Resident Evil: 10 Things Only Die-Hard Fans Know About The Games

The horror video game franchise Resident Evil is a multi-million dollar empire that has not only spawned games but also a successful movie franchise. With its undeniable impact on pop culture, Resident Evil games entertain a dedicated cult fanbase.

Multiple inspirations and references in the games imply several Easter Eggs and behind-the-scenes details that the average Resident Evil fan wouldn’t know. Such attention to detail also proves how Resident Evil is much more than just a “zombie-killing” adventure and is a journey of dystopian survival.

Biohazard Was Changed Into Resident Evil In The US For Copyright Issues

It is common knowledge that the first installment of the Resident Evil games was released as Biohazard in Japan. However, the same title couldn’t be used in North American markets as the title had already been copyrighted by another DOS game and a Brooklyn-based punk rock band of the same name.

As GamesRadar reports, the game’s company personnel then held a competition among themselves to come up with a name. The title that sprung out of this activity was Resident Evil and the rest is history.

Resident Evil Is Capcom’s Highest-Selling Franchise

Video game developing company Capcom is known for not just the Resident Evil games but also older classic franchises like Mega Man and Street Fighter. Newer examples include Devil May Cry and Marvel vs. Capcom. And yet it is the Resident Evil franchise that has turned out to be the most profitable series for the Japanese venture.

Overall, the entire franchise’s sales stand at 120 million copies sold worldwide. According to Statista’s 2021 survey, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard has been the biggest moneymaker with 10.2 million copies sold, followed by Resident Evil 2 at 8.9 million and Resident Evil 5 at 8 million.

Lady Dimitrescu Was Based On A Hungarian Noble And A Japanese Urban Legend

The Resident Evil Village character Lady Dumitrescu has become a pop culture icon. Her character doesn’t draw inspiration from any classic vampires but a wide variety of other legends instead.

Apart from the obvious similarities with Morticia Addams from The Addams Family, the vampire seems to be based on the 18th-century Hungarian noblewoman Elizabeth Báthory. This infamous historical figure allegedly murdered and mutilated hundreds of children. As she also apparently bathed herself in their blood, she began to be seen as a vampire-like figure. An analysis by PC GamesN also reveals how the Japanese urban legend of Hasshaku-Sama also features a similar tall woman who wears a brimmed hat and a white dress.

The Franchise Spawned Several Comics And Novels

Like many other video game series, Resident Evil is no stranger to media tie-ins. While the animated and live-action movies are quite popular, the games have also spawned a whole range of comic books and novels.

When it comes to the Resident Evil comics, the first comic was published by Marvel as a prequel to the original game and released as promotional material for the PlayStation version. Since then, publication houses like Image and Wildstorm have added to the game’s mythos along with manhua adaptations in Hong Kong by multiple publishers. The first five games as well as three of Paul WS Anderson’s Resident Evil movies have also been adapted as official novelizations.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Dawn Of The Dead, And A Cult Japanese Movie Inspired The Series

The franchise’s creator Shinji Mikami has cited classic horror movies like Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Dawn of the Dead as inspirations for creating the tense atmosphere and zombie-induced terror in the first game. Among the movies that inspired Resident Evil, Sweet Home also deserves a special mention.

The low-budget Japanese cult classic is set in a haunted mansion and a fictional film crew’s misadventures in this paranormal location. The movie’s video game adaptation is equally iconic and was released in the same year, yet again inspiring the first Resident Evil game.

Karl Heisenberg Is Similar To Van Helsing And Nicholas Cage

One of the four lords from Resident Evil Village, Karl Heisenberg is responsible for creating the cybernetic undead creatures known as the Soldats. Even though the makers have never confirmed if Van Helsing was an inspiration for the character design, fans of the game do feel that he gives off a vibe similar to that of the famous vampire-hunter from Bram Stoker’s horror novel Dracula. Most of the character’s interpretations bear a similar tattered hat and pair of sunglasses as Heisenberg. Even a Den of Geek article on Village mentions that Heisenberg has “Van Helsing looks”.

Fans have also compared Heisenberg voice actor Neil Nibon’s voice to that of the Nicolas Cage character Castor Troy from Face/Off. As Nibon said in the Residence of Evil podcast, Nicolas Cage was indeed one of the actors that went on to define Heisenberg’s character.

Four Stage Musicals Were Based On The Games

While the movies, novels, and comics would still be unsurprising tie-ins, it is amusing to find that Resident Evil has also spawned four musical plays. Bioroid Year Zero was the first one, being performed in Japan in 2000. The horror-comedy told offered the perspective of the infected from Racoon City.

Starting with Biohazard On Stage, the plays started including the adventures of fan-favorite Resident Evil characters like Chris Redfield and Rebecca Chambers. Since then, Musical Biohazard ~Voice of Gaia and Biohazard The Experience have also been released in Japan.

Creator Shinji Mikami Previously Worked On Disney Games

Shinji Mikami is a video game heavyweight for his work as director on the first Resident Evil game, its remake, and Resident Evil 4. Before kickstarting the franchise in 1996, Mikami joined Capcom as a junior game designer in 1990.

This was the time when he worked on Disney games for kids such as Game Boy’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Aladdin and Goof Troop for the Super NES. Later on, along with the success of Resident Evil, Shinji Mikami also won acclaim for directing the first installment of the horror survival series Dino Crisis.

Mentions Of Queen Songs Are Scattered Throughout The Games

While none of the Resident Evil personnel have given any specific references, but the franchise uses some of the best Queen songs in unique ways. For example, Claire’s jacket in Resident Evil: Code: Veronica reads “Let Me Live” while the same character’s jacket reads “Made In Heaven” in Resident Evil 2.

Similarly, Billy Coen sports a tattoo in Resident Evil 0 that reads “Mother Love”. Interestingly, all of these songs are from the Freddie Mercury-fronted band’s 1995 album Made In Heaven.

The Games Didn’t Include Japanese Until 2012

Despite the original games being developed in Japan, the franchise’s voice acting was in English. While a Japanese dub was recorded, this version was scrapped for low quality. However, the English version was again laughably bad but has now gained a cult status among fans.

The creative team decided to stick with English only, regardless of the quality of the writing. It was only in 2012 with the release of Resident Evil: Revelations that the games would also include Japanese voice-acting.

About The Author

Shaurya Thapa
(731 Articles Published)

Shaurya Thapa is an Indian freelance journalist who mostly dabbles in writings on cinema, music, and human interest features. When it comes to Screen Rant, he writes lists on a wide array of subjects ranging from international films to mainstream Netflix series and comic book trivia. He also hosts a podcast called ‘BhindiWire’, an Indian parody of IndieWire.

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