Resident Evil Village keeps the scares and intensity high throughout the experience, but it's only towards the very end of Capcom's latest that its story truly takes off. Major revelation after revelation come during the game's final hours, a rollercoaster ride of twists, turns, and emotions that have players diving right back in after the credits roll to start Resident Evil Village's New Game +.
[WARNING: Spoilers For Resident Evil Village below]
Perhaps more than any other Resident Evil game in recent memory, Resident Evil Village plants some truly major seeds for future installments. From new protagonists to new villains and more, there are numerous mysteries fans can't wait to find out more about once the inevitable Resident Evil 9 arrives years from now.
Fans have likely already begun endlessly speculating on where the franchise goes from here. If Resident Evil has proven anything over the years, it's that it loves to reinvent itself and keep players guessing. There's truly no telling what Capcom is dreaming up next for Resident Evil 9, but based on how Resident Evil Village ends, fans have some theories. Here's how Resident Evil Village's endings could pave the way for future installments of the legendary survival horror franchise, and what it could mean for Resident Evil 9 in particular.
How Resident Evil 8 Teases Resident Evil 9
A lot happens in Resident Evil Village's two endings. The game's first ending, which happens prior to the credits rolling, shows hero Ethan Winters defeating Mother Miranda and saving his daughter Rose. In the process, he activates a bomb which destroys the megamycete parasite, presumably dying in the process (but not before handing off Rose and his jacket to Chris Redfield). Chris and Ethan's wife, Mia, watch the explosion from a helicopter overhead. It's revealed that another organization present at the game's final battle, the anti-bioweapon organization BSAA, is employing bioweapons themselves in their battle against Miranda.
After the credits, an epilogue plays, one that seemingly has jumped the story forward more than a decade. A now-teenage Rose, wearing Ethan's jacket, puts flowers on her father's grave. She's being accompanied by a security detail of some sort, who, after making a bad joke, causes Rose to threaten using her powers. She gets into a black SUV and drives away. Just prior to the game fading to black, a lone figure can be seen approaching the SUV, and seemingly causes the vehicle to either stop or slow down. Modders have discovered the character model for the mysterious figure is none other than Resident Evil's Ethan Winters, which opens up a whole host of questions for Resident Evil 9.
It seems clear Rose is being set up as a new protagonist for the franchise, powers and all. The end of Resident Evil Village declares that the story of the father has ended, and presumably now the story of the daughter will come next. Who, exactly, is watching over Rose is unclear, but it's likely to be Chris and Blue Umbrella, who have watched over the Winters family following the events of Resident Evil 7. While most would assume Ethan died, the revelation that it's actually his character model seen approaching the car during the final moments of the game throws a wrench in things. How did Ethan survive? Is it just in Rose's mind? Is that even Ethan at all, or did Capcom simply use Ethan's character model as a placeholder? It's hard to say.
As for who the villains of Resident Evil 9 might be, it certainly seems like Capcom is looking to make the BSAA evil. Chris worked for the anti-bioterrorism organization in Resident Evil 5 and 6, so it's surprising to see them cast in a new, sinister light here. Chris and his team make clear the BSAA on the scene in Resident Evil Village are to be considered enemy combatants, and Chris doesn't seem too pleased to learn they are using bioweapons themselves. That all points towards them playing a big, villainous role in the future, and Chris might be involved in looking to take them down.
Questions still surround the megamycete as well. Though Ethan presumably destroyed it, the revelation that the megamycete holds within it the DNA and memories of those it infects opens up a whole world of possibilities for Resident Evil 9. Any character infected with it has the potential of, possibly, coming back in some shape or form, which means villains like Albert Wesker or other Umbrella Corporation baddies could make a return if Capcom truly wanted to justify it.
Based on Resident Evil Village's 3 million copies sold in four days and record breaking number of concurrent players on Steam, it seems almost a certainty more Resident Evil is coming sooner rather than later. Capcom has a number of possibilities to pursue for the next installment in the franchise based on Resident Evil Village's ending, and no doubt fans will be debating what it all means up until the release of Resident Evil 9.