Monsters

Spoilers Ahead

The monster design in Silent Hill 2 is often regarded as some of the best in game history - and it is certainly the most recognizable. These monsters also have a very descriptive, distinct story through their designs. By deciphering their meanings, we can peel back the layer of James' psyche, and why the beasts of this world have been altered so perfectly to torment him.

Lying Figure

One of the first enemies you encounter, the Lying Figure is a humanoid figure that appears to have its arms stuck to its body, reminiscent of straight jackets. It has no face. Rather, a slit trails from the facial area and down its torso. This will open up and spew acidic vomit at James. They shamble around in stilted movements, but if they are knocked to the floor, they can very quickly skitter around and attack James' legs.

This monster represents Mary's disease. The figure is contained, trapped, just as Mary was in her illness. All she could do was spew vitriol at her husband, James.

Mannequin

This monster takes the appearance of a female mannequin, however, it has no head, and where its arms should be are instead feet-less legs. They will attack James by kicking him with their upper legs. There is a moment in-game where Pyramid Head can be seen abusing a couple of these monsters, assaulting them and dragging them along the floor behind him.

Mannequin monsters represent James' sexual frustration. The focus on the body of a female figure, without a face, and with two sets of legs instead of one, tap into this desire.

Bubblehead Nurse

One of the most famous monsters in horror game history, Bubblehead Nurses are, as the name suggests, nurses who have very short uniforms with exposed cleavage. Their faces are obscured by bandages. Despite their recurring appearance, in other games, such as Silent Hill 3, Origins, and Homecoming, this game stays the most true to the original designs intentions, as they were designed specifically for this game. (This same issue of reusing monsters where they don't belong also crops up frequently with Pyramid Head.)

The Nurses represent multiple things. The bandages around their heads represent Mary's illness, which, as seen in her model during some of the endings, affected her appearance. They also represent suffocation, the cause of death for Mary when James killed her. The nurse uniform represents the the failing of the doctors and nurses treating Mary, which James blames heavily for her death (before he kills her), as he believes the doctors were just "letting her die" when they could not figure out what was killing Mary.

Abstract Daddy

Abstract Daddy is the most disturbing monster in the entire game. The only monster that is not formed from James' psyche, this monster takes "the beast with two backs" literally. The main form appears to be a table, but the form of a large man seems to be hunched over the back end, his legs acting as the hind legs of the monster. The other form is phallic, with a mouth at the end. Two hands, possibly the male figure's, poke out the bottom toward the front.

This monster is a physical manifestation of Angela Orosco's father, and the sexual abuse she faced. The room this boss is fought in also has phallic and vaginal imagery, with pistons in the wall referencing sex. Once you defeat it, Angela, with a newfound rage and confidence, kicks it, and drops a nearby TV onto it. This is possibly how she killed her father in the real world.