The Resident Evil franchise has a number of iconic characters that many longtime fans recognize very well. Each had their own time in the spotlight in the video games and movie adaptations to help push the franchise's story forward. One popular lead character is Leon S. Kennedy, the brave agent who fought off the infected and other powerful beings during the events of Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 4, and Resident Evil 6.
Leon first debuted in 1998's Resident Evil 2, where he had just graduated from a police academy and joined the Raccoon Police Department. For his mission in Resident Evil 4 six years later, he's thrown into a rural village in Spain to rescue the US president's daughter, Ashley Graham. Leon's last video game appearance was in Resident Evil 6, which was the last mainline game before the Ethan Winters saga started. It's still unknown when and if Leon will show up again in a Resident Evil game, but given the current timeline of the franchise, fans could expect some big changes.
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Future Resident Evil Games Might Feature An Older Leon S. Kennedy
There has been speculation about Leon's current age in the Resident Evil franchise. When he was first introduced in Resident Evil 2, he was a 21-year-old police officer at the Raccoon Police Department in 1998. In his last appearance in Resident Evil 6, he was already a 36-year-old Division of Security Operations agent. Although he was alive at the end of the game, Leon wasn't present in the two most recent Resident Evil games and, as far as players know, only Chris Redfield is involved in the Winters' case.
Assuming that Leon is still kicking in the Resident Evil universe, he would be nearing 50 years old at this point. He could even be around 60 years old now because the events of the Shadows of Rose DLC take place 16 years after Resident Evil Village. If Leon were to show up in a future Resident Evil title set in the current timeline, he might look completely different and could even sport a shorter haircut to match his age. This might come as a shock to many longtime fans, especially since the character has kept the same hairstyle for years. But if Chris' appearance could progressively change in all the Resident Evil games and adaptations that he's been a part of, then Leon definitely isn't immune to it.
Leon Kennedy Might Not Be Aging At All
The counterargument to Leon potentially looking older in his next Resident Evil appearance is the theory that he might not be aging. Many Resident Evil fans have noticed that Leon looks relatively the same since Resident Evil 4, noting some changes in his physical appearance depending on the graphics of the game and adaptation he's in. Fans believe that the character's brief infection in Resident Evil 4 might have slowed down his aging process.
While in Spain, both Leon and Ashley were injected with Las Plagas, the same virus that infected the villagers. Again, the infection was brief because they received an Antigen Medication from Luis Serra's laboratory to cure themselves of the virus. Although it wasn't stated outright in Resident Evil 4 and other titles, many fans think that traces of the virus were left in Leon's system, allegedly causing him to age slower or not at all.
Regardless of whether it's true that Leon isn't aging, fans probably won't know until he becomes a protagonist in a mainline Resident Evil game again. There have been reports that Resident Evil 9 is already in development, but the lead characters are still a mystery. It's possible that Rose Winters, Ethan's daughter, might play an important role in the next game, especially since the Winters family helped usher in the "new era" during Resident Evil Biohazard and Resident Evil Village. However, it would be interesting to see Leon, along with Chris, interact with Rose in the ninth installment. It could also be a great opportunity to pass the baton to the next generation of brave agents, so there is no telling what route Capcom will take.
Resident Evil 4
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 98%
- Released
- March 24, 2023
- ESRB
- M for Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher(s)
- Capcom
- Engine
- RE Engine
- Franchise
- Resident Evil
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- How Long To Beat
- 16 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
