Content warning: This article contains spoilers for the video game Resident Evil Village.
From Leon Kennedy and Ada Wong to Sherry Birkin and Mr. X, the Resident Evil franchise has given life to some of the gaming horror genre's most memorable characters. Numerous elements work together makes a character "great" in this storied series, including narrative depth, design, and raw franchise staying power. Capcom's latest entry in the franchise, Resident Evil Village, adds several outstanding entries to its roster of characters.
Set in Eastern Europe, Village introduces a dynamic cast of new and old faces. Though not all of the game's characters are equally fleshed out, there are several that stand to join Jill Valentine and Alex Wesker among the franchise's most lasting personalities.
10 Karl Heisenberg
Despite Heisenberg's bravado, his character is fairly one-note throughout the game, obsessed with deposing Miranda as the ruler of the region for ambiguous reasons either too petty or too obscure to earn much empathy from players. Voice and motion capture actor Neil Newbon infuses Heisenberg with cocksure arrogance and menace, but this Village Lord simply doesn't have the narrative depth to earn a higher spot on this list. Still, his boss fight represents one of the game's highlights, placing Ethan in control of a makeshift tank as he battles a mech-driving Heisenberg outside the village's metal factory.
9 Mia Winters
Despite being a central character in 2017's Resident Evil VII: Biohazard, Mia features very little in Village. Indeed, as it is revealed that Mia in the game's opening, was actually a transfigured Miranda, the real Mia doesn't actually appear until the game's penultimate act. Mia's most memorable moments are her ghostly apparitions as Ethan searches for their daughter Rose. Whether in a flash of memory regarding a lover's quarrel or as a haunting figure slipping barely noticed out of the player's periphery, these instances leave the most lasting impression of Mia in the game.
8 The Duke
The first of few allies Ethan encounters in the game, the larger-than-life Duke takes on the role of Resident Evil Village's resident merchant. Though undeniably helpful, the Duke is a capitalist at heart and only dispenses his useful wares at steep prices. His cooking and recipe mechanics add a fresh twist to Village's gameplay, but the character himself is regrettably underdeveloped.
When Ethan asks the Duke who he really is near the end of the game, the Duke gives no answer. This lack of resolution for such an omnipresent ally feels more disappointing than intriguing. Still, from a design perspective, the Duke remains eminently memorable and a worthy successor to Resident Evil 4's Weapons Merchant.
7 Chris Redfield
In Resident Evil Village, Chris Redfield, a fan-favorite Capcom character, sets the story in motion when, without explanation, he storms the Winters' house, kills Mia, and kidnaps baby Rosemary. He appears as a minor character throughout the campaign, both hindering and helping Ethan's search for his daughter. This unusual dramaturgy places Chris in limbo between Ethan's allies and enemies, which makes him one of the more interesting characters in the game.
Also notable is the game's penultimate chapter, which places the player in control of Chris as he mows through hordes of Lycans in an action sequence that is reminiscent of the popular first-person shooter Call of Duty. Though more could have been done to bring depth to his character, Village marks a memorable entry into Chris Redfield's storied history.
6 Donna Beneviento & Angie
The second Village Lord Ethan faces off against in Resident Evil Village is Donna Beneviento and her doll Angie. Implanted with the Cadou parasite by Miranda, Donna the dollmaker gained the unique ability to induce controlled hallucinations in those around her. Ethan experiences this firsthand as he stumbles through the labyrinthine corridors of House Beneviento, plagued by possessed dolls and even a giant mutated fetus -- all ostensibly borne of Donna's mind.
Her companion, the giggling, decomposing doll Angie, also offers some of the most interesting and bizarre commentaries in the game. These instances allude to the complexity of Ethan's feelings toward his wife and daughter during his journey and represent moments of psychological narrative design on par with the likes of the Silent Hill series. Fans can only hope that Capcom continues this trend with future titles.
5 Ethan Winters
From his first appearance in Resident Evil VII: Biohazard, Ethan became a franchise favorite protagonist. Some might argue that he is more generic than most main characters in the series, as we know little about him beyond his connection with his wife Mia and daughter Rose. Despite this, Resident Evil Village adds nuanced depth to Ethan's character, and its climactic twist shows that he is still suffering from his encounter with the Baker family in 2017.
Near the game's conclusion, players learn that Ethan died in Louisiana and that his consciousness and body were resurrected by the mind-controlling fungus that had possessed the family. With limited time before his body decomposes, Ethan persists in rescuing his daughter, and his death represents a fitting and noble conclusion for one of the Resident Evil series' most memorable characters.
4 Salvatore Moreau
Moreau is arguably the most physically grotesque of Resident Evil Village's characters. Named for the 1896 novel The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells, this Village Lord is half-man, half-fish, and plagued by acidic inflammation that tortures him from within. Moreau's chapter of the game sees him transition from a meek sycophant to a clever strategist befitting his family's history as the village's resident physicians.
This kind of character arc is a rarity among video game antagonists, and Moreau's brief but memorable journey is a welcome addition to Village. He also represents one of the most difficult boss fights in the Resident Evil series. During the battle, the pitiful fish-man transforms into a colossal acid-spewing creature straight out of the work of H.P. Lovecraft. Rich design and above-average depth of character render Moreau one of Village's most interesting characters.
3 Rosemary Winters
Admittedly, Rose doesn't appear in person much in Resident Evil Village. She is kidnapped as a baby during the game's prologue, and Ethan spends the vast majority of the game searching for her. Rose's most striking appearance comes after the game's conclusion in a post-credits scene. Here, she is seen standing at her father's grave, leaving flowers on his birthday.
When questioned by her security detail, she makes a veiled threat against them, claiming that she possesses powers of her own that Chris isn't aware of. This opens numerous possibilities for Rose continuing Ethan's legacy as a series protagonist (or even antagonist) in subsequent games. Brief though her appearance is, it represents one of the most succinct and effective narrative designs in Resident Evil Village.
2 Mother Miranda
Worshipped as a god among the villagers and lords of the game's eponymous village, Miranda serves as the game's primary antagonist. A shapeshifter, politician, and scientist, Mother Miranda is motivated by the loss of her own child, rendering her one of Resident Evil Village's most sympathetic characters. In many ways, she represents a mirror-perfect dramaturgical opposite to Ethan, who is fighting to recover his own daughter. Players who thoroughly search her lab will find numerous documents that detail her work as a researcher, including the revelation that it was her work that inspired the Umbrella Corporation to begin its mutagenic research that impels the entirety of the Resident Evil franchise.
1 Lady Dimitrescu
Lady Dimitrescu solidified herself as a favorite character in Resident Evil Village and the larger franchise from her first appearance in promotional materials. She brings the best mechanics of Nemesis and Mr. X to the Eastern European aesthetic of Castle Dimitrescu, all the while channeling raw boss energy into a nuanced portrait of a matriarchal character the likes of which the gaming world seldom sees. A businesswoman with a strained familial relationship, the lady of the castle features more depth than some series protagonists. Add the performance of a lifetime by voice and motion capture actor Maggie Robinson, and Lady Dimitrescu easily ranks as the best character from Resident Evil Village and handily makes the shortlist of best characters in the entire franchise.
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August 31, 2021 at 12:00AM
