Top 10 Resident Evil Heroes, Ranked

Resident Evil Requiem has become quite the talking point over the past week since its release. Shattering records and expectations, the ninth mainline release in the franchise has proven that Capcom have still got it when it comes to the world of survival horror. However, though the series’ stellar gameplay has been a major factor in its success, it’s the many memorable characters that have kept the Resident Evil franchise on its feet over the past few decades. With the addition of a new heroine to the crew, we decided it was time to talk about the protagonists of Resident Evil in the best way we know how to – a ranking!

Today, we’re ranking our picks for the top 10 Resident Evil heroes. To qualify for this list, the character has to (generally) be on the side of good in the fight against Umbrella, and of course, has to have been playable in the series at least once. Though plenty of memorable names were left off this list, I think we’ve compiled a pretty solid, all-star line-up of Resident Evil protagonists. Without further ado, let’s pay tribute to the heroes that made this franchise what it is today – let’s rank some Resident Evil heroes!

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10. Sheva Alomar

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It was a toss-up between Sheva Alomar and Carlos Oliveira for the tenth spot on our list, and though I definitely enjoy the banter between Jill and Carlos during Resident Evil 3, it would have been a crime to not give Sheva a spot on this ranking. Sheva Alomar is one of the least appearing characters on our list, and in the Resident Evil franchise, only making one singular appearance as a playable character in Resident Evil 5, and at that, she’s only playable in the game’s co-op mode, or after the single-player campaign has been completed at least once. With her rarity in mind, it’s remarkable how much of a lasting impact Sheva has had on the Resident Evil fanbase.

However, one playthrough of Resident Evil 5 proves that her infamy is no surprise. During her team-up with Chris Redfield in West Africa, Sheva proves that she’s able to hang with the best of ’em, holding her own against hordes of zombies, natural disasters, and even Albert Wesker himself, while he’s at his most powerful, no less. Her banter with Chris also gives her a ton of personality, which makes it even more insane that Capcom has never brought her back for another game since Resident Evil 5. Given that Resident Evil 5 is quite a controversial game, and we may never see a remake, the only reliable option is to give Sheva a role in some other, original Resident Evil game. Here’s hoping Capcom sees her potential, and has her play a role in Resident Evil 10.

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9. Rebecca Chambers

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Rebecca Chambers has had quite a few more appearances in the Resident Evil franchise than Sheva, but she remains an honorary member of the series’ ‘underrated’ club. The thing about Rebecca is, though she’s appeared in multiple games, and movies, she doesn’t tend to appear in many of the most popular entries in the series, making her incredibly important role as a S.T.A.R.S. member relatively unknown to new-age fans of the franchise. Rebecca is one of the few members of the Resident Evil cast that possesses the ability to make antivirals, regularly introducing cures for the various viruses that our heroes encounter, and yet, her legacy has been fairly muted throughout the series.

Rebecca remains such a loveable character to many because she was one of the series’ earlier characters to break the norm. In the early years, practically every Resident Evil character was a gung-ho badass who feared nothing. Rebecca was one of the earliest heroes to introduce a new, more grounded flavour to the S.T.A.R.S. team, and though fans remember her enough to get her included in Resident Evil‘s crossover with Dead by Daylight, she deserves another mainline game appearance to solidify her impact on the series with newer fans. Her main playable outing, Resident Evil 0, may be pretty terrible, but that only increases my demand for this heroine to get another shot.

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8. Ethan Winters

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Poor Ethan Winters. Revisionist takes have given this guy a lot more credit over the years, but I remember a time where it felt like everyone hated Ethan. The faceless protagonist of Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village, Ethan Winters was certainly lacking in the personality department in his first outing, but can you blame him? Ethan is one of the only ‘normal’ people in the entire franchise, unaffiliated with any sort of government or bio-terrorist agency, thrown into the deep-end of the Baker house in pursuit of his kidnapped wife. He may be lacking when it comes to humorous quips and explosive enemy takedowns, but he’s got a lot of heart, and his dedication to his family across both of his playable appearances is admirable.

This may spark some controversy, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that Ethan Winters technically revived the Resident Evil franchise. After Resident Evil 6 soured fans on the series, it was Resident Evil 7 that brought the games back to their former glory, and allowed other protagonists to shine in more modern iterations. Yes, he’s a little plain, but Ethan Winters is easily one of the most dedicated, determined, and down-to-earth heroes in the entire Resident Evil franchise, and though that won’t earn him anything close to the top spot on this list, he’s certainly deserving of a lot more credit than the fans award him. We’re Ethan Winters defenders here at Nerdy Nook!

