, Team Cherry confirmed a 2025 release window, much to the delight of its patient fanbase. With the news that Silksong will be playable at Australia’s national museum of screen culture, ACMI, starting September 18, some speculate that the game might launch around August, though no official confirmation has been made yet.

Silksong will be part of the Game Worlds exhibition at the Melbourne museum, which will also explore the game’s design and artistic direction, offering fans an immersive experience into the world of Hollow Knight.