Summary
TheResident Eviluniverse is packed full of all kinds of horrific viruses and diseases which can turn a regular human being into a menacing monstrosity in no more than a few seconds. However, not every virus will work its magic this quickly, meaning that, in very rare instances, some characters have been able to survive the ordeal, though usually not without a few nagging side effects lingering in their body after the fact.
Most of the protagonists inResident Evilhave managed to barely make it through a lethal infection, but there have also been a few side characters, and even villains, who have been able to see it through to the other side too. While becoming infected in the world ofResident Evilis usually a death sentence, these characters proved that it doesn’t always have to be.
During Jill’s grand escape out ofRaccoon City, just when it seems like she might have a chance of getting out, not only does she become stalked by a mutant tyrant known as Nemesis, but she also becomes infected with the T-Virus. While she is able to remain conscious for a few minutes, Jill eventually collapses, prompting Carlos to go on an escapade through the Raccoon City Hospital to find a vaccine.
If Jill had never met Carlos, it’s highly likely she would have simply become a mindless zombie who would have eventually been one of the millions obliterated by the nuclear blast. Thankfully, Carlos' heroism ensured that this wouldn’t happen, allowing her to get back up to speed by the time she was ready to face off against Nemesis to end the nightmare for good.
Only a few minutes into the story ofRevelations 2, Claire and her TerraSave colleagues are kidnapped and taken to a mysterious island, only to later find out that they have all also been infected with the T-Phobos Virus. This is a rather unique virus in the series since it only activates based on the host’s stress levels. Low amounts of stress have the potential to turn someone into a superhuman, but if they feel genuine fear, they will either die right there on the spot or becomea bloodthirsty mutant.
Considering the sheer amount of nightmarish adventures Claire had already been on up to that point, she was able to keep her fear to a minimum, allowing her to escape the island without succumbing to its effects. Though it was left unclear whether Claire still possesses the virus or not, it seems likely that it won’t become too much of an issue for Claire in the future.
Outside of the first game, Wesker is always shown to be a kind of superhuman who possesses incredible strength and speed. The reason he was able to become this way is due to injecting himself with an unnamed virus which many fans have dubbed the ‘Experimental Virus’, at the very end of the first game. Not only did this revive Wesker, but it also granted him the powers that would convince him that he is a god-like being who deserves to rule over the inferior simpletons who occupy the world.
This is one of the very rare instances where a virus doesn’t immediately kill the user upon entering their body. As a result, Wesker would live on just fine for many years after becoming superhuman, with his death instead coming from a rocket launcher, not the virus itself.
Resident Evil 7kicks off with an eerie video message from Mia, who begs Ethan, her husband, to stay away from her and the Louisiana estate she’s found herself trapped in. Ignoring the advice, Ethan embarks on a rescue mission, only to find that his wife has turned into a maniacal monster who seems more than happy to tear her own husband to shreds with any weapon she can get her hands on.
The truth is, Mia, along with the rest of the Baker family, became infected by the Mold which began spreading after Eveline was brought into the house and given shelter. Thankfully, Ethan is able to conjure up a serum to dampen the effects of the Mold, allowing him and Mia to live happily ever after, at least for a little while anyway.
4Zoe Baker
Zoe’s Reaction To Eveline’s Mold Was A Little Different From Her Family
While Zoe did become infected at the same time as her family after they took in Eveline, she was able to avoid turning into a monster like the others through a few specific methods. Zoe would never consume the contaminated food and water that her family was forced to and also managed to hide herself away in the outside trailer to avoid their influence.
Somefans have even theorizedthat Zoe may have been micro-dosing herself with medication to slow down the progress of the Mold infection, though this isn’t directly confirmed inResident Evil 7itself. Though her infection does eventually creep up on her, reaching the late stages, her uncle, Joe, manages to fight his way through a marsh full of monsters just to retrieve a cure for his beloved niece, saving her life in the process.
Sherry was just a young girl when the Raccoon City incident occurred, with her parents, William and Annette, essentially abandoning her during the whole fiasco. What’s worse is, afterher fathermutated and began rampaging across the city, he would infect Sherry with a G-Virus embryo due to her being the most compatible host.
Considering her age, Sherry’s body struggled to fend off the virus, causing her to remain unconscious for the second half of the game until Claire was eventually able to save her. Despite the traumatic experience, it is shown inResident Evil 6that Sherry actually acquired regenerative healing powers thanks to the G-Virus cells still existent within her body, so at least someone in this franchise benefited from becoming infected.
2Ashley Graham
Saddler’s Control Over Ashley Becomes Stronger The Further The Las Plagas Develops
Saddler’s grand plan inResident Evil 4is to infect Ashley with the Las Plagas, and then have her sent back to America where she can then infect the president, crippling America’s status on the world stage. In the original game, it’s implied that Saddler is able to subtly control Ashley the more that the plaga develops, but this is made much clearer in the remake where Ashley essentially becomes brainwashed, even stabbing Leon’s hand and mocking him at one point.
Saddler would use this technique to recapture Ashley numerous times throughout the game, but in the end, Leon was able to save her thanks to a tip-off from Luis.Speaking of Luis, he was also the one responsible for giving Leon and Ashley the medication needed to fend off the plaga before they reached his lab at the end of the game.
1Leon S. Kennedy
The ‘Big Cheese’ Administers Las Plagas Into Leon’s Body, Making His Mission A Whole Lot More Complicated
It’s not long into Leon’s mission to save Ashley that he is eventually confronted by Mendez, the village chief, who knocks Leon out before then injecting him with the parasite known as Las Plagas. While the special agent doesn’t feel the effects for a little while, after he takes onDel Lago, Leon begins coughing up blood and having bizarre hallucinations about turning into one of the many Ganado that he’s been killing this whole time.
This parasite would make Leon’s mission much more difficult, as he would now not only need to save Ashley but also find a way to cure her and himself so that they can get home safely. Like the chivalric protagonist he is, Leon was more than willing to let Ashley be cured first, but it’s a good thing he also managed to remove it himself since he was bordering on becoming one of Saddler’s subordinates by the end of the journey.
