The Growth of Chris Redfield 

Chris Redfield is the batman of resident evil, and that’s why he’s my favorite. He’s smart, was in the Air Force, got kicked out for wanting things done his way, literally went out of his way to investigate and help humanity by himself for years. Started BSAA. Got YOKED after being defeated by weaker multiple times and makes saving people his priority. Dude is a renegade and even criticizes the new BSAA, helped Blue Umbrella by himself. Cant tell me he’s not batman

Chris has always been one of my favorites and I love his new angry and just another day in the office persona

The fact that Chris in RE 1 is just a baby version of his older self is so cute to me I love that you can tell who he is even if he changes a bit.

Chris has been incredibly consistent probably because the series seems to see him as the true protagonist of sorts. He was the first voice we ever hear narrate in the series and the first introduced in re1 1996’s intro Also I hear a lot of criticism levied at re6 Chris but tbh Chris’s darkness was hinted at in resident evil 5 when he was willing to let the world die to stay with Jill for another few moments, he cares for his friends that much. But what happens if you take everything from a man and he has a target with nothing left to lose?

Speaking of consistency, I find it interesting how Leon's most popular incarnation, his OG RE4 self, seems to be the odd one out among his character portrayals. I'd argue RE4 Remake Leon is more consistent to how he is portrayed in RE6 and beyond. Tired, wary, with a biting humor that feels more like a coping mechanism than the cool and casual wit OG RE4 Leon exuded. As iconic as that version of Leon is, when compared alongside all his portrayals, OG RE4 Leon feels like another person. He feels more like Dante than Leon.

An interesting thing to note is that in the Japanese version of Village, instead of “boulder-punching asshole”, Heisenberg refers to Chris as a gorilla! Which was the affectionate term for Chris from around 5 onwards by the Japanese fanbase (in no small part due to his enhanced physique)! I love how in both languages it’s still a loving nod to the fandom!!

in order, we have: Vanilla Chris Hurt Chris Swole Chris The refreshing taste of Chris Lite Punished Chris.

Chris Redfield is the Captain America of RE. Despite his own moments of weakness, he’s the one who continues the fight against bioterrorism, and the one even characters like Jill and Leon would rally behind.

I was lucky enough to meet Chris's RE 5 VA Roger Craig Smith, dude is incredibly wholesome.

I feel like Chris is the main character of the whole franchise

I know it's naive for me to want it, but damn I really want them to get Roger Craig Smith back as Chris for RE5 Remake. He really is (at least in my eyes) the definitive Chris Redfield. None of the voice actors that played him after have managed to surpass him.

I'm really happy to see I'm not the only one who sees that Chris is actually really consistent from game to game, but that his physical evolution makes sense. He feels like a character who is ageing and getting buffer/more experienced. You explained perfectly how Chris is actually super consistent in character too! Two examples I like to give is how in RE8 they showed Chris smoking which is a cool nod to RE1, and also his tendency to disagree with the hierarchy (back when he was in the air force, and now with the BSAA). You are addressing some really interesting subjects and I think this has some great potential for your channel. I hope we get to see more RE videos soon!

