Seeing Leon S. Kennedy grow and develop as a character throughout theResident Evilfranchise is quite interesting.Once a cop for the Raccoon City Police DepartmentinResident Evil 2, Leon was recruited by the U.S. government sometime prior to the events ofResident Evil 4. He then became one of the founding members of the Division of Security Operations (DSO) - an anti-bioterrorism organization under the government’s jurisdiction. Due to his training and harrowing experiences, Leon has become one of the most capable people on the planet when it comes to handling zombies and similar biohazard outbreaks.
However,Resident Evil 4Leon isn’t the only person the world turns to when the zombies and weaponized viruses get out of control. He shares that honor with many others, one of whom is similarly recurring character Chris Redfield. Chris' reputation and skills have made him something of a living legend in theResident Evilworld, so much so that those who fight bioterrorism revere his name. Leon’s training and experience may not be enough for him to set him apart from Chris, as he ends up getting caught in the latter character’s shadow.
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Leon was very inexperienced during the events ofResident Evil 2and its remake. He constantly did things by the book, as seen when he wouldn’t release reporter Ben Buertolucci from the Raccoon City Police Department prison despitethe captive’s warnings of the Tyrant’s looming approach. He was also prone to getting himself and others into trouble, as was evidenced when he got shot by Annette Birkin and had to be patched up by Ada Wong. As a result, some players don’t like this younger, naive version of Leon.
Looking at it from another perspective shows that Leon’s inexperience is what gives him character. Unlike most otherResident Evilprotagonists who know what they are doing, Leon has an air of naivete. This is a stark contrast to someone like Chris Redfield, who isalready a member of the Special Tactics and Rescue Service (S.T.A.R.S.) in the firstResident Evil. Leon’s squeaky-clean personality and youthful ignorance are put to rest after the events ofResident Evil 2, but it is nice to see this side of him before he undergoes his transformation into a bonafide hero.
Resident Evil 4 Leon is Almost Superhuman
In contrast to his younger self, the Leon inResident Evil 4onwards is experienced, cocky, and a bit jaded. He has been through his fair share of dangerous missions, not all of which are bioterrorist-related. Leon has also undergone rigorous training as a prerequisite to becoming a U.S. government agent, now knowing full well what kind of trouble he is getting into and what he is capable of.
Taking the events ofResident Evil 4into consideration, Leon is both combat-ready and mentally prepared for his mission. He expertly fights the members of the Los Iluminados with a wide array of weapons and fighting skills. Likewise, he doesn’t lose his cool when things don’t go according to plan (like when he and Ashley get infected with the Las Plagas, or whenhe has to save Ashley from her captors for the umpteenth time). While theResident Evil 4remake does a better job of showcasing Leon’s vulnerabilities as his desire to save Ashley is on full display while he carries her to Luis’s lab to remove the Plaga inside her, these moments take a back seat to the times where Leon would rather show off the fruits of his training.
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The Current Leon is Too Similar to Resident Evil’s Chris Redfield
Putting aside their appearances, there isn’t much that sets the current Leon Kennedy apart from the powerhouse that is Chris Redfield. They are both well-trained individuals capable of almost superhuman feats (Leon backflips to avoid a pair of chainsaws in theResident Evil 4remake, whereasChris punches his enemies into submission inResident Evil Village). The breadth of their skill sets means they can do almost anything they set their minds to, which only helps elevate their reputations. In fact, Chris and Leon’s first meeting and fight inResident Evil 6is one of the game’s high points, akin to Sylvester Stallone meeting Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Moving forward, Capcom might want to differentiate Leon and Chris more. The two are far too similarin their current iterations, and their personalities seem very one-note when compared to other,more fleshed-out protagonists like Ethan or Rosemary Winters. The developers did right by making Leon vulnerable inResident Evil 2,but fumbled a little when they remade his badass persona inResident Evil 4. Chris is slowly starting to show more character inResident Evil Village, but still has a long way to go for players to empathize with him. Having a new title that delves into the intricacies of one or both of the characters would give them more depth and give players a chance to appreciate these two again.
TheResident Evil 4remake is now available on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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