Masahiro Ito, who created the monsters for the first three Silent Hill titles, has revealed a conceptual sketch for Pyramid Head, his greatest recognizable creation. Having debuted as a major antagonist in Silent Hill 2, the antagonist has since become a defining feature of the franchise, appearing in not just subsequent Silent Hill titles but also the films and other Konami-licensed IPs.
In 1997, Ito decided to join Konami as a member of Team Silent, contributing his talents as a backdrop and creature artist on Silent Hill. Due to the game’s acclaimed legacy, no new monsters will be included in the upcoming Silent Hill 2 remake.
For the first time, followers may see the origins of the legendary beast. Ito, who frequently posts concept ideas and furious comments about Pyramid Head, has posted a picture of Pyramid Head in its early stages of creation. The “3310” artwork was created by Ito after he had completed the first Silent Hill game.
It appears that the “item” is supposed to be encountered by the Silent Hill 2 hero in some kind of aquatic setting. It is unknown how far along in the production process Silent Hill 2 was when this concept was created, but aficionados will recognize Toluca Lake as an important place in the game.
Last but not least, the tweet says, “This figure became Pyramid Head later,” establishing that the likeness between the two designs was intentional. Ito has said publicly that Dead by Daylight features the erroneous Pyramid Head as well as that character James Sunderland from Silent Hill 2 was meant to be associated with the Pyramid Head.
Instead of a conventional antagonist, the creature was supposed to be a physical representation of James’s remorse.
The medics from Silent Hill 2 also have a clear connection to James’s story but have been recycled in the film series. Ito’s monster models tie in so nicely to the psychology of the damaged character that they may be a large part of the reason why Silent Hill 2 has become a psychological thriller masterpiece, if not the epitome of the subgenre.
