One of the most beloved, long-running characters in Capcom's Resident Evil franchise is Claire Redfield. As the younger sister of the original game's protagonist Chris Redfield, Claire has been a main character in the survival horror video game franchise since 1998, facing down zombies and all sorts of other monsters as she valiantly perseveres in the face of unspeakable terrors.
With the character's original adventure in Resident Evil 2 revisted in this year's enhanced remake, here's an in-depth look at the tough-as-nails video game character's history including her appearances in the live-action films with Ali Larter portraying Claire across three movies.
CLAIRE REDFIELD: FROM RESIDENT EVIL ORIGINS TO REVELATIONS 2
When she debuted in 1998's Resident Evil 2, Claire arrives in Raccoon City looking for Chris, who went missing during the events of the first Resident Evil. Soon after, the entire city becomes overrun by zombies as the Umbrella Corporation's T-Virus sweeps across the Midwestern metropolis with those infected transforming into ravenous undead monsters. After being separated from rookie cop Leon Kennedy, Claire makes her way through the police precinct where Chris worked, ultimately escaping the city through an underground Umbrella science facility before the entire town is destroyed by the military in an attempt to contain the virus.
Still searching for her brother, Claire would next be seen in 2000's Resident Evil: Code Veronica, where she was imprisoned on Rockfort Island by Umbrella after investigating one of its facilities in Paris three months after the events of Resident Evil 2. After escaping the island with the help of fellow prisoner Steve Burnside, Claire finally reunites with her brother only to be captured by Umbrella once again and detained in a secret lab in Antartica. Chris eventually rescues his sister and the two vow to destroy the nefarious corporation once and for all. Later, Claire is seen working with a non-profit organization in Resident Evil: Revelations 2 some time between the events of Resident Evil 5 and 6. Claire would be kidnapped by Alex Wesker, another evil Umbrella experimental subject, before escaping and destroying a new Wesker.
CLAIRE REDFIELD IN RESIDENT EVIL MOVIES
The live-action incarnation of Claire would make her debut in the cinematic franchise's third cinematic installment, Resident Evil: Extinction. Portrayed by Ali Larter. Claire is introduced leading a convoy of survivors of the zombie apocalypse to Alaska, and she eventually crossing paths with the film series' main protagonist Alice while searching for supplies. The subsequent sequel, Resident Evil: Afterlife, would see Claire kidnapped by the Umbrella Corporation and fitted with a device that controls her actions. After facing her friends, Claire is eventually rescued by Alice and reunited with her brother Chris.
Larter's portrayal as Claire would appear one last time in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter where she is revealed to have survived an attack on a survivor community in Arcadia. After regrouping with Alice, the two lead to a group to take the fight to Umbrella once last time, with Claire eventually killing the Umbrella mole within the team. After Umbrella was destroyed along with Albert Wesker, Claire revives Alice, and the latter vowing to travel the Earth to eradicate any last trace of the T-Virus.
CLAIRE REDFIELD IN 2018's RESIDENT EVIL 2 REMAKE
This past January saw the release of an enhanced remake of Resident Evil 2, completely rebuilt from the ground up by the developers. Expanding on the events of the 1998 classic, college student Claire Redfield and rookie cop Leon Kennedy would venture into Raccoon City to learn the whereabouts of Chris Redfield. Claire rescues the little girl Sherry Birkin and manages to escape the undead-infested city with her, Sherry and Leon walking off into the sunrise after the longest night of their lives.
While the future of the video game series has not yet been announced by Capcom, Resident Evil 2's strong sales virtually guarantee that the survival horror franchise will not be ending any time soon. And with a new Resident Evil series reportedly in development at Netflix, fans may soon see new adventures with Claire Redfield in the near future.
Resident Evil 2 is developed and published by Capcom and available now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.