Lots of games in recent memory have introduced players to strong, compelling female leads. The Last of Us introduced fans to postapocalyptic survivor Ellie, Control was led by the determined, inquisitive Jesse Faden, and Horizon Zero Dawn was built around the intelligent master archer Aloy. That’s a good thing, since historically video games have been dominated by male characters, especially games with a high amount of action involved. More and more, that facet of the gaming industry is changing. However, some franchises have done good by female leads for much longer than these new universes, one of which is Resident Evil.
This staple of survival horror isn’t a young franchise by any means. In fact, Resident Evil is celebrating its 25th birthday this year, and fans are pleased to know that Capcom is celebrating by releasing Resident Evil 8 in a few months. For many years, Resident Evil has received praise for its handling of women. Unlike much of the video game industry, Resident Evil tends not to sexualize its female leads, instead making them skilled and compelling characters that hold their own. That doesn’t just include the game’s protagonists, too, as Resident Evil has a number of frightening but gripping female antagonists.
Resident Evil‘s female protagonists can’t be discussed without bringing up Jill Valentine. Jill has shown up in a lot of the games, and was one of the stars of the very first Resident Evil game. Critics praised Capcom both for making her a well-rounded character and for making her relationship with Chris Redfield one of friendship and not a cliche romance. Although fans took issue with her redesign in Resident Evil 3 and some players took issue with the fine details of Jill compared to her colleagues, she remains memorable as a strong character who isn’t forsaken to the role of eye candy simple because of her gender.
Another recurring playable character in Resident Evil is Claire Redfield. Like Jill, she’s a recurring character who takes the lead in a number of games, and when she’s paired with a male lead like Leon Kennedy, she’s presented as an equal rather than an inferior. She remains a fan favorite and a highlight of Capcom’s writing in the late 1990s. Both Claire and Jill have gotten attention again lately with Resident Evil remakes and other promotions like a Resident Evil Spirit Board for Super Smash Bros Ultimate. Although Jill may be deconfirmed via a Spirit, Claire’s omission from the Spirit Board hopefully means she has a chance at increasing the number of women in Smash Ultimate.
There’s strong female villains fresh in the minds of Resident Evil fans alongside the protagonists. In Resident Evil 7, a 2017 smash hit for the franchise, players were pitted against Eveline. Although she looked like a normal child, Eveline was biologically modified and capable of controlling minds, which she used to her own sinister ends. Menacing children may be a horror staple, but Eveline’s understandable wishes to have a family set her apart and make her a stronger villain.
Resident Evil 8 serves as a sequel to Resident Evil 8, and fans are already clamoring over the game’s teased antagonist: Lady Dimitrescu. Details are scarce for now, but Dimitrescu already looks like a compelling and frightening villain, managing a castle with the help of sickle-wielding minions. Dimitrescu is no dainty villain: she’s eight feet tall and apparently hides a thirst for blood under her fashionable exterior. The internet may have already fallen in love with Lady Dimitrescu, but as a villain, she’s still being taken seriously. She seems like a powerful and organized threat that’ll put Ethan Winters to the test.
Capcom has generally done a good job writing women for Resident Evil. There’s a lot of female characters who have left an impact on the franchise, both leading the charge against villains like Umbrella Corporation and presenting challenges as Resident Evil‘s antagonists. Throughout the franchise, women have inspired both courage and fear in players. The game industry is going in a good direction as far as women’s representation goes. Current games that treat women well are good, but it’s also great that fans have well-written characters like Jill Valentine and Claire Redfield to look back on.
Resident Evil 8 releases May 7, 2021 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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