Silent Hill is known for being a broody series with monsters that represent hidden guilts and psychological traumas. And while some of that fear manifests in some of Heather’s monsters, many of the terrors she faces are something we can all relate to. So, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Heather attempting to curb stomp fetus god, let’s get into the most terrifying monsters in Silent Hill 3, ranked.
Ranking the Most Terrifying Monsters in Silent Hill 3
There’s no shortage of horrors in Silent Hill 3. Monsters and people with secret intentions skulk around in the sewers, in the malls, and in the streets. But these five monstrosities must be the most terrifying in the game.
Split Head
Silent Hill 3 is the continuation of Silent Hill 1’s story, and throughout the game Heather experiences many of the same things Harry does. From the dark dreams of the Otherworld to the foiling of god’s rebirth. It only makes sense that they’d share a first boss, too.
But Heather’s is… well. It sure is reminiscent of something.
Sexuality is a major influence in the monster designs of Silent Hill 3, at least the ones inspired by Heather’s subconscious. And it only makes sense that one of the first bosses you fight is a massive phallus that pulls back its head sheath to show you a terrifying set of human-like teeth. Naturally, it wants to eat Heather whole, and Heather responds by riddling it full of bullets.
As first bosses go, Split Head isn’t that difficult. But its hulking presence is terrifying, and it really gives you a sense of things to come.
The Closer
It’s likely not a coincidence that many of the monsters in Silent Hill 3 are feminine, and the Closer is certainly not an exception. As its name implies, the Closer is massive, with hulking, club-like arms, long legs, and a round, dehumanized face. Its purpose is to obstruct pathways.
What makes these creatures so terrifying is their size and how difficult they are to escape. But it’s also the design that evokes fear.
Theories abound as to what the Closer represents. Its unwieldy, violent arms might represent the abuse that Alessa endured as a child. Its face, which only features a pair of lips, might represent feminine fears of dehumanization and body image. Fitting, as the cult wants to reduce Heather to only her parts. Either way, this hulking, deformed creature is the last thing you want to encounter in a narrow hallway.
Stanley “Stalker” Coleman
Do you ever feel like someone’s watching you late at night? Maybe it’s nothing… but maybe someone’s really there.
For Heather, it’s not a question of if. Stanley Coleman is watching her, and he has been since she stepped into Brookhaven Hospital.
Like most stalkers, he watches from the shadows, leaving notes for Heather to find. In these notes, it’s clear that his unhealthy obsession began the moment he saw her. In his first note, he writes, “I was always thinking of you, here in this gloomy cell. I never even knew your name or face until today. But now I know. I know you’re the one I’ve been waiting for. And haven’t you been waiting for me, too? That’s why you came to rescue me. Oh, how I love you, Heather.”
And while that’s creepy enough, as Heather navigates the already terrifying hospital, she’ll continue to stumble across these notes. Each one is interwoven with intense desire and observations about Heather’s actions. Somewhere, Stanley is watching Heather’s every move.
Being followed and watched is a basic human fear, but Stanley’s notes seem terrifyingly realistic in a realm of otherworldly creatures.
Related: Mondo Soundtracks for Silent Hill 3 and The Medium Sold Out in Less Than an Hour
Fukuro Lady
A fan favorite, Fukuro Ladies are feminine entities that can be seen multiple times in Silent Hill 3. They’re immediately recognizable because of their highly evocative poses, the abuse committed against them, and the layers of restraints that keep them bound.
And while it’s not nearly as grotesque as the lying figure monster that it rides, its symbolism earns it a spot on this list.
In Japanese, “Fukuro” literally translates to “bag”. But in a Tweet published by Silent Hill monster designer Masahiro Ito, we learn that fukuro also means “mother”. We can extrapolate from this that the Fukuro Lady is meant to represent the womb. Which makes the violence, objectification, and restraints that torture it so terrifying.
Heather is the unwilling vessel of a god, and there’s an entire cult dedicated to forcing her to birth it. The Furuko Lady is the perfect representation of her fears of pregnancy, being trapped, and the adolescent experience of being sexualized, likely against your will.
The Pendulum
While themes of pregnancy and coming of age are some of the foundational themes of Silent Hill 3, it is still ultimately a story about rebirth. Heather is Alessa, and she is Cheryl, and throughout the game, she struggles to come to terms with that.
The Pendulum might be a representation of this duality, as it has a head on top and the bottom. But it’s possible this monstrosity represents a woman in childbirth, because for a brief moment in labor, a woman becomes a two-headed person.
While the former theory seems more likely, the latter theory explains that absolutely terrifying shriek The Pendulum emits. A noise that’s best shut up with a few rounds of your submachine gun.
Many of the monsters you encounter in Silent Hill 3 are organic. Deformed, but ultimately recognizable as a twisted human shape. But even though Pendulums are ultimately two stitched-together torsos balanced on top of blade-like arms, they seem alien and terrifying, and almost robotic in their movements. The way it moves just gives me the creeps.
While there’s no shortage of monsters in Silent Hill, Heather Mason is the most capable protagonist to set foot in that town. And, in fact, she’s one of the best protagonists in horror… ever. Check out why here: Silent Hill 3’s Heather Mason Is Still One of Horror’s Best Protagonists
