The revitalization of the Resident Evil franchise has played a large part in Capcom’s recent rise to record success. With Resident Evil Village having continued the legacy of its trademark RE Engine, the latest entry in the classic horror series remains prolific in the modern landscape of the genre. Resident Evil Village features the same intimate, first-person perspective of a character-driven narrative while staying true to the design of the very first games.
The focus on its now iconic characters has been a major component of Resident Evil Village’s continued success, as Capcom focused on bringing an almost entirely new cast to the forefront of protagonist Ethan Winters’ struggles. Between all of Village’s cast, however, some have become legendary while others have fallen a bit to the wayside.
S Tier
Lady Dimitrescu - The undisputed face of Resident Evil Village, Alcina Dimitrescu has risen far above her original purpose as a simple minor antagonist. Despite only appearing in the first part of the game, the vampiric giantess has cemented herself into pop culture.
Chris Redfield - A direct tie to the original Resident Evil, Chris Redfield has had the most development of any character in the entire series. In his most hardened, veteran form yet, Chris is a complicated and fascinating version of himself this time around.
A Tier
Miranda - The true final antagonist of Village, Mother Miranda’s design is both haunting and beautiful all at once. Her appearance in the original release of the game was a bit sparse, but her second encounter in the Shadows of Rose DLC gave her some much-need extra screen time.
Rose Winters - The daughter of Resident Evil 7 and Village protagonist Ethan Winters, Rose finally got the chance to come into the spotlight with her own story in Shadows of Rose. With her complicated existence and mysterious powers courtesy of the Mutamycete mold, she manages to be more interesting than her faceless father.
The Duke - A grotesque and arrogant answer to Resident Evil 4’s merchant, The Duke has become an icon of Resident Evil Village through the unsettling feeling he elicits. With his cruel nature expanded upon in Shadows of Rose, he’s even more memorable than some of his supposed superiors.
B Tier
Donna Beneviento - An experimental form of horror for the franchise, Donna Beneviento uses her doll Angie to terrorize players on a psychological level. Her section of the game features the now iconic Giant Baby of Resident Evil Village, but her true human self is too mysterious to fully understand.
Mia Winters - Having recovered from her previous horrors, Mia is not nearly as striking as in her initial Resident Evil 7 appearance. While her character development and subversive plotline in Village still make her story fascinating, Mia has a much more low-key presence this time around.
Ethan Winters - The protagonist of Village returning from the horrors of Resident Evil 7, Ethan Winters is a much more interesting and fleshed-out character compared to his initial iteration. While he is more developed this time around, he also remains faceless in a sometimes jarring fashion given the intimate nature of the storyline.
Karl Heisenberg - While he may have seemed to be a bigger part of the plot initially, Karl Heisenberg ends up disappointing in terms of impact. Offering a voice of dissent against his leader Miranda, Heisenberg’s potential face turn could have been more exciting than his boss encounter which focused on action over horror.
C Tier
The Dimitrescu Sisters - Early antagonists and the adopted daughters of Lady Dimitrescu, these three sisters offer an exciting start to the horrors of Village. With the ability to transform into swarms of flies, the sisters ease into the game’s tonal departure from the traditional tropes of the series.
Salvatore Moreau - Despite the interesting water-themed East Old Town level associated with him, Salvatore Moreau ultimately flops as an engaging villain. A subservient minion to his master, Moreau’s simple characterization matches his cool, but admittedly short encounter as a fish monster.
Resident Evil Village is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
