The release of the Silent Hill 2 Remake will inevitably bring new fans flocking to the landmark horror franchise. This is the first time any major installment in the Quiet Hill series is available on modern consoles; Its lackluster HD remaster is limited to PS3. Couple that with the fact that this is the most iconic installment of the series – and a pretty faithful adaptation of Silent Hill 2 To boot – and there’s hardly been a better time in the past two decades to get in Quiet Hill.
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for the ending of Silent Hill 2.]
But with scores of new players descending into the mist for the first time, many players will be fooled by a familiar face: Pyramid Head: Canon Name Red Pyramid Thing. Silent Hill 2 was the debut of the pointy-headed Punisher, who has since become a series icon, in no small part due to Masahiro Ito’s stunningly brutal character design. He represents the series in Dead by daylightMakes a cameo in Astro BotAnd even has his own Game Magic: The Gathering Card. But Do not mistake Pyramid Head for something he is not; He is uniquely connected to Silent Hill 2 In a way that the rest of his appearance do not always clear.
Who is Pyramid Head?
The True Identity and Symbolism of Pyramid in Silent Hill 2
Like all the monsters in Silent Hill 2Pyramid Head is a figment of protagonist James Sunderland’s imagination. especially, Pyramid head is a physical manifestation of Jacob’s guiltJ conscience About killing Mary. Players get a major, cryptic clue to his identity in the latter half of the game: there is a painting hanging in the Silent Hill Historical Society that depicts an executioner wearing a triangular hood, presiding over prisoners in cages. James likely saw the painting when he and Mary first visited Silent Hill, and it stuck with him, eventually forming part of his guilt.
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The triangular hood also served as the ritual cloak of the murderous cult that controls Silent Hill, the Order, as established in the first Quiet Hilland later confirmed by Silent Hill 4: The Room. Pyramid head serves to remind Jacob that he is a criminal on the run, and deserves to face justice. Thus, Pyramid Head represents the executioner, coming to punish Jacob for his crimes. Only when Jacob remembers his own crimes is he able to say, “I don’t need you anymore“ And kill the monster.
Pyramid Head is mistakenly synonymous with Silent Hill
Pyramid head is unique James’ delusion
But again, thanks to its unique horrifying design and Silent Hill 2It’s always popular, Pyramid Head has become a series mascot, although he may not be deserving of the title. He appears again in Silent Hill: HomecomingSomewhat recontextualized like the boogeyman, in order to turn him into that game. He is also the one Quiet Hill Representative of the series in cameo appearances ranging from Astro Bot to Dead by daylight.
But the problem is that Pyramid head does not make any sense separated from James. Unlike others Dead by daylight Cameos, like Michael Myers, for example, he’s not just a bloodthirsty monster who will chase down anyone he sees. He is not another generic servant of Valtiel, like the comics and Quiet Hill Movies depict him. He may somewhat resemble a ritual executioner in Valtiel’s service, but his actual appearance is twisted by Jacob’s perception of one particular painting. He is only to serve as a source of torment for James, and was never intended to be a generic series mascot.
Frankly, while Pyramid Head is misrepresented in a lot of Quiet Hill Media, he doesn’t make many appearances. The developers knew well enough to use their biggest monster sparingly, and not to ruin the scare factor by over-explaining Pyramid Head through lore. At least, they did for a while. Pyramid head is perfectly intact in its true form in the Silent Hill 2 remake; It’s only the sequels and spin-offs that make him wrong. Still, it’s important for new fans to start with these Silent Hill 2 Remake to know that Pyramid Head is not the mascot of the series he is made of.