I like Henry. He stands apart from other protagonists because he DOESN'T have baggage, he's just some dude who is only in the whole mess because he was just unlucky enough to end up in the wrong apartment, but in spite of it you can still tell he's a gentle, good hearted dude. Also I like how he's a bit of an oddball. As someone who is socially awkward I can really relate to the guy.
I like your comment and its points!! I would suggest, however, that he might very well have some baggage that he just has not shared or discussed - we could regard him as a man who, in comparison and thus in stark, complete contrast to Walter, chose to become caring and good instead of murderous, violent and dark as a result of his trauma and suffering. I continue to seriously consider this possibility with Henry, as I have, for instance, known other people with plenty of baggage who have fully concealed it from others - i.e. who have appeared and acted like they completely had it together so to speak, when they in reality did not at all. And with what I've stated in mind, I think it is a very important consideration - because, plenty of people who have suffered severe traumas and who are deeply broken, they look and act like normal people without issues - because of another important fact, that often, damaged and dysfunctional people do not become violent or murderous people, and it is not so obvious as it has been with Walter. And for that matter, Eileen's character could have some brokenness in her history
Another thing to consider, is this - I actually encountered a guy myself back in grad school, a ph.d student who looked, acted and talked a lot like Henry - and without sharing how here, but working with him for a few months, I discovered that he might have been through trauma in his past as well....just some food for thought in my comments
it does emphasize even more that "Silent Hill" itself is an actual entity that could be summoned outside of its territory, meaning we are not safe at all.....
Henry Townshend is actually my favorite protagonist out of all of the Silent Hill games because I was EXACTLY like him all through middle-school and high-school. I barely talked, barely reacted to my surroundings, and I took a passive role in all social interactions. Even to this day he remains the most relatable to me. I can actually see a significant portion of myself in him and that made the game feel more personal to me. Then, with him being locked in his apartment and wanting to interact with the outside world but not being able to, his situation felt almost allegorical to my own experiences with depression and being diagnosed with Autism. The shot where he meets Cynthia for the first time, he almost looked uncomfortable when she got up close to him and touched him BUT seemed also to be paralyzed from doing or saying anything about it which also felt incredibly relatable to me. I could go on and on about it honestly but I think Silent Hill 4 was the very first piece of media where I actually saw as much of myself in the protagonist as I did with Henry Townshend. I will forever be grateful for the existence of his character within the Silent Hill series.
Henry could have Schizoid traits. Some schizoids have high cognitive empathy, but low affective. Difficulty with attachment is key, and you can see deep down he really wants to connect. Good to see more about my boy Henry.
Henry is the most relatable. I always imagined he wasn't much different from myself. Just another introvert who kept to himself and enjoyed the comfort of his own home.
ive always been a huge fan of henry, he seems like a nice person trying his best even though it's not easy for him to connect with others. i think the most interesting aspects of henry are stuff that you can find looking in his appartment, how he slowly becomes confused about stuff in it, or how the pictures of silent hill start feeling like they're drawing him in. it starts feeling like safety, and then it starts fuckin haunting him. thank you for the vid! i have a hard time parsing the cutscenes for analysis because the directing for the voice actors takes me out every time, so i appreciate this
I love how he's a little bit like opposite of Walter. They're both detached from society but he's a nice guy despite his detachment while Walter turned into sociopathic killer. Henry is some kind of person Walter could become if he chose the good way. Nice video and I'm glad to see SH4 being praised. Edit: also his title is "Receiver of Wisdom" which probably mean Henry being witness of other sacrifices but could also mean that he received the wisdom how to function in society which Walter himself obviously didn't. This makes even more sense if you think of Eileen as motherlike person. When she joins Henry he becomes more and more like a representation of things Walter was lacking.
That's an interesting way to think of his title! I do like how the sacrifices were given titles in SH4 versus the other ones. It does help to add another layer to their character.
Henry is underrated. Sometimes I just want the protagonist to be a likable dude, who I want to survive. But he’s more interesting than people give credit for too. Also, would love to see a Harry Mason character analysis video.
