Dead by Daylight killer Pyramid Head critiqued by Silent Hill designer

The Dead by Daylight killer Pyramid Head has been discussed by a Silent Hill designer, who suggests a different version could feature in the multiplayer horror

Dead by Daylight killer Pyramid Head: A masked butcher-like figure from Silent Hill stares you down while covered in blood

The Dead by Daylight killer Pyramid Head has been discussed and debated by the Silent Hill designer behind the original character, who suggests that a changed version of the monster should feature as a DBD killer in Behaviour Interactive’s asymmetrical multiplayer horror game.

Masahiro Ito, the art director for Silent Hill 2, and a monster designer for the first trilogy of Silent Hill games, suggests that an alternative version of Pyramid Head could be used as a Dead by Daylight killer, owing to the fact that the original design of the monster was created specifically to relate to Silent Hill 2’s protagonist, James Sunderland. In Silent Hill 2 – one of the best horror games – Pyramid Head is a dark reflection of James’ psyche, reflecting his anger and bitterness towards his wife.

The monster is supposed to only exist as a part of James’ imagination and emotional struggle, and so it doesn’t make sense, in terms of lore, that it’d come chasing after Stranger Things’ Steve Harrington, or Bill from Left 4 Dead.

However, Ito has created an alternate version of Pyramid Head, whereby the titular pyramid is changed from the typical blood-and-rust red, to a more neutral dull white.

This iteration of the character was supposedly developed in response to Silent Hill: Homecoming and the 2005 film adaptation of Silent Hill, which used the original design to Ito’s frustration – since the monster was only supposed to haunt and stalk James, and serve as a metaphor for his psychological condition, its appearance in other Silent Hill media prompted Ito to create a more general Pyramid Head that would still appeal to fans, without contradicting series’ fiction. Ito says that using this version — which is nicknamed White Hunter — rather than the original “James” Pyramid Head, is something they would “welcome” as a DBD killer.

“The original PH was a character I designed for James,” says Ito. “But this [White Hunter] was another Pyramid Head that was not for James originally. To me, if the white PH joins DBD as a killer, it’s more than welcome, because I designed that for such a use.”

If we look at all the Dead by Daylight killers ranked from best to worst, Pyramid Head, or Executioner as it’s known in the game, lands somewhere in the middle, so a little cosmetic change like altering a colour is unlikely to spark much ire from fans – in fact, it’d be a nice tip of the (pyramid-shaped) hat to a great horror series, and a respected monster designer. You can see the full White Hunter design over on Ito’s Twitter.

Meanwhile, as well as horror, you might want to try your hand at some of the best survival games on PC. Staying alive is usually easier with other people, though, so be sure to also check out our guide to the best multiplayer games, so you can survive and socialise simultaneously.