Highlights

  • Resident Evil 9 is currently in development and fans speculate on which character will star, with Chris Redfield being a popular choice. However, there are other established characters that Capcom could choose instead.
  • Ada Wong, Barry Burton, Moira Burton, Rebecca Chambers, and Billy Cohen are all classic characters that could make a return in RE 9, bringing their unique personalities and stories to the forefront.
  • Whether Resident Evil 9 uses a different protagonist is up in the air, but it would be refreshing to see someone other than Chris Redfield.

Resident Evil can be said at this point to be the once and future king of survival horror. Capcom's seminal series played a huge part in inventing and setting genre standards, and remaining relevant for over 25 years. Though it sometimes stumbled and fell out of favor during the course, in recent times Capcom has steered the series back to being an industry leader. Starting with Resident Evil 7 in 2017, the franchise forged a new path ahead by alternating between completely new titles and high-quality remakes of classic Resident Evil entries.

Following that pattern, Resident Evil 9 is currently in development as the next mainline title. There is a lot of speculation regarding it, specifically which character RE 9 will star. After the events of 2021's RE Village, many fans have good reason to assume it will be Chris Redfield, who is arguably the face of the franchise. However, given how prevalent his use is, and his sometimes wildly shifting characterization, there are a few others Capcom could choose to go with instead.

RE Village's DLC starred Rose Winters, and though she also may be an option, the following list will consider more established characters.

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Resident Evil 9: 5 Classic Characters It Can Bring Back (That Aren't Chris Redfield)

Ada Wong

Ada Wong over the skyline of Raccoon City from Resident Evil
  • Most recent protagonist role: Resident Evil 4 Remake Separate Ways DLC (2023)

Ada is a perpetual RE fan-favorite due to her mysterious nature and cool, slick demeanor. While RE 4 remake's Separate Ways DLC gave Ada her own short campaign, she has never been the star of a game, usually only showing up as a cameo or briefly teased. Ada was completely absent from RE 7 and Village. RE 9 fully featuring her would be a long time coming and well-earned.

Barry Burton

RE Rev 2 Barry Burton
  • Most recent protagonist role: Resident Evil Revelations 2 (2015)

Barry is the grizzled veteran of the series, and in a way, is what Chris could eventually become himself. As an older survival horror protagonist, Barry's strong parental instincts were fully displayed in Revelations 2, as he searched for his daughter Moira, while encountering a strange little girl whom he couldn't help but also try to rescue. This aspect makes him a solid choice to return in RE 9.

Moira Burton

Moira stands in a neutral pose in a well-lit room, facing the camera with a neutral expression.
  • Most recent protagonist role: Resident Evil Revelations 2 (2015)

Moira is Barry's daughter, and has one of the more interesting personalities and histories for an RE character. A steadfast pacifist, she embodies the polar opposite of most of the others' action-heavy philosophies. If RE 9 decides to embrace one of the best sections of Village as a design element, though, it could provide the perfect vehicle to star Moira without changing one of her core traits.

Rebecca Chambers

rebecca chambers resident evil
  • Most recent protagonist role: Resident Evil Zero (2002)

Rebecca was one of the members of the S.T.A.R.S. team who investigated the Spencer Mansion in the original 1996 Resident Evil. She was a young, naive rookie at that point, though she still displayed exceptional skills and resourcefulness. Later, Rebecca was one of the two protagonists of RE Zero, a prequel to the first game, where some of her backstory was further fleshed out. Having her return in RE 9 could show how Rebecca has grown and changed since.

Billy Cohen

resident evil billy
  • Most recent protagonist role: Resident Evil Zero (2002)

Billy may be one of the lesser-known Resident Evil protagonists, as his only appearance as such was in REZero, partnered with Rebecca. However, his dark horse status and currently unknown whereabouts in the overall story could serve as the exact angle needed for Capcom to truly surprise players in RE 9 by bringing back Billy as its choice of hero.