Heather Mason
From Silent Hill Wiki
| “ | Don't talk about my dad like that!
- Heather to Vincent about her father. | ” |
Heather Mason (also known as Cheryl Mason and Alessa Gillespie reincarnated) is the protagonist in the Konami video game, Silent Hill 3. She is the first female primary character in the Silent Hill series. In early promotions, she was given the name "Heather Morris," the name of her voice actress.
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Background
Heather's real name is Cheryl Mason, the adopted daughter of the writer Harrold "Harry" Mason, who survived the events of the first Silent Hill game. When Harry escaped Silent Hill, Alessa/the Incubator came back as an apparition and presented him with a newborn baby, which is both Cheryl, and Alessa herself, restored to one body again. Harry left Silent Hill with the baby and moved to Portland, however, they were attacked by a cult member there and Harry killed him in self-defense.
In an attempt to throw the cult off - should they come and look for both him and the child - he renamed her Heather, dyed her hair blonde and relocated to another city. Harry eventually settled in the Daisy Villa Apartments with Heather.
Personality
Official sources describe Heather as a "normal, fun loving girl who loves to shop". When it comes to her personality traits within the game itself, one very obvious trait of Heather is that she is moody and loses her temper quite easily at things that frustrate her; these are considered normal traits for a teenager. Heather can also be very sarcastic and humorous (for example, her "joke" to Douglas in the ending). Because of her sarcastic streak, she adapts rather remarkably to the disturbing spectacles she comes across on her journey. She even specifically states in the game that this nightmare has numbed her. Her bravery and nonchalant reaction to various creatures and horrors late in the game, forged by her resolve later all point to a rather hot headed temperament in comparison to the other protagonists in the Silent Hill series.
Heather has a great love for her father since he is the only one Heather ever cared for and it is no surprise she would jump to Harry’s defense when Vincent criticized him. When Harry dies, she is completely distraught, and begins to turn to Douglas Cartland more, since she feels that he is the only one she can trust, in contrast to Vincent and Claudia Wolf. This attachment is shown when she was very concerned over him when he was found, injured, in the Lakeside Amusement Park. During one of their conversations, she also stated “Well, maybe if you’d compared me to your daughter...” which shows that she might have been hoping that Douglas would take her in his care.
Heather starts the game out with a switchblade as her starting weapon, which when inspected Heather comments that she "likes to carry it around for some reason." In the subway, an article on the paranormal can be read on the ground. When Heather inspects it, she states that she used to love reading the said publication and "spooky" stories for fun, implying a fascination with the paranormal. At one point in the game, Heather will refuse to pick up a pack of cigarettes, saying that she "quit for good."
At the beginning of the game, if the player examines the mirror in the mall bathroom, Heather mentions that she dislikes mirrors as she feels her reflection is some sort of false image. Heather's mild eisoptrophobia (fear of one's own reflection) is emphasized by the fact that the mirror in her bedroom is covered and she doesn't have a mirror in her bathroom at home. The game's infamous scene in the mirror room at Brookhaven Hospital is Heather's fear becoming a reality.
As the game progresses, it is implied that Alessa's original personality traits and memories surface in Heather.
Role in Silent Hill 3
One day, while running an errand for her adoptive father at the Central Square Shopping Center, Heather accidentally falls asleep and dreams about Silent Hill. She finds herself wandering through the nightmare version of Lakeside Amusement Park, and while she is walking along roller coaster tracks, she is struck down by a roller coaster. When she awakens after having the nightmare, she exits the burger joint and calls her father and lets him know that she is on her way home. However, while Heather is about to leave the mall, a man named Douglas Cartland attempts to talk to her about her "birth." Heather, thinking Douglas as a stalker, walks away from him and exits the shopping mall through a bathroom window. However, the alley past the window is blocked and she is forced to enter the shopping mall again through the employee's area. Heather comes across a monster and manages to kill it with a handgun, shaken by this since she knows that monsters don't exist.
As Heather wanders through the monster infested mall, she encounters a barefoot woman dressed in all black, with flowing white hair who reveals herself as Claudia Wolf. Claudia tells her about a paradise created by God and Heather's "true" self. Heather is confused and comes down with a serious migraine, as if she was trying to remember something from long ago as Claudia departs. While descending an elevator, Heather soon plunges into the Otherworld shopping mall. She tries to convince herself that everything is just a dream. By defeating the Split Worm in the core of the mall, the mall changes back to normal. Heather decides to use the subway to get home, but as she walks through the mall, she meets Douglas again. Heather accuses Douglas of being on Claudia's side, but he tells her that he was only hired to find her and that he has no idea what is happening. Heather accepts Douglas's words, and faintly remembers that she forgot something important. She shakes off a strange feeling and tells Douglas she is heading home.
After exploring the subway, a subway train, an underground passageway, sewers, and a construction site, Heather finds a way into the Hilltop Center. While inspecting a bathtub, Heather suddenly enters the nightmare world once again and goes unconscious. Just before coming to, Heather hears her father's voice in her mind. After the transition, Heather kicks the bathtub in frustration and yells, "Did Claudia do this too!?". Heather soon encounters a man named Vincent, who is also a member of the same cult as Claudia, but has different views on where the cult should go. Vincent confirms that Heather has a forgotten the past and calls Heather's father a "sneaky guy" and Heather yells, "Don't talk about my dad like that!" at Vincent. Before leaving, Heather voices her disbelief about Vincent not being on Claudia's side and tells him that there is something wrong with him, too.
