Last week, Capcom finally confirmed the Resident Evil 4 Remake, which sparked a wave of excitement within the Resident Evil community. However, while fans warmly welcomed the announcement of Resident Evil 4, Capcom still hasn't revealed anything about the DLC of Resident Evil Village​​​​​​.
It is worth remembering that Capcom announced Resident Evil Village's DLC on June 14, 2021, which means it has been almost a year and the studio still hasn't released any significant update. Given that a year of development is pretty long for a DLC, one can't help but wonder if the Resident Evil Village expansion will be bigger than anticipated. Of course, details about the DLC are still being kept under wraps, but some are hopeful that the expansion will see the return of Jill Valentine.
What Happened to Jill Valentine?
Excluding the 2020 remake of Resident Evil 3, which is just a retelling of Jill's escape from Raccoon City, the last time Jill was seen in Resident Evil's timeline was back in 2009 in Resident Evil 5. Of course, veteran players would know that Jill suffered from mind control under Albert Wesker and was rescued by Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar during the game. Unfortunately, not much is known about Jill's status post-RE 5, apart from a brief email sent to Barry Burton revealing that she has been under rehabilitation.
Given that it has been more than a decade since Jill started undergoing rehabilitation, it is likely that she has long been out of it and is probably back in action as an agent of the Biohazard Security Assessment Alliance (B.S.A.A.). However, some could argue that Jill probably retired after her traumatic ordeal in Resident Evil 5. Still, it is worth remembering that she also mentioned to Barry that she intends to return to active duty as soon as possible.
How Jill Valentine Could Make a Comeback in Resident Evil Village's DLC
If Capcom does bring Jill back to the franchise via Resident Evil Village's DLC, fans of the series would likely welcome her with open arms. However, the big question is how Capcom would execute her comeback. It is no secret that Resident Evil 7 and Village are not as directly related to previous Resident Evil games, but this doesn't mean that having Jill appear in the DLC wouldn't have a connection to the main game's story.
One way Capcom could execute Jill's appearance in Resident Evil Village's DLC is to make its story center around the B.S.A.A. It is worth remembering that after the events of Resident Evil 7, the B.S.A.A. decided to cover up the Baker House Incident, leading Chris to become distrustful of the organization. In 2018, Chris decided to commandeer the B.S.A.A.'s Hound Wolf Squad without approval from HQ, establishing a soured relationship between him and the organization. The strained relationship between Chris and the B.S.A.A., which Jill is presumably still a part of, could be explored in the upcoming DLC.
If Capcom does go this route, then for the first time, players will see Jill and Chris at odds with each other. While this has already happened in Resident Evil 5, it is worth remembering that Jill was under mind control then. As such, seeing her and Chris on opposing sides again would make for an exciting story given the strong partnership between the two since their mission in the Spencer Mansion in Resident Evil 1. The DLC could also explore in detail what Jill has gone through after the events of Resident Evil 5 and what her take is on Chris' decision to go rogue and separate from the team they helped establish.
Resident Evil Village is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. A DLC is currently in development.