It's great to see more Henry appreciation, he may not have as much going on with -him- specifically like other protagonists but that's something that adds to his appeal; he feels very depersonalized, especially as the game goes on and his relationship with the apartment becomes creepier and probably just as detached as his social interactions
The part where you showed the Henry-Eileen encounter. I can kinda relate to Henry. It reminded me of when I was still working as a private careworker, my client's househelper's mother died and she was crying. I just stared at her. I felt bad for her of course, but I don't or didn't know what to do or what to say. Yesterday, my neighbor told me my puppy is cute and his clothes was cute. I didn't know how or what to respond. I just nodded and smiled a bit in acknowledgement. It's not that I'm snobbish. I just don't know how to interact to people. It makes me think that Henry'S parents were really busy and probably didn't have much interaction with his parents growing up. Like they gave him toys and let him play alone. I wasn't able to finish this game when I was a kid because I was too scared lol I'm glad I'm finally able to see a bigger picture of SH4.
Great video! I've always said that Henry as a protagonist was underrated because he seems "too plain" but I think this guy whose oddly plain despite his surroundings leads for a really interesting juxtaposition with his character. I like Henry because he's plain, and it's great to see others feel the same way about his character. He's just a nice guy trying his best to help others and connect with them even if it's a difficult feat for him, and everything about that is admirable :)
I always wondered why the dialogue and character interactions seemed cringe in sh games but I think it's just a subtle way to show how everyone that is affected by the town is a little off. You did a good job with showing how the town can affect even people that have no real ties to it
@@Callyxi you're welcome, I really enjoy your channel. I hope it continues to grow. Id love to hear your analysis on different locations and theories that have been around
While SH4 isn't my favourite game in the series. (I like the story and characters but the gameplay is a bit of a ballache.) I can safely say i really like Henry and it always kind of bothers me a little when i see people say 'he doesn't react realistically' or 'nobody would stay passive in that situation.' Yet i do remain passive in allot of stuff i probably shouldn't be passive in. I've been held at knife point and remained dead pan (nothing bad happened the lil' bellend was all talk.) I struggle with social interactions so Henry is honestly really relatable to me becausd he reacts exactly how i react to weird situations. Sometimes i get accused of lacking empathy and emotion investment in general, but i don't lack them i just struggle to show them. Like there are times where i probably should've had a more active emotional response but i couldn't do it without it looking/sounding false. There's actually a joke in my house, 'if something is scaring Nat into actually screaming, run. Run away and never return.' 🤣🤣🤣 But i do like Henry. And i wish people would stop claiming he's bad just because he's unrealistically passive in moments that they would probably scream at, because some of us really would not scream in a situation like that. Great video by the way its nice to see some love for Henry.
I can agree with your statement. People react differently to different things and it is impossible to portray what happens internally vs externally. I think Henry is a great character introduced into the universe because unlike the other main characters he is just an awkward guy.
I love this! You gain a lot of knowledge about Henry based on his surroundings and actions. He isn't a man of many words, and he finds it awkward to communicate, but he does care! His dismay and grief over Eileen in the sadder endings is pronounced. All he says is her name, softly, but then he falls to his knees in defeat. It's funny, in a way, just as Henry is the observer, you will not get to know him unless YOU observe HIM.
never thought anyone wouldhave so much to say about him, personally i liked hiim. im ok if ones personality type is just stoic. but i never thought about it so much
It almost seems as though Henry has Autism or Aspergers syndrome tbh. That's a neat touch for a protagonist. But also very conflicting too.. not many people have the knowledge or the mental capacity to understand it.
I agree. It definitely seems something may be a little off about Henry whether its intentional or not. Unfortunately I can see how the gameplay especially at the second half can really turn people off.
Henry is hakakmori but american not japanese ... That's why he stuck in the room 😂... But seriously i love this game the graphics was very good back then specially in Xbox original
i don't hate this character, he is clearly based on Jared Leto character on Requiem for a dream. One interesting detail is that he was in SH at some point on his life. That again reforce the theory that SH is like Overlook hotel. That means people shouldn't visit SH by any form, Adam was right to say that to Alex. The personality of Henry is also similar to Harry from Requiem for a dream, he is very quiet, but could be easily corrupt, and that's probably why Walter picked him for this twisted ritual.
