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The Otherworld in Silent Hill 1
The Otherworld and Fog World are locations included within every Silent Hill game, the films, and comics.
Nature of the Otherworld and Fog World[]
Astral plane[]
The Otherworld acts as a sort of "astral plane," as it is known that there are three "layers" to the town of Silent Hill, existing on top of each other. It is also known that the Otherworld twists itself in order to reflect the psyche of the individuals trapped there, as can be seen with the symbolism of the monsters. Harry even states that it is a place where someone's "nightmarish delusions are brought to life." It acts as a "realm of the mind."
Heather Mason also comes across a ghost in Silent Hill 3, so it also seems to be a kind of Spirit World.
The town was once considered a sacred place and it is implied that the power of Silent Hill was "tainted" by the events that took place there, such as the plague. An example of this would be how even though the Silent Hill Prison by Toluca Lake was torn down, it still exists in the Otherworld and Fog World because the pain and suffering left a psychic impression on the fabric of the universe.
Powers within the Otherworld[]
It is known that some characters, such as Alessa Gillespie and Claudia Wolf, have some measure of power over the Otherworld. It seems that everyone within the Otherworld has some measure of special powers within the Otherworld and Fog World.
For example, the player character happens to conveniently find weapons, ammunitions, clues and health-restoring items lying around, even in highly unlikely places such as an elementary school. It is never explained why the protagonists are so lucky, so it must be a manifestation of the protagonists will to survive.
More evidence of special powers is that whenever the character is injured, health drinks, first aid kits, and ampoules will restore the health of the player. In real life, these items will not instantly repair wounds, especially not health drinks, so it is another manifestation of the protagonists' will to survive.
Other locations[]
It is possible that there may be other places in the world besides Silent Hill with an "astral plane." It is implied that even before Alessa, Silent Hill already had a special kind of power, and Alessa only enhanced this spiritual power rather than creating it. More evidence to this idea is that the Otherworld shows up in other locations, such as the shopping mall and Shepherd's Glen.
It is also possible that other "Otherworlds" are actually pleasant places, as they have not been tainted.
Monsters[]
The monsters are more powerful in some games than others. In the earlier games, the monsters are known within the fandom for being slow and plodding. In Silent Hill: Homecoming, however, the monsters are quick, agile, and strong. The most likely reason for this is because in the earlier games the protagonists are people with no combat training experience, whereas Alex is a trained soldier. So it's likely that the Otherworld adjusts the deadliness of its monsters for who is trapped there, yet again because of the protagonists' will to survive.
Other links[]
"The Changing Utility of the Otherworld in the Silent Hill series"
Gallery[]
| Silent Hill: Origins |
|---|
| Characters |
| Major Characters |
| Travis Grady - Alessa Gillespie - Dahlia Gillespie - Helen Grady - Richard Grady - Michael Kaufmann - Lisa Garland |
| Minor Characters |
| Mira - Greys |
| Enemies |
| Monsters |
| Ariel - Carrion - Faceless Nurse - Remnant - Straight-Jacket - Two-Back |
| Bosses |
| Butcher - Caliban - Memory of Helen Grady - Memory of Richard Grady - The Demon |
| Mythology |
| Items - Worlds & Dimensions - Religion |
| Other |
| Questions - Audio - Reference Materials |
| Silent Hill |
|---|
| Characters |
| Major Characters |
| Harry Mason - Cheryl Mason - Alessa Gillespie - Dahlia Gillespie - Cybil Bennett - Michael Kaufmann - Lisa Garland |
| Minor Characters |
|
Jodie Mason - K.Gordon - Greys |
| Enemies |
| Monsters |
| Air Screamer - Bloodsucker - Creeper - Grey Child - Groaner - Hanged Scratcher - Larval Stalker - Mumbler - Night Flutter - Puppet Doctor - Puppet Nurse - Romper -Stalker - Wormhead |
| Bosses |
| Incubator - Incubus - Floatstinger - Puppet Cybil Bennett - Split Head - Twinfeeler |
| Mythology |
| Items - Worlds & Dimensions - Religion |
| Other |
| Questions - Audio - Reference Materials |
