“

I was weak. That's why I needed you... Needed someone to punish me for my sins... But that's all over now. I know the truth. Now it's time to end this. —James, upon realizing Pyramid Head's purpose.

”

James Sunderland is the protagonist of Silent Hill 2. As the game begins, James states that his wife, Mary Shepherd-Sunderland, has been dead for three years. Regardless, James has received a mysterious letter in Mary's handwriting, stating that she is alive and waiting for him in their "special place," somewhere in Silent Hill. When James arrives at the town, he becomes ensnared in a series of bizarre and nightmarish events which force him to question his sanity, memory and personality.

Contents 1 Personality 2 Background 3 Silent Hill 2 4 Fate 4.1 Leave 4.2 In Water 4.3 Maria 4.4 Rebirth 4.5 UFO 4.6 Dog 5 Other appearances 5.1 Silent Hill 3 5.2 Silent Hill: Shattered Memories 5.3 Silent Hill: Downpour 6 Creator's comment 7 Quotes 8 Trivia 9 Gallery

Personality Edit

Due to the player's actions during gameplay and their own interpretation of James, his personality can be viewed differently. As stated by the developers of the game, James can be thought of as one of two personalities. Maria describes James as kind; and Mary, in her letter to Laura, describes him as someone who is a little surly, but underneath his enigmatic exterior, is a sweet person. During his encounters of the other individuals visiting Silent Hill, he typically shows courtesy and manners while speaking to them.

Throughout the game, however, James' "dark side" is revealed in some of his actions. While talking to people, he may occasionally experience an outburst as a result of a reflex, but will typically and automatically switch back to his alternative persona after doing so.

It is notable that James lost some of his "power" and respect for himself when Mary acquired her disease, as well as when he murdered her. He speaks quietly, prefers to run where possible, hides to avoid confrontation, is unable to open things which Maria is able to, and never stood up for himself when Eddie or Angela were abusing him. However, after each confrontation with Pyramid Head, there's a notable confidence in his voice and actions afterwards.

It may also be noted that James is perceived as "dumb" in many parts of the game, including leaving his car door open, failing to turn off his flashlight while attempting to hide in a see-through closet and proceeding to stick his hand inside a hole in the wall after being bitten by something within. He also exhibits many actions that would appear unusual to the average person, such as sticking his hand down a filthy toilet and failing to wash his hands afterward and jumping down several holes that appear bottomless from above.

BackgroundEdit

According to the Konami publication Book of Lost Memories, James was a clerk prior to his arrival in Silent Hill. His known family includes Frank Sunderland, from Silent Hill 4: The Room, who is revealed to be his father. Not much information about James before Mary came into his life is known. James and Mary had met at a house party held by a mutual friend. Their affection evolved from a blazing passion to a peaceful and stable relationship. Before Mary and James were married, James would listen to Mary play the piano. Mary liked to play the piano and even though she wasn't very good at it, James still loved to hear her play anyway.

Prior to the events of Silent Hill 2, Mary and James decided to take a vacation in Silent Hill after reading a brochure for the town. They stayed in the Lakeview Hotel, where James recorded a videotape of Mary. Mary stated in the videotape that she loved the town and would love to go to Silent Hill again one day. James accidentally forgot the videotape in the hotel and the couple left Silent Hill.

Three years prior to the game, Mary was struck with a terminal disease, and she eventually deteriorated to the point of having violent mood swings. This led James to drinking alcohol, in order to get away from his pain and loneliness, but it never changed anything. James questioned Mary's doctors about her illness and voiced his disbelief about them letting Mary die. He would often search through medical books for information about Mary's illness, but would never find anything useful. James rarely visited Mary in the hospital because the disease caused Mary to lash out at him. James eventually felt frustration at needing a sexual outlet but feeling prevented from pursuing it by his marriage to Mary (this is later expressed by the character of Maria, as well as several creatures during James' quest in the town). Mary had become a burden on James and he slowly began to build resentment toward her, yet seeing her in such pain tormented him. The emotional trauma and emptiness left James in a constant state of mourning. Eventually he snapped, walked to Mary's bed and kissed her on her forehead, only to suddenly suffocate her with a pillow. James later repressed the memory of his wife's murder.

James then receives a mysterious letter in Mary's handwriting, stating that she is alive and waiting for him in their "special place", somewhere in Silent Hill. James is disturbed and confused about this letter, and questions whether or not Mary truly died. Later in the game, the handwriting on Mary's letter disappears, revealing itself to be a piece of blank stationery (it becomes an empty envelope and then finally vanishes from James' inventory completely). This is because the letter never existed and was only a creation of James' imagination.

