Horror fans share their Resident Evil 9 plot predictions
We hope you've all had your shots because a deadly dose of the T-Virus is on the way once again. 2024 marks three years since Resident Evil Village had us thirsting over Lady Dimitrescu, and with the next mainline Resident Evil game waiting in the wings, we're hungry for flesh with Resident Evil 9.
Capcom's OG Resident Evil took us through the crumbling confines of the Spencer Mansion back in 1996, and setting out its stall of one of the defining horror titles, we've never looked back. Alongside the eight mainline games, we've enjoyed the likes of Zero, Code: Veronica, and the many remakes...but what comes next?
Horror fans have some interesting Resident Evil 9 plot predictions
Over on the Resident Evil subreddit, gamers are sharing their Resident Evil 9 plot predictions and wish lists. Given that this is a franchise where we've been thrown curveballs like Chris Redfield punching a boulder, The Tofu Survivor, and "You Were Almost A Jill Sandwich," we've learned to expect the unexpected.
That hasn't stopped you from coming up with plenty of madcap ideas we're sure Capcom would love to pinch. Homaging the infamous return of Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, someone simply wrote, "…. somehow Wesker returned."
Another pitched, "What I expect? I expect Chris as the protagonist and dealing with similar classic horror figures like in RE8, but now obviously more BOW-ified. Then I expect another soft reboot/fresh starting game as RE10 in 2030-ish, if the series continues to live that long."
There were lots of calls for Resident Evil to stick with the horror roots it reestablished in 2017's RE7. "I want more creepiness and horror elements like in RE7," said one, while another cheered, "More puzzles!!!! Scarier please, even more than 7, and make it harder, I love a challenge."
All the usual tropes of a secret underground lab were here, while someone else pointed to Lady Dimitrescu's legacy, saying, "Big vampire mama was such a hit mainstream I feel like they will lean into that kinda vibe." There was even a title pitch as someone concluded, "My thought is Resident Evil: HELIX with the IX being 9."
Bring back Jill Valentine
Click to enlargeAmong the horror hounds, there's a clear winner for characters we want to return. After sitting out the messy kitchen sink of Resident Evil 6, the fan-favourite Jill Valentine has been MIA for far too long. The hardened survivor first appeared in the original Resident Evil and famously led RE3.
Even though many lament Jill's convoluted villain turn in Resident Evil 5, that's been undone. You might think Capcom has forgotten about her, but following 2020's RE3 remake and her more recent return for Resident Evil: Death Island, she's just as popular as ever.
Someone finished, "I expect them to explore Chris more, probably in a third-person game with another male protagonist barely connected to the RE plot. I’d like for them to have a female protagonist again though. Maybe we can check in with Jill. Or get a new female character like Ethan—only, hopefully more fleshed out."
Ultimately, Capcom will likely do none of the above. We've been told the original plan for Resident Evil 9 to round off a 'Winters Trilogy' has been changed, and at this point, we've learned it's best to go into the Resiverse blind. After all, you never know what the team will pull out of their bag of tormented tricks.