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7. Grace Ashcroft

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The newest hero to join Resident Evil‘s line-up is up next, Grace Ashcroft, who is essentially a more likeable, and more capable version of Ethan Winters. There’s a lot to love about Grace, who I think easily faces the most terrifying threats in the entire Resident Evil franchise during her journey in Resident Evil Requiem. Her charm is undeniable, and her determination to save a young girl out of pure goodwill is truly heart-warming. She may make some bad decisions in Resident Evil Requiem, but her heart is always in the right place, and you can’t help but root for her whenever she’s on screen.

What really draws me to Grace, however, is her vulnerability, and her ability to draw sympathy from the player. People took issue with Ethan Winters because he felt a little plastic, facing down incomprehensible horrors with a fairly steady hand. Thanks to the performance of Angela Sant’Albano, Grace reacts how any sane person would to the horrors around her. Her stutters, her difficulty handling some of the bigger guns in the game, and her screams of unadulterated terror, make her stand out as one of the most personality-filled protagonists that Resident Evil has ever had, and for that, she earns a healthy spot on this ranking. Quite a high placement for a brand-new character with only one in-game appearance!

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6. Barry Burton

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Rebecca Chambers may be yet to get her due from the modern Resident Evil franchise, but Barry Burton is in real danger of fading into obscurity when it comes to new-age Resident Evil, and that simply can’t be allowed to happen. Barry has only had two major appearances in the franchise, appearing in the original Resident Evil, and Resident Evil Revelations 2, the latter of which hasn’t been played by many. Despite his rare appearances, he’s managed to consistently be one of the most beloved protagonists in the franchise, thanks in no small part to his quick wit, dedication to his family, and his handbook of memorable quotes.

Barry’s relationship with his daughter, Moira, is the heart of Resident Evil Revelations 2, and his role in the original Resident Evil is easily one of the most compelling in the entire game. He’s a family man, with an undeniable warmth to him, in Resident Evil‘s otherwise overbearingly negative world. Across both of his major appearances, his decisions always seem to be made with the intention of helping others, and as of the current canon, he has fled to Canada to escape the Umbrella Corporation and all of their meddling. There’s really no way to hate Barry Burton, and yet, he’s relatively unknown to the new generation of Resident Evil fans.

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5. Ada Wong

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Ada Wong has been a staple in the Resident Evil franchise for years now, and yet, she easily remains one of the series’ most mysterious figures. Often toeing the line between friend and foe, Ada has become a cornerstone of most of Leon Kennedy’s interactions with the Umbrella Corporation, often lurking in the shadows, only revealing herself when it best serves her to do so. Ada is certainly a far cry from the heart-warming loyalty that characterises other fan favourite characters like Barry Burton, and yet, she’s remained an incredibly popular figure thanks to her undeniable coolness.

There’s something reassuring about Ada Wong, as she tackles the horrors of the Resident Evil franchise with her signature cool-headed approach. Her shady moral compass has become one of Resident Evil‘s hottest talking points over the years, and as a result, even a glimpse of her iconic red dress is enough to get the fanbase talking. Leon Kennedy is undeniably one of Resident Evil‘s toughest characters, so watching Ada mess with his head is always entertaining, and a testament to her mastery of mind games. Ada is a truly irreplaceable character, and though she may not fit the exact mould of a ‘hero’, the remakes have hinted at enough of a redemption arc to earn her a spot on this list.

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4. Chris Redfield

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There’s no real mystery who the top 4 characters in Resident Evil are, so at this point, it’s really just a matter of how they’re ranked. With that in mind, I’m sure Chris Redfield just missing out on a podium position here will be a source of controversy, but let me explain myself. In many ways, Chris Redfield is Resident Evil, at its very core. He’s made many appearances over the years, debuting in the series’ very first entry, taking down Albert Wesker in Resident Evil 5, and even acting as one of the only connections between classic Resident Evil and the Ethan Winters’ duology. There’s no denying that Chris Redfield is an iconic character – but is he all that likeable?

