Origin: Maken X/Shao
Appearance: The creature is divided in two half. The upper one is a spider-like mannequin robot, while the lower one is the actual mad cultist. The monster is able to attack independently with its different parts. The mannequin can use its arms and claws to attack, while the cultist is wielding a big and dangerous scythe. The creature is a crazy religious brainwashed that will fight to the death to protect a holy place. The creature can also use the mannequin limbs to fly like an helicopter, becoming even a more dangerous foe.
Symbolism: The strongest symbolism is quite straightforward and it is a visual representation of the man and woman dualism. This concept will be represented again years later in Silent Hill Homecoming, specifically in the monster Siam (check my article about it: Monster of the Week: Siam), even if in that case the sexual connection is stronger. Anyway even if less explicit, also in the cultist there is a strong sexual component directly encoded in the design. The female mannequin is naked, without head, just a body missing any facial feature to characterize its humanity, it is only a naked body. The male cultist is smashed against the floor, dragged around powerless by the female mannequin. This is like a strong and irresistible sexual pulsion that is dragging the cultist around, victim of this carnal desire, lost and controlled by his luxury. Let’s also remember that this monster is a religious figure of a sort of a pseudo-catholic order, so this desire for the female forms driving him crazy is even more a strong symbolism, since is also highlighting the neglected sexual desire and the forced chastity of the clergy. Never a creature in a videogame was ever design to express such a delicate but strong topic in such a direct way.
Surreal and Creepy 