How Hornet's Voice in Silksong Brought Her to Life Through a Fictional Language

Silksong has much in common with the original Hollow Knight, but one key difference stands out immediately — Hornet. The main character of Hollow Knight was silent, while Hornet, voiced by actress Makoto Koji, brings a lot of personality to the character. "She is confident and reserved," Koji shares in an interview with The Verge. However, Hornet also has a humorous side, and the Team Cherry team has effectively showcased the character's complexity. This is particularly impressive since all characters in Silksong speak in short phrases of a fictional language. Even if the text is long, the heroes do not utter full sentences, only words or short expressions. "I made up a lot of my own words," Koji says. This allowed her to use one- or two-word expressions to convey the plot events. She chose words that felt natural and instinctive to her, and was surprised by how the Hollow Knight community embraced these invented words. For example, in the original game, Koji created words for Hornet's optional heroic appearance during the final battle. "It's the moment when Hornet tells the character, 'Now is the time. Do it now.' — that was the only direction I received," she recounts. She recorded the words "gek tuu," which players jokingly interpreted as "git gud."

Koji is an animator, not a professional voice actress, but she got the role of Hornet partly because she worked in the same office as the Team Cherry development team, a small group from Adelaide, Australia. Initially, the role was intended for her friend, but when she decided to move abroad, Koji offered herself for the part. "I guess the rest is history for Hollow Knight," she says. While working on Silksong, Koji aimed to give her all for the character. Team Cherry — the "guys," as she often referred to them during the interview — allowed her to express emotions that she usually does not show in everyday life. "I really enjoyed doing this." She believes that creating Hornet is just part of a larger process that starts with sketching, drawing each frame, implementing behaviors, and intertwining storylines. The voice and sounds of the character are just the final touch in this process.