Throughout the years, the Resident Evil franchise has produced notable characters, some of which rose to popularity among other iconic characters in the entire video game history. Now, while we wait for Capcom to reveal the next entry in the series, let’s take a look at Resident Evil’s best heroes and villains
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10 Ethan Winters (Hero)
First and Last Appearance: Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017)
Among the many characters that were featured in Resident Evil games, Ethan Winters is probably the most human of them all. His lack of experience in combat and surviving life-threatening situations made his appearance on Resident Evil 7 all the more terrifying. Although it may be a bit difficult to connect with the mostly faceless character (due to RE7’s first-person perspective), Ethan proved to be a hero in his own right, after saving the life of his wife under the hands of Eveline and the Bakers. Not to mention, Ethan lost his arm and sustained multiple stabbings from his wife but was still able to make it out alive and singlehandedly defeat Eveline and the Bakers in their mutated forms.
9 Chris Redfield (Hero)
First Appearance: Resident Evil (1996), Last Appearance: Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017)
Chris Redfield is one of Resident Evil’s original protagonists and has since become the character with the most appearances in Resident Evil games. Chris started as a police officer serving under RPD’s S.T.A.R.S. unit. Along with Jill Valentine, Chris was able to uncover the mystery behind the mansion incident and has made it his lifelong mission to protect the world from the threats of bioterrorism. His skills in combat, loyalty to his colleagues, and genuine concern for the life of innocents have certainly earned Chris the title of the all-around hero of the series.
8 Claire Redfield (Hero)
First Appearance: Resident Evil 2 (1998), Last Appearance: Resident Evil 2 Remake (2019)
After losing contact with her brother Chris, Claire set out to Raccoon City to find him. Unbeknownst to her, the city has already succumbed to the T-virus infection trapping her along with rookie police officer Leon Kennedy. What makes Claire memorable in the series is the instant development of her character through a single game, and her relatable personality being one of the few civilians in this list. Claire singlehandedly saved the life of the young Sherry Birkin, caring for her when she got infected with the G-virus. Claire soon found herself as one of the rare survivors of Raccoon City and has since joined the non-governmental human rights organization TerraSave, in a mission to eradicate the threats of bioterrorism from the face of the planet.
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7 Leon S. Kennedy (Hero)
First Appearance: Resident Evil 2 (1998), Last Appearance: Resident Evil 2 Remake (2019)
One of the most popular characters in the franchise, Leon S. Kennedy had his humble beginnings as a rookie cop about to start his first day at work in the Raccoon Police Department. Unlike original protagonists Chris and Jill, Leon wasn’t a skilled and highly trained police officer. Despite this, he was able to survive the Raccoon City incident transforming him from an ordinary guy to extraordinary overnight. He soon became one of the people leading the fight against bioterrorism through his work as an agent of the government. His calm and trustworthy personality combined with his genuine concern to protect innocent lives makes Leon one of the best heroes the series have seen thus far.
6 Jill Valentine (Hero)
First Appearance: Resident Evil (1996), Last Appearance: Resident Evil Revelations (2012)
Although starting out as the character for players who want to start the game easy in the first Resident Evil game, Jill quickly transformed as one of the franchise’s most capable heroes. During her comeback game in Resident Evil 3, Jill singlehandedly defeated Nemesis, who is the most advanced and menacing tyrant at the time. Her ability to work in a calm and orderly fashion amidst a stressful environment and her impressive skills in combat allowed Jill to lead the fight against bioterrorism as she founded the BSAA alongside Chris Redfield. However, after an encounter with Wesker, Jill sacrificed herself to save Chris and ended up being a mind-controlled captive. After years of being forced to do Wesker’s bidding, Jill, with the help of Chris and Sheva, was able to come out of captivity and aided the two in killing Wesker once and for all, preventing a global outbreak that would kill millions.
5 Mr. X (Villain)
First Appearance: Resident Evil 2 (1998), Last Appearance: Resident Evil 2 Remake (2019)
During Mr. X’s first appearance in Resident Evil 2, it is evident that he is an upgraded version of the original tyrant from the previous game. While he was pretty scary during back in 1998, Mr. X really made a mark in the series during his return with the 2019 remake of Resident Evil 2. His relentless pursuit of the player brought about a terrifying and intense ordeal, given that no weapons in the game can stop him from his mission.
4 William Birkin (Villain)
First Appearance: Resident Evil 2 (1998), Last Appearance: Resident Evil 2 Remake (2019)
William Birkin is the definition of a mad scientist. After working alongside Albert Wesker as researchers in the mansion, Birkin was transferred to the Raccoon City facility where he continued his work on the G-virus. When Umbrella failed to give Birkin a promotion, the scientist betrayed Umbrella and attempted to sell the G-virus to the US Military, who are also conducting their own bioweapons project. Umbrella then attempted to retrieve a sample of the G-virus from Birkin, which led to the events triggering the outbreak in Raccoon City, killing a hundred thousand innocent civilians.
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3 Nemesis (Villain)
First and Last Appearance: Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (1999)
Who could forget Nemesis from Resident Evil 3? While the tyrants from previous games were scary enough, none would ever live up to the way Nemesis traumatized players when he killed Brad Vickers in front of Jill Valentine. This scene alone was more than enough to foreshadow what players would have to face as they play the game. Apart from his terrifying look, Nemesis is also the most threatening of all the tyrants. He runs, carries weapons, and has impressive tracking skills, making him the perfect example of what a bioweapon can do.
2 Ozwell E. Spencer (Villain)
First and Last Appearance: Resident Evil 5 (2009)
While not as famous as everyone else in the list, Ozwell E. Spencer is considered as the source of all evil in Resident Evil’s lore. Spencer is the man behind the vast Umbrella Corporation who pioneered the research on viruses and how it can be manipulated to create mindless yet obedient bioweapons. The Umbrella Corporation’s founder is also one of the most mysterious villains in Resident Evil’s history given that the only time we actually see him in the game is during his death in Resident Evil 5. Yes, it took Capcom thirteen years to finally show Spencer in the game, dying in the hands of Resident Evil’s best villain.
1 Albert Wesker (Villain)
First Appearance: Resident Evil (1996), Last Appearance: Resident Evil 5 (2009)
Albert Wesker is no doubt one of the most prominent villains in Resident Evil’s history. Ever since the first game, Wesker and his dark sunglasses have always been involved in every single tragedy that happened in Resident Evil’s first five games. The spin-off title, Resident Evil: the Umbrella Chronicles gave players a preview of the villain’s goals and his continued effort to achieve global domination. Without the intervention of Chris, Jill, and Sheva during the events of Resident Evil 5, Wesker would have been successful in spreading Uroboros around the world, which would ultimately result to the deaths of millions if not billions of people.
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