Simon Henriksson

Are you looking for Book Simon? Or perhaps Sick Simon?

“	I've always felt alone. My whole life. For as long as I can remember. I don't know if I like it or if I'm used to it, but I know this; being lonely does things to you. Feeling shit and bitter and angry all the time just... eats away at you...	”
	^{— Simon in the intro of Cry of Fear}

Simon Henriksson, or simply known as Simon, is the protagonist of Cry of Fear.

He is voiced by Stig "DragonNOR" Sydtangen, who also voiced the main character in the Half-Life 2: Episode Two horror mod Grey, in addition to several other projects. For more information, check out his website.

Overview

Simon Henriksson is the protagonist of Cry of Fear, a 19-year-old who lives with his mother. Real-life cutscenes depict him residing in a separate apartment on his own, with almost no mention of a father or other relatives. Simon’s personal life remains largely shrouded in mystery, as his doctor notes that he refuses to discuss topics related to his school or home life.

Simon is characterized by his struggles with mental health, particularly depression and anxiety. Evidence of self-harm is visible through the cuts on his left wrist, which are revealed when the player uses morphine syringes to heal in the game.

Despite his challenges, Simon has an interest in art and photography, which may serve as an outlet for his emotions. He also enjoys listening to DSBM (Depressive Suicidal Black Metal), contrary to the band patches on his bag, which are confirmed not to reflect his actual music taste.^[1]

Simon is straight^[1], and his only friend appears to be Sophie, for whom he harbors unreciprocated romantic feelings. Their relationship is complicated, as Sophie views Simon as a close friend but does not share his deeper affections, contributing to his sense of isolation and despair.

Background

Simon's life before the events of Cry of Fear is hinted at through dialogue and flashbacks. Simon grew up in his hometown of Kirkville with his mother. Nothing is mentioned about his father however, and it is unknown if Simon even met him. Through Simon's introduction quote, he claims that he has felt alone his entire life, which indicates that he felt as though he did not have many friends and lived alone most of the time, with the only company coming from his mother. It is hinted that Simon's mother is overprotective as proven by the text messages she sends him throughout the game, likely meaning Simon did not socialize often in his younger years.

During his lifetime, Doctor Purnell states that Simon has lived with mental problems for a long time, which has proven to be anxiety and depression, which Simon claims to be generated by his loneliness (in Simon's words from the IRL Trailer, he claims that "Anxiety and depression controls my life every day"^[2]). Simon would occasionally take a train to Stockholm and take lonely walks around the city, most likely to help him take his mind off being lonely. Simon is shown to be an occasional smoker – seen clearly in his apartment where he has an ashtray on his table and in the cigarette easter egg, which might prove the stress he endures. From the appearance of Simon's bag it is implied that he is a fan of heavy metal music, and from the logo on the back of his hoodie he either has attended concerts, or instead it is merely a miscellaneous detail.

When Simon started college, he met a girl named Sophie who he became fond of. Simon became close to Sophie after helping her with the problems she had endured, going as far as to say that Simon was the only male at college who would help her through her troubling times, making her life "more bearable." Eventually, Simon became so attached to Sophie that he came to the conclusion that he loved her and eventually built enough courage to confess this to her, but she rejected him. Even after Simon insisted that he loved her, she backed away from him, saying that she "had to leave for somewhere." Sophie's rejection debilitated Simon deeply, and he went as far as to blame himself for her choosing to reject him, leaving him unable to move past the pain of her rejection. Depending on gameplay, Simon will either ignore his emotions, allowing them to fester to the point where they punish both Simon and Sophie, or despite being hurt, move on.

At some unknown point, Simon obtained a switchblade. It is unknown where he obtained it or his reason for wanting one. However, he likely used the blade to cut his wrist, as seen throughout the game when Simon injects himself with morphine that he has scars on his wrist, and in the Memories custom campaign, he cuts his wrist with the switchblade in the beginning (although the Memories custom campaign is not canon). This is most likely due to the emotional turmoil that he felt from Sophie's rejection or the stress he feels from his loneliness.

Story

Simon is an individual diagnosed with anxiety and depression. Before the events of Cry of Fear (as seen in the first cutscene of the game), Simon was the victim of a hit-and-run in which he was pinned to a building by a car whilst trying to help an injured man late at night. While he surprisingly survived the incident, he was paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life, subjecting him to further mental trauma which drove him into becoming reclusive and spiteful of his own life. Doctor Purnell was assigned as Simon's psychiatrist following the accident, and using cognitive therapy, Simon was instructed to write a book about his emotions and anxiety to get all the trauma out of his head that he had suffered from what he insists on calling "The Black Day".

