There has been a lot of hype surrounding Resident Evil Village over the last few months. Fans of Resident Evil are hungry for more info on the upcoming mainline entry while the internet has fallen in love with Resident Evil Village's Lady Dimitrescu. As of now, the Lady of the castle has claimed the spotlight, but fans are still eager to know more about the entire cast of RE8.
When Resident Evil: Village was revealed in June of 2020, fans were shocked at some of the returning faces (chief among these being legendary hero Chris Redfield). Players will once again be taking control of Ethan Winters, the protagonist of Resident Evil 7. Not much is known about Ethan or his background, but he's much more than just a pair of hands that players control.
Updated November 11, 2022 by Joseph Barbieri: Resident Evil Village's Gold Edition was released on October 28th, 2022 and added a full DLC featuring Rosemary Winters, the daughter of Ethan Winters. This DLC was confirmed by Capcom to be the end of the Winters story, which means players probably won't see Ethan, Mia, or Rose as protagonists in any upcoming RE titles.
Many fans are disappointed with this, as Ethan was just beginning to grow on the fanbase after Village, and Rose offered Capcom yet another young character to take the reins from legacy characters like Chris Redfield and Leon Kennedy. Capcom even expanded on Ethan's character in the Shadows of Rose DLC, giving the once shallow character even more depth.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead
15 He Went Through Military Training Between Resident Evil 7 And Village
This is mentioned directly during the course of Resident Evil Village, but any player could miss it if they blink. After the events of Resident Evil 7 and the ordeal at the Baker Estate, Ethan underwent military training.
It is always a little funny when a throwaway line is put into the game to try and explain why a character is so apt at combat. It is especially interesting in Resident Evil Village because Ethan more than proves his combat prowess in Resident Evil 7 where he can already handle numerous firearms and parry enemy attacks.
14 Ethan's Preferred Weapon Is The Shotgun
Though not technically confirmed, it seems pretty likely that Ethan's go-to weapon is the shotgun. Capcom wanted Ethan to be a blank vessel for the player to immerse themselves through, so maybe it's no surprise that the shotgun is Ethan's favorite weapon! In the promotional images for Village's mercenaries mode, Ethan is wielding the shotgun. His preference for this weapon was further confirmed in the Shadows of Rose DLC.
Near the end of the DLC, Rose is confronted by Mother Miranda while inside the collective memories of the mutamycete. She has just lost her powers granted by the mold, and she is seemingly defenseless against Miranda. That is until her father Ethan Winters shows up with a shotgun in hand. Throughout the DLC, players can infer that both Ethan and Miranda have solid control over the mutamycete's abilities. With this in mind, Ethan could give himself any gun he wanted. He gave his daughter a handgun at the beginning of the DLC, so why not give himself a magnum akin to Barry Burton's super magnum from Resident Evil 1? One reasonable conclusion is that Ethan just loves the shotgun too much and feels more comfortable with it over any other weapon he's used or was trained with.
13 Ethan Winters' Powers Are Stronger Than We Think
Resident Evil Village ends with Ethan Winters' tragic demise. His life ends saving Rosemary and killing Mother Miranda. However, the post-credits scene hints at his continued existence.
A figure approaches the car Rose is in, and upon closer observation, this model is Ethan Winters. The Shadows of Rose DLC confirmed that this figure is in fact, Ethan Winters. He remains connected to Rose through the mutamycete and despite his physical death, his consciousness and soul live on through his daughter. As Rose tells the agent at the end of Village, she has powers that "not even Chris knows about." She is surely hinting at her connection with Ethan, who helped her develop her powers throughout the Shadows of Rose DLC.
12 His In-Game Model Does Not Have A Head
When Resident Evil 8 was announced to have a photo mode, people thought it would be a great opportunity to finally see Ethan's face. Unfortunately, the photo mode does not let you see him.
Someone did make a third-person camera mod, however, and it reveals that Ethan's model does not actually have a head. It's quite common for parts of a model to be missing in a first-person game, but it does not make it any less humorous.
