Resident Evilhas offered nearly three decades worth of stories focused around mind-altering viruses and evil mega-corporations, and what makes this possible is the roster of characters featured in the franchise’s world. Through the years,Resident Evilhas become well known for its protagonists and villains, which leaves its ninth mainline game with a difficult task.
After a bit of a story slump,Resident Evilgot a much-needed revival withResident Evil 7and then its follow-up,Village. Although the former offered the scares, the latter brought theResident Evilfranchise full-circle, as new protagonist Ethan Winters helped uncover the beginnings of Umbrella. As of now, it’s unknown who will leadResident Evil 9’s story. Despite the secrecy,the nextResident Evilgamewould likely benefit from looking toVillagefor inspiration, especially when it comes to balancing its protagonist and villains.
Resident Evil 9 Needs to Nail the Same Balance Village Did So Well
Making Both Protagonists and Villains Equally Compelling
AlthoughVillagefollowsResident Evil 7’s Ethan Winters, the character is found in a completely different setting than the Baker family’s house. After the events of its predecessor,VillageputsEthan Winters and his wife Miain a mysterious Eastern European country to live in a sort of witness protection program. However, this doesn’t go according to plan, which eventually leads Ethan to face a unique array of villains known as the Four Houses, who rule over the town.
Near the end of the game’s story, one of the biggest bombshells in the series is dropped. Ethan has been dead since the Baker house incident, only being kept “alive” by being infected with the Mold. This revelation, set against the unique and well-crafted villains ofVillage,makes the game one of the franchise’s most balanced stories yet.
Ethan Taking On Mother Miranda and the Four Houses
Resident Evilhas featured plenty of primary and secondary villains throughout its history, butVillagereally went to extra lengths to make each antagonist just as compelling and important to the plot as Ethan was. As the wait forResident Evil 9’s announcementcontinues, some of the main aspects fans will be looking forward to are its main characters and villains. Ethan’s mind-bending arc could have been wild enough to overshadow the story’s villains, but each antagonist held such depth that they served as equally fascinating points within the narrative.
AfterAlbert Wesker’s reign overResident Evil, the franchise is in need of more heavy-hitting villains. DespiteVillage’s antagonists being strong characters, they all meet an end, leaving developers with the difficult challenge of repeating this same success.
Resident Evil 9 Has Big Shoes to Fill
Resident Evil 7andVillagemay have been a big shake-up for the franchise, but it ultimately jolted the series back to life. Making the story of the villains as strong as the protagonist’s is part of the reason why. Albert Wesker is a classic force to be reckoned with, but thevillain roster ofResident EvilVillageoffered a new outlandish array of characters to become invested in.
Mother Miranda’s work and research inspired the genesis of Umbrella.
As of now, it’s unknown ifResident Evil 9’s lead characterwill be a new face or a classic protagonist. Wherever the story goes, its protagonist needs to have an equally intriguing villain that offers just as much to the story without overshadowing the hero, andVillagedoes this incredibly well.
Resident Evil Village
WHERE TO PLAY
Ethan Winters finds himself in an entirely new nightmare in Capcom’s latest installment of the acclaimed Resident Evil franchise. Whether you’re defending against Lycans in the grim dwellings of the village or exploring the lavish Castle Dimitrescu, the meticulously designed environments immerse you in this eerie world, powered by Capcom’s proprietary RE Engine. Run from, hide or face off against a diverse cast of terrifying village inhabitants in dream-like - no, nightmarish - situations and fight your instincts to push through classic horror-based sequences. Also, be sure to check out “The Mercenaries” that unlocks once you’ve finished the campaign, a fast-paced and arcade-like game mode which challenges players to blast away enemies against the clock.
