Masahiro Ito, the visionary art director and creature designer behind the iconic Silent Hill 2, has recently addressed persistent fan theories that suggest protagonist James Sunderland was involved in sexual assault as either perpetrator or victim. The veteran developer specifically criticized the aggressive manner in which some segments of the Silent Hill 2 community promote these interpretations, describing them as fundamentally misunderstanding the game's intended themes.

The enduring legacy of Silent Hill 2's psychological horror stems from its nuanced storytelling that encourages players to interpret environmental details and monstrous manifestations. One particularly controversial sequence features Pyramid Head violently interacting with two mannequin figures, which some fans have interpreted as depicting sexual assault. This interpretation has subsequently been used to speculate about James's own potential history with such trauma.

Although Ito has previously addressed these theories multiple times throughout the years, he recently expressed frustration with the persistent and increasingly aggressive promotion of these interpretations. On August 20, the artist remarked (via TheGamer) that "Their ignorance is still expanding like the Big Bang," once again rejecting what he considers a fundamental misinterpretation of his creative work.

As part of his continued clarification, Ito has reemphasized the original symbolism behind Pyramid Head, explaining why the creature's design and behavior cannot be reconciled with theories attributing sexual elements to its actions. The developer stressed that Pyramid Head emerges from James's psychological need for punishment rather than representing suppressed urges. "Mary's memories appear as the creatures," Ito explained in one comment, "but his desire to face the truth or punish himself appears as Pyramid Head, which eliminates those creatures."

Ito described the dynamic between James's pursuit of truth and self-punishment and the manifestations of Mary's memories as a struggle between opposing forces. During the game's initial segments, the protagonist attempts to escape the reality of his actions, with Silent Hill physically manifesting his psychological denial through the various monsters players encounter. Pyramid Head systematically dismantles these delusions by destroying the creatures that represent aspects of James's troubled psyche.