The Resident Evil Village Gold Edition released an official third-person mode for players to enjoy. Capcom was determined to uphold the practice of not revealing Ethan's face though, so players can never fully see his face in the game. They at least gave the poor guy a head this time though!
11 Worked As A Systems Engineer
Before the events of Resident Evil 7, Ethan Winters lived in Los Angeles and worked as a systems engineer. Unlike other series' protagonists, Ethan isn't a supercop or special forces member. He was just a regular guy living happily with his wife, Mia, until she went missing.
Ethan had nearly given up hope of finding her until she sent a desperate video call to him. With no prior combat training or experience, Ethan decided to go to Dulvey, Louisiana in search of his lost wife. He was intent on rescuing her, no matter the cost.
10 Never Knew His Wife's Real Job
Before Ethan learns more about his wife Mia's dark secrets, he assumes she works in a trading company that requires her to travel often. Little did Ethan know that Mia's real line of work was much more sinister. Mia actually worked for a secret company known only as "The Connections."
This company dealt with bioweapons research and development. Mia worked as a handler and agent with The Connections and hid this from Ethan for their entire relationship together before the Dulvey incident. How such a regular guy like Ethan Winters ended up married to an agent from a bioweapons company remains a mystery. By the end of Resident Evil Village, Ethan still does not fully realize Mia's involvement with the criminal group.
9 Lost (& Regained) A Couple Limbs
Throughout the first hours of Resident Evil 7, players find themselves trapped in the Baker family residence. Ethan is unable to fight his way through everything like a typical heroic protagonist though and ends up getting attacked repeatedly. He even loses his hand to his infected wife, Mia, before losing his foot to Jack Baker, the head of the Baker family. Luckily for Ethan, there's no shortage of advanced healing salves and liquids that allow his injuries to heal unbelievably well.
Ethan can continue to use these miracle-working healing agents throughout the game, allowing him to face the nightmares of the Baker family farm head-on.
Resident Evil Village finally explains Ethan's magnificent healing abilities. He actually died during the beginning of Resident Evil 7 and became infected with the Mold immediately. His high affinity with the Mold led to his impressive regeneration abilities. It is just a shame the Mold could not numb the pain.
8 Infected During The Dulvey Incident
Oftentimes, the hero in a zombie scenario magically never gets infected. They watch those around them fall, but they somehow manage to steer clear of infection throughout their entire story. This trope doesn't apply to Ethan Winters.
In the late midgame of Resident Evil 7, players find themselves controlling Mia Winters in a flashback sequence. During this time, the main protagonist, Ethan, is unconscious and entrapped in the virally infected mold of the game's antagonist, Eveline. Ethan had previously given his wife, Mia, an injection of serum that would cure her of her own infection. Though players might think Ethan was cured after the events of Resident Evil 7, they later find that he was never cured at all. He died at the beginning of Resident Evil 7 and was only kept alive by his strong connection to Eveline and the Mold.
7 Used A Weapon Originally Designed By Albert Wesker
After battling through the entire Baker family, Ethan finds himself face-to-face with Eveline. Eveline is the source of the viral mold and the infection that drove the Bakers insane. As she is the final encounter, she grows to a gargantuan size and threatens to crush Ethan into dust.
Luckily for Ethan, a helicopter arrives with military personnel on board who are ready to fight Eveline with him. One soldier drops a powerful pistol called the "Albert-01." Longtime fans noticed it was the custom "Samurai Edge" style pistol from the old games and recognized it as series antagonist Albert Wesker's custom design. Somehow, this average systems engineer from Los Angeles managed to use a legendary weapon to destroy a monstrous bio-organic weapon.
6 Rescued By Blue Umbrella
After narrowly defeating Eveline, Ethan is nearly crushed by calcified chunks of mold falling from the colossal creature. He manages to squirm to safety once again and is quickly tended to by a soldier calling himself Redfield. This soldier is working with Blue Umbrella, an organization formed from the ashes of the original Umbrella Corporation.
Blue Umbrella claims to be fighting against bioterrorism and working to right the wrongs of the original Umbrella Corporation. They cannot formally have their own military, so they contract private military organizations or government forces like the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA). Ethan is saved by Blue Umbrella and eventually held in their facilities because of his infection with the mold.
