Best Female Characters In Resident Evil

Key Takeaways

• Resident Evil celebrates women through strong, diverse, and complex characters like Jill Valentine, Claire Redfield, and Ada Wong.
• The series provides a balance between male and female heroes, with villains like Lady Dimitrescu also earning fan admiration.
• Legacy characters like Rebecca Chambers and Sherry Birkin showcase the evolution and importance of women in the Resident Evil franchise.

There are few video game series that celebrate women as often as Resident Evil. The series began with two campaigns, one featured Chris and his partner Rebecca while the other focused on Jill and Barry. There is a good balance between male and female heroes in the series, and even the villain side gets celebrated every so often.

One such example would be the much-adored Lady Dimitrescu from the most recent entry in the series, but there are also many other characters of note from the Resident Evil series. Let’s rank them out to see who is the best of the best.

Updated November 23, 2024 by Mara Cowley: Resident Evil still reigns as one of Capcom’s most beloved series. They deliver fantastic games with every release, be it a new game or a remake. With news of a Resident Evil 9 and another remake in the works, fans are clamoring for a new or refurbished RE experience, and are hoping to see some legacy characters reprising their roles.

Undoubtedly one of the draws of the series is the characters. Many Resident Evil girls are the most popular among the fanbase. To honor the fantastic Resident Evil girls, this article has been updated to highlight to include a few more entries of the many fantastic Resident Evil women from the large catalog of games.

29 Yoko Suzuki (Resident Evil: Outbreak)

Surprisingly Resilient

One of the Resident Evil spin-off titles, Resident Evil: Outbreak showed an alternate scenario to the Raccoon City incident, following the stories of everyday characters such as Yoko Suzuki, as they try to survive and escape the T-virus outbreak.

Yoko works for Umbrella, hired there for an unknown position when she was a teenager, showing that even at a young age she must have held great promise and intelligence to be considered for a role. Her smarts are what help this otherwise quiet and unassuming girl survive, which also demonstrates resilience and hidden strength, as not many can boast that they survived the Raccoon City Incident.

28 Carla Radames

Instrumental In The Creation And Weaponization Of The C-Virus

Resident Evil 6 was a somewhat divisive entry in the series, featuring a bigger focus on action gameplay and co-op over the survival horror that made the franchise so popular in the first place. But it wasn’t all bad, as RE6 did gift players some strong female characters, such as Carla Radames.

Carla is much more than an Ada Wong look-alike, as she is a brilliant and accomplished woman in her own right. She was responsible for the creation of the C-Virus and the company Neo-Umbrella. After her death at the hands of Ada, Neo Umbrella became defunct to show just how much of an important figure she was to the group.

27 Alex Wesker (Resident Evil: Revelations 2)

Alex May Never Have Truly Died

The second episodic Resident Evil game to release following Resident Evil: Revelations brought back old characters such as Claire Redfield and Barry Burton while introducing a few new characters, such as Moira Burton, Natalia Korda, and Alex Wesker, who had thus far only been mentioned in a file within the Lost Nightmares DLC for Resident Evil 5.

Not much is known of her origins, but Alex went on to make a name for herself after undergoing the Wesker Project. She was headhunted by Umbrella, which is a clear sign of her intellect. She became something other than human, seeking to transcend into something more. Although she was ultimately defeated, it is implied that Alex lives on in Natalia at the end of Revelations 2.

26 Excella Gione (Resident Evil 5)

Strong Enough to be a Match for Chris and Sheva

When Albert himself approaches another character, that is definite proof of their worth. Originally in the lower ranks of Tricell’s pharmaceutical division, her partnership with Wesker elevated her to new heights, and she became a force to be reckoned with, gaining control of the company she was once a runt for, and controlling the mind-controlled Jill Valentine.

Inevitably double-crossed by Wesker, Excella transformed into a monstrous mass of flesh and tentacles that very almost cut Chris’s and Sheva’s mission short with her terrifying strength and speed.

25 Rachel Foley (Resident Evil: Revelations)

The Reluctant Agent Became A Monster

One of the monsters Jill will have the misfortune of running into is Rachel Foley, once an FBC agent, and now another victim of the t-Abyss virus. Her original mission was to investigate what had happened on the ship and ready it for disposal, ensuring her boss would not have anything to trace back to him.

In typical Resident Evil fashion, nothing ever goes according to plan, and the skilled agent becomes a monster Jill must face off against. Rachel’s tenure in Resident Evil: Revelations was short-lived but very memorable.

