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Good luck, Murphy. I hope you find whatever it is you're looking for.
—Howard meeting Murphy

Howard Blackwood is a character from Silent Hill: Downpour, Silent Hill: Book of Memories and the comics Past Life and Anne's Story.

He was Silent Hill's postmaster in the 19th century. Howard is also alive in the 21st century, still a postman, which has led many to speculate that Silent Hill has possibly rendered him essentially immortal.

Background[]

Apparently, Howard has a very detailed story which dates back to before the founding of the town as "Silent Hill". Silent Hill became an official town in the early 1800s, but it is unknown how "far back" Howard has existed.

Past Life[]

Howard

Howard in Past Life.

Howard is the first person that Jebediah Foster and Esther Munroe meet on their way to Silent Hill. Jebediah and Esther are surprised that a "negro", in their words, is a postmaster. Howard finds the comment amusing, but says the funny thing about Silent Hill is that it does not really care about what's on the "outside" of people. The group then switches topic to Esther having to renovate the Munroe property. Howard then leaves to continue his work. Esther tells Jeb she finds him pleasant, although Jeb is still surprised about Howard's ethnicity, saying, "A negro postmaster - who'd ever thought such a thing?" Esther replies it really seems as if God has led them to a whole new world.

Early on, Howard gives subtle indications that he has intimate knowledge of the goings on of Silent Hill, both mundane and esoteric. He shows an incredibly calm and friendly demeanor in every situation he encounters. When asked how long he's been in Silent Hill, Howard responds, "A long time... A very long time." Jebediah then comes to confide in Howard, telling him of his terrible past. It is during this conversation that Howard has a flashback which reveals that he was an escaped slave who killed an overseer before being drawn to the town.

Later, Howard Blackwood senses something happening at the Munroe House. After Inola has Esther given birth to Awinita, Howard calmly inquires about the house on fire, and Inola replies that the spirits of Silent Hill are no longer silent, that the fires burn for them, and that "they've only just begun..."

Silent Hill: Downpour[]

Silent hill downpour howard blackwood small

Howard meeting Murphy Pendleton.

In Silent Hill: Downpour, it is possible that Howard is fulfilling a Full Circle. Howard himself has been delivering mail in Silent Hill for over a century. Though it is never revealed exactly who or why, Howard mentions that he had killed someone in apparent self-defense once, which could be a transgression that led him Full Circle.

Howard's first appearance in Downpour has him encountering Murphy Pendleton, around the time where Murphy first enters Silent Hill near the Devil's Pitstop, and makes a remark regarding the car Murphy was examining. Murphy, cautious of Howard's obvious awareness of his convict status (due to his prisoner uniform), tells him that he doesn't want any trouble and he just wants a way out of town, to which Howard, surprised, says that he's just trying to be helpful and informs him that all the roads are out. Murphy then notices a figure in the window of the diner's hotel, but Howard seems to be oblivious of it. Howard then suggests to Murphy that he can use the old sky tram in order to get to town, despite it not being used since the Devil's Pit accident. Murphy says that he'll take his chances and Howard wishes him good luck in finding whatever it is that he's "looking for," and departs to deliver the mail. Murphy decides to check on the window again and asks Howard the name of the town, but later notices Howard mysteriously gone without a trace, despite there being a road cave-in.

In his second appearance, Howard meets Murphy in the Hillside Apartments rear entrance and unintentionally scares Murphy. Howard questions Murphy still being in town, to which Murphy replies with not having found an exit yet. Howard remarks that if he got a nickel for every time he heard people say that, then he wouldn't be a mail-man at this point. Murphy, frustrated with Howard's cryptic speech, demands him to tell him what's going on in Silent Hill, to which Howard, confused, replies with it being a very busy town. Murphy brushes off Howard's statement and asks him where the radio station is, due to DJ Ricks putting out dedications to him and is informed it's in the Centennial Building. He also tells Murphy that he ran into Anne Marie Cunningham and asks Murphy what he did to make her so angry, much to Murphy's confusion. Howard then remarks that in his experience, if someone is that angry, then it's personal. Leaving a confused Murphy behind, he again walks off deeper into the cursed town.

In his third and last appearance, Howard finds Murphy "sleeping" on the bench after the Radio Station Otherworld, remarking that Murphy could catch his death like that. He then gives Murphy a letter, which he claims to be from St. Maria's Monastery, an orphanage not far on a hill. Murphy, sick and tired of Silent Hill's nightmares, demands Howard show him a way out. Howard, disappointed, tells Murphy that he still doesn't get the fact that what's going on is not about what he wants. He then tells Murphy that he himself has mail to deliver. His final words in the game are "Good-bye, Murphy", before heading off. He says this with great finality, implying that he knew what Murphy was facing.

