#resident evil analysis

[trans-luis-serra-navarro]

I wonder sometimes if Luis giving himself the title Don Quixote was self-deprecating in some way. Like SURELY he knew that the book itself was a satire on the genre of knighthood and chivalry, SURELY he picked up on the fact that Alonso was ridiculed at best and his quests were seen as foolish and delusions of grandeur right?? Did he he use the title of Don Quixote as a form of self-mockery and as a way to shield his self-loathing and guilt from the world with the facade of a confident knight???? Or did he throw himself into the interpretation of the book he fell in love with as a little boy, and clung onto the hope that maybe, MAYBE, his time would be different, that this time his journey WOULDN’T end in him as the fool again, that his dreams of a better and kinder world weren’t for nothing and that Don Quixote and Sancho Panza always made it out in the end??

Or did he know, regardless of his own feelings towards the character and the text, that it’d end in tragedy either way. Cuz surely, he knew he wasn’t gonna make it out of Valdelobos alive, no matter how badly he wanted to, no matter how much he fought tooth and nail to get out and right his wrongs for a better world. Maybe he took solace in the tragedy that was Alonso Quixana’s life and took on the role as a way of accepting his fate; that he’d meet an early death in the same village he grew up in, in the same place his Grandfather died in. Maybe that’s why he was so adamant on calling Leon his ‘Sancho’-

Cuz he knew Sancho would make it out alive, and Don Quixote wouldn’t. Maybe that’s why he was so adamant on having Leon be his Sancho. Cuz he knew, in the end, it was Sancho who saved Princess Dulcinea. It was Sancho who stayed by Alonso’s side right to the very end, and got to live his own happily ever after. Or, maybe, Luis was just hoping that Leon would provide the same comfort and security that Sancho did for Alonso- seeing past his delusions and mistakes for the man he truly is deep down inside. Even if it meant dying for him.

[vampyre-nights]

It's so important to me that Leon has kept his kindness throughout the series. He could have so easily become a very bitter, very uncaring, very cold man, and yet even when he's struggling the most (Damnation, vendetta, even RE4) he still cares. Yes he can be kind of a flippant asshole, and he is especially bitter about his work in Vendetta, but that doesn't stop him from trying to help people.

In re4 (the remake and even the original to a much lesser extent) he comforts Ashley when she's terrified and struggling. He continuously checks up on her when she's hurt or exhausted, gently pushing her to keep going because it's dangerous to stop. With Luis he starts off standoffish and irritable because of his ties to Umbrella, but softens, protects and even lets down his guard around Luis. He cries when he kills Krauser, and feels extreme guilt for killing the villagers even though he had to (as seen in game to a degree and extensively the novelization).

Even after everything he's gone through in RC and the training he underwent with Krauser working for STRATCOM (please correct me if this is not the correct org), after all of the defensive and almost aggressive at times walls he's built around himself he cares. It would have been incredibly easy for him to fall into an incredibly toxic, hyper-masculine way of being after the military training and all the emasculating comments he receives and probably received from Krauser and, most likely, his fellow officers/agents. But he didn't.

In Infinite Darkness and RE6 he was getting to the point he was in damnation and vendetta. He had to cover up for them to protect Claire, who was pissed at him. He couldn't even tell her why. In 6 he was weirdly mischaracterized by the writers but even with how flippant her was, he SITLL wanted to save every person he possibly could. He helped Helena even when she was being vague and annoying (much like when he helped Luis).

And then in damnation and vendetta when he was actively suicidal and very clearly an alcoholic to cope, he still tried to help people. Chris pulled him out of his funk (and vacation) specifically by empathizing with him and making him see that he was, in the very least, still saving people by not straight up killing himself to escape the government.

A lot of people think that older leon, and for some reason RE4 Leon, is this asshole who hates the world and is only doing what he does for the money at that point. But he's not. He's still an empathetic, kind, self-sacrificing person. He's bitter because he has immense survivor's guilt, but he rarely takes it out on the people around him. The only exception to that I know of was when he was shit faced and Chris was trying to take him from his vacation.

It would have been so easy for the writers to cater to the largest audience they have - cis male gamers. Leon is RE's most popular protagonist, and Capcom could have easily made him this jaded alpha male bro type. They could have just waved off the fact that he was/is supposed to be a foil to Chris, but they didn't. He's still that effeminate, hyper-empathetic, emo ass guy he has been, and that makes me incredibly happy

[lesbianwyllravengard]

Thinking about how intrinsically intertwined everyone's fates were in re4r again. How Leon and Ashley were doomed to die from the start if Luis hadn't helped them. How Luis was doomed to fail if Ada hadn't helped him. How Ada was doomed to remain tethered to someone horrible as a means of survival if Luis hadn't given her courage, and shown her faith. How Leon was doomed to lose Ashley from the start if Ada hadn't helped him repeatedly. How Ashley was doomed to become Saddler's next puppet if Leon and Ada hadn't had a past together. How Leon was doomed to succumb to the parasite if Ashley hadn't been able to help him. How Ashley was able to help him because Leon gave her courage and hope. How Leon needed to meet Luis to learn that people really could change. How Luis needed to meet Leon, and Ashley, and Ada, to believe change was something he could achieve. How they all changed each other. I love it so much

[farashibutjustfoolingaorund]

So cool how characters in RE contrast each other capabilities-wise.

