The Story So Far — The Resident Evil Cast (Part 2)

DISCLAIMER: I have tried to keep this piece spoiler free but some of you may not agree that it is. You have been warned.

Welcome back to ‘The Story So Far– The Resident Evil Cast Part 2. In Part 1 to this issue, we went through a fair few characters (21 to be exact) that appeared throughout the Resident Evil series. Their histories throughout the franchise and their current status were discussed but there just wasn’t enough room for all of them. Unfortunately, I won’t be covering the characters from Resident Evil 7 as I plan on doing a review very soon. Stay tuned for that but as for now, get ready for the remaining 18 characters!

Albert Wesker

Albert began his path to heinous villainy as the leader of S.T.A.R.S (Special Tactics and Reconnaissance Squad) ‘Alpha’ team, acting undercover for the Umbrella corporation back in the first Resident Evil. He is responsible for a large number of squad members’ deaths, including ‘Delta’ squad. Wesker has been the series’ antagonist for as long as I can remember and has been one of the coolest, I might add. Never mind that he looks like Neo from The Matrix, Wesker is one messed up dude who is constantly in our heroes’ way.

Injecting himself with a prototype virus in Resident Evil, Wesker was eventually found out and killed by Jill and Chris. He didn’t stay dead though, as the virus resurrected him and gave him superhuman powers, such as increased strength. 

Some time afterwards, Wesker planned to betray Umbrella for his own gains (surprise, surprise) and managed to escape from his ’employers’. This prompted a series of attacks to and fro between Umbrella and Wesker, in which he attempted to gain intel and samples of viruses for mass production. Running into Chris and Claire Redfield during one of these instances, his face was badly burned by Chris during a tense fight.

Capturing Jill Valentine later on during the events of Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles, he managed to implant her with a prototype mind-control device, in her cleavage. Hey, Wesker’s a man too you know? Using Jill against her former comrade in arms, Chris and newcomer Sheva, they managed to save Jill and bring her back to the light by destroying the implant.

An enemy to almost everyone in the series, Wesker betrays nearly all he comes across in his ultimate desire for power. Returning from the dead time and time again, it seemed he was our enemy forever. Until Chris and Sheva sent rockets flying into his eyes circa Resident Evil 5. We haven’t seen him since. It’s been kind of lonely…

Current Status: Dead… or is he?

Brad Vickers

‘Chickenheart’ was so named for abandoning ‘Alpha’ team at the first sign of trouble back in Resident Evil. Running and leaving his team for dead, how Vickers made it into S.T.A.R.S in the first place is beyond me. We don’t hear or see Brad for a while in the series, until the infamous Nemesis catches up with him in Resident Evil 3. 

Trying to escape the city, Jill runs into ‘Chickenheart’ at the RCPD (Raccoon City Police Department made famous in Resident Evil 2). He explains that Jill needs to get out of the city as there is something monstrous chasing them. Well, speak of the devil and he appears. Brad has one final moment of being an ultimate coward as he cops a bio-engineered tentacle to the face.

Current Status: Dead

Luis Sera

Luis Sera appeared in Resident Evil 4 and was the former researcher for Osmund Saddler. He went against his cult leader and, even though he was a bit of a douche at first, assisted Leon in rescuing Ashley Graham. Together they were successful in stopping the Plaga virus, along with Los Illuminados.

Discontented with the way his superior was using the virus, he contacted a rival party, unknowingly led by Albert Wesker. Ada Wong was also involved as Sera’s contact among the rural towns of Spain. When the time came, Sera was unfortunately killed by Osmund via impalement-tentacle to the chest. Before dying however, Luis was able to give Leon and Ashley the Plaga antidote and left all his research. What a nice guy…

Current Status: Dead

Jack Krauser

A hardcore kind of guy, Jack Krauser spent his entire life in the military and mercenary groups, believing that he couldn’t function in ‘normal’ society. He worked alongside Leon in a few missions for the SOCOM initiative but there was always something missing for him. That something (or rather someone), was Albert Wesker.

A man with loyalties even more lenient than Wesker himself, Krauser worked for the antagonist and actually was amazingly loyal. Go figure, right? Jack began to have a certain distrust of fellow operative Ada Wong, and rightly so, as she had been aiding Leon on and off in Resident Evil 4. Sent to deal with Leon as the contact for Ashley’s retrieval, the former allies ended up fighting a messy battle. Krauser had mutated his arm into a bulletproof monstrosity (thanks to Wesker) but was eventually defeated, exploding into a disgusting mess.

