Summary
TheSilent Hillfranchise is acclaimed and widely beloved for its mind-bending storylines, immersive atmospheres, and thoroughly engaging characterization. So many lost souls find themselves in the monster-filled town of Silent Hill, but some of them are tragically underrated and underappreciated for their pivotal roles in crafting the memorable narratives of theSilent Hillgames. Many of the franchise’s well-written, well-acted, and well-designed characters have gone undervalued for far too long.
Some ofSilent Hill’s more interesting side characters were killed off way too soon, but even some of the franchise’s leading names have been overshadowed by the likes of James Sunderland and Heather Mason, who are some ofSilent Hill’s most adored protagonists. No matter how long they stuck around, whether they’re no longer alive, or if the lore simply forgot about them altogether, these are the most underratedSilent Hillcharacters.
Although Heather and Claudia steal the spotlight inSilent Hill 3, there’s no denying how much of an impact Douglas Cartland left on the community, even if he wasn’t much more than an accessory to Heather. He’s got all the makings of a great character — a tragic backstory, questionable alliances, and a good-hearted nature — but he’s not a big enough focus onSilent Hill 3to allow his potential to shine.
He has one of the saddest quotes in the whole gameand clearly thinks very little of himself, especially as he blames himself for his son’s death, but Douglas is a fascinating and complex individual with a lot more beneath the surface than it initially seems. His few scenes with Heather are some of the most endearing tidbits of the game, and it’s possible for him to survive in the Normal ending, but Douglas doesn’t get nearly enough screen time to be truly valued.
Like Angela, Eddie’s troubled upbringing leads him to Silent Hill, where he meets James Sunderland. Due to being overweight, Eddie was ridiculed his entire life and believed himself the loser of the “genetic lottery.” When James meets him, Eddie is at his wit’s end with the mockery, so he’s determined to kill the next person who laughs at him. He brandishes a gun and convinces himself — through his paranoia — that James is also making fun of him.A fight ensues and James ultimately murders Eddiein self-defense.
Eddie is underrated for the same reasons as Angela, as both of them are tortured souls who find themselves driven to insanity during their time in Silent Hill. Eddie is the living embodiment of self-loathing, and he’s excessively hard on himself, which are qualities that make him very relatable and therefore give him value as another character gone way too soon. He deserved a way better ending than the one fate designed.
Silent Hillhasno shortage of tormented characters, many of which essentially act like enforcers for the plot, but Eileen actually has a lot of redeeming qualities and a unique part to play in Henry’s story. Unfortunately, she suffers from the same atrocious AI as Sheva fromResident Evil 5, so that could be one of the reasons why her character is off-putting at times. However, Eileen was specifically developed to interact with the environment and assist James with reading Walt’s inscriptions, which gives her more of a central role than someone like Douglas.
It’s hard not to feel sorry for Eileen, which gives her an advantage as she earns pity and certainly helped carrySilent Hill 4, but she’s overlooked in the grand scheme of things, despite her character being well-rounded and one of the great, idiosyncratic characters across the entire series.
4Claudia Wolf
An Effective And Multifaceted Villainess
It isn’t often that female characters in horror games get the opportunity to steal the show, but characters like Claudia Wolf walked so that characters like Lady Dimitrescu could run. InSilent Hill 3, Claudia is mostly a looming presence at first, mentioned in passing by Douglas, who was hired to bring Heather (Alessa) to her. She takes on a more prominent role later on, especially during the final confrontation with Heather during the “birth” of God. Despite being the main antagonist, a lot of Claudia’s actions evoke sympathy due to her complicated and harrowing past.
Claudia wanted what was best for humankind, even if her methods can be seen as cruel and unjust, which adds layers to a character that should be outright despised. She’s overshadowed by a lot ofthe monster enemies inSilent Hill, like Pyramid Head, but the overarching threat of Claudia inSilent Hill 3ties the story together and gives Heather someone to spar with.
3Angela Orosco
A Misunderstood And Wrongfully Interpreted Victim
Angela is one of the biggest parts ofSilent Hill 2, being a rather complex and compelling character. It’s no small feat for Angela to have the most heartbreaking story of all in a franchise all about heartbreaking stories.
Silent Hillis full of characters who are products of their environment, just like Angela, who suffered horrific emotional and sexual abuse at the hands of her father and brother. Her backstory grounds her character in reality for its believability, sadly, and she’s the series' ultimate poster child for sorrow and depravity. She can come on strong and be overbearing at times, but Angela is most certainly one of the best parts ofSilent Hill 2and her presence even reveals a lot about James that’s very telling.
2Jasper Gein
A Compelling Character Even In Death
Like Eddie and Angela, Jasper is anotherSilent Hillside characterwhose upsetting home life leads him to the titular town. Jasper has a ridiculously short-lived outing inSilent Hill 4after meeting Henry, who offers him chocolate milk in exchange for a spade in a surprisingly wholesome scene. The next time James encounters Jasper, he’s been set ablaze and succumbs to horrific burns. Jasper returns as Victim 17 in the Forest World, where Henry can encounter and fight him with the Sword of Obedience.
He’s never heard from again after that, which is a real shame, since even characters like Eddie and Angela played larger roles inSilent Hill 2. Above all else, Jasper is just good fun to be around. He’s one of those effortlessly likable characters that get snatched away at a moment’s notice, which occurs all too often in horror games. Even Jasper’s death scene is underrated. There’s no over-the-top dramatic music, just the crackling of fire and his screams of pure agony. It’s a real shame he didn’t have a bigger role, but he’s still hard to forget.
1Henry Townshend
A Protagonist Unfairly Overshadowed
Although he’s one ofSilent Hill’s protagonists, Henry is one of the most underrated along with Murphy Pendleton. When anyone thinks ofSilent Hill, their mind goes instinctively to James Sunderland, who has earned himself the reputation of being the franchise’s mascot of sorts alongside Pyramid Head. However, Henry is the most relatable protagonist and can therefore connect with the audience in ways the others can’t. He’s a regular everyman who goes through Hell and survives inone ofSilent Hill’s toughest games, which is commendable in itself. He represents voyeurism in its basic form, as he acts as an avatar for the players to experience the world of Silent Hill through a clear lens, unbiased compared to protagonists like James, Heather, and Harry, who have more singular motivations.
He stands apart from the others, being an ordinary individual with no particular driving force behind him, so he’s flying blind through Silent Hill and behaving how many would.Silent Hill 4has always been underrated compared to the initial trilogy, so the same can be said for Henry, who never really got the love he deserves for headlining one of the more uniquely addictive games of the series.