Chris is an expert marksman and vehicle handler (ex airforce) who mainly relies on grappling and punching for his melee attacks being the tank of a guy that he is.

Leon has crashed almost every vehicle he's driven, mains kicks, and is built more for agility and mobility than tanking hits. This is especially visible in his fight with Chris in RE6 and his fight with Arias in Vendetta. In RE6, Chris is always trying to close the distance to take control over his opponent, but the reason their fight ends in a draw is because Chris throws Leon, which gives Leon the space to react. Kicks also just naturally require more space or are meant to get distance from an opponent. (Not to say they can't ever be used in closer quarters, like popping a low roundhouse, for instance). And Leon's just schmoovin in Vendetta.

In contrast to both, Jill seems to prefer knives and melee over firearms and has an acrobatic/aerial agility flow as opposed to Leon's ground flow, and also mains kicks/distance melee in contrast to Chris' more extreme close quarters style. (this is prevalent in RE5 and Death Island especially). Canonically Jill has bested both Chris and Leon in melee combat. Her win against Chris was probably affected by the alterations made to her by Wesker and also Chris not wanting to hurt her, but nonetheless. Chris is capable enough that he should be able to restrain someone without seriously hurting them. I think this is solid ground to say Jill is the most skilled hand to hand combatant in RE.

Like Chris, she can seriously take a hit. Most RE characters can, given their line of work, but these two especially.

Ada's style is geared toward stealth and efficiency, which lends itself to her more graceful and poised movement style. A lot of her RE4R melees rely on momentum and really putting her whole body into an attack. I don't just mean her spin kicks and hookshot melees, she puts her whole torso into her sidekick to the point that she actually looks away from the opponent because of the torque.

I've not looked as closely at Wesker, but his fighting style is this interesting mix of theatrics and brutal efficiency, which is enhanced by his speed. It all depends on how much he is toying with his opponent. He moves very quickly and hits precisely, but makes a show of it sometimes. See Code Veronica.

Though not really a trained agent or military personnel, Claire's gun handling is second to none. Chris may have been the best marksman in STARS, but I honestly believe that if it's her against him in a shooting contest, she would win. See Code Veronica, Degeneration, Rev2, etc.

A note on pain tolerance, Death Island gives us an interesting insight into that.

I got the sense that the initial viral injection from the drone hurts immensely. Claire is immediately brought to her hands and knees by the pain. This makes sense, as she's not a trained agent of any kind.

Chris lasts a little longer than her, but is soon brought to his hands and knees as well. That's how you know it has to hurt bad, because Chris Redfield, whose whole thing is being a tough guy who can take a hit, is on the ground. However, despite the pain, he still has the presence of mind to try and comfort his sister, which is also a very Chris thing to do.

I was actually quite surprised by Leon's pain tolerance. He toughs it out way longer than Chris did before going to the ground. Even then, he's present enough to aim his gun and throw a flash grenade, demonstrating he can work through more pain that Chris can. Even so, he's still unable to block any kind of attack from Maria or recover correctly after being hit, which makes sense.

[rainierest]

I feel like to Krauser, power represents safety. He would do anything to feel safe again after operation Javier. But he doesn’t realize that he never will. He’s selfish and doesn’t care if he hurts others to get to this goal, as he is unsure how he can live in a world where there is no safety no matter how powerful you are. He thinks he is unsafe because he is weak, (inferior) and doesn’t realize safety is never guaranteed. Leon by contrast has never felt safe for a moment in his life. Krauser views Leon as naive but leon is aware the government is using him and doesn’t care about him. He is just working for them to protect Sherry and access their resources. Krauser thought being a soldier meant something, and can’t handle that it meant nothing and that his whole squad died for no reason other than the government is corrupt. He also internalizes the idea that his injury makes him worthless and weak. He is willing to do anything for a way out. Krauser thinks leon is naive and still works for government because he doesn’t realize that they won’t protect him and that he needs power to be safe: LEON KNOWS THEYLL THROW HIM OUT THE SECOND HE STOPS BEING USEFUL. But he has to do the right thing. He then doesn’t understand why krauser can’t do the right thing, he doesn’t realize that krauser is still caught up in the betrayal and trauma. Krauser thought he was a part of something important. And he was abandoned and left to die with a bunch of people he was close to and they DID DIE. And he couldn’t do anything and felt he should have been able to protect them. He thinks it was HIS FAULT. But he also knows it was the governments fault and hates them. This is not to remove the selfishness from his actions he is deeply selfish and self centered and will do anything to get ahead. This is why he seeks power instead of revenge. He just also cares very much about the people he worked with imo and is extremely mad both they and him were thrown out. Since leon works for the government he sees him as part of the problem and also sees leon as representative of his failures/what he wasn’t able to achieve. He sees leon as his replacement and unwilling to see the truth.

