If you’ve spent any time scouring the internet for Hollow Knight news, you’ve probably felt that familiar itch. Not just for the game to finally release, but for the tiny details that make Team Cherry’s world-building so addictive. We need to talk about the lost fleas in Silksong. They aren't just a reskin of the Grubs from the first game. Honestly, they represent a massive shift in how Hornet interacts with the kingdom of Pharloom compared to how the Knight wandered through Hallownest.
Everyone remembers the first time they found a Grub in a jar. That high-pitched, warbling cry. The way they’d do a little somersault when you broke the glass. It was cute, but it was also a bit of a tragedy. They were trapped, stagnant, waiting for a savior who might or might not ever show up.
Silksong flips the script.
The lost fleas aren't sitting in jars waiting for a nail to shatter their prison. They’re active. They’re part of a caravan. It changes the vibe of the entire "collectible" loop. Instead of being a scavenger hunt for prisoners, it feels more like a rescue mission for a displaced community.
What the lost fleas in Silksong actually do for the gameplay loop
In the original Hollow Knight, the Grubfather was your primary point of contact. You bring him his kids, he gives you Geo and Charms. Simple. In Silksong, the lost fleas are tied to a traveling caravan. This isn't just a lore flavor choice; it’s a mechanical one.
Because Hornet is faster and more acrobatic than the Knight, the level design in Pharloom is vertical. It’s dizzying. You’re climbing up, not just descending. Finding a flea tucked away in a secret crevice feels less like "oh, another one" and more like finding a trail of breadcrumbs that leads back to the main hub.
The caravan acts as a mobile base. Think about that for a second. In Hallownest, Dirtmouth was your anchor. It was static. In Pharloom, the world feels like it’s moving with you. When you find these fleas, you’re helping rebuild a functioning society that is actively trying to survive the pilgrimage to the Citadel.
The design of the Fleas vs. the Grubs
Let’s get into the weeds of the character design. The Grubs were basically blobs with eyes. We loved them because they were helpless. The fleas? They’ve got a bit more personality. They look like they could actually survive a five-minute walk in Pharloom if they weren't so hopelessly lost.
Team Cherry has a way of making insectoid features look expressive without giving them human mouths or eyebrows. It’s all in the twitch of an antenna.
I’ve noticed a lot of people online getting confused about the "lost" part. They aren't always behind a breakable wall. Sometimes they’re guarded by specific enemy types that require you to use Hornet's silk-based abilities to reach. It’s a test of skill. If you can’t navigate the environment, you don't get the flea. This makes the reward feel earned rather than stumbled upon.
Why Pharloom needs a different kind of collectible
Hallownest was a graveyard. Everything was dead or dying.
Pharloom is different. It’s a kingdom of "Silk and Song." It’s haunted, sure, but it’s also vibrant and loud.
A static collectible like the Grubs wouldn't fit the frantic energy of Hornet’s movement. She zips. She grapples. She heals instantly using silk. The lost fleas in Silksong are scattered in a way that encourages you to use her full kit. If you see a flea on a high ledge, you aren't just looking for a hidden path; you’re looking for a sequence of jumps and dashes that would make a platforming pro sweat.
The Caravan’s role in your progression
Finding these little guys isn't just about completionism. It’s about the "Tools."
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Hornet doesn't use Charms in the same way the Knight did. She has a dedicated tool system—bombs, pins, and various clockwork contraptions. The flea caravan is heavily implied to be the source of some of these upgrades. You aren't just getting "money" for your trouble. You’re getting utility.
- You find a flea.
- The flea returns to the caravan.
- The caravan grows.
- New tools or Crests become available.
It’s a much tighter feedback loop. It makes the world feel lived-in. You aren't just a silent god wandering a ruin; you’re a protagonist with a direct impact on the NPCs around you.
Addressing the "Grubfather" trauma
We have to address the elephant in the room. Or rather, the giant worm in the room.
The ending of the Grub questline in the first game was... divisive. Some people found it horrifying, others saw it as a natural biological progression. It left a mark. Now, when players see the lost fleas in Silksong, there’s an immediate sense of dread. "What’s going to happen to them once I find them all?"
Team Cherry knows this. They play with expectations. The caravan leader, a large flea-like creature, seems genuinely concerned. But in a world as grim as this one, "concern" can be a mask for something else.
Honestly, even if there is a dark twist, the journey of finding them is what matters. The environmental storytelling in Silksong is significantly more dense. You’ll find empty nests. You’ll find discarded shells. These aren't just random placements; they tell the story of a migration gone wrong.
How to track them down without losing your mind
If you’re planning your route for when the game finally drops, keep a few things in mind.
First, listen. Just like the Grubs, the fleas have a distinct sound profile. It’s more of a skittering, high-frequency chirp than the wet, gurgling cry of a Grub.
Second, look for the silk. Pharloom is covered in it, but the areas where fleas are lost often have specific "tangled" patterns that stand out from the background. It’s subtle. You’ll miss it if you’re just sprinting through.
Third, don't ignore the NPCs. The caravan members will often give you hints about where their kin went missing. This is a huge step up from the first game, where you basically just had to find a map late in the game to see where everyone was.
The technical side of the search
The map in Silksong is huge. Like, way bigger than Hallownest.
Because of that scale, the developers had to change how they hide things. You’ll find fleas in the Moss Grotto, the Deep Docks, and the Greymoor. Each zone has a different verticality. In the Deep Docks, you might find a flea hanging from a crane. In the Moss Grotto, they might be buried under overgrown vegetation.
This variety keeps the "lost fleas in Silksong" quest from feeling like a chore. It’s integrated into the exploration of the biomes.
Why we care so much
Why are we obsessing over digital insects?
It’s because Team Cherry mastered the art of "the little guy." In a world of towering bosses and ancient conspiracies, these tiny creatures represent the stakes. If Hornet can’t save the fleas, what hope does the rest of the kingdom have?
They provide a moment of levity. When you find one, the music usually softens. Hornet’s animation for interacting with them is crisp. It’s a breath of fresh air in a game that is otherwise incredibly tense and difficult.
What to do now
Since we're all still waiting for the full experience, the best thing you can do is study the trailers and the 2019 Treehouse footage. You can actually see the flea icons on the map in some of those early builds. It gives a glimpse into how the UI handles these collectibles.
- Pay attention to the "Crests." Some Crests might change how you interact with NPCs or how you find hidden secrets.
- Master the grapple. A lot of the flea locations we've seen require precise movement that isn't possible with just a simple jump.
- Check the corners. Team Cherry loves putting secrets just off the edge of the screen where the camera doesn't naturally follow.
The hunt for the lost fleas is going to be one of the highlights of the Silksong experience. It’s a testament to how a small change in framing—from "prisoner" to "lost traveler"—can completely shift the emotional weight of a game’s side content. When you finally get your hands on the game, don't just rush to the bosses. Slow down. Listen for the chirping. Those little guys are counting on you.
Keep an eye on the official Team Cherry blog and their rare Twitter updates for any last-minute changes to the game's systems, but based on everything shown so far, the flea caravan is a cornerstone of Pharloom’s identity. Be ready to climb high and dive deep to bring them all home.