Capcom’s Resident Evil Village and a certain tall vampire lady gave an incredible boost to the long-standing series. Even before the game released, fans were desperate to get their hands on the latest Resident Evil entry, and to find out more of what happens to Ethan and Mia Winters after their horrifying ordeal in Louisiana. But while the game did answer some questions, such as how Ethan manages to endure so much pain and physical mutilation, it also opened up a lot more, and left players with more than one cliffhanger to mull over. However, it has been reported that Resident Evil 9 is already in the works, which should allow Capcom to tie up all the remaining plot threads in one nice, neat package.
[Spoilers Ahead For Resident Evil Village]
In a slightly odd move, Resident Evil Village ended with cliffhangers from two different points in time, roughly 14 years apart from each other. The first cliffhanger takes place right after Ethan’s brutal fight with Miranda, where he uses a bomb to destroy the Megamycete in the village. As Resident Evil series regular Chris Redfield is escaping the carnage with his fellow Wolf Hound Squad survivors, as well as Mia and Rose Winters, it is revealed that the BSAA had been using bioweapons to fight Miranda and her Lycan armies. After discovering this, Chris is disgusted and plots a course to the European headquarters of the BSAA, vowing that “someone’s gotta pay.” This is the last time Chris is physically seen in Resident Evil Village.
Meanwhile, in Resident Evil Village’s epilogue, players are introduced to a teenage Rose Winters as she pays respects at her father’s grave. While no exact details are given, it is revealed that Rose has various powers, and that she has been working with Chris for an undisclosed organization. What the end goals of her work (or tests) with Chris are, and for how long she has been collaborating alongside him and his people, is never revealed. The epilogue also delivers one of the biggest headscratchers from the entire game – just who is it that is walking up to the car that collected Rose as the game finally concludes? But these are not the only questions left unresolved at Resident Evil Village’s close. Secondary characters, such as The Duke, are also left with loose ends that could be tied up by Capcom in Resident Evil 9. Here is how it all could be done:
Resident Evil 9: What The BSAA Are Up To
Should Capcom choose to focus its attention on Chris as the main protagonist for Resident Evil 9, this is one loose end that should be fairly easy to tie up. If Resident Evil 9 takes place immediately after the events in the village, players could take control of Chris as he infiltrates the heart of the BSAA European HQ, and (much like many other titles in the Resident Evil series) destroy the labs where the bioweapons are being created.
But even if Rose turns out to be the focus of Resident Evil 9, this scenario could be played out in a flashback, with players switching characters to Chris Redfield for this section of gameplay. This could also align Rose’s and Chris’ stories, as what Chris discovers at the BSAA HQ could shed more light on Rose’s potential as a weapon or a savior. It could also be where Chris gets the ideas for the tests that he has been carrying out on Rose at the end of Village.
Resident Evil 9: Rose’s Powers
This brings the focus onto the youngest Winters. What the exact powers and abilities are that Rose possesses in Resident Evil Village’s epilogue are never fully addressed, however they are clearly impressive.
This leaves plenty of scope for Capcom to expand upon and explore her character in Resident Evil 9. A game that allows players to take control of Rose as she seeks to discover more about the mold that has made her what she is today could offer closure not only to Rose herself, but also to this particular Resident Evil trilogy.
Resident Evil 9: Mia Winters’ Ultimate Fate
Mia Winters is a deceptively complex character in the Resident Evil series. While depicted as a loving wife, mother, and generally a “good” person, it cannot be forgotten that Mia was working for the company that was responsible for Eveline in Biohazard, and that she does not seem to have faced any consequences for her actions. Rather, she has been protected (admittedly not very well) by the BSAA since the horrific events that she is at least partly responsible for. However, Mia was noticeably missing from the epilogue for Resident Evil Village. There was no mention as to where Mia is, and even if she is still a part of Rose’s life. This could be because she is simply at home while Rose does her own thing, as many teens do. However, there could be a more sinister reason for her absence.
Mia was held captive by Miranda during the events of Resident Evil Village and, when she is freed, she tells Chris that she has been experimented on, but she does not divulge what these experiments were. Given Miranda’s sadistic tendencies and total lack of empathy for human life, it is fair to assume that these experiments were not just simple eye tests and memory games. Resident Evil 9 could focus more on the long-term effects of what Mia went through when she was being held captive by Miranda, and the impact that it had on her relationship with her daughter.
Resident Evil 9: The Duke’s Story
The character of The Duke in Resident Evil Village was a great addition to the game. He transcended his simple role as merchant and became a beloved character thanks to his warm charm and sense of humor. However, as brilliant as he is, there are still a lot of grey areas surrounding him. How did he manage to infiltrate the homes of the four lords without inciting any attacks or suspicion? How did he know so much about the lords and Mother Miranda? Why did he actually want to help Ethan from the very start?
Before Resident Evil Village was finalized, The Duke was actually going to be a fifth lord that Ethan would have to overcome before finally being reunited with Rose, according to the game’s concept art. This is something that Capcom could easily build on in the next Resident Evil game. The Duke’s backstory could be explored, especially if Rose does decide to confront the events of her past and find out more about the effects that Miranda’s actions had on her. He is, after all, the only possible survivor from the ill-fated village, having ridden away in his carriage ahead of Ethan’s battle with Miranda.
Resident Evil 9: Where The Megamycete Came From
To answer this question, Resident Evil 9 may have to go beyond the realms of any other Resident Evil game yet. While the presence of the Megamycete answered how Resident Evil: Biohazard’s mold, and by extension Umbrella itself, came to be, it leaves its own existence and origin as a big unknown. This is something that Rose could investigate further with her aforementioned powers. This could be done with Mia alongside, as she faces her own demons following her ordeal in the village.
That said, however, the only logical explanation for this organism is that it is not from this world. Therefore, Resident Evil 9 could take the series to space for the first time. However, this does seem far-fetched, even for a franchise with nine-foot-tall vampires and a man with the ability to punch a boulder out his path with his bare hands.
It would be great to see both Mia and Rose Winters taking center stage in a future Resident Evil game. Despite the series starting off with strong females in lead roles, such as Jill Valentine, Ada Wong and Claire Redfield, the most recent instalments have sidelined this trend somewhat. Mia became the typical “mother” figure in Village, right down to her rather dowdy wardrobe, but she clearly holds a lot more potential, as does teenage Rose. If Capcom decides to focus on Rose and Mia Winters in Resident Evil 9 as they seek to uncover the questions of their pasts and the source of the Megamycete (bringing back The Duke while doing so), and then combine their stories with Chris’ work taking down the BSAA in flashbacks, it could be on to a real winner, and a fitting conclusion to this chapter in the franchise.
Resident Evil Village is out now for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Stadia
