The Great Knife is a recurring object in the Silent Hill series, appearing both as a weapon and as a non-usable item. It is one of the most powerful melee weapons in the games and is essentially a gargantuan chef's knife wielded by Pyramid Head.
Silent Hill 2
In Silent Hill 2, just before finding Maria in the labyrinth, it is possible to find the Great Knife in a room located in the octagon-shaped hallway.
The Great Knife is an huge blade similar in design to Angela Orosco's kitchen knife, despite obvious size differences. The Great Knife was carried by Pyramid Head, but he later switches to a lightweight spear as his weapon of choice. The weapon is extremely heavy and rusty and is often seen being dragged across the ground by its wielder, making severe screeching noises. The sheer weight of the weapon is enough to cause terminal damage to its victims, with even Pyramid Head himself swinging this weapon fairly slowly. An overhead swing from Pyramid Head can kill James Sunderland in one hit, even on the Beginner difficulty.
One strike from the Great Knife deals a colossal amount of damage to enemies, killing most in a single hit. In fact, it is so powerful that even Pyramid Head can be momentarily stunned when hit with an overhead swing, although actually accomplishing this can be tough. However, it is a slow and cumbersome weapon to use, and James cannot run while it is equipped or move beyond turning when in combat pose. Even James's walking speed slows considerably. James drags it behind him and handles it with both hands, unlike Pyramid Head, who holds it single-handedly due to his supernatural strength. James's use of the weapon is limited to lurching horizontal swings and a strong but slow overhead swing. A good tactic when using the Great Knife, if the player wishes to move quickly, is to have a light weapon out, and upon reaching the desired target, quickly switch to the Great Knife. This can only be done on the PC however, as the other versions do not have a "quick switch" feature. Due to how inconvenient it is for James to carry and attack with the Great Knife, there are very few times in the game where the weapon is actually useful. One of the most notable exceptions is when fighting Eddie Dombrowski in the first room of the boss fight with him, as just one hit with the knife will immediately send him fleeing into the second, larger meat locker. Using the knife here is highly beneficial, as James can quickly evade being shot in such tight quarters, so long as the player acts swiftly.
The handle of the Great Knife is continuous with the sharpened edge of the blade; considering the weight of the weapon, such a design would make the weapon rather top-heavy, and thus the carrier would require considerable grip and upper body strength just to prevent the weapon from flipping upside down. The size of the Great Knife and the tremendous strength it requires to drag and attack with can also be a metaphor for the burden James carries for murdering his wife, or perhaps the burden of caring for her.
Silent Hill 4: The Room
In Silent Hill 4: The Room, the Great Knife is the "heavy tool" used in the Ritual of the Holy Assumption. Henry Townshend discovers it among other items upon entering a secret room in his apartment during the latter portion of the game, although he cannot retrieve it for use as a weapon.
Silent Hill: Homecoming
In Silent Hill: Homecoming, a similar weapon, the Bogeyman Knife, is used by the Bogeyman, but has a different design, similar to a military-issue combat knife, having a serrated edge on one side and a tapered point at the end. This provides a symbolic connection for the Bogeyman to the protagonist and his father. It cannot be used as a weapon by Alex Shepherd, but it retains the characteristic rusty texture and great mass. It can be heard being dragged across the ground, even in areas where the Bogeyman does not appear.
Silent Hill film
The Great Knife as depicted in the film appears to be little more than a single, solid blade with a handle shaped at one end. It is by far the simplest incarnation of the weapon to have appeared, but is arguably the most dangerous, as Pyramid Head is able to cut through a metal door as if through tinfoil, before embedding the blade in the presumably thicker metal wall behind it.
Silent Hill: Revelation
Pyramid Head uses his Great Knife again in the film sequel, Silent Hill: Revelation. However, the blade isn't as thick and more resembles a katana, very similar to its appearance in Silent Hill: Homecoming. Although its form has changed, its wielder proves it is no less lethal. Unlike in the games and the first film, the weight of the Great Knife does not seem to affect Pyramid Head, and he is even able to swing the knife through the air with great speed while fighting the Missionary.
