It's a great time to be a Resident Evil fan. In addition to the highly-anticipated Resident Evil Village, a.k.a. Resident Evil 8, which will release May 7th, 2021, fans can also look forward to an upcoming remake of Resident Evil 4. For those new to the series, Resident Evil 4 came out back in 2005 as a GameCube-only title (although that would later change) and it's still regarded as both one of the best Resident Evil games as well as one of the best horror games every by many fans. Publisher Capcom hasn't officially announced a release date for the in-progress RE4 Remake, but it should be available some time in 2023.
The 2020 Resident Evil 3 remake changed the original game's story significantly, so it's likely that the Resident Evil 4 would also be somewhat different than the original, but it will probably still follow the same overall plot. Resident Evil 4 took the series to rural Spain, where returning RE character Leon Kennedy had to rescue the American president's kidnapped daughter. Meanwhile, another Resident Evil fan-favorite, Ada Wong, also made a return to the series, investigating the outbreak of a mysterious parasite called Las Plagas and the fanatical organization responsible, Los Iluminados.
Leon and Ada went up against two main villains in Resident Evil 4. In addition to the bioweapons researcher and self-styled neopagan prophet Osmund Saddler, Leon and Ada had to contend with the Spanish nobleman, Ramon Salazar. Based on the changes in the Resident Evil 3 remake, the new version of Salazar could be a bit different than the old version. Here's all the info on Ramon Salazar's backstory in Resident Evil 4 as it currently stands.
Ramon Salazar's Origins And Plan In Resident Evil 4
Ramon Salazar is a "castellan," or a Spanish governor of a castle. He's an eighth-generation castellan, and by this time the job is largely ceremonial. Physically he's short in stature and looks aged enough to be well into middle age, but in fact he's only about 20. The Salazar family has a long history with Los Iluminados and Las Plagas. The Plaga first appeared during the reign of Salazar's ancestor, the first castellan. The first castellan suppressed the fanatics and sealed the Plaga inside their castle. Generations later, Salazar becomes the castellan and lives an isolated life. That makes him easy pickings for Resident Evil 4's main villain Osmund Saddler, who has resurrected Los Iluminados.
Shortly before the events of Resident Evil 4, Saddler arrives and convinces Salazar that his ancestor was wrong and Los Iluminados were right, and Salazar agrees to give Saddler access to Las Plagas. At this point, Saddler effectively takes control of Salazar's wealth and resources and uses them to research and experiment on the Plaga. Salazar is given the job of protecting "Queen Plaga," a huge monster that gives birth to the Plaga. But really, he's a pawn in Saddler's scheme.
And Saddler's plan? Take over the world by kidnapping the U.S. president's daughter, infecting her with the Plaga, and then somehow using her to manipulate or possibly infect the president and other top American officials. Salazar's castle serves as Saddler's base of operations, and Salazar does everything he can to stop Leon and Ada. In the end, Leon defeats Salazar in one of Resident Evil's many boss battles.
Whether this version of Ramon Salazar is the same as the one who shows up in the Resident Evil 4 remake is anyone's guess. But if he does, he'll face stiff competition from Resident Evil Village's Lady Dimitrescu for the title of "Most Memorable Resident Evil villain"