Enemies

Silent Hill 4 takes a different approach by mixing traditional enemies, that can be killed by ordinary methods, with new enemies that will constantly hound you and can never be killed, although there are other methods of dealing with them. They're divided into two different sections below.

Regular Enemies

Sniffer Dog

Appearance: A mutated dog with patchy fur, several bites and open wounds on its body, and a long tongue about a foot in length. Males have more of a consistent yellow tone and visible ears, while females are more reddish, have purple tongues, more exposed wounds and are missing their ears. All Sniffers make sounds closer to large felines.
Location(s): Subway World, Forest World, Building World, Apartment World, Subway World 2nd time, Forest World 2nd time, Building World 2nd time.
Attacks: Mostly commonly they will lunge at you from medium or long distances, briefly stunning Henry. They may also grab Henry in a biting hold, inflicting more damage.
Suggested Weapon(s): Pistol, Rusty Axe, Aluminum Bat, Golf Clubs, Steel Pipe.

Strategy:
Sniffers are highly capable creatures and will easily irritate with their lightning quick lunges from long distances. Normally it's wise to run in a zigzag pattern to avoid them, but there may be a better method. Surprisingly, walking rather than running (on the perimeter if possible) seems to prevent them from engaging you at all. Give it a try and you'll see what I mean. It even works fairly well in tighter hallways and rooms, but perhaps they still may engage here and there. Once they have engaged though, get moving and zigzag, or use the Pistol or a melee weapon.

While attacking with melee, be aware that they will regularly step back after being attacked, clearing out of your range. Try to counteract with quick attacks before they can jump back or be prepared to run to their new position following your attack. With your best melee weapon depending on where you are in the game, the Steel Pipe, Aluminum Bat and Rusty Axe are all suitable for handling them, along with any Golf Clubs. Always finish them off with a stomp.

Wall Man

Appearance: The form of a humanoid creature with claws, protruding from walls by the torso. The colour and texture of their skin appears to match the walls they hang from. First they appear directly on walls but later will appear on large moving frames that slide up and down as they protrude from stretched fleshy material.
Location(s): Subway World, Water Prison World, Subway World 2nd time, Water Prison World 2nd time, Outside Room 302.
Attacks: Wall Men will swing with their claw hands, knocking Henry to the floor if struck.
Suggested Weapon(s): Rusty Axe, Pistol, Richard's Revolver, Steel Pipe.

Strategy:
These creatures can be supremely annoying to deal with in the several forced encounters, especially during the Subway. To get past you can often wait for them to retreat back inside the wall, but they can be unpredictable and re-emerge in a hurry. Therefore whacking them with your best melee weapon as you pass may be necessary for a safer passage.

While more difficult with the Steel Pipe, the Rusty Axe's charge up swing handles them with ease. Otherwise, a single Pistol bullet will often be enough to let you quickly slip past, or 6 to kill them on Normal. Richard's Revolver will kill them with one shot. When killed, they will hang lifelessly from the wall before retreating back inside for good.

Hummer

Appearance: A furry bat-like creature with a narrow beak, small in size and black in colour. Has wings and can fly freely.
Location(s): Forest World, Water Prison World, Building World, Apartment World, Hospital World, Forest World 2nd time, Water Prison World 2nd time, Building World 2nd time.
Attacks: Hummers will zoom towards Henry and bite him, either during a high-speed flyby or while hovering around. Inflicts minimal damage but adds up in a hurry when facing a swarm.
Suggested Weapon(s): Bug Spray, Steel Pipe, Golf Clubs, Aluminum Bat, Rusty Axe.

Strategy:
These critters are not very threatening and can regularly be run past, but they'll very often at least get a piece of you while doing so. They're easy to bat down with a single hit from any melee weapon and finish with a stomp, but can be a nuisance in a swarm. If you can escape quickly, go for it, but otherwise you may want to bat them down to avoid taking more damage.

Standard swings from the Steel Pipe and Golf Clubs seem to be the best method due to their range and form, but feel free to knock them out of the park with a 360 swing for kicks. Bug Spray instantly knocks them down but is slow to use repeatedly and is otherwise a useless weapon since it takes up a slot when these enemies are easily killable otherwise.

