Summary
Resident Evilhas no shortage of heroes, as the franchise spans decades, bringing numerous main-line games and spin-off titles to the hands of eager fans. Though there is a dedicated line-up of legacy characters who have returned time and time again, their roster of good guys is still rather impressive.
But just how trustworthy are theseResident Evilcharacters? Does being a hero automatically make someone trustworthy, and does a character’s status as a villain instantly disqualify them? Here are the most notableResident Evilcharacters who can be counted on to be honestor even to have someone’s back in the middle of something as drastic as a zombie apocalypse.
8Lady Dimitrescu
At Least Ethan Knows Where He Stands With Her
It might be surprising to see a villain even considered to be trustworthy at all, as they are the bad guy, so nothing they say can truly be believed. But havethe stalker enemies inResident Evilever really been dishonest?
It’s true, players can’t exactly trust that they won’t disembowel them at the first given opportunity, but to be fair to them, most describe in pretty gruesome detail exactly what they intend on doing should they catch up to the player character, so it’s really the protagonist’s own fault if they allow them to get that close. And the internet’s favorite vampire matriarch is no different, as she makes it pretty clear what she wants to do to Ethan, especially after he starts killing her three daughters during his exploration of the castle.
7Sherry Birkin
Sherry’s Troubled Childhood Did Not Taint Her Good Nature
Sherry is by far one of the characters who had it the hardest inResident Evil 2. She was just a child when all hell broke loose in Raccoon City, and she saw her own father transform into a monster, who now sees her as a suitable host to infect with the same virus. Her mother Annette does not take too much ofan interest in her daughter’s welfareeither, being too busy cataloging William Birkin’s activities to even check if she is still even alive.
Through the kindness of Claire, Sherry survived and grew up to be an earnest and honest woman, wanting to do what is right, despite all the horrors she witnessed and lived through. She is loyal to her friends Claire and Leon, intent on joining the fight against all the wrongdoings in the world.
6Rebecca Chambers
One of the Most Earnest Characters in the Series
Rebecca formed part of S.T.A.R.S. Bravo team as a rookie officer and team medic, joining the team as they investigated the Arklay forest after receiving reports of animal attacks and supposed cannibalism in the area. The helicopter crashed, the team scattered, and Rebecca was found onboard Umbrella’s private train sitting quiet and still on the tracks, upon which she meets convicted murderer Billy Coen.
As a stand-up officer and law-abiding citizen, Rebecca has an immediate distrust towards Billy, and she lets her opinion be known of him immediately. Thoughshe does agree to partner up with himin order to help get them out of the sticky situation they are in, everyone knows it’s just about as much as her wanting to keep an eye on him as it is out of necessity. Everyone, innocent or guilty, knows where they stand with Rebecca.
5Jill Valentine
A Reliable Partner
Appearing as one of the playable protagonists in the first game, Jill has been a long-time staple character,appearing in numerous gamesand other media such as movies. As a protagonist, Jill is strong, a little stubborn, brave, resourceful, and loyal to friends and allies. One might be quick to point out her stint as Wesker’s attack dog inResident Evil 5, but since Jill was being mind-controlled by a device implanted in her chest, her betrayal of Chris was not purposeful.
Even taking this into account, Jill is still one of the most trustworthy and reliable partners one could ever have inResident Evil, as she makes it clear that she would risk life and limb for others. This is evident through her leading Nemesis away from their escape train inResident Evil 3and her immediate worry over Chris’s whereabouts in the first game.
4Ethan Winters
Ethan Just Wanted a Normal Life
Out ofall theResident Evilprotagonists, Ethan is probably one of the most grounded ones, as he was a husband and then a father before he was ever a fighter. In his debut title,Resident Evil 7, he was simply an ordinary man thrust into extraordinary circumstances. He traveled to the Baker’s lands in search of his wife Mia, who had gone missing three years prior. He does find her, but it is far from a happy reunion; Mia is different now, dangerous, just like the rest of her new family.
He has at least had some training inVillage, but he still finds himself a little out of his depth trying to rescue his daughter Rose from Miranda and her Four Lords, who each hold a separate part of her. In these games, it’s more about Ethan scrambling for answers rather than having any to give himself. He does prove his loyalty, at least, via his desperation to save his family from whatever danger they find themselves in.
3Chris Redfield
Chris is Always Fighting the Good Fight
Chris is the character withthe most roles throughout the series, even appearing in titles that he is not the main character of, such as the Ethan Winters saga. But no matter where or when he appears, players can rest assured that he is continuing his work to put an end to BOWs, effectively trying to save the world time and time again.
Though his allegiances have changed over time, going from a S.T.A.R.S. officer to a BSAA agent, for example, Chris can always be trusted to be a good guy. Even inVillage, when he absolutely does not elaborate on why he shot Mia and took Rosemary, players have known Chris long enough by now to trust he had a good reason for what he did, and, lo and behold, he did. His career throughoutResident Evilspeaks to the levels of how much one can trust Chris.
2Claire Redfield
Always Willing to Help Those in Need
One of themost trustworthy characters in theResident Evilfranchisehas to be Claire Redfield. First appearing inResident Evil 2, Claire traveled to Raccoon City in search of her older brother, where she met Leon and a whole host ofundead and other monstrosities. Her caring nature immediately made her protective of Sherry Bikrin, who was being hunted by her father and all but ignored by her mother, who cared more about studying the effects of the G-virus.
Her capacity to care is shown once more inCode: Veronicaand again inRevelations 2with Steve and Moira respectively. Each game just proves more and more how much Claire can be relied upon and trusted by anyone who is lucky enough to meet her, even in these dire circumstances.
1Leon Kennedy
Even Older, Jaded Leon Hardly Lies
Out of all theResident Evilcharacters, Leon is the one who fans would want to have watching their back the most, as he was deemed the man for the job to save the President’s beloved daughter. Not only that, but he takes his job very seriously, as evidenced inResident Evil 2, as he starts his first shift on the job contending with zombies and other monsters, wishing he arrived earlier to help rather than handing in his resignation.
The events of Raccoon City shake Leon so much that his character becomes progressively darker and more jaded as the franchise continues, yet he never loses that honest part of himself. He is rather open with people he knows he can trust, and he only closes himself off around villains and other unscrupulous sorts.
