The Resident Evil franchise doesn't exactly provide its protagonists with a lot of friends. To keep things tense, players usually find themselves with just one or two allies that they can rely on to get them through whatever specific outbreak they are currently up against. The same can be said for the Resident Evil 4 remake, wherein hero Leon Kennedy only has a handful of companions like Resident Evil's Ada Wong and Luis Sera to help him fight hundreds of Los Iluminados cultists and complete his mission of saving Ashley Graham.
One particular ally in the Resident Evil 4 remake is special not just because of their quadruped nature, but because they are entirely optional. The dog from the original game makes a return in the remake and has more screen time than before. Those who love dogs and are eager to make easy work of one of the early boss fights should look out for this particular pup as it can be missed if players aren't paying attention.
How Resident Evil 4 Remake Players Can Find the Stray Dog
After players leave Bitores Mendez's abode at the start of Resident Evil 4 remake's Chapter 3, they will hear a loud clang and a sharp howl. The clang should be familiar to players at this point, as they will have no doubt fallen into one of the many bear traps littered around the village. A quick glance at their surroundings will prompt them to investigate the side of Mendez's house, as this is where a lot of bear traps were placed towards the end of Chapter 2. Sure enough, they will soon find that the cries for help are coming from none other than a stray dog.
The dog itself looks quite wild. Its wolf-like appearance and tattered fur indicate that it hasn't been looked after for quite some time. Whether it belonged to one of the villagers prior to the arrival of Resident Evil's Los Iluminados is a mystery, but the fact that it is trapped spurs any kind-hearted player to free it from its predicament. As soon as Leon pries open the trap, the dog gives him a telltale look of thanks before diving into the nearby foliage.
How The Stray Dog Helps Against Resident Evil 4 Remake's El Gigante
While new players would dismiss the dog as an unimportant NPC, Resident Evil 4 veterans know that saving it will net Leon some good karma later on. After obtaining the Church key by the lake in Resident Evil 4 remake's Chapter 4, Leon has to retrace his steps through a large quarry. It is here where he fights El Gigante - a bio-engineered giant inflicted with the Las Plagas. El Gigante's reduced brain functions are offset by its immense strength and resilience, allowing it to destroy small houses with a single swipe of its hand and soak up hundreds of bullets fired by Leon's guns.
Players always start out by fighting El Gigante on their own. This fight causes them to use up a lot of resources to whittle down the boss's health while surviving its onslaught of attacks. Those Good Samaritans who saved the dog earlier will find that no good deed goes unrewarded, as the dog makes an appearance just as they are running low on supplies. The dog comes with its own unique A.I. and attacks El Gigante while distracting the beast. The distraction serves two purposes: to give players some time to search the boss arena for helpful items and to provide Leon with some good angles to get shots on El Gigante's back where the Las Plagas parasite is located.
Provided players haven't killed El Gigante on their own yet, and provided they rescued Resident Evil 4 remake's dog, it has an extra trick up its sleeve that it never showed in the original game. After some time has passed, a cutscene will trigger wherein the dog bites the back of El Gigante's foot. The attack doesn't do a lot of damage but it irritates El Gigante enough that it kicks the dog off and proceeds to charge at the pup. Being faster than its adversary, the dog easily dodges El Gigante's charge attack, causing the monstrosity to slam into the wall of the quarry. The resulting impact causes a rockslide that falls on top of El Gigante, dealing massive damage to the boss.
Resident Evil 4 Remake Players Can Pet The Dog
At this point in the fight, El Gigante should either be dead or weak enough that players can finish it off with gunfire. The beast falls down, leaving Leon and the dog as the only two entities remaining in the quarry. This scenario plays differently in the original Resident Evil 4, where the dog quickly disappears without giving Leon a chance to thank it. This time, however, the dog sticks around and rests on a nearby perch, allowing Leon to express his gratitude. It's a small change, but a welcome one for those who want to thank their unlikely ally and rescuer properly.
Sadly, the dog doesn't follow Leon on the rest of his journey or help him with any of the other boss fights. Then again, having to watch over the dog on top of Ashley Graham might be a bit too much for Leon to handle. But it would have been nice to see how Resident Evil 4 would have played out if Leon had a canine companion. Having an ally that can take care of themselves as opposed to running and hiding would be a welcome change, but is something Capcom might be leaving for future Resident Evil entries or remakes.
The Resident Evil 4 remake is now available on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
