Five Iconic Female Characters In Resident Evil Franchise

Very few franchises celebrate women the way Resident Evil does. There’s no denying that Capcom has achieved the right balance of male and female characters since launching the RE franchise but it’s clear to see that they truly care about female representation. With nearly thirty well-written female characters present in different iterations of this franchise, choosing the best ones can be quite a challenge. However, this piece will give you a look at five of the best Resident Evil female characters to date, explaining why fans adore them.

Claire Redfield

It only makes sense to kick this list off with one of the most iconic characters in the Resident Evil franchise, Claire Redfield who is searching her lost brother in Raccoon City. During her quest to find her brother Chris, Claire runs into a rookie cop from the Raccoon City Police Department named Leon Kennedy. Both characters had quite interesting story arc but Claire’s story was evoked more sympathy. Her character fights hordes of zombies valiantly to find her lost brother.

What makes Claire such a great character is that she is a mix of brains, beauty and brawn, putting up a solid fight against the deadliest of creatures to protect herself and those who struggle to defend themselves. She never shies away from putting herself in danger, a trait of a true hero.

Lady Dimitrescu

Lady Dimitrescu was one of the main talking points of Resident Evil Village ever since the game’s trailer came out. People couldn’t stop talking about the beautiful yet intimidating look of this character and wanted more of her in the game. Unfortunately, Lady Dimitrescu’s screen time was quite limited and left fans disappointed. However, Capcom tried to make up for it by making the protagonist a playable character in a DLC.

Jill Valentine

If you have ever wanted a female character that embodies the definition of survivor, then you don’t need to look far, as Jill Valentine is all of that and then some. Many people have a hard time deciding if Jill or Claire is the most iconic female character in the RE franchise and that’s a good thing because both have strong traits. Jill is the first female character in the Resident Evil games that you get to control and it’s clear that she is as much a hero as Claire is. 

One of the best traits of this character is that she never holds back from taking a stand and can take good care of herself when faced with danger. Like Claire, Jill is also a survivor and a tough nut to crack.

Ada Wong

Resident Evil 2 introduced Ada Wong as a reporter who was investigating Raccoon City. As the story progresses, we get to learn that she is a spy whose motivations have always been shrouded in mystery. One moment, you might think that she is working for the right cause while it may seem like she is only out for herself in other occasions. In any case, she never fails to make an impression whenever she is on screen.

Like most characters in the Resident Evil franchise, this one also became an instant hit, after which Capcom included her in several sequels down the line. No matter what you think of Ada, one thing is for certain, she definitely knows how to take care of herself.

Sherry Birkin

Sherry was introduced as a child in RE2 where her father, William Birkin, initially a scientist, mutates into a monster. You then get to see Sherry in Resident Evil 6, where she is a grown woman who channels her childhood tragedy to fight for the right cause. One of the most unique aspects of this iconic female character is that she always had a positive attitude despite going through a series of tragedies and constantly finding herself in life and death situations.

Final Thoughts

While RE has no shortage of legendary female characters, the ones mentioned here are arguably the most notable. Don’t be surprised if you are introduced to even better characters down the line – Capcom has a habit of doing that.