Resident Evil Cosplayers: Their Story, Passion, and Craft

The new Resident Evil movie Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is in theaters on November 24th. To celebrate the release of the new film, we interviewed several Resident Evil cosplayers. In this edition of Last Word on Gaming’s video game cosplay series, you can learn more about their costumes and their love for the Resident Evil franchise.

Resident Evil Cosplayers

SarahSpectre – Claire Redfield

Last Word on Gaming – What Drew You to the Resident Evil Games?

“I’ve always been a big survival horror/horror film fan in general, so Resident Evil is right up my alley! When it comes to the games, I love the variety from puzzles to action, to jump scares! My love for the franchise started with Resident Evil 2 (yes, I first played the original, tank controls and all!) and I’ve loved just about every entry ever since. It’s actually pretty incredible how long this franchise has lasted and the ways it’s evolved as the gaming industry has changed. They’ve come a long way from the first Resident Evil to Village, and I’ve honestly grown up with them!”

Last Word on Gaming – What Inspired You to Cosplay Claire?

“Claire is such a great protagonist, and I’ve always wanted to be more like her. She’s a badass, but she’s also super caring. She’s the type of person you want to be with in the midst of a crisis: level-headed, always willing to stay behind and help others (even little Sherry!) and ready to tackle any big challenge.”

Last Word on Gaming – What Was the Creative Process Like?

“I first made her vest from Resident Evil 2 back in 2016! I hand-painted the letters and bombs on the back, and then ironed on the angel. It’s great having high-quality reference images now thanks to the internet, but I can’t imagine how impossible it would have been to make this vest back when the game came out! In the original, it just looked like little blobs on the back of her vest (LOL)!”

Last Word on Gaming – Any Favorite Resident Evil Game Moments?

“That’s a tough one! I’ll have to share one retro and one recent:”

“From the original game: the iconic jump scare when the dog jumps through the window in the hallway — it always gets me! I remember having to pause for a solid 10 minutes after the first time I played that moment because my heart just about jumped out of my chest! That first game may seem campy now, but it sure has some scary moments tucked in there. Which is a pretty awesome achievement for a game from that era.”

“For recent: my first playthrough of House Beneviento! What a terrifying and exhilarating experience, that fully transports you to a unique type of psychological horror right in the middle of a different type of survival horror game. I wish that section was longer in fact, the tension is great!”

Last Word on Gaming – Are You Excited for the New Resident Evil Movie?

“SO excited! I was listening to the director (Johannes Roberts) talk about it, and I could feel his passion for the games coming through. Love the actress they cast for Claire (she was great in Crawl!) and I’m excited to see the way they bring the story of Resident Evil 1 and 2 together in this! It looks super faithful to the games, while still putting some creative flair into the storytelling, and I don’t think you could ask for more as a fan!”

You can keep up with SarahSpectre and other Resident Evil cosplayers on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter.

BrotherWar_Cosplay – Leon Kennedy

Resident Evil Cosplayer BrotherWar_Cosplay — Photo Credit / acousticaphotog

Last Word on Gaming – What Drew You to the Resident Evil Games?

“When Resident Evil 1 came out (yes I am that old) my cousin was playing it, and I was immediately hooked just from watching. I was very Impressionable at like 6-7 years old. The music, the atmosphere, the zombies, the gore, the everything!”

“Fun fact: When I eventually got my hands on Resident Evil 2 and 3 I was faaaaaar too scared to play them. They sat there gathering dust for years! Eventually, Resident Evil 4 came out and it’s the first one I actually ever managed to complete. Which I find funny because it’s, arguably, the best one.”

Last Word on Gaming – What Inspired You to Cosplay Leon?

“Not only was he the first character I played as but the first one I completed a Resident Evil game with, so he was always a personal fave. I was always a fan of his “fish out of water” experiences (very reminiscent of John McClane).”

“Plus with his remake design, he looks a lot younger and we both share the ‘baby face’ gene (I honestly look about 12 without the beard). Also, almost any iteration of Leon has a strong jacket game.”

Last Word on Gaming – What Was the Creative Process Like?

“Honestly, it was pretty simple all things considered. Normally I try and make as much as possible by hand. For Leon specifically, I said to myself “How much of this can I buy/thrift?”

“The trousers are my work trousers, I bought the belt, t-shirt, RPD vest, handcuffs, knee/elbow pads, gun holster, wig all off eBay. I found a broken BB gun I painted to look like a Samurai Edge. I think the only thing I actually made was the knife, which I made out of PVC board (the same stuff they make signs out of).”

“Sadly it’s a very boring build to talk about. Nothing overly interesting or complex.”

Last Word on Gaming – Any Favorite Resident Evil Game Moments?

“I mean any interaction between Salazar and Leon is always great.”

“Your right hand comes off?”

“Any dialogue from Resident Evil 1 is absolute perfection.”

“There are terrible demons. Ouch!”

