Since the first title’s release in 1996, Resident Evil has seen plenty of memorable and iconic characters. From Leon S. Kennedy, the rookie cop from Racoon City, to Chris Redfield, the legend of BSAA, the Resident Evil universe has seen them all. Together, these protagonists do their best to protect their city from the unforgiving threats of biochemical terrorism.

Thanks to the warm reception for Resident Evil Village, and the remakes of Resident Evil 2 and 3, there has never been a better time to look at the franchise’s best playable characters. There are quite a few playable characters in the Resident Evilseries, and this list ranks them from the weakest to the strongest.

Updated September 14, 2022, by Michael Llewellyn: The Resident Evil series is always at its best in video game form. After the films and a terrible Netflix series, fans need to go back and experience stories and characters in the best way.

There are iconic originals like Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine and a memorable supporting cast, so fans will always have their favorites. In addition to the main games, the Resident Evil series has expanded into spin-off titles like Resident Revelations. This list is updated to include the supporting characters from those games.

18 Ashley

Ashley is arguably the weakest character in the Resident Evil Series. She was perpetually in danger during Resident Evil 4. Leon always needs to defend her in escort missions, and the sequences where she is playable are more frustrating.

Within these moments, Ashley is awkward to control and a chore to handle, meaning she was less than engaging as a character to play. Her role as the President’s kidnapped daughter was good enough to begin Resident Evil 4’s events, though.

17 Natalia Korda

  • Canon Game Appearances:
  • Resident Evil: Revelation 2

Natalia Korda is a young girl that appears in the episodic Resident Evil Revelations 2. She is a survivor of the Terragrigia panic. She travels with Claire and Moira until she eventually aids returning character Barry Burton in later episodes.

Natalia works with Barry as a dual protagonist by using her small frame to climb through tight spaces and detect monsters. However, she can only defend herself by throwing bricks and hiding, making her a vulnerable protagonist.

16 Moira Burton

  • Canon Game Appearances:
  • Resident Evil: Revelations 2

Moira Burton is a dual protagonist with Claire Redfield in Resident Evil: Revelations 2. She is the estranged daughter of Barry Burton and works with Claire in the opening episodes of the game. She aids Claire by using a torch to highlight hidden items.

Moira’s not a strong character and chooses not to wield a gun due to past traumas that involved her sister. She’s not defenseless, however, as she uses a crowbar to attack monsters and defend herself. Moira is a survivor, but she’s not trained for combat and is a vulnerable protagonist.

15 Ethan Winters

  • Canon Game Appearances:
  • Resident Evil 7
  • and
  • Resident Evil 8

Ethan Winter is a survivor and an everyman character that manages to fight through and escape the horrific incidents that occurred in Resident Evil 7 and Resident Village. However, unlike the other characters in the series, Ethan has no combat experience or training.

Doing away with most of the action, Resident Evil 7 is more of a hide-and-seek horror game. Ethan has a better chance of survival if he runs away or hides from his enemies. He’s a good and relatable protagonist but certainly not the strongest.

14 Carlos

  • Canon Game Appearances:
  • Resident Evil 3

A friendly guy in general who made for good company, Carlos’ background was a survivor from childhood who had to struggle his entire life, and events forced him to go along with Umbrella.

Carlos is a supporting protagonist in Resident Evil 3 and does a fair job lending a hand to Jill. Carlos received a few playable missions himself but didn’t stand out as a character as much compared to several others.

13 Billy

  • Canon Game Appearances:
  • Resident Evil Zero

As the co-protagonist of Resident Evil Zero, Billy’s storyline was the mystery behind his supposed role in massacring two dozens of people, which slowly unraveled during the game to reveal his innocence.

While a character of stoic nature, his ambiguous background made him an interesting person to follow. Of course, it also made him somewhat one-dimensional since the reveal of his innocence comes to light at the end, but there’s no doubt that Billy still left a lasting memory.

12 Sheva

  • Canon Game Appearances:
  • Resident Evil 5

Although criticized by many as an unnecessary addition to Resident Evil 5, Sheva was significant during the story. Having been the latest supporting protagonist after Ashley’s turn in the previous game, control of Sheva is empowering since she has skills.

Unfortunately, Sheva has little to no backstory, which reduced her to a side character in Resident Evil 5. She was a strong fighter, as her constant support meant that Chris relied on her to get him out of a bind.

11 Helena Harper

  • Canon Game Appearances:
  • Resident Evil 6

Featured for the first time in Resident Evil 6, Secret Service and former CIA agent Helena Harper teamed up with Leon Kennedy to solve the murder of the US President, Adam Benford. Helena’s temperament gets the best of her. As proven by the time the CIA nearly fired her before transferring her to the Secret Service.

Helena is never afraid to go the extra mile to protect her loved ones, even if it means helping Derek Simmons assassinate the president in exchange for her sister’s freedom.

10 Sherry Birkin

Long before becoming a DSO agent on Resident Evil 6, Sherry Birkin was a small-time little kid who was unfortunate enough to be born in a family of two virologists working for Umbrella. Her parents, Annette and William Birkin had a massive impact on the T-Virus research that cost millions of lives.

