The most popular Resi Evil characters

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 13 April, 2011

Are not who you might think.

You'd be forgiven for thinking Resident Evil 2 rookie cop Leon Kennedy and Resident Evil 5 star Chris Redfield would be the two most popular Resident Evil characters. But you'd be wrong.

Mysterious bad guy Albert Wesker and super cop Jill Valentine are the two most loved by fans, according to Capcom.

Jill Valentine starred in the first Resident Evil game as a Raccoon Police Department S.T.A.R.S. member. She sat Resident Evil 2 out, but returned for Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. In Resident Evil 5 she is a founding member of the paramilitary group Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA).

"One of the reasons Jill is so popular is because she is in so many of the Resident Evil games," Resident Evil producer Masachika Kawata told Eurogamer.

"She's in 1, she's in 3, she's in some of the movies. So she's well known as a character. She's also very cute and sexy."

Wesker rose to prominence in the later Resident Evil games. He operates behind the scenes, manipulating events with a maniacal laugh or two. He also wears sunglasses. Even indoors.

"Wesker is really popular because he is in many ways the evil force in the Resident Evil series and has been for quite a long time," Kawata explained. "He's also certainly a very unique character. That's probably why he's so popular."

Both characters are playable in recently released crossover fighting game Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and in the upcoming Nintendo 3DS game Resident Evil: Mercenaries 3D. Don't feel too sorry for Leon, mind. He's set to appear in third-person shooter Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City - as your target.

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (50) Latest comment 1 year ago

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  • Tallon4 #1 1 year ago

    Leon rules them all :)

  • sonicyoda #2 1 year ago

    Of course it's Wesker; he's a fucking bad-ass! Well, up until he decides to ruin himself by turning into a girder-wielding, black, goopy mess.

  • AcidSnake #3 1 year ago

    Not surprising at all actually...
    Wesker is way too iconic to be placed behind Chris or Leon...
    I also would've liked some more exposition on Krauser...

  • Kanselier #4 1 year ago

    Pah, nonsense!

    It is all about Barry "You were almost a Jill sandwich" Burton.
    Edited by Kanselier at 13/04/11 @ 16:31

  • exever #5 1 year ago

    all wroong, if you're a fan of RE since the begining, #1 is Jill, and Wesker #2? no way, thats when RE got lame... im not sure about #2 myself, but Nemesis is way more iconic

  • nuanimal #6 1 year ago

    I think Jill is popular from the series as she is not as bland as the other characters. That, and if you played the RE remake on Gamecube with her alternate outfit you get to see her panties flash as she gets a fright in the art room where the map is at the begining of the game. And she looks good in a boob tube.

    / Feel guilty. Sorry, that Kingdon Under Fire II news article yesterday has turned me in a sex crazed socially-inept violent voyeur

  • CloisterBlack #7 1 year ago

    I'd say Leon, but only as he appears in RE4 .
    In every other appearance after RE4 he is too douchey.

  • bemaniac #8 1 year ago

    My favorite is the stick of tofu from Resident Evil 2. I completed the game over 50 times thinking I'd done it right with a best time of 41minutes for Leons 1st scenario but still he eluded me!

  • Toothball #9 1 year ago

    @Kanselier

    Barry Burton all the way. Between "Jill Sandwich" and "Master of Unlocking", he got some of the most memorable scenes in any game, not just the Resident Evil series.

  • Gojiratron #10 1 year ago

    Well she is the master of unlocking :p
    Edited by Gojiratron at 13/04/11 @ 16:43

  • Rascanuvols #11 1 year ago

    I wasn't aware that there were popular characters in this saga.

  • kinky_mong #12 1 year ago

    Not a surprise at all, Wesker is a bad ass and actually has charisma, while Jill is a girl who shows a bit of a skin in her alternative costumes.

  • AcidSnake #13 1 year ago

    @Bemaniac:
    Wasn't Tofu unlocked by finishing the game with Hunk in record time?

