For 25 years, the Resident Evil franchise has produced a wide cast of characters that have since become iconic figures in the industry. Among the leading characters in the franchise is Chris Redfield, serving as one of its first playable characters who introduced players to the world of Resident Evil.
It is no secret that among the many main characters who have led the fight against bioterrorism, Chris has played a significant role in key events that shaped Resident Evil's history. Serving as the character with the most appearances in the series, here's a rundown of Chris' life before and after the Raccoon City incident - only covering the events that transpired in the mainline Resident Evil games.
Chris Redfield's Origins
Although Chris is one of the most popular characters in Resident Evil, not much is known about his childhood life. However, it is mentioned that Chris and his sister Claire Redfield both lost their parents before 1998, leaving the two to look out for each other. Upon reaching early adulthood, Chris joined the United States Air Force and befriended Barry Burton.
After an incident forcing Chris to disobey his senior officers, he either resigned or was dismissed for insubordination. After leaving the airforce, Chris was scouted in 1996 and asked to join Raccoon City's Special Tactics and Rescue Service (S.T.A.R.S.), serving as the point man for Alpha Team. Unbeknownst to Chris, his involvement with S.T.A.R.S. marks the beginning of a life-long battle with bioterrorism.
Resident Evil
On July 23, 1998, S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team was sent to the Arklay Forest to track down the perpetrators of cannibalistic murders. However, the R.P.D. lost communication with Bravo Team, and this is where the events of Resident Evil 0 transpired. Roughly a day later, Alpha Team was sent in to investigate the mysterious disappearance of the Bravo Team, and Chris alongside Jill Valentine, Barry Burton, and Albert Wesker stumbled upon Spencer Mansion, where they discovered most of Bravo Team dead. In his exploration of the mansion, Chris Redfield stumbled upon rookie Bravo Team member Rebecca Chambers.
Through their investigation, Chris and Jill discovered that the Umbrella Corporation owned the mansion, serving as a front for the company's illegal bioweapons research. Chris also found that Alpha Team Captain Albert Wesker worked for Umbrella and was tasked to lure S.T.A.R.S. into the mansion to gather combat data. After defeating a Tyrant released by Wesker, the remaining members of S.T.A.R.S. activated the mansion's self-destruct system and vowed to reveal the truth. Out of twelve members of S.T.A.R.S. (excluding R.P.D. pilot Kevin Dooley; Bravo's pilot in the mission), only six survived: Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Barry Burton, Brad Vickers, Rebecca Chambers, and Albert Wesker, with the latter thought to have died in the mansion.
Resident Evil: Code Veronica
Shortly after the Mansion Incident, S.T.A.R.S. was disbanded by Chief Irons - under Umbrella's payroll. Without any official function in Raccoon City, Chris left to investigate Umbrella's facility in Europe. Barry and Rebecca left Raccoon City shortly thereafter, leaving Jill and Brad the only S.T.A.R.S. members left in the city when the T-Virus outbreak began. After Raccoon City was destroyed, Chris Redfield returned in Resident Evil: Code Veronica after Leon Kennedy told him Claire was captured by Umbrella.
Chris immediately made his way to the Rockfort Island facility, only to find Claire had been freed and left the island. However, before he could go, Chris encountered a Wesker revealed to have superhuman abilities. Wesker informed Chris that Claire is at an Umbrella facility in Antarctica. Upon reaching the base, Chris and Claire reunite and Chris activates the base's self-destruct sequence before engaging in battle with Alexia Ashford. Before escaping, Claire is abducted by Wesker, so Chris engages him in hand-to-hand combat. Given that the base was about to self-destruct, Wesker lets Chris and Claire go, vowing their next meeting would be their last.
Resident Evil 5
After the fall of the Umbrella Corporation, Wesker was still on the loose and Umbrella's data was sold, so other companies followed its footsteps. In 2006, Chris and Jill received reports on the whereabouts of Umbrella's founder, Ozwell E. Spencer. After breaking into another mansion in Europe, Chris and Jill found Spencer dead at the hands of Wesker. Chris could not neutralize Wesker due to his powers, forcing Jill to sacrifice her life by tackling Wesker out of a nearby window. Both fell into a chasm and were presumed dead.
Three years later, Chris became one of the most active members of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (B.S.A.A.). In 2009, he was sent to Kijuju, Africa alongside Sheva Alomar to intercept a bioweapons deal. The mission went awry, and the rest of their team was wiped out. The pair received new orders to relay data to HQ, and Chris discovered a picture of a woman resembling Jill Valentine.
