It's only a couple more months before Resident Evil Village releases, and a lot of major plot points regarding the game are still unknown. However, based on trailers for RE8, several notable characters from the series will be returning. Here's every returning character confirmed for Resident Evil Village so far.
RE8 introduces several new and interesting characters, including Lady Dimitrescu, Resident Evil Village's tall lady that's captured the attention of countless fans. The game itself is a direct sequel to Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, which means several of RE7's characters show up in Village. The game once again appears to be from Ethan Winters' perspective, so fans of RE7's unlikely protagonist should be pleased by his reappearance.
Not much is known about Ethan Winters, since his face is never shown in RE7, and it looks to be hidden throughout Resident Evil Village as well. Capcom has said a huge twist regarding Ethan Winters is in store for players, perhaps regarding his identity. Ethan isn't the only Resident Evil character confirmed for RE8, though. Ethan's wife, Mia, will also be returning - although how much of a role she'll play in Resident Evil Village (and if it will be larger than her role in RE7) remains to be seen.
All Confirmed & Rumored Characters Returning For RE8
Beyond Ethan and Mia, the only other character officially confirmed to be returning is Chris Redfield. For unknown reasons, Chris kidnaps Ethan's and Mia's baby, setting off the inciting incident for Resident Evil Village's plot. And while these three characters have all been confirmed so far, fans have speculated on other characters returning as well.
A number of past Resident Evil characters could appear, especially if the game connects more directly to RE4 as some theories have suggested. A popular fan theory has suggested Resident Evil Village's Duke is the Merchant from RE4, although this hasn't been officially confirmed by Capcom. Other fan theories have pointed toward connections between Lady Dimitrescu and Mr. X, which have also not been officially confirmed.
So far, Resident Evil Village is shaping up to be an exciting new entry in the Resident Evil franchise. Since it's a direct follow-up to RE7, it makes sense that characters like Ethan, Mia, and Chris would show up. However, it's always possible that older characters from the series will show up too - even though players may not find this out until they play the game, which releases on May 7th, 2021.