Current Status: Dead

Codename: HUNK

Whispered and ushered in room corners are tales of an Umbrella security officer so amazing that none actually know if he’s real or not. HUNK is basically the stuff of legends for the last 20+ years, starting off as a gimmick and ending up with his own story. One of the (if not the most) popular characters in the Resident Evil franchise.

Beginning as the leader of the ill-fated ‘Alpha’ team from the U.S.S (Umbrella Security Service), Hunk and his team were responsible for the contamination of Raccoon City in Resident Evil 2. All of his team were massacred, with HUNK being the only one alive. Many successful missions later (with HUNK the only survivor every time) has earned him the nickname, ‘Grim Reaper’. 

A playable character in many bonus and side missions, HUNK is definitely a fan favorite, even if emotionally devoid.

Current Status: In the Field

 Josh Stone

Josh is a member of the African sector of the B.S.A.A (Bio-terrorism Security Assessment Alliance), and was responsible for training Sheva Alomar for eight months. Over the course of her training, the two formed a strong bond, in which Stone continually refers to her as the little sister. Just as determined as Sheva to keep bio-weapons out of their continent, Josh fights hard in Resident Evil 5, crossing paths with his former trainee and Chris Redfield.

Many battles ensue during the events of Resident Evil 5, with Stone proving to be a formidable ally and eventual savior. Working with the duo (and his own team of course), Josh manages to assist in almost every fight during this time frame and eventually airlifts Sheva, Chris, and the newly emancipated Jill to freedom. 

Current Status: Unknown

Barry Burton

Fan favorite Barry Burton began his journey way back in the first Resident Evil as S.T.A.R.S ‘Alpha’ team’s weapons expert and revolver enthusiast. An uneasy history exists between Wesker and Burton, as he was blackmailed by Wesker in the first game to move against his squad mates. Trapped in between a rock and a hard place, Burton did everything in his power to assist his team mates Jill and Chris in solving the mystery to the ‘Umbrella mansion’.

Finally turning against Wesker towards the end of Resident Evil, Burton comes clean to his team mates and helps them overcome the odds. We see Barry once again in Resident Evil 3 and since he is a member of S.T.A.R.S, we know that Nemesis is after him as well. During the escapades here, Barry is able to assist Jill and Carlos during their escape attempts and even manages to make it out himself.

Becoming somewhat of a mentor to the Redfield siblings, his daughter Moira became close with them too. Convinced to enlist in the B.S.A.A by Chris, Barry instead became a combat and weapons specialist adviser to the younger recruits, including Chris. 

Fast forward years later and Barry finds his daughter, Moira, kidnapped along with Claire Redfield. Resident Evil: Revelations 2 marks the first time players could actually control Barry as a main character. Working through the asylum of nightmares, Barry was able to navigate the institution and reunite with the duo thanks to a mysterious little girl he met on the beach, Natalia Korda.

Current Status: In the Field

Excella Gionne

Appearing first for a brief time in Resident Evil: Revelations, Excella came from a background of aristocratic, wealthy families who ran the export-import trade around Europe. Not satisfied with her current state (ungrateful much?), Excella joined up with Wesker to fund the creation of the Manjini and Plaga viruses. This was in order to combat the ever increasing roster of the global B.S.A.A. Taking a heavier role come Resident Evil 5, Excella was one of the antagonists in these events, crossing Sheva and Chris more than once.

After trusting Wesker (a huge mistake in this series), he ended up injecting her with the Uruboros virus after he knew she was not compatible. What transpired after was a thing of nightmares. Excella was hideously mutated and was forced to fight against Chris and Sheva. Tough break kid. Such a loss…

Current Status: Dead

Jessica Sherawat

A former member of the F.B.C (Federal Bio-terrorism Comission), Jessica is now a skilled member of the B.S.A.A. Partnered up with Chris during the events of Resident Evil: Revelations, it was later revealed that she was a double-agent working for the infamous Tricell. It seems you really just can’t trust anyone in the Resident Evil series. 

Obsessed with her appearance, and very sexual in nature, Jessica uses her sexuality and fashion style to mask her massive insecurities. After the events of Resident Evil: Revelations (and her subsequent reveal as an enemy), Jessica has not been seen since.

Current Status: Unknown

Ada Wong

Another popular, fan favorite in the Resident Evil series, Ada has changed her appearance little since her appearance in Resident Evil 2. This makes her an instantly recognizable character in the universe, whereby a complex relationship with Leon takes hold.

