Silent Hill: Every Playable Character Ranked

Key Takeaways

Silent Hill 2’s remake gave the franchise a new lease on life.
Silent Hill: The Short Message explores the dangers of envy in the digital age.
Silent Hill’s female characters, like Heather and Maria, play pivotal roles in the series.

In my humble opinion, each of these Silent Hill protagonists brings something unique to the table, making them all fascinating characters in their own right. However, if I were to choose the most captivating character from this list, it would have to be Heather Mason. Her life experience is nothing short of extraordinary, being both a victim and a survivor of the horrors that plague Silent Hill.

Currently, Silent Hill is given another chance to thrive, as they’re remaking Silent Hill 2, which is generally considered the most beloved and highly praised game within the series. This is an excellent opportunity for fans to re-explore the eerie fog, and the diverse personalities that once roamed it, both old and recently introduced.

12 Anita

A Stark Warning of the Dangers Envy Can Breed

In today’s digital era, many young individuals struggle with feelings of envy, depression, and the craving for online validation while managing complex adolescent friendships. This is a reality that many encounter. The game Silent Hill: The Short Messages aims to convey a warning about these issues, showing how envy can foster toxicity and potentially lead to unexpected outcomes.

In this narrative, Anita serves as the playable character. Unfortunately, her actions towards Maya, driven by jealousy, led to Maya’s tragic decision to take her own life. Despite the game’s noble intentions, it handles these sensitive topics rather bluntly, making Anita a challenging figure to connect with or empathize with. However, there are valuable lessons hidden within Anita’s hardships that players can learn from.

11 Karen

A Strong Character in a Forgotten Game

The enigmatic town of Silent Hill is swathed in just as much mystery as it is veiled by fog, and exploring it usually uncovers gruesome and sorrowful truths. This certainly holds true for the mobile game, Silent Hill: Orphan. In this installment, an abandoned orphanage serves as the primary location. Tragically, all but three of the children residing there were killed, one of the survivors being Karen, a character you can control in this game.

It’s interesting to note that Alessa’s sister, Karen, was coerced into committing murders as a child, an act she no longer remembers. Despite this dark past, Karen is not a ruthless killer, as she openly demonstrates. She endures the weight of her guilt and the monster Alessa unleashes, showcasing her strength. However, due to being trapped within a now-defunct mobile game, Karen tends to be easily overlooked or forgotten.

10 Mira The Dog

Adorable, Mischievous, and Playable in an Average Mobile Shooter

Platforms: Mobile
Release Date: December 23rd, 2008
Developers: Konami Digital Entertainment

Although Mira, a dog with limited screen time, is not present for long, she remains one of the most cherished characters in Silent Hill. She’s adorable and playful, making it hard for players not to develop affection for her. Even when it’s revealed that she was responsible for everything (if the player manages the elusive ‘dog ending’), her charm endures, and achieving this outcome isn’t easy.

What some players might not know is that Mira features as a playable character in Silent Hill: The Escape, a first-person dungeon crawler game released for mobile phones. Many iconic monsters from the Silent Hill series will appear, including famed series mascot Pyramid Head, but this game seems like a simple form of fanservice rather than a full title that will earn accolades.

9 Murphy Pendleton

His Personality is Largely Up to the Players

In Silent Hill: Downpour, players take on an unforeseen character – a convicted felon, apprehended for grand auto theft and illegally driving a police car across international borders. The game begins with him murdering another criminal, leading to his transfer to another institution. However, the transport vehicle crashes en route near the town of Silent Hill, providing Murphy an opportunity to break free. It might have been wiser for him to stay behind bars instead.

Murphy is somewhat enigmatic with a hint of criminal tendencies, giving players a glimpse into one aspect of his complex nature. Some choices the players must make, like deciding whether to rescue Anne Cunningham from danger, influence how they perceive and develop Murphy’s personality. This setup empowers players by granting them a degree of control over shaping the character, but it may come at the cost of having a fully developed character.

8 Alex Shepherd

One of the More Capable Characters in Regard to Combat

The game titled “Silent Hill: Homecoming” was met with mixed reactions among fans. It deviated from the series norms, featuring monsters that were seen as derivative, subpar porting, and the unexpected return of Pyramid Head, a character whose presence should have been implausible given his connection to James Sunderland and his unique encounter in Silent Hill town.

Despite some issues, there were certainly positive aspects to the game. The graphics and music were both impressive, and many people were excited about the new team’s potential. One of the standout features was the protagonist, who was one of the few playable characters with pre-existing combat skills. He has a few realistic flaws and a tragic past that make him intriguing, but he’s not necessarily the strongest character overall.

7 Travis Grady

A Heroic Character Who Once Saved Alessa’s Life

In the game “Silent Hill: Origins,” the character Travis Grady, who’s had a difficult past marked by recurring nightmares, is about to face challenges far greater than his dreams. He saves Alessa from a burning temple, a ritual site for a cult who intended her to be a godly vessel. In return for his bravery, he wakes up in the eerie town of Silent Hill, and swears to uncover if she’s still alive.

