Best Resident Evil Protagonists With The Most Games

Summary

• The Resident Evil franchise frequently changes protagonists, with characters like Jill Valentine appearing in multiple sequels.
• Protagonists like Hunk and Sherry Birkin started as extra playable characters in one game, some returning in later installments.
• Characters like Chris Redfield and Ada Wong have appeared in numerous Resident Evil games, showing versatility in the series.

Rather than a single main hero like in the Batman: Arkham games or Dead Space, Resident Evil is a franchise that loves to expand its lore and feature a different protagonist in almost every single game. They range from everyday people to specially trained police officers, all of whom are doing the same thing: survive an outbreak of zombies and/or monsters.

With Resident Evil spanning across many mainline games, multiple remakes, and sideline games, some protagonists have had the chance to return. Sometimes they came back as the main characters, while in other cases, those characters were only playable as a bonus, with some appearing over a dozen times.

10

Ethan Winters

Playable In Two Resident Evil Games

• Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
• Resident Evil: Village

After Resident Evil 6 went in a more over-the-top action-packed style akin to a Michael Bay film, the series returned to its roots with a more grounded survival horror in Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. Rather than bring back a classic character on another adventure, the game introduced Ethan Winters, a faceless protagonist that led a more self-contained story.

Ethan is an ordinary man, not a cop or soldier, who fights for survival in Resident Evil 7. In the sequel, Resident Evil: Village, he becomes a father trying to rescue his daughter from monsters. He’s a relatable hero who only appears in two games before meeting his end in his second outing.

9

Sherry Birkin

Playable In Three Resident Evil Games

• Resident Evil 2
• Resident Evil 6
• Resident Evil 2 Remake

Harking back to Newt from James Cameron’s Aliens, Sherry Birkin is one of three protagonists in Resident Evil 2 whom Claire Redfield spends much time protecting in her scenario. The player controls her temporarily in both versions of Resident Evil 2, and despite her age, she proves to be a likable and capable protagonist.

Given that she is the daughter of William Birkin, the creator of the G-Virus, Sherry is a vital part of the lore. This is why fans were happy to see the character return as an adult in Resident Evil 6 as one of the main protagonists, allied with Jake Muller for one of three main campaigns. Even though Resident Evil 6 is a detested game, Sherry was considered a highlight.

8

Carlos Oliveira

Playable In Four Resident Evil Games

• Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
• Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles
• Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
• Resident Evil 3 Remake

Carlos Oliverira is a soldier working for Umbrella who was only playable for a brief segment in the original Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. Instead, most of the game focused on Jill Valentine as the main character. Carlos would get a more expanded role in the on-rail shooter, Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, and then be available in the Hero Mode for Operation Raccoon City.

When Resident Evil 3 was remade in 2020, Carlos was given the biggest upgrade with even more chapters from his perspective. Capcom gave him even more development and a better portrayal that gives him more personality than the original. Since his fate is relatively unknown post-Resident Evil 3, Carlos has some fans hoping for his return in future games.

7

Rebecca Chambers

Playable In Six Resident Evil Games

• Resident Evil
• Resident Evil Remake
• Resident Evil 0
• Resident Evil: Deadly Silence
• Resident Evil 5
• Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D

Though she began as a briefly playable character in the original Resident Evil, Rebecca Chambers of S.T.A.R.S. would graduate to main protagonist in the prequel titled Resident Evil 0. Not only is she smart, but she’s intuitive, which is what earned her a spot in S.T.A.R.S. even though she was barely out of high school.

Rebecca Chambers proved herself to be capable when she had to work with Billy Coen in the events of Resident Evil 0, but found herself forgotten by the franchise until returning in the Gold version of Resident Evil 5 as a DLC character. The last time Rebecca was playable was in Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, which had no plot.

6

Ada Wong

Playable In Eight Resident Evil Games

• Resident Evil 2
• Resident Evil 4
• Resident Evil The Umbrella Chronicles
• Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
• Resident Evil 6
• Resident Evil 2 Remake
• Resident Evil Re:Verse
• Resident Evil 4 Remake

One of Resident Evil’s most mysterious characters is Ada Wong, who often interacts with Leon Kennedy throughout his adventures, from Resident Evil 2 to Resident Evil 6 in the long and convoluted timeline. Part of what makes Ada so interesting is that it’s unclear if she is good or evil; even when she helps prevent the entire world from being destroyed, there is always an agenda with her.

Fans quickly fell in love with the brief Ada Wong segments in Resident Evil 2, which led to her making numerous appearances throughout the series. She would even get her own scenario in Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 6. She’s almost like a James Bond character that got dropped into a zombie-infested universe, but she became a beloved character.

