Very few video game series celebrate women as often as Resident Evil. The series began with two campaigns that both featured playable women in Jill Valentine and Rebecca Chambers. There is a good balance between male and female heroes, and Capcom even throws the occasional villain who ends up hogging all the limelight (aka Lady Dimitrescu).
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While not primarily known for its complex writing, the series has produced an absurd number of iconic female characters who are synonymous with notonly horror but gaming in general. Let's take a trip through history and highlight the best women in Resident Evil.
Updated January 26, 2026, by Mark Sammut: Resident Evil Requiem is right around the corner, and the upcoming game will hopefully introduce a new character to this discussion. We have a preview section for Grace Ashcroft, along with expanding the write-ups for some of the other female Resident Evil characters.
Preview: Grace Ashcroft (Resident Evil Requiem)
Resident Evil Requiem
- Released
- February 27, 2026
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
In 2026, Resident Evil Requiem will launch, the first completely new mainline entry since 2021's Village. Capcom's upcoming game seems set to mark a new era for the franchise, with multiple shifts already confirmed. The biggest one will be the camera angle, as players can switch between first and third person. The second biggest is the introduction of Grace Ashcroft as the protagonist, as it has been roughly a decade since the last time Resident Evil introduced a new female MC.
Now, we don't actually know a lot about Grace at this point, except for some background information. She is Alyssa Ashcroft's daughter, so she is following in her mother's footsteps by serving as a playable character. Grace is an FBI agent and analyst, which suggests she solves situations using her brain instead of relying solely on guns. Resident Evil went down the weak-ish protagonist route with Ethan, so it makes sense that Requiem would try something similar with Grace.
29 Yoko Suzuki (Resident Evil: Outbreak)
Surprisingly Resilient
Resident Evil Outbreak
- Released
- March 31, 2004
WHERE TO PLAY
One of the Resident Evil spin-off titles, Resident Evil: Outbreak showed an alternate scenario to the Raccoon City incident, following the stories of everyday characters such as Yoko Suzuki, as they try to survive and escape the T-virus outbreak.
Yoko works for Umbrella, hired there for an unknown position when she was a teenager, showing that even at a young age, she must have held great promise and intelligence to be considered for a role. Her smarts are what help this otherwise quiet and unassuming girl survive, which also demonstrates resilience and hidden strength, as not many can boast that they survived the Raccoon City Incident.
28 Carla Radames
Instrumental In The Creation And Weaponization Of The C-Virus
Resident Evil 6
- Released
- October 2, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
Resident Evil 6 was a divisive entry, featuring a bigger focus on action gameplay and co-op over the survival horror that made the franchise so popular in the first place. However, it wasn't all bad, as RE6 did gift players some strong female characters, such as Carla Radames.
Carla is much more than an Ada Wong look-alike, as she is a brilliant and accomplished woman in her own right. She was responsible for the creation of the C-Virus and the company Neo-Umbrella. After her death at the hands of Ada, Neo Umbrella became defunct to show just how much of an important a figure she was to the group.
27 Alex Wesker (Resident Evil: Revelations 2)
Alex May Never Have Truly Died
Resident Evil: Revelations 2
- Released
- February 24, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
The second episodic Resident Evil game brought back old favorites, such as Claire Redfield and Barry Burton, while introducing a few newbies, such as Moira Burton, Natalia Korda, and Alex Wesker. Up to Revelations 2, the latter had only been mentioned in a file within the Lost Nightmares DLC for Resident Evil 5.
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Not much is known of her origins, but Alex went on to make a name for herself after undergoing the Wesker Project. She was headhunted by Umbrella, which is a clear sign of her intellect. She became something other than human, seeking to transcend into something more. Although she was ultimately defeated, it is implied that Alex lives on in Natalia at the end of Revelations 2.
26 Excella Gione (Resident Evil 5)
Strong Enough to be a Match for Chris and Sheva
Resident Evil 5
- Released
- March 5, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
When Albert himself approaches another character, that is definite proof of their worth. Originally in the lower ranks of Tricell's pharmaceutical division, her partnership with Wesker elevated her to new heights, and she became a force to be reckoned with, gaining control of the company she was once a runt for, and controlling the mind-controlled Jill Valentine.
Inevitably double-crossed by Wesker, Excella transformed into a monstrous mass of flesh and tentacles that very almost cut Chris's and Sheva's mission short with her terrifying strength and speed.
