The Resident Evil franchise cycles through main characters fairly often. Frankly, it’s a major part of the series’ appeal at this point – and certainly to be expected. The games have been playing around with their protagonists since the very beginning: Resident Evil 1 was Chris and Jill’s story, 2 was Claire and Leon’s, 3, was just Jill‘s, and Code: Veronica was Claire’s and Chris’. Notably, the transition from Resident Evil 7 to Village marked the first time the main character stayed consistent between two titles.
Needless to say, not every Resident Evil main character gets the same amount of spotlight. Characters like Chris and Leon keep coming back for more, while the likes of Jill and Rebecca are left to the wayside, waiting for inevitable remakes to bring them back into the fold. With Resident Evil 4 (2023) out now, Leon has once again taken his place in the spotlight.
Updated on April 23, 2023, by Howard W.: Resident Evil 4 Remake is out in the world, which has fans reliving some of their favorite thrills, and experiencing revitalizing new additions to the popular franchise. Whether through immersive details, or non-stop on-edge gaming, the Resident Evil franchise remains a fan favorite, and has proven itself capable of updating for the times.
15 Rosemary Winters
1 Game
Rosemary, better known as Rose, is Ethan Winters’ daughter. Ethan risks leg and limb putting himself in danger to save an infant Rose during the events of Resident Evil Village. Sadly, this means Rose grows up without a father and is seemingly estranged from her mother Mia. The closest thing she has to a parent is Chris.
Rose appears in:
-
Resident Evil Village
(2021)
Rose’s first (and so far only) playable appearance was in Resident Evil Village‘s story DLC, Shadows of Rose. Her play style is a blend of classic Resident Evil (slow, no dodge or block, few weapons) mixed with her more outlandish Mold-based powers. Although Capcom claims that the Winters’ story is over, Shadows of Rose feels like a new chapter for Rosemary. That said, it’s not unusual for Resident Evil to abruptly drop main characters, so Rose’s chances of not being in Resident Evil 9 are fairly high.
14 Sheva Alomar
1 Game
Sheva partnered with Chris Redfield as part of the BSAA in West Africa after Los Plagas ravaged the area. She functions as the co-lead throughout Resident Evil 5 and is the secondary playable character when playing co-op mode.
Sheva appears in:
Sheva has yet to return after her sole appearance in RE5, making her something of an anomaly as far as Resident Evil‘s main characters go. Only time will tell if she’ll be seen again, let alone in a playable form.
13 Jake Muller
2 Games
Jake Muller is a mercenary who was dragged into the series when his group was tasked with launching the C-Virus. He’s one of four main characters in Resident Evil 6 and is revealed to be the son of Albert Wesker.
Jake appears in:
-
Resident Evil 6
(2012) -
Umbrella Corps
(2016)
After the events of RE6, Jake decides to forge a new, better path. Given the series’ recent focus on the Winters family, it’s unlikely Jake will pop back up anytime soon.
12 Billy Coen
2 Games
Billy Coen made his first appearance in Resident Evil 0, teaming up with Rebecca Chambers before the events of RE1. Coen is an escaped convict and ex-marine, and the two try to escape the horrors of Spencer Mansion by working together.
Billy appears in:
-
Resident Evil 0
(2002) -
Umbrella Chronicles
(2007)
While the two make it out successfully, Billy hasn’t been seen or heard from since, and he realistically would have died somewhere in the Arklay Mountains.
11 Ethan Winters
2 Games
Ethan Winters made his Resident Evil debut searching for his girlfriend, Mia, at the Baker House. Little did he know, his wife’s history with bioweapons would come to take over his life and was tied to her presence at the Baker House.
Ethan appears in:
-
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
(2017) -
Reisdent Evil Village
(2021)
While Ethan and Mia tried to settle down after the events of RE7, Village brought them right back into the fray. Ethan’s daughter, Rosemary, is the main character of Shadows of Rose, which sets up Village‘s epilogue.
