Scraper

Scraper
A Scraper in Silent Hill 3
Overview
Full Name:	Scraper
Abilities:	Slicing
Weapons:	Tonfa-like blades
Health:	Medium-high
Locations:	Chapel Central Square Shopping Center (The Arcade)
Behind The Scenes
Debut:	Silent Hill 3
Also In:	Hunger Dead/Alive Silent Hill: The Arcade Silent Hill: Mobile 3

Scrapers are enemies who appear in Silent Hill 3.

They are often encountered in the Order's chapel, very late in the game, and are seen wandering around the hallways.

Appearance

They are very similar in appearance and nature to the Missionary, though they are much weaker, as well as less threatening and significantly smaller. They appear as medium-sized humanoid males with dirty brown robes that resemble a butcher's smock and brown sacks over their faces. They also wear bloody rubber gloves and corduroy pants. Their tonfa-like weapons end in blades, which they constantly scrape together, hence their name.

Character

Silent Hill 3

Silent Hill 3 Geometry Room

A Scraper approaches Heather.

They behave much like the Missionary, but are much weaker and less aggressive. They retain the former's ability to deflect handgun bullets, but nothing else. They can move surprisingly fast as they lash out at Heather Mason, but can be killed with several well-timed heavy strikes with a melee weapon. They also have a tendency to shove Heather off of ledges if she tries to skirt around them. When the Scraper starts scraping its weapons together, it's a sign that it's preparing to charge.

Silent Hill: The Arcade

Two Scrapers in Central Square Shopping Center.

Scrapers appear in Silent Hill: The Arcade as a hard-hitting, late-game enemy. As a smaller, less devastating version of the Missionary boss monster encountered midway through Heather Mason's quest, these monsters are probably the least changed in appearance of the "common" enemies ported to The Arcade, as their design is neither simplified nor noticeably altered. The first time Eric and Tina encounter one of these monsters, it seems to be kidnapping Tina's friend Emilie Anderson.

Silent Hill: Mobile 3

A Scraper in Silent Hill: Mobile 3.

Scrapers appear in Silent Hill: Mobile 3 as well. Short after Emilie killed all the monsters inside the otherworld version of the mansion, a Scraper will attack Vincent on the Real World, for much of his horror. Alessa then informs Vincent that this happened because Karen became more powerful, being able to send monsters to the Real World. If Vincent solves the safe puzzle on the Real World instead of the Otherworld, a second Scraper will attack him.

This rendition of the Scraper is very different than the ones in Silent Hill 3: while they are as fast as their original counterparts, they are stronger and attack by breathing fire rather than using their blades. It is unknown what the Scrapers in Mobile 3 symbolize, since they are not the dead orphans.

Symbolism

The Scrapers may be actual members of the Order or manifestations of Claudia Wolf's vision of the Order's members. The Book of Lost Memories only refers to them as humanoid monsters. They receive their name from their habit of scraping their blades together.

It is also very likely that the Scraper is meant to be a frequent reminder of the Missionary. They only appear later in the game, and it is clear that Heather's fury regarding her father's murder fails to wane, even resulting in her breaking down sobbing once God is defeated. When Heather encounters the facsimile of her father's bedroom and leaves, Scrapers are seen in the hallway outside, possibly reminding her of how her father had died. Heather also mentions in the game that since her father is no longer around to do it, she must be who prevails in this massive tribulation. As the player gets closer to the climax, the population of Scrapers increases, supporting this possibility. Also as previously stated, they appear to be a miniature version of the Missionary, and therefore seeing a beast so synonymous would inevitably remind Heather of her father's murderer. It may also be that the Missionary was a type of Scraper, however, this is not stated anywhere in game.

There is a running theme of maternity and femininity in Silent Hill 3 and its monsters due to the central conflict of the game centering on impregnation in the cult's attempts to force Heather to birth their god. The combination of the Scraper's title, his clothing, and his weapons may be seen as symbolism of dilation and cutterage, which is the dilation of the cervix and surgical extraction of part of the lining of the uterus and/or contents of the uterus by cutterage (scraping and scooping). It is an often-used method of first trimester miscarriage or abortion. The "Scraper" here might refer to scraping out the unborn fetus; rubber gloves, a mask, and a smock could be reminiscent of surgical attire; and the long, sharp weapons being exaggerated imagery of abortion instruments. 

Comics

Like the majority of game-based monsters, the Scraper is used mostly as background scenery, appearing in Hunger and Dead/Alive.

Trivia

The Scraper room.

• One room in the chapel, directly across from Claudia's room, contains 4 or 5 Scrapers. This Scraper room is pointless for the player to enter unless they are trying to achieve a 10 Star Ranking.
• The Dead Space 3 expansion pack Awakened featured an enemy of same name, which appears consideringly similar. This may or may not have been a coincidence.

Gallery

Missionary/Scraper concept art by Masahiro Ito.

Scraper/Missionary concept art.

Scraper.

Heather encounters a Scraper in chapel's corridor.

A Scraper can easily take Heather by surprise by their sheer speed.

Heather shoots a Scraper.

Heather shoots a Scraper.

Heather stunning a Scraper.

A Scraper in the chapel.

Scraper's face.

A Scraper running and swinging.

A Scraper in The Arcade.

A Scraper in Hunger.