Hero(ine) Of The Week: Claire Redfield

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Claire Redfield

Voice actor: Alyson Court
Series: Resident Evil
Age: 19
Debut: Resident Evil 2

What Works

It’s no secret that in the world of gaming, there aren’t that many strong female protagonists. In a culture shrouded by male leads, Resident Evil 2 brought about a character who was able to hold her own and survive a tragedy that had befallen an entire city. As she searched for her brother Chris in the now decimated Raccoon City, she also embarked on a quest for survival.

Back when the Resident Evil games first debuted in March of 1996, it was a game unlike any other of its time; shooting zombies, solving puzzles, back-tracking through a mysterious mansion, and learning the truth of the plague that had ravaged Raccoon City. It’s not hard to see why the Resident Evil franchise is the household name it is today.

Where She’s Best

Resident Evil: Code Veronica X is hands down Claire’s moment of glory. After she was unable to find Chris in Raccoon City, she went to an Umbrella facility in Paris, got captured and shipped off to Rockfort Island and was imprisoned. She managed to escape the prison with fellow inmate Steve Burnside, overcome the odds stacked against her by defeating countless B.O.W.s, and escape the island.



She then makes her way to Antarctica, is reunited with Chris but loses Steve in a gesture of heroism as he saves her from being killed but dies in the process. She has suffered a lot of loss and still manages to remain the strongest woman she can be.

Surviving In A Field Of Red

When Claire initially went to Raccoon City to search for Chris, she never imagined that she would be walking into a death trap set in motion by the Umbrella Corporation. She was forced to use her prior military training her brother taught her in her fight for survival. She was able to handle firearms to slay the zombies that threatened her life. From Raccoon City, to Paris, to Rockfort Island, to Antarctica, Claire has done nothing but fight to stay alive. Claire has learned how to survive in a field of red.

Resident Evil 2 Facts

  • Resident Evil 2 is the first game in the series to feature not one, but two stalking bosses: William Berkin, and Mr. X
  • Resident Evil 2 is the first game in the series to allow you to play as multiple characters in one story: Claire/Sherry, and Leon/Ada
  • Claire Redfield was not originally intended. The original character was a Raccoon City native named Elza Walker. Much like Claire, she was very interested in motorcycles except the stories of Elza and Leon did not cross.
  • The original story for Resident Evil 2 (dubbed Resident Evil 1.5 after it was scrapped for what is now known as Resident Evil 2) has two supporting partners per story as opposed to one. Leon’s supporting partners were a fellow police officer named Marvin Branagh and a researcher named Linda (Who eventually evolved into Ada Wong). Elza’s partners were Sherry and a man named John (who was featured in the final version as the gun shop owner who dies in the beginning).
  • Producer Shinji Mikami intended to end the series with the story from Resident Evil 1.5
  • Resident Evil 1.5 had the characters show physical wounds but that was scrapped and replaced with limping.
  • The US version of Resident Evil 2 was more difficult than the Japanese version, and the game over screens were more gruesome for the US version

Resident Evil 1.5’s Elza Walker