Summary
- Barry Burton brightens up the darkest moments with his charming and witty personality.
- Osmund Saddler and Excella Gionne display charismatic qualities even as villains in the series.
- Characters like Alcina Dimitrescu and Leon S. Kennedy bring charm and charisma to Resident Evil.
In a world where zombie outbreaks are the norm, it always helps to have someone on the team who's a little witty and charismatic to help lighten the mood every now and again. Considering how many horrific events many of the survivors have been through over the course of the Resident Evil series, it makes sense why so many of them would have a hard edge to their personalities, though there are still, thankfully, a few who are able to brighten up a room with their infectious charisma anytime they open their mouth.
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While this certainly relates to a few of the heroes seen in the Resident Evil games, it also applies to a few villains too. Not everyone can crack jokes when surrounded by flesh-hungry zombies and B.O.W.s, but these characters below are never afraid to let out a few quips or one-liners any time they find the opportunity.
9 Barry Burton
The Former S.T.A.R.S. Operative Is As Charming As They Come
Resident Evil
- Released
- March 22, 1996
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher(s)
- Capcom
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation (Original), Sega Saturn, Nintendo DS, PC
- First Appearance: Resident Evil (1996)
When Jill, Chris and the other S.T.A.R.S. Agents find themselves trapped inside a spooky mansion full of monsters and mutants in the first game, they luckily have Barry around to keep everyone's spirits high during the nightmarish adventure. Barry is one of the most lovable and charming characters in the series, and he certainly has a way with words, as is evident by the amount of iconic quotes he's produced over the years.
Just a few moments after Jill is almost crushed by a collapsing ceiling, for example, Barry comments that his partner almost became a "Jill sandwich," in a desperate attempt to get a chuckle from the fellow S.T.A.R.S. Member, despite the dire situation. He may have been through a hell of a lot in his life, but Barry is still full of personality and charisma.
8 Osmund Saddler
Saddler Is Able To Convey His Twisted Ideology With Passion And Determination
Resident Evil 4
- Released
- January 11, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- First Appearance: Resident Evil 4 (2005)
While Saddler has an entire laundry list of negative qualities, one thing the powerful villain is especially good at is speaking his mind. After Saddler infected the villagers with Las Plagas, becoming the leader of his own de-facto army, he soon after rallied the servants to his side with grand speeches about how he would transform the world into his own personal haven.
When Leon encounters Saddler not long into Resident Evil 4, the man immediately starts giving one of his many speeches about how he will achieve his goal and come out the victor, no matter how hard Leon tries to stop him. For Saddler to acquire such a level of influence proves that he has at least some level of charisma as a figurehead, with everyone, even Salazar, swearing their loyalty to him as a result.
7 Excella Gionne
Wesker's Loyal Sidekick Proved To Be An Amusing Thorn In Chris' Side
Resident Evil 5
- Released
- March 5, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher(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)
Excella is a character who only appears in Resident Evil 5 as a partner to Wesker, but despite only having a brief amount of screen time, she steals the show every time she appears on-screen. Not someone who takes her mission all that seriously, Excella can always be found cracking jokes and making small talk, not only with Wesker, but also Chris and Sheva anytime she intercepts them.
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Excella was hoping that her generosity and charisma would be able to win Wesker over in the hopes of becoming romantically involved with him. Of course, this didn't end up happening considering the man in question. Despite that, though, she is still an extremely fun villain who helps bring some goofiness to one of the darker entries in the series.
6 Alcina Dimitrescu
Dimitrescu Can Effortlessly Turn Anyone To Her Side Using Nothing But Words
Resident Evil Village
- Released
- May 7, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher(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)
Most mutants seen throughout the Resident Evil series are mindless brutes whose sole focus is to destroy everything in front of them. However, this isn't the case for Dimitrescu, the royal vampire who resides within her high and mighty castle on the edge of the village. As Ethan comes to learn after being strung up by Dimitrescu and her daughters, the giant lord is actually extremely witty and charismatic, despite also being utterly terrifying.
