However, given that Resident Evil has featured tons of characters that have unique storylines, it is inevitable that some of them have since disappeared or gone under the radar. With Resident Evil Village taking the plot to the year 2021 (apart from the epilogue set some time after that), here are the characters whose whereabouts remain a mystery.
RELATED: Resident Evil Code Veronica Fan Remake Gets Demo and Release Window
Rebecca Chambers
First up is Rebecca Chambers, who made her debut in the first Resident Evil game launched in 1996. Serving as the supporting character for Chris Redfield, Rebecca is the sole survivor of the S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team that witnessed the destruction of both the Umbrella Training Facility (Resident Evil 0) and the Spencer Mansion (Resident Evil). Although Rebecca is not seen when playing as Jill Valentine, the official Resident Evil canon lists her as one of the survivors of the mansion incident. Upon returning to Raccoon City, Rebecca, alongside other members of S.T.A.R.S., started an in-depth investigation of Umbrella’s illegal activities.
However, Rebecca left Raccoon City before the T-virus outbreak caused its destruction. Since then, Rebecca was never seen in another Resident Evil game. Instead, she has been featured in other projects such as the Japanese play Biohazard The Stage, and the CGI film, Resident Evil: Vendetta. Both projects confirm that Rebecca is still active in the fight against bioterrorism, using her extensive knowledge as a researcher and advisor to the B.S.A.A. However, after Resident Evil: Vendetta, no one knows what happened to Rebecca - though she is rumored to serve as the protagonist of the unannounced game Resident Evil Outrage.
Jake Muller
Jake Muller is one of the many playable characters featured in Resident Evil 6. Raised in Eastern Europe, Jake worked as a mercenary and was unaware that he is being monitored by the U.S. government and the mysterious organization known as The Family. Both organizations were interested in Jake due to his natural antibodies.
It was later revealed that Jake Muller is the biological son of series antagonist Albert Wesker, killed in Resident Evil 5. Because of his relation to Wesker, many players thought that Jake would be featured in succeeding Resident Evil games, but fans have not heard anything about him after Resident Evil 6. Although the end of the game showed him returning to his mercenary work, he is now doing it for noble reasons. Apart from this small snippet of his post-Resident Evil 6 life, no one knows what happened to Jake Muller. Some speculate that Capcom originally had plans to feature him in succeeding games, but given the poor reception of Resident Evil 6, the studio decided to focus on a new set of characters and storyline as seen in Resident Evil 7.
Billy Coen
Alongside Rebecca Chambers was Billy Coen, who starred in the prequel game Resident Evil 0. A day before the Spencer Mansion incident, S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team was dispatched to the Arklay Forest to investigate the ongoing murders happening around Raccoon City. Upon arriving at the scene, Rebecca discovered the wreckage of a military vehicle transporting prisoners to a place of execution. Unfortunately, the team found out that the former US Marine Corps member Billy Coen, convicted of killing 23 people, had escaped. As such, Bravo Team captain Enrico Marini ordered his crew to arrest Billy. During her investigation, Rebecca came across Billy and attempted to arrest him. However, due to zombies and other monsters in the area, Rebecca decided to team up with Billy to increase her chances of survival.
Later in the game, Billy revealed the truth about his crime and explained that he was innocent. Upon killing the Queen Leach and after the destruction of the Umbrella Training Facility, Billy and Rebecca parted ways. Rebecca went on to reunite with her teammates at the Spencer Mansion, but Billy’s whereabouts remain a mystery. Upon returning to Raccoon City, Rebecca filed a report that Billy had been killed, allowing him to start with a clean slate. It was rumored that Billy was captured by Umbrella and turned into the Nemesis, but there is no evidence to support this claim.
Jill Valentine
While Capcom does have a habit of introducing characters and then forgetting them, no one predicted that the studio would do the same to Jill Valentine. It is no secret that Jill is considered one of the four central characters of the Resident Evil franchise alongside Chris Redfield, Leon Kennedy, and Claire Redfield. However, excluding the 2020 remake of Resident Evil 3, the last game Jill appeared in was in 2012’s Resident Evil Revelations.
However, it is worth remembering that while Revelations was released in 2012, its events took place in 2005 in between Resident Evil 4 and 5. Jill’s last appearance in the official timeline was in Resident Evil 5, set in 2009. Resident Evil 5 revealed that Jill was captured by Albert Wesker and underwent extensive experimentation due to the dormant strain of the T-virus in her body, which was caused by her infection in Resident Evil 3. She was eventually rescued by Chris and his new partner Sheva Alomar.
The only mention of Jill after Resident Evil 5 was in Revelations 2 in an email to Barry Burton stating that she is still undergoing rehab but cannot wait to get back in the field. However, due to Jill’s importance in the overall plot of Resident Evil, Capcom is likely setting her up for something big. In the end, Jill remains a solid contender to appear in the next mainline Resident Evil game or a sequel to the Revelations series.
MORE: Why It’s Time for Capcom To Bring Back Jill Valentine in Resident Evil 9