The Resident Evil saga spans decades, offering a rich, intricate timeline filled with bioweapons, corporate conspiracies, and desperate struggles for survival. As the highly anticipated Resident Evil Requiem approaches, understanding the foundational events is key to appreciating the full narrative.
This article condenses the major plot points from the Spencer Mansion incident to the latest revelations, guiding you chronologically through the terrifying world of Resident Evil. Be warned: the following contains significant spoilers for the entire series leading up to Requiem.
Resident Evil Zero
July 23, 1998
The S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team is dispatched to investigate bizarre murders in the Arklay Mountains. Medic Rebecca Chambers separates from her crashed helicopter, encountering escaped convict Billy Coen. Together, they stumble upon an abandoned Umbrella Corporation training facility. Here, they uncover the sinister origins of the T-Virus, a deadly bioweapon developed by Dr. James Marcus and Oswell E. Spencer, responsible for mutating local wildlife and humans into horrific monsters.
Resident Evil
July 24, 1998
Following Bravo Team’s disappearance, the S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team, including Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, and Albert Wesker, arrives at the eerie Spencer Mansion. Inside, they discover the gruesome results of the T-Virus outbreak. The team learns Umbrella Corporation conducted illegal bio-organic weapon experiments in the hidden laboratory beneath the estate. Wesker reveals himself as a double agent working for Umbrella, planning to unleash the powerful Tyrant bioweapon. After Wesker’s presumed death and the Tyrant’s defeat, Jill and Chris escape, vowing to expose Umbrella’s corruption.
Resident Evil 3
September 28, 1998
Two months after the mansion incident, the T-Virus has completely overwhelmed Raccoon City, turning its inhabitants into zombies. Former S.T.A.R.S. member Jill Valentine desperately tries to escape the collapsing metropolis. Her efforts are complicated by Umbrella’s latest creation, the Nemesis, a monstrous, rocket-launcher-wielding bioweapon engineered specifically to eliminate all remaining S.T.A.R.S. survivors. Meanwhile, rookie police officer Leon S. Kennedy and Chris Redfield’s sister, Claire, are unknowingly making their way into the inferno.
Resident Evil 2
September 29, 1998
Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield arrive in a ravaged Raccoon City, separated amidst the chaos. They converge at the infested RPD station, seeking answers and safety. Claire encounters young Sherry Birkin, daughter of Umbrella scientist William Birkin, who has mutated into a grotesque monster after self-injecting his G-virus. Leon meets the mysterious Ada Wong, an agent with her own agenda regarding the G-virus. Their paths lead to the underground NEST lab, where they confront Birkin and ultimately escape the city’s horrors.
Resident Evil Outbreak
September 23 – October 1, 1998
While main characters navigate their respective survival stories, various other Raccoon City residents also fight for their lives. This includes journalist Alyssa Ashcroft, who attempts to expose Umbrella’s heinous activities. These ordinary citizens endure the initial stages of the T-Virus outbreak and subsequent catastrophic events. A few manage to escape Raccoon City with critical information before the government’s decisive, and devastating, missile strike aimed at containing the biohazard and destroying all evidence.
Resident Evil 3 (continued)
October 1, 1998
As Raccoon City’s fate is sealed, Jill Valentine, now infected with the T-Virus, is aided by Carlos Oliveira, an Umbrella mercenary. He helps her secure a vaccine, while they uncover the government’s plan to completely obliterate the city with a thermobaric missile. After a final, brutal confrontation with the relentlessly pursuing Nemesis and a treacherous operative, Jill and Carlos narrowly escape the city just before the devastating missile strike wipes Raccoon City off the map entirely.
Resident Evil: Code Veronica
December 27-28, 1998
Three months after Raccoon City’s destruction, Claire Redfield is captured attempting to infiltrate an Umbrella facility and imprisoned on Rockfort Island. An outbreak frees her, leading to a confrontation with Alfred Ashford and his cryogenically preserved sister, Alexia, infected with the T-Veronica virus. Chris Redfield arrives searching for Claire, encountering a resurrected Albert Wesker, now incredibly powerful and seeking the T-Veronica sample for himself. The siblings eventually reunite, battling Alexia and escaping the Antarctic facility.
Resident Evil 4
Autumn, 2004
Six years later, the Umbrella Corporation has collapsed. Former RPD officer Leon S. Kennedy, now a government agent, is dispatched to rural Spain to rescue the President’s kidnapped daughter, Ashley Graham. He discovers a terrifying new parasitic organism, Las Plagas, infecting the local villagers and a cult known as Los Illuminados. Leon again crosses paths with the enigmatic Ada Wong, who, with her own agenda, assists him in defeating the cult leader Saddler, before departing with a Plagas sample. Leon and Ashley make their dramatic escape.