TLDR: to krauser power = safety and Leon is naive for not seeking power, to Leon power = corruption and safety does not exist and krauser has corrupted himself in his desire to be safe which is in itself a naive thing to want.

[residencyisstrange]

Okay so maybe, just maybe, I'm looking far too deeply into it, but like... Helena & Leon are parallel to Claire & Sherry

I mean, sure, maybe it's unintentional. Maybe it's just coincidence, after all, Helena isn't a child. She doesn't need protection the way Sherry did. But it's definitely there, in the most subtle ways

One of the most prominent examples I can give of this is like.. both Leon and Claire see themselves in the younger counterpart. Claire sees Sherry and is reminded of herself as a kid, and Leon sees Helena and is reminded of when he was just introduced to bioweapons.

Claire's familiar with the feeling of being a scared and unsure child. It's one of her main interactions when meeting Sherry in re2r, she's empathizing with her over their parents. Connecting with her through their shared misfortune of losing their parents (in Sherry's case at the time, it was just her father)

Leon is familiar with the feeling of being unsure and having to deal with bioweapons all the time. Something we see Helena dealing with at the beginning of her and Leons campaign. Mainly during the elevator, where she's hesitant and unwilling to shoot the daughter of That Guy™. He scolds her, in a way some could analyze as a parallel to how Ada had yelled at him when they first met, but that's something that could be saved for a different post

Another similarity between Leon and Helena is the anger, moreso directed towards someone higher up. What I mean is; with Helena it's naturally Simmons, as he's the one who pressured her to allow what had happened at Tall Oaks with the president. That much is obvious, and with Leon, my intentions are much more directed towards re4(the remake, at least. I admit I do not know much of the original...) and the gap between the six years of it. The subject of his anger directed towards the government, for being coerced into agreement to join such from threats. Which is very familiar... (Cough, Helena, cough)

Something else to slap on is the fact of; Cleon has inspired their respective younger counterparts in different ways. Claire's inspired Sherry to grow up to be like her. Leon didn't exactly inspire Helena in the way Claire did, sure, but he did push her to keep going. Encouraging her to keep going until the end, and even then, still encouraging her to keep going.

The same can be said vice-versa; not in the same ways, but still. Sherry was a reason for Claire to keep going and to get them out. Helena, while not really motivating Leon to keep going, encouraged him to try and keep hope. For Ada at least, and that is still going down as a motivator in my books.

Mentor trainee you'll always be loved by me....

The same honestly could be said about Chris n Piers but I fear not everyone is ready for the parallels and discussion in that....

[jillsandwhichs]

I love when Valenfield hater's will say, "Look at how Jill acts with Chris in DI! She doesn't like him!" As if that's saying anything 😭🤷🏻‍♀️ No, ya goober, SHE'S FEELING IMMENSE GUILT!!! She feels terrible for how she hurt Chris in RE5. She blames herself, this is literally stated in not only the trailer but early on in the movie. Although it is truly on Wesker, she doesn't let herself accept that, not until the end. Even at the end, we don't truly know whether or not she did accept it. It's just fully showing that Jill is okay for once.

I'm not going to delve further into Jill's trauma or how she felt, rather Chris and Jill's relationship in the movie!

It is so evident that Chris loves her so very much in that movie. I swear, his main dialogue is her name. That man is obsessed. He worries about her over anyone else throughout the movie. It is always going to be her. As for Jill, she worries for him too and I don't think people take that into account. The moment she seen him in that jail cell, you could hear the heartbreak in her voice. The way she runs up to him and he reaches for her, oh it made my heart sink. The way she willingly took Dylan on so that she could protect not only him but the others, is so selfless and loving of her.

My favorite moment between them though, is when Jill is flung by Dylan and Chris runs over to her and holds her. The way they both give one another frantic yet loving look, it's so gentle, so serene, especially how she looks at him. Obviously, it doesn't last long considering Dylan is right in front of them and ready to kill them but 😭😂. I think one part that sticks with me the most though is the fact that his touch lingers on her. He doesn't let go of her, not instantly. And she's clearly okay with that, happy with that even.

Overall, I could go so much more in depth, scene for scene even, but it is 7:30 in the morning and I want to continue reading my Joel X reader fanfic 😭🤷🏻‍♀️!

