Characters Who Are The Best Leaders

Summary

• HUNK proved himself a reliable leader in dangerous missions, despite preferring to work alone.
• Piers Nivans showcased leadership qualities by keeping comrades in line and standing up to Chris.
• Clive R. O’Brian demonstrated charisma and dedication as the BSAA director, despite putting soldiers in danger.

In the world of Resident Evil, where zombie outbreaks and B.O.W attacks are a regular occurrence, it can help to have a natural-born leader in the group who can lead everyone to safety. Throughout the course of the Resident Evil series, many characters have stepped up to the plate and proved themselves to be reliable and efficient leaders for their groups; many of whom are considered heroes, while others are villains who simply want as many servants as possible to help with their plans.

Considering most characters during a zombie apocalypse will only care about their own safety and well-being, it’s not exactly all that common to come across someone willing to watch over and instruct others at the same time. With that being said, though, these characters below have shown they possess all the qualities needed to be a leader who others can look up to when the going gets tough.

This list contains spoilers!

8

HUNK

The Grim Reaper Has Taken Up The Position Of Leader On A Few Occasions

• Appearances: Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 2 Remake, Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City

Though HUNK is often the only one to make it out of a mission in one piece, he rarely enters one alone. In Resident Evil 2, HUNK could be seen leading a squad of Umbrella soldiers toward William Birkin, managing to reach his lab fast enough to intercept him, not that it really prevented anything though.

HUNK once again assumes the role of leader in Operation Raccoon City, where he takes players through the basis of the game, alongside briefing them on the mission so they know what they’re going to be up against. He may prefer to ride solo, but HUNK has shown on several occasions that he’s more than willing to lead a team of his own, no matter how dangerous the mission may be.

7

Piers Nivans

A Young But Passionate Agent Who Proved He Was More Than Capable Of Leading His Own Squad

• First Appearance: Resident Evil 6

When Piers is first introduced in Resident Evil 6, he acts as a second-in-command to Chris during their adventure through Edonia. Because Chris, at this point in the story, is still fueled with rage, it results in Piers acting as more of the leader figure, as he keeps his comrades in line and gives them the confidence they need to carry out the dangerous mission.

He even puts Chris himself in his place several times throughout the campaign, reminding him that his own personal vendettas shouldn’t ever get in the way of his role as a leader. Despite this, though, Piers is still young and a bit naive, so while he doesn’t command the same influence as Chris, if he had made it out of Resident Evil 6 alive, there’s no doubt he’d already be commanding his own team of soldiers.

6

Clive R. O’Brian

O’Brian’s Charisma And Dedication To The Cause Eventually Saw Him Become The BSAA Director

• First Appearance: Resident Evil Revelations

O’Brian is one of the many characters newly introduced in Resident Evil Revelations, but he is also still very important to the wider lore of the franchise. O’Brian is the leader of the BSAA who worked tirelessly to recruit each and every member of the team so he could create a powerful task force of only the most experienced agents in the field.

Throughout Revelations, he also demonstrates his extensive knowledge of bioterror and viruses is second to none, making him the ideal leader of the group. His biggest flaw, however, is that O’Brian is not above putting his soldiers in dangerous situations, without even telling them, so long as it contributes to the mission. While he can therefore seem a little unpredictable from time to time, many BSAA agents still look up to O’Brian and his role as leader.

5

Glenn Arias

This Calm And Composed Businessman Effortlessly Rallied People To His Cause

• First Appearance: Resident Evil Vendetta

Glenn Arias is the main villain of the Resident Evil Vendetta CG movie, which has been confirmed to be canon by Capcom. Arias was easily able to make connections when navigating his way through the criminal underworld thanks to his clever way with words and esteemed reputation, and quickly earned the loyalty of several bodyguards who would assist him in thrusting the world into chaos.

He was also able to conjure up a virus strain that allowed monsters to distinguish between fiend and foe, allowing him to create an entire army of violent creatures and mutants who all bend to his will. It’s scary that Arias came into such a position of power given how sick and twisted he is underneath the surface, but it’s hard to deny he’s an extremely efficient, albeit dangerous, leader.

4

Chris Redfield

He May Have Lost A Lot Of People Under His Command, But Chris Is Still A Naturally Born Leader

• Appearances: Resident Evil, Resident Evil Code Veronica, Resident Evil 5, Resident Evil 6, Resident Evil Revelations, Resident Evil Village

Chris Redfield is a character who often struggles with his position as a leader. In Resident Evil 6, he is shown to be drinking away his sorrows after his whole team was wiped out by Carla, with Chris being one of the only survivors. However, by the time he reappears in Village, he is in charge of a special unit called Wolf Squad who follow his every command, showing that he managed to get back to his senses after the guilt he had built up due to losing so many people in the past while under his command.

As a result, while he’s not always the most reliable leader, considering Chris can sometimes let his emotions get the better of him and the mission, there’s no denying this iconic protagonist still possesses plenty of qualities that make him a man that people want to follow into battle. While Leon may prefer doing things solo, Chris always feels more comfortable with a team around him.

3

Osmund Saddler

Saddler Amassed An Army Of Loyal Servants By Using The Las Plagas Parasite

• Appearances: Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil 4 Remake

If players snoop around Mendez’s house in the Resident Evil 4 remake, they will find a document that chronicles how Saddler took control of an entire village by forcibly injecting its people with the plaga. While he quickly amassed an army of violent Ganados, Saddler also possessed an upgraded version of the plaga which allowed him to control and manipulate others at will, making him a truly dangerous and formidable leader of the pack.

However, his planning and strategy did have a few holes that contributed to his downfall. Leaving the village so unprepared and throwing away his Ganado followers like cannon fodder highlights that maybe he wasn’t quite as tactical as he should have been, but he still managed to gain a huge number of servants who were all more than willing to kill anyone who was deemed a threat to the cult.

2

Mother Miranda

Mother Miranda Was The Violent And Sadistic Head Of The Village And Its Lords

• First Appearance: Resident Evil Village

Though the village that Ethan stumbles into is run by four lords, each of these grotesque beings answers to someone even higher up in the command, that being Mother Miranda. She is undoubtedly a disturbed individual who willingly experimented on each of the lords in horrific ways, but she still succeeded in becoming a powerful and righteous leader of the village.

Even Heisenberg, one of the lords who seeks to overthrow Miranda, views her as a god-like being who demands obedience from everyone she lays eyes on. Miranda’s rule over the village eventually resulted in the deaths of many innocent people; thankfully, though, Ethan was able to take her down once and for all at the end of the game.

1

Josh Stone

Sheva’s Former Mentor Is A Passionate BSAA Agent Who Many Members Look Up To

• First Appearance: Resident Evil 5

Josh is a side character who shows up early in the story of Resident Evil 5 when he and his squad of BSAA agents save Chris and Sheva from a brutal motorbike ambush. Upon meeting Chris for the first time, Sheva explains that Josh taught her everything she knows and that many people in the BSAA African branch look up to him as a kind of role model.

He’s a man who is always focused on the mission at hand, yet is also more than willing to put his life on the line if it means saving others from harm. His serious and no-nonsense personality also allows him to keep his team focused on the bigger picture at all times, and when paired with his boundless courage, it makes for a great leader who, hopefully, will show up again in the future.