The way I see it, Chris’s development comes in 3 phases. Re 1/Code Veronica Chris: Chris is still in his formative years during this time and has a bit of a rebellious edge to him that ended up in him getting kicked out of the Air Force. Despite this, he still is principled when it comes to protecting others, especially those he cares about. This no doubt stems from him and Claire losing both of their parents and Chris probably assuming an unofficial role as guardian of his younger sister. This combined with his training that led him to become a S.T.A.R.S operative was enough to help him overcome the odds he faced, yet he hadn’t fully matured or realized his full potential yet, as evidenced by Wesker bodying him in Code Veronica. Re 5/Revelations/6 Chris: Chris is basically in his prime during this time period. He’s gotten a lot stronger to the point of being a borderline super soldier. This time period is also where Chris’s greatest feats are shown, punching the boulder is one thing, but this was also where Chris arguably fought the highest caliber of BOW’s or monsters. During this time he helped defeat Jack Norman and Haos, the latter of whom was considered a doomsday level threat. And of course he helped destroy Uroburos and Albert Wesker, who’s basically the strongest character in the entire RE universe. However, one thing to also note is that this is also the time where Chris faces what he feels to be his greatest failure, which is failing to protect those he cares for. In this time he goes on believing he lost Jill until he’s able to make up for that when he finds out she’s still alive and frees her from Wesker’s mind control. Then he actually loses his whole BSAA squad including Piers by the end. The loss of Piers also clearly left a permanent mark on Chris since Piers basically helped Chris overcome much of his trauma from seeing his team die, and Chris felt he could even pass the torch to Piers before he ended up dying as well. Re 7/8 Chris: Chris is in his grizzled veteran years during this time. Despite him maintaining much of his strength, he’s a lot more weary from his years of combat. His consistent desire to protect those he cares for has even led to him becoming a bit paranoid, which can be seen in how he mishandled dealing with Miranda and keeping Ethan in the dark out of the hope of keeping him, Mia, and Rose safe. The combined issues of dealing with the Connections as well as seeing the BSAA devolve into something similar to Umbrella also doesn’t help in reaffirming any idea Chris may have that he’s making any kind of positive difference with his efforts. A subtle detail is that Chris even picks up smoking as a habit during this time, something he hadn’t been portrayed doing since the first game. He’s hardened a lot in his older years but the tragedy he’s faced has made him regress a bit. Even to the point where his pathologies get in the way of him fulfilling his desire to protect people. Like how despite all his efforts to keep Ethan out of the way, his actions played a part in what led to Ethan dying, even if Rose and Mia ended up getting saved. Chris probably has the best character arc in the entire series. It’ll be interesting to see how it concludes whether it’ll happen in RE 9 or some other title since canonically he has to be pushing 60 years old by this point.

I always thought of Chris as the main protagonist of the resident evil lore. He has the most interactions with BBEGs, most appearances, even features as the focus for the cover of the first game; re2 and 3 were expanding what happened in Raccoon City, re4 was about Leon's future, then back to the main action. Think like these are stepping stones explaining why these people ended up as they do, but Chris saved Jill, Chris was the one that had to lose people he swore to protect more times than he would ever admit and that flaw, that's what drives him, and that growth is why he is the de-facto protag of this series

RE6 Chris was the perfect turn around for this character , it was at a point where he was in between his two different personalities his super do good by everyone and for everyone personality from 5-1 and his new angry jaded and everything being more personal personality in 9 . You gotta understand that out of all RE characters Chris had probably lost the most . And has experienced the worst . From losing multiple conflicts to wesker to losing Jill to losing his squad and Finn to losing his memory and then his major turn around when he lost Piers . And I think him being angry after years of fighting the good fight just for nothing to change just makes sense .

Chris Redfield is the Guts of Resident Evil, with Albert Wesker being Griffith and Jill being Casca.

Chris went from hard MF to harder MF to hardest MF to just plain tired of Umbrella's shit 💀

Chris Redfield is true HERO is resident evil. The complexity that he has as a character is incredible.

My favourite version of Chris is definitely the RE5 version. I mean, it's arguably the turning point of his life, and you could definitely see how the experiences he had in 5 also shaped him up to become what he is now. A renegade stricken with grief over the loss of his comrades. If anyone of you haven't played it, then I would very highly recommend checking out the RE5 DLC "Lost in Nightmares". It's one of the best DLCs in the series.

I had the same thoughts about Chris and his physique, not even counting the wesker beat down. This guy has come across zombies(dead flesh but still can use 100% of muscles, no brain block) mutated plants, animals and humans that can destroy a body in one hit. If anything I'm surprised that every single surviving character that appears in a later game isn't absolutely jacked

I find it funny people talked smack about Chris bulking up by RE5 but ignore all the crazy Zombies, Mutants and other BOW nonsense he has faces in his lifetime. He'd be crazy not to hit the gym with the things he faces.