I'm praying he gets put in dead by daylight I can really see myself as him he's not some action super hero like Leon so i kinda get him along with James and Sébastien from evil within
@@serasvictoria9666 I was bother because Walter is the guy you preceed in SH2, you found the grave and he has suffer the same fate as the other on the second opus, so why him ? So, you meet Henry, and that guy is kinda lying to you The shoes, the pictures on the wall, he don't want to explain what is the matter, and then he remember that it's not his shoes, the pictures are from Silent Hill, he knows the town, maybe learn about Sullivan and mix his story with his own I don't know, I get he's a weirdo, but it's look like there is something else Why Eileen keys are under the bed ? Why the rabbit is pointing at Henry ? Why he enters the hole, where Eileen can't follow, but he wakes up in his bed ? Maybe I'm imagining things, thinking "Walter" is him, his serial killer - self, but tiny details bothered me when I played and so I felt it that way What do you think ?
I have read on this theory before, and while it is very much an interesting one - I would argue against it, simply because walter has too intricate a backstory of his own and related traits and actions that correlate too precisely with the happenings and the murders of this game, in order for it not to be Walter's doing, and thus, walter also being a separate individual
I like Henry. He stands apart from other protagonists because he DOESN'T have baggage, he's just some dude who is only in the whole mess because he was just unlucky enough to end up in the wrong apartment, but in spite of it you can still tell he's a gentle, good hearted dude. Also I like how he's a bit of an oddball. As someone who is socially awkward I can really relate to the guy.
Exactly. If I had to be in Silent Hill, I'd feel good having Henry at my back. He's chill.
That’s a great analysis
I like your comment and its points!! I would suggest, however, that he might very well have some baggage that he just has not shared or discussed - we could regard him as a man who, in comparison and thus in stark, complete contrast to Walter, chose to become caring and good instead of murderous, violent and dark as a result of his trauma and suffering. I continue to seriously consider this possibility with Henry, as I have, for instance, known other people with plenty of baggage who have fully concealed it from others - i.e. who have appeared and acted like they completely had it together so to speak, when they in reality did not at all. And with what I've stated in mind, I think it is a very important consideration - because, plenty of people who have suffered severe traumas and who are deeply broken, they look and act like normal people without issues - because of another important fact, that often, damaged and dysfunctional people do not become violent or murderous people, and it is not so obvious as it has been with Walter. And for that matter, Eileen's character could have some brokenness in her history
Another thing to consider, is this - I actually encountered a guy myself back in grad school, a ph.d student who looked, acted and talked a lot like Henry - and without sharing how here, but working with him for a few months, I discovered that he might have been through trauma in his past as well....just some food for thought in my comments
it does emphasize even more that "Silent Hill" itself is an actual entity that could be summoned outside of its territory, meaning we are not safe at all.....
Henry is also the most handsome character of all of them.
Agreed ❤️ And not in an obnoxious or unnatural way. He’s a realistically handsome man.
James and Harry were faiely good looking men, though.
Vanilla Sky
Henry is the receiver of wisdom so it’s not a surprise he listens well.
Henry Townshend is actually my favorite protagonist out of all of the Silent Hill games because I was EXACTLY like him all through middle-school and high-school. I barely talked, barely reacted to my surroundings, and I took a passive role in all social interactions. Even to this day he remains the most relatable to me. I can actually see a significant portion of myself in him and that made the game feel more personal to me. Then, with him being locked in his apartment and wanting to interact with the outside world but not being able to, his situation felt almost allegorical to my own experiences with depression and being diagnosed with Autism. The shot where he meets Cynthia for the first time, he almost looked uncomfortable when she got up close to him and touched him BUT seemed also to be paralyzed from doing or saying anything about it which also felt incredibly relatable to me. I could go on and on about it honestly but I think Silent Hill 4 was the very first piece of media where I actually saw as much of myself in the protagonist as I did with Henry Townshend. I will forever be grateful for the existence of his character within the Silent Hill series.
I think Henry is also a great protagonist and I definitely welcome him among the other. It's nice having a character that is actually relatable.
Henry could have Schizoid traits. Some schizoids have high cognitive empathy, but low affective. Difficulty with attachment is key, and you can see deep down he really wants to connect. Good to see more about my boy Henry.
