Hegemol- the fallen knight

[sandy claws]

i am inciting a theory that Hegemol is the Hunter.

for this to be even considered possible, i would have to make the case that Hegemol turned on the Kingdom of Hallownest. although i am making the case that this happened around or after the time of the Pale King's death in the White Palace.

Hegemol is the only Great Knight whose whereabouts are largely unknown.

Fungling Hunter's Journal entry: "When I was young, my brothers and sisters and I would hunt each other in the nest. Now I hunt alone."

this entry could be in reference to the 5 Great Knights and a few other characters, such as Nailmaster Sheo, but most notably the possibility of the "Pale" Lurker.
(bonus character arch!)

*King! Mine!
*Key! Treasure! Begone, begone!
*For me! For you! For King!
-Pale Lurker

outside of the obvious connection with "Pale" name, her dialogue leaves connection with presumably, the Pale royalty.

She is an uninfected former Champion of the Colosseum of Fools who was drawn away by strange obsessions, eventually becoming insane.

although insanely rambling now, she was obviously someone of great power as she was the prior champion of the Colosseum.
The Knight is introduced to her in the form of insanity and instinct. the battle ensued, is less like a battle of any other in Hallownest. it's more like a game of "hunting".

i also bring up the referencing of her being a Champion of the Colosseum, as testing your might in the Colosseum closely aligns with the Hunter's reason for hunting.

Dream Nailed right before picking up the Hunter's Mark
It is stronger even than me... does it know that? Will it return to hunt me...? I hope it tries.

although there is plenty of reference to the Hunter killing while hunting.
this reference, as well as the reference to "hunting his siblings", makes the argument that hunting doesn't necessarily mean killing...
also adding that the Hunter already has a book of words pertaining to main-char bugs that are still alive.

all of the above is mostly piecing together the idea that the Hunter "hunting his siblings in the nest", is referring to friendly battles among his peers during his youth as 1 of the Great Knights of Hallownest.

this could also uncover a stronger link between Hegemol and the Pale Lurker. as the Hunter's philosophy, would somewhat match what i believe the Pale Lurker's philosophies would have resembled before insanity. (perhaps Hegemol looked up to this Pale person more than is shown in-game, which both characters lack much info for...)


the downfall:
despite showing great disdain for the kingdom of Hallownest and it's resident's, as well as claiming to have no belonging to place...

The Hunter: "I'm only biding time a moment, before next my hunt begins. A true Hunter has no home, no kingdom and I'm eager for new prey."

Leaping Husk Hunter's Journal entry: "The bugs of old Hallownest did not hunt their own food, they had it brought to them. That's why they were so weak. That's why their kingdom crumbled into dust and faded away!"

"the nest" and his "siblings" referenced prior, makes it clear that it was once a bug with "family", and spent time with them growing up in a "home".

i'll also note that speaking of the "bugs of old Hallownest", could be more than referencing obtained knowledge, instead speaking on experience of growing up in that time-line.

the 5 Great Knights appear to have treated their circle as family. a great reference for this are the scenes after defeating the White Defender. (all of them help piece together just how much respect was shown within the circle)

there are a multitude of quotes i can use to stress how much they acted like a family unit, although not "actual family". but this isn't really a new or contested idea, so i'll move on.


Hegemol the Mighty, i believe is signified as the "protector of the city".
his statue blocks your way from entering the "city" section of Hallownest.
you also find the crest to open this gate, from the False Knight, who has stolen the armor from Hegemol. (allegedly)
it would make the argument that Hegemol oversaw the gate-keeping at least in some way.

With the city over-taken by a blight, the kingdom crumbled, his king gone, his armor stolen (allegedly), and perhaps even with the Pale Lurker having "retreated".
Hegemol saw his whole life destroyed before him.

in an attempt to cope with the grief of everything, he secluded himself, but never could shake his instincts as a warrior. with nothing left to protect, but sticking true to instinct, he started to hunt.

this could perhaps have more depth than hunting for food or for the thrill of battle.
this could also be a way to search for a mate, if you only want a mate who is strong and independent. (aligning to the philosophies of hunter and warrior)

the Hunter reveals 1 grand weakness.

Oblobbles Hunter's Journal entry: "No mate has ever come forth to stay by my side..."

the Hunter actually does have a soft side, even if a large portion of respect for another, is proven through combat prowess. (not proven but, "way of the hunter" and all)

these next few quotes could be viewed from someone who came from outside of Hallownest, but i would like to offer an alternate idea.
these are the quotes of someone who saw the "ideals" of society, "fail" society.
now showing disdain for the qualities of "weakness".

Dung Defender Hunter's Journal entry: "Fighting for 'honour', or for 'loyalty'... you may as well be fighting for dust. If you want to kill, do it for your own sake. That is the nature of a true Hunter."

Leaping Husk Hunter's Journal entry: "The bugs of old Hallownest did not hunt their own food, they had it brought to them. That's why they were so weak. That's why their kingdom crumbled into dust and faded away!"

Husk Dandy Hunter's Journal entry: "It seems the weakest, greediest members of Hallownest were also the one who exerted the most influence. Truly a Kingdom that was always destined for ruin."

as a battle-worn knight. Hegemol wouldn't have much time or reason to reflect on these qualities shown by his peers. at least from a pessimistic perspective.
with the kingdom destroyed, and the rest of the Great Knights either dead or "resolved" to forever protect their post.
it would be reasonable to believe Hegemol sees the rest of the knights (poo boy), as forever bound to a fool's errand. (read the first of the last 3 quotes and pretend i inserted it twice)
the alternate theory is that the Hunter is outwardly hiding (perhaps actively hiding) true details of his past to the Knight. viewing on the failure of a kingdom that couldn't protect it's king, and a king that couldn't protect his kingdom. resentment.

so to start summing things up:
Hegemol's armor was not stolen, he left it behind when he absolved himself of knighthood.
this is why the Hunter appears to be naked and shell-less. he shed his skin, although is still quite formidable if we are to believe he has hunted everything he claimed.
perhaps even strong enough to be considered "the Mighty".

i'm also going to bring up a coincidence that could help align everything.

Before getting the Hunter's Mark from him, the ground below collapses and it is revealed that the "cave" is actually a hood and the rest of his body is a large thin figure. He then roars and boss music briefly plays, making it seem like a boss battle. The music then stops abruptly and the Hunter puts his hand out with the Hunter's Mark in it.

the music played is the "False Knight". this could be showing link between the Hunter, Hegemol, and the False Knight who has obtained Hegemol's armor

the quotes have been pulled from Wiki.

[sandy claws]

i believe i'm done with the main premise now.
i am reserving post #2 for any additions and/or relevant info, that i might add in the future.