Why Did Albert Wesker Always Wear Sunglasses?
As an iconic villain who left a lasting impression across his decade-plus tenure in the Resident Evil franchise, Albert Wesker was rarely seen without his trademark dark sunglasses. But why the perpetual shades? As a long-time fan and commentator on all things Resident Evil, I‘ve done a deep dive into understanding the man behind the glasses and what motivated this key fashion choice.
Concealing His Mutated Eyes
The most practical reason comes down to hiding his glowing, cat-like red eyes – a side effect of the Progenitor virus infection that gave him his superhuman abilities. After injecting this virus, his pupils narrowed into slits while his irises turned red – an obvious visual giveaway that his DNA had been altered.
According to an analysis in the Resident Evil Fan Wiki, "His narrow pupils and glowing reddish-orange irises give him an inhuman appearance."
By always wearing tinted glasses, Wesker concealed these mutated eyes that revealed his infected status as he worked covertly for years toward his goal of world domination and forced evolution through viruses.
As quoted from Wesker in Resident Evil Code Veronica:
"Let‘s just say I‘m going to need a few things from you. Things I wouldn‘t want the other officers to know about…"
So secrecy was paramount to his plans coming to fruition. Hiding telltale signs like his eyes was a logical move early on, allowing him to continue laying plans from within organizations like S.T.A.R.S and TriCell undetected.
Projecting Cold Confidence
On top of disguise, the perpetual sunglasses also lent Wesker an intimidating air of mystery and unreadability that bolstered his threatening presence as a powerful villain. Conveniently, they fit perfectly with his black militaristic ensemble – his look screamed covert operative.
Obscuring his eyes made him seem coldly detached and inhuman, like some unfeeling predator sizing up prey. His emotions were never betrayed through his eyes once they changed – it was impossible to appeal to his humanity. An analytical man with intense focus and preparation, Wesker kept his plans close to the chest.
In perhaps Wesker‘s most famous line, he outright states:
"I am the only one who knows what has to be done."
This insulating confidence in his own grand vision certainly shone through the darkness of his sunglasses. Wesker carried himself with the self-assurance of one who thought himself to be the smartest person in the room – and the deadliest. Speaking to his threatening capabilities…
Statistics on Wesker‘s Superhuman Abilities
| Strength Stat | Demostration |
|---|---|
| Lifts up to 5 tons | Picks up large missiles with one hand |
| Runs up to 60 mph | Blitzes normal humans easily |
| Super speed | Quickly dodges bullets at close range |
| Super healing | Rapidly recovers from gunshots and explosions |
As displayed above, Wesker‘s strength, speed, and damage resilience exceeded human limits, making him an incredibly dangerous foe for the game‘s protagonists to face. His concealed eyes behind those sunglasses added to his threatening presence. What villain lurking in the shadows wouldn‘t play up such perception?
Visual Iconography Supporting His God Complex
As Wesker‘s pursuit of power progressed, delusions of godhood began warping his worldview. Displayed visually, Wesker radiated arrogance that all were beneath him – nothing conveyed this better than him wearing sunglasses at night. Wesker clearly saw himself as beyond human, both in ability and self-perceived destiny.
Analyzing Wesker‘s warped psyche based on his portrayal across games, the Resident Evil wiki sums it up:
"Wesker‘s pursuit of superhuman power reveals him as arrogant, conceited and egotistical. He firmly believes himself a god among men, superior to them in every way thanks to the virus in his body."
Casting everything under the shadow of his glasses reinforced Wesker‘s disdain for humanity and contempt of anything that would make him seem ‘ordinary‘. He demonstrates contempt for weakness and obsesses over ubermensch ideals of the perfect future race that only he has the vision to direct. Truly a god complex of the highest order!
Visually Stunning – An Iconic Look Perfected
Finally, an out-of-universe contribution to the signature Wesker style – his sleek black outfit combining tactical gear and tailored leather, topped with bespoke sunglasses screaming agent provocateur. The guy just looked damn cool, there‘s no doubt about it.
Slim fitting and all black clothing has a classic dangerous allure, evoking images of the sophisticated super spy or assassin. His getup projects competence, danger and panther-like grace.
As one of the most compelling villains in video game history, Wesker‘s appearance intentionally tapped into these impressions, crafting an instantly recognizable silhouette and facade. The dark glasses topping his ensemble imprinted Wesker as a visually iconic foe over many memorable battles spanning multiple sequels.
In Conclusion…
Albert Wesker‘s ever-present shades served multiple purposes for the power-hungry villain: concealing inhuman mutations, projecting strength and secrecy, feeding egomaniacal god delusions, and perfecting a threatening iconic style befitting one of gaming‘s greatest antagonists. Call it form matching twisted function – whichever the underlying motive, there‘s no denying those glasses cemented Wesker‘s status as a Resident Evil legend.
