Fans of the Resident Evil series have had some ups and downs with the franchise. After the spectacular Resident Evil 4, the next two mainline entries in the series didn't have the same magic for many. Luckily, Capcom took the franchise back to its more horror-focused roots for Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and seemed to take plenty of pages out of RE4's book with Resident Evil Village. Village took steps to connect its story to the overarching Resident Evil plot, but one major thing seemed to be missing from the title: Leon S. Kennedy.
Introduced in Resident Evil 2 as an unlucky cop on his first day on the job, Leon is a fan favorite in terms of Resident Evil protagonists, but he hasn't been seen since the end of Resident Evil 6. He was once again one of the two main characters in 2019's Resident Evil 2 Remake, but as it was a remake and didn't add anything significant to the RE canon, so it hardly counts as a new appearance. By the time Resident Evil 9 rolls around, the game should include Leon in some way or another.
RELATED: 10 Common Misconceptions About Resident Evil
When Resident Evil 7 started, it was introducing an entirely new cast of characters to the RE canon. It seemed to stay a relatively self-contained story until the final moments when Chris Redfield makes an appearance to help clean up the remains of the Baker estate. RE7's DLC helped flesh out more of Redfield's role in the story and by the time Resident Evil Village rolled around, he was a full-blown side character who's instrumental to the plot. Still, Ethan, Mia, and Rose all seem like they're going to stay major parts of the franchise in one way or another as the series shifts from zombie horror into a mold-based direction.
It makes sense that RE7 wanted to put a little bit of distance between itself and any reminder of RE6, so waiting until the end to include Chris served as the perfect teaser of what's to come, but plenty of fans were expecting more RE protagonists to either make appearances or be referenced in Village. Because of Leon's status, it's surprising he was omitted from the game entirely, especially because of how much influence RE8 took from Leon's game RE4. It's clear that Resident Evil 7 and 8 wanted to focus on a new cast of characters, so it makes sense that Capcom wouldn't want to crowd the titles with anyone who would be a distraction from the plot, but Leon's complete omission has fans a little worried that he may be gone for good.
While those fears are valid, it seems unlikely Capcom would throw away such an iconic part of the Resident Evil franchise. After all, he's made an appearance in Resident Evil 2 Remake and would be returning once more if the rumored Resident Evil 4 Remake is actually in the works. While his return to the series has been all well and good in those titles, they aren't new entries. It's been speculated that part of the reason for the existence of the remakes is to remind players of the important characters in the Resident Evil story so that they can be reintroduced in later entries.
If that is Capcom's reason for remaking such titles, it bodes well for Leon's return in Resident Evil 9. It's unclear exactly what happened to him after the events of Resident Evil 6, but it's not out of the question that he might be working alongside Chris Redfield as a part of the BSAA, and that he might make an appearance in a similar role. Many Resident Evil fans are hoping Leon returns as a protagonist which, following the ending of Village, seems like it could be possible.
MORE: Modder Brings Leon to Resident Evil Village
