In its 23 years of existence, Resident Evil has produced some of the most iconic characters in video game history, and it is without a doubt that Chris Redfield is one of the most recognizable faces in the long-standing video game franchise. Chris is also the character that made the most appearances throughout the franchise given that he was featured as a playable character in six Resident Evil games either as the primary protagonist or as a supporting role.
Now, according to Twitter user AestheticGamer, Capcom is currently developing a new Resident Evil game, which may or may not be called Resident Evil 8. Reports claim that the unconfirmed game will bring back classic zombies from early Resident Evil games and will feature werewolf-like creatures. Moreover, the rumored title will reportedly feature Ethan Winters from Resident Evil 7 and Chris Redfield who will be redesigned by Capcom once again. However, it is still unclear as to how extensive Chris's involvement in the rumored game will be, but it has been suggested that Ethan will be the main protagonist and Chris will play a supporting role.
Although Capcom still hasn't confirmed any of the claims mentioned above, a complete redesign of Chris is not that all surprising, given the studio's history of introducing either a complete overhaul or a slight alteration of its characters in almost every game. Now, let's take a look back at how Chris Redfield's character design evolved from his humble beginnings as a STARS officer, to a veteran soldier in a lifelong mission to end the threat of bioterrorism.
Resident Evil (1996)
Alongside Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield made his debut in the first Resident Evil game, which was launched by Capcom in 1996. The game introduced live-action sequences for the intro and several endings of the game, which was the first and last time for a Resident Evil game. In the first Resident Evil, developer Hideki Kamiya described Chris as a "blunt, tough-guy type", who had to be physically tougher than Jill Valentine, given that his character was designed to be more resilient and take greater damage from enemies. Unfortunately, not much is known about the actors featured in Resident Evil's live-action sequences and most of them remain to be a mystery. However, a YouTuber recently got in contact with the actor that played Rebecca Chambers in the 1996 survival-horror title, and interestingly enough, she was oblivious to the fact that Resident Evil is now considered as one of the most iconic titles in video game history.
Resident Evil Code Veronica (2000)
After the events that occurred in the Spencer Mansion, Chris, and the other surviving members of STARS returned to Raccoon City in hopes of exposing the truth behind Umbrella Corporation. However, their investigation was put to a halt by Brian Irons, who is the chief of the RPD. This led to Chris leaving Raccoon City to continue his investigation in Europe and missed the city's destruction in Resident Evil3, which is getting its own remake on April 3, 2020. Chris made a comeback in Resident Evil Code Veronica, where his character design received a major upgrade due to the game releasing for the PlayStation 2.
Resident Evil Remake, Umbrella Chronicles, Darkside Chronicles (2002-2009)
Six years after the release of Resident Evil, Capcom developed a remake of the game for the Gamecube in 2002. Of course, given that 2002's Resident Evil is a complete remake of the original, every element of the game from the characters, the environment, dialogue, and storylines were overhauled and improved. In this game, Chris's appearance bears a striking resemblance to his design in Code Veronica, but the massive graphical upgrade made the character sport a more photo-realistic look. This specific design of Chris was carried over to other games such as The Umbrella Chronicles, and The Dark Side Chronicles, which are rail-shooter titles that retold the events of previous Resident Evil games.
Resident Evil 5, 6, Revelations (2009-2012)
In Resident Evil 5, Chris got a major redesign from Capcom, making the character bulkier and muscular compared to his previous depictions. This specific look is probably the most familiar to the Resident Evil community, given that his built evolved dramatically from lean to massive. Of course, players who've played Resident Evil 5 would know too well that Chris needed all those muscles to be able to punch boulders and put an end to his archnemesis Albert Wesker. In 2012, Capcom released Resident Evil Revelations, which took place before the events of Resident Evil 5, but his appearance mostly remained the same. In Resident Evil 6, Capcom also carried over the same design from RE5 and Revelations apart from a different haircut, and a slightly slimmer frame.
Resident Evil 7 (2017)
Although Chris Redfield was not a playable character in the main story of Resident Evil 7, he played a small supporting role for the game's post-launch DLC called Not a Hero. Just like in Resident Evil 5, Chris's overall appearance was once again redesigned by Capcom to the point that when he appeared at the end of the game, players didn't recognize that it was Chris until he introduced himself as Redfield before the game came to an end. At the time, rumors surfaced if the person that rescued Ethan Winters from the Baker's Mansion was indeed Chris, but speculations were put to rest when Not a Hero was launched by Capcom shortly after. Chris's appearance in Resident Evil 7 sports a slimmer yet still muscular frame, which is the most obvious change from his bodybuilder days back in Resident Evil 5. However, comparing this with his design from the first game, it is evident that Chris is now a seasoned veteran, who has experienced numerous battles, suffered the loss of his comrades and witnessed just how destructive bioterrorism could be.
Despite on-going rumors, no one really knows for sure whether Chris will make a return in the next Resident Evil game, or if Capcom will once again introduce cosmetic changes to the character. However, if Capcom does include him in a new Resident Evil game, it would be interesting to see how the studio will redesign his appearance this time around, especially since he is now significantly older than he was back in the first Resident Evil game.
A new Resident Evil game is rumored to be in development.