 |
This Article Contains Spoilers -
WARNING: This article contains major spoilers. If you do not wish to know vital information on plot / character elements in a story, you may not wish to read beyond this warning: We hold no responsibility for any negative effects these facts may have on your enjoyment of said media should you continue. That is all. |
| “ | Automatons of impeccable construction, welcoming entrants to their chambers with a display of deadly dance. Two cogwork bugs, and yet the soul seemed singular? A sad, yet masterful imitation of life, imbued inside shells of iron |
„ |
| ~ The Cogwork Dancers' entry in the Hunter's Journal. |
The Cogwork Dancers are major antagonists in the 2025 indie metroidvania Hollow Knight: Silksong.
They are twin dancer automatons built to defend the Cradle from any intruders, attacking them with a deadly, choreographed dance. Later on, it's revealed by the Green Prince that these automatons were built in the likeness of him and their creator, his lover the other Verdanian Prince, as a peace offering to the Citadel.
Appearance[]
The Cogwork Dancers are two identical bronze automatons resembling mantises or grasshoppers, built to resemble both the Green Prince and his lover. They have dark bronze heads, chests and legs, with spiky extrusions on the shoulders, while their necks and segmented abdomens and a lighter bronze. The Cogwork Dancers have white eyes and wear crown-like structures on their head, fit with several silver spikes. They have slim black limbs and have their arms tipped with serrated metal tips.
Biography[]
Background[]
Many years before the events of Silksong, the lush paradise of Verdania was under attack from the forces of Pharloom, presumably under the leadership of the Conductors. With destruction imminent, one of the two princes decided to send a peace offering to the Citadel, hoping to bargain survival for his lands: he built twin automatons modelled after him and his lover, the Green Prince, splitting his very soul to power the two in hopes that the Citadel would use accept these twin guardians. The Citadel, unfortunately, refused to uphold their bargain and not only imprisoned the Green Prince, but destroyed Verdania in its entirety, leaving the prince's sacrifice moot.
Hollow Knight: Silksong[]
When Hornet reaches the Citadel, she finds herself in a chamber containing the dormant Cogwork Dancers, who, after some winding up, emerge to attack. In their first phase, they primarily attack with synchronised, telegraphed slashes which Hornet can dodge simply by jumping over. They will occasionally disappear from the arena, covering it in telegraph lines which Hornet must avoid before they attack, as well as dashing to the centre of the arena to perform an incredibly fast and deadly pirouette.
The phases proceed when one of the Cogwork Dancers has had their health depleted completely, signalled by the two returning to their cogwork cubbies to be rewound. In the second phase, they become much faster and can utilise their arena-wide attack twice in a row. For their third phase, the Cogwork Dancers are much faster and aggressive, but one noticeably lags behind.
At the end of the third phase, the Cogwork Dancer fought is destroyed, exploding into bits of scrap. When the fourth phase begins, the remaining Dancer is left completely alone and moves much more slowly, while the music turns somber. Additionally, the Dancer seems to express sadness at being alone in their Needolin Dialogue. Once they are defeated, the remaining Dancer explodes and the way forward is clear.
If the Green Prince was released from his prison in the Sinner's Road, he can later be found wandering the Citadel's halls, in search of the Cogwork Dancers. He can later be found with one of their husks, explaining their origin to Hornet. He tells Hornet that the reason he was scared to leave his prison was because he feared looking upon the likeness of his lover again after he'd made such a pointless sacrifice, transformed into a weapon for the Citadel. She tries to console him with the fact that the Citadel got their just desserts under the Haunting, but the Green Prince remarks that such a consolation is insufficient.
During Act III, the Green Prince is found at the entrance of Verdania's ruins, mourning the loss of his kingdom with the Cogwork Dancer's corpse. Hornet can play the Elegy of the Deep to enter a memory of Verdania in its peak, as well as to fight the Green Prince and his lover's ghost as the Clover Dancers in order to obtain the Conjoined Heart. When the Green Prince is defeated, his corpse can be seen embracing the Cogwork Dancer's husk, finally reuniting the two lovers in death.
Trivia[]
- The Cogwork Dancers' attacks are perfectly synched to their boss music, which means staggering them pauses the music altogether in order to keep the synchronisation.
- The dance the Cogwork Dancers perform is a 3/4 "Waltz" that becomes a 4/4 to embrace the mechanical nature of the boss. Additionally, Waltz, as a dance, is historically known for being a romantic elegant ballroom dance, which further emphasises the relationship between the Green Prince and his lover.
External links[]
[]
 Villains
| ||
|
Hallownest The Infected Grimm Troupe Other Pharloom The Citadel Caste and its associates Silk Beings Others | ||