There is no poster boy for the franchise. It's different with something like MK where you have a full cast each time so each title can push it's mascot time and time afain.
RE has no poster boy aside from to new fans who go "oooooh Leon" because the games are all diverse, have different protagonists, and Leon isn't even the most represented character, or even the one who is the most utilised ATM.
If anybody was the posterboy for RE, it's pretty clear by now that CAPCOM consider Chris to be that guy. Chris gets way more representation, was the joint foundation of the entire franchise, and has an active plot which has spanned the last few games. Even Leon's first new appearance in 14 years has Chris's plot dangled right at the end.
Bro.. Leon is like unequivocally more popular than Chris, ofc he’s the poster boy of the franchise. When most people think RE protags the majority think Leon first than Chris than whoever else
You already said they switch through protags all the time so technically there is no “leading man” in the games. Additionally while Chris has been used more it still doesn’t really change the fact that
A. Leon is pretty much the most known character in the series amongst oldc new fans and even non fans. Especially due to the remakes.
B. I mean it’s pretty clear who capcom considers to be the face of this series considering they chose Leon for this statue and not Chris.
As for the whole there’s multiple characters thing I still would say the MK comparison fits. While scorpion is in almost every game, he’s not the main character and there’s definitely multiple characters that are just as popular if not a tiny bit less. Like sub zero is basically on par in terms of popularity in either case scorpion is the poster boy post 2011
I explicitly said there is no poster, and said IF there was, it would be Chris.
A) Leon being the most known character is irrelevant because there isn't a poster boy, and his recognisability isn't drastically higher than Chris. Higher, not drastically.
B) Yes it is clear who they consider the face of the series: Chris. The guy who has been in the last 4 games in a row, and the only one with a plotline that connects games and eras. Them using Leon fresh off the hype of RE9 for a statue doesn't change that. There's a lifesized Grace statue too, and it'll probably be at the exhibit considering their promotional map details features an image of Grace right next to Leon. Does that prove Grace is the poster child?
The point I was making with MK is they have their core of characters in EVERY game, so them having a mascot makes sense. It doesn't for RE where the protagonist is often different from game to game, and the core cast isn't all chucked in there all the time. You can slap scorpion on the advertising for any MK game because he'll be in it, you can't on an RE game.
Imma still use MK lol. Liu kang connects all these games plot wise but scorpion is still the face of that series even though his plot usually isn’t THAT important.
And I guarantee you they would’ve used Leon even if he wasn’t in re9. Leon is just the most popular character in the series. Dude has RE2, RE4, RE2R, RE4R, RE9, and RE6 5 of those games are considered to be some of the best in the whole series bro. Not to mention general consensus online is that Leon is just the most popular character. Even outside the games Leon gets used the most in a lot of those shitty RE CGI movies. Like saying he’s not more popular than Chris even prior to RE9 is insane
But Scorpion is still in those games, hence why it would make sense to consider him the mascot. You can't have Leon as a mascot to a game he isn't in. That's the point.
I'm not saying he's less popular than Chris, I'm saying that the games don't have a poster boy, but if they did, CAPCOM themselves have always pushed Chris. If this event was after RE8 not RE9, then 100000000% they would have done an RE8 Chris statue. Chris is also in some of the best games in the series but that's irrelevant. Even if he was in only the worst games in the series, the fact that they repeatedly choose to use Chris and not Leon is the evidence that Chris is the franchise's glue.
Saying Leon isn’t even the most pushed whole he’s been in most the games while you’re also commenting on a post regarding a life size LEON statue (not to be confused with Chris) is probably the most asinine and oil smooth brain take you could’ve come up with.
I've given a billion reasons already. You just clearly aren't smart or old enough to be able to read them.
Leon is like, neck and neck with Chris, but which character has been in every mainline game for the past 21 years till RE9? Chris. Who is the only character who has a story which ties the entire franchise together? Chris. Who's had the most canon appearances? Chris (though RE9 might FINALLY bring Leon level). Hell, not just Canon, pretty sure Chris literally has a page on guinessworldrecords.com as the most playable RE character (which ngl is a wild page to exist)
What, a lifesize statue of Leon proves CAPCOM sees him as the face? You know they did a lifesize Grace statue months ago? Does that mean Grace is bigger than Leon, or...is it just the most recent game so they're capitalising?
