Summary
- Resident Evil characters like Rebecca, Carlos, and Steve are relatable due to their flaws and realistic reactions.
- Characters like Moira and Sheva demonstrate loyalty and vulnerability, making them easy to connect with.
- Strong characters like Barry, Jake, and Ethan have relatable struggles despite their abilities and backgrounds.
The Resident Evil franchise has produced some of the most iconic and well-known characters in the entire video game industry. Sure, this immensely popular horror series can get a little outlandish at times, but it always tries to remain at least somewhat grounded in reality, meaning many of the heroes and villains can feel eerily real, and sometimes, even relatable to a certain extent.
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Whether it's their willingness to keep pushing on ahead despite the odds, or even simply their fun and curious personality, there are plenty of ways a character can feel easy to connect with. Throughout the long-running Resident Evil franchise, there have been more than a few characters who fit this description, with these key figures below being among the most relatable of the bunch for their own unique sets of reasons.
8 Rebecca Chambers
Rebecca Isn't A Supercop Or A Boulder-Punching Special Agent
Resident Evil 0
- Released
- November 12, 2002
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Intense Violence, Blood and Gore
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
Compared to the likes of Chris and Leon, Rebecca feels like a protagonist who is severely under-prepared for the nightmarish situations she finds herself in. After stepping into the zombie-infested train in Resident Evil 0, Rebecca struggles to hold her own against a few zombies, and while this does make her the weaker member of the game's main duo, it also ends up making her easier to relate to, since she feels more like an everyday citizen.
With that being said, Rebecca is still a trained paramedic who manages to fend off some pretty horrific monsters on her adventures. However, a major reason why Rebecca has become such a fan-favorite, despite making so few appearances, is because of how grounded and realistic she feels.
7 Carlos Oliveira
Carlos Continues To Fight Despite The Odds Being Stacked Against Him
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
- Released
- November 10, 1999
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
When someone in the Resident Evil universe is connected to Umbrella, it usually means they're bad news, but Carlos is a little different. As someone who genuinely wants to just help people in their time of need, Carlos must wrestle with the revelation that Umbrella, the company he answers to, is the one who has been pulling the strings behind the outbreak all along.
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Rather than agreeing to be just another lowly servant of his evil masters, Carlos decides to break free from their control to do what's right. His selflessness as a soldier and his determination to act as a good person when the world suddenly goes to hell are just a few reasons why many have related to the iconic former Umbrella operative.
6 Steve Burnside
Steve's Random Outbursts And Constant Whining Are Surprisingly Realistic
Resident Evil CODE: Veronica X
- Released
- March 21, 2001
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 2, Sega Dreamcast, GameCube, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4
Though Steve often receives a lot of flak for whining and moaning, many people aren't willing to admit that they would act exactly the same way if they were in his shoes. Steve is always making mistakes, and rather than feeling hopeful and motivated, he often questions his situation and his chances of making it out.
That being said, Steve is also known for being incredibly goofy. He always tells awkward jokes and uses quips to try and lighten the mood whenever he and Claire succeed in taking down a nightmarish mutant or monster. The quirky side character of CODE: Veronica is a lot more relatable than some may want to admit.
5 Jake Muller
Despite Being A Superhuman, Jake Still Suffers From Self-Confidence Issues
Resident Evil 6
- Released
- October 2, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
As the son of Albert Wesker, Jake is inherently very strong, though this doesn't mean he's lost all his emotion as a human being. When Sherry runs into Jake at the beginning of Resident Evil 6, the young mercenary is moping around looking for any spare work he can take on to support himself and his single mother, whom Wesker abandoned long ago.
Rather than being proud of his parentage, Jake seems rather ashamed of it, and it's clearly taken a big toll on his self-confidence. Ironically, despite being born to a literal superhuman, Jake feels like a relatable cast member, which is a testament to how well he's written.
4 Moira Burton
Moira Faces Her Fears Despite Her Lack Of Zombie-Fighting Experience
Resident Evil: Revelations 2
- Released
- February 24, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
Moira, the daughter of the legendary Barry Burton, makes her debut in Revelations 2 as an unlikely ally of Claire's. With no combat experience to her name, Moira is a fish out of water once she finds herself taking on swarms of mutants, though she isn't exactly capable of taking these freaks down single-handedly.
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Due to a traumatic childhood event, Moira had promised herself never to use a firearm. Therefore, Moira can't just let sparks fly whenever zombies surround her, and her vulnerability as a character makes it much easier to relate to her compared to most of the gun-nuts that players control throughout the series.
3 Sheva Alomar
Sheva Is As Loyal As They Come And A Great Partner For Chris
Resident Evil 5
- Released
- March 5, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
Though Resident Evil 5 primarily revolves around Chris and the end of his saga with Wesker, Sheva is also there to help him along the way. After their mission goes haywire and Chris decides to go on a personal escapade to find Jill, Sheva could have easily left him high and dry, but instead decided to stick by his side to the very end.
It's hard to find many characters in the Resident Evil universe who aren't looking to stick a knife in someone's back the moment they get the chance. Sheva, on the other hand, is willing to form a close bond with Chris, and her openness and generosity are traits that many fans can relate to.
2 Barry Burton
Above All Else, Barry Loves His Family More Than Anything
Resident Evil HD Remaster
- Released
- January 20, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Violence, Blood and Gore, Language
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
In the first Resident Evil game, unbeknownst to the player, Barry has been blackmailed by Wesker,, who has threatened to kill his entire family if he doesn't participate in his sick and twisted experiment in the Spencer Mansion. Players soon realize just how deeply Barry cares for his loved ones, with the family man becoming a character who feels a lot more human than many of his comrades.
Even after the Spencer Mansion fiasco, Barry continued fighting on his family's behalf in Revelations 2, where he was forced to confront his rocky relationship with Moira. The powerhouse of S.T.A.R.S. Is secretly a big softie, but only those who are close to him will know that about Barry.
1 Ethan Winters
The Everyman Who Finds Himself In Some Pretty Twisted Situations
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
- Released
- January 24, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror, Psychological Horror, First-Person
After many fans expressed their concerns that the Resident Evil series was steering too heavily into the action genre with Resident Evil 6, Capcom decided to bring the franchise back to its roots with the seventh mainline game. They achieved this by featuring a protagonist who essentially acted as a stand-in for the player. This took the form of Ethan Winters, a protective father and husband who gets caught up in more than his fair share of horrific scenarios.
While his first adventure would take him through the dark and dreary Baker Estate, he would then stumble into Mother Miranda's village in Resident Evil Village, which is plagued by flesh-hungry Lycans. Ethan can barely fire off a shotgun without nearly blowing his arms off, but he's also got a heart of gold and an undying love for his family.
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