8 Leon Kennedy Scenes from Resident Evil Requiem that Turned Newbies Into Fans

Leon Kennedy has been a staple in the Resident Evil franchise for over 20 years, but he actually hasn't appeared in a mainline title in over a decade. He made his comeback in the remakes for Resident Evil 2 and 4, but as far as the story goes, he's been MIA for a long time.

That all changed in Resident Evil Requiem, where he split the action with newcomer Grace. In the process, he was reintroduced as the face of the franchise in an electric way that has reminded fans of old why he was so great, and also showed new fans to the series what all the fuss is about.

We're going to check out some moments that made everyone realize what a baller Leon Kennedy really is.

8 Hitting the Streets

Have Zombie, Will Leon

Resident Evil: Requiem makes sure you know immediately what Leon means to this series. Within the opening moments, after Grace is taken, Leon shows up. After Victor litters the streets with freshly injected zombies, it's time to go to work. You're immediately given a permanent melee weapon in the form of an axe, and a couple of guns, including the big one in Requiem, which is capable of blowing zombies to pieces with just a single shot.

On top of that, he's got roundhouse kicks to dish out, he can bounce zombies off the side of cars, and it's just a tour de force of what Resident Evil's resident Superhero is capable of. Even at the age of 51, Leon is still an unbelievable combatant, and if you weren't familiar with him until this game, you quickly know that the man has come to town.

7 I Hope You Know I Pack a Chainsaw

Spinning and Winning

If the jaunt through the streets didn't get you on the Leon bandwagon, well, this segment surely will. Shortly after entering the Care Center, Leon is greeted by a chainsaw-wielding doctor who brutally murders a nurse in front of him. But Leon is no normal human.

Shortly after dropping a "I'm gonna need a second opinion" one-liner, he gets to parry the chainsaw attacks from the doctor. But it gets better: shoot down the doc, and he drops that chainsaw. And if you wait for it to stop spinning, you get to pick it up. And from there? It's a bloody party for the ages.

You get to tear through the waves of zombies that come pouring into the room with said chainsaw in an absolute gory parade of ridiculousness that fans of the series have probably been dying for since the infamous bag-headed man debuted in Resident Evil 4. For newcomers, it's another example of Leon just absolutely wrecking everything in a very creative way. It got people on board with the demo shown before the release, and the actual experience of it did not disappoint.

6 An Encounter with a Madman

Leon has No Time for Exposition

There comes a seemingly pivotal point in the gam early on, where Victor takes Leon hostage and has him all strapped and tied up in an effort to get some information from him. Victor seems to be in a sharing mood here, ready to explain his grand plan. What does Leon do when Victor leans in to start the grand exposition dump? He says, "You need to brush your teeth." I mean... come on. If that doesn't make you smile, nothing will.

Leon isn't interested in the grand plan or letting the players know about one modicum of a thought about what may be going on. He cuts off this absolutely terrifying figure in Victor and just insults him, knowing very well he could be killed in an instant. Leon quickly breaks the shackles and then tears through a horrifying Chunk clone, and it had us wondering just what the limit of his coolness in this game would really be.

5 Cleanup Crew

Bringing Down the House

The Care Center is an incredible experience as Grace, and it really nails the old school, survival horror gameplay the series made famous. But you feel awfully helpless most of the time, especially when it comes to the huge enemies that will relentlessly stalk the halls for you after you encounter them. Shortly after the segment though, you get the chance to return to the Care Center main area as Leon, this time, armed to the teeth and ready to dish out the pain.

And that's exactly what you get to do. All these enemies that seemed to be highly threatening just a few hours ago are suddenly falling like flies. Even the huge ones, like the Chef and Chunk, don't stand a chance against Leon's absurd arsenal, and it's a power trip that you generally don't feel in the survival horror genre. It's such an awesome moment, and one that makes you pine for more of his gameplay. Luckily, you get just that.

4 Motorcycle Madness

Hittin' the Road in Style

Part of the Leon charm is just how over-the-top stupid some of the stuff he does and says actually is. But I'm not sure if anything tops the ridiculousness of the motorcycle chase. This thing is hinted at throughout the Raccoon City segment, but actually getting to drive the motorcycle is darn near gaming bliss. Of course, you have plenty of obstacles here, from Victor shooting rockets at you to zombie dogs hot on your trail, but in true Leon style, he's got unlimited ammo to unload on them with, so it's barely an issue.

The absolute highlight though, comes during the motorcycle joust between Leon and Victor. It's so gloriously dumb in a B action movie kind of way, but if you lean into it, it's so easy to just go, "God, this is awesome." And of course, Leon wins, and, of course, he drops the line "Should've worn a helmet" as Victor tumbles off the side of the highway into an explosion.

3 I Remember You

Old Friends

Resident Evil Requiem relies a lot on nostalgia and throwbacks to previous games, and perhaps the most blatant one is the appearance of Mr. X, with jacket and all, towards the end of the Raccoon City segment. Of course, in typical Leon fashion, he sees this absolute nightmare drop into the room with him, and all he says is "I remember you." It's a calm cool that, as a casual fan myself, I didn't really know Leon was capable of.

He rides out that momentum throughout the segment, and the evolution of his skills to this point being shown on full display during the boss fight against him is such an awesome thing to see. It made me a way bigger fan, as this quieter, more collected, but still cool as heck Leon shows he can back up the tough talk with physical ability in a way we'd never really seen in the series. I mean, we can parry a dang Tyrant now. That was not on the table back in 1998.

2 Showdown with the Commander

Mano a Mano

If Leon blasting everything in sight doesn't get you to join the fanboy cult, then maybe the encounter with iconic side character Hunk will get you over the edge. This boss fight starts with an incredibly cool showdown between the two using nothing but melee maneuvers before the two crash into a room soaked in red light. From there, this boss fight tests both Leon's and your skills up to this point. It's a sharply animated fight too, showing off some awesome looking axe clashing and counter maneuvers.

Seeing this specialized commando come in with nothing but taking Leon's head on his mind and still failing to take him down is one of the more epic encounters of the game. If you were a casual beforehand, seeing Leon unable to be bested by the literal best is another point earned for Leon's cool counter.

1 Pushing Through the Pain

A Man Against Time

The final stand by Leon is just the best moment for longtime fans of the character, and without a doubt, one that will make newer fans pine for a solo adventure with him. Violently sick with the T Virus, on his last legs, coughing up blood, and having hazy vision, Leon still presses forward to try and stop Elpis from being released.

You not only see Leon struggling badly in cutscenes leading up to this, you experience it as well. Having to fight off Lickers while coughing up blood and having your vision go is brutal. But Leon keeps it together, all to push through to that final moment. It's such an epic moment of perseverance, and the fact that he survives it all (with the good ending) is a testament to how strong this character really is. He's the Superman of this series, and by the time the credits rolled here, I'd say everyone was on the Leon train.