Summary
- Ashley from Resident Evil 4 is considered one of the weakest characters in the series, as she is often in danger and difficult to control. However, her role as a protagonist in the Remake has improved, with new gameplay elements and more engaging moments.
- Katherine Warren, from the "what if" scenario in Resident Evil 2 Remake, is a vulnerable yet capable character who must escape the clutches of the evil police chief Brian Irons. She is determined to rescue her imprisoned boyfriend and is armed with a weapon, making her somewhat formidable in a crisis.
- Robert Kendo, a gunshop owner in Racoon City, is physically strong and knowledgeable about weaponry, making him a formidable protagonist in the Resident Evil series. While he ultimately sacrifices himself to stay with his daughter in the original storyline, he survives in the "No Time To Mourn" scenario and escapes with his friend on a helicopter.
Since the first title's release in 1996, Resident Evil has seen memorable and iconic characters. From Leon S. Kennedy, the rookie cop from Racoon City, to Chris Redfield, the legend of BSAA, the Resident Evil universe has seen them all. Together, these protagonists do their best to protect their city from the unforgiving threats of biochemical terrorism.
Resident Evil: Best Female Characters, Ranked
The Resident Evil franchise utilizes both male and female characters accordingly. However, which female characters in the series stand out the most?
Thanks to the warm reception for Resident Evil Village and the remakes of Resident Evil 2, 3, and 4, there has never been a better time to look at the best playable Resident Evil characters.
Updated October 18, 2023, by Michael Llewellyn: Resident Evil is one of the most recognizable franchises in the gaming industry. It set the bar for survival and action horror with animated and live-action movies and a short-lived Netflix TV show. The Resident Evil 4 Remake sits proudly among the best games in a tremendous year for gaming in 2023. With the RE4 Remake's expansion fleshing out Ada Wong's character, it is a good idea to update this list of the best playable characters in the Resident Evil series.
23 Ashley
- Canon game appearances: Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 4 Remake
Ashley is arguably the weakest character in the Resident Evil series . She was perpetually in danger during Resident Evil 4. Leon always needs to defend her in escort missions, and the sequences where she is playable are more frustrating.
Within these moments, Ashley is awkward to control and a chore to handle, meaning she is less than engaging as a character to play. Her role as a protagonist in the Resident Evil 4 Remake has significantly improved. While stealth still plays a part, Ashley must solve environmental puzzles and avoid enemies in some nai-biting moments.
22 Katherine Warren
- Canonical Appearance: Resident Evil 2 Remake
Katherine Warren is the kidnapped daughter of the Racoon City mayor. She was taken by the evil police chief Brian Irons, who planned on turning her into one of his taxidermy trophies. In the real story, Katherine does not survive her ordeal, but players who completed the Resident Evil 2 Remake get to play as her in a "what if" scenario where she makes her escape.
In this scenario, Katherine kills the police chief and escapes. She is determined to leave Racoon City and rescue her imprisoned boyfriend. She is vulnerable and not as quick as Claire or Leon, but she can handle a weapon, making her somewhat formidable in a crisis.
21 Robert Kendo
- Canonical Appearance: Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 2 Remake, and Resident Evil 3 Remake.
Robert Kendo is a gunshop owner in Racoon City and friends with Barry Burton and Jill Kennedy. During the outbreak in Racoon City, Robert had already lost his wife to the virus, and he had to watch his daughter slowly succumb to a zombie bite while hiding out in his gunshop.
Opting to stay with his daughter, Kendo took his own life after she was lost to the virus. It is an impactful scene that stays with Leon Kennedy for the rest of his life after hearing the gunshots. However, in the No Time To Mourn scenario, Kendo escapes with his friend on a helicopter. Skilled and armed with a unique shotgun, Kendo is physically strong and capable of defending himself. He is slower than Leon and Claire, but his knowledge of weaponry makes him a formidable protagonist.
