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00:00One of the joys of the modern video game industry has been the resurgence of Silent Hill.
00:05After spending over a decade being the poster child for mishandled franchises,
00:10Konami have finally started making proper Silent Hill games again.
00:14Hooray!
00:15So in honor of this franchise's grand return we thought why not look back on the series
00:20and some of its most iconic monsters.
00:23And with that in mind I'm Josh from WhatCultureGames.com
00:25and today we're talking about terrifying Silent Hill monsters and their media.
00:30First up, the nurse, Silent Hill 2.
00:33Silent Hill 2's nurses
00:35have proven to be one of the series' most enduring enemies.
00:38Since their first appearance the
00:40these faceless monstrosities have gone on to feature in subsequent entries like Homecoming,
00:44Origins,
00:45Origins,
00:46and the surprisingly not terrible 2006 movie.
00:50Which kind of makes absolutely no sense as they were created to represent a very-
00:55specific aspect of a very specific individual.
00:58That of course being Silent Hill 2.
01:00protagonist James Sunderland.
01:03Now every monster in Silent Hill 2
01:05represents a negative emotion from its central cast.
01:08Sometimes the symbolism
01:10is obvious as in the case of the Abstract Daddy in nightmarishly graphic-
01:15depiction of the abuse suffered by tragic teenager Angela.
01:19In the case of the nurse-
01:20However, the player needs to look a little bit deeper.
01:23While it's initially unclear why James-
01:25Sunderland is being attacked by faceless hospital workers with disturbingly attractive-
01:30bodies, players can eventually puzzle out the truth behind their design.
01:35It turns out James's wife Mary spent years in hospital wasting away from an unknown.
01:40Illness.
01:41Although the game never spells it out for you, the nurses definitely represent-
01:45James's repressed guilt over sexualizing the nurses who looked after his term-
01:50seemingly ill wife.
01:51Given that these nightmare creatures represent a very specific aspect of-
01:55one-man psyche then, it is kind of baffling as to why the nurses have cropped up in so-
02:00many other Silent Hill games.
02:02Unless, that is, Konami are making the point that-
02:05society's desire to see sexy nurse uniforms outweighs its interest in-
02:10narrative coherence.
02:11In which case, fair enough.
02:13Next up, the Sakura head-
02:15Silent Hill The Short Message.
02:17A mere 21 years after Heather Mason-
02:20Disney's journey, Konami finally got around to crafting another female protagonist in 2020-
02:25Final Four's Silent Hill The Short Message.
02:28This spin-off revolves around the teenaged-
02:30Anita, who finds herself trapped in an apartment complex in Germany and chased by-
02:35a floral-themed monster called Sakura Head.
02:38And this being a Silent Hill game, the-
02:40creature's design is deeply tied to this character's backstory.
02:44That's because Sakura-
02:45the head, as the name implies, is a creature whose head is covered entirely in Sakura-
02:50Blossoms.
02:51This nightmare figure stalks the apartment complex looking for-
02:55Anita, killing the unfortunate teen if she is discovered.
02:59However, Anita's-
03:00death doesn't signify a game over.
03:02Instead, she wakes up in the same building in the nightmare-
03:05continues anew.
03:06As the game goes on, though, it does become clear why Anita is-
03:10being tortured in this manner.
03:12Far from being a blameless victim herself-
03:15Anita actually orchestrated a massive cyberbullying campaign against-
03:20against a girl called Mare, which culminated in the latter dying by suicide.
03:25Design-
03:25And Masahiro Ito said via the Silent Hill wiki that he chose Cherry Blossoms to simply-
03:30symbolize the nature of a tragedy that unfolds through social media.
03:34An explosive-
03:35Blossoming of a crowd-pleasing event that culminates in decay and death, which explains why-
03:40Kurahead's final appearance also has the leaves rotted and dying.
03:45Of course-
03:45Kurahead isn't the only Silent Hill monster to have head as part of its-
03:50Norman culture.
03:51And that's because next up we're talking about the Eileen head, Silent Hill-
03:55for the Rune.
03:56Yes, it's the giant Eileen head.
03:59Who you're-
04:00Who you're expecting.
04:01Silent Hill- for the Rune gets its name from the fact that player character Henry Townsend-
04:05spends much of his time locked in the eponymous lodging.
04:08Unable to communicate with anyone outside-
04:10Outside the room, Henry's only connection to the outside world comes in the form of-
04:15neighbor Eileen Galvin.
04:16Henry actually spies on her over the course of the game looking-
04:20at her through a peephole in his apartment.