I guess what I'm truly trying to say here though is that no one understands their relationship if they truly have the audacity to say, "Jill doesn't like him!" Or "Their relationship changed for good!" Because that evidently shows that you clearly did not watch the movie nor did you understand them and what they have. Bye-bye : )

[a-thousand-lives-lost-for-peace]

hii i saw you reblog that post abt like queer subtext in re and i am curious to hear abt the queer subtext u see w jill :>

hiiii, thank you for the ask !!

There's several things that I'll be discussing within my own personal view regarding this, and I'm super excited to get into it.

To start off with, I want to talk about a little bit of the inspiration behind Jill's character and how that also plays a factor into the queer subtext that I personally see - if I remember correctly, Ellen Ripley from Alien was a big inspiration for her character - which is where her tank top comes from, and also the namesake of Coffee Shop Sigourney in RE3. This inspiration is further reinforced by the fact that several scenes mimick the Xenomorph, Ripley's nemesis, within RE3 as well , such as when Nemesis kills Tyrell. It is almost uncanny how similar it looks to the way the Xenomorph kills some, and already having that conflict between Nemesis and Jill mimicking Ripley and Xenomorph is a big thing.

The impact of Ripley mostly surrounds the fact that Ripley was originally written to be played by any gender, and she was very strongly lesbian coded within the first film, and I believe there had been an intended romance angle between Lambert and Ellen.

Now , in regards to Jill specifically, she is inherently portrayed as more masculine, which in itself is a big factor when it comes to queercoding. She is someone who defies gender stereotypes and is also someone who made some great feats that were more populated by males within the time period, especially when it came to the fact that she was one of the only women within Delta Force before she was recruited to S.T.A.R.S. Both Ellen and Jill are similar in this regard, both of them heavily defy stereotypes and the typical casting of women or feminine-coded characters, being strong in their own right. Jill's strong, isn't afraid to get her hands dirty and has a mouth like a sailor's, as well as being fully capable of handling any situation on her own without inherently needing help, which is awesome to see when a lot of women in horror media tend to be the "damsel in distress."

Another big flag for her queercoding in my mind is her apartment itself, which I'm sure all of us know about. The posters on her wall are all of scantily-clad women, which in itself is an indicator that she definitely is queer in some way, further reinforced by her own clothing choices and manner of acting.

Jill has also never responded to male advancements or shown interest in male characters - she shuts down Carlos' attempts at flirting early on, even if she did warm up to it later. I also see her friendship with Chris Redfield personally as strictly platonic, as I haven't personally seen any kind of romantic interest between either of them - I think they rather see each other as brother and sister. Though however, when it comes to someone like Claire , Jill very obviously shows interest, especially shown in Death Island - where she's almost constantly looking at Claire, Claire gives her the coffee she was preparing for herself, and they're often pretty close together.

I will admit however I also see her being on the aro-ace spectrum along with her leaning towards others who are feminine-presenting , as I think Jill wouldn't be as focused on romance inherently, but wouldn't be opposed to it in certain situations. It just isn't something she seeks out.

Back onto the post as a whole, @highball66 mentioned in his post about Chris having leather outfits that are queer-coded in itself, and Jill has something similar with her Retribution outfit in Resident Evil: Resistance. For me, that was another big factor into considering the queer-coding of Jill, as those sort of outfits are mostly within the queer community.

[void-detective]

Tragically Beautiful -Serennedy

Small spoilers from Separate Ways

When I first became a fan of Resident Evil I was drawn into the dynamic between Leon and Luis when I was watching RE4. There was so much that I enjoyed the more I got into Re and how much more I understood when it came to the dynamic that the pairing had through their short interactions in scene packs.

Something about Leon specifically that I learned when getting into RE is that he is exceptionally understanding and can't seem to just hate people. Everyone he's ever associated with has had some form of connection to the Umbrella corporation, the same reason he is so traumatized so you'd think he would hate anyone from the organization. But no with both Ada and Luis he does not really seem to hate them in ways that could be understandable for his character, but that's not his nature. Leon was already very suspicious of Luis from the first time they met but they worked off each other naturally when it came to fighting and chemistry. Upon learning that Luis worked alongside Umbrella and was a contributing factor to Racoon City, Leon does not treat him differently no matter the implications that may leave.

@highball66 from all their Cheron posts it is even further pushed that Leon clicks with people he deeply cares about and understands. He makes connections to people a lot emotionally and bonds to those he can sympathize with. This is all my own interpretation of Leon of course but his connection to Chris is incredibly strong, they are in perfect sync and share a chemistry only achieved from years of working even seeming to be connected deeper then they were originally.

