Creeper

The Creeper is an insectoid monster that moves with great speed and reacts strongly to light. It appears frequently in Silent Hill, Silent Hill 2, Silent Hill: The Arcade, and the 2006 film adaptation.

A similar creature appears in Silent Hill: Homecoming named Swarm, as well as other hostile insectoids. However, they bare no relation to Creepers.

Appearance
In Silent Hill, the Creeper appears as a large, cockroach-like insect with three pairs of legs and two long "antenna" from the back.

In Silent Hill 2, the Creeper is slightly smaller with a stronger green tinge to its body and the two antenna-like tails on its back are absent. It makes both a low chirp and a sound like the squeaking of a small wheel.

Character
In Silent Hill and Silent Hill 2, they attack Harry Mason, James Sunderland and Maria by nipping at their ankles. Their small size and flat bodies make them difficult targets, however, the protagonists can stomp on the creatures in order to kill them.

There is a scene in Silent Hill 2 in which James Sunderland's flashlight loses power in a small room beneath the Silent Hill Historical Society, leaving him in darkness. After replacing the flashlight's battery, he is swarmed by hundreds of Creepers as soon as the light comes back on.

In Silent Hill: The Arcade, Creepers are plentiful. They do not do much damage, but can swarm the player and block their view, requiring them to be shot off the screen. When Pyramid Head appears, he is surrounded by a swarm of hundreds of Creepers. The boss monster Mama spits out Creepers as an attack.

Symbolism
According to Lost Memories: Silent Hill Chronicle, the Creeper in Silent Hill represents Alessa Gillespie's dislike of insects, with the exception of butterflies. It is possible that there were insects lurking in the basement of Alchemilla Hospital. In her diary, Lisa Garland states that she has been seeing insects, a possible drug (PTV) withdrawal symptom.

Lost Memories states that the Creepers in Silent Hill 2 are potentially derived from the power of Silent Hill itself, possibly a lingering residue leftover from the events of the first game. According to creature designer Masahiro Ito, the Creepers are not among the nine delusions manifested from James Sunderland's psyche (symbolized by the nine red squares). He explains, "[The] Creeper in Silent Hill 2 had no meaning about his wife or the background. I designed and modeled the insect-creature as an homage to Silent Hill 1."

Film universe (2006-2012)


The Creepers appear in the 2006-2012 film universe. They are created by Alessa Gillespie in the Otherworld and appear from the decay wrought by the hands of the janitor Colin in Midwich Elementary School's bathroom. Hundreds of them are seen swarming the school, following Red Pyramid and devouring anything in their path. They chase Rose Da Silva and Cybil Bennett and disintegrate when the Otherworld lifts.

The Creepers have tiny human faces underneath their heads, rather than the mandibles they have in the game. They appear in very large swarms, which can completely cover and consume a person within a short time. According to director Christophe Gans, the Creepers are the memories of people killed by Alessa, who are trapped in monstrous insect bodies to punish them for their sins.