Summary
- In Silent Hill, characters like Maria and Leonard show selfish tendencies that impede others for personal gain.
- Villains like Walter Sullivan believe sacrificing others serves a higher purpose, demonstrating extreme selfishness.
- Dahlia Gillespie's selfish actions, like sacrificing her own daughter, show the true depth of her depravity.
In a world where monsters roam a fog-filled land and people must face their inner demons, acts of true heroism might become nigh impossible as survival instincts kick in and override everything else. Or, maybe the town of Silent Hill only attracts the sort of people who would always put themselves selfishly above everyone else, deciding they are the ones in need of just punishment.
Best Villains In The Silent Hill Games, Ranked
The Silent Hill franchise features an interesting collection of vile and bizarre antagonists. These characters are the best.
There are several characters one could rightfully accuse of being truly selfish, and the Silent Hill games only help to illuminate this facet of their personality. Even if they are not outright villains themselves, they hold this rather villainous sentiment that their needs and wants should be prioritized above all else, no matter the consequences.
Spoilers ahead for the Silent Hill franchise, and Silent Hill 2 in particular.
5 Maria
Prone to Bouts of Cruelty Towards James in Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill 2
THE SILENCE IS BROKEN...
James Sunderland's life is shattered when his young wife Mary suffers a tragic death. Three years later, a mysterious letter arrives from Mary, beckoning him to return to their sanctuary of memories, the dark realm of Silent Hill.
Now James must go back to that special place to uncover the truth, unaware that the answers he seeks require the ultimate sacrifice.
• Return to Silent Hill in an entirely new adventure with all-new characters and monsters.
• Battle horrifying creatures with a new arsenal of weapons and items.
• Riveting storyline, stunning graphics and true-to-life CG movies leave you on the edge of your seat.
• Atmospheric lighting and ambient 3D surround sound shift and change at each terrifying turn.
• Dynamic camera angles, beautifully rendered environments, and real-time weather effects deliver a cinematic horror experience.
- Released
- September 25, 2001
- Developer(s)
- Team Silent
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 2, Xbox (Original), PC
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
Maria is one of the most popular Silent Hill 2 characters, but this doesn't necessarily mean she is one of the kindest. A dark reflection of James's wife Mary, Maria's actual existence is brought into question as she looks just like his dead wife, but acts and dresses far more promiscuously. She becomes a companion for a large portion of the game, and one the player must protect. How the player treats Maria can influence the ending they achieve.
Throughout the game, Maria's personality and attitude can change. Often she acts flirty, but is also prone to almost childish outbursts of anger, blaming James for not trying to save her, as though he has to bear the brunt of her wellbeing along with everything else in the town he is trying to deal with. This could just be a metaphor for how he treated his wife near the end of her life, but nevertheless, Maria can act like a truly self-centered character that is there to impede James rather than help him.
4 Leonard Wolf
Acted as a Monster Towards His Daughter in Silent Hill 3
Silent Hill 3
EVERYTHING YOU NEVER WANTEO TO SEE...
Heather Morris lived a carefree existence until her world was suddenly turned upside down. Trapped and alone in the mystenious town of Silent Hill, Heather must fight sickening monsters to survive and uncover a terrifying connection between her past and her darkest fears.
Featuring shockingly realistic graphics andra cinematic storyline,
Silent Hill 3 brings unparalleled horror to lifes
GAME FEATURES:
All-new, terrifying adventure featuring a new female lead character
High resolution PC graphics possess even more disturbing detail
Breakthrough sound technology brings the chilling sounds to life
Frightening new environments to explore, including the Amusement Park, Subway Station, and Shopping Mall Battle grotesque monstrosities with all-new weapons, including a sub-machine gun and katana
Save at any point during the game
The main antagonist of Silent Hill 3 is Claudia Wolf, a zealot for the Order who wants to use Heather as a vessel for the rebirth of their god. But part of the reason Claudia is so fiercely devoted is because of her tyrannical father, Leonard Wolf.
Worst Dads In Gaming
These gaming fathers will not be winning any parent-of-the-year awards anytime soon.
He wanted nothing more than to raise a good, religious daughter in his own image, and was not afraid to dole out harsh judgment in order to be successful. Leonard would beat or threaten Claudia to iron out any behavior he deemed unfitting, as he was a truly selfish and cruel father. Thankfully, he got his just deserts at the hands of Heather.
3 Walter Sullivan
His Victims Were Nothing More than Means to an End in Silent Hill 4: The Room
Silent Hill 4: The Room
- Released
- September 7, 2004
- Developer(s)
- Team Silent
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS2, Xbox (Original)
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
Walter Sullivan is a complex villain, whose motives go beyond mere base cruelty and depravity. He is another follower of the cult known as the Order, who raised them with their teaching. As such, he held them and their beliefs in high regard and would do what was needed to cleanse humanity of their sins and reach Paradise. This was his true goal, as he believed there he would be reunited with his mother in a world free from the evil and suffering humanity sows.
As someone who has faced homelessness, he has seen firsthand the lack of empathy humans can have for others, and as such has no qualms with taking their lives. He believes if he sacrifices 21 souls, he can achieve his ends and does so without remorse. Though he is a nuanced character, it doesn't completely nullify the selfishness of his acts, as he views their deaths as a means to his ends.
2 Dahlia Gillespie
The Gaming World's Worst Mother Comes From Silent Hill
Silent Hill
In Silent Hill, you assume the role of widower Harry Mason, who is trying to get away from the pain of his wife's loss by taking his daughter on a road trip. After a car accident on the outskirts of the resort town of Silent Hill, you regain consciousness to find that your daughter, who was previously asleep in the backseat, has left--or has been taken--from the scene. To find her, you must go into town and unlock the secrets that linger seven years after a tragic fire scarred the town.
The game features formidable monsters, perplexing puzzles, a realistic 3-D town, and, most of all, an acute sense of foreboding caused by Silent Hill's creative lighting and sound effects. The makers have included four different endings, based on performance throughout the game, so think, be quick on your feet, and hope for the best of all possible outcomes.
There are quotes that tie the joy of motherhood to Godhood, as only they know the joy of creation, but there are mothers that are closer to being infernal than angelic, and this is no more true than with Silent Hill's Dahlia Gillespie, one of the primary antagonists of the first game, and one of the franchises most selfish characters.
So blindly devoted to the Cult, Dahlia burned her own daughter at the stake as she thought it was the key to resurrecting the god they worship, and that was after the years of abuse she subjected poor Alessa to. What makes Dahlia such a dangerous villain is not her strength or any powers she has, but the true depth of her selfishness and depravity. One has to be truly evil to kill their own child to realize their own desires.
1 James Sunderland (Silent Hill 2)
Killed His Sick Wife Just to Be Free in Silent Hill 2
Troubled widower James Sunderland returns to their 'special place', the town of Silent Hill 2 after receiving a letter from his deceased wife, who he thought to have died from her terminal illness three years ago. He is confronted with all manner of horrific demons throughout his journey, but nothing is quite as horrifying or tragic as the revelation at the end of the game.
Finding a videotape in the Lakeside Hotel, James is confronted with the truth he suppressed for all those years: Mary didn't pass away from her disease, he killed her with his own hands, unable to cope with a sick wife any longer. Mary was due for a return home as doctors knew it was only a matter of time before she perished, but her own husband didn't want her to return even for that brief visit and killed her. Though there could be some arguments made that he did it to end her suffering, it was just as much to end his suffering, tethered to a sick wife he grew to be disgusted by.