5 Characters Perfect to Bring Back After Resident Evil Requiem

Resident Evil enjoys bringing characters from previous games back in new games, but Chris and Leon get to be recurring characters a disproportionate amount. In Resident Evil Requiem, Leon returns once again to join Grace in her terrifying assignment that has her facing threats she's never had to encounter in person, but that Leon has faced more times than he'd like.

Unfortunately, the focus on bringing Chris and Leon back in games means that other characters from the past are being ignored. After Resident Evil Requiem, there are a handful of characters who would be perfect to bring back for the next mainline game, and they deserve to be part of another horrifying adventure.

5 Jill Valentine

The Original Resident Evil Protagonist

Jill was one of the first options for the character you play as in Resident Evil, with the choice to experience her side of the night in Spencer Mansion or Chris' side. She's even considered one of the best female protagonists in video games. Unfortunately, she basically stops existing in the RE main games after the events of RE5, where she's recovered after what the BSAA believed was her death.

When there was a rumor that Jill would be the returning character in RE Requiem, there was excitement that you'd finally get to see her return after years of not being mentioned. While that rumor ended up being false, it shows that there are still players who are waiting for Jill to make her long-overdue comeback.

4 Claire Redfield

Chris' Younger Sister Has Proven Herself

Like Jill, Claire is a fan-favorite character and a strong female protagonist who holds her own in high-stress situations. Claire made her first appearance in Resident Evil 2, then returned in Code Veronica and the second game in the Revelations spinoff, where she worked with Barry's daughter, Moira. However, it's been far too long since she's been in a mainline game, unlike her brother, Chris.

The best case scenario would be bringing Claire and Jill back as the protagonists of a mainline game, finally pairing them up after years of no interactions between them. While that's highly unlikely to happen, it would at least be great to see them brought back into the main games of the franchise, as these characters are too great to be left on the sideline.

3 Rebecca Chambers

A Capable Character Left on the Sidelines

Rebecca has also been left out of most Resident Evil games after her appearances in the first RE and RE0, a prequel that shows her experiences before Chris encounters her in the mansion. While Jill and Chris can each get a few different endings in RE, in canon, Chris, Jill, Barry, and Rebecca all make it out of the mansion alive. Plus, there's no reason to believe that any of those characters have since died in the canon lore, so any of them can return.

There's not a lot known about Rebecca's life after the events at Spencer Mansion, so it would be fun and interesting to bring her back in a new game and see how her life has been going after she was unfortunate enough to be in the middle of Umbrella's evil experiments.

2 Barry Burton

He Returned for His Daughter

Similar to Rebecca, Barry doesn't really appear often after the first RE. However, he did make a return in Resident Evil: Revelations 2, where he rejoins the fight against viruses for the sake of finding his missing daughter, Moira. Considering his personality, if Capcom wanted the dry humor of an older male - which is the reason given for Leon's role - then Barry could've been a great choice to bring into Requiem alongside Grace.

Unlike other characters, it makes sense for Barry not to return, and it might be for the best. He has a family to care for, and naturally, he wouldn't want to drag them into the mess of bioweapons, even if Moira entered that world on her own. While it'd be best for him to stay away from the outbreaks, it'd be a lot of fun to see him return, especially if he was paired up with Jill once again.

1 Rosemary Winters

A Protagonist with Unique Powers

As you see in the Shadows of Rose DLC, Rosemary Winters has unique abilities due to her parents being more Mold than human when she was conceived. It also seems like she's joined Chris' forces, which you see hinted at when you finish the DLC and someone comes to retrieve her from the graveyard. Therefore, it would make perfect sense to see her as a protagonist again, and her abilities mean the playstyle would feel different compared to other characters.

Unfortunately, Rose coming back seems to be the most unlikely option, as Capcom has stated that the Winters' story is complete. As a member of that family, that means Rose won't be returning to the franchise in the near future.

As a franchise, Resident Evil has an entire cast of memorable characters, and each one brings a unique touch to the games that include them. Because of this, it's particularly sad that so many characters have been left behind while the same few options continue returning in new games. On the bright side, there's still hope that many of these characters have a chance to come back sometime in the future after Resident Evil Requiem, for whatever viral adventure comes next.