Summary
There have been plenty of grizzly fatalities seen throughout the long-runningResident Evilfranchise, though not every character who shows up is guaranteed to meet their end at the hands of a zombie or Tyrant. Whether it be because of skill or simply luck, several characters, who probably should have realistically been killed for one reason or another, ended up making out it out of their horrific adventures in one piece.
While a sudden character death can make for some great shock value, it can also end up adding a lot of intensity to the story while also pushing others to grow and mature as a result of losing someone who was close to them. Capcom have proven that they aren’t afraid to kill off aResident Evilcharacter if they see it as necessary, though the individuals below are ones who probably should have also bitten the dust, rather than seeing it through to the end of their games.
Jake Muller is first introduced to the series inResident Evil 6, though it’s clear he’s already carrying a lot of baggage when he meets Sherry. As the son of Albert Wesker, Jake is well aware of his infamous reputation, though he still holds a bubbling hatred forthe man who abandoned himand his mother the moment he had the chance.
Jake starts off the game as a cold and violent mercenary who cares little for those around him, but this gradually changes over time. After learning of Sherry’s own hardships with her father, Jake comes to accept who he is, detaching himself from his father and the well-known legacy he left behind. Considering it seems unlikely that Capcom will use Jake again in the future, having him be killed at the end of such a compelling character arc would have made his journey even more memorable.
Though Josh is only a side character inResident Evil 5who shows up every now and again in the story, he once acted as the mentor to Sheva before the game officially kicked off. In her own words, Josh taught Sheva everything she knows, giving her the utmost respect for her role model who she’s looked up to ever since she first joined the B.S.A.A. African branch.
After appearing very briefly to save Chris and Sheva from a bunch of Majini racers on motorbikes, Josh again helps out the duo by giving them a ride on a small boat, which they use to eventually reach Irving. Despite making it out alive, Josh’s death would have given Sheva a reason to continue fighting,adding a lot to her character developmentas a result.
The entire reason Ethan makes his way to the Baker’s creepy estate at the beginning ofResident Evil 7is to rescue his wife, Mia, who is seemingly being held hostage by the deranged family while she watches over a young girl named Eveline. After barely managing to kill Jack, Marguerite, and even Evelyn, Ethan is reunited with his wife, but it’s not long before she’s again taken away from him.
At some point after the Baker fiasco, the mysterious leader of a shady village known as Mother Miranda kidnapped Mia and disguised herself as Ethan’s wife as a way to get her hands on his daughter, Rose. Realistically, the fact Mia, who has no training to speak of withfighting mutants and B.O.W.s, survived all of this is frankly bizarre. Keeping her alive indicates that she may play a bigger role in the future, but it’s hard not to wonder why she didn’t end up biting the bullet at some point in her journey.
5Helena Harper
Each of the three main campaigns inResident Evil 6feature a returning character, alongside a fresh face to the series. For Leon, he’s matched up with special agent Helena Harper, who hasn’t exactly gone down as the most interesting or memorable character in the series. Outside of her determination to save her sister from Simmons, there’s not a lot to Helena as a character to get invested in, which is whymaking a final sacrifice would have done wonders for her legacy.
Towards the end of the campaign, Helena acts as a kind of onlooker who is tasked with providing covering fire while Leon and Ada try to fend off Simmons. If Helena had thrown herself at Simmons to hold him off with an explosion or a barrage of gunfire, it maybe could have made Leon snap out of his obsession with Ada, realizing that there are other people he still needs to care about when the going gets tough.
Admittedly, it’s not made clear what happens toRebecca’s partner Billyafter he wanders off in the final few moments ofResident Evil 0, but one interesting theory that has gained a lot of attention is that Billy was taken down by a swarm of zombies. Considering that Billy is heading straight for the forest surrounding the Spencer Mansion, which, by that point, was crawling with zombies and cerberus dogs, this would actually provide a neat link to the first game.
At the same time, it would also help to flesh out Rebecca as a character. Initially, she was distrusting of Billy due to classing him as nothing more than a criminal, but seeing him give his life to protect her could convince Rebecca that she shouldn’t always follow her orders so blindly. Still, with no confirmation given by Capcom, it’s presumed that Billy is, somehow, still alive and kicking out there somewhere.
The Merchant fromResident Evil 4is undoubtedly one ofthe most mysterious characters in theREseries. The shady shopkeeper is always willing to lend Leon a few weapons to help him throughout his adventure, but literally nothing else about him is known. In fact, many fans assumed he was an infected Ganado, since his eyes turn an odd bright red when he reaches the Island in the original game.
At the end of the game, the Merchant sort of just gets forgotten about after Leon and Ashley escape, which is a rather odd way to see him off. Since the Merchant has been shown to possess an army’s worth of firepower, he could have possibly had one final stand to hold off the lethal swarms of Ganados. Not only would this be epic to watch, but it would also help to give his character some more context if he shows how much he’s willing to sacrifice for Leon.
MostResident Evilvillains seen in the games and movies will usually get what’s coming to them eventually, resulting in some of the most satisfying moments in the series when they’re finally able to pay for their crimes. Svetlana, however, who plays the main antagonist in the canonDamnation CGmovie, narrowly avoided death by fleeing her country just as the US and Russia were announced to be closing in on her position.
By the timeDamnationrolls around in the timeline, bioweapons had already reached the hands of thousands of terrorists andcorrupt leaders around the globe, and as the head of an entire nation, Svetlana decided to use them as part of her country’s civil war. Though Leon and Ada eventually expose Svetlana and her creepy ‘Bee Hive,’ the fact she was allowed to survive, despite the sheer amount of chaos she caused, shows just how much luck she has on her side. Still, it does leave the door open for this incredible villain to possibly show up in future games.
In the very firstResident Evilgame, Barry is one of the unlucky members of S.T.A.R.S. who finds himself trapped insidethe zombie-infested Spencer Mansion. However, it is eventually revealed that Barry actually knows a lot more than he’s letting on. Before the events of the game, Wesker decided to kidnap Barry’s family as a way to blackmail him, ensuring that he wouldn’t spill the beans of his true affiliations to the rest of the team.
Barry, along with Jill, Chris, and Rebecca, eventually make it out of the mansion via helicopter, though it does feel as though him making one final attempt to protect his friends would have been a fitting end for the legendary gun-nut, rather than just a quick shot to Wesker’s shoulder. Alternatively, Barry also could have met his end inRevelations 2to ramp up the emotional core of the game, which is fueled by him and his daughter Moira.
