As the hype surrounding the Resident Evil series continues building while fans wait for more information on Resident Evil Village's DLC, some have been going back and replaying older games in the franchise. As the games have jumped around quite a bit, there's no singular protagonist of theseries, however, plenty of fans consider Leon S. Kennedy to be one of the franchise's driving characters.
Alongside Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, Leon Kennedy is a fan-favorite protagonist, but he hasn't been seen in a mainline RE title in quite a while. Many thought that he would be joining Chris at some point during RE8, but the game came and went without even a mention of the rookie cop-turned-FBI agent. As the Resident Evil community waits for more information on the next game, Leon fans may want to replay the mainline series and see where he could potentially end up during the events of Resident Evil 7 and 8.
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Resident Evil 2 was Leon's debut in the franchise. He was a newbie Raccoon City police officer having the most stressful first day on the job. Having to explore the zombie-infested RCPD in search of answers about the outbreak, Leon proved to be a likable protagonist. In the RE2 remake, Leon proved once again that bravery and a 90s haircut are all that is needed to overcome the Umbrella Corporation's evil schemes.
While not playable in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, Leon makes an appearance during the epilogue. He's approached by a member of the US government about joining their ranks. Although the game doesn't reveal his answer, he's a full-fledged FBI agent by the time Resident Evil 4 rolls around.
Like RE3, CODE Veronica doesn't feature Leon as a playable protagonist, but he still makes an appearance. Claire, while continuing her search for Chris in Europe, contacts him after she's been captured by Umbrella. He contacts Chris regarding Claire's situation, but isn't seen in the game afterward.
Up to this point, Leon had been in a handful of RE titles and was one of the main playable protagonists in RE2, but he didn't have a game of his own. Resident Evil 4 changed that and cemented him as one of the best Resident Evil protagonists. Fans of Leon should stick with RE4, as he's the main focus of the entire game. On a mission to rescue the President's daughter, Leon spends plenty of time quipping in classic Resident Evil fashion.
Although it isn't technically a mainline entry in the Resident Evil series, The Darkside Chronicles still included Leon in a never-before-seen situation. The on-rails lightgun shooter remade several scenes from Resident Evil 2 and CODE Veronica, and it served as a prequel to RE4. It follows the adventures of Jack Krauser and Leon as the pair hunt down people connected with the Umbrella Corporation.
Leon's most recent appearance was in Resident Evil 6. While the game was poorly received for its more action-oriented gameplay, there's a lot of Leon Kennedy content for fans of the character. This was his last appearance outside of the Resident Evil 2 Remake, and plenty of fans wonder about what he's been up to in the years since.
Leon is notably absent from a handful of titles. He wasn't in the first game, and Leon isn't in Resident Evil 5, 7, or 8, which feel more significant as he'd become established as a fan-favorite. As mentioned, plenty of fans anticipated he would make an appearance during the plot of Resident Evil Village. However, he was omitted from the game entirely. His recent appearance in Resident Evil 2 Remake and the rumored Resident Evil 4 Remake has fans thinking that Capcom is trying to remind old fans of the character while introducing new fans to him, that way when he returns to the next new Resident Evil game it'll be a huge moment. So far, there isn't any word on when he'll be back.
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