Ranking the top 7 villains in Resident Evil from worst to best

Andrew Highton
resident evil villains

The legendary survival-horror franchise is known for having some truly despicable antagonists. So we’ve sifted through the heinous characters and decided to rank the top 7 Resident Evil villains from worst to best.

The Resident Evil games already give you enough on your plate to worry about with some of the genre’s most difficult and terrifying enemies imaginable. From chainsaw-wielding Spaniards to abnormally-strong Lickers that want to eat you, the series has a litany of fearsome foes.

However, if you’re able to conquer these ‘minnows’, then you’re usually rewarded with a fight against some of the franchise’s most lauded bad guys that Capcom has to offer.

Here are the top 7 villains in Resident Evil ranked form worst to best.

7. Osmund Saddler

resident evil saddler

The nefarious cult leader of Los Iluminados, Osmund Saddler doesn’t quite hold a candle to the other contenders on this list. His appearances are extremely limited throughout your time in Resident Evil 4.

His interpreted power is clearly tremendous as he has a stranglehold on this entire region. If you’re able to reach the end of the game, then he awaits you in one of the most disturbing forms that anyone takes in the history of Resident Evil.

6. Ramon Salazar

resident evil salazar

One more entry from the genre-defining game that was Resident Evil 4, Ramon Salazar is a deeply-unsettling character who comes across as a child, looks like an old man, but is somewhere in-between.

His demeanor is extremely creepy and once he’s had enough of toying around with you in his sordid castle, you must confront him in a tough boss battle.

5. William Birkin

resident evil birkin

Resident Evil 2 really gave you both barrels in this superb follow-up to the original. As well as another entry still to come on our list, Capcom also threw William Burkin at you.

Birkin’s story is a sad one as this esteemed scientist did not receive the recognition for his work that he fully deserved. This ultimately led to him going up against Umbrella and injecting himself with the T-Virus. Predictably this spelled bad news for Leon Kennedy who had to deal with several incarnations of the super-powerful being.

4. The Baker Family

resident evil baker family

Resident Evil 7 signified the return of the game to its true roots and reverted back to the gameplay decisions that made the Resident Evil name so famous. But a reboot meant that we needed new characters and threats.

The Baker Family turned out to be the perfect folly for the new protagonist – Ethan Winters. Each member brought something different and equally mentally taxing to the table. The star of the show is of course Jack Baker. The head of the table is a relentless, depraved individual that just keeps coming, taking on twisted new forms with every encounter.

3. Tyrant / Mr. X

resident evil tyrant

The reinvention of Mr. X in the Resident Evil 2 Remake paved the way for countless memes and mods to make him even more domineering. While slightly more ineffective in the original version of Resident Evil 2, the Remake spruces him up with a fresh coat of paint.

His improved A.I makes him a constant nuisance in the Resident Evil 2 Remake as he can bash through doors and hear your location from some distance away if you’re too noisy. His general presence is practically unscripted, meaning he can appear at the most inopportune moments.

2. Albert Wesker

resident evil wesker

Probably Resident Evil’s most recognizable human enemy, Albert Wesker is the epitome of pure evil. His blond, slicked-back trim and shades are almost as iconic as his desire to unleash the T-Virus into the world.

Wesker becomes a constant pain in the behind for many of the franchise’s recurring characters – especially Chris Redfield. It all came to a head in Resident Evil 5 when Chris, Sheva, and Wesker clashed near a volcano and it seemed like Wesker is vanquished once and for all…possibly.

1. Nemesis

resident evil nemesis

Nemesis is one of those enemies that even people who’ve never played a Resident Evil game will shudder at the thought of. The ‘Pursuer’ was quite groundbreaking back in the PS1 era of Resident Evil 3 as Nemesis would literally follow the player everywhere.

Nemesis basically took all that made Tyrant so cool and amped it up. The same can’t quite be said of the 2020 version of Nemesis as he was a lot more scripted and infrequent, but he still looks just as nightmare-inducing. The towering brute instills fear in everyone and everything from his appearance alone, but Nemesis’ stature, power, and look make him the top villain in the history of the Resident Evil series.

Image credits: Capcom

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About The Author

A content creator for Charlie INTEL / Dexerto that earned a degree, wrote for PlusXP, Twinfinite, and Keengamer, before finally securing his dream job of being a professional video game writer. When not writing about games, he's very busy playing every game in existence and adding to his 11,000+ PlayStation Trophies and 150+ Platinums. You can contact him at [email protected].