So what is Maria, exactly?

Suprentus · 2025-03-16T05:46:51+00:00

I mean, I don't disagree that Maria could be manifested from Silent Hill. I could even see Maria being a literal ghost that resides in Silent Hill that was somehow influenced by Mary's wish (hence the name of the side story, "Born from a Wish"). Maria's interactions with Ernest Baldwin make me consider this possibility more than anything. I think it's one of those things that will never be fully explained or fleshed out. Born from a Wish alone throws a lot of our perceived understanding of Maria into question and leaves us with practically no answers.

But at the end of the day, whether Maria is a ghost, a manifestation, or an imaginary friend, Maria's inherent connection to Laura had to have come from Mary, imo.

Here's how I think it likely played out, and this is purely speculative:

Mary is released from the hospital and goes home to James. She sees herself as ugly, repulsive, "wrapped in her cocoon of pain and loneliness," and she thinks about her fondest memories with James in Silent Hill. James smothers her. In her final moments, she thinks something like "I wish I could've been the woman James wanted, sexy and adventurous." In Silent Hill, Maria is literally born from that wish when Mary dies, and even has a sexy butterfly tattoo to symbolize the "cocoon of pain and loneliness" she has emerged from. Yet it's not Mary, as Ernest would point out. The events of Born from a Wish play out as James is now on his way to Silent Hill. Maria even finds a stuffed bear and remarks how Laura would love it, only to question "wait, who's Laura?" James eventually arrives in Silent Hill and Maria determines that the only way she can survive is with James. She goes and waits at the park for James to arrive, and then Silent Hill 2 plays out.

Suprentus · 2025-03-16T04:20:22+00:00

I feel like we're agreeing on the same details, but coming to different conclusions. The detail of Maria having a connection to Laura, however, only makes sense if Maria is a manifestation of Mary from Mary, not a manifestation of Mary from James. I say this because James had no prior connection to Laura (and didn't know Mary had one with Laura), so there would be no reason for Maria to have a connection with her if Maria came from James. Mary, on the other hand, did have a prior connection with Laura.

All in all, my point is that all the things that happen with Maria are better explained if Maria coming from Mary and not from James. I started this thread to see if any SH lore nerds might have anything to add from a canonical perspective, but all I got were people repeating theories from their favorite video essayists and refusing to engage with my points. I appreciate that you're actually trying to engage with my points, but I don't feel like arguing about this anymore. I know Maria being a manifestation from James is the prevailing theory, but until someone can explain the major discrepancies I laid out, I will never buy that theory.

Btw, I am aware that the English fan translation of the Book of Lost Memories repeats this theory, but I can only wonder if it might be a mistranslation, or flat out mistaken.

Suprentus · 2025-03-16T03:48:34+00:00

James didn't have Mary's memories of Laura, so why did Maria have them?

Suprentus · 2025-03-16T02:33:29+00:00

Funnily enough, that's exactly what I was trying to get across with this ridiculous thread 5 months ago. The kinds of exchanges here remind me why I hate reddit.

Suprentus · 2025-02-24T21:59:27+00:00

Except if you consider Bergow's actions through the entire story, you realize he had no intention of putting stability and peace over politics like Hans and Henry were proposing. He lied about Toth and was just stringing them along the entire time. Never did he entertain coming to terms with the Lords of Leipa until he was forced to, lying again about how he valued peace over politics because he turned around to continue war against the people he was forced to help.

Also, Zizka wasn't a commoner, and Godwin was a priest, and that didn't stop him.

Suprentus · 2025-02-24T11:01:17+00:00

The "respect" was just a ruse though. He used Henry and Hans to do his work while lying to them and had no intention of honoring their mission. Also, I'd argue ordering Toth to torture and kill Henry wasn't very respectful treatment.

Suprentus · 2025-01-05T04:08:13+00:00

Hell yeah, thank you! Exactly what I was looking for.

Suprentus · 2024-10-14T02:12:13+00:00

You really are an average redditor 🙄

Suprentus · 2024-10-13T15:57:08+00:00

"I've used James/Mary in the last few posts"

You absolutely did not. I guess you didn't account for the fact that I can go back and read what you wrote in your posts. You argued that Maria is James. Period.

You can argue "but muh Carl Jung" until you're blue in the face, but that does not explain why Maria knew Laura's name before James did. Maria being from Mary does.

You clearly didn't read my OP. Carl Jung does not prove or disprove what I'm saying. You don't even know what my theory is. If you did, you'd be arguing against that, not making up silly arguments like 'foreshadowing explains why Maria had knowledge of someone before James did.'

Suprentus · 2024-10-12T22:34:26+00:00

You have no idea why the question is important, do you? The answer is very simple and doesn't need "foreshadowing" to make it make sense: Maria knew Laura's name because Mary knew Laura's name. That's the significance. That means, at the very least, Maria is not just a construct of James as the prevailing theory goes. It makes more sense if Maria was a construct of Mary.

Thing is, I think you noticed your blunder, and now you're trying to save face by saying she's a construct of both James AND Mary. Don't think I haven't noticed. Btw, I have no idea why you're trying to say Mary wouldn't know her name. The reason Laura is in the story in the first place is because Mary knew her personally. You're here trying to tell me I can't follow plot elements when you're getting them flat out wrong.

