7 most iconic characters from the Resident Evil franchise

The Resident Evil franchise is one of the most iconic game series. The horror IP has been running for a long time. While it saw a downward trend during the release of its sixth mainline entry, RE7: Biohazard breathed new life into it. With RE8 getting a positive reception and the ninth installment finally revealed, the IP is coming closer to its peak days.

Resident Evil has been a part of the pop culture for a long time. Thus, it's safe to say that a few characters would've become icons. This article lists the most iconic personas from the series.

Note: This is not a ranking. The article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinions.

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7 most memorable characters from the Resident Evil series

1) Leon Kennedy

Leon Kennedy in RE4 Remake (Image via Capcom)

There is no better way to start the list than the man who starred in the latest entry in the franchise: Resident Evil 4 Remake. The blonde Italian-American protagonist debuted in the original Resident Evil 2. However, for many, he entered the spotlight with RE4. The action-horror title revolutionized the third-person shooter genre and made Leon into the rugged monster-killing machine he is today.

He is a mainstay of the horror franchise, and his rumored appearance is one of the many reasons behind Resident Evil Requiem's hype.

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2) Jill Valentine

Jill Valentine in RE3 Remake (Image via Capcom)

Jill Valentine debuted with the first title in the series, and her popularity hasn't lessened a bit. The Special Operations Agent is as iconic as the mansion in RE1 she was trapped in. The "master of unlocking" has had many canon appearances since her debut including RE3, Umbrella Chronicles, RE5, and Revelations.

She was the main character of the third mainline installment, the first game to focus on one playable hero instead of two. This showed the developer's faith in the character (while Carlos Oliveira is playable in the RE3 Remake, it is only in short bursts).

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3) Chris Redfield

Chris Redfield in RE8: Village (Image via Capcom)

Chris Redfield is currently the character with the most canon appearances in the series, with a total of seven games. However, his influence catapulted with Resident Evil 5. The title transformed a fairly tough officer into a buff boulder-punching monster.

While his appearances in the Ethan Winters saga had mixed reactions due to the questionable writing, it barely put a dent in his influence among fans.

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4) Albert Wesker

Wesker in RE5 (Image via Capcom)

Albert Wesker is one of the most memorable villains of the Resident Evil IP. In the titles up to RE5, he was portrayed as a conniving antagonist who pulled strings from the shadows. However, the fifth installment made him into an over-the-top superpower-filled bad guy. The campy nature of the title turned the dial so hard it went around and made him an icon of the series.

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5) Ethan Winters

Considering the first-person perspective, we don't see Ethan's face for most of the game (Image via Capcom)

Ethan Winters is a playable protagonist only in two games as of this writing. However, he is memorable because his appearances were the most recent and he is attached to the title that revitalized the franchise. After RE6, the IP's future was looking dire. It decided to go all-in on action and abandoned the series' horror roots, but it wasn't received well.

Fortunately, Capcom breathed life into the franchise with its next entry: RE7 Biohazard. Its first-person perspective, focus on a new protagonist with Ethan Winters, and tense atmosphere made it an amazing return to form.

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6) Mr. X

Mr. X in RE2 Remake (Image via Capcom)

While Mr. X isn't the best villain in the franchise, he is an iconic trendsetter. Although Resident Evil 2 featured many scary sections, nothing rattled players like hearing the footsteps of the Tyrant. He propelled the trend of an invincible stalker that relentlessly hunts the player. Even Capcom realized his impact.

The Tryant's influence was probably one of the the reasons that Nemesis, the unkillable stalker of the Resident Evil 3 Remake, was put front and center.

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7) Ada Wong

Ada Wong in RE4 Remake (Image via Capcom)

Ada Wong was originally introduced in RE2, but she entered the spotlight with Resident Evil 4. The title included her own short standalone DLC campaign called Separate Ways. Furthermore, she was one of the four main playable characters in RE6. Thus, the three games display Wong's increasing influence in real time.

Ada is still fresh for many players due to her appearance in the RE4 Remake: Separate Ways expansion, which expands on the original title's rendition.

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