List of Resident Evil characters
Resident Evil is a horror game media franchise created by Capcom. The series' success has led to a live-action film series, animated films, television series, comic books, novels, audiobooks, and merchandise. The franchise features an extensive cast of characters in its horror-based narratives.
Main characters
Chris Redfield
Chris is first introduced in Resident Evil as a pointman for the Raccoon City Police Department's S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team. In the fight against Bio-Organic Weapons, Chris becomes a co-founder of the B.S.A.A., a counter-terrorism organization dedicated to fighting the threat of B.O.W.s unleashed by criminal or terrorist elements on a global scale.Jill Valentine
Jill is first introduced in Resident Evil as a member of the Raccoon Police Department's S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team. Jill is a co-founder of the B.S.A.A., a counter-terrorism organization dedicated to fighting the threat of Bio-Organic Weapons unleashed by criminal or terrorist elements on a global scale.Albert Wesker
Albert Wesker is first introduced in Resident Evil as a triple agent who poses as the leader of S.T.A.R.S. team, and in subsequent sequels as a high-ranking Umbrella scientist who undermines the pharmaceutical organization on behalf of a rival company with the goal of global saturation.Leon Scott Kennedy
Leon Kennedy is first introduced in Resident Evil 2 as a rookie police officer in the Raccoon City Police Department who escapes from Raccoon City following a zombie outbreak. He is revealed in Resident Evil 4 to have been recruited by the US federal government and trained to become an elite agent who reports directly to the president of the United States.Claire Redfield
Claire is first introduced in Resident Evil 2 as a college student looking for her older brother Chris Redfield. She is depicted in subsequent sequels as a worker for a human rights organization called TerraSave, which provides relief and aid to victims of bioterrorism.Ada Wong
Ada Wong is first introduced in Resident Evil 2 as a corporate spy and mercenary. Her clientele has included Albert Wesker and a mysterious organization known only as the "Agency". Ada is occasionally featured as the main character of select scenarios or campaigns in the franchise's video games.Ethan Winters
The main character of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and Resident Evil Village, Ethan is introduced as a system engineer in the city, a civilian who travels to the Bakers' dilapidated family estate in Dulvey, Louisiana in search of his missing wife Mia, and is later relocated to an undisclosed location in Eastern Europe following the events of Resident Evil 7.Grace Ashcroft
The main character of Resident Evil Requiem, Grace is introduced as a technical analyst for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the daughter of investigative reporter and Raccoon City survivor Alyssa Ashcroft, and was sent on the orders of her superior, to investigate the most recent of rash of mysterious infections and deaths, the latest of which occurred at the Wrenwood Hotel, an abandoned hotel located in Midwestern where her mother was murdered eight years prior.Main organization and other characters
Umbrella Corporation
The Umbrella Corporation is an American-based international pharmaceutical company in the Resident Evil universe. Founded in 1968 by prominent British royal descendants Oswell E. Spencer and Edward Ashford, along with Dr. James Marcus, it is portrayed in the series as a major international player in pharmaceutical goods and medical supplies, along with more clandestine operations utilizing genetic engineering. Their legitimate status is only a front for their secret research of "bio-organic weapons", developed through the use of a unique mutagenic virus discovered by the company founders known as the Progenitor Virus.Barry Burton
Barry is first introduced in Resident Evil as a supporting character and a member of the S.T.A.R.S. team. He later returns as a playable character in Resident Evil: Revelations 2, as well as the non-canon Resident Evil Gaiden.Rebecca Chambers
Rebecca Chambers is first introduced in Resident Evil as a supporting character and field medic of the S.T.A.R.S. team. Rebecca also appears as the co-protagonist of Resident Evil Zero along with Billy Coen.A Resident Evil designer, Shinji Mikami said that Rebecca is one of his least favorite female characters in the series, he said that "she's submissive and not independent".
Edge described Rebecca as one of the "strong, non-exploitative female leads" who are "undeniably attractive, but they don't ponce about in leather cat suits." It was also stated that Biohazard's Rebecca is "practical and resourceful" and that "this is an area where videogames really have the lead on films; in the horror film genre, women are often little more than pouting, screaming conduits for male aggression".
Andrew Clouther of GameZone described Rebecca as one of the most badass females in the Resident Evil franchise, saying that "Her first mission involved zombies, trains and mansions. While timid around her fellow S.T.A.R.S. members, she proves to be skilled in both combat and medical assistance."
In 2017, Inverses Jessica Famularo claimed that "Rebecca may seem vulnerable, but she's actually a fiercely loyal companion and capable field medic. Folks love her for her soft, gentle personality—it's certainly a pleasant contrast to the chaos going on in the world around her."
In May 2019, Brittany Vincent of SyFy described Rebecca as a "video game heroine". She said that "Unlike Jill or Claire, Rebecca never really got a chance to shine after Resident Evil 0, but she kicked enough ass in her one starring game to last the whole damn series. Her bravery in the face of Umbrella's nightmare is the reason why she's May's Video Game Heroine of the Month."
Conversely, Tropes vs. Women in Video Games, feminist media critic Anita Sarkeesian criticized Rebecca's alternate costumes as overly sexualized, particularly the nurse and cheerleader costumes. One of the essays in Nadine Farghaly's Unraveling Resident Evil also criticized and compared Rebecca to a "typical trope" of "a virgin or tomboy".
Sherry Birkin
Sherry Birkin is the daughter of William and Annette Birkin. She first appears in Resident Evil 2, running away and hiding in Raccoon City during the outbreak. She manages to find Leon and Claire, who protect her while trying to escape the city. Sherry is a playable character in some parts of the game but she is completely unarmed and can only avoid the monsters. In the remake, she is abducted and held hostage by Brian Irons before being rescued by Claire. Her father has been transformed into a monstrous creature by the G-virus and infects her, but Claire gives Sherry an anti-virus, which prevents her from mutating. Sherry assists Leon and Claire in boarding a secret underground train, and successfully escapes Raccoon City before it is destroyed. Sherry also appears in Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles in chapters that recapitulate the events of Resident Evil 2. She returns as an adult in Resident Evil 6 as a government agent escorting Jake Muller and seems to have acquired great healing abilities from the remnants of the G-virus in her body. During the course of the game, she helps Jake deal with the fact that Albert Wesker is his father. She also learns from Leon S. Kennedy that her superior, Derek C. Simmons, is the man responsible for the U.S. President's death. She and Jake subsequently ally with Leon, Chris Redfield and their partners in thwarting Carla Radames' plans.In the reboot film Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, Sherry is played by Holly de Barros.
Carlos Oliveira
Carlos Oliveira was a mercenary for the Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service. He held the rank of Corporal, and served in their Delta Platoon as rear security for Alpha Squad, where he was also their heavy weapons specialist. Oliveira is also one of the few survivors of the deployed squads who served during Raccoon City Destruction Incident.In the Paul W.S. Anderson films, Carlos is played by Oded Fehr.