In 2020, a Resident Evil 3 remake hit shelves worldwide and revealed that Nemesis had an unexpected connection to Resident Evil 4. Early on in the game, it is heavily implied that the reoccurring antagonist had some kind of connection to Las Plagas, and this revelation has huge implications for Resident Evil 4 with how Las Plagas and the T-Virus will factor into the game's greater universe.
The Resident Evil 3 remake followed the critical and financial success of a Resident Evil 2 remake, and ultimately Resident Evil 3 wasn't as well received as its predecessor - particularly criticized for cut content. However, the game did sell over five million copies worldwide, didn't slow the momentum of the remake series, and featured a few new surprises regarding its main antagonist that will surely come back in the upcoming Resident Evil 4.
What is Las Plagas in Resident Evil 4?
Originally released in 2005, Resident Evil 4 was a major turning point for Capcom. Widely considered to be one of if not the best games in the franchise, this installment veered the series away from traditional survival-horror elements into more action-based horror. Resident Evil 5 and 6 would continue to push the series with mixed success, but a remake of Resident Evil 4 was officially announced in mid-2022 following years of rumors.
In addition to its action focus, the game also took several steps away from the rest of the franchise's convoluted lore. Resident Evil's timeline and overarching story can be difficult to follow, but the fourth game operated as something of an in-continuity reboot. Umbrella as a company has since been destroyed, and the game's main antagonist Osmund Saddler mostly appears to be an independent terrorist. In addition, it abandoned the traditional Resident Evil virus formula in favor of a more naturally occurring parasite known as Las Plagas.
Resident Evil 4's Las Plagas is based on a real parasite that finds its way into the body and gradually grows, eventually taking control of its host. The parasites, in turn, obey Saddler and other higher-ranking Las Plagas creatures who typically make up the game's boss fights. Eventually, Las Plagas bursts from the neck, causing one's head to explode while the rest of the body is still fully functional - not unlike what Capcom would eventually do with Nemesis' minions in the remake of Resident Evil 3.
Nemesis' Connection to Las Plagas In Resident Evil 3
In Resident Evil 3, Nemesis stalks and attempts to kill Jill Valentine alongside other members of S.T.A.R.S. Early in the game, Jill can go back-and-forth between various areas where Nemesis will stalk Jill like Mr. X the remake of Resident Evil 2. However, the remake introduced one major twist.
Before launch, Resident Evil 3 released a playable demo that gave players a taste of what was to come. In this more open area, Nemesis takes a hold of zombies scattered throughout the city, and put some kind of parasitical creature on their head which, in turn, would take control of them. Fans noticed that the creature looked suspiciously similar to Las Plagas once they burst from the host's neck, and it turned out this was by design.
During a 2020 interview with Resident Evil 3 director Kiyohiko Sakata, it was revealed that in the remake's timeline, Nemesis was created with a parasite known as NE-a. This particular parasite was a lab-grown creature created by Umbrella that was based on Las Plagas. While some may write this off as lazy, it connects Las Plagas to the bigger Resident Evil universe, and ultimately gives the parasite a bigger role alongside the T-Virus.
Connecting Las Plagus and the T-Virus in Resident Evil 4
Despite a mention of Albert Wesker in Resident Evil 4 and Ada Wong's storyline, one of the game's primary selling points was how distant it felt from the rest of the franchise. Now it appears that Umbrella had some exposure to Las Plagas, which could also mean that Osmund Saddler may have some connection to Umbrella that's explored in the remake. When it comes to the T-Virus and Las Plagas, the implications are a little different.
In the first three Resident Evil games, the T-Virus is the primary source of zombie infections. Nemesis, in turn, will take these zombies and infect them with the parasite that is carried in his body. However, it is clear that one does not need to be infected by the T-Virus to be susceptible to these parasites, as Jill herself can be taken over by these creatures. If there is a larger connection between the T-Virus and Las Plagas it will likely be revealed in the Resident Evil 4 remake, but for now there's little evidence of a connection beyond the fact that both are used as prospective bioweapons by Umbrella.
It could just be that these apparent connections are red herrings. The Las Plagas connection was never actually mentioned in Resident Evil 3 remake, so the connection could be discarded altogether. At the same time, it's clear that the developer is trying to retell the arc of the franchise, and the Resident Evil 4 remake story trailer has already teased a few surprises. Whether the developers opt to make it part of the greater franchise story in a more direct way remains to be seen.
Resident Evil 4 launches on March 24 for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.