| Silent Hill: Shattered Memories |
|---|
| Characters |
| Major Characters |
| Harry Mason - Cheryl Heather Mason - Dahlia Mason - Dr. Kaufmann - Cybil Bennett - Michelle Valdez - Lisa Garland |
| Minor Characters |
| Bar Maid - The Stewarts - Mr. Gordon - John - James Sunderland - Mira - Greys |
| Monsters |
| Raw Shocks - Larval Stalkers |
| Mythology |
| Items - Worlds & Dimensions - Religion |
| Other |
| Questions - Audio - Reference Materials |
| Silent Hill 2 |
|---|
| Characters |
| Major Characters |
| James Sunderland - Mary Sunderland - Maria - Laura - Angela Orosco - Eddie Dombrowski |
| Minor Characters |
| Ernest Baldwin - Amy Baldwin - Rachel - Thomas Orosco - Jennifer Carroll - Patrick Chester - Harry Mason - Mira - Greys |
| Enemies |
| Monsters |
| Bubble Head Nurse - Creeper - Lying Figure - Mandarin - Mannequin - Prisoners |
| Bosses |
| Abstract Daddy - Flesh Lips - Mary - Pyramid Head |
| Mythology |
| Items - Worlds & Dimensions - Religion |
| Other |
| Questions - Audio - Reference Materials - Timelines |
| Silent Hill 3 |
|---|
| Characters |
| Major Characters |
| Heather Mason - Douglas Cartland - Vincent Smith - Claudia Wolf - Leonard Wolf |
| Minor Characters |
| Harry Mason - Alessa Gillespie - Stanley Coleman - Lisa Garland - Jennifer Carroll - Joseph Schreiber - James Sunderland - Robbie the Rabbit - Greys |
| Enemies |
| Monsters |
| Closer - Double Head - Glutton - Insane Cancer - Monster in Locker - Numb Body - Nurse - Pendulum - Scraper - Sewer Monster - Slurper - Valtiel |
| Bosses |
| God - Leonard Wolf - Memory of Alessa -Missionary - Split Worm |
| Mythology |
| Items - Worlds & Dimensions - Religion |
| Other |
| Questions - Audio - Reference Materials |
| Silent Hill 4: The Room |
|---|
| Characters |
| Major Characters |
| Henry Townshend - Eileen Galvin - Walter Sullivan - Cynthia Velasquez - Jasper Gein - Andrew DeSalvo - Richard Braintree - Joseph Schreiber |
| Minor Characters |
| Frank Sunderland - Billy Locane - Bobby Randolph - Eric Walsh - George Rosten - Jimmy Stone - Mike - Miriam Locane - Peter Walls - Rachel - Rick Albert - Robbie the Rabbit - Sein Martin - Sharon Blake - Steve Garland - Toby Archbolt - William Gregory - James Sunderland - Mary Sunderland |
| Enemies |
| Monsters |
| Bottom - Ghost - Greedy Worm - Gum Head - Mothbat - Patient - Sniffer Dog - Toadstool - Tremer - Twim Victims - Wall Man - Wheelchair |
| Bosses |
| Conjurer - The One Truth |
| Mythology |
| Items - Worlds & Dimensions - Religion |
| Other |
| Questions - Audio - Reference Materials |
| Silent Hill: Homecoming |
|---|
| Characters |
| Major Characters |
| Alex Shepherd - Joshua Shepherd - Elle Holloway - James Wheeler - Margaret Holloway - Curtis Ackers |
| Minor Characters |
| Adam Shepherd - Lillian Shepherd - Nora Holloway - Sam Bartlett - Joey Bartlett - Martin Fitch - Scarlet Fitch - Travis Grady - Robbie the Rabbit |
| Enemies |
| Monsters |
| Swarm - Nurse - Lurker - Feral - Smog - Needler - Schism - Siam - Bogeyman |
| Bosses |
| Sepulcher - Scarlet - Asphyxia - Amnion |
| Mythology |
| Items - Worlds & Dimensions - Religion |
| Other |
| Questions - Audio - Reference Materials |
| Silent Hill: Downpour |
|---|
| Characters |
| Major Characters |
| Murphy Pendleton - Carol Pendleton - Anne Cunningham - Charlie Pendleton - Patrick Napier - Frank Coleridge - George Sewell - Howard Blackwood - JP Sater - Bobby Ricks - Nun - Young Anne |
| Minor Characters |
| Sanchez - Homer - M. Koons - Bryan Handley - Ariadne Johnson - Melissa Matlan - Glen Milton - Ricky - Daniel Stephens - Chloe Zane |
| Enemies |
| Monsters |
| Screamer - Doll (Shadow) - Prisoner Minion - Prisoner Juggernaut - Weeping Bat - Wall Corpse - Tormented Soul - Monocle Man |
| Bosses |
| Void - Bogeyman - Wheelman |
| Mythology |
| Items - Worlds & Dimensions - Religion |
| Other |
| Questions - Audio - Reference Materials |
| Silent Hill film |
|---|
| Characters |
| Major Characters |
| Rose Da Silva - Christopher Da Silva - Sharon Da Silva - Alessa Gillespie - Dark Alessa - Dahlia Gillespie - Cybil Bennett - Christabella - Thomas Gucci - Anna |
| Minor Characters |
| Sister Margaret - Eleanor - Colin the Janitor - The Red Nurse - Order Soldiers - Jennifer Carroll |
| Monsters |
| Pyramid Head - Creeper - Armless Man - Nurse - Grey Child |
| Mythology |
| Worlds & Dimensions - Religion |
| Other |
| Questions - Audio - Reference Materials |