When it comes to stopping the world from getting overrun by zombies and other horrific weapons of bioterrorism, more than a few helping hands are needed to truly get the job done. The Resident Evil universe holds a wide cast of beloved characters that have been through hell and back. However, every so often, a character other than the hero of the day is the one that steals the spotlight, even from the zombies.
While Jill and Friends are obvious fan favorites, the Resident Evil universe has a ton of often-overlooked side characters that are just as important as they do their work in the background; supporting everyone's favorite protagonists.
10 Zoe Baker (RE7)
In Ethan's quest to find and rescue his wife Mia in Resident Evil 7, he meets the Baker family. While Jack, Marguerite, and Lucas are hostile, Zoe is the only one that maintained her sanity and resisted antagonist Eveline's mind control. Poor Zoe went through hell to escape her family and help Ethan create a serum to cure the mold infection, just to be betrayed and left on her own in the end.
Although the player can choose to cure Zoe at the end of RE7, it is canonically Mia that gets the serum. However, it's not all bad for Zoe as she does eventually get rescued by the combined forces of the B.S.A.A and Blue Umbrella.
9 Carlos Oliveria (RE3)
Not much is known about Carlos Oliveria's origins and how he came to be part of the U.B.C.S (Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service), but in the short time he had to shine during Resident Evil 3, fans knew he was a capable character that wouldn't simply end up as collateral damage. Alongside longtime RE protagonist Jill Valentine, Carlos has his short section in RE3 where the player takes control of him as a recently infected Jill takes a breather.
Despite only making an appearance during RE3, Carlos made the ultimate mark on the RE series: saving the beloved Jill Valentine. Without Carlos' help, RE3 would have been the last installment for one of the most iconic RE characters in the entire series.
8 Piers Nivans (RE6)
Piers Nivans was a former US Army man that found his way into the RE series after being recruited into the B.S.A.A by Captain Chris Redfield. Piers often looked up to his captain and from his admiration spawned a fierce sense of loyalty.
Chris and Piers experienced a horrific trauma together before the events main of Resident Evil 6 where they had lost their entire team, making them the sole survivors of the C-virus outbreak back in 2012. Although the scarring incident left Chris amnesic and morose, a determined Piers managed to get the legendary Chris Redfield back on his feet to fight the good fight alongside the rest of the B.S.A.A.
7 HUNK (RE2, RE4, RE Revelations, RE Revelations 2)
There is little to no real information about HUNK's early life, leaving his past and real name/identity a mystery to fans to this day. HUNK is primarily known among the fandom as the sole survivor of Umbrella's Alpha Team. During Umbrella's "Operation: Nestwrecker" where HUNK and his team were to confront Dr. Birkin for the G-virus, they were attacked by a mutated Birkin who was initially presumed dead.
HUNK from then on was mostly known for the mini-games he appears in such as The 4th Survivor, which is unlocked after completing both scenarios of Resident Evil 2 with an A rank. He may not be a man of many words but his rank and cold heart made him the famous soldier he is, earning him the title of "The Grim Reaper".
6 Brad Vickers (RE1, RE3)
Poor Brad Vickers has been the subject of waves of hate and mockery for years and until recently has been labeled a treacherous coward. Brad made his very first appearance alongside the rest of the S.T.A.R.S team as a pilot during the infamous journey to the Arklay Mountains back in RE1. However, as the team ran into trouble, a frightened Brad took off on his own in the team's helicopter, leaving the rest of his comrades stranded.
Despite Brad coming back for his team and delivering them the weapons they needed to get out of the Spencer Mansion alive, the fandom was decisive in calling him the S.T.A.R.S coward. However, in the RE3 remake, Brad redeems himself, as he courageously sacrifices himself by holding off a doorway full of zombies to save fellow S.T.A.R.S. officer, Jill.
5 Ashley Graham (RE4)
Ashley Graham is the young maiden in distress in the original Resident Evil 4 and tends to rely on rescuer Leon Kennedy for every little problem she comes across. Ashley, the president's daughter, is a young girl, so it's natural for her to be scared after getting kidnapped and taken to a strange place.
While the original RE4 rendition of Ashley wasn't exactly a fan favorite due to her helplessness and status as a mere liability poor Leon must escort around, the RE4 2023 remake version of her brought longtime fans around. The RE4 remake version of Ashley is playful, charming, helpful, and rather capable as she can often find a way out of sticky situations on her own (such as bear traps).
4 Sheva Alomar (RE5)
Sheva Alomar was an agent working for the B.S.A.A.'s West African branch and played the role of former S.T.A.R.S member Chris Redfield's trusty partner. Sheva has no problem keeping up with Chris' combat ability and marksmanship despite only being 23 at the time of Resident Evil 5.
No one can replace Jill Valentine, but there's no doubt that Chris and Sheva's teamwork was rather impressive; not to mention that it was Sheva and Chris' teamwork that saved Jill from being under Wesker's control. Although Sheva was a major character in RE5, she still hasn't been seen ever since.
3 Ada Wong (RE2, RE4, RE6)
Despite being present in a handful of games, Ada Wong is still a freelance covert spy and mainly works in the background. During many of the most infamous outbreaks in the RE series, Ada Wong is hinted to be working her magic quietly in the shadows, being either undercover or unnoticed. She first debuted in RE2 and makes another appearance in RE4, as anywhere Leon is, Ada is too.
It is only in RE6 that Ada finally joins the rest of the RE crew as a playable character with her version of the campaign. Although Ada is often portrayed as cold and calculated, she still manages to charm fans with her stylish spy outfits and her cool combat skills.
2 Luis Sera Navarro (RE4)
Former Umbrella researcher and Leon's comic relief partner in crime, Luis Sera Navarro, made his first and last appearance in RE4. After a troubling childhood in Valdelobos, Luis pursued a career in biology which lead him to be hired by Umbrella Pharmaceuticals. After realizing the horrors Umbrella wanted to conceive, Luis left and fled back to his hometown of Valdelobos where he then meets Leon Kennedy.
In the beginning, Luis decided to keep his true identity a secret from Leon, but still helped him through his journey regardless. Although Luis' time in the RE series was short, the trio of Leon, Luis, and Ashley was forever an iconic one with charming chemistry and teamwork.
1 Tofu (RE2)
Tofu is an actual character that exists within the RE universe. Tofu is literally a giant block of sentient tofu. He appears in Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 2 Remake, and RE: The Darkside Chronicles as a secret enemy, and even stars in his mini-gameThe Tofu Survivor. The tofu was born in the early stages of game development.
As developers needed a generic stand-in to test out the collision detection, they opted for a giant plain white rectangle. The developers then mentioned how the giant rectangle resembled a block of tofu and thus, Tofu was born! While he mostly appeared as a plain white block in earlier games, he was eventually given his own S.T.A.R.S hat to make him feel more at home with the rest of the cast.