Since Resident Evil 5, Capcom has strayed a bit further from the original horror roots of the earliest days of the franchise. So naturally, Resident Evil 6 has a rather complicated place in the hearts of the franchise’s fans.
But love it or loathe it, Resident Evil 6 brings something fresh on the table. For the first time in the franchise’s history, players are allowed to control up to six playable characters, ranging from the legendary Chris Redfield to the man who’s seen it all, Leon S. Kennedy, not to mention Ada Wong’s story as an unlockable feature. These are all the seven characters, ranked based on their skills, development, and in-depth survival prospects.
7 Helena Harper
Helena Harper is a Secret Service agent that shares the stage with Leon Kennedy throughout the game. Sure, she’s a capable agent, but sometimes her temperament gets the best of her, proven by the time she was nearly fired from the CIA.
In the game’s early stages, players learn that Helena agreed to plot an assassination in exchange for her sister’s freedom. It turned out to be the wrong move for both parties because she later found out that Deborah, her sister, is no longer in this world. These are the two main reasons she belongs to the bottom-tier on this list, though it may feel a bit unjust given how capable she is of surviving.
6 Piers Nivans
Coming from a military family, Piers Nivans was a regular BSAA combatant that fought under Chris Redfield’s Alpha Team flag. It’s not talked about much, but Piers Nivans always saved the day whenever Chris needed him.
It’s criminally unjust to put such a strong character like him at the bottom, but given the in-depth quality of other characters on this game, some are going to outshine others with other attributes taken into consideration. Piers was a soldier and lethal sniper, but he did die at the end of the game. It was a selfless act, but it also prevents us from further examining his character development.
5 Jake Muller
After all, being the son of Albert Wesker has its perks, at least for Jake Muller. Even though the two have never met face to face, Jake shares a striking resemblance with his father. Perhaps not in respect to his more infamous qualities, but in terms of bravery and going the extra mile for everything.
Jake is a perfect combo for Sherry. For years, all he ever knew was making money through working as a paid mercenary. Such experience makes him a robust survivor you do not want to get on the wrong side of. His skill is undeniable, even from a gameplay perspective. He is also the only playable character in Resident Evil 6 that can use hand-to-hand combat as a default weapon that is equipped.
4 Leon S. Kennedy
Resident Evil is the story of Leon S. Kennedy, a once-rookie police officer from Raccoon City, so it’d be pretty unfair to exclude such a character from this list. However, his romantic attachment to someone who does not even care for him, namely Ada Wong, makes for a significant weak link. Chris and Piers had cornered the mysterious lady only for Leon to step up as her guardian protector one more time.
However, compared to other characters, Leon is the man who’s seen them all from the grassroots level, so he certainly earns high placement here. He’s a classical and rugged survivor as well as a powerful combatant, though not to be placed above the BSAA legend Chris Redfield.
3 Sherry Birkin
Before becoming the federal agent we know in Resident Evil 6, young Sherry was a lab rat for her own parents, William and Annette Birkin. That’s how she developed a fantastic self-healing ability, though her health bar works just the same as the other protagonists. But this still gives Sherry a valuable quality that the other characters don’t have, especially in the unforgiving universe of Resident Evil, where everyone and everything can mutate and kill you.
However, although that healing super-power aside is a factor that carries her up the list, Sherry Birkin is virtually a regular federal agent with little else to offer in terms of unique skillsets.
2 Ada Wong
Perplexing, unpredictable, and mysterious. These three words are what represent Ada Wong’s character best. There is nothing much to be dug out from her past because she’s such a shady character, but that also plays to her advantage.
Ada Wong might not be the most capable combatant, like Leon Kennedy, and she might lack the sheer physicality of Chris Redfield, but she’s a sneaky, excellent spy that always gets the job done. She’s never afraid to turn on anyone that gets in her way, and once they realize it, she’s gone. Her iconic bowgun and ability to move from one place to another like Spider-Man are endlessly beneficial in the cruel world of Resident Evil.
1 Chris Redfield
The last, and undoubtedly the top of the pack would have to be Chris Redfield of BSAA. After finding himself at the bottom of a bottle, Chris (after Piers’ noble sacrifice) saved the day from bioterrorist Derek C. Simons and his evil plans.
If Leon is the man who’s “seen everything from a grassroots level,” then Chris is the man who’s “seen everything from a higher echelon.” He’s built his career around bioterrorism defense, and he’s always around whenever a breakout or an incident occurs; hence he’s the most knowledgeable man above all the rest. And with a physique like that, his constitution and general durability should not be questioned.
