No Leon Kennedy to Be Found in Resident Evil Village
Veteran bioterrorism fighter Leon S. Kennedy does not make an appearance in the latest Resident Evil title. While series newcomer Ethan Winters takes point to rescue his daughter from Mother Miranda and her lycans in Resident Evil Village (2021), Leon‘s whereabouts during these events are unknown.
So where exactly is the iconic Raccoon City survivor turned government agent when Ethan faces this new viral threat? Let‘s analyze some theories about why Leon sits this sequel out.
Theories on Leon‘s RE8 Absence
Leon has been a Resident Evil protagonist staple since his introduction in 1998‘s Resident Evil 2. He‘s spearheaded four major game titles in the series so far. Fans have come to expect Leon leading the charge against any new bioweapon threats, so his absence from RE8 came as a surprise.
On Assignment with the DSO
The most logical explanation is that concurrent to Ethan‘s struggles in Romania, Leon is preoccupied with an urgent mission elsewhere. Following the global bio-attacks in Resident Evil 6 (2013), he likely has his hands full coordinating the DSO‘s response.
As one of the founders of the Division of Security Operations, Leon almost certainly still holds a leadership position in the organization eight years later. Perhaps when alerts came in that a remnant Umbrella group had kidnapped a DSO asset‘s daughter, Leon delegated the rescue mission to capable agent and family man Ethan.
Meanwhile, there‘s no shortage of bioterrorism threats needing Leon‘s personal attention after the fallout of Tall Oaks, Lanshiang, and all the other attacks.
Battle Fatigue
Still, some may find it strange for Leon to willingly sit out any viral outbreak after fighting them most of his adult life. And by 2021, veteran bioterrorism specialist Leon S. Kennedy has been battling chaos and horrors for 23 years.
Perhaps Leon realized after thwarting yet another global catastrophe in 2013 that he couldn‘t keep burning the candle at both ends forever. Maybe the realization finally hit him that he needs to take a step back before total burnout. And that this new lycan threat could be the perfect mission for the agency‘s up-and-coming agent Ethan Winters to cut his teeth on.
There‘s also Leon‘s longtime fear in the games that if he doesn‘t see a current viral threat through to the end, mankind might face an even bigger catastrophe later on. Does his absence from RE8 mean he considers Mother Miranda‘s operation less of a risk than world-ending viruses like the Plaga or C-Virus?
Leon‘s Age and Vitals
We should also consider that while still extremely capable, Leon is 44 years old by the events of Resident Evil Village. He isn‘t recovering from injuries and life-threatening infections as quickly as when he was a hot shot cop starting out.
While there are no signs Leon plans to hang up his signature bomber jacket anytime soon, he has sustained significant wounds over 20 years fighting bioterrorism. Such as severe shoulder injuries from constant shotgun recoils or repeated stabbings by regenerators. Not to mention infections by Las Plagas parasites and the persisting effects of substances he‘s been injected or exposed to against his will during missions.
| Character | Age in RE8 | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leon Kennedy | 44 years | 5‘11" | 163 lbs |
| Chris Redfield | 45 years | 6‘1" | 218 lbs |
| Ethan Winters | 36 years | 5‘9” | 165 lbs |
So while Leon can still trade blows with mutated monsters twice his weight class, he‘s at an age where charging into the next outbreak alone isn‘t getting easier. Perhaps he felt Ethan‘s desperate search for his little girl was better matched to another‘s skills this time.
What Next for Leon S. Kennedy?
Whatever mission is currently occupying him, Leon‘s name clearly still carries weight eight years after Lanshiang. We get an idea just how renowned his reputation has become from this radio snippet early in RE8:
"I don‘t give a damn if you are a 73-year-old widow suffering from treatable blindness! You go tell Leon S. Kennedy that–!"
Clearly from a respected outside party demanding Leon‘s expertise with handling a situation. Even with top medical conditions complicating things, they seem extremely confident in Leon‘s problem-solving skills.
Given that glowing testimonial of Leon‘s esteem as a bioterrorism advisor, he hardly seems ready to fully retire from the DSO anytime soon.
The Next Resident Evil Generation
But with the introductions of fresh characters like Ethan and the rumors of Resident Evil 9 in development, the franchise seems poised to pass the torch. As new heroes rise the ranks, Leon will likely take on more of a leadership or mentoring role from here on out. Though still more than ready to take point if extreme circumstances require it.
We can expect this shift to happen gradually though. And a full-fledged Leon-led mission is already on the horizon with the Resident Evil 4 remake coming in 2024. This suggests that while we probably won‘t see him star in every mainline sequel anymore, any appearances will be significant.
And given the character‘s sustained popularity through eight U.S. presidential terms in office, I‘d expect more playable side campaigns or co-op content featuring Leon as well. So while the agent seems content to let Ethan confront Miranda and her freakish creatures solo this time out, Leon S. Kennedy‘s portrait still hanging proudly in that Raccoon City police station isn‘t fading away anytime soon.
