Ah, Mr. Leon S. Kennedy, where would Resident Evil be without you? Originally introduced in 1998’s Resident Evil 2 as a more vulnerable, inexperienced alternative to Chris Redfield, Leon has arguably morphed into the face of the Resident Evil franchise over the better part of three decades, with his recent role in Resident Evil Requiem being his victory lap.
Characters like Chris and Jill will always be iconic in their own right, but Leon brings some much-needed levity and complexity to the role of hero—such is his appeal. Chris Redfield is a hardened soldier, through-and-through, whereas Leon is more like a James Bond or Indiana Jones archetype: he’s highly competent but also witty and lighthearted, especially when staring danger in the face. But whether Capcom intended to or not, Leon can often come across as corny and eyeroll-inducing. Rather than undermine his charm, this cringe factor actually heightens it.
“Where’s Everyone Going, Bingo?” — Resident Evil 4
Leon’s personality shift between Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 4 is immediately apparent, and the opening cutscenes of the game are rife with great, ridiculous quotes that exemplify this. This game, alongside Requiem, features Leon at his most corny, emboldened and potentially a bit traumatized from his operations with US SOCOM in the years following RE2. This jaded arrogance is on full display after the first major showdown with the Ganados in RE4, which ends when they mysteriously leave after hearing Saddler’s signal. Then, a confused Leon utters the iconic “bingo” line. Very cool.
Fit the 9 games into the grid.
“No Thanks, Bro” — Resident Evil 4 (2004)
Few Resident Evil quotes are as unforgettable as this one, even though it doesn’t make much sense in the context of the scene. When Leon first encounters Ramon Salazar, the latter remarks that he has been expecting the other, to which Leon says, “No thanks, bro.” Such a goofy, 20-something-guy response is typical of this particular incarnation of Leon, and it never fails to make me laugh whenever I hear it.
“Give My Regards to Your God” — Resident Evil 4 (2023)
This line stands out as being one of the few Leon quips that is unironically quite cool. Leon tosses out this line after defeating the fanatical Bitores Mendez, mocking him for his misplaced, Plagas-influenced faith. It’s not exactly respectful of others’ beliefs, but since those beliefs stem from a mind-controlling parasite, I don’t think we need to cancel Leon Kennedy just yet.
“Something Tells Me He’s Not a Cop…” — Resident Evil 2 (2019)
While Leon is still a much more reserved version of himself in the 2019 Resident Evil 2 remake, Capcom did a solid job of retroactively making his character more consistent. In other words, the “cool” factor that Leon gained in the original Resident Evil 4 is more apparent in the RE2 remake, and this quote is a good indication of that. Leon utters this line to himself when he first sees Mr. X. Leon’s flippancy toward this is at once hilarious and respectable, as he doesn’t seem to react the way a normal person would.
“I Think I’m Going to Want a Second Opinion” — Resident Evil Requiem
After arriving at the Rhodes Chronic Care Center, a hospital that Grace has already arrived at courtesy of Victor Gideon, Leon follows a nurse into a treatment room where he is told to await a doctor who will provide him with more information. Naturally, a doctor does eventually show up, but he’s a zombie. Somehow, he has obtained a chainsaw, which he uses to promptly kill the aforementioned nurse. Rather than heroically save the nurse or lament her death, Leon simply dodges the infected doctor before throwing out this healthcare-related zinger. It’s way too casual for the situation, which is what makes it so quintessentially Leon Kennedy.
