Resident Evil has featured multiple villains over the years, and some of them have taken the villain role in more than one game. Yet the villains in Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village brought the franchise in a new, better direction. These villains, from the bosses players meet through the game to the final boss at the end, have more thought put into their design than in previous games.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for RE7 and RE Village.
Resident Evil was revitalized with Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village, pulling the franchise back from an uncertain future by returning to the survival-horror roots for which it's known. Capcom made the stories for RE7 and RE Village more contained, particularly when compared to the scale of RE6's story. This has improved the games in many ways, including introducing interesting villains who prove that there's no need for Albert Wesker to return in RE9.
The set-up of RE7 and RE Village means that players have more time to encounter the villains and learn information about them from exploring their homes, an experience that is lacking in previous games. This makes them more threatening because players know that characters like Jack Baker are lurking around the area, but it also makes them more tragic when information reveals how a lot of these villains are simply victims of circumstance.
Tragic Villains Are More Memorable In Resident Evil
Both the Baker family with Eveline and the Four Lords with Mother Miranda are memorable villains with tragic pasts. The Baker family tried to help somebody in need, and they were infected by the Mold and controlled by Eveline as a result. Even Eveline is a tragic character. She was an experiment, and all she wanted was a family. The story in RE7 DLC humanizes the Bakers and shows how their lives went from normal to the state players see in-game. RE Village's villains are similar. Donna replaced her deceased family with dolls and hides herself in clothing. Moreau strives for Mother Miranda's approval. Miranda wants to bring her daughter who died from the Spanish flu back to life. While their actions can't be excused, a lot of these villains are the result of tragedy and circumstances beyond their control.
RE7 and RE Village enthrall players with their gameplay, their environments, and their stories. Capcom listened to its fans and brought the franchise back from the unsuccessful large scale used for RE5 and RE6. Moving forward, Capcom needs to continue keeping the story contained and including villains that feel more like people than cartoons in Resident Evil.