Silent Hill: 10 Scariest Monsters
The Silent Hill franchise may be presently dormant, but the franchise is full of terrifyingly memorable enemies to haunt players' memories.
In gamers’ restless dreams, they see that town: Silent Hill. The rumor mill keeps suggesting Konami will again revisit this famous horror town, but the gaming company has yet to make any announcements. Perhaps one day fans will be given new adventures featuring the franchise's famous brand of scares, but for now, they must rely on their shattered memories of this legendary yet dormant franchise.
Of course, a prominent highlight of any horror game is its enemies, and Silent Hill has some of the most frightening monsters in all of gaming (in all of horror, even). Which ones continue to haunt the nightmares of gamers until this day, and, scarier still, why?
Raw Shock (Silent Hill: Shattered Memories)
Shattered Memories utilizes the controls of the Wii to startling effect, if not altogether smoothly. One of the scariest (and also frustrating) aspects of the game is having to run away from the Raw Shock creatures, as this game’s version of Harry Mason is never able to fight them.
Given the game’s ability to tailor itself to players’ choices, the Raw Shocks are able to alter themselves accordingly, making for a scarier experience. However, it’s also possible to play with that in mind, and change them so they’re less frightening.
The Nurses (Silent Hill Franchise)
A staple of the franchise and one of the reasons some gamers may be afraid of hospitals, the nurses symbolize something different in each game, be it the childhood fear of sickness, a dark reflection of the lust one feels in their heart, or the anxieties of being sexualized by society.
However, the nurses are also easy enough to defeat, lessening their fear factor considerably. All the same, it would still be best to avoid them in the narrow hallways.
Gray Child (Silent Hill 1)
The very first enemy in the Silent Hill franchise, introducing the world to the best 90s PS1 survival horror game, the Gray Child arrives to unequivocally tell both the player and the original Harry Mason that something is definitely wrongin this town, aside from all the fog and roads that abruptly empty out.
These guys are also easy to put down, but what elevates them above the nurses is what they symbolize. The monsters of SH1 are reflections of Alessa, and the Gray Children are how she views the bullies she encountered while she was alive, which is all the scarier given how the Japanese versions of the Gray Children all had knives.
Valtiel (Silent Hill 3)
A servant of the god the Order worships, Valtiel spends his time in Silent Hill 3 stalking Heather and the player’s movements, a constant looming threat in the game that’s ultimately never carried out, as he never attacks Heather.
Valtiel is a unique figure in the early games. Unlike every other monster, Valtiel exists of his own accord, not as a dark reflection of a character’s fears or anxieties. While he never fights, his presence and his role in Silent Hill’s cosmology make him a terrifying figure.
Lisa (P.T./Silent Hills)
Many horror fans were heartbroken with the cancellation of Silent Hills and the removal of P.T. (the best horror game of the last decade) from the PlayStation store, and Lisa’s incredibly horrifying visage is a testament to that. Haunting the player throughout the game, Lisa delivers the final blow in several scenarios.
Lisa is reflective of a tried and true Silent Hill trope, that of the town’s evil turning the sins of the past against the main character, whether it’s their fault or not. The victim of domestic murder, it’s sad that players are never given more to her backstory. If they were, though, Lisa would likely be even more horrifying.
Closer (Silent Hill 3)
The first monster Heather encounters in Silent Hill 3, the Closer is also perhaps the biggest normal monster of the series, making for quite the intimidating presence. It swings its huge arms and feasts on flesh, and Heather, the best female protagonist in a horror game, must run from it often throughout the game.
Silent Hill 3 is ultimately a feminine coming-of-age story and is reflective of the fears some young women have of society and their place and image within it. The Closer exaggerates and parodies the feminine form, contributing to the unique fears SH3 feeds upon.
Twin Victims (Silent Hill 4: The Room)
The first time Henry Townsend runs into this terrifying creature, it’s just standing there, pointing at him. With no legs, it balances on its oversize arms and stares with not just one but two heads.
While the enemies of The Room are mainly ghosts who were murdered in life by the big bad Walter Sulivan, much of the horror comes from being well and truly seen for who one is as a person, particularly the worst parts, and the Twin Victims certainly see Henry. The point is both a mark of their intended victim as well as an accusation.
Victim Ghosts (Silent Hill 4: The Room)
Several ghosts in The Room haunt Henry all throughout the game, both the victims that died before the events of the game and during. Henry is almost completely defenseless against them.
They haunt him both in the titular apartment, where the only line of defense is a candle of limited quantity, and the nightmare world, where Henry can slow them down with a sword, but only temporarily. While there may not be extra heavy meaning to the ghosts, the serious threat they pose as they cause psychic damage to Henry earns them their higher spot.
Pyramid Head (Silent Hill 2)
The most famous figure in the Silent Hill franchise (and one of the hardest bosses), Pyramid Head may have appeared more than necessary throughout it, but his impact in SH2 can never be lessened. Stalking James Sunderland throughout the game, his iconic and scary design will always send shivers down the spine.
The true horror of Pyramid Head comes from why he appears, though. Ultimately, Pyramid Head is a representation of the intense hatred and guilt James harbors towards himself. He is arguably the ultimate manifestation of the game’s horror and themes.
Abstract Daddy (Silent Hill 2)
What Pyramid Head is for James, the Abstract Daddy is for Angela, one of the NPCs James runs into throughout the town. It is a slow but hulking sideways door with legs, with what seems to be a writhing body on top of it.
The Abstract Daddy is manifested by the harm brought upon Angela by her father and brother growing up, ultimately leading her to snap and kill them, and, like James, giving her guilt. Unlike James, though, Angela was severely wronged and mistreated, and to face the sins of her father in Silent Hill is not only terrifying, it’s cruel. There is no scarier monster.
