Silent Hill 2‘s nightmarish aesthetic, claustrophobic buildings and monsters were simply mindblowing, but what added gravitas & depth to the game were its characters. These characters were real people like Peter Parker who had their charming defects, which made them extremely likable and easy to relate to. We have listed all the characters from Silent Hill 2 and explained what they mean in a broader sense.
You might not like some of these characters but it is also true that wrong choices make exhilarating stories. None of them are serial killers but you’re going to find some twisted, sick and troubled souls below who are quite interesting in one way or the other.
All the Characters in Silent Hill 2 and What They Mean in a broader sense
1. James Sunderland
James Sunderland is the main character of Silent Hill 2. He killed his wife to relieve her of pain, and he was also getting frustrated with all the responsibilities that would have come along with taking care of a dying partner. The guilt of murdering his wife Mary, brought him to the eerie town of Silent Hill. Unlike other characters, James sees monsters in Silent Hill – these monsters represent the moral corruption of his brain. James’s act of trying to find Mary is his pathetic attempt at salvation from the despicable sin of murder that he committed on her.
What James Sunderland means in the greater scheme of things is lust. He is a vile, disgusting, and insecure patriarch who can’t bear sexual frustration. James had the evil and malicious intent of a serial killer that got curbed due to his moral compass getting fixed, thanks to his guilt. Just like a serial killer serving their life sentence, James is also repenting for his sins. The ship for James’s redemption has sailed, and his rotting mental health is the ultimate life sentence that he rightfully deserves.
2. Angela Orosco
Angela Orosco is the first character James encounters during his pursuit of Mary. She is a reserved, hesitant, and anxious girl who is too gullible and pure for this world. Her voice breaks while speaking, which indicates her lack of belief in herself. Angela is genuinely a reliable person, as she helps James immediately without giving him any attitude. She is looking for her family, just like James, and both of them share a mutual feeling of helplessness. Angela’s inability to find her mother in Silent Hill has made her suicidal. She walked into a fire on purpose, indicating the fact that she took her life.
The character Angela Orosco symbolizes low self-esteem in human beings. She was unsure of herself and didn’t think much of herself. Angela was depressed and suicidal after the loss of her mother, father, and brother. Just like James, Angela’s loved ones died as well, but unfortunately, Angela couldn’t cope and fell prey to her suicidal thoughts. All she wanted was some love and emotional support.
3. Laura
Laura is an 8-year-old girl who is also the most unexpected character that James meets in Silent Hill. She’s a confident girl who speaks her mind, doesn’t fear anyone, and confronts James about how badly he treated her hospital pal, Mary. Laura doesn’t have any filters in her brain, she is unpredictable – she fat-shames Eddie Dombrowski while he’s eating pizza and sitting next to her. She’s shameless and insensitive at times, but she has a helpful and honest heart. Laura wants to help others, but she doesn’t know how to be polite about it – she’s a pistol.
What Laura symbolizes in the grand scheme of things is the heart, and the innocence attached to it. Laura is all heart, as she hasn’t been polluted by political correctness, which usually comes with age – that is the reason why she comes across as slightly rude and mannerless. Laura voices the intrusive thoughts that all of us are too afraid to put out in the world – she’s like a standup comedian doing crowd work, sparing no one in the audience.
4. Eddie Dombrowski
Eddie Dombrowski is the typical fat guy character you see in Hollywood movies, he is ugly and doesn’t have any friends. People have been bullying him for as long as he can remember, so much so that his psyche has been permanently altered. He eats away his feelings as no one understands him – Eddie lives in anxiety and has lost all his self-belief due to the excessive bullying, name-calling and public humiliation that he’s been facing throughout his life. Eddie’s only refuge in his miserable life is food, so he engages in gluttony whenever his self-respect plummets.
What Eddie Dombrowski symbolizes in the grand scheme of things is bad luck. He is the personification of a scared child who was never loved or chosen by anyone due to his unfortunate physical makeup – Eddie’s psyche has been damaged to the point of him becoming an outlaw. The drought of love in Eddie’s life filled him with a vindictive rage against the entire human race. He was tired of being reduced to the tag of an ugly, fat and unlovable loser, sadly Eddie took an unlawful turn and faced Mother Nature’s justice.
5. Maria
Maria is a lookalike of James’s late wife, Mary. Maria’s fashion choices are bolder and sexier than Mary’s and similar to how James wanted Mary to dress up for him. She is trying to seduce James with her sultry voice and body language that says, “I am interested in you.” Maria is playing the “damsel in distress who needs help” to entice James. Maria tests James’s loyalty by asking him about his other options if he isn’t able to find Mary. Maria is acting like a mistress, but she also has strong maternal instincts towards Laura who is missing – you don’t know whether to like Maria or not.
In the grand scheme of things, Maria symbolizes unfaithfulness. James’s biggest problem was his inability to curb his libido, which resulted in sexual frustration and later became the reason for Mary’s death. Even when he is repenting for his sins, James is trying to replace the last mental images of his pale, lifeless, and dying wife with a sexier lookalike named Maria. Maria’s facial similarity indicates that James loved Mary to some extent even after so many years of her demise.
6. Mary Shepherd-Sunderland
Mary Shepherd-Sunderland was the only character in Silent Hill 2 who didn’t have any flaws and still, she faced one of the most brutal deaths known to mankind, i.e., getting murdered by someone you love and trust. She was the epitome of empathy, love, and devotion – the complete opposite of the impulsive, selfish, and lustful monster that her husband was. Even during her last few days, she was thinking of fulfilling her duties as a wife to her husband. Mary would have made an amazing mother if James hadn’t killed her.
Mary symbolizes pure love and selflessness. Mary was an angel on earth, poles apart from the unfaithful criminal that James Sunderland was. She was a fool in love and died, he is a murderer who is roaming free – what a sad contrast in life.
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