She can easily turn someone into her loyal lapdog by striking at their desires with her seductive words, but she's also not afraid to get her hands dirty if she needs to. Out of all the four lords introduced in Village, Dimitrescu is by far the most memorable and fun to be around.
5 Albert Wesker
It's Hard To Hate Wesker And His Endless Charisma
- First Appearance: Resident Evil (1996)
In the very first Resident Evil game, Wesker played the part of the S.T.A.R.S. Leader, which is why he pretends to be so serious and stoic throughout the game. After he is stabbed by the Tyrant, though, not only does he gain superhuman powers, but he also becomes extremely overconfident and charismatic. Despite being the overarching villain of the entire series who has committed some pretty heinous acts in his time, it's honestly hard to hate Wesker considering his oddball charm and flashy personality.
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It's very rare that Wesker will take his enemies seriously, since he usually prefers toying with his prey and having fun before taking them out for good. As a result, it's always a blast to see Wesker show up in a new entry, with him being at his very best in the fifth mainline game.
4 Luis Sera
Luis Lights Up The Room With His Endless Passion And Charisma
- First Appearance: Resident Evil 4 (2005)
Leon meets Luis fairly early on in his rescue mission in Resident Evil 4, and while it's made immediately clear that Luis knows a lot more than he's letting on, he's also someone who certainly knows how to talk his way out of a tricky situation. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Luis is always acting very jovial and upbeat, stealing every scene he's in as a result.
However, it is eventually revealed that Luis is putting on a kind of act in order to hide his own guilt about being involved with the Los IIlluminados. Despite that, though, he always manages to enter a scene with a huge smile on his face and a Red-9 at the ready, becoming one of the most beloved side characters in the series.
3 Jake Muller
Jake Takes After His Father In More Than A Few Ways
Resident Evil 6
- Released
- October 2, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- First Appearance: Resident Evil 6 (2012)
Jake may not be all that fond of his father Wesker, though he certainly takes after him in more ways than one. Not only is Jake an excellent hand-to-hand combatant, but he's also extremely brash, cocky, and sarcastic, which provides a nice contrast to his partner Sherry, who is almost always deadly serious during their adventure together.
Admittedly, this is partly a facade that Jake often puts on to hide his insecurities, but as someone who still loves being the life of the party, Jake is still more than capable of wooing anyone he wants to with nothing but his own words. That being said, if someone does look at him the wrong way, he won't hesitate to shove a haymaker right in their face.
2 Ada Wong
Ada Is A Calm, Cool, And Collected Spy Who Has Won Over The Hearts Of Many Fans
Resident Evil 2
- Released
- January 21, 1998
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher(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)
When Ada first meets Leon in the parking lot in Resident Evil 2, the rookie cop is a nervous mess, but Ada couldn't be any more different. As a spy, Ada needs to ensure that she's always cool, calm, and focused on the mission, but another trait that helps her out in missions is using her charisma to her advantage, as she does with Leon numerous times.
It's not long after they meet that Leon is protecting Ada and even putting himself in harm's way for her, and while part of that is due to his duty as a police officer, it's also because of the allure of Ada as a character. She's someone who is able to provide just enough information about herself without giving away her true identity, and she's confident in her own abilities that she can still talk the talk with the knowledge that she can back it up when she needs to.
1 Leon S. Kennedy
A Wisecracking, Smart-Mouthed Hero Who Always Knows How To Break The Ice
- First Appearance: Resident Evil 2 (1998)
Out of all the protagonists in the series, Leon has always been the one who seems like the joker of the bunch. This isn't to say that he's weak; in fact, he's probably the strongest of them all, but his obsession with throwing out one-liners and witty quips anytime he finds an opportunity has resulted in him becoming a fan favorite who has essentially become the face of the franchise.
Leon has won over numerous characters over the course of the series with his suave and cool personality, including Helena, Angela, and Ashley, who was very hesitant to team up with him at first. It feels like Leon has only gotten more fun and expressive as the series has gone on, so while he may be getting older, his sense of humor and overall charisma will always be a core part of his character.
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