Resident Evil's plot has always been a little convoluted. Characters can be absent for multiple entries in the series, only to pop back up a few games later without fans being explicitly told where they were or what happened to them in the interim. A prime example of this is Sherry Birkin, who after debuting in Resident Evil 2, was not featured in another Resident Evil game until Resident Evil 6.
The ending of Resident Evil 2 leaves Leon, Claire, and Sherry ostensibly safe and sound after escaping Raccoon City, but it's unclear what happens to Sherry next. Although she is absent from the games until her return as a protagonist in Resident Evil 6, there’s a lot that can be gleaned about her life from files found throughout the series.
7 Leon Makes A Deal With The Government In Exchange For Her Safety
After Resident Evil 2, the first real clue given about Sherry’s whereabouts is so minor that it’s easy to miss, as it comes in the form of a file called "Leon’s Epilogue" that can be found in Resident Evil 3:
Leon Scott Kennedy is confronted with a man who claims to be a US government agent. Leon says, "Leave Sherry alone. She is innocent." "She knows too much," the man replies. He looks at Leon and says, "But you have value. This is a good deal. Make your choice." Without regret or hesitation, Leon closes his eyes and then sharply responds...
The file is open to interpretation (presumably on purpose), but the implication is that Leon joins the Anti-Umbrella Pursuit and Investigation Team in exchange for an assurance of Sherry’s safety. Leon might have a reputation as a bit of a grouch, but deep down it's obvious he has a big heart.
6 She Was Placed In Government Custody And Became A State Secret
Though Sherry was safe from outside harm thanks to Leon, she was still forced to enter government custody both for her protection and because, as stated in the "Leon’s Epilogue" file, “she knows too much.”
Sherry was also a valuable asset for government research, due to the fact that she retained the G-Virus in her blood after she was infected and subsequently cured in Resident Evil 2. Zombies and bioweapons might sound more terrifying than the government on paper, but being held captive for research is insidious and disturbing in its own right.
5 She Was Hunted By Albert Wesker
One of the main reasons Sherry was kept cooped up in secret for so many years was simply because it was too dangerous for her to be out in the open. The risk was that she could fall into the hands of Umbrella or Albert Wesker, the original antagonist of the frightening series.
Resident Evil 6 contains a file called "A Deal With the United States" that outlines this most explicitly. It states that, beyond the government wanting to study the G-Virus in Sherry's blood, "they sought to protect her from Albert Wesker, who wanted to possess a sample of the G-Virus."
4 Derek C. Simmons Was Made Her Legal Guardian
Resident Evil 6 is the first and only game that Derek C. Simmons appears in, so not much is known about his life and actions prior to the title. However, a bit of information about him and his relationship with Sherry can be derived from files found in Resident Evil 6. Though Simmons worked for the government, he was also part of a secret organization called The Family that infiltrated the government in order to obtain power and manipulate the world to their liking (including the destruction of Raccoon City in Resident Evil 2).
Though it’s not stated outright by Simmons himself, it can be reasonably assumed that the reason Simmons wanted to be Sherry’s guardian is that she carried the G-virus in her blood.
3 She Was Visited By Claire Redfield
Despite the fact that Sherry was not allowed to leave government custody, Simmons still allowed her to be visited by Claire Redfield (whose whereabouts outside the events of Resident Evil: Code Veronica were also largely unknown --as tends to be common with Resident Evil characters-- between Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil: Revelations 2). Initially, Claire's visits were simply to provide emotional support and because they remained close friends after the events of Resident Evil 2. However, Claire also began to suspect that Simmons had more insidious goals.
Claire eventually sent a letter to Sherry warning her of her suspicions regarding Simmons, but the letter was intercepted and subsequently destroyed by an unknown party. A file titled "Life Without Freedom" states that "the person who found it sympathized with Sherry and Claire's situation, but couldn't allow it to go to Sherry," but little else is known about who found the letter and why it had to be destroyed.
2 A Strain Of The C-Virus Was Made From Her Blood
Claire’s suspicions about Simmons turned out to be correct, as Simmons and his team were ultimately after Sherry’s blood. Simmons used the G-virus from Sherry’s blood extractions in order to further mutate the C-virus. The goal was seemingly a more powerful strain that allowed human carriers to retain a degree of intelligence, creating a smarter, more powerful and tricky to deal with bioweapon.
A file found in Resident Evil 6 called "Carla Radames" includes a quote from Radames herself (she was a close confidant of Simmons) that heavily implicates Simmons. It states, "if I can just combine [the T-02 virus] with a sample of the G-Virus taken from Sherry Birkin's body I'll have the perfect virus. I don't know how many years it will take, but I'll do all I can to make Simmons proud."
1 She Was Made A Government Agent Who Reported To Simmons
After Albert Wesker’s death in 2009, Sherry was finally granted freedom—on the condition that she become a government agent under the supervision of Simmons. The file "A Deal with the United States" contains a quote from Simmons that reveals his intentions:
I bet she thought that this was her big chance to help others in need. Her overly-kind and ultimately naive, charitable nature makes many fans sick. But, she could still be of some use.
Since Resident Evil 6 takes place between 2012-2013, it can plausibly be assumed that Sherry underwent training and took on missions for the government, starting in 2009 and leading up to the C-Virus shenanigans and other events depicted in Resident Evil 6.
Resident Evil 2 (2019) is available now, for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Windows.
Resident Evil 6 is also available now, for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Windows.