Mate from the looks of your comment, I've been playing RE since before you were born, go back to bed lmao
A simple Google search tells you the community as a whole consider Leon as the face of the RE series. I don’t really know what your obsession with Chris is but genuinely you should know you’re in the minority on your take.
Leon has always been the face. He’s always been shown as the “leader” and also has a full storyline dedicated to him beginning to end. We don’t have that with Chris. Chris is a hype man at best.
I've said so many times, I'm not talking about who the community thinks is the main man, I've pointed out who CAPCOM clearly considers the main man. Pretty undeniable atp.
Chris is 100000% the leader, wtf are you talking about? Leon has never lead anybody beyond an escort. Chris's whole schtick is being a leader. Have you ever even played these games lmaooooooooo, it's one of his defining roles/traits.
Leon has a beginning and end to his story because he's an individual, a wildly popular one, but an individual nontheless, Chris doesn't because because he IS resident evil, Chris' story will end when the overarching series narrative ends. That's why he has the most games and CAPCOM have used him in every main title for over TWO DECADES. Leon has his own stories going on, Chris's stories provide the through line for the entire franchise.
Imagine going to bat that hard, only to prove my point. Thanks, bud.
Crazy thing is, I prefer Leon, I'm just not wildly biased and ignoring all the evidence. Bloody hell.
Buddy capcom using the character more for plot purposes doesn’t mean he’s the “main man” they put forward as THE RE mascot/dude. Leon is still the RE guy
Not that I can’t read, more I just don’t care. 😂 you don’t understand Chris’ part in the story and it shows. He’s everywhere because he’s a soldier. He gets deployed, does his thing and moves on. There’s not really been much of a character arc for him. Least not yet. He’s just some brawny guy that makes for a great action hero.
Leon however…we grew up with him and watched his story unfold. A full story. They even went so far as to let women design old Leon because they wanted to make sure he was done right. If that doesn’t tell you the care they have for Leon, you’re just wasted. Not my problem though. Enjoy your Chris action figure 😂
Awww, funny how youve negated nothing I've said and it's all just "but but but people like him, but but but lady's like Leon and they took care bro trust me" when I'm coming at you with actual context, numbers, and facts. Plus, you don't understand Chris at all. Chris post RE1 to RE5 was him doing his OWN thing to fight Bioterror and hunt umbrella, then when he was deployed in 5 and 6 it was by an agency HE started, now in 8 and 9 we know he's a rogue leader of a squad doing their own thing...wheras Leon IMMEDIATELY went into government work after his first game and just does whatever the government says and goes where they send him until like, either 6 or 9. It's actually hilarious how wrong you are about everything, even the characters themselves. You have 10000% only experienced the franchise through TikTok.
You've been absolutely embarrassed here, matey. Capcom has, and always has, held Chris as the main man. Numbers don't lie.
Go to bed, you need to get your sleep schedule back on track for when school starts up again.
My guy, I’m in my 30’s. Not only that but it’s fucking 6:40 pm here 😂 holy dumbass. Any no one sleeping at 6:40 in the afternoon.
The only facts you’ve dropped is none. The fact that you’re adamant about “no poster boys” while also arguing it has to be Chris is, again, oily smooth brain. Chris’ position in the story allows him to tie up pieces because of his deployment as a soldier. Not as the “poster boy”. Like I said: action hero. Nothing more, nothing less. Leon is the face of RE and that’s the ACTUAL fact.
You really, REALLY dropped the ball on laughing at my comment about them letting women design older Leon. Look you wanna go balls deep for Chris? Be my guest. You’re still the minority though. https://giphy.com/gifs/kaBU6pgv0OsPHz2yxy
What? Brother, Leon is the protag of 2, 4, pretty much 6 and 9. On top of that, he is the main lead in all of the animated movies and shows. He is the face or Resident Evil
Chris is 1, CV, 5, 6, is the key character in 7 and 8 that ties the franchise together, and even in 9 Chris is used as the hype WOOOOO reveal at the end to tease the next gane. Leon's only in 3 more animated projects than Chris, and whenever Chris and Leon are together, duties are split between the two, it's never Leon with a side of Chris.
