Resident Evil Requiem is now on the path to its final release, with the new addition to a long-standing horror franchise promising to be an experience that takes it toward new horizons. With gameplay showcases that showcased how it brings the franchise’s trademark style of horror to the table while being bold enough to chart a course of its own through Grace Ashcroft’s story, it looks like Resident Evil is coming out swinging as one of 2026’s big releases.
But of course, fans have been itching to see if the franchise’s penchant for bringing familiar faces from past titles into the mix is going to be on display in Requiem. Leon has been conspicuous with his absence from the game’s promotional materials on the surface, but we’ve already dug into potential avenues for him to make an appearance.
With the game’ developers recently confirming that characters from past titles are going to be playable in Requiem, and the warning not to “over-hype” the announcement being duly considered and disregarded as a clever ploy, let’s take a look at what we believe is going to be a great outing for Leon, and a potential new role for him to take on in the process that’s got a lot to do with the franchise’s new protagonist.
Setting the Scene
Let’s start with Grace, whom we know is an analyst for the FBI and is now tasked with investigating her mother Alyssa’s disappearance at the Wrenwood Hotel back in the day when Leon had the crown of series protagonist. With Alyssa and Leon both looking into the shady dealings of the Umbrella Corporation and its role in the game’s events, there’s every chance the two characters might have briefly interacted during their respective investigations.
With Grace’s story taking place eight years later and Leon being conscripted into serving STRATCOM and subsequently having life take him on all of his adventures over the franchise’s history, it could very well be that he’s heard of Grace going back to Wrenwood and is curious to solve Alyssa’s disappearance.
At this point, it’s safe to say that we strongly believe Leon’s going to be a part of Requiem. He’s the perfect character for a bridge between the past and the present, his knowledge of Racoon City then and now coming in handy to point Grace in the right direction, making him essential to the narrative if he chooses to be a companion to our new protagonist who certainly looks like she needs all the help she can get at the start of the adventure.
Her clumsy nature and lack of confidence are not going to get her very far without a steady hand to guide her, and who better than a highly trained specialist and a former police officer who might have even known her mother? It’s safe to say that Grace has undergone basic combat training in her capacity as an FBI representative, but Leon’s been trained by other organisations and is now a seasoned fighter and a force to be reckoned with. There’s no other individual better suited to being a teacher in the field than Leon. But his potential as a mentor to Grace isn’t the only reason we believe he’s going to be in Requiem.
A Strong, Reassuring Presence
Yes, Leon could be a great narrative bridge, a great way of explaining the eight years since Alyssa’s disappearance and providing useful information and potential leads for Grace. But it’s more than that.
We already know that the gameplay is going to demonstrate Grace’s character arc from a timid analyst who would stop at nothing to find out the truth about her mother’s disappearance. Leon’s own investigative talents and his combat proficiency could make him a great addition to the game’s early hours, having him act as a sort of tutorial character showing Grace how to navigate the perils of her latest investigation.
Indeed, the game’s story trailer from earlier this year has us thinking that he might have played a similar role for Ayssa back in the day, giving her intel and advice about Umbrella, with her acting as an informant in return. There’s a lot of scope for the story to establish a working relationship between the two of them as a means of giving Grace leads to pursue in the present while fleshing out Alyssa as a character for the player.
Suppose you’ve noticed that Alyssa has been a recurring character in this section, good eye. If you’ve been with us for a while, you probably remember that one of our theories about the gameplay showcase was that she is indeed Requiem’s stalker enemy, terrorizing Grace at the start of the game.
Leon’s a logical as well as practical choice as someone who could help, perhaps even teaching Grace the moves she’s definitely going to need to keep evading the stalker, whoever it turns out to be. We’ve already mentioned the potential reason for his absence, the story taking him in a different direction that wasn’t entirely his choice.
It has given Leon a lot of combat experience as well as an extensive knowledge of B.O.Ws and how to counter the threats they pose. It’s an opportunity that’s too good to miss, and the developer isn’t likely to ignore such a narrative goldmine. We’d even go so far as to say that the studio might be playing coy just to sustain the hype for Requiem in the run up to its final release.
The Perfect Stage For A Comeback
Let’s now get to everything we’ve seen of Requiem in order to lend some credence to that theory. The very first trailer for the game, back in June this year, had a very prominent shot of the Raccoon City Police Department building in shambles. But we know that the game’s likely to spend a lot of time in the Wrenwood Hotel and perhaps other areas depending on where Grace’s investigation takes us.
If Racoon City is on that itinerary, that long shot is definitely a very tongue-in-cheek reference to Leon and the adventure that started it all for the character. There’s also the mysterious phone call that Alyssa takes back in the flashback. We’re willing to bet that it’s Leon or one of his accomplices on the other end of that phone call, tipping her off that she’s been compromised and should attempt an escape, thanks to how things in that scene turned out. The gun Alyssa produces from her handbag is another indicator, being mighty similar to the pistols Leon uses in past titles.
But all of that is now old news, although it does deserve mentioning in order to set the context for the latest confirmation that the game is indeed going to feature characters from previous titles. That gave us a reason to indulge in a bit of wishful thinking that did blossom into an idea: what if it wasn’t just Leon coming back to the fold?
We know that Leon and Chris have met, and he already has a history with Claire and Jill Valentine. There’s also Ada Wong to consider. Each of these characters is iconic in their own right, having been leads of their own titles in the past and coming with nuanced backstories, any of which could serve as a focal point for Requiem’s narrative if the need arises.
There’s also every possibility that Leon had been investigating Alyssa’s disappearance and could have run into some bad luck. In that case, it could be Grace’s turn to step up and be the heroine she needs in order to get back into the game, and make her presence felt if he chooses to sit it out.
A Fan Favorite
We know we’re not alone in wanting to see Leon again and have him join us on another Resident Evil adventure. And with Requiem already enjoying healthy wishlist numbers on Steam and a lot of traction among gamers waiting to dive back into the franchise, it could be the perfect staging ground for Leon S. Kennedy’s comeback.
The character’s many adventures are a perfect opportunity to introduce a more mature, seasoned version of him, a presence that brings gravitas and intricate knowledge of the game’s past narrative threads, along with a unique perspective thanks to his former law enforcement affinities and his training as an anti-Umbrella operative.
While his presence in Requiem could either be among the greatest red herrings in gaming history or one of this generation’s worst-kept secrets, there’s no denying that he could work very well within the narrative framework that the game has set up. It would also be nice to have him playable on the gameplay front, an excellent callback to the franchise’s initial glory days.
While the next couple of months might either confirm our theory or reject it outright, we’re going to hold on to hope alongside the rest of you and wait with bated breath to find out if one of Resident Evil’s mainstays is going to be a part of a new chapter that’s already looking ready to carry it forward into the future.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.
