No, you can start with Silksong. It is a standalone sequel, though the first game makes it land harder.
No, you do not need to play Hollow Knight before Silksong. Per the wiki, Silksong is the sequel to Hollow Knight, but it is built as a standalone adventure with its own kingdom, cast, and story.
It even stars a different character. Hollow Knight followed the silent Knight; Silksong follows Hornet, who is captured and taken to the unfamiliar kingdom of Pharloom, so newcomers start fresh alongside her.
That said, the first game adds a lot. Playing it gives Hornet real history, makes the recurring faces hit harder, and means the mechanics already feel like home.
This guide gives the clear verdict, what you gain by playing the first game, what carries over, and the best order to play both.
No, Silksong stands on its own.
Hornet's backstory and recurring faces land harder.
A new kingdom, Pharloom, separate from Hallownest.
Play Hollow Knight first if you have the time.Silksong does not require the first game, but it rewards it. You can pick it up cold and follow everything that matters, since the main plot is self-contained in Pharloom.
What you lose by skipping Hollow Knight is depth, not comprehension. Hornet is a known quantity to returning players, and several moments are written to resonate with people who know her past.
So the verdict splits by time. If you only want to play one, Silksong works fine alone. If you can play both, the first game makes the sequel richer.
If you are on the fence, play Hollow Knight first. In actual play, knowing Hornet from the original turns several Silksong beats from neat into genuinely moving.
Silksong was designed so a newcomer can start there. Per the wiki, Hornet is captured and taken to Pharloom, a kingdom ruled by silk and song that is entirely separate from Hallownest.
Because the setting is new, the game introduces its world, factions, and rules from scratch. You meet 
Lace, the merchants, and the pilgrims as Hornet does, with no assumed knowledge of the first game. New faces like 
Sherma are introduced fresh, with no ties back to Hallownest.
The main villains and the central pilgrimage are self-contained, so the core story resolves within Silksong. Our Silksong characters guide shows how little of the cast carries over.
The first game is not required reading, but it deepens almost everything. The biggest gain is Hornet herself.
In Hollow Knight, Hornet is a recurring figure tied to the royal bloodline of Hallownest, fought twice by the Knight. Knowing that history reframes her as the protagonist and gives weight to who she is and where she came from.
You also gain the themes and the easter eggs. The wiki notes cameos like Mister Mushroom return, and the broader ideas of 
infection, gods, and dead kingdoms echo across both games in ways only returning players fully catch.
Mechanically and narratively, the overlap is real but light. Here is what actually connects the two games.
| Element | Carries over? |
|---|---|
| Hornet | Yes, from side character to lead |
| Metroidvania structure | Yes, same exploration and ability gates |
| Save data or progress | No, fresh start |
| Hallownest setting | No, the new game is set in Pharloom |
| The Knight | No, you play Hornet instead |
The shared DNA is the genre and the studio's style, not a continuous save or a direct cliffhanger. Silksong assumes nothing about your history with the first game.
If you have the time, play Hollow Knight first, then Silksong. Release order is also the best narrative order, since Hornet's arc reads cleanly from supporting role to lead.
Start with the first game's story to meet Hornet and learn the systems, then move to Silksong for the bigger, faster sequel. Returning players will also appreciate the jump in scale and difficulty.
If you only have time for one, pick by mood: Hollow Knight is slower and more somber, Silksong is faster and more aggressive. Either works as an entry point.
Whichever you start with, these guides cover both games and the journey through Pharloom.
Game data and screenshots adapted from hollowknight.fandom.com, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. Original content remains the property of the wiki contributors and Team Cherry.