Ah, Mr. Leon S. Kennedy, where would it be Resident Evil be without you? Originally introduced in the 1998s Resident Evil 2 as a more vulnerable, inexperienced alternative to Chris Redfield, Leon has arguably turned into the face of Resident Evil franchise for the better part of three decades, with his most recent role in Resident Evil Requiem be his victory lap.
Characters like Chris and Jill will always be iconic in their own right, but Leon brings a much needed levity and complexity to the role of hero – that's his appeal. Chris Redfield is a hardened soldier, through and through, while Leon is more like a James Bond or Indiana Jones archetype: he's highly competent but also witty and light-hearted, especially when he's staring danger in the face. But whether Capcom intended it or not, Leon can often come across as trashy and eye-rolling. Instead of undermining his charm, this shrink factor actually enhances 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 full of fantastic, ridiculous quotes that exemplify this. This game, by the way Requiempresents Leon at his most badass, brave, and potentially a little traumatized from his stint with US SOCOM in the years after RE2. This tired arrogance is on full display after the first big showdown with Ganados in RE4which ends when they mysteriously leave after hearing Saddler's signal. Then a confused Leon utters the iconic “bingo” line. Very cool.
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“No Thanks, Brother” – Resident Evil 4 (2004)
Get Resident Evil quotes are as memorable as this one, even if it doesn't make as much sense in the context of the scene. When Leon first meets Ramon Salazar, the latter says he's been waiting for 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 Salute to Your God” – Resident Evil 4 (2023)
This line stands out as one of the few Leon jokes that is unironically kind of cool. Leon throws out this line after defeating the fanatical Bitores Mendez and taunting him for his misplaced, Plagas-influenced beliefs. It's not exactly respect for the beliefs of others, but since those beliefs stem from a mind-controlling parasite, I don't think we need to suspend 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 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 got in the original Resident Evil 4 is more evident in 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 towards this is both hilarious and respectable, as he doesn't seem to react like 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 Grace has already arrived at courtesy of Victor Gideon, Leon follows a nurse into a treatment room where he is told to wait for a doctor who will give him more information. Of course, a doctor eventually shows up, but he's a zombie. Somehow he has acquired a chainsaw, which he uses to instantly kill the aforementioned nurse. Instead of heroically rescuing the nurse or lamenting her death, Leon simply avoids the infected doctor before throwing out this healthcare-related zinger. It's far too relaxed for the situation, which is what makes it so quintessentially Leon Kennedy.