Silent Hill: Book of Memories[]

Silent-hill-book-of-memories-the-first-screens-20111030063930245

Howard in Book of Memories.

Howard appears frequently in Silent Hill: Book of Memories. He mainly acts as a shopkeeper in the Otherworld Dungeons. Howard is also the one who delivers the Book of Memories to the main character in the introduction.

In his first interaction with the player, Howard delivers them a mysterious book, but the player tells Howard that the Book isn't theirs, but Howard reassures them that it is.

Later on in the player's Nightmare Dungeons, Howard has brief conversations with them, when they first enter his shop. Howard explains the purpose of Memory Residue and gives vague answers to the player's questions. When asked why there are monsters everywhere in the dungeons and whether or not they are dreaming, Howard responds with a quote from Vincent Smith, "They look like monsters to you?"

Quotes[]

  • "Evenin', folks."
  • "No, no, friend. No disrespect taken. Guess I shoulda introduced myself before I started hitchin' my horse to your wagon. My apologies."
  • "Name's Blackwood. Howard Blackwood. I'm the postmaster over in Silent Hill."
  • "Ha! I am that, ain't no lie. Just like it ain't no lie, I'm a postmaster in these parts, hard as it may be to believe."
  • "Funny thing about Silent Hill... it don't worry much 'bout what's on the outside of folks."
  • "I said she's a wicked ol' beast. Me? I'm partial to something with a little less rust, but to each his own."
  • "Now who said anything about trouble? Just trying to be helpful, son. Name's Howard, by the way."
  • "Headin' to prison, are ya, Murphy?"
  • "Something wrong, son?"
  • "That's the spirit! Well, this mail ain't gonna deliver itself."
  • "Heh, if I had a nickel for every time I heard that... Well. Let's just say I could finally put this damn bag down, for starters."
  • "Heh, son, in my experience, when someone's THAT angry, it ain't a mistake. It's... personal."
  • "Funny place to take a nap, son. You know, you could catch your death out here, if you're not careful."
  • "Son, you still don't get it... it doesn't matter what you want. As for me... I got mail to deliver. Good-bye, Murphy."
  • "You'd be surprised. Life moving around so fast these days - people end up in all kinds of places."
  • "Well, I guess I'm a lot of things."
  • "Hmmm, they look like... monsters to you? I take it you opened the book, then."
  • "Well, it's much easier to change the past if you're separated from reality a bit, don't you think?"

Trivia[]

  • Murphy's comment on Howard is "Something tells me this guy is somehow more than just an ordinary postman. The way he talks, the way he moves... I mean... he's way too relaxed for this ridiculous place. He's at home here, alright. I still can't figure whether I should fear him or trust him, but still... he's the closest thing to what I would call a reasonable person around here."
  • In Past Life, Howard mentions the town of Shepherd's Glen.
  • In Silent Hill: Downpour, when Howard encounters Murphy after he escapes the Centennial Building's Otherworld, he gives Murphy a letter from St. Maria's Monastery. Murphy takes the letter and throws it to the ground, but to his surprise, Howard produces another letter from his bag, and it is exactly the same to the one that he just threw away.
  • Tom Waltz, writer of Past Life and Downpour, has stated that Howard is one of his favorite characters in Downpour due to the amount of karma he has.

Gallery[]

Silent Hill: Downpour[]

Silent Hill: Book of Memories[]