04:23And it's likely that this creepy house-
04:25is what Eileen head represents.
04:28First of all, the head never actually-
04:30attacks Henry.
04:31It just stares at him constantly in a reversal of Henry's actions-
04:35towards Eileen earlier in the game.
04:37Secondly, the heavy scarring on the head's face is-
04:40emblematic of the fact that, despite his constant spying on her, Henry was-
04:45unable to prevent Eileen from being seriously assaulted by the game's villain.
04:49Given that-
04:50Silent Hill monsters generally reflect guilt on the part of the protagonist-
04:53the Eileen head's appearance-
04:55and behavior certainly fits the bill.
04:57Next up, Raw Shock, Silent Hill, Sha-
05:00is the best way to get your head examined.
05:01From big heads to getting your head examined, Raw Shock is unique-
05:05among the Silent Hill pantheon for being the only creature whose appearance changes-
05:10based on the personality of the player.
05:12Silent Hill Shattered Memories is a retelling of the first-
05:15Silent Hill game, but with a unique twist.
05:18The game makes frequent cuts to a therapy-
05:20the protagonist's office where an unseen character is telling Harry's story to their doctor.
05:25During these occasions, the player is then tasked with completing various personality qu-
05:30quizzes, and the appearance of the game's monsters actually change-
05:33based on their answers.
05:35Focus too much on drinking drugs, for instance, and the Shattered Memories creatures-
05:40will become overrun with hideous diseased growths.
05:44Focus too much on-
05:45and the monsters sprout in large chests and have their feet transform.
05:50into high heels.
05:51In this manner, the Raw Shock are a unique take on the traditional-
05:55Silent Hill monster, rather than being an offshoot of the player character's personality-
06:00these monsters are a twisted reflection of the player themselves.
06:04It's a playfully-
06:05meta-twist on the usual Silent Hill trope that belies the fact that Silent Hill memories-
06:10was written by Sam Barlow, the man behind the medium-breaking delights of Hurst-
06:15story and immortality.
06:17And given what Barlow accomplished in 2009-
06:20the thought of him potentially returning to Silent Hill with another 15 years of game design experience-
06:25under his belt is certainly a tempting one, isn't it?
06:30I mean, hint, hint, hint, hint, hint, hint.
06:33Just get him back, please.
06:34Just get him back.
06:35Next up, The Split Worm, Silent Hill 3.
06:38Perhaps the most overtly-
06:40phallic creature in video game history-
06:42well, outside of Persona's infamous Mario-
06:45horror, of course.
06:46It's no accident that The Split Worm appears in the very first Silent Hill game-
06:50the female protagonist-
06:51that game, of course, being Silent Hill 3 with the heroine being-
06:55Heather Mason.
06:56The Escapist magazine probably put it best when they described the plot of The Third
07:00Silent Hill-
07:00as, quote,
07:01a teenage girl's worst nightmare.
07:03As the story revolves around Heather-
07:05Heather being forcibly chased by a cult who want her to give birth to their god.
07:10Knowing-
07:10Knowing this, the implications behind Split Worm's design become even clearer.
07:14It's-
07:15phallic design is clearly meant to imply Heather's disgust at being impregnated against-
07:20her will.
07:21And the head emerging from Split Worm's torn, open skin shows Heather's-
07:25understandable fears of giving birth to a monster.
07:28There's also the manner in which Heather-
07:30hunts down the monster as well.
07:32Just before the fight begins, Heather has to use an item to-
07:35lower a ladder that leads to the creature's lair.
07:38And the item in question?
07:40It's-
07:40It's a stretched out wire hanger.
07:42And given what Split Worm represents, the symbolism behind-
07:45Heather using a hanger in her quest to kill the monster is grimly apparent.
07:50Next up, the Kashimashi Silent Hill F.
07:53Alright, this entry is an unusual-
07:55in that the game itself hasn't actually released at the time of recording this-
08:00video.
08:01And Silent Hill F.
08:02itself is an unusual entry in the storied horror-
08:05franchise in general, in that it swaps the series' usual setting of small-town America-
08:10out for rural 60s Japan.
08:12While the game's full creature catalogue has yet-
08:15yet to be revealed, developers have already introduced the Kashimashi as the latest addition-
08:20to the Silent Hill Nightmare Factory.
08:22While the developers haven't explicitly explained the meaning-
08:25behind the monster's design, clues can be gleaned from the creature's name and-
08:30appearance.
08:31Kashimashi itself is a Japanese word that describes the sound made when-
08:35multiple women speak loudly.
