Summary
- Oswald Spencer reached his end and longing for power in RE5, a shadow of his adventurous years as a scientist and explorer.
- Mikhail Victor, tired and wounded in RE3, was once a powerful soldier fighting bioterrorism underground.
- Chris Redfield has evolved into a rough agent dealing with past losses in Village but still fearlessly aids others.
Considering how long the Resident Evil franchise has been around, it makes sense that some of the in-game characters might no longer be at their best. Countless years of fighting B.O.Ws and preventing terror from spreading across the globe has clearly taken its toll on many members of the cast, and though they are all still more than willing to do their part in putting an end to the suffering caused by bioterror, they do so knowing full well that they are no longer in their prime.
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This can refer to a person's peak physical, but also mental performance, considering the two together are what determine how reliable and efficient someone will be when a fresh-new zombie outbreak occurs, which is a frequent occurrence in the Resident Evil universe. With all that being said, these are the Resident Evil characters who, as they appear in their latest game, are no longer in their prime.
6 Oswell E. Spencer
The Founder Of The Wesker Project Was Once A Globe-Trotting Scientist
Resident Evil 5
- Released
- March 5, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
- First Appearance: Resident Evil 5 (2009)
Despite meeting his end at the hands of Wesker in Resident Evil 5, it was evident that Spencer's glory years were way behind him once he made an appearance in the game. Reaching the end of his life and hooked up to a support system, all Spencer could do was preach about his desire to become a god, even though the one closer to fulfilling that goal was his own creation, Albert Wesker.
It's fascinating to read documents in the first game and in Village, which shed light on Spencer's escapades as a young scientist. Spencer would not only lay out the construction of the Spencer Mansion, but he would also meet Mother Miranda and learn more about the Megamycyte during his travels. Simply put, he was capable of doing anything he wanted in his earlier years, but not so much in Resident Evil 5.
5 Mikhail Victor
When Jill First Meets Mikhail Inside The Tram Car, It's Clear He's Seen Better Days
Resident Evil 3
- Released
- April 3, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Genre(s)
- Horror
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
- First Appearance: Resident Evil 3 (1999)
Mikhail has been through quite a lot in his time as a soldier. After making a name for himself as the leader of an underground group dedicated to preventing the spread of bioterror, Mikhail would eventually catch the eye of Umbrella operatives, who decided to bring the powerful soldier into their ranks.
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By the time Jill meets him, Mikhail is tired, exhausted, and heavily wounded, to the point where he struggles to even leave the tram car on his own due to his injuries. Fans, unfortunately, only get to see Mikhail at his worst, but make no mistake, he was a truly formidable soldier back in his heyday.
4 Salvatore Moreau
Miranda's Own Personal "Failure" Was Seemingly Once A Decent Man
Resident Evil Village
- Released
- May 7, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PlayStation VR2, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- First Appearance: Resident Evil Village (2021)
While the other three lords all seem pretty happy with the powers they've been gifted by Mother Miranda, Moreau is the exception. After being deemed a failed experiment, Moreau is forced to live in his grossly mutated fish-like body, spending his days begging for Miranda to acknowledge him, despite her paying him no mind.
As someone born into the nobility and who houses his own clinic, it can be presumed that Moreau was once a doctor of some kind when he was still a human. Additionally, his affinity with the sea makes it clear he was once someone who enjoyed fishing and spending time in nature. Unfortunately for him, though, the Cadou turned him into a shadow of his former self, who is taken down by Ethan pretty easily.
3 Clive R. O'Brian
From Leader Of The BSAA To A Humble Advisor
Resident Evil Revelations
- Released
- January 26, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Game Experience May Change During Online Play, Intense Violence, Language
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- First Appearance: Resident Evil Revelations (2012)
At the beginning of Resident Evil Revelations, Clive O'Brian acts as the head of command for the BSAA, being the man that Jill, Chris, and Parker all answer to. Needless to say, this is a highly prestigious role to have, so why did O'Brian end up losing it? At roughly the midpoint of the game, it's revealed that O'Brian willingly lied to his agents and put them in danger so that the Veltro terrorist group would come out of the shadows.
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As a result, he decides to step down, becoming a simple advisor to the BSAA who holds very little power in the grand scheme of things. Though not much is known about O'Brian's past, it's also safe to assume he's no longer in his prime from a physical perspective either, considering he prefers to let those under him do the dirty work while he sits back to strategize.
2 Leon S. Kennedy
Leon's Nightmarish Adventures Have Taken A Heavy Toll On Him
Resident Evil 2
- Released
- January 21, 1998
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube, PC, PS1
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- First Appearance: Resident Evil 2 (1998)
Leon arguably reached his prime in Resident Evil 4, where he was more than able to take down a bunch of vicious monsters, many of whom were double or even triple his size, with nobody there to help him. His speed and strength were unmatched at this point, so much so that Mendez would even express his worries about the special agent obliterating the entire Ganado army single-handedly.
A few years later, Leon shows up again as a protagonist in Resident Evil 6, and though he's still able to pull off flashy roundhouse kicks and haymakers, he's a lot slower than he used to be. In The Damnation CG movie, which is considered canon, Leon can even be found drinking away his sorrows in a bar, showing that his motivation also isn't quite what it used to be. Regardless, though, Leon will keep fighting no matter how old he gets, with the Raccoon City Incident assuring him that similar outbreaks need to be prevented no matter what.
1 Chris Redfield
Chris Is A Worn-Down Veteran Who Continues To Fight, Despite All He's Been Through
Resident Evil
- Released
- March 22, 1996
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation (Original), Sega Saturn, Nintendo DS, PC
- First Appearance: Resident Evil (1996)
By the time Chris shows up in Resident Evil Village, it's clear he's a much different man from the one who was seen in the first game all those years ago. After losing countless comrades and witnessing horrors that many people can't even begin to imagine, Chris becomes a rough-around-the-edges agent who admits that he's constantly thinking about when, or if, all the fighting will ever come to an end.
Still, that doesn't mean Chris isn't still up for putting his own life on the line if it means saving those in need, as shown when he protects Jill in the fifth game from Wesker, and when he assists Ethan and saves his daughter at the end of Village. Chris may no longer be in his prime, but he's still someone who all black market dealers and bioterrorists fear because of his reputation.
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