Hollow Knight Wiki:Editing Guidelines

Welcome, wiki contributor!

Please make sure you also familiarise yourself with the Rules of Conduct and How-To!

This page serves as a guide to help editors get started on this Wiki. Please read this article all the way through before making any edits if you are new! It will ensure that the edits you make are of the highest quality!

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You are encouraged to join the Wiki Discord where contributors of the Wiki have a better line of communication.

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To-Do: On this page you can see what tasks are being done by whom and also where help is needed. If you wish to contribute, feel free to pick a task and mark it as yours by adding your name to it. Alternatively, you can see here for missing information.

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General "Rules" of Thumb

• DO ask before making new pages or major edits to existing pages. Most missing pages have already been made or are already planned by someone.
• DO check completed pages for examples of how things should be laid out. Even if templates and file names are slightly different, the Hollow Knight and Silksong pages should be as harmonious as possible.
• DO ask questions if you need any help or advice or if you can't find anything.
• DO make a Sandbox Page on your user profile to test out formatting or anything else you're unsure of. This helps keep page histories from getting too messy!
  • You can even make subpages of your sandbox for more organization - such as User:Me/Sandbox/TestTemplate
• DON'T add new categories to pages. These are either handled by infobox templates or are being handled directly by the admin/mod team.
• DON'T start working on something someone else already started. If you wish to assist, check the #wiki-projects forum of our Discord.
• DON'T mass add new pages that are just a template. Please have some substantial information to add to each page, and check with the Discord to make sure someone else isn't already on it.
• DON'T add redirect pages for acronyms/abbreviations. Only in-game names are allowed outside of special cases.

Formatting and Design

Please keep to the formatting that is already in on pages that are done.

• Do NOT add links into Headings. If you have a special case that may require it, make a discussion post or talk on the discord to suggest it first.
• Use the straight apostrophe ' instead of the curly apostrophe ’ when making new pages. It may be hard to tell the difference.
• Use HTML for standard page content except for Headings.
  • For colored text, use Template:Col
  • For combining text effects such as colors, "fake" headings, tags, etc, use Template:Typography.
• Use {{WIP}} at the top of pages that are a Work in Progress - 85% or less of the page has been filled. (Use your best judgement.)
  • Use {{MissingInfo}} and {{MissingImage}} in templates or subheadings that are missing information or images, respectively
• If a template is usually written as an inline piece of code, all parameter names and values should be written without spaces separating them. If, instead, the template is written as a code block, there should be a space after the pipe | and exclamation mark !, as well as a space before and after the equals sign = to improve readability for other editors.
  • Correct inline code examples: {{Hr|type=small}} and {{Delete|Spam page}}
  • Correct block code examples:

{{HK Infobox NPC
| image1 = Tuk.png
| area = [[Royal Waterways]]
| gender = Female
| backer = Emily Doolan
}}

{{Quote
| The water brings me everything I wish for... I just need to find it. It brought you here, too.
| Tuk
}}

• DO add locations to pages where applicable. Please make it a gallery instead of just a simple image insert. Example: Duranda Location.
• DO add links ONLY to the first instance of each topic mentioned in an article (you can use the same link more than once in an article, as long as the section really needs it for context).

Terminology

Try to keep terminology and descriptions consistent throughout the wiki, using formal and impersonal language. Avoid using "you," "we," and other second-person terms, and do not use slang or colloquialisms. Avoid terms like "probably," "looks like," "clearly," "really," etc.

Gender and Pronouns

Gender in Infoboxes are handled by Template:GenderList, which is locked to admin access to prevent edit warring. Contact an admin if you notice an error or have a question.

• All characters and enemies have "Unspecified" gender unless otherwise stated in the English form. Use "they/them" pronouns when referring to such character on the wiki.
  • The exception is for machines (such as the Cogwork enemies) and "animal-like" bugs (such as Crawlids). These always use "it/its" pronouns and "they" for referencing multiple of them, unless their gender is revealed through another character or, in the case of animal-like bugs, through biological signifier (such as being a mother).
• Multiple sources may have conflicting confirmation of gender/pronouns. The English wiki prioritizes the English in-game text for citing gender and pronoun usage, superseded only by publicly verifiable developer confirmation:

Recent dev confirmation ➙ In-game text (explicit) ➙ In-game text (unclear) ➙ Older/outdated dev info ➙ Game files

• Genders used by other languages, as well as notes about inconsistencies/techniques used by translators are listed in the Trivia section for completeness. These are not to be used as basis for pronoun usage within articles.
• If a character refers to themself with explicit pronouns, use those pronouns in place of the "standard."
• Hunter's Journal text has been shown to not be fully reliable for all genders, as Hornet uses they/them to refer to characters with otherwise confirmed genders. Use other in-game texts before the Journal entries if they conflict, and apply appropriate pronoun usage.
• Example: A character is referred to with they/them pronouns in their Hunter's Journal entry, but the character refers to themself as "it/its." The wiki would format the "Gender" parameter as such:

Unspecified<ref>Character: <i>"Quote from character"</i></ref>

And the article would use it/its pronouns.

(See #References for more info on formatting references.)

• If multiple of the same priority source conflict (such as with translations), put "Unconfirmed" with reference(s) to these instances next to it.

Consistency

The following is a list of terms as they should be consistently worded (more to be added later):

• "The Knight"/"Hornet": When referring to the character that the player controls, including physical contact and lore references. Do not refer to the player character as "the player".
  • When in doubt, try to reword the phrase to not include either one (e.g., "Retreat when [Hornet/the Knight] is low on health" could be re-written as "Retreat when low on health.").
• Soul: All caps whenever describing Soul specifically as a gameplay mechanic. All caps is not needed for lore, enemy attacks, etc.
• Nail/Needle: Capitalised when describing the player characters weapon, lowercase in other instances.
• Player Character Health is denoted in "Masks". Use Template:Damage for enemy attacks.
  • In Hollow Knight, Masks of damage should only be noted if they deal 2 Masks.
• Currency: Capitalise when referring to a nonspecific amount of Geo, Rosaries, or Shards. Use Template:G, Template:R, or Template:S with a number only (no + or -). Example: {{R|30}} gives  30.
  • See each Template's documentation to see how to display alternate values, such as Fragile Greed amounts  10 /  15
• Enemy attacks: Keep standard enemy attacks simple (e.g. "Spear Throw" or "Roll Tackle") and avoid overly bombastic names for Boss attacks unless the attack itself is sufficiently bombastic (see existing pages for examples). Use the present and imperfect tense when describing enemy attacks and behaviour (e.g. "Charges forward, spinning into a ball"). Only use future tense if the attack is circumstantial (e.g. "Will jump back if the Knight gets too close").
• Controls: Always in all caps. Because the game supports both controller and keyboard inputs, button prompts are not denoted by their relative name but by the naming convention in the options menu, referenced on the Controls pages.
• Directions: Use the cardinal directions to refer to where something is in-game (e.g., "south of Forgotten Crossroads" or "west part of Hunter's March"). When combining directions, keep the word un-hyphenated ("northeast," "southwest," etc.)
  • It's acceptable to use prepositional words when referring to object movement ("moves up and down) and relative position in the same room/screen, i.e. "above this platform" or "to the right of the sign."
• Achievements:
  • General format: the <i>Achievement Name</i> [[Achievements (Hollow Knight)|achievement]] or the <i>Achievement Name</i> [[Achievements (Silksong)|achievement]]
  • Example: ...grants the <i>Neglect</i> [[Achievements (Hollow Knight)|achievement]] (...grants the Neglect achievement)
• Tasks: Include the all-caps TYPE of Objectives.
  • General format: the <i>Wish Name</i> [[Wishes|wish]] or the <i>TYPE: Objective Name</i> [[Objectives|objective]]
  • Example: ...completing the <i>Bugs of Pharloom</i> [[Wishes|wish]] (...completing the Bugs of Pharloom wish)
  • Example: ...completing the <i>OPEN: Grand Gate</i> [[Objectives|objective]] (...completing the OPEN: Grand Gate objective)
• Affiliations: For infoboxes with the "affiliation" field, follow the rules for Lore (in-game provable relationships only), and format it as such:
  • Start with individual members, and in parentheses include the individual's relationship with the page character: Hornet (Daughter)
  • Then include groups/areas, and the page character's relationship to that group: Deepnest (Queen)
• Trivia/Lore: Unless stated in the game or by the developers, all correlations and references are possibilities, not absolutes. Preface trivia with good evidence as "likely" or "presumably" true. Please keep lore-related content on the Lore section of the Wiki.