Simon and Purnell — Purnell talking with Simon about his treatment

Simon authored the book as instructed, and the events of Cry of Fear begin – the events unfolding being a metaphorical depiction of Simon's mind and his battle to purge his inner demons through writing, with the actions taken during the game showing how well the therapy works. During the events of Cry of Fear, Simon is confronting his trauma directly by writing the events into the book, with each boss fight representing a major point in his life where he has suffered some form of trauma, and the many in-game metaphors representing the state of his mind.

The Simon played as over the course of Cry of Fear is in fact a mental projection of Simon and what combats the trauma inside the real one's mind. The fate of both Simons depends on what ending is unlocked due to the actions made during the game.

His Fate

In the first three endings of the game, Simon commits suicide with slight variations on the fates of the other characters around him. The real Simon ending his own life is shown metaphorically in his mind as the projection that Simon is subjected to another nightmare, forced to work his way to Sick Simon still stuck in his wheelchair. A fight ensues that ends with the fake Simon mercilessly beating Sick Simon unconscious before strangling him to death, killing himself in the process and ending the game with one of the first three endings with Simon leaving a declaration in his book.

Ending 1

Sick — Simon as the final boss in the first 3 endings (bad endings)

This ending is unlocked if Simon spares Carcass and refuses to trust Doctor Purnell in the asylum. The therapy fails entirely, and Simon develops a deep hatred for the world around him. He begins to exhibit signs of paranoid schizophrenia, evidenced by his delusion that the world views him negatively, as well as misanthropy. This leads him into a deeply depressive spiral of self-destruction.

Simon becomes convinced that Sophie, Doctor Purnell, and everyone who claimed to care about him were secretly looking down on him because of his disability and never truly cared. Writing the book does not alleviate his pain; instead, it exacerbates his depression.

The combination of his depressive spiral, growing misanthropy, and anger over what he perceives as betrayal by Sophie and mockery by Doctor Purnell becomes unbearable for Simon. Consumed by psychotic rage, he murders both Sophie and Doctor Purnell. Before committing suicide, Simon leaves a very macabre and sinister suicide note in his diary, which expresses his belief that the world was laughing at him because of his disability, explaining in a justifying sense that he was in the right to kill Sophie and Purnell, he even confesses that if it wasn't for his disability that he would have committed worse atrocities and even goes on to attack whoever finds his remains, wishing for whoever found the suicide note to suffer and become haunted from his dead body.

Ending 2

This ending is unlocked if Simon spares Carcass but trusts Doctor Purnell and provides him with the requested gun. In this ending, Simon expresses respect for Purnell and acknowledges his efforts to help him. However, Simon ultimately concludes that his life is meaningless and cannot move past the pain caused by Sophie’s rejection. In a possessive and selfish act, he murders Sophie, unwilling to let anyone else have her. Before taking his own life, Simon leaves a suicide note in his diary, apologizing to Purnell for the failure of the therapy but thanking him for genuinely trying to help.

Ending 3

Suicidal — Simon after committing suicide

This ending is unlocked if Simon kills Carcass but refuses to give Doctor Purnell his gun. Serving as a reverse of Ending 2, this conclusion sees Simon grappling with the pain of Sophie’s rejection and the guilt over the damage his descent into depression and psychosis has caused her. However, he ultimately forgives her and moves past the rejection, even coming to regard her as the only person who truly cared about him.

Despite this growth, Simon never fully trusts Doctor Purnell. He concludes that his treatment and the book therapy only worsened his condition, realizing that the therapy merely highlighted how broken he was. In a fit of self-absorbed revenge, Simon murders Doctor Purnell. Before taking his own life, he leaves a suicide note pleading with anyone who finds his remains not to show Sophie, demonstrating how much he cared for her in the end.

Ending 4

2013-04-26 00013 — Simon in ending 4, preparing to face his evil counterpart

Arguably the "good" ending, this conclusion is unlocked by killing Carcass and trusting Doctor Purnell with the gun. In this ending, Simon does not harm Sophie or Doctor Purnell, nor does he commit suicide. Instead, he is prevented from doing so by a psychosis-induced hallucination in which Book Simon intervenes.

The real Simon navigates another nightmare while confined to his wheelchair, engaging in a running gunfight with his mental counterpart. Ultimately, Simon triumphs, shooting his nightmarish visage to death. This act symbolizes his mind no longer needing the projection and signifies his release from the accumulated stress of his trauma.