  • Phantom_Dynamite #14 1 year ago

    Resi needs more Sherry Birkin i say.

    She done her bit in RE2 and It would be awesome if she grew up trying to avenge her fathers failings with the G - Virus.
    Edited by Phantom_Dynamite at 13/04/11 @ 19:10

  • Kanselier #15 1 year ago

    Resident Evil 1 Ten Memorable Quotes: [link url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a41TAy7RfVI
    ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a41TAy7RfVI
    [/link]

    Starring Barry Burton, Jill Valentine, Rebecca Chambers and Chris Redfield. Such an awesome game :)

  • mcmonkeyplc #16 1 year ago

    It's all about Claire.

  • geeza2020 #17 1 year ago

    What about gun shop man from the second game? "Who are ya, what are you doing here?" "Woah, sorry about that babe, I thought you were one of them!"
    "WAaaaaaAwaaawaAAAAAAAAARGHH!!!!"

    Gets me every time!
    :D

  • darkphoenix #18 1 year ago

    Agree, but would like to see Chris Redfield join the podium.

    Leon was always a weak character, from the very begining of RE2 we know he's no Chris Redfield.
    Of course it is intentional, to give him a less superhero and more realistic approach, but I never liked him, neverthless.

    -Chris for the big muscled, bit dumb, well intentioned hero stereotype. Superman in RE.

    -Jill because she is sexy, she trashed Nemesis in RE3, and because we all know she and Chris share this Mulder/Scully type of relationship that will someday burst into a great sex scene ( yes, I am a dirty old fart )

    -Wesker for being so ridiculously overpowered, and what about those one-liners.... Priceless vilain!

  • bad09 #19 1 year ago

    Barry! Where's Barry?

  • Liquidoodle #20 1 year ago

    Barry Burton FTW :) He may not be the master of unlocking... but he has this!!!!! *holds up magnum*

  • Architect_z #21 1 year ago

    How come Jill's blonde in RE5?

  • telboy007 #22 1 year ago

    Pft, rubbish that annoying c*nt from Code Veronica is #1!!! What was his name? Steve? Whiney bitch Steve... how I hated... LOVED, how I loved him the best.

    "How come Jill's blonde in RE5?"

    http://www.garnier.co.uk/_en/_gb/our_pro...
    Edited by telboy007 at 13/04/11 @ 17:46

  • Rens11 #23 1 year ago

    Zombies are the best! fuck those las ganado wannabe's!

  • SteelPriest #24 1 year ago

    loving the Barry love.

  • sybixsus #25 1 year ago

    My biggest surprise is that anyone who knew anything about Resident Evil would be surprised that Wesker and Jill were the two most popular characters. Wesker has the David Caruso as Horatio "Aitch" Caine thing going on, and he's probably the most iconic videogame villain I can think of outside of Sephiroth. Jill strikes a good balance between badass and seriously hot, plus she doesn't have a lot of competition in RE because most of the female characters are a bit "meh".

    I'd be forgiven for thinking that Leon Kennedy was one of the most popular characters? That's very generous, but I wouldn't forgive anyone for thinking that. In RE2, Leon was a complete pussy, and he makes up for it a bit in RE4, but he's hardly the stuff videogame dreams are made of, is he? Chris is alright, but he's too generic. Chris could be any one of a hundred videogame leading males. He's perfect for Operation Raccoon City.

  • nobodysprince #26 1 year ago

    It has to be Wesker. He's the perfect melodramatic villain, and I love his line, 'The right to be God, that right is now mine.' Narcissism much?!

  • drhickman1983 #27 1 year ago

    Wesker without a doubt. Though I'm still not sure at what point he changed from being an Umbrella agent in S.T.A.R.S into a superhuman badass longcoat. Also, is it wrong I kinda agree with his RE5 ramblings about needing to sort the wheat from the chaff?

