In 1998, the second-ever Resident Evil game was released, and it included a whole new cast of characters. For the sequel, Capcom replaced Chris and Jill from the original title with Leon and Claire. RE2's change in protagonists, villains, and everyone in between set a precedent that the series partially continues with today.
The new entries don't always alter as much as the second game did, but characters don't generally continue from one game to the next. In fact, even the most famous protagonists can be absent for a few games before joining the adventure again. Overall, though, certain individuals have featured in more titles than others, and here they are. Please note this only accounts for the main games in the series.
10 Brad Vickers (Appearances: 3)
S.T.A.R.S member Brad Vickers isn't among the most important Resident Evil characters ever. Yet, the guy has made more appearances in the series than some protagonists.
He debuted in the original game as the helicopter pilot for Alpha team, where he deserted and later rescued his teammates. His time in Resident Evil 2 was worse as he was a zombie and only appeared as an Easter Egg. However, in RE3, he made a more memorable impact, albeit by being obliterated by Nemesis.
9 Rebecca Chambers (Appearances: 3)
Few Resident Evil characters are as underrated as Rebecca Chambers. The young woman was a vital ally to Chris Redfield in the original game, even learning the piano to help out the hero. She later got a starring role in the game's prequel, Resident Evil Zero, where she and Billy Coen attempted to stop James Marcus's experiments.
The character has barely been seen since Zero, despite there being many entries in the series since. Her only appearance in a major game came as a selectable character in the Mercenaries mode from Resident Evil 5's Gold Edition.
8 Claire Redfield (Appearances: 3)
The younger Redfield sibling hasn't been in as many main entries as fans would expect. After all, she starred in Resident Evil 2, then not long later, she had the leading role in Code Veronica. At that point, it seemed she'd become as integral to the series as Chris, Leon, and Jill.
However, in recent years, she's not really been around. Her only significant contribution (outside of remakes) came in Resident Evil Revelations 2. During the episodic game, she was the experienced survivor leading Barry Burton's daughter, Moira, around.
7 Ada Wong (Appearances: 3)
Resident Evil generally has clear heroes and villains, except when it comes to Ada Wong. The talented spy has ridden the line between good and evil during her few appearances in the series.
In Resident Evil 2 and 4, she gave Leon plenty of assistance on his adventure, all while having her own agenda. RE6 was a little different as she actually served as one of the protagonists, getting her very own campaign. No matter her role, she's always provided a litany of great moments.
6 HUNK (Appearances: 4)
In many ways, HUNK is the Boba Fett of the Resident Evil series as it doesn't matter how much he actually contributes to the story; he'll always be popular because he looks cool.
He debuted his badass look in Resident Evil 2 during the Fourth Survivor game mode. Appearing in side-content turned into a habit for HUNK as he also featured in RE4's Mercenaries before making his presence felt in the Raid Mode from the Revelations games.
5 Barry Burton (Appearances: 4)
During the original game, Barry Burton regularly helped Jill as she navigated the dangerous mansion. Then for plenty of years afterward, he was a bit-part player as he had a small cameo at the end of Resident Evil 3 before appearing in the Mercenaries mode in RE5.
Yet, he finally got another chance in the spotlight in 2015 as he starred in Revelations 2. In the game, he escorted a unique girl known as Natalia while also searching for his missing daughter.
4 Leon Kennedy (Appearances: 4)
In many fans' minds, Leon is Resident Evil's best playable character. He started as a rookie cop punching above his weight in the second game. Once RE4 came around, he was an experienced Agent on a one-man mission to save the president's daughter. And in his most recent game, RE6, the hero was trying to save the world once again.
However, even Leon can't always be the star as he also featured as a character in Revelations 2's Raid Mode. The guy has been missing in the most recent titles, but he'll likely be back in the future.
3 Jill Valentine (Appearances: 5)
One of the first things players had to do in the Resident Evil series was pick between playing as Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine. Since then, Jill has become an iconic video game heroine.
After surviving the initial mansion, the Nemesis ruthlessly hunted her throughout Resident Evil 3. Several years later, she was the protagonist once again in Revelations. Although arguably her most interesting role came in RE5. Instead of her usual heroics, she was turned into an incredibly capable villain under Wesker's control. Since breaking free from the spell, she hasn't appeared in a new game, besides an inclusion in Revelations 2's Raid Mode.
2 Albert Wesker (Appearances: 6)
Resident Evil villains haven't generally stuck around as much as the heroes due to most of them turning into giant monsters and dying. Although Wesker had a strong run in the series, first appearing in the original game as the main antagonist. Then he played more minor roles in Zero, Code Veronica, and Resident Evil 4.
Eventually, though, Wesker became the primary villain once again in RE5 and attempted to release the Uroborus virus on the world. Wesker managed to survive for so long because he is stronger and smarter than most other characters. If he never appears in a major game again, then his last RE would be Revelations 2 as part of the Raid Mode.
1 Chris Redfield (Appearances: 9)
Not many main Resident Evil games exclude Chris Redfield entirely. The hero served as a selectable protagonist during the Mansion incident in the first game. Not long later, he joined his sister Claire in Code Veronica as a major character.
Then once the late 2000s came around, he became a constant presence in the series. In Revelations, RE5, and RE6, he was at least one of the protagonists. And for Resident Evil 7 and Village, he was a supporting character beside Ethan Winters, helping the protagonist out on a few occasions. Of course, like most characters, he was also in Revelations 2's Raid Mode.