The Best Resident Evil Characters, According To Ranker

Capcom’s Resident Evil has remained strong ever since it debuted back in 1996. The survival horror franchise has featured games, TV shows, and movies during this time, usually featuring the likes of Leon S. Kennedy, Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, Claire Redfield, among other recurring heroes.

Fans on Ranker have come to a consensus over which of the protagonists and villains have left the biggest mark on Resident Evil. These are based on hundreds of votes cast by fans across the world, leaving little doubt over the validity of the final ranking. With Resident Evil Village continuing the series more than two decades after the original game, it’s worth taking a look at the characters fans have chosen.

HUNK

HUNK is generally seen as an example of why the Resident Evil games are superior to the movie since fans care for a character they know virtually nothing about. HUNK is part of Umbrella’s security team in Resident Evil 2 and his entire motive is to survive rather than save anyone.

HUNK’s distinct costumed appearance and badass attitude have made him very popular with fans, who even forgive him for his inaction toward the spreading of the G virus. Sequences with HUNK as the playable character are generally challenging, so he’s also associated with the best players who have finished the game by taking control of HUNK.

Barry Burton

While there’s no lack of bad sidekicks in the Resident Evil series, Barry Burton will never be mentioned in such topics. It comes down to Barry’s highly likable personality, as he remains loyal by the heroes’ side and fights any enemy in his way without backing down.

Introduced as STARS’ weapon supplier, Barry banded with the protagonists to face the zombie threat. His role as a good father has also won him fans since he’s the only hero known to juggle being a parent and saving the world from monsters, with Barry’s daughter following in his footsteps in Revelations 2.

Rebecca Chambers

Rebecca is one of the youngest of Resident Evil protagonists, being only 18 years of age when the series began. However, she has proven to be more mature than some of the other characters in many respects, such as when she put both Leon and Chris in place for their meaningless issues during Vendetta to encourage them to become a team.

Rebecca’s role in Resident Evil 0 is better received than her original appearance because she’s the point of view character as the playable protagonist. What she lacks in sheer strength, Rebecca makes up through her survival capabilities and nothing seems to keep her down for too long.

Nemesis

Nemesis was the main villain in Resident Evil 3 and made such an impression that it continues to be considered as among the strongest antagonists. The creature relentlessly pursued Jill Valentine during the game’s events, becoming something of a Grim Reaper figure for players.

Despite its intimidating quality, Nemesis has the most high-octane moments in the game, as players need to think fast when it’s in pursuit. The heart-pumping atmosphere Nemesis brings is hard to replicate, and fans appear to have appreciated the quality that its inclusion in Resident Evil 3 brings.

Ada Wong

For the most part, Resident Evil protagonists are straight-laced and on the side of everything that stands for good. However, Ada mixes things up through her grey morality, with the character always looking out for her own personal gain but coming to aid Leon when it counts the most.

Her fascinating traits and mannerisms, along with her unpredictable nature, make Ada someone who has no counterpart in the series. The chemistry she has with Leon due to being his opposite in personality makes for an entertaining partnership, with Ada’s sarcastic nature contrasting perfectly with Leon’s nice-guy mentality.

Albert Wesker

Few argue against the claim of Albert Wesker being the best Resident Evil villain to date. The character was the overarching Big Bad for the first half of the series, usually shown pulling the strings from the shadows by hiring the likes of Ada to claim virus samples for him.

His no-nonsense demeanor and delusions of grandeur brought several classic villainous tropes to the series that still haven’t been bettered. Many were sad to see Wesker die in the fifth game at Chris’ hands due to the level of entertainment he brought, which shows just how much of an impact he made.

Chris Redfield

Chris can be seen as the main hero of the Resident Evil series in its entirety since he’s had the most appearances. Chris has fought diabolical villains like Albert Wesker, led multiple battle squads, and formed a team with Leon to outright cure zombies (which leaves little for him to achieve any longer).

He doesn’t quite reach the top because of his relatively generic personality, in that he acts like the average do-gooder would. Still, the lack of edge to his heroism doesn’t take away from the two-decade presence he’s had on the Resident Evil franchise, and he generally has many fans in the series.

Claire Redfield

Claire is easily the most likable protagonist Resident Evil has adapted so far, for she’s always looking for her friends. Moreover, her caring nature towards Sherry remains the most heartwarming move any protagonist has made so far, which instantly established her as a kind but fierce hero.

Claire has had a better reception compared to her brother because she’s been more vulnerable and flawed, allowing players to relate to her better. She’s also been the protagonist in some of the best games so far, which helps in creating an overall great perception of the character since fans associate her with the highest level of quality.

Jill Valentine

One of the few great characters in the Resident Evil movies, Jill had a natural charisma that wasn’t particularly seen with the other characters. In the games, she has also been an undeniable fighter, capable of taking down the biggest of monsters like Nemesis, and surviving total destruction.

Jill’s traumatic experiences in the first game showed fans how the mindset of a protagonist works in this series, which enabled players to connect with the character. Her dynamic with Chris is also among the strongest yet, creating one of the best partnerships to date.

Leon S. Kennedy

More so than Claire, Leon has been part of the best games overall in the Resident Evil franchise, and fans consider him to be the prime lead character. He’s the hero with the greatest character development, changing from a naive young cop to a hardened special agent who nevertheless stands for what he believes in.

Leon’s everyman persona is such that players can feel as if they are directly in his shoes while the story unfolds. His chemistry with Claire, Ada, and Chris is unparalleled in the way he’s worked with multiple protagonists. Leon also brings in the funniest moments in what is otherwise a survival horror series, as fans feel a sense of security whenever he’s around.

About The Author

Saim Cheeda
(1344 Articles Published)

Saim Cheeda is an entertainment writer covering all of Film, TV, Gaming and Books. He’s been a writer for Valnet since 2017, contributing 500+ articles for The Gamer, The Things, Game Rant, Comic Book Resources and Screen Rant. Apart from freelance writing, Saim is a lifestyle blogger, co-owning the blog 3 States Apart.

http://3statesapart.com

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