Resident Evil: Revelations
2005
Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, now integral members of the newly established Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA), investigate a new bio-organic weapon threat. Their mission uncovers the T-Abyss virus, a mutated strain designed to infect oceans, developed by the terrorist organization Il Veltro. Amidst deep-sea explorations and betrayals, the pair expose a wider conspiracy, solidifying the BSAA’s role as a global anti-bioterrorism force and setting their future path.
Resident Evil 5 – Lost in Nightmares DLC
August, 2006
Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, operating as BSAA agents, track down Oswell E. Spencer, the last remaining Umbrella founder, to a European estate. They intend to interrogate him about Umbrella’s past and Wesker’s whereabouts. However, they discover Albert Wesker, very much alive and enhanced with viral powers, has already murdered Spencer. Wesker proves overwhelmingly powerful; in a desperate act, Jill sacrifices herself to save Chris, dragging Wesker into a chasm, seemingly ending their long rivalry.
Resident Evil 5
March 4-6, 2009
Years after Jill’s presumed death, Chris Redfield is sent to Africa to apprehend arms dealer Ricardo Irving, who is peddling bio-organic weapons. Alongside his new partner, Sheva Alomar, Chris discovers the locals are infected with a modified Las Plagas parasite. Their investigation reveals that Tricell, the company funding the BSAA, is collaborating with a resurrected Albert Wesker, who has brainwashed Jill Valentine. Chris and Sheva rescue Jill, then pursue Wesker, finally defeating him in a volcanic showdown.
Resident Evil: Revelations 2
January, 2011
Claire Redfield, now with TerraSave, and Moira Burton, Barry Burton’s daughter, are abducted and imprisoned on a remote island. They are subjected to experiments by Alex Wesker, a product of Oswell E. Spencer’s “Wesker Project,” who unleashes the T-Phobos virus. Six months later, Barry arrives, following Moira’s distress signal, battling mutated creatures and Alex’s monstrous final form. With Claire’s timely return, they defeat Alex, and Barry rescues his daughter from the collapsing island.
Resident Evil 6
December 2012 – June 2013
Resident Evil 6 weaves together multiple campaigns featuring Leon S. Kennedy, Chris Redfield, and Jake Muller (Albert Wesker’s son). A global C-Virus outbreak, orchestrated by Neo-Umbrella and a clone known as Carla Radames, plunges the world into chaos. Leon confronts deep-seated government conspiracies, Chris seeks revenge for his fallen squad, and Jake’s unique immunity becomes central to a vaccine. The sprawling narrative culminates in the heroes overcoming a multitude of bioweapons and their creators.
Resident Evil 7 Biohazard
July 19-20, 2017
Ethan Winters journeys to a dilapidated plantation in Louisiana, searching for his missing wife, Mia. He finds himself trapped by the cannibalistic Baker family, who are infected by a bioweapon called “Mold.” Ethan discovers the source of their madness is Eveline, a child bioweapon Mia was transporting. Eveline, desperate for a family, infected the Bakers. Ethan battles through their grotesque forms, eventually destroying Eveline with assistance from Chris Redfield, now working for a reformed “Blue Umbrella.”
Resident Evil 7 – Not a Hero DLC
July 20, 2017
Immediately after Ethan’s escape, Chris Redfield and his “Blue Umbrella” team launch an operation to capture Lucas Baker, who was immune to Eveline’s mind control. Lucas, a deranged sadist, was covertly working with “The Connections,” the shadowy organization responsible for Eveline’s creation, gathering combat data. Chris navigates Lucas’s elaborate traps and confronts him, ultimately defeating the mutated Lucas to retrieve crucial intel.
Resident Evil Village
February 8-10, 2021
Ethan and Mia Winters’ peaceful life is shattered when Chris Redfield seemingly kills Mia and kidnaps their daughter, Rose. Ethan follows them to a remote Eastern European village overrun by Lycans and ruled by four monstrous lords, all subservient to Mother Miranda. Ethan learns Miranda is the ancient source of the Mold, and the progenitor of the Umbrella logo, having inspired Oswell E. Spencer. Discovering his own Mold-infected nature, Ethan sacrifices himself to destroy Miranda and the Megamycete, saving Rose.
Resident Evil Requiem
October 2026
The upcoming Resident Evil Requiem will thrust Leon Kennedy and Grace Ashcroft into new horrors. Set in 2026, the trailers hint at a return to the devastated Raccoon City and the mysterious Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center. While specific plot details remain under wraps, this new chapter promises to expand the Resident Evil lore, potentially revisiting past events and tying into the overarching narrative in unforeseen ways as the series continues its legacy.
Resident Evil Village – Shadows of Rose DLC
2037
Years later, a teenage Rose Winters struggles with her potent Mold abilities. She connects to a fragment of the Megamycete, entering a collective consciousness where she relives distorted memories from the past. Guided by her father Ethan’s lingering consciousness, Rose confronts a manifestation of Mother Miranda. Embracing her powers, she defeats Miranda’s influence and shares a final, poignant moment with Ethan. Rose emerges stronger, her unique abilities now a formidable secret, hinting at a powerful future.
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