In a tweet explaining the inspirations behind Pyramid Head, Ito credited a scene from “Braveheart.” The scene in question is when William Wallace (Mel Gibson) is about to be beheaded and two hooded executioners can be seen standing next to him. Ito clarified that while the design of Pyramid Head, including the rusted metal helmet, was directly inspired by his “Strange Head” drawings years ago, the idea that Sunderland’s monster would be an executioner was inspired by the aforementioned scene from “Braveheart.”
For reference, here’s what Ito’s “Strange Head” series looks like:
The design of Pyramid Head is based on the 1st one_Some of oil/acrylic paints in my art student days (1993 – 1996). “Strange head” series. pic.twitter.com/J1RWAS9vlS
— 伊藤暢達/Masahiro Ito (@adsk4) July 26, 2017
Taking the executioner scene in “Braveheart” as a key reference point, Ito dove deeper into the history of these hooded figures and incorporated that into the lore of the primary monster in the game. As Pyramid Head symbolizes Sunderland’s arc as a protagonist, the monster design was carefully planned out to reflect various aspects of his personality.
Although there is no dearth of creepy, faceless monsters in survival horror games, there is something viscerally frightening about Pyramid Head, whose presence is meant to unsettle players amid an already high-stakes scenario. The character exists solely to remind Sunderland of his past and navigate the repressed emotions that have been festering over time. After Konami turned Pyramid Head into a flagship figurehead of the franchise, Ito’s original concept lost its meaning, as it was morphed into a generic monster figure who was featured in subsequent games and spin-offs, including “Silent Hill Homecoming” and “Silent Hill: Book of Memories.” No wonder Ito was pissed off by this turn of events.
While Pyramid Head’s mainstream appeal might have morphed an artist’s creation into something he had never intended, Ito’s iteration in “Silent Hill 2” still remains unparalleled. Here’s why.