Silent Hill: Book of Memories
The Great Knife appears in Silent Hill: Book of Memories, found in certain rooms or randomly dropped after defeating Pyramid Head himself. It's usually close to breaking when obtained via the latter method and requires a repair tool to put it back into good shape.
Though powerful, the Great Knife also has very low durability and should be saved for difficult fights. If this weapon is used to defeat 25 Pyramid Heads, the player will earn the "Pyramid Scheme" trophy.
Sinner's Reward
In the final issue of Sinner's Reward, Finn Conway prepares to shoot Jack Stanton, but the town will not let him interfere with Jack's potential path to redemption; Pyramid Head appears and impales Finn with the Great Knife.
Trivia
- Considering the sexual nature of the Silent Hill series, it's not out of the question that the Great Knife (as well as the Great Spear) may have phallic symbolism, mainly in Silent Hill 2 and the film. In Silent Hill 2, Pyramid Head stops using the Great Knife once Maria is killed. In the film, the Creepers have been confirmed to symbolize sperm, so the knife thrusting in and out of the room would allude to this.
- There was a rumor that if James turns off the flashlight and moves around while holding the Great Knife, then monsters would flee in fear, believing James is Pyramid Head. This rumor seems to be untrue as there is no video evidence of this occurring.
Gallery
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Characters |
Major Characters |
Rose Da Silva - Christopher Da Silva - Cybil Bennett - Dahlia Gillespie - Thomas Gucci - Anna - Christabella - Sharon Da Silva - Alessa Gillespie - Dark Alessa |
Other Characters |
Sister Margaret - Eleanor - Adam - Colin - Lisa Garland - Jennifer Carroll |
Monsters |
Armless Man - Colin - Creeper - Dark Nurse - Grey Child - Red Pyramid |
Locations |
Brahms - Brookhaven Hospital - Church - Da Silva House - Gans County - Grand Hotel - Midwich Elementary School - Nathan Drugs - Pete's Bowl-O-Rama - Sacrificial Chamber - Silent Hill, West Virginia - Smitty's - Toluca County Archives - Toluca County Mining Museum - Toluca County Orphanage - Toluca Lake |
Terms |
The Brethren - Monster - Flashlight - Manifestation - Otherworld - Fog World - Real World - Siren - Great Knife - Welcome Sign - Brethren Symbol |
Archives |
Soundtrack |
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Characters |
Major Characters |
Heather Mason - Christopher Da Silva - Vincent Cooper - Claudia Wolf - Leonard Wolf - Dark Alessa - Douglas Cartland - Alessa Gillespie |
Other Characters |
Rose Da Silva - Dahlia Gillespie - Suki - Travis Grady - Order Soldier - Detective Santini - Mannequin Girl |
Monsters |
Armless Man - Delusion - Leonard Wolf - Lobotomy - Mannequin Monster - Memory of Alessa - Missionary - Nurse - Pyramid Head - Valtiel |
Locations |
All Hallows High School - Brookhaven Asylum - Central Square Shopping Center - Jacks Inn - Sanctuary - Silent Hill, West Virginia - Lakeside Amusement Park |
Terms |
The Brethren - Halo of the Sun - Monster - Manifestation - Otherworld - Fog World - Real World - Robbie the Rabbit - Seal of Metatron - Siren - The Order - Great Knife - Welcome Sign |
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Characters |
Jack Stanton - Jillian Conway - Sara Linwood - Finn Conway - Jimmy Shea - O'Conner Brothers - Michael Stanton - Digger |
Monsters |
Nurse - Pyramid Head - Sniffer Dog |
Locations |
Brookhaven Hospital - Charon's Bar-B-Q - Pete's Bowl-O-Rama - Rosewater Park - Silent Hill - Texxon Gas - Toluca Lake |
Terms |
Brand of Samael - Fog World - Monster - Otherworld - Real World - Siren - Manifestation - Great Knife - Welcome Sign |
Creators |
Tom Waltz - Steph Stamb - IDW Publishing |