Highlights
- James Sunderland is likely the most iconic character in the Silent Hill franchise, with a unique story and relevance to the upcoming remake. He finds himself in S tier alongside Heather Mason.
- Harry Mason (Silent Hill: Shattered Memories) is a deep character in the psychological survival horror game, with a nuanced plot twist based on the player's actions. He deserves a position in A-tier.
- Unfortunately, Silent Hill has had some less intriguing protagonists over the years, like C-tier's Travis Grady and Alex Shepherd.
Silent Hill is one of the most influential franchises in the survival horror genre, and its main characters have always been central to the series’ focus on exploring the dark inner worlds of humanity. Whether they are uncovering the secrets of the town’s sacrificial cult or undertaking a painful personal journey, the protagonists of Silent Hill are central to the respective struggles at the core of each title.
With the stasis of the series following the release of Downpour and Silent Hills' playable teaser up until the more recent announcement of multiple new Silent Hill games, fans have had no shortage of time to mull over the characters and narratives of the existing entries. In a line of games known for esoteric secrets and hidden subtext, it’s no surprise that many members of the cast have maintained relevance across years of analysis. Each Silent Hill game may offer a unique flavor of terror experienced by its protagonists, but some of these player characters have risen above the rest.
S Tier
James Sunderland (Silent Hill 2) - Likely the most iconic character of the entire franchise outside of Pyramid Head, Jame’s story of seeking the truth about his dead wife is the most unique of the entire franchise and more relevant than ever with the upcoming remake of Silent Hill 2.
Heather Mason (Silent Hill 3) - The face of the series to many and a character that truly represents the lore of Silent Hill established in the first game, Heather’s journey to protect herself from the town's cult is one of the most disturbing and memorable of the series.
A Tier
Harry Mason (Silent Hill: Shattered Memories) - In a title focused on psychological survival horror and featuring a first-person perspective as an experimental entry for the Wii, Shattered Memories’ iteration of Harry Mason is typically seen as a deeper character than the simple one presented in the original games. With a personality formed by the player’s actions throughout the story, this version of Harry is presented through arguably one of the most nuanced plot twists a game’s narrative has ever pulled off.
Harry Mason (Silent Hill) - The original protagonist of the game that started it all, Harry Mason ended up stuck in the quiet town of Silent Hill when his daughter went missing after a car accident. Not much of a character himself due to the first game’s focus on the environment instead, Harry has a much more emotional role in the third game as Heather’s father.
B Tier
Murphy Pendleton (Silent Hill: Downpour) - The most recently introduced player character of the franchise, the story of Murphy and the entity known as the Wheelman is considered an underrated narrative of the later era of Silent Hill.
Henry Townshend (Silent Hill 4: The Room) - Experiencing the isolated horror of being trapped inside his apartment and haunted by the victims of a twisted occult serial killer, the individual character of Henry takes somewhat of a backseat to antagonist Walter and deuteragonist Eileen of the final game by the original Team Silent.
C Tier
Alex Shepherd (Silent Hill: Homecoming) - The story of Shepherd’s Glen presented in Homecoming helps to make it one of the most controversial Silent Hill games within the fanbase, and it is typically considered a low point of the franchise. While it may suffer from being both derivative and lacking the same identity of the older games, Alex’s personal ties to the story still make him memorable for better or worse.
Travis Grady (Silent Hill: Origins) - The subtly disturbed player character of what is often considered one of the most inconsequential games of the series, Travis' time in Silent Hill took place prior to the events of the first game and left him unable to have much of a meaningful impact at all as a result.