A spy for one of Umbrella’s rival companies, Ada is fully capable of navigating the apocalyptic Raccoon City she finds herself in during the events of Resident Evil 2. Sent to retrieve a sample of the T-virus created by William Birkin, Ada grew to actually care for her rival, rookie cop Leon. This gal has ‘died’ a few times over in the series (how she survived her huge fall at the underground lab is beyond me). However, she manages to surprise players time and again with her appearances.

After living through the events of Resident Evil 2, her and Leon escape Raccoon City only to be reunited by fate in rural Spain. Wesker had recruited Ada to work for a cell named the 3rd Organization. Crossing paths with Leon yet again, Ada was conflicted about her mission in Resident Evil 4. Eventually giving into her emotions, Ada assisted Leon with the Plaga virus, ending the cult, and retrieving Ashley from Los Illuminados. Much to the dismay of Wesker and Krauser, Ada was successful in escaping.

Appearing yet again in Resident Evil 6, Ada crosses paths with Leon once more. These two really can’t get away from each other can they? Now working on orders from her assumed partner Derek Simmons (the antagonist in Resident Evil after Wesker died), Ada avoids chase from Chris, Jill, and even Leon himself. This time not letting her feelings get the better of her. Funnily enough, she is still in contact with Wesker up until Chris and Sheva take him out.

Current Status: Unknown

Parker Luciani

Jill Valentine’s grizzly partner during the events of Resident Evil: Revelations, Parker was a very likable character. Another member who was originally from the F.B.C, Luciani transferred to the B.S.A.A as he felt he could do more good at this organization. Titled as the organisation’s Special Weapons Agent, Luciani was a bad-ass character, taking on the worst of the leech type bio-weapons found all over the Queen Zenobia. After Jessica reveals herself for the traitorous scum she is, Luciani is perceived dead after an explosion. Not to worry though, as he was saved and found washed up on the shores of Malta. Parker continues his illustrious career at the B.S.A.A to this date.

Current Status: In the Field

Keith Lumley

A member of the European division of the B.S.A.A, Keith is your typical, womanizing, special forces soldier. Appearing during the events of Resident Evil: Revelations for the first time, his partner is Quint Cetcham. An easily likable character due to his loyalty and honor (who knew?), Lumley eventually comes to learn that his former boss at headquarters is a traitor, causing them to go on a goose-chase. Once they realized that their fellow B.S.A.A agents were not responsible, the duo attacked their former superior and nearly died during the fight. Although they made it out of the explosion (barely), Keith and Quint continue the fight. Lumley became the new leader of the African B.S.A.A, occasionally running into Chris and Sheva during the events of Resident Evil 5.

Current Status: In the Field

Quint Cetcham

If you were wondering who Quint is when he was mentioned above well, this is him. Loyal to the bone with his partner at the B.S.A.A, Keith Lumley, these two are a hard duo not to love. Some of the actual few who were loyal to their organizations and not some traitorous a**holes. Appearing in Resident Evil: Revelations, Quint and Keith manage to take down their superior (who actually happened to be a traitor) and assume his role. Honest soldiers leading honest recruits. It’s how it should be done.

Current Status: In the Field

Raymond Vester

The F.B.C must be doing something wrong because they just keep losing agents to the B.S.A.A. I’m surprised that the F.B.C hasn’t gotten peeved off at them yet, but I digress. Another complex story much similar to Ada Wong, Raymond is working for the B.S.A.A as a spy against Tricell. This led Raymond to carry out some very questionable orders against Chris and Jill during the events of Resident Evil: Revelations. After gathering as much information against their superior, Langsdale, Raymond saved Luciani’s life by jumping in front of Jessica’s bullet. The two later escaped the Queen Zenobia but Vester was nowhere to be found. It was later revealed that Jessica and Raymond were actually in fact double-agents for Tricell, attempting to steal a sample of the T-Abyss virus. My head hurts…

Current Status: Unknown

Jake Muller

Jake Muller was a playable character in Resident Evil 6, though he wasn’t very well received by fans. Your generic tough guy, Jake only cares about himself but during the events of the game he forms a strong friendship with Sherry Birkin. How cliche. Anyhow, a few early theories had stated that he was actually Albert Wesker’s son but no one knew for sure. After working as a mercenary in Edonia and being injected with the C-virus beforehand, Jake found he was immune to the effects. This made his blood extremely valuable to the B.S.A.A and other organisations. Sherry was sent in during Resident Evil 6 in order to get Jake out of that bio-weapon war zone. Knowing full well that the agencies only cared for his blood, he claimed he wanted $50 million (US) for the permission to use him. 