Silent Hill 2Edit

James drives to Silent Hill, with Lost Memories suggesting he came to kill himself in the town they cherished. James is not the only one called to Silent Hill; two others, Eddie Dombrowski and Angela Orosco, have been drawn to the town by similar forces. However, before he arrives, his mind snaps from the trauma of killing Mary and he represses the memory. Instead, he becomes convinced not only that Mary has been dead for three years but that he has received a posthumous letter from her. It is at this stage that the player takes control of James, to discover the real events leading up to this point during gameplay.

James discovers the main road to Silent Hill is blocked and takes a stop in the Observation Deck's restroom. He takes a moment to stare deeply at his own reflection in a mirror. He exits the restroom, reminds himself of Mary, and then enters the town via a hiker's path, a trail the designers created to be purposefully long in order to increase the player's sense of isolation. On the way he meets a young woman named Angela Orosco, who has also just arrived in Silent Hill. James disregards Angela’s warnings about the town and reaches the main roads only to discover that the entire area is covered in fog and infested with grotesque monsters. He tries to find the "special place" mentioned in Mary's letter, where she is waiting for him.

James' first guess as to Mary's "special place" happens to be his first destination, Rosewater Park. Because all direct routes are destroyed or barricaded, he must cross through an abandoned apartment complex, where he meets Eddie Dombrowski. The apartments are also the scene of James' first encounter with Pyramid Head, a relentless persecutor who hunts down and attacks him at several points in the game. James also repeatedly runs into a mysterious little girl named Laura, who knows of Mary's name, leaving James curious as to what she knows.

When James reaches Rosewater Park's lakeside observation deck, he thinks he sees his wife, but is mistaken when the woman introduces herself as Maria. James agrees to let Maria accompany him for safety's sake. He remembers his other "special place", the Lakeview Hotel. While tracking Laura to Brookhaven Hospital, Maria stops to rest in a patient's room, claiming to have a mild hangover. James eventually finds Laura, who then convinces him to get a letter from Mary in a room. She then locks the door, trapping James in the room with creatures called Flesh Lips. After defeating the monsters, James quickly finds that the hospital has been horribly transformed to the Otherworld. He finds Maria and they try to find a way out of the hospital. In the basement, Pyramid Head reappears behind both of them, and Maria is killed by the creature's spear while James is helpless to save her. James is saddened by her sudden death and refocuses on finding Mary.

After leaving the hospital and exploring the town, he finds a key that lets him into the Silent Hill Historical Society, which according to the map is also a port to get to the Lakeview Hotel. However, he soon finds a series of disturbing secret entrances and bizarre holes that lead him into Toluca Prison. Eddie resurfaces again in the cafeteria, now armed with a revolver and once more sitting in close proximity to a human corpse. James attempts to reason with Eddie, but his reasoning has no effect on him.

As James explores the empty prison facility, he finds himself within a maze. James finds Maria, locked inside a cell, alive and unscathed following her death in Brookhaven Hospital. Maria comes onto James and beckons him to find a way into her cell. She undergoes a change in personality, switching between Mary and Maria's personalities at random. Maria also drops clues regarding Mary's "special place" and a videotape she and James made together. James soon relocates Angela, who is about to be attacked by the Abstract Daddy, a creature representing Angela's abusive father. After injuring the monster, Angela finishes it off in a series of violent attacks and has a tense confrontation with James.

Eventually, James locates an alternate route to Maria's cell, but upon entering, finds Maria lying dead on the bed. James exits the cell, and jumps through a hole representing his future grave. He stumbles upon Eddie surrounded by bullet-ridden corpses. Eddie gleefully admits the solution to his problems is killing. When James protests, Eddie says that James is making fun of him too and attacks him. Eddie reveals that both he and James were summoned to the town for a similar reason. James is then forced to kill Eddie in a gun battle inside a meat locker.

Emerging at an old pier at the edge of Toluca Lake, James sees a bright light that is visible from the northern shore; he boards a rowboat and makes the journey to the opposite side. The light is emanating from the Lakeview Hotel, which looks exactly the same as when he stayed there with Mary. James finds Laura there and she hands him a letter that was written by Mary. It states that Mary and Laura became friends one year ago and James realizes that Mary couldn't have died three years ago. Laura then leaves him again to find the other letter.