“That was too close. You were almost a Jill sandwich” (literally any Barry moment is pure gold).:

“Honestly, the first part of Resident Evil 4 always sticks with me. When you arrive at the village and need to survive against the endless horde of villagers for a fixed amount of time. Maybe you’ll survive until the bell rings, and they all bugger off. Or maybe you’ll run into the one guy who came dressed as a potato who instantly chainsaws your head off.”

Last Word on Gaming – Are You Excited for the New Resident Evil Movie?

“Both yes and no.”

“No, because I’m very confused by some of the casting choices (Wesker and Leon mostly). Honestly, some of the character changes (Claire’s hair for example) also confuse me. I know I’m nitpicking but the characters have established looks that we, fans, want to see replicated.”

“But also yes because it’s seemingly going to feature more iconic locations from the games. The mansion and RPD station from 1 and 2 respectively, and looks to be more faithful to the source material compared to the Paul W S Anderson films.”

You can keep up with BrotherWar_Cosplay and other Resident Evil cosplayers on Instagram.

MsValentine2552 – Jill Valentine

Resident Evil Cosplayer MsValentine2552 — Photo Credit Nate_Takes

Last Word on Gaming – What Drew You to the Resident Evil Games?

“I remember hearing about the games when I was younger from my friends. By this time Resident Evil 2 had been released and everyone was talking about how scary it was. A few of us decided to rent it and we were terrified and barely made it through the first hour of the game. Although the games scared me, I was still fascinated by the world and the characters.”

“I emersed myself by reading the books and watching my friends play as each subsequent game came along. It was just something about these everyday people fighting against the odds and just being so badass while doing it. Eventually, I would come to play the games myself and I just absolutely fell in love with the puzzle-solving and how each game presented its own challenges. It was fun to see how the series-connected each game to one another and how the story would unfold over the years.”

Last Word on Gaming – What Inspired You to Cosplay Jill?

“I was still very new to cosplay when I decided to try my hand at cosplaying Jill. The STARS uniform was actually the third costume I had ever made! At this point in my cosplay career, the GameCube remake was still fresh and I adored how they had redesigned Jill’s look. She was always such an amazing and strong character and I just really wanted to embody that. With 6 different costumes from across all of the games, Jill is the character I have cosplayed as the most, and I can’t wait to add more.”

Last Word on Gaming – What Was the Creative Process Like?

“I have remade her STARS uniform about 4 times now and each build has changed over the years. I always try to study in-game shots of the character as well as art books to get things just right. This time around I remade the shoulder pads using two layers of EVA foam and covered them in a nice suiting material. The fabric has a really nice look to it and it adds to the uniform appeal of Jill’s outfit.”

“The blue shirt was also remade using the previous one as a pattern to work off of. This time around I was able to find the perfect blue rib knit fabric that matches the game model perfectly. Then it was a matter of gathering pieces from Amazon as well as using a few things that I already had. Overall, I am super happy with the uniform this time around and it’s the best version I have made.”

Last Word on Gaming – Any Favorite Resident Evil Game Moments?

“There are so many fond memories of playing Resident Evil 5 with my friends over Xbox co-op. Many late nights were spent achievement hunting and going for top ranks in The Mercenaries mode. This was also the first RE game I played from start to finish so it holds a special place in my heart. Also, I must say that Resident Evil 7 in VR is absolutely amazing! The fight against Marguerite was always a great boss fight, but in VR it just takes it to another level entirely. I highly recommend everyone give it a try in VR if you can!”

Last Word on Gaming – Are You Excited for the New Resident Evil Movie?

“I definitely have mixed feelings on the new movie and the direction they are taking the characters. It’s always good to see Resident Evil in the mainstream media, as it keeps the series fresh and gains attention for the games. It does seem that this will be the most ‘accurate’ representation as far as live-action movies go. So it is nice to see the things that they have nailed. The scenery and sets are definitely a positive, but the changes to the characters irk me a bit. I definitely did not need Jill and Wesker to be a couple… but I am hoping for the best and we will see if it brings new fans to the games!”

You can keep up with MsValentine2552 and other Resident Evil cosplayers on Twitch, Instagram, and Twitter.

Plutonia_Cosplay – Chris Redfield

Resident Evil Cosplayer Plutonia_Cosplay — Photo Credit / TomGV16

Last Word on Gaming – What Drew You to the Resident Evil Games?

“I was always interested in the Resident Evil games when I was younger. I remember seeing a Resident Evil 4 article in a Nintendo magazine with a huge picture of Leon getting his head sawn off by Dr. Salvador. It left a pretty big impact on me and I remember people complaining about the awful live-action Paul W.S. Anderson movies and how they were nothing like the games.”

“I never got into the games when I was younger because I only owned an original Xbox. It wasn’t until after seeing the reveal trailer for Resident Evil 7 at E3 2016 that my interest in the franchise was rekindled. I decided to play through all the mainline title games in the lead-up to the release of RE7. I loved the franchise so much that I decided to start cosplaying as Chris Redfield!”