The woman was indeed Jill, and Chris discovered she was experimented upon by Wesker and fitted with a mind-control device. After freeing Jill from captivity, Chris and Sheva chased Wesker, leading them to a volcano where they neutralized Wesker once and for all before he could spread the Uroboros virus.
Resident Evil 6
In 2012, Chris Redfield and members of the B.S.A.A. were sent to Edonia for a mission. However, the mission ended with most of the B.S.A.A. dead, leaving Chris and Piers Nievans the only survivors. Chris suffered from amnesia after succumbing to physical and mental trauma. Chris escaped his hospital and went missing for six months, becoming a violent drunk frequenting a bar in Eastern Europe.
Although still suffering from some memory loss, Chris was dispatched to Lanshiang, China amid another bioterror attack. Sometime during the mission, Chris and Piers saw "Ada Wong," whom they believe to be behind the death of their peers, unaware that Leon Kennedy and Helena Harper were also in pursuit. After cornering the woman they believe to be Ada, Leon and Helena protected her.
During the confrontation, "Ada Wong," who is really a clone named Carla Radames created by Derek C. Simmons, threw a flash grenade and escaped. Before Chris gave chase, Leon told him "they both want the same thing," snapping Chris out of his quest for vengeance. Chris and Piers were able to pursue Carla to the docks, where she revealed her plan to release the C-Virus before being killed by one of Simmons' henchmen. Unfortunately, Chris and Piers could not stop the virus, and the city became infested with zombies.
Afterward, Chris and Piers were contacted by Leon to rescue Jake Muller and Sherry Birkin in an underwater facility. Chris learned that Jake, Albert Wesker's son, possesses antibodies for the C-Virus. At the facility, Chris and Piers were able to rescue Jake and Sherry. Unfortunately, the encounter resulted in the infection of Piers, who later threw Chris in an escape pod before the facility was destroyed. Chris is rescued the following morning, and the death of Piers renewed his motivation to serve the B.S.A.A.
Resident Evil 7
After Resident Evil 6, Capcom decided to return the franchise to its survival horror roots. In Resident Evil 7, players were introduced to a new cast of characters led by Ethan Winters. The game's events didn't include any established characters apart from Chris, who appears at the end to rescue Ethan and Mia Winters. In DLC, players were able to control Chris immediately after the events of Resident Evil 7. Pursuing Lucas Baker through a salt mine, Chris endured many of Lucas' deadly traps, but was able to kill him and successfully stop him from transmitting data to The Connections.
Ethan requested Chris also rescue Zoe Baker at an undisclosed time, after Ethan left her in the Baker mansion when choosing to save his wife Mia. After his team arrived at the estate, the entire unit was wiped out, but it was revealed that Zoe was safe with her uncle Joe Baker. After the clearing operations, Chris informed Ethan that Zoe had been rescued and allowed them to reconnect.
Resident Evil Village
Several years after the Dulvey Incident, Chris became critical of the B.S.A.A. and formed the elite Hound Wolf Squad. During his pursuit of a bioweapon named Mother Miranda, Chris discovered she plans to use the Mold for her evil plans. However, Chris found that Miranda had swapped places with Mia, pretending to be her, without Ethan knowing. He then arranged an assault on the Winters' home, killing "Mia" in front of him.
Miranda survived the attack and pursued the vehicle transferring Ethan and his daughter, Rose. By the time Chris discovered the convoy was attacked, both were gone. Chris and Ethan crossed paths once more in Heisenberg's factory, where Chris told Ethan the truth about Miranda pretending to be Mia.
After defeating Heisenberg, Ethan contacted Chris to let him know he would be pursuing Miranda to save Rose. During the encounter, Miranda ripped out Ethan's heart, which seemed to kill him. Upon learning of Ethan's "death," Chris pursued Miranda and learned about the creation of Evelyn and her connection to Umbrella's founder. Chris also found Mia, and after confirming she was real led her to an escape vehicle. During the confrontation with Miranda, Chris discovered that Ethan was also alive, and after Ethan killed Miranda Chris tried to help him escape. However, Ethan knew it was too late for him and made Chris promise to look after Rose. Chris, Mia, and Rose were able to escape as they watched the facility explode.
Sometime after, Chris gives Rose Ethan's jacket and wedding ring as mementos. However, it revealed that Rose kept some of her abilities secret from Chris, marking the end of the mainline Resident Evil franchise so far.