The psychosis ends, revealing that Simon did not actually shoot his twisted self but rather two police officers who had entered his apartment to check on him. Doctors testify in court that Simon was experiencing psychosis at the time. Although he feels immense guilt for killing the officers, he is committed to a mental hospital, likely for the rest of his life.

Doctor Purnell continues to serve as Simon’s counselor and mentor, a role Simon is grateful for. Sophie regularly visits Simon in the hospital when permitted, though doctors note that her visits are "destabilizing" for him. Despite noticing that Sophie has found a new male friend, Simon wishes her nothing but the best, demonstrating his growth and acceptance.

In his book, Simon writes himself a happy ending, symbolizing his ability to come to terms with his depression and begin the process of healing.

Secret Ending

David has the fault — David in the secret ending

After the brutal collision, Simon wakes up pinned to a wall, confronted by a man who blames his intoxicated state for causing the crash. The man is revealed to be none other than David Leatherhoff, the protagonist of Afraid of Monsters. Simon reacts with anger towards David, exclaiming, "What the fuck? You...?" in a manner suggesting he recognizes David. He then threatens David, vowing that he’ll “regret this,” prompting David to flee the scene despite Simon being immobilized.

This ending is unlocked if the player mails the “Secret Package” to the mailbox located near the college.

David appears exactly as he does in Afraid of Monsters, with no redesign or new model created for his inclusion. This mirrors the Silent Hill 2 UFO Ending, where Harry Mason appears before James Sunderland exactly as he appeared in the first game.

Despite apologizing to Simon and engaging in dialogue, David’s voice is never heard. Given the tone of the scene and the associated file names, it is highly likely that this ending is intended as a joke or Easter egg.

Doctor's Story

Doctorstoryending — Simon's book burning

Simon is not directly seen or heard in Doctor’s Story, but he is mentioned. In this storyline, Doctor Purnell enters Simon’s apartment and destroys his book, an act showing the doctor’s attempt to erase the traumatic events and psychological turmoil documented within it.

The aftermath of this action and its impact on Simon’s mental health remain ambiguous. It is unclear whether Simon’s depression and anxiety improved following the destruction of his book or if the act further exacerbated his condition. The story leaves Simon’s fate open to interpretation, leaving a lingering feeling of uncertainty surrounding his recovery.

Co-op Campaign

Couple — Arguably the happiest outcome in Cry of Fear

The Co-op Campaign serves as a final "epilogue" scenario, in which several police officers enter Simon's book/mental realm, intending for unknown reasons to change Simon's past and save him from the hit-and-run accident he suffered. The campaign concludes with a scene of the police successfully travelling through time and managing to reach the location where Simon was hit by the car prior to the events of the game. Having arrived just moments before Simon was going to be hit, they arrest the driver of the car before the accident can happen, and thus prevent Simon from ever being crippled, and by extension, preventing the horrifying events of the game entirely. A short scene is then shown of Simon and Sophie, having apparently begun a relationship after all, walking down the sidewalk, holding hands.

Simon over the process of Cry of Fear

Simon has changed a lot

Simon’s character model underwent significant changes throughout the development of Cry of Fear. In the game’s early stages, his model featured fewer polygons and had a more gloomy appearance, complete with dry tears on his face. Notably, Simon did not carry his bag during this period, despite the inventory being larger than it is now.

Simon escape — First Simon model, as seen in one of the first trailers released

The second model more closely resembles the Simon familiar to players. This version includes his iconic bag and features improved graphics, though it differs slightly in appearance. Simon’s hair is sharper, and his facial features are notably different. While all models are based on ruMpel’s face, this iteration has less pronounced red/pink lips and a more tanned skin tone compared to the current version.

Trivia

Simon's full name, Simon Henriksson, can be found on the Strange Package earned in Ending 4.
Simon's name was inspired by the character of the same name from Simon the Sorcerer.^[1]
In the IRL Trailer, Simon explains that he knows his mother is okay^[2], but in the game when he arrives at his house he hopes for his mother to be okay.
The back of Simon's hoodie appears to be the logo from a public event called the "Freedom Music Festival".
Though it may be for user-friendly purposes, Simon dual-wields a hand-gun or a melee weapon in his left hand and another optional item (such as a light source) in his right hand. This could imply that Simon may be left-handed, or even ambidextrous.
- In real life the P345 is not an ambidextrous weapon, and is designed for right-handed shooters, so it is likely that Simon wouldn't find it easy or comfortable to use with his left hand.
Simon's first model is still found in the first nightmare sequence, when he punches the mirror.
- Simon's first model can also be found in the depressed Simon easter egg.
One of the hurt sounds of Simon is in fact cursing. The line is Aaah... Fan!, which translates from Swedish to Aaah... Damn!