The problem with Chris is that he plays his role a little too well. When Resident Evil first released in 1996, the series was in need of a macho, unwaveringly heroic protagonist, and Chris filled those shoes to perfection. The problem is that he’s never really moved past that status – whether he’s punching through boulders in Resident Evil 5, or delivering unbelievably corny dialogue in Resident Evil Village, Chris Redfield has never really evolved past the 90s. He’s the perfect poster-boy for everything that our Resident Evil heroes stand for, but he’s a little lacking in the character department. Still, I’m very excited that Capcom seem to be hinting at his return in Resident Evil 10, so there’s still a lot of love here for Chris – just not enough to beat out our top 3.

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3. Claire Redfield

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Claire Redfield is awesome, and it seems like Capcom wants all of us to forget about that for some reason. To me, Claire is essentially a mixture of everything that makes a great Resident Evil protagonist – take the hardened, bad-ass attitude of someone like her brother Chris Redfield, and mix it with the caring, motherly nature of characters like Grace Ashcroft, and you have Claire. Not only am I a firm believer that her campaign in the remake of Resident Evil 2 is the superior playthrough, she also stars in Resident Evil Code: Veronica, a grievously underrated franchise entry, and a game that really lets the quirkier side of Claire’s personality shine through.

Claire’s only setback is that she seems to completely disappear from the mainline Resident Evil timeline after Revelations 2. Even in Resident Evil Requiem, while Leon is reflecting on his adventures in the R.P.D., he seems to completely forget about the friend he made within those cursed walls, and the woman who helped him escape with his life. We could have at least had Sherry Birkin give a shout-out to Claire, who single-handedly saved her from Chief Irons, and the crumbling Umbrella facility. Claire is easily the most caring of Resident Evil‘s main four heroes, and here’s hoping we get to see her return to action in the near future.

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2. Jill Valentine

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Jill Valentine has had one of the wildest stories in the entire Resident Evil franchise, and it all started with the original Resident Evil back in 1996. For me, playing the original Resident Evil as Jill is the correct way to experience the game (sorry Chris), making her the true main character of the franchise as far as I’m concerned. While Capcom have shifted the focus to Leon and Chris over the past few years, there was a time when Jill was the face of Resident Evil, and I hope we can see her return to the spotlight soon.

Resident Evil 3 is far from my favourite game in the franchise, and yet, Jill’s characterisation has stuck with me after all of these years. Her appearance in Resident Evil 5 takes her character to completely new territory, and she stars as the main playable character in the extremely underrated Resident Evil Revelations. She suffers a little from the same issue as Chris does, a lack of real personality beyond being a citizen-saving hero, but when you can make a blue tank top iconic, you know you’re the star of a franchise. For me, Jill Valentine is the face of old-school Resident Evil, earning her this second place spot on the list.

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1. Leon S. Kennedy

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With the release of Resident Evil Requiem, I think I can now officially say that Leon S. Kennedy is my favourite character in the entire Resident Evil franchise. To be fair, he’s had a lot more time to shine than some of the other heroes on this list, but can you really blame Capcom? The people love Leon, and it’s no secret why. Leon is easily one of the most well-developed characters in the franchise. Entering the fray as a young, spritely trainee in Resident Evil 2, starring as the hardened hero of Resident Evil 4, and acting as the perfect foil to Grace in Resident Evil Requiem, Leon has easily had the biggest impact on the series of all of the Resident Evil protagonists.

His biggest strength, however, is his personality. Leon is bursting with personality, unlike some of his colleagues. Resident Evil 4 is filled to the brim with his hilariously corny quips, with his ‘bingo’ quote solidifying itself as one of the most iconic moments in gaming history. Resident Evil Requiem continues this humorous trend, while also highlighting his other strength – his dynamics with other characters. We get to see Leon develop entertaining, and often nuanced, relationships with Ashley Graham, Ada Wong, and Grace Ashcroft, and each time, it’s as entertaining as ever. Sure, he also lead Resident Evil 6, and I’m sure we’d all like to forget about that, but there’s no denying that Leon S. Kennedy is Resident Evil‘s golden boy, and I doubt we’ll see him leave the franchise any time soon.

See also: Resident Evil Requiem Review

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Conclusion

That’s our ranking of our top 10 Resident Evil heroes! Do you agree with our picks? Who’s your favourite protagonist in the Resident Evil franchise, and which game is your favourite? Do you disagree with any of our picks? Be sure to let us know, and thanks for reading!

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