With “Resident Evil Requiem” now out, fan-favorite Leon Kennedy returns once again. Players first met Leon as a rookie police office in “Resident Evil 2,” then watched him evolve into the special agent tasked with rescuing the president’s daughter in “Resident Evil 4.” In “Requiem,” he appears as a 59-year-old Division of Security Operations agent.
The new game introduces plenty of monsters and scares, but it also raises an important (and historic) question: which “Resident Evil” game features Leon at his hottest? For the sake of fairness, I will not include “Resident Evil Gaiden”—which is the objectively correct answer.
- Resident Evil 2 (1998)
Starting with his first appearance, he looks completely different to how we see him today. On his first day as a Raccoon City police officer, Leon has no idea how corrupt the city has become. In the kindest way possible, this guy looks like he knows a lot of bug facts and he is dying to tell you them. If not bug facts, then he has every country’s flag memorized. He is cute, but he does not qualify as hot. Sue me!
- Resident Evil Re:Verse (2022)
This one looks a little more familiar, even though he appears in a third-person multiplayer shooter that focuses more on gameplay than story. His hair is so gelled it probably protects him from bullets, but the real issue is the face. Something about it makes me think he needs to sneeze. He still looks handsome, just not the best Leon we have seen. I will give it two out of ten hotness stars, whatever that means.
- Resident Evil 6 (2012)
Leon looks oddly intense in this game. To be fair, he spends most of the story dealing with a global zombie outbreak. His hair is cut so sharp, he could probably use it as a weapon. He is hot, but he also resembles Haymitch Abernathy from “ The Hunger Games,” so I am conflicted. His face just looks wrong.
- Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (2009)
Close your eyes and imagine his hair does not look as though it was made for a lego figure, have you done it? Good, because he is pretty hot despite it. Despite the outdated graphics, his insane muscles shine through, face resembling that of a Disney prince. The lack of detail adds to the allure, trust me. This game is not important for the lore, but to me, it is.
- Resident Evil 4 Remake (2023)
The hair, the outfit, the face. Everything is perfect. I have always wondered why they chose to dress him like this to save the president’s daughter, but now I have realized it is beautiful fanservice. Everyone say, “Thank you, Capcom!”
He is so hot I wish I was a zombie. I think I am going to edit my face onto his body and see if they will let me replace my CWID picture with it.
- Resident Evil Requiem (2026)
Is this a safe space? Because that is the sexiest guy I have ever seen in my life. Look at the stubble, the wrinkles. At this point, this version of Leon stands far removed from the rookie cop fans first met: he is blowing up zombies like it is no problem. This adds to the hot factor. He does not look 59, but his body is probably so full of radiation it is keeping him preserved—similar to twinkies. Regardless, he looks like he has been divorced at least twice, and I want to make it three. Leon, hit me up, my email is attached to the article.
Across almost three decades of games, Leon Kennedy has grown from a rookie cop in “Resident Evil 2” to a seasoned agent, killing monsters without breaking a sweat. Each game brings a different version of the character, whether that means new haircuts or the rugged look of someone who survived one too many zombie outbreaks.
While fans will always debate which version of Leon looks the best, one thing remains clear: Capcom knows exactly how to keep one of its most iconic characters looking good, no matter how many years—or viruses—the series throws at him.