In small tidbits of the game play we see Leon and Luis connecting in a somewhat playful manner, from bantering while they are walking around, encouraging each other in fighting and Luis' all to subtle attempts to oogle Leon throughout the game. In the game Luis is hell bent on attempting to repair the damage he did as a result of working with Umbrella but still holds the organization close to his heart as seen with his lighter and the photo. Luis knows he's hurt lots of people and wants nothing more then to protect, in his mind this is making up for his crimes he committed within Umbrella because he is so guilty over the matter.

Through his time with Ada he expresses only worry and persistence on finding a way to cure and save Leon and Ashely from the Plaga. He wants to help them no matter the situation even as he is helping Ada, he is more concerned about them. He barley knows Ashely and Leon but he is constantly running into danger for them, from giving Leon the medicine, running to check on Leon, save the medicine for Leon and Ashley, handing his laboratory key to Leon, and pushing his dying body to save Leon.

Leon is constantly losing people closest to him and no matter who it is, he is deeply affected. From being on the verge of tears during Luis' death to his pained reaction to killing Krauser. Leon was lazer focused on his mission but he was also very caring toward Luis in situations, he is gentle with people and expresses his care as well as he can. He lets himself be open with someone again since he was with Ada and even possibly since Krauser (if you believe they had something in the military) he starts to be less cold and shows his more playful and joking side. He trusts Luis once he actually admits he is in the wrong and tells Leon what he wants to know, he gives him the past details even at the risk of damaging their relationship and at that expense it deepens their bond. Their connection is much more genuine then any other Leon has had since Chris, the importance to Leon is gaining trust again after everything he's been through.

Luis was focused on making things right and becoming a better person but in the process his continuous act of running away from it, is what ended up killing him. His fantasy proved he believes he could be a hero even if it was somewhat mediocre. His entire life changed as he lost people around him as well as a result of Los Iluminado and Umbrella. He holds onto things that may be painful for him but they are still of importance in his heart (his rings as religious symbols and the umbrella photo+his lighter) Luis values proving himself and removing his past, helping others as a way to "make himself feel better."

Both of them became very close during the mission, constantly getting in harms way for the other and gaining a chemistry similar to Cheron. The main theme overlapping with Serennedy is change. How things can change a person for the worse or the best, they express the importance of healing and accepting your past, and they express the importance of trusting. Leon has been through so much with people he's held closest but he chooses to keep helping people because he knows people can change.

I have a feeling he knew Luis could change too.

Anyone can mend their past with the right steps to becoming better.

"People can change, right Leon?"

.

.

"You were a fine knight, Don Quixote.."

[fools-fall-much-too-soon]

Account Update / Leon Kennedy Stuff

Hey friends! Recently I made a post complaining about the current state of the Leon Kennedy fandom and how hard it is to find content about Leon that isn't overtly sexual or just generally gross. It seemed some people agreed with me, so from now on I'm going to be using this account to make Leon/Resi content.

Here you'll find overly specific headcanons, fanart that wasn't only inspired by the remake models, character playlists with corresponding links to docs that breakdown why each song is there, metas about the resi characters (mostly Leon lol), and much much more. I'll try to keep it simply about the characters themselves, not just self-ship/romantic stuff (although there might be a tiny bit bc I can't deny that I have a crush on Leon like the rest of us do... He's been my babygirl since I was 6)

Anyways, if you like the sound of that, feel free to follow me (also follow @highball66 bc they make amazing resi content). I have a LOT of Leon content I've been keeping to myself and I'll post it all soon! Here are some pictures of Leon for the he road!

[sapphire-weapon]

So here's an interesting thing.

This is Saddler's POV when Ashley picks up Leon's gun:

Leon isn't looking at Ashley.

He's looking right at Saddler. And that's the look of a man who's ready to kill.

It's only after the first shot is fired that Leon actually looks at Ashley, and his expression is completely different when he does.

From Ashley's POV:

This might sound weird, but this is probably the best showcase of how fundamentally changed Leon is in RE4make from RE2make. In RE2make, his focus would've been Ashley first. He would've been worried about her and scared for himself. Saddler would be an afterthought; Leon can worry about Saddler after both he and Ashley are safe.

That was probably what Krauser was referring to during training when he told Leon that he was too soft to do what's necessary. You know, before Krauser himself went nuts, and the meaning of that statement became something else entirely.

But in RE4make, Leon's first response is rage. It's violence. It's murder. His instinct isn't to save Ashley or protect himself -- it's to kill Saddler.

It's only after it hits him just how stuck he is -- after that first shot is fired -- that the worry starts -- that the regret and heartache kick in.

What Krauser taught Leon -- what he really taught Leon -- was that protecting someone is more than shielding them from harm or pulling them to safety. It's eliminating the threat around them so that they can be safe. Shields can break, and running protects no one.

