Fans of Capcom's Resident Evil admire the series, not just for its over-the-top zombie action, but for its unique take on zombies and the biopunk genre. In turn, the franchise makes prominent use of viruses, viral outbreaks, and even bioterrorists. In turn, Resident Evil not just explores the lives of its protagonists, but also the machinations of the company that started it all: Umbrella Corporation and its agents.
Additionally, Resident Evil found its heroes - and eventually villains - from various walks of life. And sometimes, some of the franchise's most interesting characters come from a combination of their most sinister antagonists and an otherwise extremely minor character. For instance, just who is the mysterious agent HUNK in Resident Evil? Moreover, what role does he play throughout the entire series?
Updated on October 30, 2022, by Rhenn Taguiam: Of all characters in the Resident Evil franchise, perhaps HUNK remains one of the most mysterious side characters ever to be introduced. Aside from his appearance - that of an individual constantly clad in tactical gear and a gas mask - his presence always spelled trouble for whoever was with him. Aside from almost everyone near him dying in various ways, HUNK is always the sole survivor in whatever situation he’s in. Despite the stream of Remakes flowing into current-gen consoles, the games remain hush-hush about the true nature of HUNK and its origins. Thankfully, while there’s a relative absence of tidbits regarding HUNK’s history, the Remakes offer a more nuanced take on the character.
15 The 4th Survivor Remake
Similar to his initial appearance as the fourth survivor in “The Fourth Survivor” minigame in Resident Evil 2, HUNK also appears in a remake of this scenario in the Remake, aptly named “The 4th Survivor.” Like his first counterpart, HUNK in this minigame is equipped with advanced weaponry that Claire and Leon couldn’t immediately access at the start of the game.
Not only that, but players also only get to unlock this remade minigame through special conditions. Unlike the original version where players need to achieve A-Ranks or B-Ranks in each level, the Remake’s “4th Survivor” scenario only needs players to complete both Claire’s and Leon’s playthroughs.
14 Outfit Reflects Gameplay
One of the most notable characteristics of HUNK as a playable character in a mainline Resident Evil title is his access to a much larger inventory. In the older games where players have to manage their items in a grid inventory, characters like Leon still had to purchase extra “slots” just to boost the number of slots where he could insert items.
This doesn’t apply to HUNK in some instances. For instance, in “The Mercenaries” minigame of Resident Evil 4, HUNK gets access to 42 extra spaces on the get-go, allowing him to fit in more items and ammunition. This seems to coincide with his “tacticool” look, wherein his tactical suit also possesses various pockets and pouches for items. Not only that, his rather sophisticated outfit suits his gameplay. He almost always gets more advanced weapons, access to more movesets, and far better survivability options than other characters.
13 Outbreak Character Via Cheating
Thanks to Resident Evil Outbreak and Outbreak File #2, fans finally get answers as to whether there were other survivors in the Raccoon City Destruction Incident. And the answer is yes, and players get to help these characters in their desperate attempt at survival in a zombie-ravaged Raccoon City. However, perhaps more interesting is how HUNK’s presence in Raccoon City during its final hours outside the main games' main characters makes him an “extra” survivor like the cast of Outbreak.
This may also explain why HUNK is a secret character in the Resident Evil game. Thanks to a cheating device such as a Gameshark, players can access two (2) costumes of HUNK - one masked and one unmasked. This unmasked version is the only time HUNK is seen without his mask. However, instead of being his character, his character’s gameplay is taken from that of Kevin Ryman, a Raccoon Police Department officer. HUNK doesn’t have any preset scenarios in the games, however.
12 The Rivalry With Nikolai Zinoviev
While there’s not a lot of backstory regarding HUNK aside from his exploits as a mercenary, the games hint towards something rather interesting regarding his character: HUNK is considered a rival to Nikolai Zinoviev, the Silver Wolf of the UBCS. This tidbit was only revealed in a magazine and never expounded.