Twin Victim

Appearance: A large creature with two sleeping baby heads side by side as if conjoined twins, draped with a dark overcoat. It has no actual feet but uses its large arms and hands to walk and attack. Often found eerily pointing at Henry. Mostly come in larger sizes but are also found in smaller form. This creature is actually Victim 07 and 08, Billy and Miriam Locane, molded into one since they were killed together.
Location(s): Water Prison World, Forest World 2nd time, Water Prison World 2nd time, Outside Room 302.
Attacks: Most often the will swing their large arms at you, regularly spinning around as they attack. They can also chase after and dive at Henry, extending their range.
Suggested Weapon(s): Rusty Axe, Spade, Aluminum Bat, Steel Pipe, Pistol.

Strategy:
These creatures are large and intimidating but fairly tame to deal with. You'll often find them pointing at you for a short period, allowing you to go in for a hit before they can attack. Watch out for their arm swings as they spin around, then retaliate with your own special attack. Rusty Axe works best, but others above can also do you well. In groups they're much more lethal since they're quite mobile, so be prepared to use the Pistol in these cases. They're also fairly easy to evade by running but be cautious of their diving attack as they chase you.

Toadstool

Appearance: A ball of white-ish fungi at the head of a brown stem protruding from the ground, corpses or other surfaces. Only come in groups, often up to 10 together, and are passive enemies about Henry's height.
Location(s): Water Prison World, Hospital World, Water Prison World 2nd time.
Attacks: They are passive and will never attack you, but Henry will take damage if he bumps into one (which will kill it in the process).
Suggested Weapon(s): Steel Pipe, Aluminum Bat, Rusty Axe.

Strategy:
Simply run up to them and swing away with whatever melee weapon you're holding. They're passive enemies that never attack, but they die in one hit and you'll regularly need to clear them to advance through hallways. You will also kill them just by bumping into them, but Henry will take a bit of damage in the process and this should be avoided.

Whitestool

Appearance: Another fungi form just like Toadstools. Whitestools are taller, green-ish white in colour and lack thick heads like Toadstools but rather turn somewhat curvy at the top like a snake. Only found in large groups, sometimes found sprouting from roots to full size.
Location(s): Water Prison World, Building World, Water Prison World 2nd time, Building World 2nd time.
Attacks: They have no attacks and will even die when bumped into, although inflict damage in the process.
Suggested Weapon(s): Steel Pipe, Aluminum Bat, Rusty Axe.

Strategy:
Whitestools are passive enemies just like Toadstools that do not attack and die when swung at once or bumped into (the latter will hurt Henry). Simply bat them with whatever melee weapon you're holding to get past.

Tremer

Appearance: A small, slimy and juicy leech-like creature. Comes in two similar forms known as Blue Tremer and Red Tremer. Both are about the same size but Blue Tremers look segmented in the middle with one side smaller, while Red Tremers are one solid form but carry the same shape of being smaller on one side. They leave gooey trails when moving around and explode into slimy remains when crushed.
Location(s): Water Prison World, Building World, Apartment World, Water Prison World 2nd time, Building World 2nd time.
Attacks: They simply explode when stepped on or bumped into, hurting Henry in the process. Avoid or stomp them to prevent this.
Suggested Weapon(s): Henry's foot (Steel Pipe or anything to knock off walls).

Strategy:
Blue and Red Tremers are fairly passive enemies but won't hesitate to explode on Henry if he's in their immediate vicinity or runs over them. You'll regularly find them on walls minding their own business, but sometimes they'll fall down in your way or block the path and must be killed. To do so, simply approach and stop them with Henry's foot. They can also be knocked off walls with melee weapons so they can be stomped, or sometimes even explode on walls.

Gum Head

Appearance: An ape-like creature (making appropriate noises) with a deformed human-like head but as if its skin were stretched over its face. Looks like it has a second head slightly protruding from its chest. Comes in two forms, Old Type and New Type. Old Types are generally grey or slightly pinkish while New Types are a bit pale and their chest bumps are orange and more pronounced. New Types are sometimes found carrying weapons like pipes and golf clubs.
Location(s): Building World, Subway World 2nd time, Forest World 2nd time, Building World 2nd time.
Attacks: Gum Heads will normally punch Henry if they're unarmed, or swing with their pipes and golf clubs, inflicting even more damage.
Suggested Weapon(s): Rusty Axe, Spade, Aluminum Bat, Steel Pipe, Pistol.

Strategy:
Gum Heads are fairly unique enemies that can move around a lot and even jump down from higher platforms. They aren't very aggressive though so it's easy to get a jump on them solo by rushing and attacking. Be careful in groups, especially when they have weapons, and also be aware that New Types can even steal and use your Golf Clubs and Steel Pipe against you, or even steal Holy Candles -- kill them to reclaim them. The Rusty Axe, Spade and Aluminum Bat all work well against them, while the Pistol will help in groups.