08:36And as a major theme of the game, as per this-
08:40great piece on Silent Hill F.
08:41from GamesRadar is the societal pressure placed on protagonist-
08:45Shamuzi Hinako and the role of tradition in her life, it's likely that-
08:50that this monster represents the women in Hinako's life who are haranguing her into following
08:54the same-
08:55the same path that they did.
08:56As for the heavy scarring around the creature's eyes, this likely represents-
09:00the women's blindness to the damage that they're inflicting on Hinako, the other scars-
09:05and their body likely also symbolize the pain that these women have suffered as victims of
09:09an unjust-
09:10social system themselves.
09:11Of course, this is all pre-release conjecture based-
09:12Of course, this is all pre-release conjecture based-
09:13Of course, this is all pre-release conjecture based-
09:15on a few images and some interview clips, and whether these theories turn out to be insightful-
09:20or inane, Silent Hill F. does look like it's going to be another strong entry-
09:25I wonder if this interpretation was anywhere close to being right, it'll be-
09:30interesting to see one.
09:31Next up, Scarlet's Silent Hill Homecoming.
09:34Homecoming-
09:35Homecoming is generally seen as one of the weakest links in the Silent Hill chain.
09:39An over-reliance on-
09:40Old Monsters meant that new developers, Double Helix Games, came off as a second-
09:45tribute band, rather than worthy successors to the Silent Hill name, which-
09:50is a shame as Homecoming's bestiary hides an original hit amongst those uninspired-
09:55covers.
09:56Namely, Scarlet, the spidery figure that might have given you-
10:00a couple of nightmares.
10:01Now, Scarlet might also be a nightmare to fight against for all the wrong-
10:05reasons, but her design is one of Homecoming's few highlights.
10:09A hellish blend-
10:10Instead of porcelain and sine use, Scarlet's appearance is both visually striking and-
10:15an apt metaphor for her nature-
10:17the vengeful personification of a murder-
10:20daughter.
10:21That's because Scarlet was the daughter of Dr. Man, Fitch, who sacrificed his child-
10:25in an occult ritual, because parents in Silent Hill are either saints-
10:30or psychopaths.
10:31Scarlet was dismembered alive as part of the ritual, hence the blood-
10:35pouring down her monster self, and why the creature's limbs appear welded on.
10:40Except for the porcelain-
10:41that's both a reference to Scarlet's love of dolls when she was alive, and a key-
10:45factor in exposing the tragedy behind the monster.
10:48That's because during the fight-
10:50the player is forced to shatter the creature's ceramic surface to expose the heart beneath.
10:55The creature's fear becomes evident in just how quickly that heart is beating as well once it's-
11:00exposed, echoing the terror that Scarlet must have felt the closest she came to death-
11:05at her father's hands.
11:06It's a clever way of engendering sympathy for an outwardly-
11:10monstrous figure, and if Homecoming's monster closet had more Scarlet's and less hang-
11:15eyes on, the game might be more highly regarded today.
11:18Next up, the grey children-
11:20Silent Hill.
11:21Now, the original Silent Hill's grey children might not be the most-
11:25interesting monsters in the series from a psychological point of view, as they're simply school-
11:30bullies who have been twisted into creepy, child-like demon-oids, though it is certainly-
11:35to the series' credit that this description can apply to one of its least interesting monsters-
11:40however, they're worth discussing because they represent one of the few times that-
11:45the 2006 film actually improved on its source material.
11:49See, in the-
11:50In the original game, it's never actually explained why the grey children look the way they do.
11:55In Crystal-
11:55Gustav Ganser's movie adaptation, however, it's revealed that the children's unnatural power-
12:00is the result of the curse placed upon them by their former victim, Alessa.
12:05In the movie, Alessa's bullying at school turned into a literal witch hunt that culminated in-
12:10the residents of Silent Hill burning her at the stake for possessing supernatural powers.
12:15Alessa survived and cursed the entire town in revenge, choosing a grimly ironic-
12:20fate for her former classmates that they would burn internally and-
12:25Eternally, as a perpetual blaze raged inside their bodies and turned their-
12:30skin to ash.
12:31The revelation behind the grey children's appearance is a delightfully macabre dish-
12:35and an example of why the Silent Hill movie is still admired-
12:40despite its flaws, as it certainly understood the psychology behind the games-
12:45even if its story and writing often fail to do them justice.
12:49One thing the movie-
12:50What we did have going for it, however, was another impeccable monster design, as next up-
12:55we have Cullen from the Silent Hill 2006 movie.
