The Greatest Character Developments In Resident Evil History

The Resident Evil series has had many different protagonists, villains, and viruses that have changed the world within the game drastically. The first outbreak of the T Virus in the Arklay Mansion set in motion a series of events that would spark the fight against bioterrorism.

Of course, the survivors of these outbreaks find themselves tackling whole new responsibilities as those who witnessed horror beyond imagination. Their experiences leave them forever changed, whether it means being heroes, villains, or somewhere in between.

8

Leon S Kennedy

From Rookie Cop To U.S. Agent

Leon S Kennedy is one of the few survivors of the Raccoon City outbreak. When he first appears in the series, he is merely a rookie cop, not even a member of STARS. Unfortunately, his first day on the job turns out to be his last, as the T-Virus wreaks havoc across the city.

After escaping along with Claire and Sherry, he is taken in by the U.S. Government, where he trains as an agent. In the expanded lore of the Resident Evil Remakes, he suffers from the trauma of being unable to save the people of Raccoon City, something he often thinks about during the Resident Evil 4 Remake as he ventures to save Ashley.

7

Jill Valentine

Presumed Dead For Years

Jill Valentine is one of the most influential horror protagonists of the 90s. Her history with Umbrella goes back to the Spencer Mansion incident, where she and the rest of STARS were sent to investigate a series of disappearances. After narrowly escaping the Mansion with the remnants of her team, she is hounded by Umbrella and even has the Nemesis come after her during the Raccoon City outbreak.

Her experience with each outbreak leaves her more knowledgeable and capable of handling the BOW threats. While she spends a few years being experimented on by Wesker, she eventually returns with the continued mission of ridding the world of the monsters that destroyed her team years ago.

6

Chris Redfield

Outliving His Comrades

If you don’t choose Jill Valentine for your first mission, you can choose Chris Redfield. They go through similar experiences, but Chris often suffers more from guilt. The betrayal of STARS by Wesker lingers on his mind and fuels his hatred for BOW. He and Jill both acted as founders of the B.S.A.A., which was then tasked with ridding the world of Umbrella’s legacy.

After discovering that Wesker survived, he dedicated his life to putting a stop to whatever he was planning. This temporarily resulted in Chris believing Jill to be dead. He has also witnessed countless allies perish, leaving him toughened but tired of all the chaos, even after he defeats Wesker during the events of Resident Evil 5.

5

Sherry Birkin

A Dark Past But A Bright Future

Sherry Birkin was only 12 years old when the Raccoon City outbreak occurred. Luckily, she managed to come into contact with Leon S Kennedy and Claire Redfield, where she found safety in the group. After escaping the city, Sherry was taken into custody and placed under the care of Simmons.

Eventually, Sherry would join the fight against the BOW once she was old enough to become an agent. She is last seen during Resident Evil 6, where her character has grown from someone needing to be saved to someone who is capable of saving others. Her past contact with the G-Virus also left her with powerful regenerative abilities.

4

Ada Wong

A Helping Hand

Ada Wong is known to have been a mercenary before and after the Raccoon City outbreak. While she tries to get Leon to assist her in getting a sample of the G-Virus for an unknown rival company, she eventually finds that she cannot shoot her newfound ally. While her character always has an air of mystery, it can be seen that her encounter with Leon has affected her ever since.

Whenever their paths cross during future outbreaks, Ada is always willing to lend Leon a hand, even if she has no reason to do so. She is also shown to betray her own employers from time to time, including Albert Wesker. While still remaining a neutral mercenary most of the time, she isn’t completely without morals.

3

Albert Wesker

From Betraying His Company To Seeking World Domination

As far as goals go, Albert Wesker goes from wanting to betray his organization for profit to seeking world domination. The main catalyst for this is the aftermath of the Spencer Mansion incident. After betraying both Umbrella and STARS, Wesker would seemingly be killed by the Tyrant prototype within.

This would be just the kick needed for Wesker’s T-Virus infection to kick in, giving him superhuman abilities such as enhanced strength, speed, and reactions. This would eventually cause Wesker to see himself as greater than humans and dream of wiping out humanity with a plague, leaving only the strongest to survive.

2

Claire Redfield

Finding A Purpose In Life

Claire Redfield didn’t start with the same level of training as some of the other important characters in the Resident Evil franchise. She had a knack for customizing motorcycles and lockpicking. When her brother Chris went missing, she traveled to Raccoon City, where the T-virus outbreak changed everything.

Following her experiences in Raccoon City, she gains the confidence to infiltrate Umbrella’s inner workings in France. This also influences her to join the Terrasave Organization, which continues to fight the aftermath of bioterrorism.

1

Carlos Oliveira

A Pawn Of Umbrella Fights Back

Out of all the characters that have grown throughout their stories, Carlos manages to speedrun an entire arc in one game. He starts off as one of Umbrella’s soldiers, with complete faith in the organization that hired him. He truly believes in his mission to save civilians, despite Jill claiming that Umbrella is a corrupt organization.

During the events of Resident Evil 3, Carlos is forced to confront the fact that Umbrella isn’t as clean as he initially believes it to be. This forces him to change his worldview and fight against the very corporation that hired him in the first place. Despite never appearing again in the franchise, his character development is one of the more noticeable.