Since it boasts the title of highest-grossing horror franchise, it's no surprise that Resident Evil is still going strong over 25 years after its debut in 1996. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Resident Evil redefined the horror genre and brought zombie mythology back into mainstream media. Naturally, as with most zombie-centered stories, Capcom's immensely successful Resident Evil doesn't come without trauma, torture and misery for all the unfortunate characters involved; no one gets off easy.
From debilitating mutations to near-death experiences, no one is safe. However, even with all the death and destruction, there are individuals that count their blessings far more often than others. Across more than 10 main series games, several remakes and multiple-spin-offs, no other characters have suffered more than these hapless victims of circumstance.
5
Ethan Winters
Although it isn't a competition, if it were, Ethan Winters would emerge victorious — hands down. Above all others, Ethan has suffered incalculable torment at the hands of the Baker family and the hostile otherworldly inhabitants of a mysterious European village. Players are introduced to Ethan for the first time in Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, after he is led to a derelict plantation by a foreboding message from his wife Mia, who went missing three years prior. Just in the events of Resident Evil 7 alone, the following events take place; Ethan is almost killed by an aggressive and murderous Mia, who cuts off his hand, and is subsequently held captive by the sadistic Baker family; Ethan either kills Mia himself or presumes her dead until later on (depending on whether the player chooses to cure Mia or Zoe); and a mutated Eveline attacks him.
If that isn't enough to determine Ethan's suffering, he endures even greater torment in Resident Evil Village after Chris Redfield and his squadron ambush his house, violently killing Mia and abducting both Ethan and their daughter Rosemary. For the duration of Village, Ethan is stalked, hunted, mutilated and even killed twice over. In fact, Ethan chooses to sacrifice himself and detonate the bomb planted on the Megamycete (the source of the infecting Mold), thereby saving Mia and Rosemary. So, after all of that, Ethan dies anyway. It would be safe to assume that Ethan undergoes the most physical pain of any Resident Evil character, especially with multiple amputations and recurring deaths. But still, the emotional torment isn't much lighter a burden to bare.
4
Chris Redfield
For starters, even before he became the Chris Redfield that fans are familiar with, Claire Redfield and her older brother lost their parents sometime before 1998. After joining the United States Air Force, Chris befriended Barry Burton, but lost several squad members during his service. Actually, many of Chris' friends died right in front of him in the battlefield. Additionally, after also befriending S.T.A.R.S. member Jill Valentine, Chris had to witness his friend succumb to the control of Albert Wesker and even had to fight her on several occasions. Albert Wesker, before joining and subsequently betraying Umbrella, served as Redfield's unit commander in the Air Force, so Chris befriended him too. After choosing to go rogue and revealing himself as an Umbrella spy, Wesker turned his back on Chris and Jill, eventually using them as pawns in a master plan to steal Umbrella's resources for his own personal gain.
Chris has seen Hell inside out; he lost his closest friends, lost his fellow soldiers, almost got killed by Wesker and somehow survived outbreak after outbreak. For the cherry on top, Chris was framed for killing Mia after Mother Miranda impersonated him, which led to a strain on his relationship with Ethan Winters. Everyone has different definitions of trauma, especially in regard to emotional and physical abuse, but Chris certainly sits among the most emotionally damaged characters in the whole franchise.
3
Sherry Birkin
All within a single night, Sherry Birkin, daughter of William and Annette Birkin, discovers that he father was working with the Umbrella Corporation to create the T-Virus, but William mutated and became a monster who relentlessly hunted and eventually infected her. Furthermore, Sherry watched both her parents die during the Raccoon City Destruction Incident. Although it worked in her favor that she wasn't completely cured, as she was left with superhuman abilities, she was subsequently captured and locked away to live out 11 years as a government lab rat. Just a few days after her parent's death, Raccoon City was nuked and destroyed, meaning that any remaining relatives were now dead.
During her captivity, Sherry was made to choose between remaining in her current plight or becoming a DSO agent after Albert Wesker was killed at the hands of Chris Redfield. She reluctantly chose the latter, as most would, but never quite knew if she was truly free. All Resident Evil characters have experiences horrible loss and torture, but Sherry endured all the aforementioned events at just 12 years old. Needless to say, it is implied by Sherry herself and dialogue throughout Resident Evil 2 that William and Annette were neglectful towards her due to their busy work schedules. It wouldn't be surprising if Sherry acquired severe PTSD stemming from her childhood.
2
Jill Valentine
While Jill doesn't undergo as much physical torment as other characters, she does experience a rather 'slow burn' method of torture over the years. Jill was almost turned into a 'Jill sandwich' (humorously) after several encounters with Nemesis, who hunts her continuously throughout Resident Evil 3. Before the events of Resident Evil 5, Jill was found badly injured by Albert Wesker, who kept her alive in cryostasis to experiment on her for the Uroboros project. Although her body rejected Uroboros, she was held captive for further testing on the P30 Project, which would enhance cells in the body to manufacture enhanced super-soldiers. When Jill was released from captivity, there was a device attached to her chest that would periodically pump the P30 drug into her body, thereby rendering her subservient to Wesker's commands. While under P30's influence, Jill hunted down and attacked several people, including one of Wesker's former associates Ricardo Irving.
Eventually, Jill was freed from Wesker's control by Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar, but she remained traumatized by her ordeal and the exposure to several viruses and drugs. One of the most impactful parts of Jill's trauma is the consistency and persistency of it all; she could never seem to catch a break between Wesker, Nemesis and taking upon herself the burden of protecting those around her, including Chris, Claire, Sheva and Leon. Perhaps her status as a capable female soldier and survivor makes her experiences seem less distressing, but she's never had a moment's peace.
1 Clancy Jarvis
It might be an unconventional choice, but Clancy — whom players will know as the partner of Peter Walken and Andre Strickland and the cameraman for the paranormal internet series Sewer Gators — suffers one of the worst fates in Resident Evil history. Clancy found Andre's dead body, got kidnapped by Jack Baker and watched Pete die. Clancy returned in several DLCs — "Nightmare," "Bedroom," "21" and "Happy Birthday" — and underwent some of the most horrific torture of any side character. In "Nightmare," Clancy encounters Jack Baker, where he must fight off several Molded and ultimately Jack himself. In "Bedroom," Marguerite feeds him human entrails and taunts him incessantly, forcing him to defend himself and escape. In "21," Lucas Baker forces him to play a lethal game of Blackjack with another captive called Hoffman. Although Clancy outsmarts Lucas eventually, it doesn't stop him from experiencing excruciating pain.
Finally, in "Happy Birthday," Clancy meets his demise. After completing a series of torturous puzzles and obstacles constructed by Lucas, he places a candle on a birthday cake to presumably escape, but unknowingly lights an explosive, thus burning himself alive. Ethan can find Clancy's charred body in the main story of Resident Evil 7, donning a handwritten note that says: "You're next." Throughout each ordeal, Clancy only endures unimaginable physical pain and essentially orchestrates his own death in the end, which doesn't need an explanation as to why it correlates with Hell on Earth.