24 Ingrid Hunnigan (Resident Evil 4)

Provides Invaluable Support To Leon

Infiltrating a remote Spanish village to rescue the President’s kidnapped daughter is a tall order, and Leon might not have been able to do it without the support of Ingrid Hunnigan. Though she only communicates with Leon periodically throughout the game to keep track of his progress and offer advice, she still acts as a key character for most of the game.

Though it is unlikely players will ever see Hunnigan return in a later title, the role she played in RE4 will stay in the minds of players. Her intelligence and straightforward attitude shined in every conversation, and she even resisted Leon’s joking attempt to flirt with her.

23 Annette Birkin (Resident Evil 2)

Where She Fails As A Mother, She Shines As A Scientist

Though most will remember the twisted Dr. Birkin or terrifying Mr. X when thinking about Resident Evil 2 villains, there is another equally deserving of praise, as she is a very underappreciated character. That is Annette Birkin, wife to William, mother to Sherry, and an accomplished scientist.

She cares about researching the effects the virus had on her husband first and foremost, even above the life of herself and even her child. But her character shows more complex depth here than a single-minded researcher, as she seems genuinely sad to abandon Sherry in her hour of need as she pursues her work. These nuances are really what make her shine as a character, and remind players that this villainous woman is just as human as they are.

22 Alexia Ashford (Resident Evil Code: Veronica)

Gifted With Supreme Intelligence And Lofty Ambitions

Mad scientists are nothing new to the world of RE, as they serve as the main antagonists in nearly every game, and Alexia Ashford stands out as one of the best with her calculating demeanor and her goals to rise as Queen of the entire world.

Created as a clone of Dr Alexander’s ancestor Veronica, Alexia was blessed with supreme intelligence that saw her graduate from a prestigious university at the age of 10 and join Umbrella as a virologist, her intellect on par with her colleagues even at such a young age. Her attention eventually shifted to experimenting with certain infamous viruses, resulting in a horrid creature known as Nosferatu, eventually infecting herself to become an even greater being.

21 Moira Burton (Resident Evil: Revelations 2)

Grows And Matures Throughout The Game

Introduced in the spin-off titled Revelations 2, Moira acts as a side-kick to the franchise’s famous Claire Redfield, and eldest daughter to Barry Burton. An incident involving a gun and the injury of her younger sister Polly, a rift opened up between Moira and Barry, resulting in her rebelling against her father. At the urging of Claire, Moira joined TerraSave and coincidentally was at the party that acted as the catalyst for the rest of the game.

Though she acts as a typical surly teen at the beginning of the game, Moira’s arc that sees her grow and mature as the game progresses is what makes her such a special and enjoyable character. She even reconciles with her father in a genuinely touching scene at the game’s conclusion.

20 Jessica Sherawat (Resident Evil: Revelations)

Behind Her Playful Demeanor Is A Calculating Triple Agent

A supposed member of the BSAA, Jessica debuts as Chris’s new partner as they are tasked to work with investigating Veltro. She always seems to have a very casual attitude towards her missions, heckling Chris on the exact depth of his relationship with Jill, but this could all be an elaborate distraction from the truth of her character.

Jessica is actually a triple agent, working for Tricell while masquerading as a BSAA agent, shooting Jill’s new partner Parker, and activating the self-destruction mechanism of the Queen Zenobia to destroy the labs and the evidence that would implicate Morgan Lansdale.

19 Donna Beneviento (Resident Evil Village)

A Soft-Spoken Character With An Air Of Mystery

Village introduced Ethan and the players to a whole host of new characters, including the Four Lords. Though Angie seems to be the one doing all the talking, she is rarely seen without, Donna Beneviento, the maker of the doll.

Suffering from deep-seated problems such as anxiety stemming from the tragedies of her childhood, she prefers to do her talking through her doll and delved deep into the hobby of doll-making to replace her lost family. After being infected by the cadou parasite, she became adept at creating a chemical that could cause vivid and sometimes violent hallucinations. To underestimate the soft-spoken Donna would be a grave mistake.

18 Angie (Resident Evil Village)

A Mouthy Doll That Provides Comedy & Terror

Resident Evil Village introduced the player to the Four Lords, who each are responsible for a piece of Rosemary and a section on the map. The Beneviento house was considered the scariest among fans, veering into psychological horror as Ethan suffered vivid hallucinations.

Part of the boss “fight” here was hunting down Donna Beneviento’s doll, Angie. Angie is more than a creepy-looking doll — she houses part of the megamycete, which imbues her with a brash, childish, immature personality. This side of her offers some comedic relief, without making her any less terrifying. Angie could be a contender for one of the scariest dolls in gaming.

