The most popular Resi Evil characters
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.