The best death animations in Silent Hill games

Key points

• Dead inside
  silent Hill
  games can vary based on items earned, puzzles solved, and QTEs, adding unique challenges for players.
• Some death animations, such as Maria's impalement by Pyramid Head, are canon to the game's plot.
• Some enemies inside
  silent Hill
  games, such as Schisms, have specific ways to kill the protagonist, which require careful avoidance or quick actions.

Whether you're suffocated by Pyramid Head or split in half by a schism, there are seemingly infinite ways to die in the world. silent Hill franchising. While some of the older ones silent Hill the titles aren't very imaginative with the death animations (James falls to his knees Silent Hill 2 starts to get old), there's a lot to be said for some of the creative ways characters can die, especially in some of the new entries in the series.

While some deaths occur due to low health in combat scenarios, others occur based on the character obtaining or using certain items, failing to solve puzzles, or failing to reach QTEs in time. Each monster attacks differently, so they have their own ways of harming (and even killing) the protagonist if players aren't careful. Here are the best death animations ever silent Hill games.

Spoilers ahead

9 Pyramid Head stabs Maria with a spear (Silent Hill 2)

James can do nothing to prevent Maria's strange fate

In Silent Hill 2 and its remakeMaria cannot be saved from Pyramid Head, and all of her deaths are inevitable, except the last one, which is determined based on the player's actions throughout the game. To get the “Maria” ending, in which Maria survives and leaves Silent Hill with James, the requirements are essentially to stay by Maria's side, make sure she isn't harassed by monsters, and refuse to read any letters or letters from Mary. examines Angela's knife.

Basically, James has to make it seem like he's invested in Maria and cares about her well-being. When James and Maria are escaping from Pyramid Head to the hospital, Maria is impaled by Pyramid Head's Great Knife right before entering the elevator to safety. Maria's death is a canon event here, so it doesn't matter how fast James runs.

8 Lisa attacks the player (PT)

Some hints allow Lisa to gain the upper hand over the player

In the demo for Silent hillsa project that unfortunately never saw the light, the player can be attacked by a ghost named Lisa. While it is possible to avoid Lisa altogether PTthere are scripted segments where he can kill the protagonist and restore the corridor loop.

For example, when examining the radio on the dresser near the photograph, if the radio broadcast says “look behind you” and the player does so, Lisa will spawn and incapacitate him. When Lisa appears before the protagonist, she lifts him off the ground and breaks his neck. Once this happens, they respawn in the starting room and the cycle starts all over again.

7 Sakura's head stabs Anita's throat with her arm (Silent Hill: The Short Message)

There is no way to fight back against Sakura Head

In Silent Hill: The Short MessageAnita struggles to escape a cherry blossom-covered monster (officially nicknamed “Sakura Head” by silent Hill community) in an abandoned compound, which turns out to be a popular suicide spot among teenage girls. Whenever it appears, Sakura Head will relentlessly chase Anita with violent jerks and writhing movements, and will gain sudden bursts of speed to chase her.

Anita cannot fight back against Sakura Head and must instead escape the labyrinthine structure in which it spawns. If Sakura Head captures Anita, he will pass his entire arm through her throat, similar to how the Wendigo kills Samantha Giddings in Until dawn.

6 The schism brutally divides Alex Shepherd (Silent Hill: Homecoming) in two

Failure to free oneself from the grip of the schism has disastrous consequences

Exclusively for Silent Hill: Homecoming AND Silent Hill: Book of MemoriesSchisms are lanky humanoid creatures with an elongated head that resembles a mix between a hammerhead shark and a pendulum. Like the Lickers in the Resident Evil franchise, Schisms are completely blind and rely on their other senses to find their prey.

They can't detect Alex if he moves silently and keeps his flashlight off. However, if the Schism grabs Alex and is unable to free himself, it will use its razor-sharp head to cut him in half. Alex can avoid this gruesome fate by pressing the button when the message appears.

5 Harry Meets the Bloodsucker Who Lives in the Refrigerator (Silent Hill)

Harry must take preventative measures to keep the bloodsucker trapped

Unlike many of the enemies in silent HillHarry can't kill the bloodsucker. He appears in room 204 of the hospital, then again in Nowhere. Initially, Alex can distract the Bloodsucker using a blood pack found in the storage room, but when the creature reappears in Nowhere's kitchen, Harry must ensure that it remains trapped in the refrigerator to avoid an early death.

Harry can use the Ring of Contract to reinforce the chain around the refrigerator and keep the Bloodsucker contained. If he fails to do so, the Bloodsucker will emerge from inside the refrigerator, trap Harry and drag him inside.

4 Murphy gets sucked into a rotating fan (Silent Hill: Downpour)

It would make sense to turn off the fans first

When Murphy Pendleton is navigating a large ventilation system Silent Hill: Downpourmay encounter some environmental hazards, namely some large rotating fans. Murphy must find a way to turn off the fans to proceed safely, but if he tries to get past them without turning them off, he will be sucked into the giant blades and blended like a smoothie.

It's one of the most brutal deaths to come from silent Hillwho seems to have a special interest in using the spinning blades in a variety of gruesome ways. There's another segment where Harry slides down a water slide and has to maneuver himself to avoid, of course, more spinning blades.

3 A sea monster drowns Heather Mason (Silent Hill 3)

Electrocuting the Beast with a hairdryer is the only way

Heather Mason can be dragged to a watery grave by an unidentified sea monster Silent Hill 3. He may learn about the creature through a note left by a sewer worker, in which they express concern that an “alligator” is hiding beneath the underground structure.

To safely exit the underpass, Heather must find a hair dryer before attempting to cross the bridge under which the monster lives. If Heather finds it, she can electrocute the creature and pass by unharmed. If Heather fails to grab the hairdryer before proceeding, the sea monster will grab her leg with its tentacle and drag her underwater, drowning her.

2 Alex Shepherd loses an arm (Silent Hill: Homecoming)

Failed QTEs will leave Alex armless

Most of the goriest deaths seem to appear in Silent Hill: Homecoming. As if it wasn't bad enough that Alex gets split in two, he may also get his arm chopped off. Poor Alex just can't catch a break.

In room 203 of the operating room, Alex finds a wall with a large hole that continuously leaks blood. Alex must go inside to get Robbie's toy, but if the player doesn't successfully complete the QTE sequence, Alex will have his arm ripped off by whatever monstrosity lives inside the bloody wall. The Robbie toy can be used to open the gate to another corridor, at the end of which Alex finds an elevator.

1 Heather Mason collapses in the room of mirrors (Silent Hill 3)

Perfect timing ensures Heather's escape from the hall of mirrors

The Mirror Room is one of the most iconic places in Silent Hill 3. When Heather enters the Mirror Room, a gurney in the corner of the room begins to leak blood, which spreads across the floor in spider-like tendrils. If Heather tries to leave, the door will be locked, forcing her to remain in the company of her reflection for a while.

As the bleeding intensifies, the room becomes darker. To escape the room, timing is key, as once Heather's reflection stops moving, she can run back to the door and try again. This time it will open. However, if Heather remains in the Mirror Room for too long, she will collapse and die.