Resident Evil fan-favourite vote leaves Barry in the mud
27 years and more games than we care to count later, the Resiverse is back on top. Resident Evil was never too far from our minds, but after divisive entries like Resident Evil 6, 2017's Resident Evil 7 served as a much-needed kick up the backside that the series needed.
Across eight main games and the various spin-offs, Capcom has brought this world to life with a colourful cast of characters and their infamous one-liners. From Albert Wesker chewing the scenery to the shady Ada Wong, "daddy" Chris Redfield, to Jill Valentine being a badass, just who is the best Resident Evil character?
Who is the best Resident Evil character?
While you're all sure to have your own thoughts, the fans have rallied together and voted for the "official" best Resident Evil character of all time. Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu polled its readers on all things Resi, and there are some interesting results.
As pointed out by Twitter user @bioranger_PT, Leon S. Kennedy has come out on top. The floppy-haired hero made his debut in Resident Evil 2 but is largely remembered for Resident Evil 4. Considering Capcom just released a new-gen remake, the timing couldn't be better for him to take home the crown.
In second is the OG final girl, Jill Valentine. Appearing in 1996's original and then holding up Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, Jill has sadly been tossed aside in more recent outings. Don't worry, though, everyone is expecting her return for Resident Evil 9.
Coming in third (and surprising no one) is Chris Redfield. The archetypal hero character joined Jill for the franchise's first outing and has since gone on to punch boulders in RE5 and get something of a glow-up for Resident Evil Village.
The full list reads as follows:
1. Leon S. Kennedy (2637 pts)
2. Jill Valentine (1675 pts)
3. Chris Redfield (1530 pts)
4. Ada Wong (1019 pts)
5. Claire Redfield (858 pts)
6. Albert Wesker (731 pts)
7. Ethan Winters (721 pts)
8. Rebecca Chambers (377)
9. Piers Nivans (355 pts)
10. HUNK (330 pts)
There are some sad omissions from the list, with us questioning why Jake Muller and Barry Burton didn't make the cut. In particular, Burton is part of the original Spencer Mansion crowd and is rightly an underrated fan favourite. No hate against Piers, but come on, is he really better than Barry?
What else have Resident Evil fans voted for?
The Famitsu polling makes for some interesting reading. Aside from your favourite character, it highlights the "most detestable" character. The Licker is third, Resident Evil 3's Nikolai Zinoviev is second, and Albert Wester is numero uno. We always knew the franchise's big bad would be sitting pretty in that one.
The scariest moments are apparently being attacked by Mia in RE7, the orignal zombie encounter in 1996, and obviously taking first place is Village's harrowing baby monster at House Beneviento. At least we can all agree that's a pant-wettingly scary sequence.
The other big one is which game is the best. While there's a lot to be said for RE7's work in bringing the franchise back to its horror roots, fans voted for Resident Evil 2 in third, its 2019 remake in second, and Resident Evil 4 in first. With the remake breaking records, the 2023 reimagining could take first next time.