By now, most individuals do not even take into consideration Resident Evil with out additionally desirous about the collection’ hottest character, Leon S. Kennedy. To say that he is a fan favourite can be a dramatic understatement.
It is to the purpose the place he is mainly the face of the franchise, though he wasn’t even within the founding title. But, he grew to become the best hero survival horror has ever seen… though he undoubtedly did not join any of this.
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It would not matter which title you play, Leon is similar character all through all of them: a reluctant hero with a coronary heart of gold, and there are numerous moments all through the franchise that reaffirm this.
You may seemingly be scared alongside Leon at first, however like him, you are going to rapidly get the grasp of issues and turn into an absolute powerhouse. But, not like Leon, you truly wish to dive into these conditions.
10
Each Time Salazar Talks
Resident Evil 4 + RE4Remake
We have now all handled hiccups at our work that forestall us from correctly doing our jobs, however there’s one thing notably relatable about how Leon handles his hurdles… particularly, hurdles named Ramón Salazar.
In each variations of Resident Evil 4, you’ll be able to virtually really feel Leon rolling his eyes each time Salazar begins speaking. His annoyance carries a selected disdain within the unique, the place his quips get progressively increasingly aggressive or outright hostile.
It is clear that he simply needs to get Ashley and get out of right here, however Salazar is making his job ten instances tougher than it must be. The very last thing he needs to cope with in an already extremely hostile state of affairs is a four-foot royal ache with a grating voice. Clearly, that is irritating, and he makes that very clear each time they need to work together with one another — that’s, till you lastly get to his boss combat and take him down.
He already doesn’t wish to be right here and doesn’t wish to be coping with all this nonsense, however Leon’s by no means actually had issues go his manner. With Salazar, although, he’ll cope with it and transfer on if it means saving at the least yet another particular person.
9
Defending Sherry
Resident Evil 2 (B Aspect)
Within the unique Resident Evil 2, you had two completely different campaigns (Leon’s and Claire’s), however you even have two completely different sides to every marketing campaign (A Aspect and B Aspect), which means there are 4 other ways to expertise the sport. The remake additionally has this characteristic, however the variations are nowhere as excessive as they had been within the unique.
Specifically, within the unique, Sherry was tethered to the B Situation, to not a selected character. As an alternative of coping with William Birkin himself, you are defending his daughter and making an attempt to evade Mr. X (earlier than he was thrown into each eventualities within the remake).
Due to this, in the event you do a Claire A and Leon B run, Leon will truly be the one caring for Sherry and rescuing her from an infection and from all monsters, human or in any other case. Contemplating simply how a lot grown-up Sherry tends to credit score Leon for her survival, it is at the least implied that he performed extra of a component than we see within the A Aspect. B Aspect is probably not 100% canon, however at the least a part of it’s, and it appears a few of these components are immediately related to when we’ve to guard Sherry.
In any case, each good particular person turns into a hero when a toddler is concerned, even when they by no means noticed themselves as one earlier than.
8
Lighting Luis’ Final Cigarette
Resident Evil 4 Remake
One factor I completely love concerning the Resident Evil 4 Remake is simply how far more fleshed out each single character is: Luis and Ashley went by way of the best quantity of change, and each characters are so significantly better consequently. And with these higher characters, we get to witness higher interactions with them.
Specifically, Luis’ loss of life hurts a lot extra, and that is particularly due to how Leon was with him throughout his remaining moments.
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Now, the older, sizzling Leon is sensible.
Regardless of initially wanting nothing to do with Luis, by the point we get to this second, we see simply how harm Leon is by the entire ordeal (particularly once we contemplate that Luis was killed by Krauser, Leon’s former mentor). He stays by Luis’ aspect all through his final breaths, with Leon even lighting his cigarette for him since he was too weak to do it himself — and he reassures Luis, bringing him peace earlier than he passes away.
It is such a small contact, and an attractive element that basically reveals Leon’s extra human aspect, however it’s a delicate reminder that he did not need something to do with this life in any respect, and folks hold dying round him anyway.
7
Saving an Contaminated Ashley (Even Although He is Additionally Contaminated)
Resident Evil 4 + RE4Remake
In each variations of RE4, each Leon and Ashley find yourself contaminated with the Las Plagas, resulting in a second within the sport the place you must take away the parasites from one another earlier than it is too late. Within the remake, it is much more high-stakes, because you each are on loss of life’s door and are moments away from succumbing to the an infection.
And but, Leon at all times makes certain that Ashley is cured of her parasite first, though he is struggling to even hold himself up or awake. There may be actually no approach to have him bounce the road; he at all times places Ashley first.
Each single intuition in his physique is telling him to outlive, to maintain preventing, however he will not till Ashley is protected. It is a tiny element that basically reinforces simply how a lot of a hero he truly is. Heroes are selfless, and nothing is extra selfless than placing another person’s life earlier than your individual.
6
Going Towards Chris for Ada
Resident Evil 6
Say what you’ll about Resident Evil 6, I’ll perpetually stand by the truth that this sport is nice, and I am uninterested in pretending in any other case. Leon’s situation is arguably the strongest, however no matter whether or not you play his marketing campaign or Chris’, you find yourself on the identical iconic standoff, throughout Ada Wong.
Granted, Ada’s bought a complete fiasco happening on this sport by this level, however neither of them know that; each of them are beneath the impression that there’s however a single Ada, and he or she’s the one stepping into all types of hassle. After all, we come to seek out out that the one inflicting issues is definitely a clone.