Patient

Appearance: A very tall humanoid creature resembling a hospital patient, with pale grey flesh and wielding a hammer. Screams in pain when hit and lets out burps as it slides down stairs.
Location(s): Hospital World, Outside Room 302.
Attacks: They swing their hammers back and forth in a continuous combo that may land several times in a row. You may have to attack to stop them and escape. If facing away from you, they will often perform a surprise spin around attack that is hard to see coming.
Suggested Weapon(s): Rusty Axe, Spade, Paper-Cutting Knife, Pistol.

Strategy:
These tall creatures are very threatening once they start unleashing near constant attacks, but they're easy to handle if you get the drop on them. Charge up your special attack as they approach and hit them hard. In groups, consider enlisting Eileen's help with one of her weapons, and again, always try to perform charge up attacks, especially with the Rusty Axe, as you'll be invulnerable and potentially knock down two at a time. The Paper-Cutting Knife found in the same location they start appearing can also work well due to its lightning speed, but it'll take longer to kill them with it.

Bottom

Appearance: A large creature that walks on two sizeable arms and hands. Very similar to the Twin Victim but lacks the overcoat, has two disfigured but unspecific heads on top and also a head on its bottom, upside-down.
Location(s): Outside Room 302.
Attacks: Just like Twin Victims, Bottoms will swing their large arms, often spinning around. They'll also chase and dive at Henry.
Suggested Weapon(s): Rusty Axe, Spade, Pistol.

Strategy:
Bottoms should be treated just like their cousin Twin Victims, although they're just a bit stronger. Rusty Axe and its charge up swing works best, or any other powerful weapon like the Spade. Otherwise, the Pistol handles them well if you have the ammo, or even Richard's Revolver with higher efficiency but its ammo is scarce.

Unkillable Enemies

Wheel Chair

Appearance: An empty normal wheelchair with red lining. Moves on its own in no particular pattern. The number of them seen in the game (six, but seen twice) matches the number of Victims that do not appear in Ghost form. Perhaps Wheelchairs can therefore be considered Ghosts as well, already sharing certain characteristics.
Location(s): Hospital World, Building World 2nd time.
Attacks: Wheelchairs don't go out of their way to actually attack Henry but if they bump into him he'll be thrown to the ground. They also flash your screen red and inflict damage from being near them just like Ghosts.
Suggested Weapon(s): Rusty Axe, Spade.

Strategy:
Once you get over the fact that empty wheelchairs are able to move by themselves and even throw you to the ground, understand that Wheelchairs are just like Ghosts and cannot be killed. They can be knocked offline for a brief period if you damage them enough, but they'll come right back to life and continue so it's not worth the hassle.

But even avoiding them can be tricky since they have no real patterns to predict and don't even try to attack you, however they won't mind bowling you over if in their way. Try to observe what they're doing and run around them, while also cautious that they can stop and change directions in a flash. If you must put them offline for a bit, try the Rusty Axe's charge up swing. Once offline, feel free to have some fun by pushing them from behind to wheel them away. Now they at least have someone else controlling them, the bastards.

Man with the Coat

Appearance: A man with long blonde hair wearing a blue trench coat, brown pants and brown shoes. Often carries a pistol, steel pipe or chainsaw. Must have a laughing disorder as he just cannot stop himself all the time. While he doesn't share all Ghost characteristics, he is technically Victim 11/21.
Location(s): Subway World 2nd time (Below Subway World), Forest World 2nd time, Water Prison World 2nd time, Outside Room 302, Below Room 302.
Attacks: Depends on what weapons he has but he'll regularly shoot you with a single or dual pistols, swing with pipe or attack with a chainsaw. Always run to escape all of these attacks, particularly in a zigzag when shot at.
Suggested Weapon(s): Rusty Axe, Spade, Pickaxe of Despair, Richard's Revolver.

Strategy:
At least on your first run this man will make the second half of the game a lot more frustrating in certain parts where he appears. Like Ghosts, he cannot be killed and will follow you endlessly, although he can be attacked and put offline for a couple minutes, at least within the same area. If you wish to do so, turn to the Rusty Axe or Spade and their charge up attacks for best results, while the Pickaxe of Despair is also very lethal. For firearms, the Pistol is too weak but Richard's Revolver isn't too bad, although melee weapons are always more reliable.

Otherwise, just run past him to avoid his attacks, zigzagging to dodge his bullets if possible. This is generally always recommended unless you really want to check out a specific area more closely where he hangs about, or just explore in peace for a few minutes.

