20 Years On Capcom Can’t Escape the Shadow of Resident Evil 4

Is Leon S. Kennedy Resident Evil’s most popular character because he starred in one of the best Resident Evil games of all time? Or did he star in one of the best Resident Evil games of all time because he’s the series’ most popular character? I’ll never know for sure. Nevertheless, ever since his first day on the job at the Raccoon City Police Department back in 1998, Leon’s influence over the Resident Evil series has only grown to the point that his popularity threatens the future of the series… again.

When Resident Evil 4 hit shelves on January 11, 2005, everything we knew about Resident Evil was upended. The series’s famous fixed camera perspective gave way to a fully 3D camera, and the infamous tank controls were replaced with fast-paced action and melee combat. And Leon Kennedy, who was introduced to the series in Resident Evil 2 as a fresh-faced rookie police officer, was promoted to a secret agent action hero tasked with rescuing the U.S. President’s daughter from an evil cult. Leon became more Ethan Hunt and less Ash Williams.