    I do like Ada too. Though I have no faith in her first aid abilities. She doesn't even remove Leon's shirt before dressing his gunshot wound. What a medical noob.
    Edited by drhickman1983 at 13/04/11 @ 18:53

  • penhalion #28 1 year ago

    Yep I'm calling Bollocks on this one. Capcom probably just want to make a Resi with Jill as the star and figure that if they tell us she's popular enough times we'll all simply fall in line and agree.

    I definitely liked playing as Chris and Leon and not as the wimpy Jill. After the last Resi release I'm not even sure I want to play another one at all to be honest, regardless of the main character.

  • carlosdfn #29 1 year ago

    Love me some Jill sandwich. Yum.

  • Spong #30 1 year ago

    Jill was the pussy's choice in the first game, for lightweights who couldn't handle the proper game with Chris. The fact she's #1 on the list speaks volumes about the calibre of Resi fans.

  • originaljohn #31 1 year ago

    My favorite character is Jill until RE5, the blond hair didn't do it for me. Second would be Leon out of the two main guys, then it would be Billy Coen from resident evil 0.

  • RoxionX #32 1 year ago

    Chris, Leon and Claire will always be the best in my eyes.

  • Kami #33 1 year ago

    Jill was badass in Resi 3 though - which is my favourite old Resi game. Context people - take it out.

    * Jill has seen zombies before and decides the best clothing to wear in a city full of thousands of the bastards is a tight blue strapless boob-tube and a black miniskirt. Which brings new meaning to the term "Jill Sandwich".

    * She's being chased around by Nemesis, an eight-foot mutant monstrosity clad in leather, like her stalker. He always turns up when you don't want him to - and he has a finger that turns into a massive tentacle. Yeah. Not easy to keep that remotely in context.

    It's not hard to understand why Resi fans like Jill - she's bonkers and bad-ass. She's just sane enough to be Parent-friendly, yet dangerous enough to certainly keep things lively elsewhere. She's also the more rounded, the more interesting and the more pretty of the cast - oh, and she has a massive pair of boobs. That works too.

    As for why she went Blonde - according to Resi 5 datalog lore, this has something to do with the mutated strand of the T-Virus inside of her. Although inert after being "cured" by Carlos, the virus isn't actually dead - meaning (a) she's probably immune now to all known diseases in the world (which, dressing like a slut, is probably a good thing!) and (b) going to be responsible for whatever shitstorm Resi 6 unleashes, as although inert, it's not unreasonable to assume Wesker et al were taking samples from her hair follicles (which the lore states is where the virus decided it wanted to reside - so blonde? Perhaps, but lore wise we can assume she's actually going grey!). She is more or less the last person in existence in the canon who still has a tangible, physical connection to the virus - and this makes her VERY important in the lore.

    Anyway. Jill is super-important and even if she wasn't a fan favourite (which she always will be), she's far too important in the lore now to throw away. As for Wesker - well, he's just brilliant and I feel so sad he won't be in any more Resi games... well, not unless they retcon out Resi 5. Or have some other massively bullshit reason like cloning or such forth. I don't think the series will get a baddie with an ounce of the charm, charisma and just easy-to-love-and-hate smoothness that Wesker had...

    edit; I also approve of the Barry Burton appreciation!
    Edited by Kami at 13/04/11 @ 20:20

  • EmiliasHorse #34 1 year ago

    Jill, Claire, the other female leads......oh and that lovely lass from Code Veronica, such a charming girl.

  • metalangel #35 1 year ago

    Leon is a Leonardo Di Caprio-style prettyboy while Chris is about as generic as they come. I'm not surprised in the least.

    No, the best character is the gun store owner from Resident Evil 2 who thought a plate glass window would hold back the undead hordes.

  • Nevflinn #36 1 year ago

    "...She's also very cute and sexy."