Henry is the most relatable. I always imagined he wasn't much different from myself. Just another introvert who kept to himself and enjoyed the comfort of his own home.
ive always been a huge fan of henry, he seems like a nice person trying his best even though it's not easy for him to connect with others. i think the most interesting aspects of henry are stuff that you can find looking in his appartment, how he slowly becomes confused about stuff in it, or how the pictures of silent hill start feeling like they're drawing him in. it starts feeling like safety, and then it starts fuckin haunting him. thank you for the vid! i have a hard time parsing the cutscenes for analysis because the directing for the voice actors takes me out every time, so i appreciate this
He reminds me of myself when I was younger.
I love how he's a little bit like opposite of Walter. They're both detached from society but he's a nice guy despite his detachment while Walter turned into sociopathic killer. Henry is some kind of person Walter could become if he chose the good way. Nice video and I'm glad to see SH4 being praised. Edit: also his title is "Receiver of Wisdom" which probably mean Henry being witness of other sacrifices but could also mean that he received the wisdom how to function in society which Walter himself obviously didn't. This makes even more sense if you think of Eileen as motherlike person. When she joins Henry he becomes more and more like a representation of things Walter was lacking.
That's an interesting way to think of his title! I do like how the sacrifices were given titles in SH4 versus the other ones. It does help to add another layer to their character.
Henery looks like he would hold his breath for fun
oh my god.. dax flame
Henry is underrated. Sometimes I just want the protagonist to be a likable dude, who I want to survive. But he’s more interesting than people give credit for too. Also, would love to see a Harry Mason character analysis video.
Another great guy!
It's great to see more Henry appreciation, he may not have as much going on with -him- specifically like other protagonists but that's something that adds to his appeal; he feels very depersonalized, especially as the game goes on and his relationship with the apartment becomes creepier and probably just as detached as his social interactions
I like henry the most because I relate to him the most lmao
Fair enough.
Henry is cool cause he’s mysterious and he seems like a good guy.
The part where you showed the Henry-Eileen encounter. I can kinda relate to Henry. It reminded me of when I was still working as a private careworker, my client's househelper's mother died and she was crying. I just stared at her. I felt bad for her of course, but I don't or didn't know what to do or what to say. Yesterday, my neighbor told me my puppy is cute and his clothes was cute. I didn't know how or what to respond. I just nodded and smiled a bit in acknowledgement. It's not that I'm snobbish. I just don't know how to interact to people. It makes me think that Henry'S parents were really busy and probably didn't have much interaction with his parents growing up. Like they gave him toys and let him play alone. I wasn't able to finish this game when I was a kid because I was too scared lol I'm glad I'm finally able to see a bigger picture of SH4.
I love Silent Hill 4 The Room, It's one of my favorites.
He’s literally me guys
Basically he is an empty cup that you must fill with your choices not the designers ones...
more to a man of action and a few words
Great video! I've always said that Henry as a protagonist was underrated because he seems "too plain" but I think this guy whose oddly plain despite his surroundings leads for a really interesting juxtaposition with his character. I like Henry because he's plain, and it's great to see others feel the same way about his character. He's just a nice guy trying his best to help others and connect with them even if it's a difficult feat for him, and everything about that is admirable :)
You hit the nail right on the head!
Very underrated character from SH series(
Nothing wrong with Henry. He's just an introvert. Best character in the whole series 😎
I always wondered why the dialogue and character interactions seemed cringe in sh games but I think it's just a subtle way to show how everyone that is affected by the town is a little off.
You did a good job with showing how the town can affect even people that have no real ties to it
Thank you for stopping by! I'm a work in progress for sure.
@@Callyxi you're welcome, I really enjoy your channel. I hope it continues to grow. Id love to hear your analysis on different locations and theories that have been around
While SH4 isn't my favourite game in the series. (I like the story and characters but the gameplay is a bit of a ballache.) I can safely say i really like Henry and it always kind of bothers me a little when i see people say 'he doesn't react realistically' or 'nobody would stay passive in that situation.' Yet i do remain passive in allot of stuff i probably shouldn't be passive in. I've been held at knife point and remained dead pan (nothing bad happened the lil' bellend was all talk.) I struggle with social interactions so Henry is honestly really relatable to me becausd he reacts exactly how i react to weird situations. Sometimes i get accused of lacking empathy and emotion investment in general, but i don't lack them i just struggle to show them. Like there are times where i probably should've had a more active emotional response but i couldn't do it without it looking/sounding false.