10 Carlos Oliveira
3 Games
Carlos Oliveira was an Umbrella mercenary who worked with Jill Valentine during the fall of Raccoon City. He helped her survive Nemesis’ many attacks and ultimately escaped the city via helicopter with her.
Carlos appears in:
-
Resident Evil 3
(
Nemesis:
1999 /
Remake
: 2020) -
Umbrella Chronicles
(2007) -
Operation Raccoon City
(2012)
Like Billy Coen, Carlos Oliveira hasn’t been seen or heard from since their main appearance. Unlike Billy, however, Carlos is more than likely still alive and kicking. Whether or not he’s kept up with Jill is another matter entirely.
9 Ada Wong
6 Games
Ada Wong is a spy and perpetual double agent whose appearances tend to line up with Leon S. Kennedy’s.
Ada appears in:
-
Resident Evil 2
(
Original:
1998 /
Remake:
2019) -
Resident Evil 4
(2005 & 2023) -
Umbrella Chronicles
(2007) -
Darkside Chronicles
(2009) -
Operation Raccoon City
(2012) -
Resident Evil 6
(2012)
While Ada’s last major appearance was in Resident Evil 6, concept art for Resident Evil Village shows that she was supposed to be part of the plot at some point. Notably, Ada Wong is back in Resident Evil 4 (2023).
8 Albert Wesker
6 Games
Albert Wesker is a former member of S.T.A.R.S. and the closest thing Resident Evil had to a main villain between RE1 and 5.
Wesker appears in:
-
Resident Evil
(
Original
: 1996 /
Remake
: 2002) -
Code: Veronica
(200) -
Umbrella Chronicles
(2007) -
Resident Evil 5
(2009) -
Darkside Chronicles
(2009) -
The Mercenaries 3D
(2011)
Although Wesker hasn’t been seen since his defeat in Resident Evil 5, it’s only a matter of time until the remakes finally reintroduce him. The Resident Evil 4 remake stays faithful, and Wesker shows up in the game’s post-credits scene.
7 Rebecca Chambers
7 Games
Rebecca Chambers was a medic for Bravo Team and the sole survivor from her unit. While she and Billy work together to get through Resident Evil 0 in one piece, she’s clearly running on fumes by the time she meets Chris in RE1.
Rebecca appears in:
-
Resident Evil
(
Original
: 1996 /
Remake:
2002) -
Resident Evil 2
(
Original:
1998 /
Remake
: 2019) -
Resident Evil 0
(2002) -
Umbrella Chronicles
(2007) -
Resident Evil 5
(2009) -
The Mercenaries 3D
(2011)
Most of Rebecca’s appearances are either non-canon (RE5 and The Mercenaries), easter eggs (RE2), or just versions of the Arklay Mountain/Spencer Mansion incident (RE1, 0, and Umbrella Chronicles).
6 Barry Burton
7 Games
Barry Burton helped Jill Valentine survive the events at the Spencer Mansion in the original Resident Evil despite working alongside Wesker for most of the game.
Barry appears in:
-
Resident Evil
(
Original
: 1996 /
Remake
: 2002) -
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
(1999) -
Resident Evil Gaiden
(2001) -
Resident Evil 5
(2009) -
The Mercenaries 3D
(2011) -
Revelations 2
(2015) -
Umbrella Corps
(2016)
Even though Barry has appeared in more Resident Evil games than most members of the cast, Revelations 2 was the first time he actually got to be a main playable character.
5 Claire Redfield
8 Games
Claire Redfield arrived in Raccoon City during the outbreak while looking for her brother, Chris. There, she met Leon S. Kennedy, and the two have been entwined in Umbrella drama ever since.
Claire appears in:
-
Resident Evil 2
(
Original
: 1998 /
Remake
: 2020) -
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
(1999) -
Code: Veronica
(2000) -
Survivor 2 – Code: Veronica
(2001) -
Darkside Chronicles
(2009) -
The Mercenaries 3D
(2011) -
Operation Raccoon City
(2012) -
Revelations 2
(2015)
Claire is the co-lead for both Resident Evil 2 and Code: Veronica, sharing the spotlight with Leon and Chris, respectively. While Capcom is skipping Code: Veronica in favor of Resident Evil 4 for the time being, a remake could give Claire the spotlight she’s always deserved.
