Resident Evil Characters Who Need Spinoffs

Summary

• Resident Evil series needs new characters to step up as iconic protagonists to continue the fight against bioterror.
• Characters like Hunk, The Merchant, Sherry, and Albert Wesker have potential for their own games with intriguing storylines.
• Fan-favorite characters like Sheva, Kendo Brothers, and Ashley Graham could benefit from further development and gameplay opportunities.

The most enduring survival horror series by far, Resident Evil has a knack for reinventing itself and appealing to all sorts of audiences. Starting out by laying the genre’s template in 1996, the series veered into action-horror before returning to its roots with 2017’s Biohazard. Along the way, the series has introduced a host of side characters who simply disappeared after their debut entry.

With much-loved characters like Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine starting to age canonically, and Leon Kennedy showing no inclination to continue the Redfield bloodline as fans want him to, it’s time for a new generation to pick up the slack. The fight against bioterror goes on: here are the characters we want to see on the frontlines.

10

Quint Cetcham And Keith Lumley

Debut: Resident Evil Revelations

Resident Evil has never shied away from incorporating camp and comedy into high-stakes storylines, and this dynamic duo is camp incarnate. Quint is the tech geek responsible for much of the BSAA’s R&D; Keith is his loyal buddy who can hold his own with a shotgun.

Keith was briefly playable in Revelations’ single-player campaign, and both characters were available in Raid Mode. However, apart from a brief mention of Quint in Resident Evil Revelations 2’s lore, the two have yet to make us laugh again.

9

Hunk

Debut: Resident Evil 2

Hunk has appeared in no fewer than ten Resident Evil games, but never as the main character. Most of the time, he’s playable in the extra modes: as far as we know, Hunk has never encountered the series’ protagonists. Despite that, he’s one of the series’ most beloved characters and an instantly recognizable mascot.

It’s all down to his survival skills, memorable design and sheer badassery. If Hunk were to get his own game, Capcom would have to handle him with care, as Hunk’s mystique is his biggest selling point.

8

Sherry Birkin

Debut: Resident Evil 2

Sherry’s debut as a child in Resident Evil 2 had fans writing her off as a one-off character. While she was likeable enough, her main role in the storyline was to further Claire Redfield’s characterization as a caring big-sister type.

Surprisingly, Sherry reappeared in Resident Evil 6 as a DSO officer. Her campaign with Jake Muller was one of the better story modes in the ill-fated game, but she hasn’t appeared since. With her brief mentor Leon in his late thirties now, it’s time Sherry stepped up and got her own title.

7

Billy Coen

Debut: Resident Evil 0

Resident Evil 0 has a contested status among series fans, but its secondary protagonist Billy is popular nonetheless. A former US Marine who was framed and sentenced to death, Billy was a crucial ally to Rebecca Chambers in the lead-up to the Spencer Mansion incident.

Realizing that Billy is not the murderer he is made out to be, Rebecca helps him fake his death so that he can escape. Since then, Billy’s whereabouts have been unknown. A game where he clears his name by fighting against bioterror would make for an interesting story.

6

Raymond Vester And Jessica Sherawat

Debut: Resident Evil Revelations

Resident Evil Revelations had a knack for interesting character duos, yet it missed out on a match made in heaven: Raymond and Jessica. The closest we got was a flashback mission where Parker and Jessica rescue Raymond as a rookie BSAA agent.

Both are morally ambiguous double-crossers and were among the most popular characters in Raid Mode, but the two never cooperated directly in a gameplay environment. The post-credits scene of Revelations shows the two working together, but only begrudgingly. Over a decade after Revelations, it’s time we learned more about the pair.

5

The Merchant

Debut: Resident Evil 4

Equal parts magnanimous and mysterious, the merchant won a lot of hearts in Resident Evil 4. Despite his unforgettable presence in the story mode, though, he didn’t seem too enthused about direct combat. It’s never explained how he manages to show up the moment Leon’s wallet starts getting heavy.

Okay, so the merchant isn’t protagonist material. However, for a series that’s had tie-in novels, CGI films and multiplayer spin-offs (the less said about Resident Evil Resistance, the better), an indie-sized shop management simulator starring this guy wouldn’t be too outlandish.

4

Sheva Alomar

Debut: Resident Evil 5

Your opinion of Sheva will vary greatly depending on whether you played RE5 alone or with a friend. Under AI control, Sheva is a bit of a drag, wasting first-aid sprays and requiring frequent rescues. If you played the game co-op, though, she’s a helpful character with a unique left-handed stance. Her role in the story is crucial too: without Sheva, the Wesker saga might never have come to an end.

Barring a Dead by Daylight cameo, Sheva has yet to re-emerge in her series of origin. We know she’s working for the BSAA’s West African branch, but we haven’t seen her in action yet. It’s time she left Chris’s hulking shadow.

3

The Kendo Brothers

Debut: Resident Evil 2

If first impressions last, then why is Robert Kendo so likeable? Greeting you from the wrong end of a shotgun in Resident Evil 2, the character’s early appearance is engraved in the minds of all RE2 fans. His brother Joseph is a bit of an enigma, mentioned only in lore and never appearing in the flesh. Co-owners of Kendo Gun Shop, they were involved in the development of many of the series’ iconic weapons.

With Joseph’s combat prowess unknown and Robert deceased, a game featuring the brothers as action protagonists is out of the question. However, a gun crafting simulator through the brothers’ perspective would make for illuminating fanservice.

2

Ashley Graham

Debut: Resident Evil 4

The remake incarnation of the character is a good deal more helpful and proactive than in the 2005 original. Near the end of the game, Ashley suggests that she could become an agent like Leon. If Sherry could toughen up and come back, so can Ashley.

Is it realistic to think that the President’s daughter would be allowed to take on hordes of zombies by herself? Probably not. Then again, Resident Evil 4 is a game where you parry chainsaws with a knife. Anything is possible.

1

Albert Wesker

Debut: Resident Evil

Games with villain protagonists are a tough sell; since Wesker’s fate is predetermined, a game starring him is unlikely. But there is so much Resident Evil lore that we’ve never seen in video game form, and Wesker’s is the most compelling.

Where did Wesker go after betraying Umbrella? How did he learn about the Los Illuminados, and gather the resources to hire Ada? When did he decide that complete global saturation was the only way? A prequel game that answers these questions would help flesh out Resident Evil’s most popular villain.