There's actually a joke in my house, 'if something is scaring Nat into actually screaming, run. Run away and never return.' 🤣🤣🤣
But i do like Henry. And i wish people would stop claiming he's bad just because he's unrealistically passive in moments that they would probably scream at, because some of us really would not scream in a situation like that.
Great video by the way its nice to see some love for Henry.
I can agree with your statement. People react differently to different things and it is impossible to portray what happens internally vs externally. I think Henry is a great character introduced into the universe because unlike the other main characters he is just an awkward guy.
I love Henry and Harry
I love this! You gain a lot of knowledge about Henry based on his surroundings and actions. He isn't a man of many words, and he finds it awkward to communicate, but he does care! His dismay and grief over Eileen in the sadder endings is pronounced. All he says is her name, softly, but then he falls to his knees in defeat. It's funny, in a way, just as Henry is the observer, you will not get to know him unless YOU observe HIM.
He's an underrated character, I really like him
Henry’s my favorite character 😅
mine too ☺️
never thought anyone wouldhave so much to say about him, personally i liked hiim. im ok if ones personality type is just stoic. but i never thought about it so much
Ha! Thanks for stopping by and I appreciate the comment.
It almost seems as though Henry has Autism or Aspergers syndrome tbh. That's a neat touch for a protagonist. But also very conflicting too.. not many people have the knowledge or the mental capacity to understand it.
I agree. It definitely seems something may be a little off about Henry whether its intentional or not. Unfortunately I can see how the gameplay especially at the second half can really turn people off.
He cool
Very underappreciated main character.
Henry is hakakmori but american not japanese ... That's why he stuck in the room 😂... But seriously i love this game the graphics was very good back then specially in Xbox original
Can definitely agree with that. It's not a bad looking game at all.
You mean, hikikomori?
@@summerwintermelon Yes 😅
Great video!!!
You deserve more views my guy
Thanks for stopping by.
i don't hate this character, he is clearly based on Jared Leto character on Requiem for a dream. One interesting detail is that he was in SH at some point on his life. That again reforce the theory that SH is like Overlook hotel. That means people shouldn't visit SH by any form, Adam was right to say that to Alex.
The personality of Henry is also similar to Harry from Requiem for a dream, he is very quiet, but could be easily corrupt, and that's probably why Walter picked him for this twisted ritual.
He's find as he'll i won't him so bad
Nice episode
Thank you kindly.
The only bad thing he ever sis was spying on Eileen, and he got haubter by her giantic head and disturbing moans on the hospital xd
i want this dude in dbd soo baddd
Will it ever happen though?
I'm praying he gets put in dead by daylight I can really see myself as him he's not some action super hero like Leon so i kinda get him along with James and Sébastien from evil within
name of the song of 0:45?
Traversing the portals of reality - Akira Yamaoka
Really ?
I think Henry is the real killer of the game, not Walter
How? Explain?
@@serasvictoria9666 I was bother because Walter is the guy you preceed in SH2, you found the grave and he has suffer the same fate as the other on the second opus, so why him ?
So, you meet Henry, and that guy is kinda lying to you
The shoes, the pictures on the wall, he don't want to explain what is the matter, and then he remember that it's not his shoes, the pictures are from Silent Hill, he knows the town, maybe learn about Sullivan and mix his story with his own
I don't know, I get he's a weirdo, but it's look like there is something else
Why Eileen keys are under the bed ? Why the rabbit is pointing at Henry ? Why he enters the hole, where Eileen can't follow, but he wakes up in his bed ?
Maybe I'm imagining things, thinking "Walter" is him, his serial killer - self, but tiny details bothered me when I played and so I felt it that way
What do you think ?
@@legrandmechantloup7983 yeah I get where you are coming from.
@@legrandmechantloup7983it’s a great fan theory and I would love to read something that explores that idea more
I have read on this theory before, and while it is very much an interesting one - I would argue against it, simply because walter has too intricate a backstory of his own and related traits and actions that correlate too precisely with the happenings and the murders of this game, in order for it not to be Walter's doing, and thus, walter also being a separate individual
The main character of the room, is Pyramid Head to me.
Hardy harr