Silent Hill: 5 Most Selfish Characters

In a world where monsters roam a fog-filled land and people must face their inner demons, acts of true heroism might become nigh impossible as survival instincts kick in and override everything else. Or, maybe the town of Silent Hill only attracts the sort of people who would always put themselves selfishly above everyone else, deciding they are the ones in need of just punishment.

There are several characters one could rightfully accuse of being truly selfish, and the Silent Hill games only help to illuminate this facet of their personality. Even if they are not outright villains themselves, they hold this rather villainous sentiment that their needs and wants should be prioritized above all else, no matter the consequences.

Spoilers ahead for the Silent Hill franchise, and Silent Hill 2 in particular.

5 Maria

Prone to Bouts of Cruelty Towards James in Silent Hill 2

Maria is one of the most popularSilent Hill 2 characters, but this doesn’t necessarily mean she is one of the kindest. A dark reflection of James’s wife Mary, Maria’s actual existence is brought into question as she looks just like his dead wife, but acts and dresses far more promiscuously. She becomes a companion for a large portion of the game, and one the player must protect. How the player treats Maria can influence the ending they achieve.

Throughout the game, Maria’s personality and attitude can change. Often she acts flirty, but is also prone to almost childish outbursts of anger, blaming James for not trying to save her, as though he has to bear the brunt of her wellbeing along with everything else in the town he is trying to deal with. This could just be a metaphor for how he treated his wife near the end of her life, but nevertheless, Maria can act like a truly self-centered character that is there to impede James rather than help him.

4 Leonard Wolf

Acted as a Monster Towards His Daughter in Silent Hill 3

The main antagonist of Silent Hill 3 is Claudia Wolf, a zealot for the Order who wants to use Heather as a vessel for the rebirth of their god. But part of the reason Claudia is so fiercely devoted is because of her tyrannical father, Leonard Wolf.

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He wanted nothing more than to raise a good, religious daughter in his own image, and was not afraid to dole out harsh judgment in order to be successful. Leonard would beat or threaten Claudia to iron out any behavior he deemed unfitting, as he was a truly selfish and cruel father. Thankfully, he got his just deserts at the hands of Heather.

3 Walter Sullivan

His Victims Were Nothing More than Means to an End in Silent Hill 4: The Room

Walter Sullivan is a complex villain, whose motives go beyond mere base cruelty and depravity. He is another follower of the cult known as the Order, who raised them with their teaching. As such, he held them and their beliefs in high regard and would do what was needed to cleanse humanity of their sins and reach Paradise. This was his true goal, as he believed there he would be reunited with his mother in a world free from the evil and suffering humanity sows.

As someone who has faced homelessness, he has seen firsthand the lack of empathy humans can have for others, and as such has no qualms with taking their lives. He believes if he sacrifices 21 souls, he can achieve his ends and does so without remorse. Though he is a nuanced character, it doesn’t completely nullify the selfishness of his acts, as he views their deaths as a means to his ends.

2 Dahlia Gillespie

The Gaming World’s Worst Mother Comes From Silent Hill

There are quotes that tie the joy of motherhood to Godhood, as only they know the joy of creation, but there are mothers that are closer to being infernal than angelic, and this is no more true than with Silent Hill’s Dahlia Gillespie, one of the primary antagonists of the first game, and one of the franchises most selfish characters.

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So blindly devoted to the Cult, Dahlia burned her own daughter at the stake as she thought it was the key to resurrecting the god they worship, and that was after the years of abuse she subjected poor Alessa to. What makes Dahlia such a dangerous villain is not her strength or any powers she has, but the true depth of her selfishness and depravity. One has to be truly evil to kill their own child to realize their own desires.

1 James Sunderland (Silent Hill 2)

Killed His Sick Wife Just to Be Free in Silent Hill 2

Troubled widower James Sunderland returns to their ‘special place’, the town of Silent Hill 2 after receiving a letter from his deceased wife, who he thought to have died from her terminal illness three years ago. He is confronted with all manner of horrific demons throughout his journey, but nothing is quite as horrifying or tragic as the revelation at the end of the game.

Finding a videotape in the Lakeside Hotel, James is confronted with the truth he suppressed for all those years: Mary didn’t pass away from her disease, he killed her with his own hands, unable to cope with a sick wife any longer. Mary was due for a return home as doctors knew it was only a matter of time before she perished, but her own husband didn’t want her to return even for that brief visit and killed her. Though there could be some arguments made that he did it to end her suffering, it was just as much to end his suffering, tethered to a sick wife he grew to be disgusted by.

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