It’s funny how time can warp your perception of a character. There’s that bit about the flow always being cruel, and how the thing that doesn’t change is “memories of younger days.” But when I remember my first time playing Resident Evil 2, a more unsure, inexperienced and easily rattled Leon comes to mind. When I look back at it now, I see a rookie who doesn’t know what to do, trapped in a moment that he seemingly can’t get out of, but still playing the determined hero. “Someone with weaknesses,” as the developer described him.
The past, the present, whichever one I prefer, only one thought came to mind at the time: “Oh, he’s so dead.” Then again, a city of zombies will give that impression.
Fast forward decades later. Grace, dazed and confused, out of her depth, hiding rather than facing a deranged Victor Gideon head-on, and I can’t blame her. Leon’s first appearance after months of rumors. No hesitation while standing in front of the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center and walking through the front door. Eyes fixed straight ahead. Zero fear when warding off the Stalker that’s hunting Grace, slight incredulity that an FBI agent is involved, and of course, the part where he’s disposed of several infected with a tomahawk.
“Oh, there you are,” I thought. And that was before he used a chainsaw to slaughter an enemy.
We’ve talked about Leon’s presence and sheer aura before – we’ve seen it in previous titles, but never quite like this. He would come across as heroic – maybe a little naive yet still trying to find the best way to resolve things. He would always try to disarm a situation rather than shoot first. Always playing the hero.
And that’s what’s happening in the latest showcase. Sure, Leon still has quips – asking for a second opinion when faced with a chainsaw-wielding doctor, replying “Me? Never” when asked not to do anything stupid. Yet the bravado is gone, replaced by something much colder. Even when parrying the chainsaw with his tomahawk, there’s little sign of panic.
The funniest part is when he has to sharpen the tomahawk (no more “repair” mechanic, it seems), and he takes out a whetstone to start sharpening it. It would have that usual goofiness that I know and love if he weren’t so calm about it, and that just makes it all the more unnerving. As if Leon knows exactly what he’s supposed to do next and carries it out with brutal efficiency.
You can even hear it in how director Koshi Nakanishi describes him. In an interview with Famitsu, he said Leon is “handsome,” “Not just looks, but his character too. For the sake of saving someone, he won’t hesitate to make sacrifices. And he doesn’t get arrogant about it.” He carries himself nonchalantly, at least at first glance, but his assessment is exactly what the gameplay footage has shown: “He’s the kind of guy with no openings/weaknesses.” By all intents, this is the “strongest” we’ve ever seen him. The experience of a DSO agent who averted multiple B.O.W.s, outbreaks and catastrophes is one thing, that too as a one-man army. At this point, Leon seems like he’s on New Game+, applying the sheer amount of experience earned, age be damned.
And that’s plainly obvious, even when surrounded. Shooting an enemy’s knees, causing them to kneel and answering with a kick to the head? Child’s play. Smashing their skull against a bed frame? Getting warmer. Shooting them in such a way that you can plant the tomahawk in their head? Now we’re talking. It adds a new dimension to the gameplay while also inviting you to discover all the different ways to brutalize any enemy. You can see it in the close-up gun executions as well, especially when Leon expels a shotgun into an enemy’s face.
It’s such that some fans are calling this the “most brutal” Resident Evil ever made. And while much of that may be down to graphical fidelity and realism, you can’t deny that Leon’s lack of hesitation to decapitate the infected – that too, those who still cling to memories of their living days – and blow them away is a spectacle unto its own. Heck, Grace uses a hemolytic injector on an enemy, causing them to explode in a gory mess, and she’s immediately taken aback…just like the rest of us.
Even using the Requiem, the new high-powered revolver, is an action that requires both hands and a steady aim. Meanwhile, Leon is out here, shooting a chainsaw out of someone’s hands and then circling without missing a beat to blow their brains out.
And while this all comes across as the natural result of years, decades even, of life-threatening situations, it’s clear that something happened to make him this way. Nakanishi mentioned how one major theme of Requiem is Leon’s state in 2026, “after ageing well and living through so many battles.”
“Leon keeps fighting with the feeling of ‘I want to save someone,’ but there are times when things don’t go well,” he added. “Bioterror never disappears, no matter how long it’s been. After all those experiences, what state of mind does Leon arrive at, and what kind of person has he become?” Nakanishi also admitted that this situation would push Leon into a corner “more than at any time in the past.”
Considering he’s nearly died on multiple occasions, and all the hints about his sacrificing nature, you have to wonder if someone close to him is at stake. Maybe he’s somehow connected to the death of Alyssa, Grace’s mother – perhaps blaming himself for what happened to her. He also has a secret related to Elpis. Is he infected, and if so, could it be another factor that’s making him act without hesitation?
There’s no denying that this is a different side of Leon than what we’ve seen from previous games – one that’s more gruff and seemingly too old for all bio-terror nonsense, yet still throwing himself into the fire. Could it be that it’s the only thing he has left, locked in a toxic cycle with no other prospect but not willing to move on and watch the world crumble?
Whatever the case may be, you have to wonder if Resident Evil Requiem will be his last appearance – going out with a bang, as it were. The hints are seemingly there, but whether the developer will pull the trigger, especially in a series where almost all the iconic heroes have gone unscathed, remains to be seen.
Requiem launches on February 27th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2, and we’re eagerly counting down the days to see what happens. The “hidden truth” behind Raccoon City, the mystery of Elpis, Gideon’s backstory, what Alyssa discovered that led to her murder – and that’s not even getting into all the other characters from past titles that could return. Will time have a similarly strong effect on them, for better or worse? Will all those memories of younger days come bubbling back up? Time will tell, but for now, there’s no doubt that playing as Leon will be an absolute blast.
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