Let's continue to explore the references and interesting similarities between SlitterHead and Silent Hill.
The previous part of the article already included about 20 references. If you missed it, you can read the beginning here:
And today, we'll have the second part. Here, we'll discuss 17 more similarities between the games. And look at how the authors reimagined the characters and reproduced some plot elements from Silent Hill in their new game.
SILENT HILL and SLITTERHEAD
References and Similarities
(Part 2)
(Part 2)
Spoiler Warning:
This article contains spoilers for SlitterHead, Silent Hill 1, and Silent Hill 2. So, I recommend reading it only if you've already completed those three games.
Death in a Dark Alley
In Silent Hill, the game began with protagonist Harry Mason entering a dark alley, where he was killed by the monsters. These enemies were invincible, so the player was doomed to die.
SlitterHead begins with a similar scene. We're walking down a creepy narrow alley, where a monster suddenly attacks us. This monster cannot be killed, and our character will have to die in this alley.
Awakening after a "nightmare"
After Harry Mason was killed by monsters in SH1, he suddenly woke up sitting on a bench in a cozy cafe, believing the encounter with the monsters was just a bad dream.
SlitterHead features a similar plot twist. A girl named Julee loses consciousness after being nearly killed by a monster, then wakes up sitting on a bed in her apartment (funnily enough, she's even sitting in the same pose as Harry in the cutscene).
At first, our heroine also thinks she was just dreaming. But it soon becomes clear that the scary events that happened to her were real.
Possession and Red Eyes
In SH1, when people were possessed by a parasitic monster, their eyes changed color and turned red. You can clearly see it in the scene with Cybil on the carousel.
SlitterHead also uses the same idea with red eyes. When people are possessed by the mysterious Hyoki creature, their eyes suddenly begin to glow red.
Lisa's Secret
In Silent Hill 1, at the end of the game, it is revealed that Nurse Lisa is actually already dead. Ultimately, she turns into a monster — and we can't save her from this terrible fate.
In SlitterHead, scenario writer Keiichiro Toyama once again recreated the nurse's tragic story. Here, it also turns out near the end that Lisa is already dead — and has turned into a terrifying monster. And there's no way to save her.
Bloody Tear
When Lisa started transforming into the monster in SH1, a drop of blood, resembling a tear, ran down her face. This scene left a powerful impression and eventually became one of the most iconic moments in the first Silent Hill.
In SlitterHead, you can see a small nod to that legendary scene. When Lisa transforms into the monster, a drop of blood, resembling a tear, also flows from her eye socket.
The Good\Evil Cultist
The cultist Dahlia Gillespie played a key role in the story of SH1. Initially, she was presented as a positive character trying to help us. But it eventually turns out that Dahlia is completely insane and is the main villain of the story.
A similar plot twist is present in SlitterHead. During the game, we meet a member of a religious cult named Yin Yue. At first, he helps us and seems like a good person. But then it turns out that the cultist has gone mad and secretly committed all sorts of terrible things.
The Cunning Doctor
In Silent Hill 1, there was a doctor named Michael Kaufmann, who ran the local hospital and was also involved in various shady schemes. He collaborated with the cult and helped hide Alessa in a secret basement of the hospital.
SlitterHead features a similar "cunning doctor" character. He runs a private clinic (where he also set up a secret basement), collaborates with the monsters, and even helps them to hide a strange little girl.
Chasing the Girl
in the Blue Dress
In SH1, toward the end of the game, Harry Mason chased a mysterious girl named Alessa around the town. He mistakenly believed this girl was a villain and that he had to stop her at all costs. But it eventually turns out that she wasn't the real villain.
The plot of SlitterHead has a similar idea. Our hero, Alex, also pursues a little girl in a blue dress and believes that she must be killed. But it later turns out that the girl was actually a fairly harmless character.
The Murder of Julie and Cybil
In Silent Hill 1, we had to kill our friend named Cybil with our own hands during a boss fight. This moment was especially terrifying and difficult because Cybil was a good person and always helped us throughout the game.
In SlitterHead, the creators have once again recreated the idea of a boss fight where the player must kill their friend. This time, we have to kill Julee — the kindest and most sympathetic character in the game.
Flying Demon
with boobies
with boobies
The final demon in SlitterHead is essentially a "reimagining" of the final boss from Silent Hill 1.
In both games, we fight a flying brown demon who surprisingly has naked female breasts:
(demonic boobies in SH1)
(breasts of a demon from SlitterHead)
And these bosses are similar in their behavior during a boss fight. They hover above the ground and try to kill us with powerful magical attacks.
A demon is born from
a girl in a white dress
Another interesting detail is that in both games, the "demon-with-boobs" emerges from the body of a girl wearing a snow-white dress.
This was likely also intended as a reference to SH1.
Early Concept Art
Early illustrations of the winged demon from SlitterHead are also very similar to concept art of the final boss from Silent Hill.
In the art, the demon has the same horned head, large wings, and various mystical symbols on its back. However, the demon's design was slightly changed in the final version of the game.
By the way, we had a detailed article with an analysis of these concept arts back in 2021 when the game was announced.
The Forgotten Murder
In Silent Hill 2, the protagonist James Sunderland killed his wife, but forgot about his crime. Eventually, he began to believe that his wife was still alive.
SlitterHead also features a similar plot twist. A character named Yin Yue killed his mentor (who was like a father to him and whom he loved dearly). But due to the emotional shock, he forgot about the murder. And he began to believe that his mentor was alive.
The Collapse of the Illusory World
In SH2, James believed that his wife Mary was waiting for him at the Lakeview Hotel (which had in fact burned down long ago). At first, he sees a beautiful "illusory version" of the hotel. But when our hero finally remembers about his wife's murder, the illusory world collapses. And now James sees a dirty, charred building before him.
A similar scene appears in SlitterHead. In the church basement, Yin Yue initially sees an "illusory room" where his beloved mentor awaits him. But this illusion is shattered when Yin Yue remembers the murder he committed.
At that moment, he realizes with horror that the cozy "mentor's room" is in reality just a dirty burnt-out room containing a mutilated corpse.
Death and Resurrection
of a Strip Dancer
of a Strip Dancer
In Silent Hill 2, one of the key characters was a frivolous striptease dancer named Maria. Initially, she is killed by the PyramidHead monster - but then Maria mysteriously rises from the dead.
SlitterHead features a similar character named Anita, who works as a dancer in a nightclub and is engaged in prostitution. Her personality strongly resembles Maria from SH2.
And there's also a plot twist with a heroine's death. At first, Anita is killed right before our eyes by a monster-with-a-weird-head, but then she is resurrected.
Almighty Dog
A popular meme among Silent Hill fans is the "Almighty Dog", which is a kind of deity and controls all events in the foggy town.
SlitterHead contains a small reference to this meme. In the cult's church, you can find a huge icon depicting a dog deity, which looks similar to the Almighty Dog from the "Dog Ending" in SH2.
Return to the Beginning
If you restart Silent Hill 1 after completing the game, you're taken back to the moment when Harry wakes up in the cafe after a nightmare. It's as if the hero is trapped in a repeating cycle of nightmares and awakenings.
This idea is also reflected in SlitterHead. Here, we return to the beginning several times—to a very similar moment when the main character, Julee, wakes up from a nightmare.
But while in SH1 this endless loop idea was merely a funny Easter egg, in the new game it becomes an important part of the story.
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Author of the article: SilentPyramid
Publication date: 20.09.2025
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