Despite many residents of Resident Evil Village's titular setting being shown in the game’s trailers, not one of them has been a child. In fact, all of the citizens of Resident Evil Village appear to be either middle-aged or elderly. So, where did all the children go?
While Capcom has been sharing new information about the gameplay mechanics of Resident Evil Village ahead of its release, a lot of its story is still shrouded in mystery. What is known so far is that it will carry on after the events of RE7: Biohazard, which saw Ethan Winters and his wife Mia escape from the terrifying clutches of the Baker family. The couple has since moved to a new location with their baby daughter, Rosemary. Then, Rosemary is kidnapped, setting the wheels in motion for Ethan's next grueling ordeal.
In all the footage seen to this point, Rosemary is the only child ever mentioned. Just why is that, and what is her significance to Resident Evil Village's story?
Resident Evil Village Theory: Why Rosemary Winters Is So Important
Resident Evil Village seems to center around some sort of religious cult. While Lady Dimitrescu drew most of the attention after her debut, it coincided with another character’s introduction: Mother Miranda. Capcom previously revealed the "mother" prefix is religious in nature, and at the same time presented a new image of Mother Miranda as a deity being worshipped by the villagers.
In a few trailers, Lady Dimitrescu can be heard saying "I understand the importance of the ceremony" to Mother Miranda over the phone. Given that Ethan’s presence within her castle is what caused this tense exchange of words, it's fair to assume Ethan’s daughter - whose safe return is the reason he is even considering taking on Resident Evil Village's werewolves, lycans, and other monstrosities - is a key part of this elusive ceremony. And, as Mother Miranda is alluded to be a long-established presence within the village, it would make sense for this ceremony to also be a founded tradition in the community.
In the most recent Resident Evil Village trailer, a person can be seen praying at a homemade shrine featuring a picture of someone similar to the Virgin Mary, a saintly woman with a halo around her head and cradling a baby. There are numerous crows' feathers surrounding the figure, however, implying she is actually Mother Miranda. If so, who is the child in the picture? Babies also seem to be a significant theme throughout the cult, as a strange insignia of what appears to be a fetus with crow-like wings is featured somewhere in the village itself. This is relatively worn and weather-beaten, implying that, like Mother Miranda, it has also been there for a long time.
Perhaps, in order to sustain her corporeal and apparently divine form, Mother Miranda needs to receive a regular sacrifice of young blood, and families like that of Ethan, Mia, and Rosemary Winters have been taken to the village for years to be used in Mother Miranda’s ceremony. But much like real-life cults, once these families have become a part of the village, it becomes extremely hard to leave. The children's parents are left to grow old in a world of fear and submission, while their children are sacrificed to sustain the terrifying and unnatural life force of Resident Evil Village’s Mother Miranda - at least, until the Winters family comes into the picture.
Resident Evil Village comes to PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on May 7, 2021.