Silent Hill is championed as one of the scariest franchises in the history of horror gaming, and rightfully so. The twisted imaginations dwelling in the minds of Team Silent birthed some of gamings most terrifying bosses, and one of the most famous mascot of all time: Pyramid Head. This character has become something of a legend that expands beyond Silent Hill's sphere of influence, and is lauded by fans and non-fans alike for his design.
But, the franchise holds so many more bosses that inspire absolute terror in the minds of those who white-knuckle their controller with fear-induced sweat, and here are the best of the best to reminiscent over while waiting for the much anticipated Silent Hill 2 Remake.
8 Memory Of Alessa - Silent Hill 3
Memory of Alessa is a flashy name given to one of the most memorable boss fights in Silent Hill 3 in which Heather, or rather Cheryl, faces off against a dark alter-ego of herself hellbent on remaining as the only surviving Cheryl. The two of them fight to the death on a carousel in Lakeside Amusement Park, in Silent Hill's dark nightmarish version of it.
Heather first must kill the seemingly living carousel horses that are emitting a noxious green gas in the air before the boss fight truly begins. The Dark Alessa has access to melee weapons and guns, both of which she makes use of to try and murder Heather. Her silent nature, dogmatic pursuit of Cheryl and the general eeriness of an evil Doppelgänger solidify this boss as one of the scariest.
7 Incubus - Silent Hill
The climax if the first Silent Hill sees Harry Mason face off against one of two possibilities: the Incubus for the Good Ending, or the Incubator for the Bad Ending. In the scene leading up to it, Dahlia confirms to Harry Alessa and Cheryl have united into the form of one being--the Incubator. In particularly gruesome fashion, the Incubus is born from the back of Alessa/Cheryl with blood and gore, and takes flight.
Possessing powers of flight and lightening, and having the appearance of a biblical demon, this creature stands out as the most intimidating not just in the game, but the series as a whole.
6 The One Truth - Silent Hill 4 The Room
Though Silent Hill 4 lacks more bosses than the other entires in the series, it still delivers some serious scares with the One Truth, an upgraded version of the Wall Man enemy, which are rampant in multiple areas of the game.
Also known as the Dummy, the One Truth turns the entire room into one large boss fight, in which the torsos of vaguely humanoid creatures emerge from fleshly panels decorating the walls in gruesome fashion, towering over Henry and Eileen with their intimidating stature. In order to defeat the boss, players must kill the One Truth, the one real creature hidden among the group of fake dummies, as the replicates cannot die, making it a challenging boss that requires brains as well as brawn.
5 Abstract Daddy - Silent Hill 2
Encountered as a major boss in the labyrinth section of Silent Hill 2, the Abstract Daddy, or Ideal Father as it's also known as, looks like two flesh creatures in an intimate position over a bed frame, the outer layer of tough flesh keeping them locked in place. Players who are familiar with Angela's character and her tale of tragedy know about this boss, and what its horrifying appearance is representative of.
As a victim of sexual trauma with regard to her father, this enemy terrorizes Angela until James dispatches it, even referring to it in fearful tones as father, and the venting out her frustrations on its dead body in a series of kicks to its prone form. What's so terrifying about this boss is not just how it looks, but also what it symbolizes. Sometimes, humans are the real monsters.
4 God - Silent Hill 3
Silent Hill 3 is one of the few games that allows the players to fight against God in for the form of a boss fight, and it serves as the final confrontation in the game. God is only partially complete, with a full head, chest and arms, but a visible spine and leg bones that only go as far as the knee, as the ritual to bring about this deity ultimately failed.
In the game, Heather unwillingly becomes the host for 'God', revered by Claudia as the one who will give birth to it to return the religious groups deity back to them, but Heather manages to sabotage their attempts to use her as the host, resulting in only half of their god returning--quite literally. Its half-baked body, cracked porcelain like skin, visible bone structure and the raw power of its attacks make God a worthy being for the title, and definitely a frightening encounter for the players.
3 Wheelman - Silent Hill Downpour
Down Downpour has proved somewhat controversial among Silent Hill fans who view the later entries in the series as dismal departures from what makes the older games so great, it still holds one of the most terrifying looking bosses from the series in the form of the Wheelman, the penultimate boss fight of the game.
The Wheelman is an emaciated mostly humanoid figure, despite its gargantuan stature, exposed ribcage and stomach areas and mutilated face. It relies on four large life support machines in four opposing corners of the room which Murphy must work his way towards to severe in order to defeat him. All the while, the Wheelman will attempt to crush him with his fists and telekenetically hurl large chunks of debris towards him.
2 Scarlet - Silent Hill: Homecoming
One of the earlier bosses in the controversial Silent Hill entry Homecoming, Scarlet night well be one of the most terrifying game creatures of all time. A mannequin-like creature with four spider-like spindly long limbs, an incomplete porcelain face, and red flesh oozing out of the crevices of the doll-like carapace, every new detail reveals a whole new level of horror to her ingenious design.
Thought to be the manifestation of Dr Finch's guilt over sacrificing his own daughter, there is a touch of tragedy to the terror of Scarlet. Her original form is sentient doll that recognizes her father, and upon calling out to him, Dr Finch begins to bleed profusely, and his blood fuses with the doll to give birth to the terrifying boss of Scarlet.
1 Pyramid Head - Silent Hill 2
Who else would take the crown other than Silent Hill's own poster child Pyramid Head? Also known as the Red Pyramid Thing, which is apt summarization of his appearance, Pyramid Head is a terrifying creature plays first encounter in the Wood Sides Apartment, first only catching a glimpse of him through the other side of a gate, but James would then see him several more times throughout the game as various bosses.
A manifestation of Jame's guilt for killing Mary, and his desire to be punished, Pyramid Head is the judge, jury and executioner for James, dogmatically pursuing him throughout the course of the game, and proving himself to be an unstoppable juggernaut that will hunt him to the ends of the earth. Though he has appeared in various other titles throughout the series, his appearance in Silent Hill 2 remains the greatest, and the most terrifying.