Heather eventually finds a way out of the Hilltop Center and upon entering her apartment, she discovers her father slumped lifeless in a chair, brutally murdered. Heather, shocked and speechless, rests on her father's lap and sobs heavily. Once she regains her emotions, Heather follows a blood trail to the apartment's rooftop where Claudia is there waiting for her. Heather demands an answer from Claudia as to why she killed him, and Claudia answers revenge for seventeen years and to fill Heather's heart with hatred. Claudia locks Heather on the apartment rooftop and after a boss battle, Heather returns to her apartment where Douglas is waiting for her. Despite Douglas' apologies, Heather yells at Douglas furiously and blames everything that has happened on him. Once Heather is settled down, Douglas helps her move Harry's body into his room, covering him with a white sheet and lilies. Heather decides to find Claudia and kill her in revenge, even though Douglas doesn't agree. Douglas offers to drive her to Silent Hill since he is also responsible for Heather's loss, and she eventually agrees. Heather sighs heavily, and pays her final respects to her father before departing.
Douglas gives Heather a map of Silent Hill and a notebook that her father was holding. Upon reading the notebook, Heather learns that her father wrote it in order to tell her the truth about what happened seventeen years ago. On the car ride to Silent Hill, Heather sits silently in the passenger seat as Douglas tries to make conversation with her. Heather, with the notebook in her lap, tells Douglas about Alessa Gillespie, Dahlia Gillespie's failed attempt at birthing God using her own daughter, and her own birth. Heather then takes a moment to tell her father that she never had a chance to tell him about the happiness that he gave her. In Silent Hill at Jack's Inn, Douglas tells Heather to meet him once she explores the hospital.
Development
The first sketches of Heather portrayed her as an "innocent" type of character. The development team realized that she seemed too "nice" and Heather was inspired by Sophie Marceau and Charlotte Gainsbourg to give her an attitude.
At this point, Heather was a clash of masculinity and femininity. Shingo Yuri, the character designer, imagined Heather as wearing jeans. However, the female team members of Team Silent thought that Heather should show her legs to look more feminine and convinced Yuri. Heather was given sex appeal in a very discreet way.
Heather's hair was very debated on. Initially, her hair was more natural and elaborate, but the female team members thought that curly hair would be more suitable for a young girl.
Heather was eventually voiced by Heather Morris, and was given her name.
Conceptual Images
 Heather's "innocent" look was scrapped. |
 Heather in jeans. The idea of jeans and a jacket were later given to Elle. |
 The female team members thought Heather should show her legs. |
 Curly hair became the consensus. |
Appearance
- Note: For the list of codes used to unlock Heather's outfits, see Silent Hill 3 Secrets and Unlockables.
Heather has dyed blond hair which is cut short but layered. She wears an orange, sleeveless turtleneck under a white, hooded vest with four front pockets and a green denim mini skirt. She also wears tall brown boots, a wristwatch, and an orange wristband on each arm.
After completing the game, a new option will be unlocked on the main menu which will enable the player to input codes for alternate outfits. In the PlayStation 2 version, many of them have gaming magazines logos. Most of the outfits consist of different colored tank tops and jeans. The developers of Silent Hill 3 also customized a few t-shirts that are exclusive to the game. In Japan, a limited edition yellow t-shirt of Robbie the Rabbit went on sale on Konami's website. There is one interesting outfit called the "God of Thunder" that changes a few aspects of Heather: her hair is silver, her eye appears bruised and are electric blue, she has a cut on her face, her lips are grey, and her arms are tattooed.
Another interesting alternate outfit, “Transform,” which is obtained after inputting the code "Princess Heart." It can be accessed by using a key which shows up in Heather’s inventory after the start of an extra new game. In a very Sailor Moon-esque scene, Heather will change into her “Princess Heart” costume. It allows access to a powerful beam-like attack when no weapon is equipped, the "Sexy Beam".
It is also notable that Heather and Ashley Graham from Resident Evil 4 bear a similar design, including blond hair that goes down to the shoulders, an orange sleeveless shirt, a green skirt and knee-high brown boots with buckles.
Quotes
- "I don't really feel like eating and drinking stuff from an alternate reality, OK?"
- "You think you're Superman or something?"
- "Shut your stinking mouth, bitch!"
- "Looks like God didn't make it!"
- "You can't be dead, I was going to kill you!"
- "This is God...?"
- "Is this the end? I guess it's time to roll the credits." (Heather starts to cry) "Dad..."
- "You don't have to call me that. I'm not hiding anymore."
- Harry: "I'm going to Silent Hill and I'm gonna bust some heads!"
- Heather: "Oh, Dad! You're the coolest!"
- "Are you still following me? Do I have to scream?"
Other appearances
Heather makes an appearance in Dance Dance Revolution Extreme (another popular Konami title) for the PlayStation 2 in the song "You're Not Here".
She is seen walking through a white, empty space and sitting on a wheelchair. After a scene of her in the car with Douglas, she is seen singing inside the shopping mall and appearing in various places throughout the game.
Gallery
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 Heather with a gun |
 Heather with a pipe |
 Heather with a light |
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 Heather singing "You're Not Here" |
 A photo of Heather found in Hilltop Center |