    You stay classy, Capcom.
    Edited by Nevflinn at 13/04/11 @ 21:44

  • DIFUNTO666 #37 1 year ago

    jill, barry and rebecca =)

  • NewbieZilla #38 1 year ago

    I'm surprised this would be surprising to anyone.

  • Bulbatron #39 1 year ago

    While the reason for Jill turning blonde might be somewhat credible, I suspect the real reason is that Capcom, being the classy lot they are, decided that blonde was sexier. No idea why.

    Shame really if that was the case. I preferred it the previous colour.

    Not sure who my favourites are. I can totally see why Jill and Wesker won the vote though. I don't know about the fans, but Capcom seem to like Leon. He's been in two games, both of which were pretty long, plus he will have been in both of the CG Resident Evil films, Degeneration and the upcoming Damnation.

    I wonder if we'll see any more of Claire?

  • terminaljeremy #40 1 year ago

    Nonsense. You're all wrong. It's the shopkeeper from Resi4. What are ya sellin’, strangerrrrr?

  • abcdecoy #41 1 year ago

    I want a new game "RESIDENT EVIL: WESKER MANSION KEEPER" where you have to design a mansion and lay traps and set zombies and mutant dogs on stars operatives trying to break in and steal your germs and secrets.

  • ZizouFC #42 1 year ago

    Leon's middle path is an iconic character in itself.

  • CamberGreber #43 1 year ago

    Leon and Ada Wong all the way.

    Resident Evil 2 best in series.

  • SimonM7 #44 1 year ago

    Wesker is a no-brainer, but I would've guessed Ada Wong next actually, considering her uncanny ability to creep back into the games akin to Wesker.

  • Sora888 #45 1 year ago

    The most intersting character from the series so far has to be Trent.

    All you kids who dunno who he is, pick up a book once in a while ;)

  • Bulbatron #46 1 year ago

    I know who Trent is. The 'mysterious guy' who gave Jill the map of the Spencer mansion.

    Pretty good series of books on the whole.

  • SpaceMonkey77 #47 1 year ago

    For me, I can agree that Jill is favourite, ever since RE1. Playing RE1, I was more drawn to her unusual STARS outfit, with the iconic beret.

    Wesker I can agre with, because he is indeed like a fallen angel of the series. Started off with good intentions, then slowly went bad. Or maybe he was bad all along? He's one cool dude though.

    Outsiders for me are Luis from RE4 (damn shame he didn't survive the game), the awesome Billy Cohen from RE0 (Capcom really need to use him again, with his AWOL status still active), and Sherry Birkin from RE2 (this lass made RE2 an interesting experiment for Capcom, which I think Capcom may have used recently for DR2, namely children in a dangerous situation. Sherry as a teen would be awesome return to a future RE game, especially with a certain amulet she possesses.

    Other honorable mentions go to Ada Wong, and a certain wandering shopkeeper. Whaddya buyin? Whaddya Sellin? He really needs to be in MvsC3, with all that loot on him.

  • Architect_z #48 1 year ago

    The dodgey guy from RE4?

    "What are ya buyin?"
    "Got some good things on sale stranger!"

  • Kami #49 1 year ago

    "Sherry as a teen would be awesome return to a future RE game, especially with a certain amulet she possesses."

    Sherry shares the importance with Jill - Jill has an inert version of the T-Virus in her body. Sherry has an inert version of the G-Virus, from where her dear old daddy violated her. So I don't doubt Sherry will be back someday - like Jill, she's just too damned important in the story to be completely forgotten.

    I've also suggested Annette will be back - somehow, I find it hard to believe Wesker wasn't building himself a little Harem of his own. Annette is there somewhere, in the back, doing evil stuff... probably to find her daughter is the one seeking to stop her wreaking vengeance on the world...

    I'd play it!

  • koqazion #50 1 year ago

    Nemesis??? Is it just me who loved him? Loved the way he kept coming back - quite cool to have a game long boss battle