Spelling

• Hollow Knight uses British English. This is confirmed by the developers and shown in the game numerous times. As such, the Wiki also uses British English.
• If there is a spelling discrepancy between British English and the in-game text, refer to the in-game text for proper spelling.

Contractions

Avoid using contractions such as "isn't/doesn't/it's" unless describing possessives, or if they make a particularly unusual sentence more readable.

Dialogue

• Use Template:TabbedDialogue for dialogue pages.
  • Always include Hornet's lines in Silksong dialogue. Use Template:HTalk to format her lines and distinguish them from the NPC lines. Use a new instance of the template per line.
  • For Dream Nail/Needolin dialogue, make a new row specifically for each instance, and use [dn] or [n] at the start of the dialogue respectively.
  • Unique conversations in Act 3 of Silksong should be under an "Act 3" tab.
• For Dream Nail/Needolin dialogue sections on enemy pages, use the respective Template for each one:
  • Template:HK DN for Dream Nail dialogue.
  • Template:SS Needolin for Needolin dialogue.

Lore

Lore about in-game things like enemies or NPCs should be in the *History* or *In-game Events* sections of their individual page. Lore about other things such as species or forces should have their own page in the Lore category. Generally, lore does not belong in trivia sections. All lore sentences should have an appropriate reference added at the end which provides evidence. See References.

Speculation and claims with no evidence have no place on the wiki. Evidence can come directly from the game, from official merchandise such as the Wanderer's Journal, or from statements of the developers.

References

Adding references helps to consolidate information and provide concrete sources. References must be publicly verifiable. To add a reference:

• Use <ref>Reference description</ref> with links inside the reference
• Use italics <i></i> around any quote (Hunter's Journal, item description, dialogue, etc).
• For multiple instances of the same reference, add a name parameter (no spaces) to the first use of the reference. This can then be added to a single <ref> tag in later uses as a shortcut to avoid doubling up.
  • Example:

Blah blah blah trivia<ref name="SharedReference">Description of reference</ref>

Blah blah blah other trivia<ref name=SharedReference/>

Blah blah blah trivia

Blah blah blah other trivia

• Make sure to add {{Refs}} to the end of the page if it doesn't already exist. It will look like this:

Where applicable, include citations with links to sources such as interviews, As well as an archive screenshot of the applicable portion of the link using the format [[:File:Pagename_Reference_Number.png|(Archive)]]. To do so, after the entry that the reference supports, add <ref>with a short sentence or link</ref>, for example:

On Silksong's steam page Hornet is called a "Princess Knight".<ref>[https://store.steampowered.com/app/1030300/Hollow_Knight_Silksong/ Silksong Steam page] [[:File:Hornet Reference 01.png|(Archive)]]

Trivia

Anything about a specific subject that does not fit into any other section on a page is considered Trivia and should be put under the Trivia heading for that page.

DO only add trivia if it is verifiable. If it is verifiable, then it should include a citation link to the source where it is mentioned.

What is trivia

• Changes in design/function over the course of development
• Developer-confirmed inspiration
• Matching/identical designs/looks/animations
• In-game references to something else in-game
• Interactions or notes that don't fit into the other sections on the page (Behavior and Tactics, Where to Find, Effects, etc)

What is not trivia

• Possible inspirations that were never mentioned by the developers
• Coincidental similarities
• Personal speculation

Image requirements

Please note that this wiki is not a file hosting site, so any image that is not relevant for the wiki and/or the games will be removed without prior notice. That said:

• Overall, PNG and WEBP files are preferred over JPG files:
  • If quality is important, use PNG images, but make sure the DPI is around 72 (web standard)
  • If file size is important, and the quality not so much, use WEBP images.
• File extensions must be in lowercase ("PNG" should be written as "png").
• Names should make sense, and be enumerated if needed (so ajd8f4jd0.png is an invalid name). It will be renamed or deleted depending on the image.
• Licenses should be always specified on the file's page.

