Resident Evil: Requiem, also referred to as Resident Evil 9, stars Grace Ashcroft, the presumed daughter of Resident Evil: Outbreak’s Alyssa Ashcroft. The choice to forged a brand new character within the lead function is not remarkable for Resident Evil–the final two video games have starred Ethan Winters, who was additionally new on the time. Nevertheless, followers of the collection would possibly’ve anticipated a well-recognized face, similar to Leon S. Kennedy, to reappear because the playable character. In the course of the Capcom Showcase for June 2025, the developer-publisher defined why Leon, particularly, is not an excellent match for Requiem.
“We at all times considered making Leon the protagonist,” a developer said during the showcase, “however making a horror recreation primarily based round him is troublesome. He would not soar at one thing like a bucket falling. Nobody desires to see Leon scared by each little factor. So he is truly fairly a foul match for horror.” Grace, in the meantime, is claimed to be an FBI analyst who’s skilled with weapons however should be taught to beat a few of her fears over the course of the sport’s story, as she’s initially “introverted and simply scared.”
Leon has beforehand starred in three mainline Resident Evil entries: Resident Evil 2, alongside Claire Redfield, Resident Evil 4–often lauded because the collection’ finest entry–and Resident Evil 6 as one in every of a number of playable characters. He is appeared in a number of different offshoots all through Resident Evil’s historical past, too, similar to ReVerse and Operation Raccoon Metropolis, and is extensively thought to be probably the most distinguished figures within the franchise.
It is unclear what function, if any, Leon could play in Resident Evil: Requiem, although Capcom tends to thrust its well-known faces into its tales even once they aren’t the protagonist or playable character. Chris Redfield, for instance, performs an necessary function in Resident Evil: Village.
If solely Leon weren’t so hunky and valiant, he could seem as soon as extra because the central determine in one in every of Capcom’s extra horror-centric entries like subsequent February’s Requiem.