25 Rachel Foley (Resident Evil: Revelations)
The Reluctant Agent Became A Monster
Resident Evil Revelations
- Released
- January 26, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
One of the monsters Jill will have the misfortune of running into is Rachel Foley, once an FBC agent, and now another victim of the t-Abyss virus. Her original mission was to investigate what had happened on the ship and ready it for disposal, ensuring her boss would not have anything to trace back to him.
In typical Resident Evil fashion, nothing ever goes according to plan, and the skilled agent becomes a monster Jill must face off against. Rachel's tenure in Resident Evil: Revelations was short-lived but very memorable.
24 Ingrid Hunnigan (Resident Evil 4)
Provides Invaluable Support To Leon
Resident Evil 4
- Released
- January 11, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
Infiltrating a remote Spanish village to rescue the President's kidnapped daughter is a tall order, and Leon might not have been able to do it without the support of Ingrid Hunnigan. Though she only communicates with Leon periodically throughout the game to keep track of his progress and offer advice, she still acts as a key character for most of the game.
Though it is unlikely players will ever see Hunnigan return in a later title, the role she played in RE4 will stay in the minds of players. Her intelligence and straightforward attitude shone in every conversation, and she even resisted Leon's joking attempt to flirt with her.
23 Annette Birkin (Resident Evil 2)
Where She Fails As A Mother, She Shines As A Scientist
Resident Evil 2
- Released
- January 21, 1998
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube, PC, PS1
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
Though most will remember the twisted Dr. Birkin or terrifying Mr. X when thinking about Resident Evil 2 villains, there is another equally deserving of praise, as she is a very underappreciated character. That is Annette Birkin, wife to William, mother to Sherry, and an accomplished scientist.
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She cares about researching the effects the virus had on her husband first and foremost, even above her own life and even her child. But her character shows more complex depth here than a single-minded researcher, as she seems genuinely sad to abandon Sherry in her hour of need as she pursues her work. These nuances are really what make her shine as a character, and remind players that this villainous woman is just as human as they are.
22 Alexia Ashford (Resident Evil Code: Veronica)
Gifted With Supreme Intelligence And Lofty Ambitions
Resident Evil CODE:Veronica
- Released
- March 28, 2000
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- Sega Dreamcast
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
Mad scientists are nothing new to the world of RE, as they serve as the main antagonists in nearly every game, and Alexia Ashford stands out as one of the best with her calculating demeanor and her goals to rise as Queen of the entire world.
Created as a clone of Dr Alexander's ancestor Veronica, Alexia was blessed with supreme intelligence that saw her graduate from a prestigious university at the age of 10 and join Umbrella as a virologist, her intellect on par with her colleagues even at such a young age. Her attention eventually shifted to experimenting with certain infamous viruses, resulting in a horrid creature known as Nosferatu, eventually infecting herself to become an even greater being.
21 Moira Burton (Resident Evil: Revelations 2)
Grows And Matures Throughout The Game
Introduced in the spin-off titled Revelations 2, Moira acts as a sidekick to the franchise's famous Claire Redfield, and the eldest daughter of Barry Burton. An incident involving a gun and the injury of her younger sister, Polly, opened up a rift between Moira and Barry, resulting in her rebelling against her father. At the urging of Claire, Moira joined TerraSave and, coincidentally, was at the party that acted as the catalyst for the rest of the game.
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Though she acts as a typical surly teen at the beginning of the game, Moira's arc sees her grow and mature as the story progresses, ultimately making her a special and enjoyable character. She even reconciles with her father in a genuinely touching scene at the game's conclusion.
20 Jessica Sherawat (Resident Evil: Revelations)
Behind Her Playful Demeanor Is A Calculating Triple Agent
A supposed member of the BSAA, Jessica debuts as Chris's new partner as they are tasked to work with investigating Veltro. She always seems to have a very casual attitude towards her missions, heckling Chris about the exact depth of his relationship with Jill, but this could all be an elaborate distraction from the truth of her character.
Jessica is actually a triple agent, working for Tricell while masquerading as a BSAA agent, shooting Jill's new partner Parker, and activating the self-destruction mechanism of the Queen Zenobia to destroy the labs and the evidence that would implicate Morgan Lansdale.