Summary
For the first time in a long time, it feels like theResident Evilfranchise could go anywhere, and do pretty much anything. Withthe Ethan Winters sagacoming to a close inResident Evil Village,Resident Evil 9essentially has free rein in where it decides to go. Just about any setting, any enemy faction, and any playable protagonist could be on the table forResident Evil 9, though that hasn’t stopped rumors from setting some pretty definitive boundaries.
While all rumors and leaks should always be taken with a big pinch of salt, it has been heavily speculated for quite a while now that Chris Redfield will be the main playable protagonist ofResident Evil 9, and with howVillageends, that would make a lot of sense. A story centered around Chris Redfield investigating his former BSAA organization for their use of BOWs sounds like a great premise on paper and would putResident Evil 9in a good spot right from the get-go, though there’s one plot point Capcom should refrain from, and that’s the potential death of Chris Redfield.
Why Capcom Shouldn’t Kill Chris Redfield in Resident Evil 9
Chris Redfield Is The Perfect Protagonist for Resident Evil 9
With all of therecentResident Evilremakesbeing so successful, the franchise’s legacy characters have never been so popular, which puts Chris Redfield in a top spot forResident Evil 9’s protagonist. While a completely original protagonist could be great, there’s no denying that getting a legacy character like Chris is a guaranteed way to capture the attention of long-time fans.
Having Chris Redfield asResident Evil 9’s main playable protagonist would also be a really fun way to bring the franchise full circle. Chris was the first protagonist of the entireResident Evilfranchise, alongside Jill Valentine, so having him carry forward that legacy into the newest mainline entry would be a nice little full-circle moment for nostalgic fans. Additionally, it seems like Capcom is planning onremakingResident Evil 5next, and with Chris Redfield being one of the primary protagonists of that game, it would act as a nice bit of franchise synergy if he was also the main protagonist inResident Evil 9around the same time.
Why Killing Chris Redfield in Resident Evil 9 Would Be a Mistake
But while having Chris Redfield asResident Evil 9’s protagonistmakes a whole lot of sense, there’s one specific plot point that Capcom needs to avoid like the plague, and that’s the character’s death. Though it might seem like a shocking plot point on paper, many fans already know that the franchise is long overdue for a major legacy character death, and all fingers are currently pointing to Chris Redfield. But with so many fans already expecting that outcome inResident Evil 9, that would make Chris' potential death feel pretty predictable, which could greatly cheapen the moment.
Killing off Chris Redfield inResident Evil 9would also be a major disappointment for fans still hoping to see him have any meaningful interactions with the rest of the legacy crew. Aside from the CG movies, theResident Evillegacy casthas rarely interacted with one another on-screen. For instance, fan-favorite character Leon Kennedy has only encountered Chris Redfield once on-screen, and that was during one very brief cutscene inResident Evil 6. Killing off Chris inResident Evil 9would also kill off any future opportunities for the character to interact with others.