Image Categories

All files must be added to categories. Use the following list for Silksong items:

• X SS Achievement Icons
• X SS Audio
• X SS Cut Content
• X SS GIFs
• X SS Maps
• X SS POI
• X SS Pre-Release Materials
• X SS Promo Art
• X SS Screenshots
• X SS Screenshots Misc
• X SS Sprites
• X SS Sprites Environment
• X SS Sprites Inventory

Infobox Image Requirements

• Base infobox images should be the same as the Hunter's Journal image, formatted as B_Enemyname.png. This will be autofilled in the template
• Further infobox images should start with Enemyname_Description, "description" being one to three words
  • To add these to an infobox, use the gallery tags inside the image1 parameter:

|image1=<gallery>
B_Enemyname.png|Hunter's Journal
Enemyname_Description|Description
</gallery>

Screenshot Requirements

• Full-screen screenshots need to have a resolution of exactly 1920x1080 (or a 16:9 aspect ratio if that size is not possible).
  • Screenshots of small segments of the screen are allowed as long as they do not include UI elements or the Knight in-view.
• PNG files are preferred. To take PNG screenshots:
  • Steam: Settings > In-Game > "When a screenshot is taken": check "Save an uncompressed copy" (may be saved to another folder)
  • PS5: Capture and Broadcast > Captures > Screenshot Format
  • PS4 Share Settings > Screenshot Settings > Image Format
  • Other: Use Freeconvert
• File naming:
  • Screenshot_HK_Name_##.png for Hollow Knight
  • Screenshot_SS_Name_##.png for Silksong
• Using Debug Mod is required in order to disable the HUD, player character, player lighting, and vignette. This is only possible on PC.

How to screenshots without UI or Player Character:

• Hollow Knight: Use Debug Mod

Installing Debug Mod

Using Debug Mod in the game

1. Close Hollow Knight
2. Download Lumafly
3. Install DebugMod
4. Start the game, load a save file, then pause the game.
5. Press F1, click on "Cheats", then "Invincibility" and "Noclip". Press F1 to close the Debug Menu again. This allows you to get to areas more quickly and without being damaged by enemies. To access Stag Stations it is the easiest to disable Noclip again temporarily.
6. While in an area you want to screenshot, press the following buttons:
   1. DEL: Disable the HUD
   2. BACKSPACE: Disable the Knight
   3. HOME: Disable player lighting
   4. INSERT: Disable vignette around the screen
7. The Player lighting and vignette will automatically turn back on when there is a room transition, so make sure you turn these off again when taking a screenshot.

• Silksong: Use Mod:HornetlessScreenshots

1. Close Hollow Knight Silksong
2. Use Mod:Lumafly or:
   1. Download and install BepInEx
   2. Download and install the latest release of HornetlessScreenshots
3. Start the game, load a save file

• Press 8 (not on the numpad) to toggle Noclip
• Alternatively, press 9 to toggle Freecam
• To move Hornet with Noclip or the camera with Freecam, use the arrow keys, hold down Shift to make the movement slower if you need more precise positioning
• When you want to take a screenshot, use the following buttons:
  • 1: Toggle Hornet's model
  • 2: Toggle Hornet's light
  • 3: Toggle the default vignette, status vignettes and status effect particles
  • 4: Toggle the HUD
  • 0: Toggle all four simultaneously

(This program is a work in progress by User:Alph4)

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Location Map Requirements

For the location image of individual items (such as Love Key), use the the textless "Clean" area maps (available on the wiki under the file name [[File:{MapName}_Map_Clean_Textless.png]] or collected here) without cropping them (example), and mark the location of the item on it using one of 2 images:

• Map Marker.png for standard placement. Use at 50% size if multiple of the same enemy are clustered together to maintain legibility. Example image for size.
• Map Marker Special.png for unique instances, such where a standard enemy does not respawn, such as with an Enemy Gauntlet or due to Void Mass. In the case of a gauntlet, include a red number in Arial Bold font inside the shape to indicate the number of times the enemy appears. For a Void Mass, use the letter "V".

The final map should be uploaded complying with the following naming convention:

• Mapshot_HK_Item_Name.png for Hollow Knight
• Mapshot_SS_Item_Name.png for Silksong
• If necessary, you can add numbering to the end of the name, for example Mapshot_HK_Isma's_Tear_01.png
• Spaces can be used in place of underscores - the wiki treats them as the same character.