17 Natalia Korda (Resident Evil: Revelations 2)

Introduces Mechanics Unique To Revelations 2

Another character introduced in Revelations 2, Natalia was surrounded by more mystery than Moira. Originally part of an experiment as part of the Wesker Project to achieve godhood, Natalia gained heightened senses that could detect the location of nearby mutated beings.

Natalia provides unique gameplay that is rarely explored in Resident Evil, trading guns for stealth mechanics to avoid detection, highlighting enemies for Barry to shoot, and opening up locked boxes. Taking control of Natalia offers refreshing gameplay for when fans want to put down the gun and try a different approach.

16 Helena Harper (Resident Evil 6)

A Flawed & Nuanced Character

All good characters have flaws, and this is very true of RE6 companion Helena Harper, an ex-CIA agent who ends up assigned to the Secret Service charged with keeping the President safe. With a troubled early life that saw just her and her sister surviving parentless, Helena is particularly protective of her younger sister, and would resort to any means to keep her safe.

This weakness is exploited in a plot to kill the President, resulting in his death and kick-starting the events of RE6. Forced to partner up with Leon Kennedy, she voices herself as someone with little concern for the well-being of others, but as they progress through the arc, Helena does show some growth in her character, solidifying herself as a multi-faceted and intriguing character.

15 Mia Winters (Resident Evil 7)

A Caring Mama Bear With Some Dark Secrets

The Winters family arc kicked off in RE7. Ethan traveled to the Louisiana outback in hopes of finding his wife, who had gone missing three years prior. He encounters her infected by the same parasite that had driven the Baker family to depths of madness and violence.

When not influenced by Eveline’s “gift,” Mia is a caring wife, and eventually a mother. She cares about her family, but she is far more than just an ordinary woman with some secrets tying her to a crime syndicate known as The Connections. There is a lot more to Mama Winters than meets the eye.

14 Mother Miranda (Resident Evil Village)

The Enigmatic Cult Leader Has Sympathetic Motivations

Though most remember Lady Dimitrescu from Resident Evil 8: Village, she and her daughters only took up a small section of the game time. Mother Miranda was the overarching enemy and the last obstacle between Ethan and saving his baby daughter Rosemary.

Though her actions are condemnable, Mother Miranda has some sympathetic motives, as she only wishes to be reunited with her daughter. Not to mention, she is an underappreciated villain who offers a memorable boss fight with her awesome final form.

13 Ashley Graham (Resident Evil 4)

The Remake Makes Her Likable & Charming

Many fans remember her character from the original as a loudmouthed nuisance with a penchant for getting kidnapped, but the annoyance faded over the years to become a popular joke among the community. The RE4 remake improved upon many things of the original, including the character of Ashley Graham.

With improvements made to her appearance, words, and demeanor, Ashley Graham became a character that players wanted to defend right through to the end, as she showed much more compassion and trust for her savior, checking in with Leon on multiple occasions to see how he is handling their situation, despite being terrified herself. These small changes made a huge impact, solidifying Ashley as a fan favorite.

12 Marguerite Baker (Resident Evil 7)

A Terrifying & Disgusting Boss That Will Traumatize Players

Marguerite Baker is one of the main villains of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, and the matriarch of the family, trying to provide her Baker kin with food and love in her own way. Every member of the Baker family is terrifying, but Marguerite is somehow more threatening, since the unassuming visage of a kindly, old mother disguises a truly grotesque monster.

This juxtaposition provides a truly terrifying moment when she transforms into a spider-like creature, remaining as one of the most frightening and disgusting boss fights in the franchise.

11 Zoe Baker (Resident Evil 7)

A Helpful Voice That Guides Ethan Through The House

Zoe first arrives on the scene of Biohazard as a mysterious voice speaking to Ethan through the phone, directing him on where he should proceed next. She keeps her cards pretty close to her chest, as after what she has endured she is unsure who she can trust, and if Ethan can even survive her insane family.

The only Baker who has retained her sanity, Zoe is something of a lifeline for the player, acting as a guide to him. All she asks in return is a dose of the vaccine against the dreaded mold that turned her family. But whether players give it to her or not, is entirely up to them.

10 Lisa Trevor (Resident Evil)

A Horrifying Yet Tragic Figure

Introduced in the remake of the original Resident Evil, Lisa became one of the most infamous enemies in the game despite her ephemeral scenes. A slouched figure with a hunched back, elongated arms, and a distorted face, Lisa stands out as one of the most terrifying bosses, even if her boss fight can be cheesed if players arm Jill with a specific weapon.

However, there is a great tragedy in Lisa’s story. Once, she was a normal little girl whose father devised all the traps in the Spencer Mansion and fell into the hands of Oswell Spencer who performed gruesome experiments, twisting her into a violent creature.