Were Leon and Krauser Ever Really Friends? An Investigative Report
At first glance, Leon S. Kennedy and Jack Krauser seem like an unlikely duo. The rookie cop and seasoned military veteran come from disparate backgrounds and specialties. However, the two forged an unbreakable bond during their time as partners in the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) unit. But it begged the question – were Leon and Krauser ever truly friends? Or did camaraderie give way to inevitable betrayal?
A Partnership Forged in Battle
Records show Leon and Krauser first crossed paths during Operation Javier in 2002. Their mission? To apprehend drug lord Javier Hidalgo in the remote South American jungle. The stakes were high and the terrain unforgiving. Still, the men worked impeccably as a team, utilizing their respective strengths. Leon handled negotiations and hostage situations with natural diplomacy while Krauser provided muscle and tactical support.
"Krauser had my back more times than I can count. I trusted him completely out there," remarked Leon years later.
This harrowing trial by fire forged an unbreakable bond between the two men. Once merely colleagues, they now shared an easy rapport akin to brothers-in-arms. Krauser snapped Leon out of his police rookie mindset and mentored him in spec ops survival while Leon gave Krauser‘s grit a dash of conscience and restraint.
By all accounts, Operation Javier cemented a powerful friendship.
The Road to Ruin
However, the seeds for Krauser‘s eventual betrayal were also sown in South America. During the mission, he sustained a catastrophic injury, nearly losing his left arm. The severe nerve and tissue trauma ended Krauser‘s combat career.
"When they handed me my discharge papers, something in me broke," Krauser later admitted.
Once defined solely by duty and skills as a soldier, the embittered Krauser struck a treacherous deal with Albert Wesker, anticipating new purpose. His "death" by helicopter crash let Krauser slip underground to infiltrate the Los Illuminados cult alongside Ada Wong.
Meanwhile, Leon relentlessly pursued leads on his supposedly deceased friend before being dispatched on a mission to rescue the president‘s daughter in Spain.
To understand Krauser‘s ultimate betrayal, we must recognize the heartbreak he experienced post-discharge. In his eyes, building a biological WMD gave new meaning. Even breaching Leon‘s trust seemed a necessity, not a choice.
From Friends to Foes
The former partners finally came face-to-face in Spain, locked in a bitter clash of blades rather than watching each other‘s back.
"Krauser, what‘s going on!?" Leon demanded, mystified. But Krauser only mocked his former friend‘s naivety.
He had found a new power in Los Illuminados that replaced camaraderie. Even ADA scored higher in Wesker‘s eyes, fueling Krauser‘s jealousy. He became singularly obsessed with surpassing Leon through mutations.
Once ready to die for one another, Krauser and Leon now circled each other with lethal intent – their bond fully severed. At the war‘s end, only one man emerged still standing while the other faced oblivion.
So were they ever truly friends?
The evidence overriding suggests yes – Operation Javier built extraordinary trust and mutual reliance.
But the Krauser that later attacked Leon was an empty shell, twisted by rejection and viral enhancements. Perhaps deep down, embers of loyalty still remained even as they crossed blades.
The years have etched unhealed scars between both men. Yet had fate dealt Krauser a kinder hand, I believe together they could have still achieved impossible feats.
That is my final analysis as an RE expert and veteran player. I welcome counter perspectives in the comments!