On this standoff, it is clear that they each know one another (or on the very least, know of one another), and carry a big quantity of respect for his or her counterpart. Nonetheless, Leon makes it clear the place his loyalties lie, and he’ll do what he’ll need to do if it means defending his situationship … together with from herself.
This reluctance will be felt within the transient second their weapons are at one another’s heads, however fortunately, they’re capable of finding a approach to calm down and goal Simmons, the actual villain of the sport.
5
Serving to Helena Harper
Resident Evil 6
Resident Evil 6 has Leon’s consideration divided in all types of instructions, however one pathway he undoubtedly didn’t need to take (however selected to anyway, as a result of that is what good individuals do) was to assist Helena Harper. She had assisted Simmons previous to the occasions of the sport with a view to shield her sister, however when her sister is killed anyway, she’s after revenge.
With Leon, she will get each her revenge towards Simmons and her identify cleared with the federal government. One can solely think about the sort of sweet-talking Leon needed to do to persuade them of the reality.
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He didn’t have to do that; in truth, Helena is absolutely ready all through the entire sport to face penalties when every part is over, however Leon’s golden coronary heart shines by way of as a substitute.
And having a golden coronary heart is the best factor you would do.
4
Refusing to Go away Marvin… and Making a Promise
Resident Evil 2 Remake
The Resident Evil 2 Remake did wonders by not solely revitalizing the traditional video games, however with making so many characters have far more depth to them, one in all them being Lieutenant Marvin Branagh, who we discover bitten early on. He provides you his knife and tells you how one can assist save others (and get the heck out of dodge).
Nonetheless, younger rookie Leon, who’s clearly manner in over his head, doesn’t wish to depart him behind. In truth, he refuses to, to the purpose the place Marvin has to threaten him at gunpoint with a view to hold going. It is at that time that Leon makes a promise to him — promising that he’ll put a cease to this. And once we see Marvin once more, gone and already remodeled into one of many undead, that promise is cemented.
When he joined the police power, the very last thing he was anticipating was to instantly put a cease to a whole zombie apocalypse (solely to then proceed stopping future zombie apocalypses), and but, his new life mission was outlined by this single promise. It is a promise that he carries with him all through the remainder of the franchise, and we hear it in each single sport after this one.
We have all had moments the place our lives had taken a drastic flip onto a wholly completely different course, and this was Leon’s… solely it was him having a life he can by no means escape thrust onto him.
3
The Complete Intro on the Fuel Station
Resident Evil 2 Remake
When Leon drove into Raccoon Metropolis on that fateful day in September 1998, the very last thing he anticipated was for him to turn into a hero, and but, that is precisely what we see — even from his very first moments throughout the metropolis.
On the very begin, we stumble throughout this chaos at a gasoline station, the place we’ve our first zombie encounter whereas making an attempt to guard different officers from zombies. After all, it would not prove like we wished to, however we’re capable of save at the least one particular person right here: Claire Redfield, who we effectively know to be a pivotal character within the franchise.
I can solely think about what he was considering on the gasoline station earlier than he would uncover the remainder of the town being in far worse disarray; he was in all probability considering how insane of a primary day he was having, and that certainly, nothing in his legislation enforcement profession would high this as his all-time craziest encounter.
Poor factor. If solely he knew that heroes do not get to have a break.
2
Becoming a member of the Authorities as an Agent
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles offers a lot extra to the lore, with a very new situation that offers extra context. Nonetheless, even within the canon campaigns, extra info is tagged in, so we’re nonetheless studying extra — similar to the precise manner Leon was recruited into being a authorities agent.
Like a lot of the occasions in RE2, he agreed to this simply so he might shield Sherry. She was already claimed by the federal government, and there is nothing he might do about that, however he can ensure that she’s protected regardless of being of their palms.
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He clearly doesn’t wish to work for the federal government; it is throughout his face when the suggestion is spoken aloud, however he ended up accepting the deal anyway, turning into one of the vital precious property within the anti-bio-terrorism unit.
He even feedback on this at first of the RE4 Remake, the place he states: “Not that I had a alternative.” Leon is effectively conscious that his life is out of his personal palms by now, however he is nonetheless doing every part in his energy to keep up some management — and that management means saving everybody he can.
1
Actually Dying, However Happening Anyway
Resident Evil Requiem
Leon was already a reluctantly cool hero with a coronary heart of gold since his introduction, however that reluctance and coolness outline his complete character in Resident Evil Requiem. In truth, there is not a single second within the sport the place he would not overtly discuss how a lot he actually would relatively be doing actually anything. But, he remembers his promise to Marvin, and pushes on anyway.
At one level within the sport, Leon is actively dying, hacking up blood each few moments and struggling to even maintain up his gun. But, he drags himself ahead, making an attempt to cease yet one more disaster and save Grace, even when that is the mission that he lastly would not survive. However, Leon is just too cool to die.
Even the director confirmed that regardless of how outdated he’s, he’ll nonetheless be kicking butt (and being sizzling all of the whereas). Whereas I undoubtedly will not say no to some extra Leon, has anybody ever questioned how he’d really feel about constantly cleansing up Umbrella’s messes? After all they do not; he is precious as a hero, so he will be one till the day he dies.
I’ve by no means seen a survival horror hero be handled like Leon has been within the slightest — however it makes him stand out in a manner that places him among the many high protagonists within the style, and even in gaming as a complete.
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