Warning - This article delves deep into some of the main plot points of Resident Evil: Village and its Shadows of Rose DLC.Rosemary Winters is just as secretive as her father, Ethan Winters. Though she may not be a master at hiding her face like Ethan Winters is, most of Rose's backstory is shrouded in mystery. Players only get to see her at two points in her life: the first during the events of Resident Evil: Village and the second during the Shadows of Rose DLC.
Set after the events of Resident Evil: Village, Shadows of Rose puts players in the shoes of a 16-year-old Rosemary. Upon learning that interacting with a piece of the Megamycete can potentially cure her of the strange powers she was born with, Rose enters the Realm of Consciousness. It is here where she confronts nightmares similar to what her father once faced years ago. But though the settings may look the same, the Realm of Consciousness changes what is real into a twisted reflection based on its inhabitants' collective thoughts. The Realm of Consciousness also happens to give players insight into Rosemary's life as a young child.
Back To Rose Winters' Past
The trip down memory lane begins when Rose falls down into a deeper level in the Realm of Consciousness. Having barely escaped the Masked Duke and failing to retrieve the Purifying Crystal that can rid her of her powers, Rose is as determined as ever to become normal. As she explores the new stratum, she eventually wanders into the Realm of Consciousness's version of House Beneviento. Those who played Resident Evil: Village will know that the real horrors of House Beneviento aren't on the main floors but on the basement level below them.
Upon reaching the lower levels, Rosemary happens upon her childhood diary. The main entry tells of a young Rose Winters eager to make friends at her new school. While most of the students sound wary of her at first, the young Rose talks of a girl named Lucy and how she might become Rose's first real friend. Rose also mentions another of Lucy's friends, Catherine, and how she hopes that Lucy might introduce her to Rose.
How House Beneviento's Dolls Tell Rose's Story
As it turns out, neither Lucy nor Catherine would become Rose's friend. While it isn't explicitly said or written, players can make educated guesses based on the tasks they are given on the lower level of House Beneviento. To escape the house and gather the Purifying Crystal, a disembodied voice tasks them with collecting and playing with various dolls that are scattered throughout the basement. These dolls, labeled "Lucy", "Catherine", "Jimmy", and an unnamed doll have to be arranged in specific dioramas to unlock various items that allow them to progress.
It is in these dioramas that players get a glimpse into Rose's childhood. The first diorama shows Rose (depicted as a fixed blonde-haired doll) getting pranked by Lucy and Catherine in the restroom. The note next to the diorama reads “We need to clean that gross mold off of her!” - hinting that Lucy and Catherine may have known at least a little about Rose Winters' condition and decided to bully her for it.
The second diorama adds another character into the mix. Jimmy is a boy that looks roughly the same age as Lucy, Catherine, and Rose. Together, Lucy, Catherine, and Jimmy lure Rose into a trap under the pretense of wanting to give her a birthday present. The note next to the second diorama says “No one wants to be her friend! What a loser!” - which is what they must have thought when they decided to ruin Rose's birthday party.
The final diorama shows Lucy, Catherine, Jimmy, and an unnamed black-haired doll (which could be Eveline, the antagonist from Resident Evil 7: Biohazard) burning Rose on a stake. While this last diorama isn't real, it hints at the mastermind in control of the House Beneviento stratum. Not only that, but the last diorama also shows what Eveline wants to happen to Rosemary.
Save for the final diorama, the rest of the doll arrangements hint at Rose's childhood trauma at the hands of her schoolmates. This becomes more evident as Rose travels further into the House Beneviento stratum as multiple giant dolls echo her bullies' cries and thoughts. Rose was bullied and ridiculed for being different and having no friends - acts which prompted her to view her powers as a curse. Though Rose's childhood may not have been all bad, the Realm of Consciousness amplified her darker thoughts to push her to rid herself of her powers.
Resident Evil Village: Winters' Expansion is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.