Over the past year, rumors about Resident Evil 9 have been constant. Popular rumors suggested a possible Southeast Asia setting and even the return of popular series protagonists like Leon Kennedy and Jill Valentine. However, many of these supposed leaks were proven incorrect with the surprise reveal of Resident Evil Requiem at Summer Game Fest.
Instead of bringing two previous protagonists into the fold, Resident Evil Requiem is introducing a completely new main character to the series: Grace Ashcroft. This new face could help this new game stand out in big ways, as though little is known about Grace, RE Requiem's first teaser trailer has already shown that she will be quite the departure from past RE protagonists.
Resident Evil Requiem is Finally Diving into Uncharted Territory for the Franchise
With the next Resident Evil title revealed, RE Requiem looks to be exploring some horror ground that the series hasn't truly delved into yet.
Why Grace Stands Apart From Other RE Protagonists
What We Know About Grace So Far
In the first RE Requiem trailer, fans get to meet Grace — the daughter of Resident Evil: Outbreak's Alyssa Ashcroft. Grace is a mild-mannered technical analyst working for the FBI. She has been tasked with investigating a mysterious illness that has already left multiple people dead. During her investigation, a new lead results in her supervisor sending her to investigate the Remwood Hotel — which just so happens to be the very hotel where her mother was murdered eight years prior — located in the bombed-out ruins of Raccoon City.
What Makes Grace a Unique Main Character
Grace looks to be a breath of fresh air for the series, as she differs drastically from previous main characters when it comes to both personality and experience. Unlike Leon Kennedy with his constant one-liners or the battle-hardened Chris Redfield, the glimpse of Grace given in RE Requiem's first trailer portrays her as disorganized, anxious, and introverted. She seems most comfortable at her desk and immediately goes into a defensive spiral when brought in to meet with her supervisor. While this personality type can likely be attributed to her past trauma - with said trauma's impact making her somewhat comparable to Jill - her lack of field experience could also be a big factor.
With RE Requiem taking a unique turn into psychological horror, the game is poised to move away from the action-heavy gameplay of the series' most recent entry, Resident Evil Village. Grace won't have the military or police training that nearly every previous RE protagonist — like Jill, Chris, and Leon — has had. This puts her more in line with Ethan Winters from Resident Evil 7, who felt comparatively powerless and out of his depth at the start of the game. However, even he trained under Chris Redfield in the gap between RE7 and Village, making him a much more competent combatant. Her FBI background might be used to explain why the character has basic training with firearms — the trailer didn't show off any weapons, but it would be a series first if the game didn't feature such combat. But since Grace appears to primarily be an office worker, RE Requiem seems intent on trading in the guns-blazing approach of past games for one that will be much more intense and survival-focused.
Though Leon is reportedly a playable character in RE Requiem, having Grace Ashcroft as a protagonist should go a long way in giving the game a unique identity. She's far from the average action hero, which should help add stakes to the story and give her more room to develop as a character. While more details on Grace are sure to be shared in subsequent trailers, the game itself will be released in less than a year, on February 27, 2026.
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