5

Claire Redfield

Playable In Nine Resident Evil Games

• Resident Evil 2
• Resident Evil CODE: Veronica
• Resident Evil Survivor 2 CODE: Veronica
• Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
• Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
• Resident Evil: Revelations 2
• Resident Evil 2 Remake
• Resident Evil Re:Verse

Introduced in Resident Evil 2 as one of two new protagonists, Claire Redfield is the younger sister of Chris Redfield from the first game. Through her and Leon’s perspectives, gamers witnessed the fall of Raccoon City due to the spread of the T-Virus, which mutated the dead into zombies.

Claire would be cemented as a fan-favorite character with her story focusing on protecting Sherry Birkin and stopping the G-Virus from spreading. Since then, she has appeared in multiple games afterward, most notably being the main character of Resident Evil CODE: Veronica and Resident Evil: Revelations 2.

4

Leon Kennedy

Playable In 11 Resident Evil Games

• Resident Evil 2
• Resident Evil Gaiden
• Resident Evil 4
• Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
• Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
• Resident Evil 6
• Resident Evil: Revelations 2
• Resident Evil 2: Remake
• Resident Evil Re:Verse
• Resident Evil 4: Remake

Capcom seemed to have a fondness for Leon Kennedy from the beginning, portraying him as a young cop who must face a zombie apocalypse on his first day. He would go on to feature in several sequels, particularly the two versions of Resident Evil 4, where he takes on the role of the main protagonist and serves as a member of the United States Secret Service.

Leon Kennedy is known for being the typical action hero, with a lot of cheesy one-liners and doing far more than even the most trained spec ops soldiers. Yet fans can’t get enough of him, which has helped the character become one of the poster-children for the entire Resident Evil franchise.

3

Jill Valentine

Playable In 12 Resident Evil Games

• Resident Evil
• Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
• Resident Evil Remake
• Resident Evil: Deadly Silence
• Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles
• Resident Evil 5
• Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D
• Resident Evil: Revelations
• Resident Evil: Revelations 2
• Resident Evil 3 Remake
• Resident Evil: Resistance
• Resident Evil: Re:Verse

When the Resident Evil franchise first began in 1996, Jill Valentine was the original protagonist that started it all with that famous venture through the Spencer Mansion. She is a skilled member of S.T.A.R.S. who has faced off against zombies, mutated animals, and numerous B.O.W.s, including the famous Nemesis in both versions of Resident Evil 3.

Over the years, Jill Valentine has seen a lot of changes; not just in her appearance, but also her character. In Resident Evil 5, she spent time as both a hero and a brainwashed villain before becoming a main protagonist in Resident Evil: Revelations alongside her original partner, Chris Redfield.

2

Hunk

Playable In 13 Resident Evil Games

• Resident Evil 2
• Resident Evil Outbreak
• Resident Evil Outbreak File #2
• Resident Evil 4
• Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles
• Resident Evil 5
• Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D
• Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
• Resident Evil: Revelations
• Resident Evil: Revelations 2
• Resident Evil 2 Remake
• Resident Evil Re:Verse
• Resident Evil 4 Remake

Also known as The Fourth Survivor, Hunk is a mysterious character with no voice or backstory, but he’s a character who has stood the test of time. His scenario is a bonus added to games like Resident Evil 2, unlocked when a player completes both main scenarios, allowing them to play through the events of a story from yet another perspective.

Hunk is the leader of Alpha Team within the Umbrella Security Service, assigned to steal the G-Virus from William Birkin. This mission resulted in the death of his entire team during the fall of Raccoon City. He became the sole survivor and has since been a regular character in the Resident Evil series, appearing as an unlockable character in multiple games, even as a bonus.

1

Chris Redfield

Playable In 16 Resident Evil Games

• Resident Evil
• Resident Evil 2 (Extreme Battle Mode)
• Resident Evil: CODE: Veronica
• Resident Evil Survivor 2 CODE: Veronica
• Resident Evil Remake
• Resident Evil: Deadly Silence
• Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles
• Resident Evil 5
• Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
• Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D
• Resident Evil: Revelations
• Resident Evil 6
• Resident Evil: Revelations 2
• Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (DLC)
• Resident Evil: Village
• Resident Evil: Re:Verse

When it comes to characters, people tend to think of either Leon Kennedy or Chris Redfield. He began as a S.T.A.R.S. member in the first game and proved to be a formidable opponent to all the zombies and monsters in this universe. Being there from the start allowed for fans to become attached and then return in multiple sequels.

One of the most notable aspects of Chris is his dramatic change in appearance. He starts off as a mostly average, cop-like character, but evolves into a nearly super-soldier-like figure when he becomes the main character again in Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6. In the last two sequels, he continues to be a legacy character, assisting Ethan Winters as much as possible during his journey.