During the intense battles that occurred during the time, Jake and Sherry saved each other’s lives more than once and towards the end, he was a much nicer guy. Offering his blood to Sherry for only $50 now was a clear indicator. After surviving the Ustanak (a meaner version of the Nemesis project) multiple times, you would hope they were friends. Oh yeah, he is Wesker’s son too though he is nothing like his father.

Current Status: Unknown

Piers Nivans

Another tale of heroic bravery and sacrifice, Piers is definitely a soldier we can all look up to. Working as an agent for the B.S.A.A directly under Chris Redfield, Nivans assisted the team during the events of Resident Evil 6. Crossing paths with Leon and Jake during this time, the group fought off countless Javo bio-weapons. Unfortunately, Nivans was infected close to the end of the game and as they were about to secure an escape pod, Piers threw Chris inside. As Piers began to mutate, he ended his own life while he still had some sense left in him. Some leader you are, Chris. Rest in piece friend, we hardly knew ye…

Current Status: Dead

Moira Burton

Moira is fan favorite, Barry Burton’s daughter (as if the last name didn’t give it away). After the events of the first 4 Resident Evil titles, Moira formed a close relationship to the Redfield siblings, with Barry acting as their mentor. When both Moira and Claire are kidnapped and wake up in an insane institution during Resident Evil: Revelations 2, Barry is forced to attempt a rescue mission.

With Claire and Moira on the inside working together to get out, Moira proved herself capable in the nightmare the duo found themselves in. Bio-weapons have really begun to get out of control at this point and Moira uses her sneaking skills to navigate around the asylum. Not one to really use a gun, her weapon of choice is a crowbar, which comes in handy as more than just a club.

After the group reunite and find each other, they escape from the island and continue their close relationship as before. Moira has been safe at home with her father for some time now.

Current Status: Unknown

Natalie Korda

There is no shortage of creepy kids in the Resident Evil series but this kid just takes the cake. I mean look at that picture! Barry finds Natalia on the rocky beach he lands on during his search for Moira and Claire. Natalia plays a big part helping Barry in Resident Evil: Revelations 2 and even has psychic powers to sneak around and see any enemies (bio-weapons) that are in the area. Why this kid would want to sneak around this place is beyond me, but she says she’s done it many times. Nothing weird here, right?

Injected with the T-Phobos virus and equipped with a monitor to observe fear and mutations, she is a powerful character in her own right. During the time frame of the game, she manages to meet Moira and Claire, though you later realize that 6 months have passed since the two playable narratives. What a twist.

After learning that Moira was dead, Barry was devastated but continued the mission and tried to escape the island. Alex Wesker, responsible for the new mutations (and also another of Wesker’s children) had been stalking them for some time. During a cliff side moment, Alex attacks Barry and Natalia, throwing the former off the cliff and the latter by choking her. After seeing her reflection in Natalia’s eyes, she recoils in terror and flees the scene.

Claire later returns to save the day and the group manage to get to safety. As of now, Natalia is an adopted child of Barry Burton, becoming Moira’s sister. Oh yeah, she’s alive too…

Current Status: Unknown

Alex Wesker

This beautiful creature is Alex Wesker, antagonist and person responsible for all the madness surrounding the events of Resident Evil: Revelations 2. After mutating from being injected with the same T-Phobos virus as Natalia, Alex is a hideous mess who begins stalking the group. Not wanting them to leave the island alive, she attacks the groups time and time again only to be killed by Claire Redfield at the very end of the game. A somewhat sympathetic character, she reminded me of the hunchback of Notre Dame, sort of…

Current Status: Dead

Conclusion

A fantastic series for the past 20+ years, I have played every Resident Evil game out there no matter what console was required. I think I was even one of the few who enjoyed all the spin-offs and gun accessory games Capcom released. It is definitely a confusing and very loosely written franchise but we haven’t really questioned much of the story. As I continue to play Resident Evil 7, I’m hoping that my original question is answered. Basically, how is this tied in?

That ends Part 2 of The Story So Far– The Resident Evil Cast. So what did you think? Did I miss anything in the character descriptions/explanations that you felt warranted a bio? Please leave a comment below!