Chris Redfield is definitely one of the most consistent characters in the RE universe. With most of the RE characters like Leon, Claire, Jill too considering what they have been through, they're moods and mental health would definitely change according to how they handle constant battle, trauma and the pain of loss. None more so than being betrayed by a former comrade, someone you may even consider... family. Of all the crap Chris went through I don't think anything hurt more than finding out his Captain was working for the enemy. And the resurrection of Wesker as a Super-soldier...even more traumatic. The icing on the treachery cake would be turning Jill against him too. That's what made his appearance in 8 so badass. Thanks for another cool video. I will be watching.👍

THANK YOU! I've been telling people for YEARS that Chris got swol because he knew his rival was a super human monster. Chris's body probably only survived Wesker's hits in 5 because of how sturdy he was. And when people say 'why did he shrink after 5?' I always said 'Cause Wesker is dead. He doesn't need to keep up that brutal routine.' lol

Chris is a good man in a cruel and evil world. But he never gives up, and I like to think that his determination to never stop fighting inspires others

Chris is my favorite. I think they play around with him the most, considering his popularity, and I can't escape the feeling he is used as a litmus testing for new visual and narrative ideas

What really changed him was the war on Edonia. That was something that completely desimated him. You can tell that RE6 events is where he felt overwhelmed by everything and the pressure was no longer a day in the office but rather a war he signed up for and he promised to everyone over there that he would get all of them alive. On which it didn't happened.

Chris is a sweetheart in REmake, he takes good care of Rebecca.

...villains aren't born...they are made...and this one's turning out magnificently...it's time to take your place and fulfill your destiny...Lord Redfield...

He went from "I will have her home by 10 sir" to "She Calls me Daddy now"

Someone who finally understands Chris' character instead of pretending he has none or is inconsistent.

Yeah Chris being Jacked in RE 5 to me was always because of Wesker kicking his ass in CVX..

He grew from Chris Redfield to Christ rock punching Redfield to Redfield ...

I remember how Chris was memed on being an expert in getting people killed around him, especially in instances where he would have died if someone didn't intervene on his behalf. From RE1 Remake all the way to 7's DLC has Chris constantly had to witness teammates and people he's around. RE8 he tries to keep Ethan away and lo and behold, Ethan is gone too. It be interesting to see Chris reflect on everything in the way they're going to address Jill's time recovering from Wesker's mind control.

Chris definitely has the easiest to understand character in Resi. Man of justice and action that cares for his comrades and struggles to keep them all alive. And I liked your point about him carrying the increasing weight of enemies he's taken down. I remember listening to one theory for 8 that Chris was possibly gonna have a villain arc because of his color design of all black like Wesker. Course didn't happen, but that's cool connection to have of him carrying all those past scars by starting to look a bit like his greatest enemy. Also, don't know if you'll end up doing a Leon video, but I compare Leon and Chris via what gets to them the most. Both of them care about people and hate when they can't save them, but I look at it like Chris being in this fight against BOWs with comrades and him loosing them along the way is his burden. While Leon, since joining the government generally works alone but still has a bleeding heart trying to save everyone around him.

This is why I love Chris more than any other RE main characters over the course of years. Unlike Claire, she's already in her menopause period and time is ticking, Leon. Continue the bloodline already!

Some interesting points here. I think Chris' design in Death Island is down to it building on Vendetta's story and assets, but also because I believe it's set pre-7.

I absolutely love your analysis videos and I knew this would finally do Chris' arc justice

one thing i like about re8 chris is that he feels so vulnerable. like if any attack actually connects with him he would receive serious damage

Chris’ newer/angrier demeanor suits him in my opinion. Throughout all the games he’s been in he constantly tries to do things the right way only for it to backfire somehow. Someone always dies are gets killed and it has a lasting effect on him. Re 8 Chris is essentially him taking the “Wesker” approach. Eliminating all targets and destroying the source of its origin. While Ethan searches for his daughter, Chris and his team are behind the scenes destroying Lycans and investigating the area for Miranda. Granted Chris is a much more “negotiable” person than Wesker is since he’s not an egomaniac. But that’s not to say there aren’t some similarities between him and the Wesker from RE 1.

Honestly I m scared for Chris future RE8 Chris is so broken inside that he never go back to the RE5 Chris which is my favourite and at least death island will bring back some of that charm of RE5 Chris

I specifically remember in Marvel versus Capcom. That Chris Redfield is standing next to Captain America in Mike Haggar's ending slides. And I have to admit, damn... Capcom do be presenting Chris on the level of on of the greatest comic book heroes in American fiction. Now that is respect how the developers want to imagine Chris. I'm a huge fan of him and gush about RE lore to my friends. They are awesome and humor me.

