Chris Redfield: Superbuff and Superbad

[Jill's Boob]

I've seen various threads for characters like Jill (with like 1,000,000 posts), Leon, and even technically obscure characters like Rebecca & Barry.

So here is one for Chris, having had a star-turn in RE5.

Now mostly I've seen Chris disregarded as boring (his RE1 and REmake characterizations can be labeled "taciturn" at best), or jokes about his sudden increase in mass.

After having played RE5, I wonder if people's opinions have changed about Chris Redfield.

I've always found Chris to be single minded. Look at his actions post-RE1:
- find and end Umbrella
- find sister
- defeat Wesker
- find Jill
- defeat bio-terrorism

There was never much other substance given to the guy otherwise. Unless you count his habit for smoking (RE1 uncut intro OR lighter in inventory in REmake).

Of note, his few attempts at humor...RE1: "Looks like we got to the root of that problem." Or RE5: "Let's give it a shot." Funny, but cheesy. Not a big part of his repertoire, and for good reason.

I was glad to see him make a return in RE5, as I feel he perfectly embodies the main "hero" of the franchise. He was fleshed out here, and even in the physical sense with his hulking appearance (but it works, because he'd do what it takes to try and match Wesker's strength after the assbeating at the end of CVX).

Chris is grounded in reality, and a very serious individual. He's not inclined to make one-liners or hit on every single woman in his immediate vicinity.

I think his personality is summed up quite well by the following dialogue:

(BEGINNING)
"More and more I find myself wondering if it's all worth fighting for. Who knows? But there is one thing I do know. I've got a job to do, and I'm gonna see it through."

(ENDING)
"More and more I find myself wondering if it's all worth fighting for. For a future without fear? (Shares look with Jill) Yeah, it's worth it." (He then gives a half smirk, which may be the first time the guy ever smiled.)

Say what you will about Mr. Redfield, but there's no denying his devotion to duty, and to his friends/family. He was going to battle Wesker until one of them died, he never gave up hope that Jill was alive, and he took a break from his quest to end Umbrella to save his little sister. And damn, the guy even told Sheva to shoot through him if it meant killing Wesker.

Single-minded? Yeah. But still a goddamn sexual tyrannosaur (a.k.a. HERO).

[Darinl1979]

I like the guy, as he never did anything that I found terribly annoying in any of his previous appearances. I hated Leon in RE2 and even more so in RE4 mostly because of the way he is portrayed. Chris was kinda dull and single minded when seen on screen but files give him a little more depth. The word "focused" comes to mind when I think of him.

His appearance is different, (bigger) but its not unbelievable. He didnt seem that big in the Spencer flashback so I credit it to him bulking himself up as part of "redoubling his efforts" after Jill went cliff diving.

[henrycole]

Well, i think we can put aside the buff part, since it is pretty much do-able for almost anyone who has the will to it.

For the cheesy lines, the Resident Evil serie is filled with them.

[Daargoth]

this wins bioterrorism

Spoiler:

show spoiler

[CODE_umb87]

I've never found Chris to be a boring character. I think people just expect every character to have a joke up their sleeve like Leon. I find Chris to be one of the few realistic character's of the series. He admits to Sheva that he is no superhero, which I liked because it shows that he doesn't think of himself being more supreme than anyone else. Chris IS the all-american hero, and it amazes me that some people find that to be boring. Hopefully we'll see more of Chris in future RE games.

BTW the other day I was playing as Sheva with Chris as the AI, and Chris does some funny animations if you stand still. One looks like he's checking out Sheva. Its pretty funny, anyone seen it?

[Jill's Boob]

^I need to try that. I can't stand playing as Sheva because of her over-the-left-shoulder stance. But it'd be nice to see Chris's idle animations.

As for Chris admitting he is no superhero - I actually found that to be a character defining moment. He is very humble. And that is what makes him awesome. The kind of awesome that doesn't involve making cringeworthy one-liners or running up walls to do backflips like someone from the Matrix. Chris has devoted his life to his one purpose...a purpose that inadvertently found him during a horrible night in the summer of 1998.

As for the jokes about steroids...meh. Either way, the guy got big to compensate for battling an archnemesis that possesses a superhuman advantage.

[henrycole]

I've never found Chris to be a boring character. I think people just expect every character to have a joke up their sleeve like Leon. I find Chris to be one of the few realistic character's of the series. He admits to Sheva that he is no superhero, which I liked because it shows that he doesn't think of himself being more supreme than anyone else. Chris IS the all-american hero, and it amazes me that some people find that to be boring. Hopefully we'll see more of Chris in future RE games.

BTW the other day I was playing as Sheva with Chris as the AI, and Chris does some funny animations if you stand still. One looks like he's checking out Sheva. Its pretty funny, anyone seen it?

no, but im very much going to see that in a few minutes lol

[CODE_umb87]

Sheva does it too if your playing as Chris, I think it's supposed to be some sort of easter egg.

[Vector]

Of note, his few attempts at humor...RE1: "Looks like we got to the root of that problem." Or RE5: "Let's give it a shot." Funny, but cheesy. Not a big part of his repertoire, and for good reason.