5 Was Housed By The BSAA
After passing through Blue Umbrella, Ethan and Mia were housed for a time by the BSAA. There, they waited to find a new home, and Ethan got to reconnect with Mia. He learned more about her past, and the two, amazingly, stayed together. They were also protected and monitored by the captain of the BSAA, Chris Redfield.
It is currently unknown how long Ethan and Mia stayed with the BSAA before moving to Europe. There was still concern over Ethan's infection, but he eventually cleared all the testing and managed to move away with his wife.
4 Once Trusted Chris Redfield
After legendary hero, Chris Redfield saved Ethan and Mia from Dulvey, he ensured their safety within Blue Umbrella. Chris was still working with the BSAA and was only working alongside Blue Umbrella because he had to. He still, fundamentally, distrusted them, as he'd fought Umbrella for his entire career.
Ethan and Mia were kept safe inside Blue Umbrella, though fans are still curious to know all that happened during their stay with the company. Ethan and Chris became acquainted, and Ethan saw Chris as someone he could trust. Resident Evil: Village's intro shatters this trust and Chris seems to be an antagonist at first.
Appearances can be deceiving, however, and Chris was actually on the side of good this whole time. The Mia he shot was actually Mother Miranda. Chris certainly could have handled the situation better, however, and maybe found a way to let Ethan know.
3 Has Improved Combat Abilities
Though Ethan started as a systems engineer who rather boldly went on a solo mission to save his wife, he has since gained significant combat experience. Ethan was forced to learn his way around multiple weapons, and his long list of injuries has surely toughened him up. During Capcom's Resident Evil: Village official gameplay showcase, fans saw Ethan parry enemy attacks leaving them open for counterattacks.
Fans also saw Ethan effortlessly ready a sniper rifle for future combat. He has clearly improved his ability to fight, and he's going to have to give everything he has if he hopes to beat Mother Miranda and the army of monsters in the ominous village he finds himself in.
2 Had A Child With Mia
During the events of Resident Evil 7, Ethan Winters fought many foes, including his own wife Mia. She had been infected by the mold and was driven insane by it, attacking everyone in sight. Ethan managed to save her but later learned of her involvement in the transportation and protection of the bioweapons that had infected her and the entire Baker family. Somehow, after all of this, the two managed to stay together.
Sometime after Ethan and Mia left the BSAA housing, they became parents. Many fans were shocked that Ethan would even stay married to Mia, never mind having a child with her. The plot of Resident Evil: Village focuses heavily on Ethan and Mia's child. Chris Redfield kills who appears to be Mia and takes Ethan's child, setting up the series of events that make up the story of Resident Evil: Village.
1 Ethan Was Always Watching Over Rose
After finishing the main story of Resident Evil Village, players watch Ethan Winters sacrifice himself to save his daughter and Chris. Ethan's physical form is killed in a massive explosion alongside the megamycete and Mother Miranda. Players later learn that Rose grew up without any sort of father figure and that her meetings with Mia were sporadic at best. Per the Shadows of Rose DLC, Rose knows next to nothing about her father except that he died to save her life as an infant. She questions whether or not Ethan would be proud of who she's become, and what he would've taught her if he were still alive.
Near the end of the DLC, these questions are answered. Rose explores the complex memories of the mutamycete sample being held by the Hound Wolf team. Inside, she is helped by a mysterious force calling itself, "Michael." This force manages to manifest itself in a physical form near the end of the DLC. It turns out to be Ethan Winters himself. His soul and ethereal form live on inside the mutamycete's memories, just like Miranda's. Together, Rose and Ethan destroy Mother Miranda inside the mutamycete, reducing her form to scattered memories that by Miranda's own calculations, may never form together again. The fight takes everything out of Ethan, who collapses. He's able to have a final face-to-face conversation with his daughter and he tells her that he's watched her for her entire life and that he is proud of who she's become. The players learn that Ethan's love and determination to live for his daughter are so powerful that he's watched her from inside the mutamycete for her entire life, and will continue to do so for as long as she lives.