So, sure, the "being held against my will" thing is the main reason why Leon turns down Ashley's offer at the end of the game -- but it's not the only reason. It's because Leon came to accept, over the course of this mission, that he's not that guy anymore. He can't stand by and be Ashley's guard. The only way he knows how to protect her is by eliminating the threat around her -- and that's not what security detail does.

But that's who Leon's become now. The ship of "serve and protect" has sailed, for him. In his own words: "You've gotta keep moving forward."

[vampyre-nights]

Why Leon is a Rabbit (Not a Cat)

Aka I associate Leon with rabbits very heavily and here's why

Alright so not many people actually know a whole lot about what rabbits do or act like, so I'll be going into detail here. While Leon does exhibit some cat-like behaviors (like being very agile and quiet. having a stoic attitude), I would say overall the association is flimsy at best. Especially since rabbits exhibit these behaviors as well.

First thing is how quiet rabbits are. Typically they don't vocalize at all unless they're in extreme distress or very happy. When distressed they scream or grunt, and when happy they purr by clicking/grinding their teeth. Leon's not a huge talker for the most part. He makes jokes to self sooth in distressing situations, and will comfort those he is around. However that's usually the extent of it unless he's with someone he trusts a lot like Chris and Claire. Those behaviors are very close to that of a rabbit, especially if you factor in his hyper-vigilance.

Speaking of hyper-vigilance, Leon is so hyper-vigilant it's crazy. That's not very surprising for someone who has been through what's been through and works in the field he does. He really does remind me of a jumpy rabbit sometimes. The constant pressure he's under to survive while simultaneously being reminded of his trauma reminds me very much of a prey animal.

Now to the most obvious association: the kicking. Rabbits are well known for their very long, powerful legs, and so is Leon. If he is forced into a melee situation, or he has the opportunity, he is most likely going to roundhouse kick a mf in the face. That and he's iconic for his back flips which require some powerful legs.

Back to rabbit behaviors - Rabbits fare far better in groups. While Leon is by no means a leader (he constantly puts himself in the role of follower when there is another person there who can take the lead), he definitely thrives in groups. or at least with another person. When keeping rabbits, whether it be as a pet, livestock, or a show animal, it is almost required to have at the very least a second one unless you can spend a very large amount of your day with them. This is so that they don't get deeply depressed and restless. Leon is very very similar in this way. He's so alone and isolated so often, and it's obvious it's taking a toll on him. Hell, he's an alcoholic who only starts recovering when his friends step in and support him more. He is doing far better in death island than he has in several years specifically because he has more support and people looking out for him/that he can actually be around more. He's still struggling for sure, but he's certainly doing better.

I may add more later, but these are the main reasons!

[lesbianwyllravengard]

Babe get over here the kids are figuring out that Leon Kennedy has survivor's guilt

[farashibutjustfoolingaorund]

it's weskin' time

The following is an analysis (read as "ramble") concerning Wesker based on Wesker’s Report and Wesker’s Report 2. 

One of the things I appreciate about Resident Evil characters is that while they do have nuance, their nuance typically falls in line with a core character trait that makes them simple to understand at a glance. For Wesker, that core trait is his sense of superiority, which shapes almost everything he does; from his opinions on others, to his personal preferences, to his moral code. 

Wesker is incredibly full of himself, which makes sense, given his upbringing as one of the ‘best and brightest’ of humanity. He’s got an insane resume of both scientific and military experience owing to his physical and intellectual prowess. As such, Wesker only respects those who are on his level or higher, and he only knows two kinds of people: those who are of use to him, and those who are to be disposed of. 

This is why he trusts and respects William Birkin, at least intellectually. Wesker believes Birkin to be superior to every other scientific mind, including Alexia’s, even if he is immature and hard to get along with. As such, he has to make up for William’s weaknesses and cater to them in order to take full advantage of his genius; which Wesker not only recognizes but places full trust in. He sticks around in Arklay for over a decade because of William’s research, even when much of it seems fruitless. However, the most significant show of Wesker’s trust in Birkin was when he injected himself with the Tyrant virus. The Tyrant virus has a one in one million chance of success, so Wesker had to trust William Birkin’s work with his life and future. 

Interestingly, it even seems at some points that Wesker cares about William Birkin in some capacity. Granted, I believe that capacity is strictly related to their work and what Wesker has to gain from William. Nonetheless, it causes Birkin to become a priority in Wesker’s life, and they become partners in their endeavors.

Despite his trust and respect toward William’s work, It is interesting and somewhat humorous that Wesker describes the hectic work environment caused by William’s obsession with his research as ‘hell’. It’s the exact opposite to the sort of calculated and efficient approach Wesker would have taken toward such a project. But, as I’ve mentioned, Wesker believes in Birkin’s abilities, so he sticks around anyhow. 

