Highlights
- Ethan Winters introduced a more realistic era for the Resident Evil franchise, and a similar approach could benefit a legacy character like Jill Valentine.
- Jill Valentine has faced numerous traumas throughout the series, and exploring her psychological struggles could add depth to her character.
- A more grounded portrayal of Jill would contrast with other protagonists like Leon and Chris, who seem unaffected by their past experiences, and create intriguing dynamics within the Resident Evil universe.
The Resident Evil franchise is home to some of the most iconic protagonists in all of gaming, but it's hard to argue that any of them are really portrayed to be realistic characters. In a series that constantly has its protagonists healing bite marks and stab wounds with herbs and sprays, facing off against maniacal scientists and cultists, and occasionally punching boulders into volcanoes, it's practically impossible to claim that characters like Chris Redfield, Leon Kennedy, or Ada Wong are any more realistic than an action movie hero, and nor do they need to be. But in recent years, the Resident Evil franchise has gotten a little grittier.
Introduced in Resident Evil 7, Ethan Winters ushered in a more realistic era for the survival horror franchise. While Ethan Winters will still pick up a shotgun and go to town on mold zombies like he was born to do so, he does feel a bit more grounded than the protagonists that came before him. And while Ethan Winters isn't everyone's favorite Resident Evil protagonist, that grounded approach could work well with a legacy character like Jill Valentine.
Jill Valentine Should Get The Ethan Winters Treatment
The vast majority of Resident Evil's protagonists feel as though they've been ripped out of an action blockbuster, and that was the original developers' intention. Jill Valentine is no exception, using gigantic laser weapons to blow up monsters, miraculously recovering from infection within no time at all, and narrowly avoiding a nuclear blast by the skin of her teeth. But there's a little more to Jill Valentine's character beneath the action hero sheen.
At the start of Resident Evil 3 Remake, players start the game in Jill Valentine's Raccoon City apartment. From a first-person perspective, they can search the environment, reading various collectibles that give a brief synopsis of the ordeals that Jill has already faced from the events of the first game. As they head into the bathroom, the camera shows Jill's face for the first time, and it becomes immediately clear that she's still mentally processing everything she went through. While Nemesis appears before she can really express herself anymore, it's clear that Jill Valentine has a good deal of trauma, and that's only at the start of her journey.
In Resident Evil 5 - Jill Valentine's last canonical appearance in the timeline - Jill is captured by Albert Wesker and forced to undergo a number of biological experiments before eventually being turned into Wesker's mind-controlled puppet. Though she's saved by Chris Redfield in the end, it's clear that this whole experience would be pretty traumatic for Jill, and combined with her past traumas this could easily lead to a breaking point, one that the next Resident Evil could explore.
It would be fascinating to see Jill Valentine get the Ethan Winters treatment, and become a much more grounded character. On top of giving Jill Valentine the comeback that she deserves, this more realistic approach could lead to some really fascinating dynamics between her and the rest of the Resident Evil legacy cast. Currently, it seems as though characters like Leon and Chris are able to just shake off and forget about their deeply traumatic experiences, and contrasting that numbness with a legacy character that is affected by their past could be intriguing, especially if it's worked properly into the game's narrative. If Resident Evil is going to continue forward with its more gritty tone, then a new approach for a legacy character like Jill Valentine seems like the best route to go.