One of the many aspects of the world that is Resident Evil that makes it so complex and interesting is its vast variety of enemies. Sure, the typical "zombie" exists in Raccoon City, but there's much more than that. Umbrella was interested in more than just a reanimated corpse when trying to engineer the perfect bio-weapon and knew they could do much better than an undead human being capable of a few bites and scratches.
From a creative standpoint, this vast array of enemies is fantastic and does a great job in world-building. However, when it comes down to it, Resident Evil is a video game and at one point or another, players are meant to stand off against every single one of these terrifying creatures; some of which are scary and others, more frustrating than anything else. Here are some of the most annoying enemies in the Resident Evil franchise.
8 Crimson Heads
Crimson heads were first introduced in the 2002 remake of the first Resident Evil game. While they look much like any other regular zombie in the franchise, they have a special trait about them. After a while of incapacitation, a zombie has the chance of mutating into a Crimson Head, a much stronger and faster version of the regular zombie.
While regular zombies will typically "stand guard" in their designated spots and only attack once the player is close-by, the Crimson Head variant will quickly pursue and attack the player, the moment they enter the area they reside in.
This irritating mutation can only be prevented by beheading a zombie right away, destroying its kneecaps, or using kerosene to burn the body, ensuring that it will not have the means to pursue the player later on.
7 Lickers
Lickers were first introduced in Resident Evil 2 and from then on became a mainstay and established themselves as one of the most prolific Resident Evil enemies. Their large claws, threatening stance, absence of eyes, and signature exposed brain made them easily recognizable. However, even with how iconic Lickers are, they still pose a bit of a frustrating mechanic in the actual games.
Lickers aren't bipedal and mutated to walk on all fours, making them much faster than other zombies, even allowing them to cling to walls and ceilings. On top of their speed, their sense of sound is heightened greatly in order to make up for their poor eyesight.
A hallway full of Lickers can pose a problem as the player is then forced to either slowly take out any other enemies as quietly as possible (to not alert the Lickers) or to go in guns blazing.
6 Leech Man
The Leech Man enemy is a mass of leeches, infected with the t-virus, all crowding and clinging onto a deceased human host. This walking corpse is seen in both Resident Evil Outbreak and Resident Evil 0. Being comprised of leeches, the creature naturally gravitates to sources of blood and can even be lured with the use of blood packs to avoid confrontation.
The Leech Man cannot be killed in conventional ways (any firearms) in RE Outbreak and must be killed in a unique way, using the environment. However, the main reason why many players find this particular enemy irritating to go up against is due to its ability to inflict a status effect. If the player is bitten by the Leech Man, it will inflict a bleeding status and will cause them to move slower and also attract the Leech Man further as he then has a pool of blood to follow.
5 Moths
Giant Moths were first introduced in RE2, however, the smaller versions, simply named Moths, are somehow an even more troublesome enemy to deal with. Moths were primarily featured in Resident Evil CODE: Veronica and are simply overgrown insects that had been mutated due to prolonged exposure to the t-virus.
The main reason why these particular enemies stood out is due to their endless respawn rate. No matter how many Moths are killed, they will still be present in any area they reside in. While they're rather weak to any damage, they still have the ability to both grab onto Claire (holding in her place until shaken off) and also to cause a poison effect. Once poisoned by a Moth/larvae, a blue herb is needed to cure Claire.
Moths are best avoided entirely as engaging in battle isn't exactly advantageous at all.
4 Hunters
The Hunter is a human-animal hybrid made by combining reptilian DNA with a human embryo and bonded with the t-virus (with the exception of Hunter Gamma, which is the reverse process). There are many unique variations of the Hunter, all of which are bothersome to deal with on the field.
The Hunter is an incredibly powerful and agile enemy that even has a one-hit-kill attack that can be triggered if the player is caught in the Caution state of health. The Hunter can latch onto the player and can trigger another one-hit-kill move if not shaken off in time. Simply put, Hunters are found annoying by many RE fans due to how powerful they are.
To make matters worse, Umbrella (and their rival company which later merged with Tricell) continued to hone the Hunter and created a plethora of variations, such as Hunter Alpha, Hunter Beta, Hunter Gamma, Hunter R, and Hunter Mu (amongst others).
3 Regenerador
As its name implies, the Regenorador has regenerative abilities that allow it to regrow any limbs that are lost in battle. It is seen in RE4 as it is a product of Los Iluminados, a human infected with multiple dangerous Plaga parasites that have caused it to mutate heavily.
On top of never being able to truly kill the Regenorador (at least in the same fashion as other enemies), they are primarily located in smaller, close quarters, where their agility, strength, and ranged attacks gain a huge advantage over the player. They have different move sets depending on which limbs they have and which are missing and can only be truly killed by strategically pinpointing (with thermal imaging) and destroying the five leech-shaped Plagas that cause the Regenorador's regenerative abilities.
2 Man-Eating Insects
Another horrendous strain of insects that tends to irritate players is the man-eating insect, found in Marguerite Baker's level in RE7. While a single one on its own may be easy enough to avoid or kill, they're often found in numbers which makes them a much more formidable enemy to deal with.
These insects are rather weak and don't take a ton of damage in order to be downed, but in larger numbers, taking them out can be quite irritating. Each hit the insects' land will nudge Ethan's vision and can make aiming difficult.
The best strategy to take them out is to wait for them to hover in the air before their attack; however, when multiple insects are around, it may be best to resort to using Ethan's trusty flamethrower.
1 Mr. X
While many other enemies are "one and done" and are no longer a problem once evaded or downed, Mr. X is a whole different story. Mr. X is by far one of the most tiresome enemies to deal with in the entire franchise as he essentially acts as Leon/Claire's own personal stalker and interrupts whenever he so pleases. Whether it be solving a puzzle, looting a room, or even taking care of other enemies (and no, he does not wait his turn in line to attack either).
Mr. X's constant pursuit makes for a perpetual cycle of stress and keeps players on their toes at all times. While some players may find it exhilarating, others may find Mr. X's presence simply tiresome and annoying instead.