After its initial launch in the 90s, Resident Evil has become an icon of the horror genre, a landmark for spooky games on consoles, and simply one of the most endearing entries in the genre. After a stellar remake for the Gamecube a few years later, the classic was even better, and now nobody has an excuse not to play this incredible game. If you’re dipping in, then you might want to get to know the Resident Evil characters first.
This guide covers the main players from the original Resident Evil title and its remake, but we’ll also delve into the primary characters from the many other titles over the years. Anybody recurring and important to the Umbrella story, we’ll pop them in here. It’s a big old series with a lot of characters, so do forgive us if we miss your fave, but we’ll be coming back to add more to this guide over time.
Let’s dive into our Resident Evil characters guide.
Resident Evil characters
Chris Redfield
Born in 1973, Chris Redfield is one of the two playable characters in the first Resident Evil game, and one of the most important characters in all of the events preceding it. Chris is a huge fella that uses his power and speed to get through. In Resident Evil (1996), Chris has to deal with more enemies, each of which is more powerful than in Jill’s playthrough. So while he may be tougher, the game balances this out with a rougher ride. Players also only unlock the flamethrower in Chris’ story path.
Chris originally worked for the Air Force before STARS (Special Tactics and Rescue Service) recruited him in Raccoon City. After the Spencer Mansion incident, Chris appears and is playable in Resident Evil: Code Veronica, Resident Evil; The Umbrella Chronicles, Resident Evil 5, Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, Resident Evil 6, Resident Evil Revelations, Resident Evil 7 DLC, and Resident Evil Village.
If you want to know even more about this iconic character, make sure you check out our Resident Evil Chris guide.
Jill Valentine
Born in 1974, Jill Valentine is one of the two playable characters in the original Resident Evil and is one of the most important characters in the series. She was recruited to STARS by Albert Wesker in 1996, shortly before the Spencer mansion incident, and so has been at the heart of most bio-weapons and bio-terrorism events ever since. She’s smart, strong, and has repeatedly shown that she has a good heart and will go out of her way to protect people when she can.
Appearing over multiple titles, Jill Valentine is at the heart of everything going on. After Resident Evil (1996) and its remake, she appears as a playable character in Resident Evil 3 (and its remake), she pops up in Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, and is playable in Resident Evil: Revelations as well. While not playable, she’s also an important part of Resident Evil 5. She hasn’t been seen canonically for some time, unlike Chris Redfield, so here’s hoping future titles finish her story.
To discover even more about this badass heroine, check out our Resident Evil Jill guide.
Albert Wesker
Born in 1960, Albert Wesker pops up in the original Resident Evil as a member of STARS, though it’s quickly apparent that there’s much more to him than it seems. Wesker has deep ties to the Umbrella Corporation and was picked up as a child to serve the company, being groomed as a child protege with the intention of serving Umbrella forever. He’s been behind the scenes of many different bio-weapon events ever since, and he even experiments with the effects of bio-weapons like the T-Virus on himself to give him superhuman powers and abilities.
While rarely playable outside of mercenaries mode, Albert Wesker still pops up more often than toast, making an appearance in Resident Evil (1996), Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, Resident Evil: Code Veronica, Resident Evil 0, Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil 5, and Resident Evil 6. He has also appeared in nearly all adaptations of Resident Evil to screen, recently being played by Lance Reddick for the Netflix show also called Resident Evil.
Find out more about this shady villain in our Resident Evil Wesker guide.
Barry Burton
Born in 1960, Barry Burton joined STARS in 1996. Previously serving in the Air Force, Barry has a wife called Kathy, and two daughters named Moira and Polly. Moira herself later pops up in Resident Evil Revelations 2. When Barry was working in STARS, he became good friends with Chris Redfield, eventually becoming a weapons expert, and finally moving onto another military operation known as the BSAA (Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance).
While not quite as prolific as some characters, Barry does turn up in a few other Resident Evil projects, namely Resident Evil 5, and as a playable character in Resident Evil Revelations 2. RER2 sees Barry searching for his daughter Moira who is kidnapped by a terrorist organisation, but upon arrival, teaming up with a young girl with mysterious psychic powers to track her down.
Brad Vickers
Born in 1963, Brad Vickers is one of the STARS members initially involved in the Spencer Mansion incident. There’s little information on his training or combat skills, but we do know he was a skilled pilot and a computer expert. Upon arriving at the mansion in search of missing STARS members, Vickers was quickly overwhelmed by the situation and took off in the helicopter, leaving the remaining members without their equipment.
Eventually, he composes himself, and after flying around the areas until daybreak, Vickers drops down a rocket launcher to help the STARS team in their battle with the superhuman zombie known as the Tyrant. Brad Vickers briefly turns up again in Resident Evil 3, but he doesn’t last very long…
Joseph Frost
One of the original STARS members at the Spencer Mansion incident, Joseph Frost was born in 1971, and was a bright and optimistic man who enjoyed danger. Upon arriving at the scene, Joseph is the person to discover the body of Kevin Dooley, the STARS pilot of the previous mission. Shortly afterwards, Frost runs off into the forest to try and find out more information, only to be attacked and viciously mutilated by a pack of zombie dogs known as the Cerberus. He doesn’t show up in any other resident Evil games.
Ok, folks, that’s all we have for now, but do come back for even more Resident Evil characters in the future. If you just can’t wait and want more great content now, be sure to check out our articles covering Resident Evil Ethan, and Resident Evil 2 characters next.