Man did not go from Code Veronica to boxing a boulder organically. Man's a bioweapon.

8:55 is one of the truest things I've heard regarding the legacy characters in RE. I believe Leon mentions being "stuck in a loop" in the Vendetta movie, when Rebecca talks about the outbreak at her school. Evidently, Leon has turned to alcohol and Chris seems more set on taking out Glenn Arias, but it's all the same: they're stuck in a loop. You mentioned more evil people popping up after Wesker's death and, in my opinion, they weren't as diabolical or more of a threat than he was, but it's just sad that, even with him gone, it doesn't end. The fact that each one of these characters, especially Chris, has lost a good chunk of themselves over the years to fight bioterrorism, just confirms the void that's been created and will most likely never be filled. Great video! I'd love to see one on Wesker or other characters. I enjoy these analysis videos haha Also, the Darkwing Duck profile pic is an automatic sub lmao ❤😂

Beautifully done thank you! I love Chris. He is my all time favorite hero!

Never had a problem with Chris being swole. It was the boulder punch specifically that was just ridiculous looking and took away from the already ridiculous wesker fight imo. Childhood me always viewed Leon and Chris as two responses to their backgrounds. Both trained so they could be prepared with capcom deciding leon would be the agile one and Chris would be the tank. Not unrealistic logic as I personally wouldn’t wanna be caught with my pants down in an apocalypse fighting a superhuman but that’s just me. What really bothers me about that logic is how they’ve kept them separate this whole time. They seem like the perfect duo and are fan favorites engineered to print money yet their campaigns were separated in 6 (not the worst flaw of that game however) and they’ve been paired twice now in the movies in what is arguably the best scene in the films.

One thing I think you didn't mention is the consequences of Wesker's death. Chris was at the mansion. He saw the source of the outbreak, and he knows Wesker is largely responsible. Until the end of RE5, he had a culprit, but then he died. His all-out crusade to kill Wesker was over, and right after the short moment of solace after killing Wesker, the horror continued. He continued witnessing the deaths of the soldiers he cares for so much, and much more, but now, without his nemesis in mind. If anything, to me, Chris is possibly one of the most tragic characters in RE5, and I can't wait for the game where he finally "gets the girl", and possibly, if we're lucky, a very heartwarming hug. (And him punching an average sized rock perhaps).

I've only played RE5,6 ORC and a bit of remake 3, and after seeing wesker beat his ass, ya I get why he got jacked up to be punching boulders

“Surprisingly consistent” Re7 Chris allow me to introduce myself

chris will always be my fave

Yeah i definitely agree it’s a lot easier to have a character grow while still feeling like the same person when you have multiple appearances instead of once in a blue moon like Jill. Even with 8 while I do got issues with his decisions in that game Jeff schine did a great job bringing in that charisma he had 5 and 6 to 8 with his performance. My worry for 5 remake which isn’t needed but it pretty much confirmed is this might be the the time where we get a variant of the character but I’m hoping since 8 is very recent in peoples minds that they won’t try and miss with his character and keep like it was in 5 OG. They most likely won’t bring back Roger, so hopefully Jeff or whoever they get keeps him the same.

‘Begins to carry the weight of their enemies actions in their own demeanour’ that’s me with 343

Chris is a legend of a VG Protagonist. Standing shoulder to shoulder, easily above many of his peers. How many other video game characters have lasted this long and are still as enduring despite significant changes to their character, actions driving the plot of the series forward within and outside of the games? Underlined by him not being *that* big of a character outside of the franchise [as opposed to say, Leon] I wonder if Chris will be killed in 9 as a way to close the main series out. Capcom has flirted with the idea before

Honestly I never even thought Chris’ design in RE7 was bad or stark to begin with. I thought it was a good adaptation of his older look and was really well done but RE8 Chris is definitely my favourite design by far.

