Highlights
- Leon forms strong friendships with several characters throughout the Resident Evil games, including Chris, Ingrid, and Ada.
- Leon's bond with these characters is built through shared experiences, trust, and loyalty, often overcoming dire circumstances together.
- While Leon's relationships with these characters vary in nature, they all contribute to his growth as a protagonist and fan favorite in the Resident Evil franchise.
Out of all the major Resident Evil protagonists, Leon undoubtedly seems like he would be the most fun to be around. While he definitely has a few underlying issues due to the Raccoon City incident, he's also shown to have a more comedic and cocky side to him too, often throwing out one-liners and witty remarks like nobody's business, and this is what has ultimately made him such a fan favorite over the years.
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Still, considering how dangerous the world of Resident Evil actually is, it means there's barely ever any time for the characters to actually interact with one another in a more casual setting. With that being said though, it's clear from the way Leon speaks and acts around certain people that he's built up quite a friendship with several characters throughout the games, and it's these individuals that this list is going to take a closer look at today.
7 Luis Sera
Charismatic Proof That People Can Change
For the majority of Resident Evil 4, Luis keeps his backstory and intentions hidden from Leon and Ashley, but when it's revealed that he actually had a hand in aiding Saddler's plan, he almost becomes an antagonist. However, in his efforts to make up for personal mistakes, Luis desperately tries to help both Leon and Ashley remove their plagas so that they can return home safely, with the sharp-tongued Spaniard becoming a close ally for the second half of the story.
It's clear in both the remake and the original though that Leon eventually starts to care a lot for Luis, showing a lot of emotion when he eventually meets his demise. It definitely took a while for Leon to warm up to Luis, but the two definitely became friends after traveling together. It's just a shame that they couldn't deepen their relationship in future games, as it would have been great to see Luis and his Sancho reunite for one final escapade.
6 Adam Benford
Loyalty To The President, Even Til Death
Leon wasn't exactly keen about signing up to become a secret agent after successfully rescuing Ashley. In fact, it's implied in Darkside Chronicles and the Resident Evil 4 Remake that he was more or less forced into the position, but despite this, there was one individual for whom he showed an extreme amount of loyalty and care for while after becoming an agent, and this was President Adam Benford.
While discussing the looming danger of international bioterrorism, Benford says that he trusts Leon more than anyone else in the White House, with Leon replying that he will do whatever is necessary to support the president. What really proves just how intimate their friendship was though is when Benford actually becomes a zombie. Despite his stumbling towards Helena, clearly with the intent of killing her, Leon hesitates to take him down, asking multiple times for him to stop before finally unleashing a bullet after screaming out his name.
5 Ashley Graham
Forged A Bond With Leon Due To Their Situation With Plaga
When Leon finds Ashley hiding away in a dark room after being abducted by the Los Illuminados, she initially acts hostile towards him, believing that he's just another one of the terrifying Ganado. Leon gradually gains her trust as the game progresses though, dedicating his life to keeping her safe so that he can return her home to her father in one piece. The remake of Resident Evil 4 did a lot to highlight the friendship that grows between the two a little better than the original, with the two constantly bickering and having banter in between areas to help cheer themselves up given their dire circumstances.
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While Leon is the one who's tasked with saving Ashley, she also shows at multiple points that she's similarly willing to do whatever she can to protect her new friend, even breaking down emotionally when she accidentally stabs him after being mind-controlled. It's not made clear if Leon and Ashley ever got to reunite after the events of Resident Evil 4, but they certainly grew to become close friends during their terrifying adventure together.
4 Chris Redfield
Similar Experiences Have Made Them Very Close Allies And Friends
While Chris and Leon partake in their own personal adventures throughout much of the series, it's made clear through some of the comics, movies, and later entries that they not only know about each other but also share a strong bond due to their similar experiences. Even when their objectives are completely different, such as in the sixth game, Leon still states that Chris is one of the people he trusts the most because they've both been in this whole fiasco for the same amount of time, creating a sort of mutual bond that comes from the horrors they've both witnessed.
They know that they can count on one another to do the right thing, and while fans, unfortunately, don't get to see too much of them interacting in the games, they do at least spend a lot more time working together in the CG Resident Evil movies which contain some of their best moments together.
3 Ingrid Hunnigan
A Support Agent Who Protects Leon
One of Leon's most trusted companions, and the woman who has gotten him out of countless sticky situations, Ingrid Hunnigan acts as the voice in Leon's ear for the majority of his missions, granting him aid and advice to help achieve his objective. It would seem as though the two would simply have a formal relationship considering their positions, but it's shown through the radio calls that they're actually pretty good friends who aren't above cracking a few jokes when things are getting a little too serious.
It's also been demonstrated on numerous occasions that, despite the two always communicating virtually, they are still willing to do everything in their power to protect each other, even if it means going against their higher-ups. This is shown in Resident Evil 6 where, despite the villainous Derek Simmons ordering otherwise, Hunnigan decides to help Leon and Helena's journey through the zombie-infested Tall Oaks in secret, just going to show how much she's willing to risk for her longtime ally and friend.
2 Claire Redfield
The Raccoon City Incident Introduced Claire To Leon, And Brought Them Closer
It's hard to argue that either Leon or Claire would have made it out alive from Raccoon City if they hadn't run into one another when they did. While they both take their own individual journeys through the game, they are also always in contact with one another, whether it's to plan a strategy, or simply just to affirm that they will make it out alive, despite the horrific situation they find themselves in.
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Even after the Raccoon City incident, there have been small hints that the two regularly keep up with one another, and are always willing to go out of their way to help the other whenever it's most needed. In the Resident Evil game that needs a remake, Code Veronica, for example, Claire immediately tries to contact Leon to tell him about the situation on Rockfort Island, and they're both shown to be thrilled when they re-united in the Infinite Darkness series. Both Claire and Leon seem like pretty different people who probably would never have even interacted if not for the Raccoon City incident, but that whole scenario turned them into allies, comrades, and above all, friends with an impenetrable bond.
1 Ada Wong
Leon's Love Interest, And The One That Always Has A Mission Of Her Own
While it's been subtly applied multiple times that Leon and Ada may have romantic feelings for one another, they never actually become an item at any point in the story. Instead, it feels like the two are so comfortable and familiar with one another that they almost just play around with the idea of getting together, especially since they seem to know everything about each other. Even when Ada is paired with the villain of a game, such as Wesker or Simmons, Leon still manages to look past this, and even defends her at times, because he knows that deep down, she's not someone who wants to destroy the world.
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Leon also seems to be the only person who has gotten used to Ada's mysterious antics, and the way she mysteriously disappears without leaving a trace. The two may start off on shaky footing at the beginning of Resident Evil 2, but after it is revealed that she has begun actually caring for Leon as a person, their relationship simply grows from there, with them now being best friends who may or may not finally get together at some point in the future.
