Why Don‘t They Show Ethan‘s Face in Resident Evil?

Capcom has intentionally kept protagonist Ethan Winters‘ face hidden throughout his shocking appearances in Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and Resident Evil Village, a creative decision that adds to the mystery surrounding this enigmatic character. But why the secrecy after over 35+ hours of gameplay? As a long-time Resident Evil fan and commentator, let‘s analyze the clues behind gaming‘s faceless hero.

Jumping to First-Person for Immersion and Intrigue

Ethan‘s lack of backstory and indistinct face allow players to step directly into his shoes in a way not seen since the original Resident Evil. Unlike classic protagonists like Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine, Ethan has no ties to Umbrella or prior character establishment before catastrophe strikes. As a blank slate, players see through Ethan‘s eyes only, increasing immersion.

This immersion is further amplified by the dramatic shift to first-person perspective starting in Resident Evil 7, a bold move that paid off commercially:

"We felt that going first-person would help to heighten the immersion and really put people right into the shoes of the protagonist in a way that hasn‘t been possible in the third-person games." – Peter Fabiano, Resident Evil 7 producer

Without clearly seeing his whole character on-screen, players embody Ethan’s perspective to truly feel his desperate struggle for survival, creating deeper investment in his nightmarish journey.

This intense first-person view also shrouds Ethan‘s identity in mystery. Who is this average man thrown into bizarre bio-horror events? Not knowing anything about him, including seeing his terrified reactions, makes Ethan‘s continued survival against the odds more compelling. Like Ethan, players are left guessing how just an everyman has the capacity to overcome relentless superpowered foes.

Player Expression Through an Enigmatic Hero

Without an established personality or visual identity, Ethan Winters is a vessel for players to imprint their own thoughts, feelings, and reactions onto. Instead of following the familiar mannerisms of long-running characters like Chris or Jill, we share the shock at each twist and turn revelation with Ethan just as he experiences it.

Ethan’s lack of definable attributes also means no assumptions can be made about his skills or abilities. This grounds the progression in reality – as Ethan adapts and responds to threats, so does the player in tandem, strengthening our bond through surviving together.

By contrast, Resident Evil stalwarts like Leon are almost overcapable, wielding expansive arsenals and one-liner quips even against extreme odds. Ethan feels vulnerable and human, making small wins like barricading doors or concocting ammo more impactful celebrations of our persistence in the face of the unknown.

Without the burden of reputation, Ethan‘s feats become our feats. In RE7, the mystery compounds: how does this nobody overcome regenerating superhumans and solve outrageous puzzles? Our achievement directly parallels Ethan’s own desperate, shocked success at staying alive.

Heightened Vulnerability as an Unlikely Action Hero

Obscuring Ethan‘s face also heightens the sense of human vulnerability against seemingly unstoppable, often ludicrously proportioned, foes like the Baker family or Lady Dimitrescu. With his identity hidden, Ethan could be anyone under that generic jacket and cap, making his visceral struggles more relatable.

The concealment of Ethan’s reactions forces us to imagine the emotional distress he endures, rather than relying on familiar facial ques. noises of pain and panic replace expression as our only clues, while surrounded by the grotesque and bizarre. Ethan’s stunned silence at the nightmarish creatures matches our own.

This vulnerability reaches disturbing peaks when Ethan‘s hands get maimed. A faceless nobody having their fingers bitten off one by one is intensely visceral. Seeing shredded sinews of muscle and splintered bone where emotional cues might usually anchor the protagonist’s humanity makes these shocking mutilations even more intensely disturbing.

By keeping Ethan’s visual reactions obscured, it forces players to confront the gory bodily horror directly. Our avatar screaming mutely inside Jack Baker’s car as he methodically severs each finger made me squirm in my seat. Ethan’s anguished cries echoed my own revulsion. In RE games defined by freakish bioweapons, Ethan’s blank masked distress makes each encounter uncomfortably immediate.

Commitment to Core Resident Evil Themes and Lore

Ethan’s concealed face enables player immersion and vulnerability, complementing core Resident Evil themes of unknown threats overwhelming human understanding – regular people combatting forces beyond comprehension. Hiding Ethan’s identity commits fully to this signature hallmark of the genre-defining series.

Ethan has no ties to shadowy corporations like Umbrella or bioterrorism task forces like the BSAA. He discovers and reacts to each revelation organically through player inputs, without in-universe experiences or expertise to draw from like other RE protagonists. We share his clawing desperation to save Mia despite bewildering mutations, his agonizing injuries driving him to continue, and his bewildered determination hauling him through confrontations with unspeakable creatures.

In fact, Ethan’s backstory interlinks deeply with the entire Resident Evil lore. In Resident Evil 7, wife Mia hid her horrifying infection from bioorganic weapon Eveline. In Resident Evil Village, Ethan returns seeking a cure for his and Mia’s ailments. This suffering and his the unraveling mystery only emphasizes ordinary husbands like Ethan having no place here, ignorant of and overwhelmed by bioweapon’s complex evil roots.

Ethan’s True Nature – Just a Mold of a Man?

Ethan’s supposedly ordinary identity becomes a shocking twist reveal that feeds perfectly into Resident Evil’s conspiracy iceberg. Memorably dubbed a “Mold Man” by internet fans, Resident Evil Village’s ending discloses Ethan died back in Resident Evil 7, revived by regenerative mutamycete Mold exposure from the Dulvey incident.

This fungal bio-mutation mirrors early RE antagonist Albert Wesker’s viral resurrection, suspiciously connecting Ethan as a human-mold mutant unknowingly spread from the same ancient bioweapon Megamycete at the root of Miranda and Cadou parasites. Every injury survived only enhances the uncanniness of Ethan’s true inhuman physiology explaining his implausible healing abilities, keeping tussles with even demons and kaiju-esque giants frighteningly plausible.

While perhaps convoluted for newcomers, Ethan being a walking fungi-zombie ties perfectly into RE lore dating back to early titles like Resident Evil 3: Nemesis and the absurdity of Umbrella’s experimentation. Keeping Ethan’s ghoulish face perpetually ambiguous maintains this mystique, a genetically distorted whatever-it-takes ordinary husband searching for his stolen daughter…with no real defined identity at all. The ultimate human yet not, Resident Evil’s everyman.

Will Resident Evil 9 Finally Reveal Ethan’s True Face?

There is rampant speculation that the explosively rumored Resident Evil 9 may finally peel back the curtain on the enigmatic Ethan Winters’ face. Story details remain tightly under wraps, with alleged leaks suggesting fan favorite Jill Valentine or the doomed Mia Randall-Winters may anchor RE9’s plot, potentially including Chris Redfield investigating mysteries holding keys to Ethan and Mia’s resurrection.

Ethan himself may even reprise his role as lead protagonist, backed by comments from long-time producer Masachika Kawada:

“Ethan‘s story is finished for now, but that doesn‘t mean we won‘t see him again.”

This could suggest revelations around Mold Man’s unknown history before infection. Though given how assiduously Capcom has avoided unveiling Ethan’s visage even in remakes like Resident Evil Village Gold Edition’s bonus view mode, his disturbing appearance apparently remains confidential despite concluding his personal tale saving daughter Rose.

Whatever phantasmagoric Sci-Fi secrets hide behind our faceless hero’s flesh mask, Resident Evil 9 has enticing shoes to fill concluding his story arc, compared to predecessors that pushed RE’s bioweapon-fueled paranoid world into ever more spectacularly twisted territory. Players must determine whether unmasking gaming unlikeliest survivor icon would mark a satisfying end for Ethan Winters, or if some growling bioscience threats are best left to the imagination…