However, William’s frequent all-nighters and 24-hour work sessions start becoming Wesker’s frequent all-nighters, seeing as they’re partners of sorts. He finds himself having to clean up after Birkin’s failures. Though not explicitly stated in the reports, I get the sense that Wesker must’ve felt like he was trapped in Arklay, having been in that facility for 6 years doing mostly dead-end research. Wesker is ambitious, and not one to take any enjoyment in being the pawn of someone else’s game, a game he has no oversight, understanding, or control of. Wesker mentions a couple of times that he frequently took hikes in the forest. He might have done this as some means to get out of the confines of the research facility. 

Wesker’s sense of superiority is also evident in the way he presents himself, or if you’d prefer a rephrasing, in the way his writers and character designers made sure he read. This shows up in his diction, as it is very theatrical and dramatic, almost as if he’s narrating a novel. This creates an interesting contrast against his later plans for mass genocide and his fighting style, which are ruthlessly efficient. Both of these combine to create that downright menacing, but also sometimes ridiculously supervillain thing he has going on. On the note of genocide and other such atrocities, let’s talk about his moral code. 

Wesker makes a comment about Alexia being too young for any sort of dangerous experiments, but I don’t think he says that out of any kind of compassion or morality, I think he means it in regard to what he perceives as her childish intellect and maturity. He doesn’t seem to approve of Birkin’s haphazard experiments either, which he owes to William’s immaturity. Wesker understands that kids don’t belong in the lab because they’re not ready for it; they’re just too stupid and careless. 

You’d expect a man who later makes serious plans for mass genocide to have no regard for human life, but interestingly, Wesker seems concerned about a potential outbreak in his report. Does he actually care about casualties? Or does he just prefer control over chaos? I think the latter is more likely, which makes it seem as if Wesker has zero regard or opinion on morality at all. However, we get a very interesting insight on Wesker’s beliefs from this quote:

“Never did I imagine that STARS could slay the evil creation. I lost the Tyrant and the plan I devised which cost me my humanity ended in failure.”

This is the only morally coded statement we ever receive from Wesker in these reports. He recognizes the Tyrant, a biological weapon built for the killing and extermination of humanity, as evil. The way he says it doesn’t make me think he’s saying this like the Tyrant is objectively evil, he isn’t stating it like he states facts. To Wesker, the Tyrant is evil. 

This statement also shows that Wesker valued his humanity. But what is ‘humanity’ to him? He may regard ‘humanity’ as a natural, biological life, something that would end after his infection with the Tyrant virus. He may also acknowledge freedom, knowledge, and discovery as aspects of humanity to him. He shows frustration with being ‘trapped’ at the Arklay research facility, that he was the pawn in plans he didn’t yet have oversight or understanding of. His tendency for theatrics and drama and his evident knowledge of, use of, and perhaps enjoyment of prose, could mean he appreciates the arts to some extent. 

Don’t misunderstand, his ideology is still incredibly utilitarian. Wesker evaluates almost everything by its worth based on its success, failure, profit, or cost. Despite this, he still values his humanity and understands that bioweapons are dangerous in a way that is evil. I’m not saying in any capacity that he is a good person. He doesn’t care about Lisa’s suffering. He has no qualms about holding Barry’s family under threat or killing his STARS team members, but he still has some kind of view of right and wrong. It just so happens that his own success supersedes morality in his mind.

But how does he get from this worldview to the man who doesn’t care if billions die just so that a few may live, like his intention with the Uroboros project? Where does his obsession with creating a superior race truly begin?

I think the turning point is when he injects himself with the Tyrant virus. It’s a symbol of him exchanging his humanity for power. This transition has already been in the making since he decided to jump ship at Umbrella to somewhere more advantageous,  but his infection was a point of no return. He was willing to sacrifice everything for a chance at power. 

Despite being so capable, Wesker has had little actual freedom or agency up until that moment. He was just Umbrella’s pawn for many years of his life, born and raised to be someone else’s creation. His rebellion against Umbrella was his first taste of freedom, a freedom which he’d likely been yearning for ever since he began to feel trapped in Arklay. Now, he’s pulling out all the stops, no holding back anymore. He’s willing to give all for the chance at power. Albert Wesker is ready to be the one in control. 

“Now, anything and anyone that stood in my way would be terminated. It’s been that way for a long time, and it always will be.”

[grilde1chesse]

thinking about how krauser knows leon like nobody else & therefore hurts him like no one else can.

thinking about how in the script krauser guided leon’s hand into his chest, how he went out content and proud, rather than bitter or scared. he wanted to die by leon’s hand, encouraged it even.

thinking about how he calls leon by his name rather than boy scout or rookie, how leon’s face was the last he’d ever see, and how he was perfectly content with that. how leon called him major one last time, both showing their respect for each other that had previously been buried under their pride.

thinking about how leon can’t even look at krauser when killing him, plunging the knife into his chest with a quivering lip and eyes squeezed shut. thinking about how he looks at himself in the blade afterwards, unable to keep eye contact with his own reflection and visibly holding back tears.