20 Ghost
- Canonical Appearance: Resident Evil 2 Remake
J. Martinez, AKA Ghost, is a special forces soldier who works for the Umbrella Security Service. In the canon story, Ghost dies after William Birkin deliberately infected himself with the virus and attacked. In the Forgotten Soldier scenario, Ghost escapes and gets his hands on the G-Virus sample after Ada Wong falls down a shaft.
Unfortunately for Ghost, his escape fails because Ada survives her fall and appears behind him to take back the sample. Despite being a special forces soldier, it seems that even in the what-if scenario. Ghost is destined to lose. Despite his skills with weaponry, Ghost is not a survivor.
19 Natalia Korda
- Canon Game Appearances: Resident Evil: Revelation 2
Natalia Korda is a young girl who appears in the episodic Resident Evil Revelations 2. She is a survivor of the Terragrigia panic. She travels with Claire and Moira until she eventually aids the returning character Barry Burton in later episodes.
Natalia works with Barry as a dual protagonist by using her small frame to climb through tight spaces and detect monsters. However, she can only defend herself by throwing bricks and hiding, making her a vulnerable protagonist.
18 Moira Burton
- Canon Game Appearances: Resident Evil: Revelations 2
Moira Burton is a dual protagonist with Claire Redfield in Resident Evil: Revelations 2. She is the estranged daughter of Barry Burton and works with Claire in the opening episodes of the game. She aids Claire by using a torch to highlight hidden items.
Moira's not a strong character and chooses not to wield a gun due to past traumas that involved her sister. She's not defenseless, however, as she uses a crowbar to attack monsters and defend herself. Moira is a survivor, but she's not trained for combat and is a vulnerable protagonist.
17 Ethan Winters
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=500&dpr=1.5)
- Canon Game Appearances: Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil 8
Ethan Winter is a survivor and an everyman character who manages to fight through and escape the horrific incidents in Resident Evil 7 and Resident Village. However - unlike the other characters in the series - Ethan has no combat experience or training.
Doing away with most of the action, Resident Evil 7 is more of a hide-and-seek horror game. Ethan has a better chance of survival if he runs away or hides from his enemies. Ethan is a good and relatable protagonist but certainly not the strongest.
16 Rose Winters
- Canon game appearances: Resident Evil Village - Shadows of Rose
Rose Winters is the daughter of Ethan, the protagonist of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and Resident Evil Village. She is the protagonist of the Shadows of Rose expansion for RE Village. Set several years after the events of Village, Rose is a teenager struggling to come to terms with her powers and the need to find out about family history.
Best Horror Co-Op Games To Play With Friends
Be it on Halloween or in the middle of Summer, it is always the right time for a fun co-op horror game.
Rose must return to the Eastern European village from the first game to get answers. She's a capable fighter who can handle weapons and escape dangerous scenarios by using her powers to freeze monsters and enemies.
15 Carlos
- Canon Game Appearances: Resident Evil 3 and Resident Evil 3 Remake.
A friendly guy in general who made for good company, Carlos was a survivor from childhood who had to struggle his entire life, and events forced him to go along with Umbrella.
22 Best Survival Horror Games Of All Time, Ranked
Sometimes in a game, just surviving to the end is the goal. These are the best survival horror games of all time.
Carlos is a supporting protagonist in Resident Evil 3 and does a fair job lending a hand to Jill, defending her from a horde of zombies trying to break into the hospital. Carlos received a few playable missions himself, and instead of dodging like Jill, he would punch his foes in the face. He was fun to use, a fair contrast to Jill, but his only appearance in RE3 prevents him from climbing the rankings.
14 Billy
- Canon Game Appearances: Resident Evil Zero
As the co-protagonist of Resident Evil Zero, Billy's storyline was the mystery behind his supposed role in massacring dozens of people, which slowly unraveled during the game to reveal his innocence.
While a character of stoic nature, his ambiguous background made him an interesting person to follow. Of course, it also made him somewhat one-dimensional since the reveal of his innocence comes to light at the end, but there is no doubt that Billy still left a lasting memory.