10 Terrifying Silent Hill Monsters (And Their Meaning)

This entry is an unusual one, in that the game it features hasn't actually released at time of writing.

Silent Hill f is an unusual entry in the storied horror franchise in that it swaps the series' usual setting of small-town America for rural Japan. While the game's full creature catalogue has yet to be revealed, developers have already introduced the Kashimashi as the latest addition to the Silent Hill nightmare factory.

While the developers haven't explicitly explained the meaning behind the Kashimashi's design, clues can be gleamed from the creature's name and appearance. "Kashimashi" is a Japanese word that describes the sound made when multiple women speak loudly. As a major theme of the game is the societal pressure placed on protagonist Shimizu Hinako, it's likely the Kashimashi represent the women in Hinako's life who are haranguing her into following the same path they did. As for the heavy scarring around the creature's eyes, this likely represents the women's blindness to the damage they are inflicting on Hinako (the other scars on their body likely symbolize the pain these women have suffered as victims of an unjust social system themselves).

Of course, this is all conjecture. But whether the above theories turn out to be insightful or inane, Silent Hill f looks set to become another strong entry in the Silent Hill canon.