The Butcher (Silent Hill)

The Butcher is another of the monstrous creatures of Silent Hill and a major antagonist of Silent Hill: Origins.

Description
The Butcher is a well-built humanoid creature, very similar in appearance, behavior, and function to Pyramid Head. He wears a butcher's apron covered with heavy bloodstains and has a series of metal plates that cover the left side of his face and left shoulder. The Butcher always carries his signature weapon, the Great Cleaver, and the right side of his face is rather blank with the exception of a deep hole where a human's ear would be and resembles Valtiel. The Butcher relentless pursuit of the protagonist and frequent habit of slaughtering other monsters is also similar to Pyramid Head. However unlike Pyramid Head, the Butcher has no sexual characteristics, and while Pyramid Head's movement is highly jerky, almost twitchy, the Butcher's is always fluid and controlled, making him seem far more focused. The monster also drags his Great Cleaver along the ground, which makes a screeching noise.

History
Travis Grady encountered the Butcher numerous times throughout his journey through Silent Hill. The first time, he came across the monster walking down a hallway, stopping to grab a nearby Faceless Nurse. The Butcher then stabbed her in the stomach with his cleaver and tore her in half, before dropping her remains and skulked away. In his journey to the theater, Travis also heard the sound of the Butcher's dragging cleaver near the lumberyard, indicating the the monster is a few steps ahead of him. Later while in the maintenance tunnel under the Riverside Motel, Travis looked through a peephole into room 503, where he had been just moments ago and saw the Butcher standing inside. But upon looking again, the monster was gone, indicating that he was stalking Travis. Coincidentally, the room was filled with photos and anatomy pictures of the Butcher and various other monsters. Travis later met the Butcher again in the kitchen of the Riverside Motel, where he found the monster killing a Two-Back creature. The Butcher then turned his attention to Travis and a battle ensued, eventually bringing it down. As the monster bled onto the floor, Travis finished it off, driving the Great Cleaver into his back.

Symbolism
The Butcher is a symbol of cruelty and sacrifice, that of the Order in particular. His emotionless torment and killing of other monsters is reminiscent of the Order's tendency to sacrifice other humans in their worship. The Butcher is also a representation of Travis' inner rage at being abandoned by his parents. He is speculated by some to even be Travis himself, as seen in the game's Bad Ending. The Butcher's half helmet may be a representation of a split personality.