The Resident Evil 3 remake seems to be significantly expanding the scope of the original game's story. The game uses the RE Engine, used in Resident Evil 2 and Devil May Cry 5, to reimagine Raccoon City once again.

Resident Evil 3 introduced two new characters to the series, the first of which was the iconic villain Nemesis. On the other side of things was Carlos Oliveira, a new hero trapped in Raccoon City with Jill Valentine.

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Carlos is a new playable character, but the Resident Evil 3 demo only gives players a very brief introduction to him. Here's an explanation of who Carlos is, and where he comes from.

Carlos' History and Role in Resident Evil 3

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Days before Leon and Claire arrived in Raccoon City in Resident Evil 2, Umbrella sent in a UBCS (Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service) special-ops unit. Carlos was one of the key members of this unit, sent in to help rescue key personnel during the outbreak in Raccoon, and look for survivors. Carlos originally served as a member of a Communist guerilla force in South Africa, but at some point, was recruited by Umbrella because of his skillset. UBCS units were generally made up of convicts and mercenaries, as the mortality rate for the job was sky-high.

Carlos and his unit were sent in under the assumption that they'd be saving survivors, but his platoon of 120 men was quickly decimated.  After sending out a distress call for help, the only one to respond was STARS member Jill Valentine. Abandoned by Umbrella in the nightmarish city, Carlos and Jill have to find their own way out.

Why Carlos Never Appeared in Another Resident Evil Game

Resident Evil Carlos

Strangely, Carlos never appeared in any other Resident Evil game after Resident Evil 3. There is a bit of an addendum to that as Carlos was in Umbrella Chronicles, but that game recapped events through the series, meaning he still only appeared in sections about Resident Evil 3.  The remake, then, presents an interesting opportunity to develop even more on Carlos' character and personality.

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It's not entirely clear why Carlos never popped up in the series again, but after the release of Nemesis, Resident Evil went through a ton of change. Code Veronica was the next game in the series, but after that fans saw Resident Evil 0, a prequel, and the remake of the first game. A host of smaller titles filled the gap until Resident Evil 4, which was a bold reimagining of the series and forever changed it. It's possible that Carlos was meant to return at some point but after the wild success of Resident Evil 4, he simply didn't factor into the new direction. With the Resident Evil 2 remake, and presumably Resident Evil 3 remake, making minor retcons, Capcom could give Carlos a new purpose in the series. The character has seen a massive redesign and remains playable, with the Resident Evil 3 remake introducing a new generation to Carlos.

Next: When Does Resident Evil 3 Take Place In Relation To RE2?