James locates the old videotape mentioned earlier by Maria, and finds his way to Room 312, where he and Mary had stayed on their vacation. Inserting the tape into a player, James watches a static-ridden video of himself as he smothers Mary to death with her pillow. Laura enters the room and asks James if he has found Mary yet and James tells her the truth, causing Laura to yell at him and run out of the room. Exiting the room, James finds the hotel flooded and burnt-out and eventually comes across Angela on a stairwell surrounded by fire. Angela and James speak for the last time and despite James’ pleas, Angela proceeds up the stairs and walks into the flames.

Entering what was once the lobby, James finds Maria, alive and tied down, screaming for James as she is surrounded by two Pyramid Heads. For a third time, Maria is killed and James finally understands what Pyramid Head and Maria are. The Pyramid Heads are a part of James himself, created subconsciously to punish him for his sins. Refusing to flee from his opponents, he turns and attacks the Pyramid Heads. With James now seeking vengeance as opposed to punishment, the Pyramid Heads cease to function and they deliberately impale themselves on their spears.

James finally meets a woman who resembles Mary before the final boss fight. The outcome of this encounter is determined by the player's actions during the game.

Fate Edit

It is uncertain what happened to James during or after the events of Silent Hill 2. James' fate is left ambiguous. Silent Hill 4: The Room revealed that James disappeared when he went to Silent Hill. It can be speculated that he either died or went into hiding to avoid going to prison for killing Mary. Konami stated in The Book of Lost Memories that James' fate is up to the player. [1] The official Japanese novel, however, uses the "In Water" ending.[2]

LeaveEdit

The woman is Maria. James rebuffs her, because he doesn't need her anymore. She states that he "deserves to die too" (relating to Mary) and transforms into the final boss. After killing her, James meets with Mary. She forgives him for killing her and gives him the letter and tells him to go on with his life. In the next scene James is seen leaving Silent Hill through the graveyard with Laura ahead of him, possibly intending to carry out Mary's wishes to adopt the girl.

In WaterEdit

The woman is Maria. James rebuffs her because she's not Mary and won't be able to replace her. She states that James will never have Mary back and transforms into the final boss. After killing her, James meets with Mary. She tells James that he suffered enough for killing her and gives him the letter. Mary dies before James can properly make peace with her. James carries Mary's body to his car and arrives at the conclusion that he's unable to live without Mary and realizes that he came to Silent Hill to take his own life in a place of memories. James is heard driving his car into the lake, killing himself to be together with his wife in death. This ending is ironic because James told Angela that he would never kill himself.

MariaEdit

The woman is Mary. She becomes furious with James for what he did and transforms into the final boss. After killing her, James is seen looking down at the lake in Rosewater Park. Maria appears, resurrected again, and asks James whether he killed Mary again. He reckons the encounter with Mary was just another illusion and asks Maria to be with him. Maria then gives James Mary's letter. Before the credits, James and Maria are seen leaving Silent Hill. However, Maria coughs, meaning that she will become sick like Mary and the events that drove James to murder may repeat themselves. This is another ironic ending because Angela told James that he found another woman.

RebirthEdit

The woman is Maria. James states that he can't go on without Mary and Maria won't be able to replace his wife. She transforms into the final boss and James fights her. After killing her, James is seen rowing in a boat with Mary's body, going to perform a ritual to revive her, with an unknown result.

UFOEdit

Silent Hill 2 continues the tradition of the UFO ending. James is in Room 312 and out of the sky, UFOs come. The first game's protagonist, Harry Mason, appears holding the Hyper Blaster, pointing it at James. Harry says sorry, and asks James if he has seen his daughter, Cheryl. James is confused, and asks if Harry has seen Mary. James is then shot and knocked unconscious by one of the aliens. James is kidnapped by the aliens and Harry gives the alien a thumbs up.

DogEdit

James walks into a room to find a dog with headsets on and states in disbelief that the dog was the one controlling everything that has happened in the game. James, realizing it was all the dog's work, then falls to his knees. The dog goes up to him and proceeds to lick his face.

Other appearances Edit

Silent Hill 3Edit

James appears briefly in the UFO ending of Silent Hill 3. First hiding behind a curtain in Harry and Heather Mason's house, he holds a wooden board which Harry karate chops with his foot.

James is referenced by Heather in an optional cutscene. In it, she begins to dislodge a toilet but stops, saying, "Forget it. This is way too gross." She then stares at the player and says, "Who would even think of doing something so disgusting?" This cutscene is only unlocked if the player's memory card has a Silent Hill 2 save file.

