There are a total of fourResident EvilCG movies, all of which are considered canon to the wider story. Though there are many familiar faces who show up in these films, including the likes of Leon, Chris, and Claire, they also introduce a few newcomers to the franchise, many of whom are pretty intriguing as overall characters, especially the villains.
However, while these characters may stand out for their powers and design, some of them make a pretty big impact on the world ofResident Evilas a whole, making them well worth knowing about for fans of the series. Despite only appearing in the movies, these characters are still very well written and fun to follow for their own unique set of reasons. While theResident Evilfilms are often met with mixed reception from fans, there’s no doubt that these characters are among the stars of the show.
Buddy and Leon don’t exactly have the best first impressions of each other when they meet. After Buddy and his friend JD decide to kidnap Leon, it’s not long before they realize they need to rely on the special agent to make it out of the Eastern Slav Republic alive, considering the whole country is crawling with B.O.W.s and mutants during a civil war.
Since Buddy was originally a rebel, he’s no stranger to fighting on the front lines, though he would learn a lot from Leon during their time together. For example, despite wanting Leon to put him out of his misery after he becomes infected, Leon instead shoots him in the spine to remove the plaga, paralyzing Buddy to ensure he would continue to live without giving it all up for good. He’s agreat side characterwho manages to be one of the most memorable new faces inDamnation.
As someone who lost many of his loved ones tothe Raccoon City outbreak, Curtis was determined to reveal the true events of that day to the world. Of course, the government felt less than inclined to let the details of Umbrella’s schemes slip into the open, but in a desperate attempt to spill the beans, Curtis decided to team up with Frederick Downing, a mysterious businessman who tasked him with staging an outbreak to get the world’s attention.
The truth is, Frederick had much more sinister intentions in mind and was secretly manipulating Curtis from behind the scenes. Eventually, he becomes little more than a pawn in Fredericks' game, even turning into a grizzly mutant by the end ofDegeneration, where he is forced to take on his own sister. Curtis is a genuinely well-written character who shows just how cruel the world ofResident Eviltruly is, and his attempts at progressive radicalism make him a rather unique character within the wider series.
While Leon and Claire may have been able to move on with their lives after the Raccoon City incident, Dylan Blake wasn’t so lucky. As a former soldier working under Umbrella, Dylan was forced to open fire on his entire squad after they all became infected, with him being the only one who made it out in one piece. The event completely warped Dylan’s mind, leading him to unleash an infection onAlcatraz Island, where a lot of the mainline protagonists just so happen to stumble into in theDeath Islandmovie.
Dylan provides a rare example of a Raccoon City survivor who went down a darker path, showing the true impact the incident had on those who escaped with their lives still intact. ThroughoutDeath Island, Dylan also does a good job at dissecting each of the protagonists emotionally, managing to get under their skin with his wise use of words. He may be taken down pretty easily, but he is still a very enjoyable villain to watch during his few scenes.
5Frederic Downing
A Manipulative Businessman Who Proves To Be A Real Thorn In The Side Of Leon And Claire
At the beginning ofResident Evil: Degeneration, Frederick Downing comes across as a pretty well-mannered and considerate businessman. While his attempts to get close to Claire may seem a little questionable, there was no real reason to be very suspicious of Frederick. That is, until it becomes clear that he’s actually been pulling a lot of the strings from behind the scenes.
It turns out Frederick tried to double-cross both of them to test out more of his viruses so that he and his WillPharma corporation could sell them off to the highest bidder and rise in status. While he may not be as memorable as some of the mainline villains like Wesker, Frederick is still a standout fromDegenerationbecause of his mischievous personality andoverall creepiness.
Maria is one of the few characters in theCG movieswho appears in more than one film, but that’s far from a bad thing, considering how much fun she is to watch in action. After being almost killed after a bomb was dropped on Glenn Arius' wedding, Glenn took Maria and turned her into a superhuman assassin, capable of dealing with anyone who would dare stand in her master’s way.
Though she is taken down inVendetta, Maria appears once again inDeath Island, where she comes very close to killing Leon, whom she believes is the reason for her father’s death. One thing is for sure: Maria would be an awesome boss to face off against in the games, so it’s a shame she has only ever been shown in the movies.
3Angela Miller
Angela Feels Like A Fish Out Of Water, Which Makes Her A Very Relatable Character
Though Angela may come across as someone who has seen it all in the field of battle, once she comes face to face with the flesh-hungry zombies inResident Evil: Degeneration, she realizes she still has a lot to learn. In this sense, Angela feels like someone who is way out of her depth, despite being a pretty skilled soldier. She provides a nice contrast toLeon, who, by this point in the timeline, was able to deal with most zombies and mutants without breaking a sweat.
At the same time, Angela also has her subplot with her brother Curtis, who is becoming more and more violent due to his obsession with revealing the details of Raccoon City. As far as Leon’s companions go, Angela may not be as well-known as Ashley or Claire, but she’s by far the best he’s had in terms of the CG movies exclusively.
2Svetlana Belikova
Svetlana Would Make A Perfect Game Villain With Her Creepy Aura And Impressive Combat Skills
It’s a real shame that Svetlana only shows up in a single movie, considering that she’s afantastic villainand one that can fill an entire room with terror just from her presence alone. Svetlana is the leader of the Eastern Slav Republic, which has been plunged into a civil war inDamnation. As a way to fight back against the rebels, Svetlana willingly allowed B.O.W.s to be sent onto the battlefield, resulting in the war becoming an absolute bloodbath.
She may prefer letting others do her dirty work for her, but as Ada comes to find out, Svetlana is extremely capable of dealing with her enemies herself, possessing some pretty impressive hand-to-hand combat skills. Thankfully, Svetlana technically escaped at the end ofDamnationwithout being apprehended, meaning there’s at least a slight chance this memorable antagonist could show up at some future point in the series.
1Glenn Arias
Arias Is One Of The Most Intimidating Villains In All Of Resident Evil
In a similar vein toWesker, Glenn Arias can balance the line between being a psychotic madman and a wicked smart mastermind. After his wedding was abruptly ruined by the US, which decided to bomb everyone in attendance, Glenn made it his mission to become the most influential and powerful black market dealer in the world. In fact, Glenn would even be able to create a virus that allowed monsters to separate friend from foe, which is far from an easy feat.
He even managed to hold his own against Chris Redfield in a hand-to-hand fight, and came pretty close to pulling off his master plan if Leon and Rebecca hadn’t also gotten involved. It’s easy to feel a chill race up the spine anytime Glenn makes a screen appearance, which is a testament to just how effective of a villain he is and someone who definitely deserves to be included in moreResident Evilmedia.
