For 25 years now, Chris Redfield has been the de facto hero of the Resident Evil franchise. Starting from the first Resident Evil game up until Resident Evil 7, Chris has led the battle against bioterrorism and is responsible for the fall of the Umbrella Corporation and one of the franchise's most sinister villains, Albert Wesker. In just a few days from now, Chris is making another comeback in Resident Evil Village, and it is clear from trailers that Capcom will be showing a different side of the character.
Although Chris's exact role in Resident Evil Village remains a mystery, it is obvious that he won't be the typical hero that fans have been used to in previous games. When Capcom released the debut trailer of Resident Evil Village last year, many noticed how the studio depicted Chris in a darker manner, sparking speculation that he may be the game's villain. While that remains to be seen, there is a high possibility that Resident Evil Village's Chris could be the best version of the character so far.
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It is no secret that among the many iconic characters in the Resident Evil franchise, Chris Redfield has seen the most iterations, especially in appearance. However, personality-wise, Chris has always filled in the role of the ideal hero who fights with honor and is always on the mission to seek justice conventionally. Although Resident Evil 6 did show a glimpse of Chris Redfield's darker side, it wasn't deeply explored, given that the game had a lot of other characters and storylines to focus on.
However, in trailers released by Capcom for Resident Evil Village, it is obvious that the studio is veering away from its usual depiction of Chris, slowly transitioning him from being the typical hero to becoming an anti-hero. In one scene from the trailer, Chris is seen shooting who appears to be Mia Winters point-blank in front of Ethan Winters. Additionally, another scene from the trailer showed Chris holding a baby, which is believed to be Ethan's daughter. Some speculate that Chris kidnapped the baby to aid the ritual facilitated by Lady Dimitrescu.
Based on these trailers alone, it is apparent that Capcom is changing the way it is depicting Chris, given that he is seen doing things that he could never do in previous games. While no one knows Chris's true intentions until Resident Evil Village is released, Capcom likely wants to show a different side of the character to flesh out his story and overall role in the Resident Evil franchise.
Although the Resident Evil franchise has produced many characters that became icons in the video game industry, it is no secret that Chris Redfield serves as the face of the series, which is why his depiction in Resident Evil Village holds a great significance to the future of the franchise. Chris's transition from being the ideal hero to anti-hero is not only a breath of fresh air for the character but is also a representation of Capcom's intentions to put in a little more focus on character development.
Although players would have to wait until Resident Evil Village is released to know Chris Redfield's true intentions, the trailers alone prove that Chris is no longer the perfect hero from previous games. Instead, Capcom may finally show players that Chris is a flawed character, which the studio could continue to develop in future depictions of Chris. In the end, he is probably still fighting for the good, but he may use unconventional means to get there. Whatever his role may be, one thing is for certain, Chris Redfield has changed, and whether that is for the better or worse, fans would have to find out in Resident Evil Village.
Resident Evil Village is releasing on May 7, 2021, for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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