1996
Resident Evil
The mansion. Jill & Chris. The origin of survival horror and the Spencer Estate's locked-door logic.
Unofficial fan project — not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Capcom Co., Ltd. or Sony Pictures. Resident Evil and all related marks are trademarks of their respective owners.
INTEL FILE — FRANCHISE ARCHIVE
RESIDENT EVIL GAMES IN ORDER
The complete mainline map, 1996–2026: nine numbered entries, the Code Veronica detour, the remake era, and where each hero — Jill, Chris, Leon, Ethan, Grace — carried the story. Start here if "resident evil 2" vs "re2 remake" vs "re9" has you lost.
30 YEARS
9 MAINLINE ENTRIES
183M+ UNITS FRANCHISE-WIDE
SECTION 01
01Mainline Releases, 1996–2026
Numbered mainline games plus Code Veronica (canonically RE3's true sequel) and the full modern remake line. Scores are Metacritic metascores, quoted per Metacritic's own platform ranking.
- SOURCES — RELEASE DATA, SCORES & SALES
- Capcom Co., Ltd. “Resident Evil Requiem Surpasses 5 Million Units!”[EB/OL]. Capcom Investor Relations, 2026-03-04 — states cumulative franchise sales above 183 million units as of 2025-12-31. capcom.co.jp/ir/english/news/html/e260304.html [cited 2026-09-25].
- Metacritic. “Resident Evil Videogames, Ranked Worst to Best (by Metascore)”[EB/OL]. metacritic.com/pictures/resident-evil-games-ranked-worst-to-best [cited 2026-09-25]. Metascores vary by platform; each figure quoted here is Metacritic's own ranking value.
Remade 2002 / HD 2015
1998
Resident Evil 2
Leon & Claire, one night in Raccoon City. Two-campaign "zapping" structure. The franchise's most beloved entry.
1999
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
Jill's escape as Nemesis hunts her across the city's fall. The outbreak's last hours.
2000
Resident Evil — Code: Veronica
Claire & Chris on Rockfort Island. Canonically the "true RE3," built for Dreamcast, later ported everywhere (HD in 2011).
2001
Resident Evil Zero
Rebecca Chambers pre-mansion, partner zapping, no item boxes. Prequel to it all.
2005
Resident Evil 4
Leon in rural Spain. Las Plagas. The over-the-shoulder camera that rebuilt the action genre.
2009
Resident Evil 5
Chris in Kijuju, co-op shake-up, Uroboros. Best-selling mainline entry until the remakes era.
2012
Resident Evil 6
Four interlocking campaigns, global bioterror. Bloated but packed — Leon, Chris, Jake, Ada.
2017
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Ethan Winters in the Baker estate, Louisiana. First-person reset back to pure horror. Molded, Mia, and the Hookchain.
2021
Resident Evil Village
Ethan again, Castle Dimitrescu & the four lords. Horror-to-action seesaw with the best horror village since the genre began.
2026
Resident Evil Requiem
Grace Ashcroft & an older Leon, thirty years after Raccoon City. Fastest-selling RE ever — 8 million by July 2026.
SECTION 02
02Where the Heroes Go — Character Map
| Character | Defining Games | Status by Requiem (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Leon S. Kennedy | RE2, RE4, Requiem, Damnation/CG films | Co-lead of Requiem — older, still lethal |
| Jill Valentine | RE1, RE3, RE5 | Unconfirmed in Requiem |
| Chris Redfield | RE1, Code Veronica, RE5, RE6, Village | Unconfirmed in Requiem |
| Claire Redfield | RE2, Code Veronica, Degeneration | Unconfirmed; brother Chris last seen in Village |
| Ada Wong | RE2, RE4 (+Separate Ways), RE6 | Wildcard — unannounced |
| Ethan Winters | RE7, Village | Story concluded (Village ending) |
| Grace Ashcroft | Requiem | New lead — Alyssa Ashcroft's daughter |
WHO IS "LEON RESIDENT EVIL"?
"Leon" is one of the franchise's top search queries for a reason: he anchors RE2 (rookie cop, 1998), RE4 (government agent, the coolest mission in the series), and now Requiem (veteran, 2026). He also headlined the CG animated films — but not the 2026 live-action reboot, by design.
SECTION 03
03Which Resident Evil Should You Play First?
Start with RE2 Remake (2019)
THE CONSENSUS ENTRY POINT
Modern controls, self-contained story, iconic setting, ~8 hours. If it hooks you, go RE4 Remake next — then RE1 Remake for the classic roots, then forward to RE7.
Start with RE7 (2017)
IF YOU WANT MAXIMUM HORROR
New protagonist, new continuity-friendly approach, first-person dread. Requiem is its direct gameplay descendant — play RE7 → Village → Requiem for the Ethan/Grace era in order.
Skip-list for newcomers: RE6 (play later, if ever), Code Veronica (appreciate after RE1–3 context), and the original 1996 RE1 (play the 2002 remake instead — same story, incomparably better execution).
SECTION 04
04FAQ
What is the difference between Resident Evil 9 and Requiem?
They're the same game. Resident Evil Requiem is the official title of the ninth mainline entry — there is no separate "RE9" project.
Is Code Veronica getting a remake?
Nothing announced as of September 2026. Fan demand persists every time a remake ships, and Capcom's remake pipeline (RE2 → RE3 → RE4) leaves Veronica as the loudest remaining request. Treat any "announcement" you see on social media as unverified until Capcom says it.
Which Resident Evil game is the scariest?
Consensus: RE7 for sustained dread, RE1 Remake for the classic version, and Requiem's Grace chapters now contend directly — the stalking "Girl" passages are the most Mr. X-anxiety the series has produced since 2019.
Are the Resident Evil movies connected to the games?
The 2026 reboot is a standalone night-one story set beside RE2's events — game-adjacent but not game canon. The six Milla Jovovich films (2002–2016) are their own alternate universe. CG animated films (Degeneration, Damnation, Vendetta) are the ones that follow game continuity.
Do the Resident Evil games need to be played in order?
No — every entry is designed to stand alone. The lore rewards chronological play, but the recommended order is "whatever remake era entry hooks you first." See the start-point picks above.
What's next after Requiem?
Nothing announced. Capcom's pattern suggests remakes will continue alongside mainline entries — and 2026 remains the franchise's biggest year ever between Requiem's 8 million sales and the reboot film's $118.8M worldwide gross by 24 September.
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