Chris directly confirms he got jacked after Code: Veronica specifically to combat Wesker in one of his victory quotes in Marvel Vs. Capcom 3! ^^

This guy sums up my problems perfectly. I hate the constant remodels but Chris stays perfect

Chris's face from RE1 to RE6 is actually the same. I think a lot of people miss this because everything else about him changes so drastically. Also another fun fact is that his face in RE7 and in Village are actually the same model, it was just heavily altered for Village.

Give it up man, we all know this is now a newly renown Resident Evil channel, and your passion for the franchise took over the whole shenanigans. 😂

im sure the backlash with RE7 chris was that no one could recognize him. even i was shocked when he introduced himself in re7 like who tf are you??? but otherwise yeah, i do think his character is pretty consistent.

I always like Chris and how he was designed up to RE7. I was like “is this a trick from Umbrella” 😂 RE8 he went back to normal.

Chris no doubt the best character in RE. every comeback he got better and even wiser despite not the most loved (but he's still one of the most popular ones)

i just hope his dream of continueing the redfield bloodline will come true.

My best friend and I talked about that Code Veronica fight convincing Chris to get shredded back when RE5 came out.

chris's greatest growth was finally not losing his entire squad in re8

Chris is the ultimate bow and boulder slayer in Resident evil

Actually it makes sense for him to get bigger and bigger, he fights all over the world, trains to stay fit for those battles ect... Look just at special forces, most of them are jacked af...

Love your RE videos! I hope u make more

Considering d.c douglas was going to reprise his role as wesker in re4 remake before he broke his nda i hope roger craig smith comes back to voice chris😢

Resident 5 in general is heavily underrated it's my favorite re game and i love chris in it

I think it's RE5 where he's shown his main trait that evolves over the years. even though Chris accepts people is going to die on his command, he can't stand it. In revelations he was devastated when he tought Jill was dead. Worse yet in RE6 since he saw her fall ... Still didn't give up. The only way he would accept Jill's death would be seeing her body. In 6 his entire refusal to go back into action was because he couldn't take losing more people. Piers sacrifice gave him confidence to never again give up on his cause. In RE 7 he's back into action and even working with a team. Unfortunely, then again , his Team couldn't survive the operative on Lucas. Chris again ended up alone. But instead of sinking in sorrow he went all out against Lucas. Making sure he lamented what he did before he gave him a final shot. In RE8 he's more a front liner, Leaving his wolves to handle intel and airstrikes, he seemed to not let them go with him. Instead going alone to the most dangerous parts. He's so distraught about the idea of letting someone die on him he kidnapped Ethan and refused to even let him understand what was going on (still i hate that, if he cares so much why wasn't he in the van with Ethan, but that's my only problem with RE village Chris, i think his stupid choice of not telling Ethan anything was completely in characterm it was a stupid choice Chris would make) Overall Chris is a soldier who knows the risks but would rather fight an army alone than letting another less experience soldier die on him, reminds me of Guts from Berserk.

i ain’t even watched this yet and i know it’s gonna slap (based off the jill video). keep going we need ur vids king

Me and my friends strongly believe that the reason we see Chris' all swole in RE5 is because of Wesker's super human abilities. Like, I am glad you thought that too. That PTSD and preparation all have to played up to RE5. And that PTSD could follow him towards the later games. Taking BOW so serious, he refused to make any mistakes.

i see the village version as a more realistic version in the world. if you think about it, its been about 20 years since the events of the mansion, so he will look a bit older. then add in the mental stress and trauma hes been through, and you will get a more weathered looking guy.

My headcanon is Chris took intensive training in the desert like Adonis Creed in Creed 2

Just found your channel, I like your video essay on Chris 😎 subscribing

When RE7 released I didn’t get it purely on the redesigned appearance of Chris, I called him Craig Breadfield and regarded him as imposter. I was so relieved to see capcom return to thicc Chris in RE8

yoo keep going with these resi videos! loving them

you really did a good job explaining why he is by far my fav RE character. He might initially come off as a generic hero, but RE6 and Village especially have added so much depth to his personality. his storyline in RE6 is just so incredibly heartbreaking, after everything and then seeing the result of it, it's really good writing.

I think a lot of my issue is that Chris never looks the same twice. Even between RE7 and RE8, he goes from Ethan's lost twin to a potato man. RECVX is probably my favourite model of him, he's just a goofy guy.

