Resident Evil: Requiem, also known as Resident Evil 9, stars Grace Ashcroft, the presumed daughter of Resident Evil: Outbreak‘s Alyssa Ashcroft. The decision to cast a new character in the lead role isn’t unheard of for Resident Evil–the last two games have starred Ethan Winters, who was also new at the time. However, fans of the series might’ve expected a familiar face, such as Leon S. Kennedy, to reappear as the playable character. During the Capcom Showcase for June 2025, the developer-publisher explained why Leon, specifically, isn’t a good fit for Requiem.
“We always thought about making Leon the protagonist,” a developer said during the showcase, “but making a horror game based around him is difficult. He wouldn’t jump at something like a bucket falling. No one wants to see Leon scared by every little thing. So he’s actually quite a bad match for horror.” Grace, meanwhile, is said to be an FBI analyst who is trained with guns but must learn to overcome some of her fears over the course of the game’s story, as she’s initially “introverted and easily scared.”
Leon has previously starred in three mainline Resident Evil entries: Resident Evil 2, alongside Claire Redfield, Resident Evil 4–often lauded as the series’ best entry–and Resident Evil 6 as one of multiple playable characters. He’s appeared in several other offshoots throughout Resident Evil’s history, too, such as ReVerse and Operation Raccoon City, and is widely regarded as one of the most prominent figures in the franchise.
It’s unclear what role, if any, Leon may play in Resident Evil: Requiem, though Capcom tends to thrust its famous faces into its stories even when they aren’t the protagonist or playable character. Chris Redfield, for example, plays an important role in Resident Evil: Village.
If only Leon weren’t so hunky and valiant, he may appear once more as the central figure in one of Capcom’s more horror-centric entries like next February’s Requiem.