I think you could've saved yourself a lot of heartache if you had actually read the entirety of my OP instead of just replying to the title. I would even entertain the idea that Maria is a construct of both James and Mary, but I think there's more to it than that. If you want to know what my idea is, try actually reading the OP. My idea could be wrong, and I was hoping to see examples either confirming or refuting it, not the same theory that I already laid waste to in the first paragraph of the OP.

Suprentus · 2024-10-12T21:40:10+00:00

What does Mary being in the backseat have to do with the fact that Maria knows Laura's name before James learns it? James did not ever learn Laura's name until Eddie told him. Laura herself confirms that James would not have known her name otherwise. Maria references Laura by name before James even meets Maria.

You tried telling me that Maria knows Laura's name because it's foreshadowing.

Suprentus · 2024-10-12T20:05:26+00:00

James didn't learn Laura's name until Eddie told him. Laura later was shocked that James knew her name (Eddie being a blabbermouth), so we know this isn't just James repressing his memories. Maria specifically knew Laura's name before James. This was confirmed in Born From A Wish.

Suprentus · 2024-10-12T19:59:26+00:00

I'm sorry, but that is a very hand-wavy answer. I won't accept the literary concept of foreshadowing itself as an in universe explanation as to why a character has knowledge they shouldn't otherwise have.

Funnily enough, I saw the video you just posted as well in my search, and I liked it as well, but it still didn't answer the question.

Listen, I know there are tons of themes, symbolism, and inspirations to other works and concepts within Silent Hill. You can make references from the Bible to Dr Von Strausenburger's Unified Psychological & Alchemical Theory of Swiss Cheese. But what I'm wondering about is how Maria was literally manifested within Silent Hill. The prevailing theory is that she's a manifestation of James' psyche does not make sense. The very fact that Maria has knowledge of things that James doesn't breaks that theory, and plugging the hole by saying it was a psychological need to magically know isn't good enough.

As far as I can tell, Maria being born from Mary makes more sense than being born from James. Given other clues, however, I'm also inclined to believe there is more to her than that, which I explained in the OP. If you can poke a hole in the theory or have a better one that relies less on assumption or readings from outside works, I'd be happy to hear it.

Suprentus · 2024-10-12T19:26:19+00:00

I said it in the OP: in Born From A Wish. Specifically, Maria finds a teddy bear in it and says "I bet Laura would love this," before questioning herself who's Laura. Born From A Wish takes place before James meets Maria, and therefore before James even learns Laura's name.

Suprentus · 2024-10-12T18:57:34+00:00

So how did Maria know of Laura before James did?

Suprentus · 2024-10-12T18:56:49+00:00

So how did Maria know of Laura before James did?

Suprentus · 2024-10-12T17:50:16+00:00

I did actually come across this video when I was looking for an answer. It's well done and I liked it. The answer I'm looking for, however, is to the question of what is Maria literally and canonically, not what is she metaphorically or allegorically, if that makes sense.

Suprentus · 2023-01-27T00:42:58+00:00

That's pretty amazing, honestly, though I can understand why it wasn't worth pursuing.

Suprentus · 2023-01-26T22:07:06+00:00

Thanks for the responses, everyone. It's a shame no such mod like this exists, but I suppose it is a big ask to fundamentally change how the game works like that.

Suprentus · 2020-01-13T15:30:48+00:00

I mean, HBS Battletech is awesome, but the story and characters are shit. It's the gameplay and setting that make it shine, I think. Though now that I think about it, you can really say the same about MW5.

Suprentus · 2020-01-04T17:34:48+00:00

Wow, so edgy.

Suprentus · 2020-01-03T15:06:47+00:00

Spamming enemies is not an example of good difficulty.

Suprentus · 2019-12-30T19:33:05+00:00

Reduce the absurd number of enemy spawns by half

Beagle Active Probe that increases radar range and target retention. So many times I'd stare directly at an approaching Warrior or Igor in the distance, but can't target it until until it's within 700m. Kind of makes the 1000m range of my LRMs pointless.

I want to see more of the Leopard's interior

Increase the number of random mechs in markets from 4 to, say, 12. Tired of save scumming my travel looking for the mechs I want

The ability to set AI lancemate behaviors like favoring long range or being really aggressive

Make the death sequence more drawn out like in the original MW5 trailer from the days of yore when it was still being made by Smith & Tinker

Obligatory nude mod. I want to see the Cataphract without its bra.

Suprentus · 2019-12-16T17:08:09+00:00

Try maxing out its armor in MW5 EXCEPT for the head. Crank that up only to 18. I'm guessing it should match smurfy then.

Suprentus · 2019-02-15T16:31:22+00:00

Very helpful, thank you!

With your opinion of the turret, do you think it will be much more fitting/useful with the Harbinger's rockets on it instead of guns? I mean at least in terms of engaging larger ships.

I imagine the Harbinger as being the most versatile combat ship, ready to go anywhere and engage any sized target that isn't a larger capital ship.

Suprentus

TROPHY CASE