Resident Evil Village: Shadows of Rose's announcement presented fans with a new story following the events of the base game. The Resident Evil Village DLC may offer some answers as just how exactly Rose is afflicted by the mold that took over her mother and father, what abilities she might have because of it, and what this could mean for the future of Resident Evil.
Among the many standout moments of the trailers showcasing Shadows of Rose, a focus on what appears to be a duplicate or clone of Rose herself had many fans wondering what this might entail for the DLC's story. More particularly, it has led many fans to theorize just who this copy of Rose might actually be, with ideas ranging from whether the duplicate is just a reflection of Rose's own self or if it could be Miranda's actual daughter successfully resurrected. With the DLC's unusual premise, speculation is running high as players attempt to understand how the upcoming Shadows of Rose will play out.
It's Just A Bad Copy
One of the prevailing ideas behind this second Rose's identity ties into the DLC's setting. Per the gameplay trailer, audiences are told that the events of the DLC will be taking place inside the consciousness of the megamycete, with Rose accessing this surreal mind space using her as-of-yet unknown powers. This helps explain why the game will revisit familiar territories such as Castle Dimitrescu and how once-friendly faces such as The Duke will appear to take on more villainous roles in the DLC, with further gameplay footage alluding to one of Resident Evil's most introspective and mind-bending stories to date.
With Rose is connecting with the megamycete in an effort to rid herself of her abilities, how exactly this will pan out remains to be seen for the DLC itself. However, this motivation could help indicate who the doppelganger might be, as some fans theorize that the other Rose could be a reflection or copy of the actual Rose. Her appearance could be the manifestation of the resentment Rose carries for the megamycete, the Cadou, and the mold, or it could be the representation of her mold side and serves as an embodiment of who or what she must either overcome or come to terms with in order to achieve her goals.
It's Miranda's Long Lost Daughter
Another theory behind the duplicate is that it may actually be the result of Miranda's attempt to resurrect her lost daughter who died some considerable time before the events of Resident Evil Village. The ending of the base game saw Ethan attempt to rescue Rose from Miranda's clutches and then stop the expansion of the megamycete, sacrificing himself in the process. Many players had assumed then this meant that Miranda had failed and that with Rose safely in the hands of the BSAA there would be no mother-daughter reunion.
It's not impossible then that the consciousness of Miranda's lost daughter is being lensed through Rose's own identity like an afterimage, brought on by Miranda's efforts to resurrect her. Narratively this could complicate the story, as Rose is attempting to rid herself of her powers, and coming face-to-face with the entity that would have taken her place had Miranda been ultimately successful might get in the way of that story. However, it would be an excellent expansion on the game's original lore as it could help better explain Miranda's motives and could go on to lay the groundwork for future Resident Evil games following Village.
Until fans can get their hands on the DLC, they will need to wait and see just who or what this clone of Rose might be and how much she will factor into the DLC's overall story or for the story of Resident Evil moving forwards. With many other mysteries surrounding Shadows of Rose, from who Michael might be to what powers will Rose actually have, Capcom is promising to have plenty in store for when the Gold Edition of Resident Evil Village is officially released. Including the upcoming Resident Evil 4 and the speculation surrounding the latest remake, many fans are once more excited about the franchise's future.
Resident Evil Village Gold Edition will release on October 28 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.