"Heeee's sleeping with the ultimate failure!"

And from RE5...
Spoiler:

show spoiler

Wesker: The human race requires judgment!
Chris: And you are going to judge us? Do you get all your ideas from comic book villains!?

[Jill's Boob]

Wesker: The human race requires judgment!
Chris: And you are going to judge us? Do you get all your ideas from comic book villains!?

Haha...how could I forget that zinger? That one makes me have nightmarish flashbacks to RE4 every time I hear it.

I love in that battle, when Wesker yells "I can't lose! Not to YOU!"

So many lines in that fight, the Monarch room fight, and the hangar fight where you just want to hear all the different dialogues but the game makes it almost impossible to do so.

[hellrizer]

Damn i wouldn't want to get chris mad plus i dont think his fist couldn't be any bigger its like having a bowling ball hit your face.

[Archelon]

So how exactly is Rebecca an obscure character when she starred in her own game?

[Jill's Boob]

Obscure in the fact that since July 1998 she's gone pretty much into limbo.

Obscure: "remote from people's observation"

She didn't get an epilogue in RE3, and she hasn't been mentioned in the slightest.

Notice how I said that Barry & Rebecca were "technically obscure." Seeing as their significant events took place in 1998, and RE5 being in 2009...I'd say it is an accurate statement. Even if you are looking at her "own" game, back in 2002, that's still 7 years ago.

Should I have just said "irrelevant?"

[Sina]

As for Chris admitting he is no superhero - I actually found that to be a character defining moment. He is very humble. And that is what makes him awesome.

This.

I think Chris deserves way more love. Male protagonists in the videogame world are filled to the brim with the need of an overconfident cocky attitude and horrible attempt at wit. It's really refreshing to see a male protagonist who isn't cracking jokes every 5 minutes, but who is actually likeable. Lack of an over the top in your face personality shouldn't be a negative when describing Chris, so it's sad that when videogame characters are humble, modest and calm people immediatelly lable them as boring.

Granted, RE:Remake and UC fucked him up abit, but I liked Chris in RECV and I liked him in 5. Leon was abit of a pussy in RE2 and abit too much of an insufferable douche in RE4 to make me say the same. One redeemable factor about Leon's personality, though, is the fact that everybody else around him seem to think he's kind of a dickhead, but that he is generally happily oblivious to this fact. That has a certain d'aww charm I suppose.

Archelon:

As for bad characters, personally I'm not a Rebecca fan. She acts like a 12 year old girl and looks like a 12 year old boy, and she's in a special forces team. She starred in her own game, but personality wise she's still a cardboard cutout ditzy innocent little girl with a gun. Maybe I just don't get Rebecca, or maybe it's because I didn't much like RE0, but I just don't find her nearly as likeable as the other female leads.

[missvalentine]

well ive never really liked Chris to much. i just found him somewhat boring and uninteresting.

and he was kinda generic in the fact that he just wanted to stop umbrella or Wesker or something like that.

but in RE5, Chris and Wesker kinda flipped around, in RE5 Wesker was boring as hell and a crappy character while Chris seemed to get a little more interesting for once.

so overall in RE5 i kinda liked him. because he finally got his character developed. though he still had some of the same flaws he had previously like, i must find Jill, what is Uroboros, and i must kill Wesker. but this time he was also struggling with the memory's of Jill and his wanting to protect his new partner. and to not make the same mistakes twice.

i think the Chris and Jill had something very close, maybe, even more so than just partners. because they were together fighting bioterrorism for many years, and they would have formed a very close bond. and it's clear Chris has the hots for Jill. but, before Jill's supposed death, Chris was always acting kinda macho, and never really talked about his feelings and such. but he felt them, but just didn't show them for some reason.
like in Remake, there are a few scenes where Chris has a look of concern on his face for his partner Rebecca. but doesn't say anything, he just pats her on the back, and when he is reunited with Jill he is clearly overjoyed about it, but doesn't show it. or tries not to show it. i think he probably acted like that all the way up until Jill sacrificed herself. and when he believed that Jill was dead, and realized he never told her what he felt about her, or never really opened up to her, and he missed his chance.
he must of felt so down, and he must of started wondering if it was all worth it anymore. and that's when he begun to change. cause you can still see remnants of old Chris in the Chris in RE5. and well in RE5 you all know, he gets a new partner, Sheva, and he remembers Jill's gravestone, and he is thinking to himself, he's not going to make the same mistakes again. and in RE5, he somewhat opens up to Sheva, he tells her about his old partner Jill, and he almost tells her about Wesker at one point but then hesitates.
anyways, upon finding out that Jill is still alive, Chris realizes that he can save her, and get her back, and this time, he's gonna learn from his mistakes, and is going to open up to her, so he does everything in his power to save her, because right now Jill is the only thing that matters to Chris. all he wants is her to be back.

anyways, i think that is what was happening to Chris and why he was acting like that.

and i think after RE5 Chris will really change and Jill and Chris will get even closer.

so yes i think Chris in RE5 was actually a big improvement on his character.