v · e · d
Characters
Major Characters
Murphy Pendleton - Charlie Pendleton - Carol Pendleton - Anne Marie Cunningham - Howard Blackwood - John P. Sater - Patrick Napier - Frank Coleridge - George Sewell - Bobby Ricks - Nun
Other Characters
Sanchez - Homer - M. Koons - Bryan Handley - Ariadne Johnson - Melissa Matlan - Glen Milton - Ricky - Daniel Stephens - Chloe Zane - Mary Shepherd-Sunderland - James Sunderland - Laura - Heather Mason
Weapons
Baseball Bat - Bogeyman's Hammer - Bottle - Brick - Chair - Colt - Crowbar - Demon Statue - Double Headed Axe - Fire Axe - Fire Extinguisher - Fork - Frying Pan - Golden Gun - Golf Club - Hammer - Handle - Hand-to-Hand - Hatchet - Ladder Hook - Knife - Lamp - Meat Cleaver - Nailgun - Pickaxe - Pitchfork - Plank - Rake - Rifle - Rock - Shotgun - Shovel - Steel Pipe - Vase - Wrench - Tomahawk
Monsters
Bogeyman - Doll (Shadow) - Monocle Man - Nurse - Prisoner Juggernaut - Prisoner Minion - Pyramid Head - Screamer - Tormented Soul - Void - Wall Corpse - Weeping Bat - Wheelman- Bubble Head Nurse
Locations
Aerial Tram Station - Centennial Building - Chastain Heights - Chastain Heights Cinema - Devil's Pit - Devil's Pitstop - Interstate Gas Station - Hardware Store - Hillside - Logan's Park - Monroe Cemetery - Overlook Penitentiary - Pearl Creek - Pearl Creek Bank - Pleasant River - Port District - Ryall State Prison - St. Maria's Monastery - Underground Subway - Toluca Lake
Terms
Trinkets - Flashlight - Fog World - Map - Monster - Otherworld - Real World - Sidequest - Siren - Walkie-talkie - Manifestation - Seal of Metatron - Welcome Sign - Halo of the Sun
Archives
Items - Keys - Puzzles - Soundtrack - Secrets and Unlockables - Memos - Pachislot
v · e · d
Characters
Major Characters
Ashley Baker - Derek Copeland - Graham Reynolds - Howard Blackwood - Jack Merrick - Katie Collins - Matthew Collins - Protagonist - Lorelai Reynolds - Shannon - Trent Baker
Other Characters
Alex Shepherd - Cybil Bennett - Emma - Harry Mason - Heather Mason - James Sunderland - Jason - Joshua Shepherd - Lisa Garland - Mary Shepherd-Sunderland - Mira - Murphy Pendleton - Travis Grady - Walter Sullivan
Monsters
Air Screamer - Blood Baby - Blood Guardian - Blood Mama - Bogeyman - Bubble Head Nurse - Butcher - Double Head - Earth Guardian - Fire Guardian - Flesh Lip - Ghost - Grey Child - Insane Cancer - Light Guardian - Needler - Mother - Pyramid Head - Raw Shock - Tremer - Schism - Steel Guardian - Swarm - Valtiel - Water Guardian - Wood Guardian - Wood Sapling
Weapons
A. Y. Guitar - Assault Rifle - Baseball Bat - Bare Hands - Beam Saber - Bogeyman's Hammer - Chainsaw - Circular Saw - Crossbow - Crowbar - Dagger of Melchior - Earth Sword - Fire Axe - Fire Sword - Flamethrower - Great Cleaver - Great Knife - Great Spear - Grenade - Guitar - Handgun - Hyper Spray - Katana - Knife - Maul - Meat Cleaver - Laser Gun - Pickaxe - Pillow - Pipe - Princess Heart - Robbie Doll - Rock Drill - Shovel - Shotgun - Steel Sword - Stun Gun - Sword of Obedience - Submachine Gun - Television - Torch - TV Remote - Water Sword - Wine Bottle - Wood Sword - Wood Plank
Locations
Howard's Shop - Library - Forsaken Room - Otherworld
Terms
Monster - Flashlight - Accessories - Artifacts - Karma Meter - Book of Memories - Welcome Sign
Archives
Memos - Broadcasts - Michelle's Diary
v · e · d
Characters
Jebediah Foster - Esther Munroe - Seth Creviston - Howard Blackwood - Jonas Leek - Helene Leek - Inola - Awinita - Reverend Stone
Locations
Leek's Tavern - Munroe House - Silent Hill
Terms
Fog World - Monster - Otherworld - Real World
Creators
Tom Waltz - Menton J. Matthews III - IDW Publishing
v · e · d
Characters
Anne Marie Cunningham - Murphy Pendleton - George Sewell - Frank Coleridge - Bobby Ricks - Howard Blackwood - John P. Sater - M. Koons - Freddie Gates - Mark Cunningham - Leonard B. Trent
Monsters
Bogeyman - Doll - Leonard B. Trent - Nurse - Prisoner Minion - Screamer - Tormented Soul - Weeping Bat - Wheelman
Locations
Centennial Building - Devil's Pit - Lakeview Hotel - Overlook Penitentiary - Room 302 (South Ashfield Heights) - Ryall State Prison - Silent Hill - Toluca Lake
Terms
Fog World - Monster - Otherworld - Real World
Creators
Tom Waltz - IDW Publishing
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