However, when analyzing HUNK’s character as a whole, even the implication that Nikolai approaches missions in a way opposite to HUNK reveals a lot about the mysterious mercenary. Despite his skill, Nikolai’s greed will have him not only conduct operations for Umbrella but also for other companies, even if his objectives are to sabotage the UBCS’s operations in Raccoon City slowly. This is highly contrasting to HUNK’s attitude towards his tasks, where his laser focus would mean even outright killing his comrades if it meant they were no longer of use to the mission.
11 Not Insensitive As A Team Leader (Rockfort Island Incident)
While HUNK’s mission-oriented perspective means he can be ruthless as an agent, it’s implied he’s no slouch as a leader. In “HUNK’s Report” in The Darkside Chronicles, it’s revealed that Alfred Ashford tasked HUNK and his unit to escort an otherwise normal-looking capsule to Rockfort Island with no other information on the package they are to protect.
The report highlights HUNK’s concern regarding the safety of his unit. It says that, while aware of the nature of classified nature, having even the slightest hint of what they may be carrying could help HUNK and his unit be more adequately prepared to protect it, especially since his unit is specially catered for special missions - similar to Chris Redfield’s Blue Umbrella task force in Resident Evil Village.
10 The True Survivor
Players refer to the game's protagonists as the "sole survivors" of their respective stories, courtesy of plot armor. After all, the game can't progress when protagonists like Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, and Leon Kennedy die prematurely, right? The case isn't exactly the same with HUNK, as the Umbrella Operative seems to have a knack for survival regardless of the circumstance.
Save for the equally-enigmatic Ada Wong, HUNK arguably has the best record of survival lore-wise. Outside minigames across some titles in the series' 20+ games, players almost never get to play HUNK. However, HUNK still happens to find ways to survive whatever dangers he's encountered, without player interference nor assistance from the plot.
9 The Grim Reaper
Due to his mysterious origins and track record, a lot of people refer to HUNK as "The Grim Reaper" or a "Shinigami" in Japanese. Unfortunately, the games haven't done a great job translating this throughout the titles. In turn, HUNK also received nicknames such as "Dr. Deat," "Mr. Death," "Death," or "God of Death." This mistranslation even led to the rather funny quote, "The death cannot die."
Additionally, fans can remember that they can play as HUNK in Resident Evil 2's "The 4th Survivor" scenario. Interestingly, this naming convention may also serve as a reference for his "Grim Reaper" nickname. After all, in Japanese culture, the number four most commonly finds itself associated with bad luck. In terms of language, that's because both "death" and the number four have the same pronunciation in Japanese.
8 No Pleasant Encounters
Despite HUNK's reputation, the lone soldier seems to have piles of bodies always following his wake. The only known detail about HUNK's past is his training in Rockfort Island's Military Training Center back in 1996. Somehow, HUNK remained the sole survivor of all his missions, earning him the "Grim Reaper" nickname.
Moreover, HUNK always shuts down or ignores praise received from colleagues. When Rachel receives HUNK as a partner in Revelations' Raid Mode, she'll say "Pleasant to work with you, Dr. Death," but HUNK quickly dismisses her.
7 The Definition Of Tacticool
Fans of Resident Evil find mutual adoration over HUNK's rather cold personality due to his arguably "cool" appearance. Of all characters in the franchise, HUNK boasts quite the most intimidating yet tactically-appropriate appearance. For instance, aside from his gas mask with the signature red lens, HUNK populates his body with protective gear and plenty of combat pouches. In turn, his design philosophy dictates that, if any Umbrella Operative will survive an outbreak, it's HUNK and his many weapons.
Moreover, it's perhaps HUNK's appearance that inspired the overall appearance of Umbrella Secret Service's Delta Team in Operation Raccoon City. In this non-canon title, Umbrella's team has to secure confidential data from Raccoon City before its destruction. Opposite the more military-like Echo Six, Delta Team boasts black overalls and almost all members wear face coverings, from gas masks to partial masks, as though taking from HUNK's design.
6 Always A Powerhouse
Interestingly, given HUNK's reputation as a minigame character, his appearance always denoted the arrival of some "perks" as well. Throughout his appearances, HUNK always boasted some form of increased firepower or skillset that denoted his specialized training. For instance, in 1998's "The 4th Survivor," HUNK boasts some of the highest base HP for a playable character in the game. Moreover, he begins with eight inventory slots with a Magnum, Shotgun, Handgun, and even some herbs.