As things went south, Sherry was arrested by the US government and placed into custody. She eventually joined the DSO and teamed up with Jake Muller to end the terror of Albert Wesker once and for all.

9 Jake Muller

There is no talking about Sherry Birkin without mentioning Jake Muller. Being the only son of international bio-terrorist Albert Wesker must have put a heavy burden on his shoulders. Jake has never seen his father and spent most of her youth in the Eastern European country of Edona with his mother.

Young Jake became a mercenary at a very young age to support his mother’s treatment. Unfortunately, she passed away soon later, leaving Jake on his own.

8 Barry Burton

  • Canon Game Appearances
  • : Resident Evil
  • and
  • Resident Evil Revelations 2

Barry Burton is one of the original RE characters, and the man that uttered the words “Jill Sandwich” forever iconizing him with Resident Evil fans. Barry returned for Resident Evil Revelations 2 and worked as a dual protagonist with Natalia.

Barry is a battle-hardened fighter and veteran who has seen a lot of combat. As the oldest member of the original squad in Resident Evil, the likable Barry is a mentor to iconic characters like Chris, Jill, and Rebecca.

7 Rebecca

  • Canon Game Appearances:
  • Resident Evil
  • and
  • Resident Evil Zero

Rebecca has a soft spot in the hearts of Resident Evil fans for being a ray of sunshine in personality and the representation of innocence. She could kick all kinds of butt on her own but carried a sense of optimism few others possessed.

Having been a teenager during the events of both Resident Evil and Resident Evil Zero, Rebecca stood out from the rest of the characters because her personality made her a positive and striking contrast to the others.

6 Ada Wong

  • Canon Game Appearances:
  • Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil 6,
  • and
  • Resident Evil Darkside Chronicles

Unpredictable. Mysterious. Vague. These three words are what represent Ada Wong’s character best. Unlike the others, nobody knew precisely who Ada Wong was or what she was like before the Raccoon City Incident in 1998— not even her real name.

For decades, Ada Wong conquered Leon Kennedy’s heart, clouding his judgment. Ada might not be the strongest character, but she’s a good shot and has even better aim with her bow gun. She’s a playable character featured in Resident Evil 6 and is unlocked after players complete the three main chapters.

5 Piers Nivans

One of the new characters introduced in Resident Evil 6 is Piers Nivans, a BSAA soldier assigned under Chris Redfield’s command. Chris was considering retirement and drinking at a bar in Edonia, forgetting about the world until Piers convinced him not to.

Unfortunately, Piers faced no choice but to infect himself with the C-Virus to beat the final boss. If not for Piers Nivans sacrificing his life in the line of fire, Chris would have retired already.

4 Claire Redfield

  • Canon Game Appearances:
  • Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil: Code Veronica, Resident Evil Survivor 2, Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles,
  • and
  • Resident Evil: Revelations 2

A survivor of the 1998 Raccoon City Incident, Claire Redfield is a legendary face in the franchise. She grew up close to her brother, Chris Redfield, after the death of their parents in the 1980s.

Claire is a prominent shooter, and even deadlier with her signature grenade launcher. Chris was the one who taught her before she eventually joined her brother in the fight against bioterrorism. Claire is a playable character on Resident Evil 2, its remake, and Code Veronica.

3 Jill Valentine

  • Canon Game Appearances:
  • Resident Evil, Resident Evil 3, Resident Evil 5, Resident Evil 6, Resident Evil: Revelations, Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles

There is no talking about the BSAA without mentioning one of its co-founders, Jill Valentine. She survived the Arklay County Outbreak in 1998, which explains why her commitment to ending the bioterrorism threats is unquestionable.

As a respected high-ranking operator, Jill is a powerful combatant who always knows how to get the job done. She was at the center of the incidents in Raccoon City, and Queen Zenobia cursed cruise liner, the Spencer Estate, and many more. She was also the only female member of Captain Wesker’s Alpha Team.

2 Chris Redfield

  • Canon Game Appearances:
  • Resident Evil, Resident Evil 5, Resident Evil 7, Resident Evil 8, Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, Resident Evil: Code Veronica,
  • and
  • Resident Evil Revelations

A familiar face in the BSAA organization, Chris Redfield is a franchise legend. He started his career in the United States Air Force before joining the Special Tactics and Rescue Service in Raccoon City.

With a muscular build, Chris Redfield is not a man to cross. He is a significant character in Resident Evil 8, but explaining his role would be spoiler territory for players.

1 Leon S. Kennedy

  • Canon Game Appearances:
  • Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil 6, Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles

It’s no exaggeration to say Resident Evil is the story of Leon S. Kennedy. He always faces unclear & uneven territory and was only a day old as a police officer when the Raccoon City Incident occurred. Leon was the lead protagonist in Resident Evil 4 and is a more seasoned soldier and fighter instead of the rookie he played in Resident Evil 2.

Even though Leon has been AWOL since the event of Resident Evil 6, nothing is stopping him from making a comeback.

More: Every Main Resident Evil Game & The Systems They Can Be Played On