Why Isn‘t Leon in Resident Evil 7?
Leon S. Kennedy is one of the most popular and iconic characters in the Resident Evil franchise, having been a main protagonist since his introduction in Resident Evil 2. However, fans were surprised not to see Leon make an appearance in 2017‘s Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. Here‘s an in-depth look at why Leon sits this one out.
Scaling Back on Classic Cameos
According to Leon‘s voice actor Matthew Mercer, Capcom made a conscious decision to pull back on including classic characters like Leon in Resident Evil 7. As Mercer stated:
"As far as 7 goes, I think they‘re scaling back a little bit on throwing in all the classic cameos."
This likely had to do with Resident Evil 7‘s shifted perspective to a new protagonist, Ethan Winters, and its desire to tell a focused, personal story. Leon‘s absence reinforced that this was the start of something different for the franchise.
A Shift to a New Protagonist
As mentioned, Resident Evil 7 put players in the shoes of an everyman protagonist, Ethan Winters, who was new to the horrors of bio-organic weapons and Umbrella‘s viral experiments. Having Leon reappear may have stolen some of Ethan‘s thunder.
Developers seemed to want to craft a more grounded, realistic story experienced through Ethan‘s eyes. Leon, while beloved, brings with him the heroic flair and monster-slaying prowess of previous games that may not have fit Resident Evil 7‘s vibe and style. This was Ethan‘s crucible, not Leon‘s.
Emphasis on a Self-Contained Story
Resident Evil 7 was envisioned from the start to be more self-contained and divorced from direct connections to previous games‘ events and organizations like Umbrella. Bringing back old faces like Leon would have muddled its standalone nature.
The vague references made to past events indicate RE7 occurs in the same universe, but this entry intentionally kept players laser-focused on the Baker family, their history, and how Eveline‘s control molded them into her warped family units. Any cameo or guest appearance would‘ve broken that intimate bubble.
They Still Love Leon
While leaving out Leon may have disappointed some fans, it‘s clear Capcom still adores the character and values him as a key fixture of Resident Evil‘s world and lore. He takes a deserved break for one game, but that likely made his explosive comeback in games like the Resident Evil 4 remake all the more anticipated and exciting.
His absence, in some ways, was another means of reinforcing Leon Kennedy‘s special status. Resident Evil 7 intentionally relied more on grounded characters to sell its intimate horror, indicating that injecting someone as action-oriented as Leon may not have worked for their specific goals.
But that doesn‘t mean he won‘t return with guns akimbo in future entries!
Is Leon Still Kicking Viral Butt?
So for any concerned fans, rest assured that even if Leon sits out RE7, he is still considered alive and well in the Resident Evil universe during those events. There‘s just unfortunately no hints at what assignment has currently occupied his monster-slaying talents.
Knowing Leon though, he‘s likely still knee-deep in some mission to destroy yet another virus-spreading horror!
The Saga Continues
Leon‘s storyline picks back up in full-force again with Resident Evil: Vendetta in 2017, going on further virus-busting missions. And as we all know, he returns to his early roots by becoming the protagonist for Resident Evil 4‘s current 2023 remake.
The creators clearly still see lots of potential in his character and room to keep filling in the gaps of his later career battling bioweapons. So those eager to see Leon blast away infected foes can rest easy that he continues being a central piece of the franchise.
In many ways, his sitting out RE7 makes his triumphant return to the spotlight in recent and upcoming games even more of a treat. Absence only makes the heart grow fonder for the brave special agent!
