Resident Evil 8 was first revealed at Sony's PlayStation 5 event several months ago, and the upcoming game was met with both excitement and questions from longtime fans of the series. Although the debut trailer showcased the game's village setting, one particular scene that sparked most players' interest was the one that featured Chris Redfield from the perspective of Resident Evil protagonist Ethan Winters.

Towards the end of the announcement trailer, Ethan questioned Chris' presence and was shocked when he shot someone out of view point-blank. As of the moment, the identity of the person Chris shot remains a mystery, but many speculate that it could be Ethan's wife, Mia Winters. Capcom producers recently teased Chris's role in Resident Evil 8, and here is everything that has been revealed so far.

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Chris Redfield Brought Ethan Winters to the Village

chris redfield and ethan winters

In an interview with the Japanese magazine Famitsu, Resident Evil 8 producers Tsuyoshi Kanda and Peter Fabiano revealed that Ethan didn't just stumble upon the village by chance. Instead, he was intentionally brought there by Chris Redfield himself, though Chris' exact motive remains a mystery. In Resident Evil 7, it is worth remembering that Chris and Ethan met at the Baker Mansion, where it was revealed that Chris is working with the mysterious organization known as Blue Umbrella. Chris was also the one who rescued Ethan after he defeated Evelyn, a B.O.W. created by The Connections. Of course, Chris' appearance in Resident Evil 7 served as the bridge between the previous games' established lore with the new direction that began in the seventh installment.

Chris's involvement in the Baker family incident was expanded upon Resident Evil 7's Not a Hero DLC. In the story expansion, it was revealed that Chris does not fully trust Blue Umbrella. The organization was established after the fall of the Umbrella Corporation, and its supposed goal is to help out in the fight against bioterrorism to make up for the original company's crimes. Now, while Chris' intention for bringing Ethan to the village in the upcoming game remains unknown, the producers also revealed that Chris in Resident Evil 8 is the same Chris in previous games in the franchise. However, the biggest question fans may have right now is whether or not Chris has crossed over to the dark side.

Is Chris Redfield the Antagonist of Resident Evil 8?

resident evil 8 trailer august 2020

Ever since the first Resident Evil game, Chris has led the fight against bioterrorism and was behind the fall of the Umbrella Corporation and the death of Albert Wesker. In later games, Chris has traveled all around the globe to put a stop to other pharmaceutical companies that are aiming to replace Umbrella as the leading organization engaged in BOW experimentation. However, it appears that Capcom is depicting Chris as some villain in the upcoming game, which is obviously a shock to many given all his heroic actions throughout Resident Evil's 24-year history.

As of the moment, it appears that fans would only know the answer to this question once Resident Evil 8 releases next year. However, it wouldn't be unlikely if Chris is pretending to be affiliated with the enemies to uncover the truth behind Blue Umbrella. It is worth remembering that, in Not a Hero, Chris revealed that he is suspicious of Blue Umbrella's true nature. He may be pretending to be a bad guy in the upcoming game to expose Blue Umbrella. Of course, while this scenario is purely speculation, it is not far-fetched. It wouldn't make sense for Capcom to turn Chris into an antagonist given it is against his principles and will betray everything he has been fighting for since day one.

Resident Evil 8 is currently in development for the PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.

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