Let's talk about Quirrel

Hey guys, I hope you’re ready for another crazy Hollow Knight lore video! So what fun topic are we going to talk about today? Well, it’s a good one. You and everyone you know and love is going to die. 

Now I know what you’re thinking. Oh great, here comes another one of mossbag’s crazy conspiracies. What’s next? Is he gonna argue that Silksong is prequel again? Well, how about I give you an example of a beloved character from Hollow Knight that actually does die: Quirrel.

The last time we see Quirrel ingame, he is sitting at the Blue Lake after the Knight kills Monomon the Teacher. After that, Quirrel disappears, leaving behind his nail sticking out of the ground and his ultimate fate left uncertain.

Except not really, because Quirrel is definitely dead. Now technically, the question of “What happened to Quirrel?” is left open to interpretation. And Team Cherry even said as such in an interview with the reputable news source Kotaku.

Kirk Hamilton: Okay next question. What happened to Quirrel?

William Pellen: We don’t know.

Ari Gibson: Yeah, we’re not sure.

Kirk: Okay.

But if you are a regular to my channel, you know that Team Cherry are a bunch of liars. And William and Ari know damn well what happened to Quirrel. But even still, once we look at the evidence, having Quirrel die makes the most sense both logically and narratively. So what I am saying? That Quirrel killed himself in some sort of reverse-Jeffery Epstein maneuver? Did he drowned himself in the Blue Lake? Well, I can’t really say how he passed away, but when looking at the evidence, it’s clear that Quirrel was ready to die.

So before we start talking about what’s actually in the game, it’s worth pointing out something particular about the art asset for Quirrel’s nail that we see after he disappears. Within the game’s files, this piece of art is called “quirrel_death_nail”. Now obviously, there are a lot of different ways you can interpret what this means. But if I were to hazard a guess, I would say that Team Cherry thinks Quirrel is dead, or at least they thought so at one point.

Now of course, this evidence isn’t canonical. But as we dig into what is canonical in the game, I think most of you will end up agreeing with Team Cherry. There are two main reasons why Quirrel is probably dead: his age, and the fact that he abandoned his nail.

Let’s start with his age. When Quirrel first arrives in Hallownest, he has completely forgotten about his past. He doesn’t remember being Monomon’s assistant or her participation in the sealing of the Hollow Knight. He is exploring Hallownest as a traveler, drawn to the kingdom by stories of wonder and horror.

Eventually, Quirrel arrives in the City of Tears, remarking on how he’d like to see the source of the rain, saying:

I'd like to see where it all comes from before I leave this Kingdom. What a sight it must be!

Now, Quirrel mentions that he plans on leaving Hallownest here. But we have to remember that Quirrel doesn’t remember his past yet. He’s going through what we would call a “character arc”. And we can see that his mood will drastically change once he makes it to the Teacher’s Archives.

Quirrel mentions how he remembers the Archives and how he helped Monomon become a seal. After the Knight smacks Monomon with the magic stick thing and murders her, Quirrel mentions how he begins to feel his age. Finally, at the Blue Lake, we see Quirrel quietly looking out over the waters. He mentions how he feels at peace. Even his voice lines here reflect how old and tired he is.

At this point, Quirrel has no more reasons to continue his exploring. He’s lived an age and seen the glories of Hallownest twice over, which I assume includes Flukemarm. So he’s basically seen Flukemarm twice. Anyone would be ready to go after that.

And now we come to the second argument. Why in the fuck would Quirrel leave his nail behind? As we will see, Quirrel is constantly talking about the importance of having a weapon. For him to just leave one behind implies he had no intention of walking out of Hallownest alive.

In the Temple of the Black Egg, Quirrel mentions that the Knight’s old nail is too weak to handle the challenges awaiting in the kingdom. While in Greenpath, Quirrel also mentions the importance of the Knight getting a better nail when he says: 

Your nail looks a fine instrument, but it's showing signs of wear. I'd wager up there it would take you far. Down here however, I suspect you'll soon meet dangers the surface world can't match.

In fact, in the very first encounter we have with Qurriel, he strongly foreshadows his own death, remarking:

Plenty have come before us and most have met their grisly end, many more equipped than you and I. I'm sure they wouldn't mind were a fellow explorer to relieve them of their tools. It's a kindness really. The dead shouldn't be burdened with such things.”

So at the end of his journey, Quirrel is choosing to leave his nail behind so that he may not be burdened by it in death. He knows very well that abandoning his nail spells certain death, but he doesn’t mind. And while there’s nothing we can do to stop Quirrel’s passing, besides just not talking to him at the Blue Lake I guess, we can still remember him.

At the heart of every red-blooded human being is an adventurer's spirit. The same spirit embodied by Quirrel. Let’s keep that spirit alive, for his sake. So go ask that cute girl out. Go push that coworker you hate down the stairs. Go Go Power Rangers. Let’s remember to explore the world in which we live. Let’s remember to appreciate the wonders that surround us. And most importantly, let’s remember to always remember that we should remember Quirrel.

Kotaku Interview:

https://kotaku.com/the-makers-of-hollow-knight-are-fine-with-players-missi-1828721254

Sumwan’s original post:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BOYhhe9DnJti-UDxLyLQWhKQAUMXTXH_P7u7wDG7LgQ/edit

Forest stock footage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBOlReVty_o

Artists:

Moarizona - https://twitter.com/Moarizona

Karen360 - https://twitter.com/Karen360_x3

Jaze - https://twitter.com/jazeetc

Seanpai - https://twitter.com/SeanpaiKun

Poteiga - https://twitter.com/jonas_breda

8-ball - https://twitter.com/8_ball_boi

Keelan - https://twitter.com/Azvre_

Oh? Ur medieval peasant??*Gives u bubonic plauge* - https://twitter.com/MERA68299759

CTBread - https://twitter.com/CtBread

SCP-682 - https://twitter.com/big_ass_lizard

𝐊Ⓐ𝕀𝔧Ｕk҉i҉n҉ - https://twitter.com/marmagoosh

Snipper Joey - https://twitter.com/SnipperJoey2

Nincity - https://twitter.com/Nincity2019

Rosie - https://twitter.com/noirbeetle

Dorky Penguin - https://twitter.com/Mewnna_Caythin

Ax2u - https://twitter.com/Ax2u

Graig - https://twitter.com/Graig1337

Songs used:

Dung Defender OST

City of Tears Inside Loop

Resting Grounds OST

I Swear - All 4 One