Ghosts (Old Type)

Appearance: A dead human come back to life, often with pale skin, wounds and general disarray. They float above the ground without using their legs. There are six old type Ghosts all described below.
Attacks: All Ghosts will flash your screen red and inflict damage just by being near them, although Saint Medallions will prevent this effect while slowing them down. Otherwise they will grab a hold of you, punch, swing at you if they have a weapon, or bite you.
Suggested Weapon(s): Rusty Axe, Spade, Sword of Obedience, Pistol (Silver Bullet), Holy Candle.

Strategy:
Run. That's the only real strategy for Ghosts, since they cannot be killed and inflict damage simply by being near you. Saint Medallions can be equipped to suppress them and prevent this type of damage, while they'll still attack you at a slower and more avoidable pace.

While you cannot kill them per se, you can put them out of commission by downing and stabbing them with a Sword of Obedience, one of five obtainable in the game. You will need to knock them down multiple times (Rusty Axe, Spade, Pickaxe of Despair are best) before you can stab them with these swords, but once stabbed they will remain pinned down in place, removing them as a factory entirely.

Alternatively, Holy Candles can be placed near them, using their anti-spirit power alone to down them for a while, allowing you to use a Sword of Obedience or continue exploring in peace. Often just a few seconds of one burning candle is enough to take care of these weaker Old Type Ghosts.

Silver Bullets are also available to drop them in a single hit, but these are much better used on the more powerful Ghosts later in the game. Old Type Ghosts are much weaker and easier to down by normal means, but should still be avoided. Find a list of each Old Type Ghost below, while we'll cover the New Types individually lower down.

Victim 01

Appearance: Bald white male with dark clothing. Weakest and most common Ghost.
Location: Subway World, Apartment World, Forest World 2nd time, Outside Room 302.

Victim 04

Appearance: Shirtless white male with denim overalls, fit body and balding. Carries a trowel as a weapon, making him the most dangerous of the Old Type Ghosts.
Location: Forest World, Apartment World, Forest World 2nd time, Building World 2nd time.

Victim 10

Appearance: White male with brown jacket and jeans. Found with a Sword of Obedience stabbed into him. Feel free to take it since he's not too threatening.
Location: Building World, Forest World 2nd time, Building World 2nd time.

Victim 12

Appearance: White male wearing brown sports jacket with white arm stripes, yellow pants and a beanie hat.
Location: Building World, Building World 2nd time.

Victim 13

Appearance: White female with a dark blouse, long skirt and hat.
Location: Subway World, Apartment World, Subway World 2nd time.

Victim 14

Appearance: Black male with a red shirt, black vest and light brown pants.
Location: Subway World, Subway World 2nd time, Forest World 2nd time.

Ghosts (New Type)

All of these Ghost Victims are stronger and more powerful than the Old Types and are introduced in the second half of the game. Refer to the appropriate sections in the walkthrough for more detailed strategies for taking them down. Note that their names are not listed to avoid spoilers. Read more info in the Victim Files if interested.

Victim 16

Appearance: An attractive hispanic female with a red blouse, short dark skirt, and long dark hair that can wrap around you. Has "16/21" carved into her chest.
Location(s): Subway World 2nd time, Building World 2nd time, Outside Room 302.
Attacks: Inflicts light damage by being near you. She has no weapon so she will punch and grab a hold of Henry. Her hair can also tangle you up, allowing her to attack more easily.
Suggested Weapon(s): Pistol (Silver Bullet), Sword of Obedience, Rusty Axe, Spade, Holy Candle.

Strategy:
The most dangerous thing about this Ghost is that she can tangle you in her hair and hold you in place. While you cannot escape by running if trapped, you can always break free by smacking or shooting her. So don't get intimidated, just respond and escape. This Ghost can be quite a pain, especially towards the end of the Subway where she can trap you inside a narrow subway train.

This makes her a great candidate for one of the two main Silver Bullets, and certainly a Sword of Obedience. She is also the weakest to Holy Candles of the New Type Ghosts. Just one if placed near her can take her down and allow for a stabbing on its own. It will also generally neutralize her tangling hair when she's around it.

Otherwise, turn to the Rusty Axe or Spade to beat her down with regular and charge up attacks, although you'll notice she'll squirm away low on the floor like a snake. Don't let her get away and just keep pounding her until she stays down and can be stabbed.

