James Sunderland

Grew Up... in a loving marriage. In his youth, James Sunderland met and fell in love with Mary Shepherd. However, soon after they married, she contracted a fatal disease.

Living... in Silent Hill. James is trapped in what appears to be an exceedingly strange version of small town Americana. But Silent Hill is actually a bizarre parallel reality, fuelled by the nightmares of its visitors.

Profession... clerk. Before his trip to Silent Hill, James worked as a clerk in Ashfield, the same town where his father Frank works as an apartment superintendent.

Interests... drinking. As Mary’s disease got worse, she began to suffer volatile mood swings. The whole experience was very emotionally draining for James, who turned to alcohol to cope with his pain.

Relationship Status... widower. Eventually, Mary passed away, sending James into a deep depression. However, the exact details surrounding her death were suspiciously hazy.

Challenge... finding his “special place.” While they were married, James and Mary had a wonderful vacation in the mysterious town of Silent Hill. Three years after Mary’s death, James somehow received a letter from her telling him to return to the town and find her in their “special place.” Things only get stranger from there.

Personality... neurotic and regretful. James suffers from many psychological hang-ups, from his self-hatred and guilt over his wife’s death, to his passivity and sexual frustrations. As he says, “I needed someone to punish me for my sins” – even if that someone is a vicious Silent Hill monster like Pyramid Head.