Including mainline entries, remakes, and spin-offs, there have been a total of 30 unique Resident Evil games. While not all of these 30 games have been great, even the worst Resident Evil entries often have something good within them, whether it's a unique gameplay mechanic, a particularly memorable puzzle, some fun story moments, or some memorable characters. More often than not, it's the latter that usually ends up being the standout feature, with the Resident Evil franchise being home to some of the most beloved gaming characters of all time.

Pretty much knocking it out of the park from the get-go, the very first 1996 Resident Evil was home to some of the franchise's most memorable characters, from main heroes Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine to the villainous Albert Wesker to a handful of colorful side characters that are sprinkled throughout. This formula remains essentially unchanged, with just about every mainline Resident Evil introducing a memorable protagonist, and arguably an even more memorable set of villains. But the Resident Evil franchise has a strange habit of forgetting some of its most beloved characters, and a handful have well and truly earned a return in Resident Evil 9.

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Forgotten Characters That Should Return in Resident Evil 9

Resident Evil 0's Co-Protagonist Billy

A co-protagonist of the prequel Resident Evil 0, Billy Coen is an ex-Marine Corps Lieutenant who found himself on the wrong side of a corrupt government cover-up, landing him in the back of a prison van on his way to the electric chair at the start of the game. After his prison convoy gets ambushed by a pack of Cerberus dogs, Billy escapes and ends up meeting Rebecca Chambers, Resident Evil 0's other protagonist. Together, the two destroy an underground Umbrella research and training facility, along with a mutated Queen Leech. At the end of Resident Evil 0, Rebecca allows Billy to escape into the wilderness, agreeing to tell the authorities that he died in the convoy ambush, and that's the last fans have ever seen from the character.

The Lovable Burton Family

A two-for-one entry, Resident Evil's Burton family has only taken the spotlight once or twice, but when they have, they've become instant stars. Debuting in the very first Resident Evil, Barry Burton is a fellow S.T.A.R.S. member and the one behind the infamous "Jill Sandwich" line of dialogue. Along with appearing throughout the first game, Barry shows up in the original Resident Evil 3 to rescue Jill from Raccoon City, though he was mysteriously removed in the recent remake. The last time fans saw Barry Burton was in Resident Evil Revelations 2, alongside his daughter Moira Burton, who joins the TerraSave organization and gets kidnapped along with Claire Redfield.

Resident Evil 5's Underrated Sheva Alomar

At launch, one of the most controversial aspects of Resident Evil 5 was its AI co-protagonist Sheva Alomar. While Sheva could be controlled by a second player, those who were trying to enjoy Resident Evil 5 solo would run into no shortage of issues regarding Sheva's AI, leading to a frustrating experience, and leading her to quickly become one of the franchise's most infuriating characters. But all these years later, many fans recognize that Sheva was actually a pretty great addition to the series, and one worthy of a return in Resident Evil 9.

Albert Wesker's Son, Jake Muller

Another victim of circumstance, Jake Muller is one of the more interesting characters in recent Resident Evil canon, though with his story residing in infamously awful Resident Evil 6, many fans have never experienced it for themselves. The son of Albert Wesker, Jake Muller despises the father that he never knew, and simply tries to make his own way in the world by becoming a mercenary - albeit one that ends up saving the world with Sherry Birkin.

Resident Evil's Silent Soldier HUNK

A real man of mystery, HUNK is an Umbrella operative who appears across the Resident Evil series in various forms, both as a playable protagonist in Mercenaries modes and as an NPC who's only seen briefly in cutscenes. For years, fans have wanted more HUNK content, and Resident Evil 9 could finally be the game to deliver just that.

Resident Evil

Resident Evil is a long-running survival horror franchise developed by Capcom. Spread across numerous mainline and spin-off entries, the series is known for it’s third and first-person action horror, zombie-related monsters and references, and challenging puzzles.