Summary
Leon S. Kennedy is known for a suave charm that makes him unique apart from the muscle-bound Chris Redfield. Leon’s suplexing, roundhouse-kicking, and witty retorts give him his identity inResident Evil 4, even going as far as to present a stoic bravado and courageousness in all of his actions. However, Leon wasn’t always this hardened or refined, at least not according toResident Evil 2and particularly its remake.
One of the reasons why this remake is remarkable is because it allowed Leon to be developed in a much different way due to modern performances. Nearly every character benefited as a result of modern fidelity in facial and performance capture, allowing Leon to grimace or wince when he’s in danger. Moreover, Leon’s dialogue inResident Evil 2’s remake is delivered with an emotive performance that shows how youthful and idealistic he was,a true boy scout anticipating his first day as an RCPD officer, and it’s a shameResident Evildidn’t linger on this time in Leon’s life longer.
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Leon S. Kennedy is More Endearing as a Golden Retriever Boy Scout
Leon being completely collected as a character was great in anaction-leaningResident Evil 4where he needed to have a lot of experience under his belt to save the president’s daughter, but his character already being fully composed like that in the fourth installment meant he wouldn’t have any room for development in future entries unless something drastic occurred.
He has never changed much from the demeanor and personality he expressed in the fourth game, likely due to how popular the character was in that portrayal, butLeon’s depiction as a boyish heroin the second game was a much deeper well to draw from. Leon definitely has flirtatious moments with Claire and Ada, but even then he isn’t laying it on too thick and genuinely wants to help everyone he comes in contact with, from Marvin to Sherry.
The Resident Evil 2 Remake Let Leon Stew as a Bright-Eyed Idealist
Especially in contrast todubious characters such as Ada, Leon got to demonstrate how willing he was to be brave when he had essentially no right to be. He wasn’t yet a darling agent who could cut down enemies with ease, and theResident Evil 2remake did a spectacular job of having him thrust into a city-sweeping apocalypse and coming out of it with stalwart bravery that no one would suspect from an unassuming rookie officer.
Leon is more adorable in this stage of development because of his ideals overreaching his current status. Plus, a sequel for him taking place right afterResident Evil 2could have captured that again before he became cold in theResident Evil 4remake.
Leon Immediately Goes from Police Rookie to US Government Agent
Indeed, theResident Evil 4remake has a better representation of Leon’s development since it serves as a direct sequel to theResident Evil 2remake. Here, players get to see how hisexperiences in Raccoon Cityleading up toResident Evil 4have made him more callous and less cheerfully optimistic.
Still,Resident Evil 4leaps so far ahead ofResident Evil 2and he’s almost a completely different person when fans see him again. This may be the Leon that fans are more familiar with and have a greater fondness for, but it is alarming to see how under-equipped and hopeful he is compared to how well-trained and pessimistic he has become.
It’s unlikely thatResident Evilwill ever fall backward in the franchise timeline to explore the years betweenResident Evil 2andResident Evil 4, and nor should they necessarily unless a story truly deserving of being told can be produced. That said, if Leon’s humble beginnings could be accentuated further and potentially include some other iconic characters who’ve been long forgotten, that might be a worthwhile character examination for Capcom to consider.
Resident Evil 2
WHERE TO PLAY
The genre-defining masterpiece Resident Evil 2 returns, completely rebuilt from the ground up for a deeper narrative experience. Using Capcom’s proprietary RE Engine, Resident Evil 2 offers a fresh take on the classic survival horror saga with breathtakingly realistic visuals, heart-pounding immersive audio, a new over-the-shoulder camera, and modernized controls on top of gameplay modes from the original game.In Resident Evil 2, the classic action, tense exploration, and puzzle solving gameplay that defined the Resident Evil series returns. Players join rookie police officer Leon Kennedy and college student Claire Redfield, who are thrust together by a disastrous outbreak in Raccoon City that transformed its population into deadly zombies. Both Leon and Claire have their own separate playable campaigns, allowing players to see the story from both characters’ perspectives. The fate of these two fan favorite characters is in players hands as they work together to survive and get to the bottom of what is behind the terrifying attack on the city. Will they make it out alive?
