Highlights

  • Resident Evil 9 should include either Leon or Jill to connect newer games with older ones and provide unique storytelling opportunities.
  • While Chris has had some time to shine lately, it's unclear what's happening with characters like Jill and Leon, creating an opportunity for Resident Evil 9 to give updates on their lives.
  • The remakes of Resident Evil revitalized the characters of Leon and Jill, making them more believable and multidimensional, and Resident Evil 9 can cement their polished representations.

As great as Chris Redfield is, Resident Evil 9 should shift the focus to a different character from the classic games. Ideally, this character should be either Leon Kennedy or Jill Valentine as, on top of being two of the best characters in Resident Evil, they would help to further connect the newer games to the older ones while providing unique storytelling opportunities.

The current state of Resident Evil is a bit strange. There are essentially two different "strains" of modern releases in the series: the first-person Winters family games and the ground-up remakes of the older titles. While the remakes and Winters games can be wildly different in many ways, they ostensibly take place on the same timeline, as evidenced by the different temporal settings (the remakes are still set in the years they were released) and the appearance of characters like Chris Redfield in Resident Evil 7 and Village. Although it doesn't look like Resident Evil 9 will feature Ethan or Rose, it might still follow a new character in an effort to keep the series moving forward. Even if this is the case, there are many benefits to bringing back iconic characters like Leon or Jill.

Resident Evil Redfield Then Now
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Why Resident Evil 9 Should Favor Leon or Jill Over Chris

Resident Evil 9 Needs to Give Players Updates on Leon and Jill

While the last two (non-remake) Resident Evil games make it clear that Chris is a highly active BSAA operative, it doesn't give any insight into the lives of the other characters, which seems a bit odd. Jill and Leon are both alive in the Resident Evil canon, with the former not being seen in-game since Resident Evil 5. Resident Evil 9 has a chance to show how Jill has managed to recover from Wesker's mind control and the events in Kijuju.

Leon Kennedy's status is also unknown. His last in-game appearance, aside from remakes, was in Resident Evil 6, which saw him going through a series of traumatic events, including being forced to kill the President of the United States. He is safe and cleared for duty at the end of the game, however, and it doesn't seem like he is considering leaving the Division of Security Operations any time soon. Considering everything the character has been through over the course of the series, it could be rewarding and entertaining to see him older and wiser in a new Resident Evil title.

Technically, the last canon appearance of both Jill and Leon was in the Resident Evil: Death Island movie, which takes place in 2015 and shows Jill fully recovered from Wesker's control. The animated Resident Evil films are generally considered canon, but due to their poor critical reception and general lack of impact on the in-game narrative, Capcom may choose to either retcon Death Island or simply ignore its events in Resident Evil 9 .

The Resident Evil Remakes Revitalized Leon and Jill

Several Resident Evil characters were fleshed out through Capcom's recent remakes, with Leon and Jill being notable examples. This is especially true for Leon, as his appearances in the Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 4 remakes made him considerably more believable, likable, and multidimensional, toning down his cheesy, action-star persona just the right amount. Jill, despite only showing up in one remake so far, has also been portrayed as more multifaceted, something that is achieved in great part by improved voice acting and less objectification.

If one or both of these characters show up in Resident Evil 9, the series could cement their more polished representations while showing fans what they've been up to. It's important to note that, while many Resident Evil fans enjoy Chris, the remakes have allowed Jill and especially Leon to supersede him as the faces of the franchise, for better or worse. This could change if Capcom reveals a new Resident Evil remake this year, but regardless, Resident Evil 9 should fold in Leon or Jill.