“Do... what you have to do. That's right.

I trained you well... Leon”

[magda-kb]

Character Analysis Of Luis Serra:

I just think someone needs to do this here on Tumblr so here we go…

Born in the remote and devoutly Catholic village of Valdelobos, Spain, Luis grew up in a reclusive, pre-industrial community that shunned modernity. The death of his mother during childbirth left him in the care of his grandfather (Man in the picture above together with Luis), a hunter whose wisdom and love shaped Luis’s early years.

From a young age, Luis displayed an insatiable curiosity and intelligence that set him apart. While his peers clung to the village’s traditions, Luis dreamed of the world beyond its mountains, finding solace in fairy tales and stories, particularly the adventures of Don Quixote. His grandfather recognized his potential, lamenting the limits imposed by their isolated life.

Later on his grandfather was attacked by a wolf and succumbed to a mysterious illness. Rumors of madness swirled, and fear gripped the superstitious villagers. The village’s chieftain, influenced by paranoia, ordered the family cabin to be burned to prevent the spread of the supposed "infection." According to the texts found throughout the game, the boy stood outside the house the whole time watching the flames, the next day he had disappeared from the village and nobody knew where the boy was.

In the modern world, Luis thrived, earning recognition as a prodigy in biology and securing a position at Umbrella Pharmaceuticals. Despite his remarkable achievements, including work on groundbreaking research, his tenure at Umbrella left him disillusioned. For example, we know that he was an employee of Project Nemesis (note to Racoon City - Nemesis T-Type).The corporation’s ethical compromises clashed with Luis’s growing moral awareness, leading to his resignation. This decision underscored a recurring theme in Luis’s character: the struggle between ambition and conscience.

Luis’s return to Valdelobos in 2004 placed him at the center of a nightmare. The village had fallen under the control of Los Iluminados, a cult manipulating the villagers’ religiosity to propagate a parasitic organism known as Las Plagas. Saddler, the cult’s leader, enlisted Luis for his scientific expertise, tasking him with enhancing the parasites. Initially compliant, Luis became horrified upon realizing Saddler’s true intentions. His guilt over his role in the cult’s atrocities drove him to seek redemption.

This is where Luis’s complexity truly shines. Torn between his past mistakes and a desire to atone, he takes enormous risks to undermine Saddler. Partnering with Ada Wong, Luis orchestrates plans to escape with the cult’s critical research sample, the Amber.

Here, too, I would like to emphasize a particular passage from the Separate Ways DLC that was already a bit of a foreshadowing of what his fate would be: Namely, during the scene in which other village members fell victim to the cult, Luis spoke of the fact that the next dance would be his… It should also be noted here that the already deceased was lying in exactly the same posture as Luis will later do… So it really was his “last dance”, so to speak (You can see it a little in the photo below, but it is clearly visible in the game itself)

Luis’s interactions with Leon S. Kennedy in the main game reveal yet another layer of his character. Despite their initial mistrust, Luis proves his worth as an ally, displaying a blend of wit, vulnerability, and a desperate need to make amends. His decision to assist Leon and Ashley, even at great personal risk, underscores his transformation from a man driven by self-interest to one guided by selflessness.

Ultimately, Luis’s arc concludes tragically yet heroically. Fatally wounded by Jack Krauser, Luis uses his final moments to ensure Leon and Ashley have the tools to fight back against Saddler. His death is not just a sacrifice but a culmination of his redemptive journey—a final act of defiance against all the things he did in the past. There is also the fact that Luis has doubts. Mainly about the things he himself has done in the past - And it is precisely these doubts that seem to characterize his last moment.

Something I would like to add: Krauser threw his knife directly into Luis’s spine. I mean clearly he aimed to kill. When a victim is stabbed in the area of the spinal cord, the spinal cord can be severed, sheared, torn, or otherwise damaged. This will result in a loss of function below the point of injury. That’s why it’s so impressive and powerful that Luis was able to muster up the last of his strength and force his hand to shoot at Krauser-hitting directly at his knife that could have killed Leon. That would now also explain why Luis can’t properly use his lighter and needed Leon to do it for him. Because after the lighter drops we can not see him move his body again…

Luis Serra is a character defined by contradictions: a brilliant scientist haunted by his complicity in unethical experiments, a dreamer shaped by the harsh realities of his upbringing, and a man who ultimately chooses redemption over survival. Something I would also like to point out is to link the whole story to Don Quixote. Because just like the self-proclaimed knight, he also had this urge of idealism throughout his life - which also led Don Quixote to make mistakes in the end and ultimately to his death... But in the end he became a hero and more or less passed on the title of knight to Leon...