4 Leon S. Kennedy
8 Games
Leon S. Kennedy is a fan-favorite main character and arguably the face of Resident Evil for a lot of fans – especially those who got their start in the series with RE4. Leon was just a rookie cop when he came face to face with Umbrella for the first time, and he’s dedicated his life to stopping bio-terrorism ever since.
Leon appears in :
-
Resident Evil 2
(
Original
: 1998 /
Remake
: 2020) -
Resident Evil 3: Nemsis
(1999) -
Resident Evil 4
(2005 & 2023) -
Darkside Chronicles
(2009) -
Operation Raccoon City
(2012) -
Resident Evil 6
(2012) -
Revelations 2
(2015) -
Umbrella Corps
(2016)
Everyone’s favorite Resident Evil protagonist gets a noteworthy update in Resident Evil 4 (2023).
3 Jill Valentine
9 Games
Jill was the original face of the franchise before Leon and the closest thing Resident Evil had to a main character before Chris firmly took that role for himself. She was one of the only survivors of the Spencer Mansion incident and escaped Nemesis during the fall of Raccoon City.
Jill appears in:
-
Resident Evil
(
Original
: 1996 /
Remake
: 2002) -
Resident Evil 3
(
Original:
1999 /
Remake
: 2020) -
Umbrella Chronicles
(2007) -
Resident Evil 5
(2009) -
The Mercenaries 3D
(2011) -
Revelations
(2012) -
Operation Raccoon City
(2012) -
Revelations 2
(2015) -
Resistance
(2020)
While Jill remains an important part of Resident Evil‘s history, her role has been severely limited since RE5 and Revelations. The Resident Evil 3 Remake was her first real chance to shine in two decades.
2 HUNK
12 Games
HUNK is a mysterious soldier and arguably the most dangerous person on Umbrella’s payroll. None of the main characters have ever met HUNK, but that’s probably for the best, considering his fellow soldiers call him the “Grim Reaper.”
HUNK appears in:
-
Resident Evil 2
(
Original
: 1998 /
Remake
: 2019) -
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
(1999) -
Outbreak
(2003) -
Outbreak File #2
(2004) -
Resident Evil 4
(2005 & 2023) -
Umbrella Chronicles
(2007) -
Darkside Chronicles
(2009) -
The Mercenaries 3D
(2011) -
Revelations
(2012) -
Operations Raccoon City
(2012) -
Revelations 2
(2015) -
Umbrella Corps
(2016)
While HUNK has never been the protagonist of his own game, he’s been playable in more games than any other Resident Evil main character.
1 Chris Redfield
15 Games
Chris is the closest thing Resident Evil has to a main character these days. He first appeared alongside Jill Valentine in the original Resident Evil before mysteriously vanishing in Resident Evil 2. He’d later turn up in Code: Veronica and stop Wesker once and for all in Resident Evil 5.
Chris appears in:
-
Resident Evil
(
Original:
1996 /
Remake
: 2002) -
Resident Evil 2
(1998) -
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
(1999) -
Code: Veronica
(2000) -
Survivor 2 – Code: Veronica
(2001) -
Umbrella Chronicles
(2007) -
Resident Evil 5
(2009) -
Darkside Chronicles
(2009) -
The Mercenaries 3D
(2011) -
Revelations
(2012) -
Resident Evil 6
(2012) -
Revelations 2
(2015) -
Umbrella Corps
(2016) -
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
(2017) -
Resident Evil Village
(2021)
Of the four main protagonists, Chris has been playable more other than any other Resident Evil main character. He even functioned as the co-lead for both Resident Evil 7 and Village, taking over as the player character for the action-heavy sequences Ethan wouldn’t be able to get through.
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