One longtime question from the original Silent Hill 2 that has carried over into the remake is why Laura cannot see the town's monsters. Being a character connected to Mary, she becomes important to the story even though her existence sometimes feels out of place. With her wandering around the town with no fears, fans have speculated on the reason the monsters never affect her. After 23 years since the release of the original game, official confirmation surrounding the reason Laura does not see Silent Hill's monsters may just put this question to rest.

[Warning: Spoilers for Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill 3.]

Laura is an interesting character, bringing a child-like innocence to Silent Hill. She is seen playing and drawing, a strange sight compared to all the monster encounters that James experiences. The reason she is present is clear in her search for Mary, but it presents an odd feeling that fans are right to theorize about. The answer is seemingly the most obvious reason, even with many feasible theories that stretch the lore of the game and the setting.

Laura Can't See Silent Hill's Monsters For Good Reason, Says Ito

Silent Hill 2 Developer Confirms Why Laura Cannot See Monsters

In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Silent Hill 2's monster designer, Masahiro Ito, confirmed that Laura cannot see any of the monsters because she has never killed anyone. She is the only innocent human in Silent Hill and does not experience the horrors that others called to the town do. It is a simple and obvious answer, one that fans have been debating for the 23 years the first game has existed. This confirms that the creatures of Silent Hill are there as manifestations of those who are being punished for their actions.

The creatures the player fights against are the ones created for James as punishment for killing his wife Mary. It is clear that Laura would not be able to see them, or any at all, since she is an innocent character. As James takes glimpses into other characters' punishments, like those of Angela and Eddie, he is able to still see their monsters because he is a killer. Laura would not experience the same as James or anyone who is facing the judgment of Silent Hill.

Ito's Comment Debunks A Popular Theory

Laura Is Confirmed To Be Real In Silent Hill 2

The popular theory that Laura may not be real and just a figment of James' imagination has been debunked by Ito. This theory was the most popular in the debate on why she cannot see any of the creatures, reducing her to just a figure made up by the town to add to James' punishment. Laura is confirmed to be a real, innocent person in Silent Hill who is searching for Mary and does not know that she has already died. To her, Silent Hill is just a normal, abandoned town; a beautiful place where her friend Mary escaped to.

Ito's comment also confirms that Eddie and Angela are real people, experiencing the judgment of Silent Hill. The monsters created for them are also not seen by Laura but are real to them. The existence of Angela and Eddie were debated whether to be real or not alongside Laura – fake creations by the town for James' journey. A Reddit thread started by Redscarves10 two years ago captures a discussion on the matter of Laura being real or not, with a lot of back and forth but a majority of commenters in agreement that she was a real person.

Silent Hill Is Dangerous For Killers

Those who are called to Silent Hill are experiencing judgment. James, Eddie, and Angela see their monsters throughout Silent Hill 2 because of what the town has in store for them as murderers. This also carries over into the other games of the series, like how, in Silent Hill 3, Heather can see the creatures since she is the reincarnation of Alessa. Vincent asks Heather about the creatures, implying that he sees something else that Heather does not. The murderers called to Silent Hill experience its horrors and the manifestations catered to their exact stories and actions.

Silent Hill is not a dangerous place for Laura because she has never killed anyone. From the letter she receives from Mary, she misinterprets her dying and going to heaven as returning to Silent Hill. The little girl sees the town as a beautiful and comforting place, somewhere she runs to, away from the orphanage, to find her friend. In one of the endings of Silent Hill 2, titled Leave, Laura is seen leaving the town with James. This implies a bright future for the two of them, moving on but not forgetting Mary. From Laura's perspective, Silent Hill is normal.

The reason why Laura does not see monsters in Silent Hill 2 has finally been confirmed by Masahiro Ito himself, debunking other theories. The confirmation that she is a real person implies that other characters are real as well, just people experiencing Silent Hill differently depending on their past. With everyone experiencing the town differently, the lore of the Silent Hill series deepens thanks to this developer's comment and the recent addition of the Silent Hill 2 remake.

Sources: Masahiro Ito/X, PlayStation/YouTube, Redscarves10/Reddit