Summary
- Unlockable bonus content, such as costumes, adds extra enjoyment to the Resident Evil games and encourages players to replay the game.
- The costumes in Resident Evil games are often inspired by other iconic characters or have special features, like turning a knife into a pom pom.
- Unlockable costumes can pay homage to other Capcom games or scrapped character concepts, adding depth and variety to the game.
Once the stress and horrors of the main campaign are done and over with, Resident Evil games are known to reward players with some extra content upon completion. Bonus content, whether it be a new mode or simple cosmetics, keeps players engaged and gives them the incentive to enjoy the game all over again; terrors and all.
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Once the seriousness of the main story is over, players often want to relive the RE experience, in a different way. Taking their favorite protagonists and dressing them up in ridiculous costumes or badass attire puts a whole new spin on the RE story and gives a new game plus playthrough the extra kick it needs. Here are some of the best RE unlockable cosmetics found throughout the series.
9 Army - Jill Valentine (RE1R)
How To Unlock: Complete Jill or Chris' Story Twice On The Same Save File
Resident Evil HD Remaster
In the Resident Evil Remake of the first game (2002), players can access new costumes by earning the Closet Key after fully completing Jill or Chris' campaign at least two times. Using the Closet Key, the player can then unlock a secret door in the Exhibition Room and find the Art Supply Room, where the player can then choose Jill's iconic Army costume.
Her stylish Army costume is truly a product of its time as it was inspired by Terminator's lead protagonist, Sarah Connor's outfit in the second film that originally debuted back in 1991. Sarah and Jill both make for inspirational female protagonists who are perfectly capable of fighting their own fight.
8 Cheerleader - Rebecca Chambers (RE: Deadly Silence)
How To Unlock: Complete Jill Or Chris' Story On Rebirth Mode & Achieve The Best Ending
Resident Evil: Deadly Silence
- Released
- February 7, 2006
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo DS
While Rebecca may be a bit of a lesser-known RE protagonist, she has still earned her fair share of fun unlockable costumes. Her most famous costume is her Cheerleader costume; first seen in RE: Deadly Silence, again in her own game, RE0, and again (in a similar outfit) as a fun easter egg in RE2.
One of the absolute best parts of her Cheerleader outfit in RE: Deadly Silence is that, when equipped, it turns Rebecca's trusty knife into a cute little pom pom. There may be zombies on the loose, but Rebecca shouldn't be forced to ruin her preppy aesthetic.
7 Cody - Billy Cohen (RE0R)
How To Unlock: Purchased As DLC
Resident Evil Zero
In the Resident Evil 0 HD Remaster from 2016, Billy is given an alternate costume that also serves as a nod to another one of Capcom's beloved games. Before Final Fight's Cody Travers became the distinguished mayor of Metro City, he was a delinquent who often battled it out on the streets. Due to his strong sense of justice, he found himself with a few run-ins with the law, leading him to some significant jail time.
It was only fitting that RE0's Billy (former U.S. Marine and current convict) got to pay homage to Cody's days as a jailbird. Cody mentioned in the past that jail felt like home to him, so hopefully, Billy feels a bit of comfort in Cody's uniform.
6 Knight (Special 2) - Ashley Graham
How To Unlock: (Original) Complete Separate Ways, (Remake) Complete Story On Hardcore Or Professional Difficulty, & Achieve A Rank (Purchased With 2000CP)
Resident Evil 4
One of the most iconic parts of RE4 (both the original and remake) is the terrifying knight section that Ashley must navigate through while Leon takes a well-earned breather. Many players may be thinking that their job protecting the president's daughter might be a lot easier if she had some tough armor; and luckily for them, letting Ashley suit up as a knight is actually an option.
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The knight armor was such a great (and adorable) look for Ashley in the original game that the developers decided to bring it back for the 2023 remake. However, in the remake, her clunky armor isn't just for show, it actually does add protection and keeps her safe from any attacks and even shields her from any kidnapping attempts.
5 Samurai (EX1) - Chris Redfield
How To Unlock: Complete The Mercenaries/The Mercenaries No Mercy As Chris & Achieve A or S Rank In Solo Or Duo Mode
Resident Evil 6
Chris' alternate costume in RE6 puts him in the most sophisticated yet badass outfit he's ever been in. While longtime protagonist Chris is usually in his regular military wear/uniform, RE6 allows players to change things up and dress Chris up in a simple yet elegant blue samurai kimono; complete with beautifully intricate tattoos.
While the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC versions of the game only allow Chris to wear this costume in The Mercenaries mode, the Nintendo Switch version of the game allows players to equip Chris' EX1 costume in both The Mercenaries mode and the main story.
4 Elza Walker - Claire Redfield
How To Unlock: Purchased As DLC
Resident Evil 2
- Released
- January 25, 2019
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Before Capcom decided to star Leon and Claire in the story of RE2, there was Elza Walker. Elza Walker was a motorcycle racer who attended Raccoon University and was to take the role of the protagonist in a later scrapped game called Biohazard 1.5. After some reworking, Elza's story then evolved into what became Claire Redfield and RE2.
To pay homage to Elza Walker's story and contribution to the RE series, developers included a motorcycle outfit for Claire to wear. Who knew Claire would pull off the look so well?
3 X-Ray Glasses - Ethan Winters
How To Unlock: Complete The Main Story Under 4 Hours
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
- Released
- January 24, 2017
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS
Despite being the only (technically) faceless RE protagonist, Ethan still has a few wearable accessories to unlock in his debut game, RE7. Although the player can't actually see the X-ray glasses on Ethan after equipping them as the game is played in first person, the effects of the glasses are very much noticeable.
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Items can often be hidden in sneaky places within each new level, giving players the incentive to always explore for any valuables or extra herbs. However, the X-ray glasses work the exact way Psychostimulants do and allow the player to see all hidden items within the premises. However, the X-ray glasses have a huge advantage over Psychostimulants, as the effects of the glasses work as long as the player keeps them in their inventory and do not wear off.
2 Cat Ears - Leon Kennedy
How To Unlock: Complete Main Story On Professional Difficulty & Achieve S+ Ranking (Purchased With 2000CP)
Resident Evil 4
- Released
- March 24, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Aside from being absolutely adorable, unlocking the elusive cat ears in RE4R is definitely worth the pain as it grants the player infinite ammo when equipped. The player will still have to reload their weapon after each clip finishes, but the overall ammo supply will never diminish.
Leon's cat ears may seem like a complete joke, but they are linked to by far the hardest challenge of the game and grant one of the most useful buffs players could ask for. Seeing the cold, stern Leon Kennedy act tough in every cutscene with a pair of fluffy cat ears on makes for one of the most interesting (and hilarious) RE experiences ever.
1 Flan - Tofu
How To Unlock: Complete Tofu Survivor with either Konjac or Uiro-Mochi
Resident Evil 2
- Released
- January 25, 2019
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
All die-hard RE fans know about Tofu and were delighted to see him take the spotlight in RE2R's Tofu Survivor mode. Aside from Tofu himself, there are a few variations of him that can be unlocked as the player completes his story.
Each new Tofu comes with a different loadout and technically aren't alternate skins for Tofu, but are instead classified as completely different characters. Each new Tofu isn't simply a different color or dons a different hat/accessory but instead is made of a different dessert. Flan is by far Tofu's best (and yummiest) skin/variation, representing a popular Japanese pudding. Perhaps all those hungry zombies after Flan simply have a sweet tooth.
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