Resident evil 8 made chris. Look so amazing

That “Thanks fur watchang” at the end came out of left field for me as a first timer here and I enjoyed it. Good analysis of the character, agree that they’ve kept him consistent in the most important ways. 👍

Village has some shortcomings that could have easily been rectified but Chris' consistent attitude/personality regardless of RE6 batshit-insane plot he's been through never made me question if it's the same Chris (shout out to Jeff Schine whose portrayal is very faithful to Roger Craig Smith with a bit distinct edge to him). Bar facial and voice in 7, Chris feels consistent in the arcs he's thrown to.

The Shadows of Rose DLC implies Chris is still fighting bioterror in his 60s. I hope that's not cannon and that he retires in his 50s.

Resident evil 5 Chris is easily best resides 6 is just as good too

5:44 THANK YOU I’ve been saying this for years.

to be honest i like the way chris looks like in RE5

He's strong not only in his physique, but mental and emotion he has. He's more suitable to be the main protagonist in whole RE Universe, even tho he's not the no.1

He will always be my favorite and the protagonist of the entire series.

Not to mention that he technically is now a father ish figure due to him raising rose,it is know cuz in shadows of rose it is mention that Chris visited her school often

RE8 Chris is peak.

Well, I think he's consistency can be easily explained by him being the literal John Resident Evil.

For the most part...I dunno who that accountant dude claiming to be Chris was at the end of 7....

I've got some points to contribute: At the beginning, Chris had a lot of his personality tied into supplementary reading and concept work (his Air Force service, being a maverick who didn't get along with the police chief, his "the Lads" relationship with Richard and Forest, that kind of thing) but has bunch more added with the introduction of his sister. Claire being partially raised by her brother after they were orphaned, and having learned combat and survival skills from him so she can fend for herself, are traits that tell us things about both of them. As for the "worked out for the inevitable rematch with Wesker" bit to explain his new physique, the series writers themselves have brought that up in some interviews, so it's basically the official explanation. He's also pretty dehydrated during RE5, as you can see from his constant "wiping away sweat" idle animations. This might be an holdover from an early idea for RE5 involving staving off heat stroke as a survival mechanic. One thing I like about the flashback bit in RE6 is that Chris is has a much sunnier and more benevolent demeanor. That was after the end of RE5 (Wesker was dead, Jill was alive, the BSAA was thriving and doing good work) so he was at what was likely the highest point in his life. Finally, I think it needs to be said that RE7 was using a new engine and doing capture using new method, so the weirdness of his RE7 face is likely to be at least partially because of technical reasons (Mia's face is also different in RE8, as a point of comparison).

Chris and Jill started the series and I think they should end the series. Love them

I like his figure of leader and soldier who has values and respects them. But I also like how they showed in RE6 that he is also a human. His fight with emotions and fallen comrades trying to live with his anger and responsibility is incredible and it reveals his true nature. And in later games we can see the consequences and his strong will that he will keep going, keep saving no matter of what.

Re5 Chris is the best, beating everybody up

This video was amazing and tbh I’m not sure how beloved Chris would be if he wasn’t the face of survival horror back in the 90s. He’s a legacy character in pop culture and a very long series that has evolved in so many ways. Whether he dies or lives Chris is the face of resident evil closely followed by Leon. I’ll never forget the first interaction of re1 with Chris and I experiencing our first zombie together, truly magical stuff.

I used to be enamored with Leon as a character when I was younger. But the more i learn about myself the older I get. I can relate to Chris wholeheartedly and he has become my favorite character in the franchise.

best character in RE frenchise by far. love chris.

You forgot to mention that Chris is the only Resident Evil character who met all previous main characters. Chris met Jill, Rebecca, Barry in RE1, Chris met Leon in RE6, Chris met Ethan in RE7 and RE8. Chris and Claire had their own game Resident Evil Code Veronica. Jill only came to be seem with Leon in the movie Resident Evil Death Island.

They should make a classic tank control resident evil spin off series focusing on Chris Redfield always being the payable character, calling back to the series roots, and consistently honoring one of the series most reoccuring characters. I'm gonna be Chris Redfield when Halloween 2024 comes along, genuinely cool bit about RE lore and history there.