Introduced back in 1998 as one of the two protagonists of Capcom's survival horror classic Resident Evil 2, Claire Redfield has become a franchise mainstay and fan favorite, starring in a number of her own games and spinoff material that make up the expansive Resident Evil universe.
New fans were reintroduced to Claire with the release of the hit Resident Evil 2 remake in 2019, so many may be wondering what she's been up to over more than two decades worth of Resident Evil content. The series is more than just games, however, with movies and comics filling in the gaps between mainline titles. Claire stars in a number of these side stories, which helps give fans a sense of what she's doing when she isn't solving obtuse puzzles in zombie-filled police stations.
Didn't Take Out Umbrella
In one of the endings of the original Resident Evil 2, as Claire and fellow protagonist Leon ride off into the sunset after escaping their local secret Umbrella Corporation lab, Leon looks at Claire and declares in that glorious PlayStation One-style voice acting: "Hey, it's up to us to take out Umbrella!"
They both seem enthusiastic at the time, but it seems that Claire had different ideas, because the next time she's seen in a Resident Evil game, it has been three months and seemingly all she's been up to is searching for her missing brother -- Chris. Maybe she and Leon decided against taking out Umbrella after giving it some more thought.
Got A New Outfit
During the three months between the events of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil CODE: Veronica in which Claire was searching for Chris, she found the time to change up her outfit in preparation for the events of the next game in the series.
Now sporting a new jacket and jeans, Claire clearly put a lot of thought into the selection of this apparel because it holds up well as she raids two separate Umbrella facilities over the course of the game, one of which was all the way in Antarctica. She also evidently bought a pair of machine guns, which is certainly practical.
Joined A Bioterrorism Relief NGO
After finally being reunited with her brother Chris during the events of Resident Evil CODE: Veronica, Claire associated herself with a non-governmental humanitarian organization called "TerraSave," formed in the aftermath of the Racoon City incident to provide medical aid to the survivors of bioterrorist attacks (which are common fare in the world of RE).
The group was also formed to coordinate public protests against corporate or political entities suspected of trafficking in bioweapons, which is definitely a worthy cause since buying deadly mutagenic viruses on the black market is about as easy as grabbing a bag of potato chips in Resident Evil.
Rescued Another Little Girl
During the events of the animated movie Resident Evil: Degeneration, Claire's work brings her to the city of Harvardville U.S.A. to participate in the organization of a protest movement against U.S. senator Ron Davis, a politician known to have invested in shadowy biotech companies.
A zombie outbreak occurs, naturally, and Claire is tasked with protecting a young girl named Rani Chawla, a survivor of another bioterror incident in TerraSave custody. This sort of thing seems to happen to Claire a lot, as she spent much of Resident Evil 2 trying to keep another young girl named Sherry Birkin alive.
Tried To Fight Zombies With An Actual Umbrella
While trapped in a zombie-infested airport after an unfortunate turn of events for her TerraSave work, Claire found herself unarmed, in the dark, and tasked with protecting a handful of survivors with far less zombie outbreak experience than she. After hearing what sounded like someone in distress, Claire arms herself with a literal umbrella to go and investigate.
One has to admire her ingenuity here, but if the classic Resident Evil games are any indication it's sometimes better to just avoid zombies than to engage them with a melee weapon, especially if that weapon is an umbrella. Luckily, shortly afterward she's reunited with Leon who is armed more appropriately.
Uncovered The Truth Behind A T-Virus Outbreak
While struggling to stay alive during the Harvardville incident depicted in Resident Evil: Degeneration, Claire began to unravel yet another biotech conspiracy associated with the incident, this time involving a pharmaceutical company called Wilpharma, a U.S. Senator, and a shadowy black market deal with a foreign military official.
Claire eventually discovers that a man named Frederic Downing, Wilpharma's head researcher, was a former employee of the Umbrella Corporation (responsible for the events of the first two games) and had orchestrated the outbreak to prove the efficacy of T and G-viruses to a man he planned to sell them to on the black market.
Responded To An Outbreak On A Reality T.V. Set
After the events of Resident Evil Revelations 2, Claire, who at the time was continuing to work with TerraSave, was tasked with investigating the deployment of possible bioweapons on the tropical island of Sonido de Tortuga, the main setting of the spinoff manga series BIOHAZARD: Heavenly Island.
Before her arrival, however, the cast and crew of the in-universe reality T.V. series Idol Survivor had been attacked by T-virus zombies, among other bio-organic weapons that emerged from the jungle. Claire was then tasked with uncovering the truth behind the outbreak and getting survivors to safety.
Decapitated A Tentacle Monster With A Rocket Launcher
While investigating the Sonido de Tortuga incident, Claire discovered that the island had been a long-established testbed for bioweapons and that the whole operation had been administered by a man named Dr. Dirk Miller, a former follower of series antagonist Albert Wesker.
Also present at the incident were undercover agents of Chinese pharmaceutical company (and Umbrella competitor) Shén Yà. One of these double agents mutated into an unsightly tentacle monster at the climax of the manga, but Claire was able to dispatch it with ease by administering a rocket to its face.
Continued To Hang Out With Sherry
Sherry Birkin (the daughter of prominent Umbrella researcher William Birkin who Claire encountered in Resident Evil 2) is a young girl who lost both of her parents during the Racoon City incident but managed to survive the ordeal thanks to Claire and Leon's help.
At some point before the events of Resident Evil 6, an older Sherry became an agent working for the U.S. Government on bioterror-related issues. At the same time, Claire was understandably busy working with TerraSave, but a bonus file in Resident Evil 6 reveals that despite the circumstances the two make an effort to see each other when their schedules permit it.
Avoided Starting A Relationship With Leon
To the unending dismay of Resident Evil fans with an eye for shipping, the task that Claire has seemingly been most committed to between titles is avoiding any possibility of a relationship with Leon, an outcome that many consider an obvious pairing. It's not worth being too stressed about it, though; the franchise has always had a hilariously ambivalent approach to romance.
This predicament has birthed a number of prevalent fandom memes, including one that depicts an increasingly erratic Chris Redfield desperately trying to pressure Leon into a relationship with his sister.