The release date of Resident Evil Village is fast approaching, with May 7 just around the corner. Serving as the eighth mainline installment, while also the second game starring Resident Evil 7's protagonist Ethan Winters, many expect the title to tie into established franchise canon and lore. Trailers released for the game thus far tease a dark turn of events for Ethan and Mia, with a shroud of mystery surrounding Lady Dimitrescu, as well as Chris Redfield's involvement with the whole situation.
Considering Ethan's continued character arc and Chris Redfield being a prominent player, many fans are wondering how much of the past is necessary knowledge to best understand what's in store during Resident Evil Village. Specifically, it remains a mystery how much of the events within the DLC for Resident Evil 7 will carry over into the main storyline of Resident Evil Village. Of course nothing is completely certain until the game is officially released, but there remains room for speculation based upon the events in the DLC packages themselves, both of which are canonical to the overall narrative.
Resident Evil 7: Not a Hero
Picking up immediately where Resident Evil 7 ends, "Not a Hero" follows Chris Redfield as he further explores the mines near the Baker estate. The general concept is that Chris is pursuing Lucas Baker (who escapes in the main game) and tries to stop him before he can transmit intel regarding the virus seen in Resident Evil 7 to a group called "The Connections."
The most noteworthy details here mostly pertain to Chris, his relationship with Ethan, and his place in the ongoing battle against biological terrorism. Chris is struggling with his sense of morality since he is working for "Blue Umbrella," essentially a reformed version of the original "Red Umbrella" pharmaceutical company that was shutdown prior to the events of Resident Evil 4.
His conflicted mental state is the DLC's namesake, as Chris does not view himself as a savior, but rather a man doing sometimes awful things for necessary reasons. This has the potential to tie into the darker, more brooding depiction of Chris seen in trailers for Resident Evil Village, as he is a man broken down by the actions in his life.
Furthermore, although it is brief, Chris makes reference to how incredible it was that an average man like Ethan Winters was able to survive by himself against the horrors found in the Baker estate. A skillset and knack for survival, despite being inexperienced, are not qualities that would go unnoticed. After this, Chris Redfield surely kept a close eye on Ethan and possibly taught him a few things, since the aforementioned trailers for Resident Evil Village seem to imply the two have become familiar with one another.
Resident Evil 7: End of Zoe
Although there is a moment in Resident Evil 7 where the player is tasked with choosing whether to cure Mia or Zoe, the former choice has been decided as the canonical one by Capcom. Even after Ethan cures Mia and they leave by boat, leaving Zoe behind on the dock, there was still more to her story and place in this larger tale. After she helped Ethan and Mia escape, Eveline, feeling betrayed, calcified her in a crystal cocoon in a fit of rage.
Not long after this, a man named Joe (revealed to be Zoe's uncle) rescues Zoe and much of the DLC is focused on trying to find a cure for her. Joe has to contend with a freakish creature dubbed "the swamp man" (who turns out to be a regenerated Jack Baker), but finally acquires the materials necessary to craft another sample of the cure for the E-type infection. The cure is used on Zoe just before several BSAA operators in the aforementioned "Blue Umbrella" group, Chris Redfield among them, arrive on the scene for a rescue. The DLC ends with Ethan calling Zoe to fulfill his promise that he would continue to help her.
Although it is still too early to tell, the DLC doesn't appear to set the stage in a grander sense for what will occur in Resident Evil Village. While it may not seem mandatory, both "Not a Hero" and "End of Zoe" do provide some added context for character arcs and potential callbacks to the Resident Evil series, should players choose to invest time into them.
Resident Evil: Village releases on May 7, 2021 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