Silent Hill: Shattered MemoriesEdit

James makes another cameo in the Shattered Memories' UFO ending. He interrupts Cheryl and Dr. Kaufmann's appointment, much to Dr. K's frustration. He asks if he has the wrong day again, to which Dr. K tells him his appointment is tomorrow. Upon leaving, Dr. K makes a comment about not having seen James' wife in a while. A few frames later, James can be seen spying on Mira and the alien sitting in the chair. He is voiced by producer Tomm Hulett.

Silent Hill: DownpourEdit

In Silent Hill: Downpour, James makes a third cameo in the Surprise ending, where he surprises Murphy Pendleton with cake, along with Mary, Laura, and Pyramid Head.

Creator's comment Edit

“

In the initial stages of the scenario, he was a character who had two personalities, "Joseph" and "James." The name "Joseph" was borrowed from the name of a man suspected of being Jack the Ripper, and "James" is a derivative.

”

Quotes Edit

• "I got a letter... The name on the envelope said... 'Mary'... my wife's name."
• "My name is James. James Sunderland."
• "Angela, okay. I don't know what you're planning, but there's always another way."
• "Don't worry, I'm not crazy... at least, I don't think so."
• "Mary?! ...No. You're not."
• "This town is full of monsters! How can you just sit there and eat pizza?!"
• "How do you know about that? Aren't you Maria?"
• "Eddie! Have you gone nuts?!"
• "Hey, I didn't mean anything."
• "Maria. I want you... I want you with me."
• "You'd better do something about that cough..."
• "That's why I did it, honey. I just couldn't watch you suffer. No... That's not true... You also said that you didn't want to die. The truth is... I hated you. I wanted you out of the way. I wanted my life back..."
• "I was weak. That's why I needed you... Needed someone to punish me for my sins... But that's all over now. I know the truth. Now it's time to end this."

Trivia Edit

• The save menu's background is of James' face, stained with red which could represent anger or murder. His face appears to be blurred by water or glass. It could also simply be James' reflection on the Save Point's glossy surface.

• It is speculated by some fans that since James had just recently killed his wife and that her corpse is actually in the trunk of James' car at the beginning of the game. Book of Lost Memories alludes to this and the novelization affirms this with the In Water ending. However, Masahiro Ito on his Twitter page, said that he believed that Mary's body was actually on the back seat. When asked how James didn't notice her corpse, Ito replied that James had repressed the memory of her murder.[3][4]
• James' surname is an allusion to his mental state; sunder meaning to break or shatter, and land being representative of James' sense of reality; his world.
• James' beta design (shown in the gallery below) depicts him with slicked back, brunette hair. This hairstyle made him resemble Harry Mason. It should be noted that James shares other similarities with Harry: The two of them suffered for having lost their wives, who both died of long and painful diseases. Depending on the endings, both of them leave Silent Hill with a new adopted child (Heather in the Good and Good+ Endings for Harry, Laura in the Leave Ending for James).
• James wears the same M-1965 Field Jacket as Jacob Singer, the protagonist of the 1990 psychological thriller Jacob's Ladder. The developers of Silent Hill 2 have stated that Jacob's Ladder was an influence, likely making this an homage.
• In the Dog ending, James has a tattoo of a heart on his left arm.

• In the Wood Side Apartments, the body of a man sitting in front of a TV displaying static can be seen after James finds a pistol. The game's art director Masahi Tsuboyama said that the man sitting in the chair is actually James himself and that he came straight out of James's imagination.[5]

Whisper
The whisper heard in Room 209.
Trouble with the audio sample?

• In the Blue Creek Apartments, inside of Room 209, James will be able to hear a whisper that appears to say "See my dead wife and come home, do some laundry, do some..." It is speculated by some that this almost incoherent rambling may represent a part of James' thoughts about what to do after he murdered Mary. However, Japanese translator Jeremy Blaustein stated in an interview that he believes it was just one of the voice actors talking to himself in the recording booth and that the Japanese sound recorders would not have known what it had meant as it was unscripted. [6]
• In Brookhaven Hospital, James finds records about three patients: Jack Davis, Joseph Barkin and Joshua Lewis. It is not a coincidence that James and the three patients' names start with the letter J. Jack represents the part of James who is normally a model person, yet also has suicidal feelings. Joseph represents the part of James who feels guilt and regret for killing Mary and the delusions James is immersed in. Joshua represents the part of James who feels he needs to be persecuted and also represents his violent self (i.e. the act of killing).

