While the Las Plagas parasite takes over most of the enemies in Resident Evil 4 and its remake, it does leave some of their brain functions intact. Los Iluminados can still speak Spanish and they're pretty nimble when it comes to chasing and attacking Leon Kennedy and his allies. If it wasn't for the grotesque parasites that emerge from their bodies, these foes could pass as humans.
Needless to say, the presence of the Las Plagas and the twisted teachings of the Los Iluminados have warped the bodies and minds of those affected by them. The same goes for Resident Evil 4's bosses, most of whom were once normal humans. But one of the game's villains is not only given more depth in the remake, but a tragic backstory as well.
Ramon Salazar Was A Descendant Of Spanish Nobles
The current castellan of Salazar Castle descends from a Catholic family of noble warriors. Ramon's great-great-great-great grandfather, Gregorio The Conqueror, once fought a pagan community that conducted human sacrifices and implanted others with the Las Plagas parasite. After decimating the cult, Gregorio and his followers sealed the Las Plagas in a series of caves and erected a castle atop it. Gregorio soon became the castellan of that castle and tasked his descendants with protect the neighboring region of Valdelobos from the evil luring under his abode.
Ramon was born to Diego The Severe and Catalina Salazar, and was also afflicted with a terminal illness. Ramon's father was killed when he was just a child. This left Catalina to take care of Ramon with what little time they both had left. Catalina soon invited what the servants called "a devil" (presumably Osmund Saddler) to cure Ramon of his sickness, whereupon she promptly disappeared. This left Ramon as the last surviving member of his family. Even as a child, Ramon was ruthless. One servant recalls the young Salazar pouring acid over another servant for mocking him. His personality would only worsen once he met with the leader of the Los Illuminados, Osmund Saddler.
Osmund Saddler Lured Ramon Over To The Los Illuminados
With Ramon having no one to turn to after his parents' deaths, Osmund Saddler saw this as an opportunity to indoctrinate the young castellan into the cult the Salazar family fought against. Los Iluminados viewed the Salazars as being cursed with sin for defeating its early members and locking Las Plagas underneath their castle. Ramon wanted to atone for his family's sins, first by hiring a group of Valdelobos villagers to excavate the caves Gregorio sealed. The parasites, which were thought to be dead, had left behind their mummified remains. These remains were inhaled by the excavators and soon grew into fully formed Las Plagas.
For freeing Las Plagas, Ramon was given the high honor of protecting them and the caves they reside in. He was implanted with a special genetically modified dominant Plaga species that allowed him to retain his higher brain functions while being able to transform into a powerful beast. The Plaga also gave him control of lesser Plaga variants, the most notable of which can be found inside his Verdugo bodyguards.
What's sad about all of this is that in gaining a strong body and newfound purpose, Ramon turned his back on everything his family stood for. He joined the Los Iluminados cult rather than fight them and protect the world from the Las Plagas parasites. One document in the Resident Evil 4 remake, titled "Salazar Family Chronology", tells that Ramon should have died from his illness. Maybe things would have turned out differently had Ramon not been terminally ill or if his parents were there to guide him, but as it stands, he is another unfortunate soul that fell prey to Osmund Saddler's power and influence.
Resident Evil 4 is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