When it comes to characters from the town of Silent Hill, Travis stands out as one who acts primarily for others’ welfare rather than personal gain or retribution. His reason for visiting the ominous town isn’t to atone for past wrongs or seek vengeance, but to verify if a young girl named Alessa is still alive. Sadly, Silent Hill shows no mercy to either selfless or selfish souls alike.

6 Maria

Her Playable Scenario Sheds More Light on Her Existence

In the game “Silent Hill 2”, Maria seemingly materializes before James, who is searching for his supposedly deceased wife. She bears an eerie resemblance to his wife. While it’s speculated that she’s a manifestation of James’s desires or his inability to handle guilt from a past crime, these are just popular theories among the Silent Hill community. The standalone scenario where she is playable, “Born from a Wish”, provides some support for these ideas.

In this situation, players will experience events through Maria’s perspective, slightly before they unfold. This perspective adds depth to her character as she selflessly assists a neighbor in a seemingly hopeless situation. However, despite her efforts, she remains drawn to James, suggesting that her life lacks significance without him.

5 Cybil Bennett

A Capable Cop with Boundless Courage

Platforms: Game Boy Advance
Release Date: December 23rd, 2008
Developers: March 21st, 2001

Cybil is a notable character from the initial Silent Hill series, featuring in both the movie adaption and several other games. She also became playable in the “Play Novel: Silent Hill” game, which was exclusively launched in Japan. This scarcely available title can be challenging to find and play for those not familiar with Japanese language, but having the opportunity to control Cybil could make the effort worthwhile.

In this version of the game, most of the chapters are dedicated to Harry Mason, the protagonist from the initial release. However, Cybil receives a significant nine chapters, which revisits the original tale but in the format of an interactive novel. This innovative style offers a fresh perspective on the Silent Hill universe and showcases just how strong and capable Cybil Bennett can be.

4 James Sunderland

A Tragic Protagonist

In simpler terms, Silent Hill 2 narrates the heart-wrenching story of James Sunderland, who journeys back to the serene vacation spot he shared with his deceased wife, Silent Hill, following a mysterious letter from her. Contrary to his nostalgic memories, he encounters a horde of terrifying creatures, and among them, the most dreadful is Pyramid Head.

As the final moments of the game unfold, it becomes apparent that James had committed the murder of his ailing spouse. This discovery not only casts doubt on his reliability as a narrator, but also positions him as the antagonist in a sense. Despite this shocking revelation causing him visible anguish, it is difficult not to feel some empathy towards James.

3 Henry Townshend

A Relatable Character Forced into an Unrelatable Scenario

It was once speculated that Silent Hill 4: The Room was an entirely independent game from the Silent Hill series, given as a title to attract attention. However, this theory was debunked, establishing Silent Hill 4 as part of the primary series and Henry Townsend as a unique protagonist within the Silent Hill universe. Locked in his apartment when mysterious chains and locks appear on his door one day, Henry navigates through a gap in his bathroom leading to an alternate world, mirroring the distorted reality of the outside environment.

In these unusual realms, there are bizarre occurrences, and rumors of a series of murders surface, mirroring the method of the deceased murderer Walter Sullivan. Initially reserved and solitary, Henry gradually emerges from his cocoon, forming friendships, particularly with Eileen, and halting Walter’s rampage. He is a typical man next door, whom many can identify with, suddenly thrust into a situation that demands adaptation or survival.

2 Harry Mason

The First Protagonist was Not a Fighter, but Proved Himself Nonetheless

Harry Mason is renowned as the central figure in the eerie town of Silent Hill. First introduced as the protagonist in the 1999 original game, Mason was a devoted family man who had taken on the role of father to his adopted daughter, Cheryl. Tragically losing her during their fateful trip to Silent Hill, he became determined to find and rescue her from the enigmatic town.

It’s worth mentioning that while characters like Cybil Bennett (a police officer) and Alex Shepherd (former militia) in the game Silent Hill were proficient fighters, Harry Mason, who was just a small-time writer and loving father, lacked combat skills. This makes Silent Hill a tough game to complete since Harry isn’t your typical action hero. Instead, his ordinary nature makes him a more intriguing character to play. Although he may be overshadowed by his adopted daughter Heather, Harry is still worthy of recognition for his well-rounded character.

1 Heather Mason

The Most Badass Silent Hill Protagonist

In a later timeframe, we find ourselves delving back into the chilling saga begun in the initial Silent Hill game. At the conclusion of the first installment, Harry takes the reborn child of Alessa/Cheryl – whom he names Heather – with him to shield her from her tumultuous past. As a fully grown woman, Heather is lured back into the horrifying alternate realm teeming with rust, monstrous creatures, and cults. Once more, The Order seeks to exploit her body as a conduit for resurrecting their deity.

Heather, characterized by a spirited demeanor, strength, courage, and vocalness, has won over numerous admirers, and it’s easy to understand why. Despite her youth, she demonstrates extraordinary bravery, capable of asserting herself against the monstrous entities in Silent Hill, yet a tender side reveals itself when dealing with her father and upon returning home to find his body. This multi-dimensional character thus far stands as the most impressive to arise from the Silent Hill series.

2024-10-08 19:54