In other games, HUNK also has special melee moves when facing zombies. He has exclusive instant-kill moves, knockback kicks, and even special moves that involve hidden blades.
5 May Have Started The Global Bioterrorism Scare
If it wasn't for the virus outbreak in Raccoon City, the global black market wouldn't be interested in the potential of bioweapons as a marketable commodity. However, while people point towards Umbrella as the root cause of the virus, HUNK may have been the person who lit the fuse.
Essentially, HUNK's stay in Raccoon City led him to secure the G-Virus samples from William Birkin. After some resistance, HUNK acquired Birkin's briefcase, which also contained some T-Virus samples. Unfortunately for HUNK and his team, Birkin injected himself with a G-Virus sample, mutating him in the process. Birkin, now "G," slaughtered HUNK's team in his mutated form. In the process, G crushes a T-Virus sample, infecting nearby sewer rats which then infected Raccoon City's water supply.
4 A Legendary Mercenary
When Umbrella Corporation "fell" in 2003, HUNK gained a reputation as a deadly mercenary. In particular, HUNK gained notoriety for his specialization against bioweapons. This specialty helped HUNK create the Close Quarters Quarantined Battle Zone (CQBZ) fighting style, and specifically designed against bioweapons. These weapons include the custom Bite Guard, Zombie Jammer, Zombie Eizen, and Zombie Bell equipment.
In fact, HUNK left such a lasting legacy that various mercenary groups and corporations trained agents in CQBZ. For instance, the unnamed protagonist in Resident Evil: Umbrella Corps used CQBZ and HUNK's specially-designed equipment to deal with bioweapon threats to gain samples for their enigmatic faction.
3 The Original Star Of Resident Evil 3
After the success of Resident Evil 2, Capcom had a lot of projects under its belt. Unfortunately, the lifespan of the PlayStation didn't make room for a core title. Moreover, the team didn't have time to upgrade to the PlayStation 2, either. Meaning, the original Resident Evil 3 concept had to be shelved. Another supposed-RE3 eventually became Code: Veronica, and it's the third project that featured Jill that became the core title.
Moreover, the original concept of RE3 actually continued HUNK's story from the second game. Should Capcom have the time for this concept, players need to guide HUNK as he delivered the G-Virus sample back to Umbrella. According to Yasuhisa Kawamura, RE3's scenario writer, HUNK's game would have him on a cruise ship.
2 Opposite The Stylish Ada
Interestingly, fans of Resident Evil will associate HUNK with another mysterious minor character, Ada Wong. After all, the two characters do have similarities. For one, both serve as minor characters that work for either an enemy faction (HUNK with Umbrella) or a mysterious benefactor (Ada with the Corporation). Moreover, both characters boast incredible fighting abilities, capable of handling various zombies and bioweapons on their own.
However, their similarities end there. Whereas HUNK has a more tactical appearance, Ada boasts a more elegant and seductive appearance. In turn, this gives them a unique contrast. HUNK has a more soldierly appearance, while Ada is more femme fatale.
1 Losing A Human Touch
Players can find more insight regarding HUNK in some additional media, particularly in the promotional campaign for Operation Raccoon City. In this campaign, a fictional psychological report notes that HUNK kept a "soldier side" and removed any traces of a "human side." However, HUNK shows a reaction to the name "Bella," albeit the reason remained unknown.
Moreover, HUNK's rather "robotic" nature is questioned in some interactions with him in the game. In the original Resident Evil 2, HUNK doesn't show remorse when his subordinate accidentally shot William Birkin. Instead, HUNK advised his soldier to hold fire to avoid damaging the G-Virus sample. However, there seems to be an additional shot where HUNK shows visible anger at Birkin's accidental shooting, noting some humanity within HUNK. Interestingly, The Darkside Chronicles adjusts this canon when it's shown that HUNK himself peppered Birkin with bullets in a retelling of that encounter.