Last Word on Gaming – What inspired you to Cosplay Chris?

“I chose to cosplay as Chris Redfield from Resident Evil 1 because his costume itself seemed like a good beginner’s cosplay to build and because he’s my favorite character from the franchise”

Last Word on Gaming – What Was the Creative Process Like?

“The building process was relatively easy. The only hard things to come by were a game-accurate STARS patch, the Vietnam flak vest, the Samurai Edge pistol, and the knife sheath. I ended up building the last two myself by repainting a toy Beretta pistol and by making the sheath with leather.”

Last Word on Gaming – Any Favorite Resident Evil Game Moments?

“There are a lot of memorable moments in the RE games for me. Primarily, the moonlight sonata scene in RE1, Kendo’s scene and the death of the USS team in RE2, the final Nemesis fight in RE3, the opening village segment in RE4, Jill’s fight in RE5, and Chris’ assault on the Village in RE8’s final act.”

Last Word on Gaming – Are You Excited for the New Resident Evil Movie?

“The movie seems like a mixed bag for me, on one hand, the set designs and production value of the movie are right on the money. The cinematography is great and Mark Korven is a great choice for the soundtrack. However, the CGI is unacceptably bad for a mid-budget movie of this nature. Constantin Film should’ve given the VFX houses more time and funds to make the CG elements look better and combining RE1 and RE2 into a single movie was an awful idea. They should’ve made a movie of RE1 first and foremost instead of trying to bite off more than they can chew by squeezing two storylines into one and by removing many characters like Barry, Rebecca, Marvin, Mr. X, etc. Nevertheless, I still hope that the movie will be decent enough and that it breaks even so that a sequel is greenlit.”

You can keep up with Plutonia_Cosplay and other Resident Evil cosplayers on Twitter and Instagram.

Allie (IKitCat) – Ada Wong

Resident Evil Cosplayer Allie I(IKitCat) — Photo Credit IKitCat

Last Word on Gaming – What Drew You to the Resident Evil Games?

“What drew me to Resident Evil games was my interest in zombie games. I started with Left 4 Dead and Dead Rising and a friend told me about Resident Evil Darkside Chronicles and Resident Evil 4 that had “Zombies” and monsters. My friend owned the game on the Wii and let me play them. I really enjoyed the characters and the story. Since then, I’ve been really invested in it.”

Last Word on Gaming – What inspired you to Cosplay Ada?

“Since I’m a streamer, it was mostly my Discord / Twitch community that inspired me to cosplay Ada Wong. They really loved the character and suggested that I should cosplay her since I hadn’t cosplayed Ada before. I also love her outfit in Resident Evil 4 so I really wanted to give it a go!”

Last Word on Gaming – What Was the Creative Process Like?

“As for the creative process, for the Ada cosplay or any costume, I usually search for images of their in-game costumes. It gives me ideas for cosplays and I can analyze what each character is wearing in detail and then I can order the material, the clothes, or the gear needed for the cosplay, and then I put them all together.”

“Some stuff I buy is already pre-made but I need to customize it so it fits myself or sometimes it’s missing details so I add them myself. For example, my Resident Evil 3 Remake Jill Valentine cosplay, I had to dye the top and add buttons to it. I always have an image of the character by my side whenever I cut a wig or make/customize a costume. My Ada cosplay isn’t quite finished yet as the dress has to be adjusted to my height. I’m overall happy with the photo test!”

Last Word on Gaming – Any Favorite Resident Evil Game Moments?

“I have many favorite Resident Evil game moments haha. One of them is definitely all the scenes with Barry Burton and Jill Valentine and their iconic voice lines from Resident Evil 1. I love to quote those on my streams and with my friends. I also love Claire Redfield and Chris Redfield’s reunion in Resident Evil Code Veronica. It feels nice to see them together finally after Claire has been looking for him since Resident Evil 2. I really love the scene where Chris and Leon meet for the first time as well as Leon and Sherry’s reunion in Resident Evil 6. It was a nice throwback to Resident Evil 2. Finally, the scene where Jill sacrifices herself for Chris in Resident Evil 5: Lost In Nightmares was really emotional and I really enjoyed it.”

Last Word on Gaming – Are You Excited for the New Resident Evil Movie?

“I am excited for the new Resident Evil movie, I’m mostly curious to see how it’s going to get adapted compared to the games and also how many references I can spot, as well as seeing the characters’ personalities on screen. I will be seeing the movie when it comes out and I will be cosplaying as Claire Redfield for the occasion!”

You can keep up with Allie and other Resident Evil cosplayers on Twitter and Instagram.

Keeping Up With Resident Evil Cosplayers and More

Keep up with Resident Evil cosplayers on their respective social media accounts. Check out my own cosplay at ArcticBlastCosplay and the wrestling articles I write for LWOPW here.

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Video Game Cosplayers: Resident Evil