With the release of Resident Evil Village now just a few days away, it's an exciting time for fans of Capcom's hugely influential survival horror series. While many are looking forward to getting to experience the new gameplay mechanics and features found in the series' latest entry though, there are others who are more interested in finding out more about the woman who'll be serving as the game's main antagonist.

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Since her first appearance in the Maiden demo, Lady Dimitrescu has proven to be incredibly popular with series fans. While there is definitely a lot to like about her, there's perhaps an argument to be made that the hype surrounding the character is a little over the top. As well as having a name that is far easier to pronounce, Mr. X is considered by many to be an equally excellent antagonist and even has the edge over the Resident Evil 8 villain in a number of ways.

8 Lady Dimitrescu: A Bewitching Appearance

resident evil village

Some of the fan reactions to Lady Dimitrescu's big reveal really weren't what one might have expected for a primary antagonist in a Resident Evil game. That's arguably because she herself really doesn't fit the bill, but, for many, her design is seen as refreshing rather than as a disappointment.

Granted, she may not strike fear into the heart quite as effectively as Mr. X, but that's all part of her charm. The idea of a villain who appears sweet and charming is hardly new, but it's one that hasn't been explored all that much in the survival horror genre. It's not like she's harmless either, with the end of the demo giving fans a small taste of what she is capable of.

7 Mr. X: An Intimidating Monster

While his huge stature and grotesque appearance also play a big part, it's arguably the ever-present threat that Mr. X poses that makes him so terrifying. Players can often hear him coming long before they see him, but quickly learn that there's nothing they can do to stop him. As such, the best course of actually upon hearing him is generally to just turn tail and run.

In a game that empowers players so effectively by arming them to the teeth and allowing them to explode the heads of their enemies, having an unstoppable foe may seem like an odd design choice at first glance. On closer inspection, however, it was a stroke of genius from the team at Capcom and really does inject a lot of horror into the classic survival horror game.

6 Lady Dimitrescu: An Interesting Design Inspired By Folklore

life-sized lady dimitrescu towel

For as scary as Mr. X can be, his design is actually fairly generic in the grand scheme of things. Characters just like him have shown up in countless other video games and movies, many of which actually feature far more terrifying designs. Lady Dimitrescu, on the other hand, is like nothing that Resident Evil fans have seen in the series before now.

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It's not just her appearance that sets her apart either, but also her interesting and intriguing backstory. She was inspired by both western vampire literature and the Hachishakusama from Japanese folklore, she drinks human blood and seems to age at an incredibly slow rate. She may not inspire terror quite as effectively as those who came before her, but she does, perhaps, create far more intrigue.

5 Mr. X: An Unstoppable Killing Machine

While Lady Dimitrescu's vampiric origins certainly add a lot of extra depth to the character, it also opens up the possibility that she may well possess some of the same weaknesses. Granted, figuring out how to get close enough to plunge a stake through her heart or getting one's hands on a few cloves of garlic in the castle would no doubt be difficult, but nowhere near as challenging as stopping Mr. X in his tracks.

Leon throws just about everything that he has at the terrifying creature during the events of Resident Evil 2, but, despite the hero's best efforts, the creature just keeps on coming. Ultimately, a rocket launcher does finally manage to do the trick, but finding one of those just lying around is pretty rare even in the Resident Evil Universe.

4 Lady Dimitrescu: An Incredible Reach

Lady Dimitrescu extended finger blades

Capcom has never officially provided a canon height for Mr. X, although that he needs to duck down a little to get through doorways would suggest that he's at least 6'8". While incredibly tall, this falls some way short of Lady Dimitrescu, who stands at a monstrous 9'6". With this in mind, she all but certainly boasts a greater reach than the Resident Evil 2 antagonist and this is before her primary weapons are taken into account.

One of Lady Dimitrescu's post-infection traits is the ability to elongate her fingernails into razor-like claws. As well as being totally badass (not to mention a nice nod to Wolverine), this further extends her reach making it virtually impossible to get close enough to attack her without getting scratched up like an overused cat pole.

3 Mr. X: The Ability To Mutate

Long fingernails definitely have their uses, but, unless there just happen to be a lot of oranges that needs to be peeled in the immediate vicinity, being able to mutate into an even more powerful form with a flaming right arm and giant claw is probably a lot more useful. At least when it comes to murdering police officers, anyway. Neither would be all that great for scratching an itch.

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It's not just the increased killing potential that Mr. X's final mutation gives him that makes him so terrifying though, but also the change in his appearance. If players weren't intimidated beforehand, they likely will be now and the fact that he must be defeated while a countdown timer slowly but surely ticks down in the center of the screen can make things considerably more stressful.

2 Lady Dimitrescu: An Air Of Mystery

tall vampire lady screenshotis

Although Capcom has already provided a surprising amount of information about Lady Dimitrescu in the build up to the release of Resident Evil Village, there's still an air of mystery surrounding the character. How she came to be infected, what her motivations are and who exactly the three women she shares the castle with are just some of the things that fans will be looking forward to finding out.

One of the most interesting things about her is that she still seems to be capable of rational thought. This is in stark contrast to the likes of Mr. X and Nemesis, both of whom are largely portrayed as mindless killing machines in their respective games. That Lady Dimitrescu might want something other than to simply murder players is refreshing, although fans will have to wait a little longer in order to find out if that's the case.

1 Mr. X: A Terrifying Legacy

Mr. X in Resident Evil 2 (original and remake)

While some of the mysteries surrounding Lady Dimitrescu will no doubt be explored throughout the events of Resident Evil Village, series fans need no reminder of what Mr. X is capable of. He's been around for decades now and will likely have had a huge impact on those who played Resident Evil 2 back in the nineties.

Survival horror titles may be a dime a dozen these days, but at the time of the game's release, the genre was still very much in its infancy. Some of the elements of Mr. X's character that may seem cliche by modern standards were actually incredibly fresh at the time and, like Resident Evil 2 itself, helped to shape both the series and the genre in the years that followed.

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