Summary
Rather than a single main hero like in theBatman: Arkhamgames orDead Space,Resident Evilis a franchise that loves to expand its lore and feature a different protagonist in almost every single game. They range from everyday people to specially trained police officers, all of whom are doing the same thing: survive an outbreak of zombies and/or monsters.
WithResident Evilspanning across many mainline games, multiple remakes, and sideline games, some protagonists have had the chance to return. Sometimes they came back as the main characters, while in other cases, those characters were only playable as a bonus, with some appearing over a dozen times.
10Ethan Winters
Playable In Two Resident Evil Games
AfterResident Evil 6went in a more over-the-top action-packed style akin to a Michael Bay film, the series returned to its roots witha more grounded survival horrorinResident Evil 7: Biohazard. Rather than bring back a classic character on another adventure, the game introducedEthan Winters, a faceless protagonist that led a more self-contained story.
Ethan is an ordinary man, not a cop or soldier, who fights for survival inResident Evil 7. In the sequel,Resident Evil: Village, he becomes a father trying to rescue his daughter from monsters. He’s a relatable hero who only appears in two games before meeting his end in his second outing.
9Sherry Birkin
Playable In Three Resident Evil Games
Harking back to Newt from James Cameron’sAliens,Sherry Birkinis one of three protagonists inResident Evil 2whom Claire Redfield spends much time protecting in her scenario. The player controls her temporarily in both versions ofResident Evil 2, and despite her age, she proves to be a likable and capable protagonist.
Given that she is the daughter of William Birkin, the creator of the G-Virus, Sherry is a vital part of the lore. This is why fans were happy to see the character return as an adult inResident Evil 6as one of the main protagonists, allied with Jake Muller for one of three main campaigns. Even thoughResident Evil 6is a detested game, Sherry was considered a highlight.
8Carlos Oliveira
Playable In Four Resident Evil Games
Carlos Oliverira is a soldier working for Umbrella who was only playable for a brief segment in the originalResident Evil 3: Nemesis. Instead, most of the game focused on Jill Valentine as the main character. Carlos would get a more expanded role in the on-rail shooter,Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, and then be available in the Hero Mode for Operation Raccoon City.
WhenResident Evil 3was remade in 2020, Carlos was given the biggest upgrade with even more chapters from his perspective. Capcom gave him even more development and a better portrayal that gives him more personality than the original.Since his fate is relatively unknownpost-Resident Evil 3, Carlos has some fans hoping for his return in future games.
7Rebecca Chambers
Playable In Six Resident Evil Games
Though she began as a briefly playable character in the original Resident Evil,Rebecca Chambersof S.T.A.R.S. would graduate to main protagonist in the prequel titledResident Evil 0. Not only is she smart, but she’s intuitive, which is what earned her a spot in S.T.A.R.S. even though she was barely out of high school.
Rebecca Chambers proved herself to be capable when she had to work with Billy Coen in the events ofResident Evil 0, but found herself forgotten by the franchise until returning in the Gold version ofResident Evil 5as a DLC character. The last time Rebecca was playable was inResident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, which had no plot.
6Ada Wong
Playable In Eight Resident Evil Games
One of Resident Evil’s most mysterious characters is Ada Wong, who often interacts with Leon Kennedy throughout his adventures, fromResident Evil 2toResident Evil 6in the long and convoluted timeline. Part of what makes Ada so interesting is that it’s unclear if she is good or evil; even when she helps prevent the entire world from being destroyed, there is always an agenda with her.
Fans quickly fell in love with the brief Ada Wong segments in Resident Evil 2, which led to her making numerous appearances throughout the series. She would even get her own scenario in Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 6. She’s almostlike a James Bond characterthat got dropped into a zombie-infested universe, but she became a beloved character.
5Claire Redfield
Playable In Nine Resident Evil Games
Introduced inResident Evil 2as one of two new protagonists,Claire Redfieldis the younger sister of Chris Redfield from the first game. Through her and Leon’s perspectives, gamers witnessedthe fall of Raccoon Citydue to the spread of the T-Virus, which mutated the dead into zombies.
Claire would be cemented as a fan-favorite character with her story focusing on protecting Sherry Birkin and stopping the G-Virus from spreading. Since then, she has appeared in multiple games afterward, most notably being the main character ofResident Evil CODE: Veronicaand Resident Evil: Revelations 2.
4Leon Kennedy
Playable In 11 Resident Evil Games
Capcom seemed to have a fondness forLeon Kennedyfrom the beginning, portraying him as a young cop who must face a zombie apocalypse on his first day. He would go on to feature in several sequels, particularly the two versions ofResident Evil 4, where he takes on the role of the main protagonist and serves as a member of the United States Secret Service.
Leon Kennedy is known for being the typical action hero,with a lot of cheesy one-linersand doing far more than even the most trained spec ops soldiers. Yet fans can’t get enough of him, which has helped the character become one of the poster-children for the entire Resident Evil franchise.
3Jill Valentine
Playable In 12 Resident Evil Games
When the Resident Evil franchise first began in 1996,Jill Valentinewas the original protagonist that started it all with that famous venture through the Spencer Mansion. She is a skilled member of S.T.A.R.S. who has faced off against zombies, mutated animals, and numerous B.O.W.s,including the famous Nemesisin both versions ofResident Evil 3.
Over the years, Jill Valentine has seen a lot of changes; not just in her appearance, but also her character. InResident Evil 5, she spent time as both a hero and a brainwashed villain before becoming a main protagonist in Resident Evil: Revelations alongside her original partner, Chris Redfield.
2Hunk
Playable In 13 Resident Evil Games
Also known as The Fourth Survivor,Hunkis a mysterious character with no voice or backstory, but he’s a character who has stood the test of time. His scenario is a bonus added to games like Resident Evil 2, unlocked when a player completes both main scenarios, allowing them to play through the events of a story from yet another perspective.
Hunk is the leader of Alpha Team within the Umbrella Security Service, assigned to steal the G-Virus from William Birkin. This mission resulted in the death of his entire team during the fall of Raccoon City. He became the sole survivor andhas since been a regular characterin theResident Evilseries, appearing as an unlockable character in multiple games, even as a bonus.
1Chris Redfield
Playable In 16 Resident Evil Games
When it comes to characters, people tend to think of either Leon Kennedy orChris Redfield. He began as a S.T.A.R.S. member in the first game and proved to be a formidable opponent to all the zombies and monsters in this universe. Being there from the start allowed for fans to become attached and then return in multiple sequels.
One of the most notable aspects of Chris is his dramatic change in appearance. He starts off as a mostly average, cop-like character, but evolves into anearly super-soldier-like figurewhen he becomes the main character again in Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6. In the last two sequels, he continues to be a legacy character, assisting Ethan Winters as much as possible during his journey.
