Highlights
- Chris Redfield has appeared in more main series Resident Evil titles than any other character, making him a popular and prolific character in the franchise.
- His appearances in Resident Evil 7 and Village as a playable protagonist play a vital role in connecting the recent titles to the rest of the story and help ground Redfield back to reality after the more action-oriented entries.
- While his appearance in Resident Evil 5 is often criticized for its infamous boulder punch moment, it transcends into campy fun and remains one of the franchise's most memorable moments.
Chris Redfield has the honorable distinction of appearing in more main series Resident Evil titles than any other character. That gives him a lot more to compare and contrast here in comparison with his Resident Evil protagonist counterparts like Leon Kennedy and Jill Valentine.
The position of a Chris Redfield Resident Evil appearance is rated largely based on the significance of his character to the story as well as other factors like Redfield's character development and maybe even how many boulders he gets to punch throughout the game. Regardless, Chris is undoubtedly one of the more popular and prolific characters in the franchise.
S Tier
Resident Evil Revelations: The 3DS game that many consider a return to form for the franchise feels far more like a Jill Valentine Resident Evil game than a Chris Redfield one. Still, it may be the strongest story that features both the original RE protagonists since the original RE, which is wonderfully nostalgic for fans.
Resident Evil: The debut title for the iconic horror franchise is the only one from RE's classic titles that features Redfield as a leading protagonist. Even if many question how well the game has aged apart from its remake, it still laid the foundation for everything Chris Redfield has done to date.
A Tier
Resident Evil 7 and Village: Redfield's appearances as a playable protagonist in both of the most recent Resident Evil main series entries make him the only legacy protagonist that has made an appearance since the early 2010s. This gives him a vital role in connecting the recent titles to the rest of the story, on top of the fact that these games did wonders for grounding Redfield back to reality after 5 and 6.
B Tier
Resident Evil 5: Some might want to put Chris Redfield's Resident Evil 5 appearance in the lowest tier possible due to this game's infamous shark-jumping boulder punch moment. If anything, though, Chris' sudden transition from a man into a legend transcends what one might consider "bad" and circles around into campy. Granted, it's completely out of tone with everything the franchise established before RE5, but it's also one of the most memorable moments.
C Tier
Resident Evil 6: Redfield is one of the many playable protagonists in RE6, and like all the others, the problems his character suffers from are emblematic of Resident Evil 6's narrative problems as a whole. For fans who enjoy the more action-oriented era of Resident Evil, it's quality Redfield. For fans who prefer horror, it feels a little messy.
Resident Evil CODE Veronica: The true third game in the Resident Evil series is a controversial entry. The initially acclaimed Dreamcast game has seemingly only received more negative attention over time. Regardless of how anyone feels about the gameplay, it's almost universally agreed that the story of this game is convoluted, and that includes both Chris and Claire Redfield's inclusions.
Re:Verse/Revelations 2/Mercenaries: This is every appearance of Chris Redfield as a playable character in a multiplayer or side game within the Resident Evil series. These appearances are fine, and some play well with fan service and Easter eggs, but there's not much below the surface worth exploring.
D Tier
Umbrella Chronicles/Darkside Chronicles: Chris has some appearances in both of these on-rail shooters, which retell the stories of certain Resident Evil games while adding more details and occasionally filling in some blanks for some characters. Redfield doesn't wind up being one who benefits from this extra information, though.
Marvel vs. Capcom 3/Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite: Redfield doesn't necessarily find himself as one of the strongest fighters in the popular fighting game Marvel vs. Capcom 3. On top of being a lower-tier fighter, his kit is sadly boring and does no favors for the character. His moves and fighting style essentially make him "Generic Guy with Gun" for any player that isn't aware of his source material.