Victim 17

Appearance: Hard to see precise details because this Ghost is quite literally on fire. Before his body became all burnt and charred he was a white male wearing dark clothing, and he holds a candlestick as a weapon. Has "17/21" carved across his chest.
Location(s): Forest World 2nd time, Building World 2nd time.
Attacks: Unlike other Ghosts, this Victim can take huge chunks out of your health by being near you for brief periods due to his fire (in addition to smaller chunks as usual). He will also smack you with his metallic candlestick and inflict a good bit of damage.
Suggested Weapon(s): Pistol (Silver Bullet), Sword of Obedience, Rusty Axe, Spade.

Strategy:
This Victim's special ability is a dangerous area of effect attack that will eat chunks of your health away rather than small bits when close enough for brief periods. He also holds a weapon that extends his range, so don't hang around him for long and ensure you've got a Saint Medallion for protection. Due to the open nature of the Forest World he's simply not as much of a threat as Victim 16 with her tangling hair in tight spaces. He does appear again in the Building World but can be avoided there as well. Therefore simply ignoring him may be the best strategy on most runs.

If you do feel compelled to take him out, a Silver Bullet is the quickest way but he's probably the least ideal candidate for one given how rare they are and how he isn't much of a bother. Instead, beat him down with the Rusty Axe or Spade, and use the Saint Medallion found in the same area he appears in. Keep on beating him with charge up attacks as Eileen potentially joins in and his flames will die out as he drops and can be stabbed.

Victim 17 is perhaps the most resistant to Holy Candles. They will repel him somewhat but less so than any other Ghost and he'll still continue to attack rather aggressively. Even two candles together don't seem to bring him down, so don't rely on this method.

Victim 18

Appearance: Fat and bloated white bald male, shirtless with blue pants. Sings indistinct songs as he floats around. Has "18/21" carved into his belly.
Location(s): Water Prison World 2nd time, Outside Room 302.
Attacks: Inflicts light damage by being near you. In addition to standard grab attacks, Victim 18 can perform a lethal barrel roll as he lunges towards you.
Suggested Weapon(s): Pistol (Silver Bullet), Sword of Obedience, Rusty Axe, Spade, Holy Candle.

Strategy:
What makes Victim 18 unique is that you will have to pin him with a Sword of Obedience to acquire his key and advance, making him the only forced Ghost encounter in the game. This together with him being an incredibly resilient and annoying Ghost makes him the most ideal candidate for a Silver Bullet out of all Ghosts. Save yourself the trouble and pump him with the silver and stab him.

Holy Candles are known to work decently on him as well, although it may take two of them, best placed at the same time. Just try to make him float in a circle around your candles. Also ensure he looks like he's not about to leave to somewhere else before placing your candles.

If you're unlucky enough to have to fight him by normal means, keep to the narrow staircase he's found in cause he'll wander around and waste so much time in the open basement. He'll regularly float backwards away from you, so just keep moving up to beat him down. Unleash regular and charge up attacks as much as you can with the Rusty Axe or Spade, dropping him several times until he can finally be stabbed. He's probably the most difficult Ghost to fight in the game. Feel free to take the Sword back after getting his key because he's only found once more in a single apartment during Outside Room 302.

Victim 19

Appearance: White male with a blue shirt, tie and brown pants. Holds a crowbar as a weapon, walks on his own two feet and teleports back and forth. Suffers from electrocution burns, often stuttering as he swings as a side effect. Has "19/21" carved into his forehead.
Location(s): Building World 2nd time, Outside Room 302.
Attacks: Swings with his crowbar, dealing moderate damage. Hard to predict since he teleports to and fro during battle. Sometimes his stuttering will help give you more time to hit him before his attack lands. Sometimes will go for punches too.
Suggested Weapon(s): Pistol (Silver Bullet), Sword of Obedience, Rusty Axe, Spade, Holy Candle.

Strategy:
Victim 19 is the most unique Ghost in the game. He is the only one who walks on his own feet but what makes him special is he can teleport short distances as you're fighting him, even while he's swinging. This can make him unpredictable and a challenge to fight. As a threat he is similar to Victim 16 given both have a unique ability that makes them hard to avoid and both will hound you in a tight area late in the world they are found.

With Victim 19, that's a narrow staircase near the end of the Building World 2nd time. Victim 18 should always get one of your Silver Bullets, but it's up to you to use the second on Victim 16 or 19, who are both good candidates. If fighting normally, bank on your charge up attack with the Rusty Axe or Spade, which will always track him as he teleports around, erasing a good chunk of his advantage. Beat him until he won't get up and stab a Sword into him. Unless you wish to run past him which is always an option, but prepare to fight back a bit or be quick in that late staircase.

by Andrew Haffenden aka Conquerer (Silent Hill 4: The Room FAQ/Walkthrough )