12:59One of the few-
13:00monsters created specifically for the 2006 adaptation, this charming-
13:05creature, given the atypically prosaic name of Cullen, was such a-
13:10success that Konami later replicated its design for Silent Hill Origins, where it was given the-
13:15slightly more menacing name of Caliban.
13:18And you can see why Silent Hill's creators-
13:20was so taken by Cullen's appearance.
13:22His scarred form bound and blindfolded-
13:25by barbed wire is visually arresting and creates immediate intrigue around-
13:30this character.
13:31While initially appearing as a pitiful figure, the truth behind his appearance-
13:35prevents him from gaining any sympathy whatsoever, however.
13:39The movie heavily-
13:40clearly implies that Cullen was a janitor who abused Alessa in the bathroom of her school-
13:45hence him becoming another victim of her curse.
13:48His bound, blinded form is-
13:50clearly meant to prevent him from repeating his sins against any other girl, and actor-
13:55Roberto Campanella still manages to convey the repulsiveness of Cullen's character beneath-
14:00all of the prosthetics.
14:02Constantly licking his lips with a black swollen tongue while-
14:05dragging his crotch along the floor, Cullen is a grotesquely memorable figure that managed-
14:10to create a lasting impression in just a few scant seconds of screen-
14:15time.
14:16Also, fun fact-
14:17Roberto Campanella also moonlighted as this movie's version-
14:20called Pyramid Head.
14:21Speaking of whom, to round this list off we have the-
14:25red pyramid thing, Silent Hill 2.
14:27In 2022 Masahiro-
14:30tweeted,
14:31I wish I hadn't designed f**king Pyramid Head-
14:34which is an odd-
14:35thing to say about creating one of the most iconic monsters in any form of media-
14:39but maybe-
14:40that was his point.
14:41Silent Hill's most famous creation debuted in Silent Hill 2-
14:45where he represented James Sunderland's frustrated sexuality and guilt over being-
14:50a murderer.
14:51The sexual nature of red pyramid thing more commonly-
14:55of course known as just Pyramid Head-
14:57is made clear in his very first cutscene where it's heavily-
15:00implied that he's about to assault another monster before James interrupts him.
15:04And when-
15:05James finally acknowledges the reason that Pyramid Head exists, that the creature is-
15:10is a manifestation of his guilt over killing his wife-
15:13Pyramid Head just straight up killed-
15:15it's purpose fulfilled after forcing James to take responsibility for his actions-
15:20Much like the nurses that started this list, Pyramid Head was designed to tell in-
15:25a very specific story-
15:27and much like those nurses again-
15:29Pyramid Head's meaning-
15:30everything has been obscured in a mire of bizarre cameos-
15:33that completely missed the point of-
15:35this character.
15:36Homecoming turned Pyramid Head into a Dune Squad of Punisher-esque-
15:40Vigilantes who actually patrolled Silent Hill and murdered wrongdoers-
15:44the light gun-
15:45the very existence of which is almost as incongruous as the pachinko machine-
15:50chucked him in as a generic boss fight-
15:52and the movie Silent Hill Revelation-
15:54just made it-
15:55he became an outright hero-
15:56protecting the good guys and slaying the big bads-
15:59at the climax of-
16:00that film.
16:01Given that, you can probably see why Ito would be frustrated at how his most-
16:05famous creation has been handled.
16:07Then again, maybe that's the truest-
16:10deepest meaning behind this character.
16:13Create a cool enough design and-
16:15you'll end up seeing it bastardized in every medium imaginable-
16:18from Funko Pops to-
16:20you-
16:21kart racers.
16:22So that's our list on Silent Hill-
16:23are you pleased the franchise is back-
16:25and will you be picking up Silent Hill F?
16:27Let me know in the comments and if you want to watch more videos like this click-
16:30one of them on screen right now-
16:31or head over to the Walk Culture Gaming channel-
16:33for even more content.
16:35Altya H.
16:36Ask F.
16:37Your mom's style is-
16:38.
16:39All right.
16:40We'll keep you in the comments.
16:41Let's put it in the comments.
16:42If you want to check this out, where you're going for the last one.
16:43All right.
16:44Let's close this in-
16:45.
16:46When you say hi-
16:48We will have this f-
16:49If you are really happy.
16:51Let's look into the comments.
16:53If you can-
16:54If you're not alone-
16:55you can see me-
16:56If you wanna be-
16:57You're gonna be-
16:58If you're getting-
16:59I am going for the last four posts.
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