  

• The Tablet of the Oppressor represents James and his sins.
• Almost every corpse in the game (excluding the ones in the holes inside the prison) wears the exact same clothing as James.
• James is the only naturally blond protagonist in the whole series.
• In Silent Hill 3, Douglas Cartland mentions a man who went missing in Silent Hill and was never found. It is possible that Douglas was referring to James.
• A younger James and Mary make a cameo appearance in Hunger.
• Guy Cihi reprised his role for a YouTube video of a fan-fiction novelization of Silent Hill 2. [7]
• In Silent Hill: Homecoming, one of the achievements is known as "Shades of James", unlocked if the player defeats a Siam.
• In Silent Hill: Homecoming, if the player unlocks the secret ending, they earn the achievement "The Old Gods haven't left this place," a reference to what James said in the Rebirth ending of Silent Hill 2.
• In Silent Hill: Downpour, James makes an appearance in the "Surprise!" ending. He is standing beside Heather.

Gallery Edit

v · e · d Silent Hill 2
Characters
Major Characters
James Sunderland - Mary Shepherd-Sunderland - Angela Orosco - Laura - Eddie Dombrowski - Maria
Other Characters
Ernest Baldwin - Amy Baldwin - Rachel - Thomas Orosco - Jennifer Carroll - Patrick Chester - Mira - Harry Mason - Greys
Monsters
Abstract Daddy - Bubble Head Nurse - Creeper - Flesh Lips - Lying Figure - Mandarin - Mannequin - Mary - Prisoner - Pyramid Head
Weapons
Chainsaw - Chinese Cleaver - Great Knife - Handgun - Hyper Spray - Pipe - Pyramid Head's Spear - Revolver - Rifle - Shotgun - Wooden Plank
Locations
Baldwin Mansion - Blue Creek Apartments - Brookhaven Hospital - Heaven's Night - Jacks Inn - Labyrinth - Lakeview Hotel - Neely's Bar - Observation Deck - Pete's Bowl-O-Rama - Rosewater Park - Silent Hill Historical Society - Toluca Graveyard - Toluca Lake - Toluca Lake Island - Toluca Prison - Wood Side Apartments
Terms
Manifestation - Monster - Flashlight - Radio - The Siren - Map - Fog World - Otherworld - The Little Baroness
Archives
Keys - Puzzles - Soundtrack - Secrets and Unlockables

v · e · d Silent Hill 3
Characters
Major Characters
Heather Mason - Douglas Cartland - Vincent Smith - Claudia Wolf
Other Characters
Harry Mason - Alessa Gillespie - Leonard Wolf - Stanley Coleman - Lisa Garland - Jennifer Carroll - Joseph Schreiber - James Sunderland - Greys
Weapons
Beam Saber - Flamethrower - Handgun - Katana - Knife - Maul - Pipe - Shotgun - Stun Gun - Submachine Gun - Unlimited Submachine Gun
Monsters
Closer - Double Head - Glutton - God - Insane Cancer - Leonard Wolf - Memory of Alessa - Missionary - Monster in Locker - Numb Body - Nurse - Pendulum - Scraper - Sewer Monster - Slurper - Split Worm - Valtiel
Locations
Borley Haunted Mansion - Brookhaven Hospital - Central Square Shopping Center - Chapel - Construction Site - Daisy Villa Apartments - Happy Burger - Hazel Street Station - Heaven's Night - Hilltop Center - Jacks Inn - Lakeside Amusement Park - Underpass
Terms
Flashlight - Fog World - God - Map - Metatron - Monster - Otherworld - Paradise - PTV - Radio - Real World - The Order - The Siren
Archives
Items - Keys - Puzzles - Soundtrack - Secrets and Unlockables

v · e · d Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
Characters
Major Characters
Harry Mason - Cheryl Mason - Dahlia Mason - Dr. Kaufmann - Cybil Bennett - Michelle Valdez
Other Characters
Bar Maid - The Stewarts - Mr. Gordon - Lisa Garland - John - James Sunderland - Mira - Greys
Monsters
Raw Shock - Larval Stalker
Locations
Alchemilla Hospital - Annie's Bar - Diner 52 - Good Ol' Days - Green Lion Pawn Shop - Lakeside Amusement Park - Levin Street - Lighthouse Clinic - Midwich High School - The Balkan - Toluca Mall
Terms
Echo Photos - Flare - Flashlight - Harry's Phone - Real World - Ice World - Memento - Phone Numbers - Psych Profile - Tookie the Toucan
Archives
Puzzles - Secrets and Unlockables - Soundtrack