Summary
- Mikhail Viktor's brave sacrifices in the Raccoon City incident make him a standout hero.
- Claire Redfield's protective nature towards Sherry Birkin showcases her true heroic qualities.
- Ethan Winters' unwavering determination to protect his family in terrifying situations makes him an inspirational hero.
In most video games that involve zombie or mutant outbreaks, the majority of people will focus first and foremost on their own safety rather than checking up on others. This kind of selfishness can be pretty understandable given the circumstances, but in the world of Resident Evil, there have been several individuals who have displayed heroic qualities during their appearances in the games.
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Not only will they go out of their way to help others, but will even sometimes lay down their own lives for the greater good; so long as it ensures innocent people can survive the nightmare, they'll always be the ones to spring into action. These are characters who have earned the title of 'hero' throughout the Resident Evil series of games.
7 Mikhail Viktor
Mikhail's Determination To Save Raccoon City's Survivors Makes Him An Admirable Character
- Game Appearances: Resident Evil 3: Nemesis / Resident Evil 3 Remake
When Mikhail arrives in Raccoon City after the outbreak begins, his first priority is to evacuate as many civilians as possible. This might sound pretty standard considering he's a member of the UBSC, but during the Raccoon City incident, there were far more individuals looking to kill and infect civilians rather than save them, so he already earns a few points for heroism.
However, while Mikhail fails to protect his men, and expresses his frustration at being injured and unable to fight, he does still show an extreme level of bravery during his last stand. So that Jill and Carlos can escape, Mikhail pulls the pin of a grenade to slow down the Nemesis, even just temporarily, proving he's willing to lay down his own life if it means protecting others.
6 Claire Redfield
Claire's Heroic Qualities Shine Through The Moment She Meets Sherry Birkin
- Game Appearances: Resident Evil 2 / Resident Evil 2 Remake / Resident Evil: Code Veronica / Resident Evil Revelations 2
When Claire makes her series debut in Resident Evil 2, she starts off as a fairly naive college student trying to find the whereabouts of her brother. As a result, she can come off as a little cold at first since this is the only thing she really cares about, but as the game goes on, Claire reveals she's actually a lot more caring and heroic than maybe even she realized.
This shines through most when Claire runs into Sherry, a young girl whose parents abandoned her as soon as the Raccoon City outbreak kicked off. Claire goes to extreme lengths to keep Sherry safe, taking on some grotesque B.O.Ws and even securing a cure to ensure Sherry's safety. After the events of that game, Claire would eventually join TerraSave, where she could similarly act as a guardian for those who have been caught up in acts of bioterrorism.
5 Chris Redfield
Chris Is Viewed As A Hero In The World Of Resident Evil Due To His History Of Fighting Bioterror
- Game Appearances: Resident Evil / Resident Evil: Code Veronica / Resident Evil 5 / Resident Evil 6 / Resident Evil 7 / Resident Evil Village / Resident Evil Revelations
Though he probably wouldn't consider himself a hero, Chris is undoubtedly a character who strives to make the world a safer place through his own actions. In the first Resident Evil, he was tasked with rescuing the survivor members of his team and leading them to safety, while in Code Veronica, he embarks on a courageous journey to save his sister Claire from the Ashford Twins.
After these events, Chris joins up with the B.S.A.A where he is sent on numerous life-threatening missions to clamp down on bioterror to prevent a second Raccoon City incident from occurring. While he can sometimes let his emotions get the better of him, often jeopardizing the mission in the process, Chris still always manages to prove to others why he is considered to be such a hero in the eyes of so many other characters in the Resident Evil universe.
4 Piers Nivans
Piers Makes The Ultimate Heroic Sacrifice So That His Mentor Survives
- Game Appearance: Resident Evil 6
When Chris is stuck in a rut at the beginning of Resident Evil 6, drinking away his sorrows at the local bar, it's Piers who comes along to bring him back to reality. Throughout Chris' campaign, Piers acts more like a leader than Chris himself most times, always looking out for the team and being adamant about not losing any more of his squadmates to the enemy.
Where Piers' heroism really shows itself though is at the end of the campaign during his and Chris' bout against the giant B.O.W known as HAUS. In order for Chris to escape, Piers injects himself with the C-virus, pushing Chris into a pod so that he can see his friends once again. Piers knew how much of a role model Chris was, and how determined he was to protect the world from terror, and as so, he made the ultimate heroic sacrifice to keep his mentor, and the world, safe.
3 Luis Serra
If Not For Luis, Saddler's Plan To Rule The World With Las Plagas Would Have Succeeded
- Game Appearances: Resident Evil 4 / Resident Evil 4 Remake
For much of Resident Evil 4 and its remake, Luis appears to be a shifty and unpredictable ally of Leon's who almost feels like he's ready to betray the wisecracking special agent the moment he gets the chance. In reality, though, Luis is trying to make up for his past mistakes, specifically his involvement with Umbrella, and his role in researching Las Plagas.
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As a way to atone for his sins, and ensure no more lives are lost due to the plague, Luis goes on a solo adventure to collect a cure for Leon and Ashley in the hopes that they can make it out in one piece. It's a truly heroic effort from a man who, for a long while, appears to be nothing more than a coward, but that couldn't be any further from the truth.
2 Ethan Winters
Ethan Deserves A 'Father Of The Year' Award Considering The Lengths He Goes To In The Games
- Game Appearances: Resident Evil 7 / Resident Evil Village
There are many games that tell the tale of a father searching for his missing family, but Ethan might take the cake for being the most brave and determined of them all, considering the nightmarish scenarios he's put through. Not only does he journey through the terrifying Baker Mansion to reunite with his wife Mia, taking on all kinds of horrors along the way, but he also navigates his way through a lycan-infested village to see his daughter Rose again.
In fact, Ethan is so selfless and concerned about protecting his family that he never even stops to think about himself, or more specifically, the fact that he's been dead for quite a while. Since Ethan's body crumbles away at the end of Village, he will unfortunately probably be forgotten by many, but those who got to experience his adventures will always remember him for his inspirational heroism.
1 Leon S. Kennedy
Leon Is Determined To Make The World A Safer Place, No Matter The Cost
- Game Appearances: Resident Evil 2 / Resident Evil 2 Remake / Resident Evil 4 / Resident Evil 4 Remake / Resident Evil 6
Once Leon arrives in Raccoon City in the Resident Evil 2 Remake and begins to understand the severity of the situation, his mission becomes clear; find out and expose whoever was behind all of it. This is a pretty ambitious goal considering he was one of the only survivors left in the city, but it provided a first glimpse into just how much Leon cares about bringing those who have done wrong to justice. This isn't even mentioning the moment where he willingly takes a bullet for Ada, a woman he's only just met, or how he is the one to set up the tram in the original game which is used to escape from the city.
In Resident Evil 4, Leon once again plays the role of the 'American hero', as Saddler likes to call him, as he embarks on a one-man mission to save the president's daughter, Ashley. Through the remake of the survival horror classic, Leon is burdened by the guilt of not being able to protect enough people in Raccoon City, promising himself that this time, things can be different.
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