These Resident Evil Enemies Are the Worst You’ll Find in the Series

Most of the Resident Evil series has been great -- especially the earlier titles and the recently released Biohazard. The interconnected areas, puzzles, and especially the zombies have for a great series built on some excellent game design.

The enemies you encounter in Resident Evil are usually very memorable and exciting, especially the boss battles. But there are some enemies and bosses in the franchise that are memorable for all the wrong reasons. Whether because they made for frustrating battles or just had an annoying design, here are some of the worst enemies that you'll encounter throughout the series. 

Grave Digger

Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles

The Grave Digger was one of the memorable monsters in Resident Evil 3 -- scary, disgusting and difficult for all the right reasons. But when it showed up in an otherwise entertaining light gun game called Umbrella Chronicles, The Grave Digger was one of the most frustrating encounters in any video game I've played.

You will encounter the creature very late on in the game -- and unfortunately at that point you're likely to be running low on both health and ammo. The creature attacks by flinging large boulders at you that you'll need waste even more ammunition on by shooting them mid air.

After the third or fourth attempt to beat this boss, you'll be wondering if it's even worth carrying on at all.

Rider Majini 

Resident Evil 5

I really don't like these creatures on any level, and least of all because they are a bit of an annoyance but their design. They are so human-like in their behavior that it further disgresses from the horror aspect of the Resident Evil series.

Sure, they looked a little creepy. But overall, their behavior and design was little more than the run-of-the-mill enemy you'd find in a zombie-free survival action game -- which made them just another sign that the RE series was losing its way. 

The Verdugo

Resident Evil 4

The Verdugo is certainly memorable from a visual perspective, but what could have been a good boss battle was bogged down by the endless sewer tunnels -- which unfortunately replaced the feeling of tension and fear with tedium and monotony.

Then there was the quick-time events. While not badly implemented, they did add some irritation that unfortunately became a mainstay of the series for two more mainline games.

Giant Bat

Resident Evil: Zero

Oversized creatures were nothing new to the Resident Series, so the appearance of a giant bat in Resident Evil: Zero came as no great surprise when the game released.

What was surprising though, was how difficult and annoying it was to try and maneuver your way around or aim at the creature. With this enemy, the tank controls that served the series so well in the previous games completely worked against the player for all the wrong reasons.

Derek Simmons

Resident Evil 6

Resident Evil 6 is arguably the worst game in the series, with its total focus on action over suspense. But another frustrating aspect of the game was its repetition.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the appearances of Derek Simmons -- who is not only quite a bland villain, but one you get tired of seeing. Because you're forced to face him 6 times...with a frustrating and difficult final battle at the end.

I can see where Capcom was trying to go with these encounters, as it seemed like they were trying to recreate the Nemesis scenes from Resident 3. But instead it had the complete opposite effect, with this character more than outstaying his welcome. Not too long into the game, his appearances became more eye-rolling than nerve-shattering.

Communications Officer/Scagdead

Resident Evil Revelations

Resident Evil: Revelations was an excellent game and a return to form, harking back to what made the series so great before being dumbed down by action cliches. It successfully combined aspects of both Resident 4 and the first three games.

What didn't quite hit the mark, though, was one of the most difficult boss battle encounters in the series to date -- your encounter with the Scagdead.

The battle itself is already very difficult, but the difficulty spikes more if you fail to collect the right weapon (such as the sniper rifle) or enough ammunition for the job. Not being prepared for this battle may lead to either reloading an old save or restarting the game altogether. Bummer. 

The Resident Evil franchise has a long and storied universe that spans both the mainline series and its spin-offs. While the series has a hit a few bumps in the road with its action based games, the new Resident 7 has the potential to take the series to new heights.

Capcom has taken the soft reboot/sequel approach with this game, which seems to be satisfying old and new fans alike. This approach and new perspective will hopefully allow Capcom to find new methods in tackling the enemies of the game -- and only time will tell if they will be as successful as previous entries or as frustrating as the ones listed here.