Hollow Knight Fan Art Reimagines the Knight as a Teenage Battle-Hardened Warrior
I’ll be honest: every time I see new Hollow Knight fan art, I get a little sentimental. Team Cherry’s moody, bug-filled Metroidvania has a grip on me that just won’t quit. So when I stumbled across Likryt’s latest concept turning the Knight into a teenage, battle-hardened warrior, I stopped scrolling immediately. The piece doesn’t just age up the protagonist—it adds a whole layer of ‘what if’ that fans have been chewing on for years.
The Art and Why It Hits Different
Likryt, an artist and big Hollow Knight fan, recently wrapped up an original concept that reimagines the Knight a few years after one of the game’s endings. Instead of the tiny, silent bug we know, we get a taller, older version that looks like he’s seen some stuff. The signature dark blue cloak is still there, and so is the Nail, but the whole vibe screams seasoned warrior. Honestly, it’s like the Knight hit a growth spurt and came back with battle scars and a serious case of ‘don’t mess with me.’
What caught my eye is the height. The teenage Knight looks roughly as tall as Hornet, the protagonist of Hollow Knight: Silksong. That comparison isn’t random—fans have long wondered how the two characters stack up, both literally and narratively. Seeing the Knight grow into a peer of Hornet makes me want a crossover or a time-skip sequel even more.
| Feature | Original Knight | Likryt’s Teen Version |
|---|---|---|
| Height | Tiny, compact bug | About as tall as Hornet |
| Aura | Silent, mysterious | Battle-hardened, confident |
| Cloak | Dark blue | Dark blue, still iconic |
| Weapon | Nail | Same Nail, more lived-in |
| Mood | Curious explorer | Weathered survivor of Hallownest |
A Nod to the Original Lore
For the uninitiated, Hollow Knight puts you in control of the Knight, a young insectoid warrior on a mission to cleanse Hallownest of the Infection. That plague grants crazy strength and senses but drains the host’s life until they’re basically undead—no joke, it gives me the creeps every time I think about it. The Knight has to take down three Dreamers to remove seals and confront the source of the Infection. Along the way, Hornet shows up and tests you in some unforgettable boss fights, which is why the Silksong hype has been through the roof for years.
Likryt’s art taps into a question the original game leaves wide open: what happens after the credits roll? If the Knight survived, what kind of warrior would he become? The teen concept answers that with a grizzled look that says, ‘I didn’t come all this way to lose now.’ That’s the kind of energy I want from a follow-up.
The Community’s Hunger for Silksong
The reaction to this fan art wasn’t just positive—it blew up. Likryt mentioned that if the piece hit a certain like and retweet goal, they’d cook up an adult version of the Knight. Wouldn’t you know it, the goal got smashed in no time. That tells you everything about the community right now: we are sitting on pins and needles, desperate for any scrap of official Silksong news.
As I write this in 2026, the wait for Hollow Knight: Silksong still feels like one long, collective holding of breath. The original game is available on Linux, macOS, PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, and it’s aged like fine wine. But the sequel? It’s been a textbook example of radio silence. Sure, we’ve had events come and go—Nintendo Indie World showcases, big gaming shows—and Silksong often doesn’t show up. At this point, the ‘website expired’ story from a while back became a meme for a reason. Fans aren’t angry, exactly; we’re just tired of holding our horses.
My Two Cents
Would I want a teenage or adult Knight in Silksong? Honestly, I’d be down. The fan art makes a compelling case: the Knight as a battle-hardened veteran facing tougher opponents after the first game fits the darker tone Team Cherry loves. But I also know Silksong has its own story to tell with Hornet, and that’s more than enough to keep me hyped. Still, Likryt’s art scratches an itch I didn’t know I had. If Team Cherry ever decides to revisit the Knight, they’d be wise to take notes from this concept—because from where I’m standing, the community is ready for a grown-up hero who can finally look Hornet in the eye.
In the meantime, I’ll keep replaying Hollow Knight, keep refreshing my feed for Silksong news, and keep admiring fan art that keeps the flame alive. The Hollow Knight community may be hungry, but it’s also creative, patient, and loud in the best way. And hey, if Likryt drops that adult version, you know I’ll be first in line to hype it up.