5 Silent Hill Bosses and What They Represent

Everyone loves a good video game. Some people, though, like to travel on the dark side of the gaming community and delve into the strange and unknown. The fear response in the human brain, for these people, can be quite addicting. The worlds these people like to dive into can be gory, gritty, the stuff of nightmares.

Especially when it comes to the brilliant, and possibly disturbed, minds behind the games of the Silent Hill franchise.

Since the first game's release in 1999 for the Playstation, horror fans all over the world have reveled (And screamed like little children.) at the creative and eerie monsters produced by Team Silent. These people knew just what to do to create a horrific, foreboding environment for players to move around in.

Some of their pinnacle achievements in the games were the bosses. I'm taking a look at 5 of them today to see where exactly these monsters came from. What caused them to manifest? What, in terms of how this franchise's world works, created them?

#1: Scarlet, Silent Hill Homecoming

I remember when I first played this game. I was so used to the monsters of Silent Hill's past. Personally, I wasn't particularly impressed with this installment. It had its moments, but I was otherwise underwhelmed.

Then, I came upon this tangled up monstrosity. LOOK at that FACE! Dolls are scary; a lot of people think so. Team Silent took that notion and made this gangly, fierce beast into one of the most annoying, and terrifying, bosses in video game history.

Scarlet is the second major boss encountered in the game. Metaphorically, Scarlet represents the memory of Scarlet Fitch, the daughter of Dr. Martin Fitch. The beast herself is a physical manifestation of her father's guilt for sacrificing his daughter in such a horrific way. (Play the game if you want the gory details on that, it's quite chilling.)

If you've played this game, you probably noticed there's a LOT of blood during the boss fight. This is a huge metaphor for the way that Scarlet died. Even at the end, her father sinks into a pool of blood, representing just how much she probably lost when she herself perished.

A lot of thought goes into something like that. A lot of deeply...deeply disturbed thought. But, kudos to the creators for not only making something so innately terrifying, but really kind of sad when you think about it in terms of what happened to the poor girl.


#2: Red Pyramid (Pyramid Head), Silent Hill 2

The most iconic figure from the franchise is, and always will be, Pyramid Head. While he may have been overused in the film adaptations, and had an (Honestly) unnecessary appearance in Silent Hill Homecoming, he is still one of the most terrifying beings to walk the streets of Silent Hill. 

Making his appearance in the second installment of the games, Pyramid Head slinked his way into every gamer's memory, and with good reason. The first time you see him...

As you move through the rest of the game, each new encounter with him makes him seem more and more dangerous. At the very end, you must face a pair of these creatures before you can finish at last. But, what does he represent?

It's clear from playing that you learn about the main character, James Sunderland, killing his wife as a way to release her (And himself) from the burden of her terminal illness. It is well known that Pyramid Head is a manifestation of James' guilt for killing his wife and not having been punished for doing the deed.

In the game, the pair that appear at the end murder Maria, a character you encounter during your time in Silent Hill. This is done to remind James of what he has done and force him to face it. There are a few times that Maria appears to have been killed, each time is to remind James of this act. The third and final time forces him to accept this fact. Once the boss fight is done, the two Pyramid Heads impale themselves, representing the cessation of the task they set out to do; Reminding James that he took the life of his ill spouse.

#3: Sad Daddy, Silent Hill Origins

My personal favorite installment of the series, Silent Hill Origins, had a handful of familiar faces in it, with its own unique bosses. This one in particular always struck a chord with me, though. Its whole appearance just gives me shivers, if I'm being brutally honest. Sometimes, I even feel a little sick when thinking about the first time I played through this part of the game.

The whole history of the main character, Travis Grady, isn't exactly a tale full of gum drops and roses. His mother went insane, his father took his own life, and it's learning that that brings us to this ungodly monstrosity.

As I've stated, this boss is a representation of the memory of Travis' father, Richard Grady, and the guilt and responsibility Travis feels for his death. While it really isn't Travis' fault that his father committed suicide, it's still a hard wound to tend to. Understandably so. 

Travis found his father hanging in a noose, which can be seen represented in this boss' design. This corpse-like figure kind of dangles from the ceiling, as a body would from a noose. Heck, during the boss fight there are tentacles that will attempt to grab Travis around the neck, representing how his father took his life.

This monster is another in a long line of creatures from the games that aren't just freaky, they're actually very sad.

#4: Conjurer, Silent Hill 4: The Room

Silent Hill 4 was another somewhat unpopular installment. While not your typical romp in Silent Hill, this game still had a lot to offer in the story department. 

The main character, Henry Townsend, is trapped in his apartment and often finds himself in a series of supernatural worlds. Eventually, he goes head to head with an undead serial killer, Walter Sullivan.

There are a lot of noteworthy moments in the game, despite not taking place in the town of Silent Hill at all. The game still had the spirit of the previous games to make it a thought provoking and gut churning experience.

None, though, like this piece of work. I, personally, hated playing against this boss. He wasn't the most difficult to beat, but good lord almighty the things he brings about are just annoying. This beast conjures up the ghost of Walter Sullivan, who's the real threat in this fight, and he [the ghost] can be kind of frustrating to get at.

Conjurer itself represents Walter himself and everything he desires. Room 302, which Walter believes is his "mother" is where this boss calls home. That in itself suggests that, considering Walter's ghost comes out of this thing, represents his mother's womb. Considering this thing's monstrous appearance, it could also be a physical manifestation of Walter's monstrous nature as a serial killer.

#5: God, Silent Hill 3

Silent Hill 3 is widely regarded as the darkest of the series, and with good reason. With heavy religious undertones and casting the first female main character of the series, Silent Hill 3 took a deeper look at what really happened to that last little bit of innocence that left Silent Hill before it became the hell storm that it was when we first encountered it.

Heather Mason, the teenager grown from the baby Harry Mason took from the ending of the first game, is our lead here. When she comes across this boss, the whole encounter is anything but pretty.

The whole way this creature came about is an entire story of its own, and there are several deep meanings to this creature.

The fight between God and Heather has been said to represent Heather overcoming her dark past as Alessa and her desire to rid the world of the influence that the Order had over the rest of the world.

The boss battle itself takes place underground, which suggests that God itself is closer to mankind than the traditional Christian God. It's here on Earth, closer to Hell itself rather than heaven. 

There are a dozen different theories about what this particular boss could symbolize. Each one, while they make sense story-wise, is more disturbing than the last. 

To me, personally, that is what makes this boss so unique and frightening. If you've played the games, you understand.

If you HAVEN'T played the Silent Hill games, I strongly encourage you to give them a try. While they are dark, and highly disturbing, they're also highly thought provoking. Psychological horror is probably one of the most popular sub-genres of horror that exist because it invokes such deep thought. That's why these games are my favorites.

Except for Downpour. Don't play that game. That game was an abomination to the series.