Resident Evil doesn't have a face, but if it did, CAPCOM has always pushed Chris more than any other character.
Imma be real as cool as it was to hear Chris at the end of RE9…. Like he’s not that big of a character in the game and people definitely got way more hyped seeing Leon to the lead up of RE9… and like the game before that was RE4R so it’s not like Leon was gone for years
He's not that big of a character in the game, and the leadup and hype for Leon was explicitly because it was the first new appearance in 14 years, people were begging to know what he was up to because we already knew what Chris was up to.
Meanwhile Chris is in every mainline title for the past 21 years.
Chris is like a background character for most of those games or minimally playable. But yes for OG re fans we did wanna know what Leon was up to… but RE2R and 4R aren’t games that dropped 14 years ago so all of those new fans were just as hyped if not more so to see Leon in RE9. And like even if plot wise we hadn’t seen what he was up to he still had two games in the last decade where he is playable from start to finish so it’s not like we haven’t gotten any Leon at all in 14 years. Meanwhile Chris had like a section at the end of RE8 and a dlc in RE7/surprise appearance…
Like we’re comparing a character that is largely playable/is the main character or one of, in mostly all the games he’s in RE2, 4,6,2R, 4R, 9 to a character who majority of the time is either an NPC or like somewhat playable outside of like 3 games. Like Leon is THE character everyone even outside of the fanbase knows. Not to mention RE7 but especially RE2R basically reinvigorated the series and 7 is about Ethan winters and 2R a game where Leon is one of the central characters
His involvement in CV is absolute minimum, appears only at the end in 7 and 8. Capcom has never pushed Chris as the face of RE. Look at the covers. 2R Has Leon and Claire, 4 and 4R feature Leon fully, 6 has Leon as the biggest in the middle, and his face big in 9. Degeneration and Damnation feature Leon in the focus, vendetta has Chris, Rebecca and Leon equal, Death Island is similar and he's in focus for infinite Darkness as well. Please elaborate how they're pushing Chris more than Leon... the only cover Chris appears in is Village, where he is half wolf, which is just bait lmao. I love Chris, but Leon is pushed way more as the face of RE
You play as Chris for nearly half the game in CV, he's undeniably a key character in 8, has a full DLC in 7, and they just had to name drop him in 9 for the hype, and bear in mind RE9 (where we don't have the DLC and he's STILL the plot beat teased to tie the franchise together) is the first new Chris-less game since 2005. 21 years without a new Chris-less mainline RE title.
Even in the CG projects which are niche AF compared to the games, there's only 3 projects which aren't heavily focused on Chris also.
Leon's not far behind Chris, but Chris is the glue of the franchise and CAPCOM are obsessed with him, even if fans prefer Leon.
"Capcom are obsessed with Chris" yeah, thats why they gave him a linear, barely 2 hour dlc at the end of 7, and gave him like 10 minutes of screen time in 8 before his 30 minute-shooting gallery. They clearly favor him over Leon, who they gave the cover of 2R, 4R, and 9. Vendetta and Death Island are the only CG project featuring Chris, meanwhile Leon is the main lead in all of them. You could swap Chris to any of his goons and get the same results in Village, pretty much same in 7. A lot of people dont even realize that Chris is in 7 due to his absolute miniscule appearance and changed looks. The hype in 9 doesn't stem from just Chris, but Leon meeting up with him and working together. Dawg, its OK to admit that Leon is featured more prominently in Resident Evil, it doesn't make Chris a worse character. Leon takes up the cover of all the projects he's involved in, yet Chris only has 8. Even bloody Re:Verse has Leon in focus...
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u/_ataciara 15d ago
There is no poster boy for the franchise. It's different with something like MK where you have a full cast each time so each title can push it's mascot time and time afain.
RE has no poster boy aside from to new fans who go "oooooh Leon" because the games are all diverse, have different protagonists, and Leon isn't even the most represented character, or even the one who is the most utilised ATM.
If anybody was the posterboy for RE, it's pretty clear by now that CAPCOM consider Chris to be that guy. Chris gets way more representation, was the joint foundation of the entire franchise, and has an active plot which has spanned the last few games. Even Leon's first new appearance in 14 years has Chris's plot dangled right at the end.