Alongside the Resident Evil series, Konami’s Silent Hill was one of the first video game franchises to truly terrify players and deliver an experience that would leave most sleeping with the lights on. Fraught with grotesque abominations and horrid, Lovecraftian plots and themes, when it debuted on the original PlayStation in 1999, it proved exactly how terrifying horror gaming could be.
Though the series has been criminally mistreated in recent years, the older entries are still worth celebrating. Yet, we have to admit, petrifying as many of the game’s enemies are, others are downright silly, and we’re here to reminisce over which had us losing sleep and which had us laughing our heads off.
10 Scariest: Mannequin
Appearing only in Silent Hill 2, Mannequins are essentially two pairs of legs fused together. Though they may look a bit silly on their own, they prey on our innate sense of pareidolia and feel profound off, even more so than some of the less-human monsters seen throughout the game.
Meant to be the physical manifestation of protagonist James Sunderland’s sexual frustrations, Silent Hill 2’s mannequins tap into a primal fear to which no player is immune. Rumored to have been based on the terrifying works of artist Hans Bellmer, these enemies are doubtlessly some of the scariest in the entire franchise.
9 Silliest: Insane Cancer
Said to be symbolic of the evil metastasizing across the surreal plain of Silent Hill, the Insane Cancer is a massive enemy intended to resemble a malignant tumor. Though imposing and often incredibly threatening, the monster’s design is nowhere near as creepy as those of most of the other enemies in Silent Hill 3.
It’s more or less a giant blob with a vaguely human shape, and, after encountering it a few times, it becomes more of a nuisance than a genuine threat. It may be a neat idea, but these bulbous fiends are just a little too silly to be truly scary.
8 Scariest: Nurses
Typically included to reflect a strange connection between sexuality and insanity, Silent Hill’s nurses make appearances, in one form or another, in almost every game. Typically malformed abominations which move and attack with a stumbling, inhumane gait, they are some of the most well-known enemies in the franchise.
What’s more, they are a highlight of the love-it-or-hate-it eponymously titled 2006 Silent Hill film in which they are shown to kill without discrimination and only posses the ability to move when someone else does. Horror icons in their own right, the nurses are definitely some of the most terrifying enemies in this classic horror series.
7 Silliest: Creeper
While most of us would readily admit to a dislike or fear of insects, we would regardless argue that the Creepers found in the first two Silent Hill games aren’t even remotely scary. In fact, when pitted against some of the more disturbing creatures found in the Silent Hill mythos, these things are downright silly.
Meant to prey on our inherent fear of disease, these creepers are about as disturbing as the ones from Minecraft. Though some versions hide a human-like body on their undersides, these things almost offer an air of normality when juxtaposed against just about everything else in the games’ strange netherworld.
6 Scariest: Abstract Daddy
By far one of Silent Hill 2’s most disturbing enemies, when first encountered, the Abstract Daddy appears to be an almost incomprehensible mass of flesh. However, a closer look at the model reveals a grotesque similarity to two figures engaged in sexual intercourse on a bed.
Intended to be the manifestation of Angela Orosco’s traumatic abuse at the hands of her father, the Abstract Daddy first appears as a boss, with weaker variants also being encountered later in the game. Hands down one of the most troubling aspects of an already deeply horrifying game, we’ll never quite expunge the Abstract Daddy from our poor minds.
5 Silliest: Mumblers
Mumblers made an appearance in the original Silent Hill title and were meant as a replacement for the Grey Child enemies, which were censored in the game’s Western release due to the moral complexities surrounding children in gaming. Yet, while the Grey Child was as terrifying as it was tragic, the Mumblers retain neither of those qualities.
First encountered in the school, they are more of a pest than anything, and, unlike most in-universe enemies, they don’t seem to symbolize anything. Really, they feel like a lazy re-skin of an already-existing enemy, which is disappointing.
4 Scariest: Lisa
The primary antagonist of the legendary P.T. demo, Lisa is the ghost of a murdered woman who was killed by her husband. Apparently out for revenge, she seeks to torment and harass the game’s protagonist.
Undoubtedly one of the most horrific enemies in any Silent Hill game, Lisa can be encountered seemingly at random throughout the game, and she even has the ability to possess the player at certain points. An unnaturally tall, distorted female figure, her fiendish cries and laughs haunt the players throughout the demo, and it contributed one of the most memorable interactive horror experiences of all time.
3 Silliest: Split Worm
Likely intended as an homage to the Split Head creature from the first game, the Split Worm is the first boss encounter of Silent Hill 3 and is likely symbolic of fears relating to sex and birth. An interesting motif, to be sure, but the creature’s overall design, rather than being repulsive, is overly-silly.
Essentially a long worm with a very toothy grin, it’s far from the most intimidating boss in the Silent Hill franchise. We understand that not all boss fights need to be super climactic, but this feels like an odd segment in an otherwise solid game.
2 Scariest: Pyramid Head
Said to be an executioner and member of the town’s cult-like Order, Pyramid Head is by far the most recognizable enemy from the Silent Hill series. He appears in several games and both movies, a domineering presence that seems to symbolize the town’s evil nature.
Originally intended to represent Silent Hill 2 protagonist James Sunderland’s subconscious desire for punishment, he’s one of the most intimidating enemies in the series and serves as a boss encounter in multiple series entries. Anyone familiar with horror media knows of Pyramid Head, and we certainly hope to see him in future Silent Hill titles.
1 Silliest: Earth Guardian
Appearing only in the generally-panned Silent Hill: Book of Memories, the Earth Guardian is comprised entirely of large boulders and attacks using his massive fists. Unlike most other enemies in the series, the Earth Guardian does not appear to be representative of anything in particular, and, as far as the denizens of Silent Hill go, he’s extremely tame.
In fact, the Earth Guardian’s design is so bland and basic that he sticks out like a sore thumb, appearing as if he hopped out of a generic action RPG. When it comes to character designs in the Silent Hill games, this has to be the silliest.
NEXT: 10 Games To Play If You Like The Silent Hill Series
