Every Resident Evil fan has a favourite playable character from the Franchise.
Resident Evil recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, and the series has amassed a large following thanks to the numerous games released over the years. As Resident Evil Village is set to be released soon along with numerous other projects tied to the franchise we have decided to explore the most beloved playable characters.
Each fan will have their favourite character that they have played as over the years, this could be for many reasons namely, how the character handled or their personal backstory, or the character’s unique traits in-game.
As a result, compiling a list of the ten best Resident Evil Characters is a daunting job, but we have scoured the internet and added to the list the characters that stood out among fans. We have ranked them below from 10 to 1, with 1 being the best.
Sherry Birkin (10):
Birkin is a federal agent attached to the Division of Security Operations. was unfortunate enough to be born in a family of two virologists working for Umbrella. Annette and William Birkin, her parents, had a huge influence on T-Virus science, which would ultimately cost millions of lives. She was finally infected with the G-virus, but she was quickly healed and now has permanent regenerative powers.
She was taken into custody by the US government and eventually joined the DSO, where she teamed up with Jake Muller to put an end to Albert Wesker’s terror.
Jake Muller (9):
Jake Muller is a playable character from Resident Evil 6 who saved the game from being a complete flop. He was a mercenary who was born and raised in Eastern Europe. He was drawn into a plot to conduct major terrorist attacks with the C-Virus as the son of bioweapons creator Dr. Albert Wesker.
Jake’s charisma and smooth moves helped this game be a little more interesting.
Hunk (8):
HUNK is the codename of an Umbrella Security Service operator who was the ill-fated Alpha Team’s chief while working for Umbrella. He is cruel, cold, silent, and emotionless. He and Sergeant Nikolai Zinoviev of the U.B.C.S. were considered “rivals.”
He is a complete badass with no backstory to hold him back.
Rebecca Chambers (7):
Dr. Rebecca Chambers is a Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance advisor and a former rookie member of the Special Tactics and Rescue Service assigned to the S.T.A.R.S. Bravo team, where she was in charge of medical needs due to her extensive biochemistry expertise. She was a child prodigy and had graduated college in the fields of chemistry and medicine before anyone else her age.
Rebecca stood out from the other characters, and her general demeanor provided a refreshing contrast to the others. Rebecca is a character who could revitalize the series, so it’s a shame the series hasn’t used her again.
Ada Wong (6):
The name ADA Wong is the pseudonym of a mysterious unnamed Asian-American spy. She acted in the shadows during a number of biohazard events, gathering knowledge that was valuable to many organizations while still working to discredit them. Ada has also betrayed the organizations and consumers with which she is associated in order to achieve her “true intent.”
She fills the role of femme fatale extremely well and has a captivating and intriguing presence whenever she turns up, attractive, smart, and dangerous in equal measure. Her character is a lot of fun to play as you get to roundhouse kick zombies in your cocktail dress. what more could you want?
Chris Redfield (5):
Chris Redfield is a bioterrorism security assessment alliance operator who has been with the organization since its establishment in 2003. Since his experiences with bioterrorism in 1998, Redfield has devoted his career to dismantling Bio Organic Weapons and battling against manufacturers and sellers of bioweapons.
Chris is the series’ archetypal hero due to his fighting skills, concern for the lives of innocents, and tight relations with his teammates.
Not much is known about his early life although we do know that his parents died before 1998 and he and Claire have only had eachother as family since. He enlisted in the United States Air Force as an adult and received training in both helicopters and airplanes. He’s also known for his hand-to-hand combat and has been trained to use a variety of weapons, including knives.
Albert Wesker (4):
Albert Wesker is a well-known character to the franchise and was an accomplished virologist notorious for his work with groups affiliated with the bio-weapons black market.
Wesker began his career as a gifted researcher at the Umbrella Corporation before becoming an undercover agent, posing as the chief of S.T.A.R.S. and a Raccoon P.D. officer. He’s evolved into the series’ main antagonist over the last two decades, faking his own death, manipulating those around him, and even infecting himself to achieve superpowers and usher in what he thinks is the next step in human evolution.
He is a fun character to play because let’s face it who doesn’t enjoy being the bad guy every once in a while.
Claire Redfield (3):
Claire Redfield is one of the most well-known characters in the Resident Evil franchise and has appeared as a playable character in no less than 3 of the Resident Evil games including Resident Evil 2, its remake, and Code Veronica.
Claire Redfield is a member of the TerraSave human rights organization and the younger sister of Chris Redfield, a former S.T.A.R.S. member. Claire would become involved in or end up in the middle of many Biohazard outbreaks around the world, leading her to dedicate her career to countering the threat of Bio-Organic Weapons, as did Chris.
Claire is well-known for her shooting, but she’s also lethal with her signature grenade launcher, which her brother Chris Redfield taught her to use.
Because of her demeanor and experience with her specific weapons, she is one of the most enjoyable characters to play in the Resident Evil universe.
Jill Valentine (2):
One of the most iconic female characters in the franchise and loved by many fans as she is an integral part of the Resident Evil universe.
Jill is a formidable combatant and a valued high-ranking operator who always knows how to get the job done. She was present at the destruction of Raccoon City, the Queen Zenobia cursed cruise ship, the Spencer Estate, and several other locations. She was also Captain Wesker’s Alpha Team’s only female member.
She excelled in bomb disposal and lock picking during her military training and was renowned for her delicate yet precise work, resilience, bravery, and discernment in the face of risk.
Jill has two extra inventory slots and is a whizz with a lockpick and an all round capable character in the franchise placing her at the second top spot.
Leon S.Kennedy (1):
Kennedy was a police officer at the time of the Raccoon City Destruction Incident in 1998. Following his escape, he was offered a place in a US-STRATCOM anti-B.O.W. battle unit, which he joined and worked in until 2011, in several operations around the world.
In 2004, he was also sent as the sole officer to investigate President Graham’s missing daughter, despite having little resources. Leon unlike the others was never a highly trained operative, just a cop with guts who becomes extraordinary under adverse conditions.
He holds a pivotal role in the Resident Evil franchise and only going AWOL in Resident Evil 6 but who is to say he doesn’t make a comeback in some way in Resident Evil Village.
Leon S.Kennedy is known as one of the most capable characters in the series, his hand-to hand combat skills are top class and he is known as decent, trustworthy, and composed and is even called a “genius” by Ada Wong. Resident Evil 4 was his most noteworthy appearance but he has done enough across the franchise to warrant the top spot in this list and is loved by many fans.
That concludes our list of the best, most entertaining, and endearing playable characters from the Resident Evil universe. You probably have your own favorites, so tell us about them and why you like them in the comments.