Ever since announcing Resident Evil Requiem, the ninth mainline installment in the classic horror game series, Capcom has been weaving a narrative which would lead one to believe that Grace Ashcroft is the game’s sole protagonist. However, at The Game Awards 2025, the company revealed that Leon S. Kennedy, one of the series’ most iconic protagonists, will be making a comeback in Requiem as a parallel protagonist to Grace. And while some gamers already caught onto the shtick way before it was made official, the grand unveiling of Leon’s role and new look has been so impactful it wouldn’t be surprising if it boosted the game’s preorders.
Over in Japan, fans have also seen through Capcom’s attempts to keep Leon hidden for the grand reveal, but many seem doubly excited for him now that he’s transformed into a “hot uncle.”
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[Good news]
Leon looks too hot in Resident Evil: Requiem…
And you’re telling me he’s 49 here? (As of 2026)
Aged like fine wine…
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He isn’t the fresh and youthful kind of hot guy he was in RE4; he’s a seasoned ‘ikeoji’ now!!! This Leon is also hot in his own way.
Pushing 50, Leon’s design for the new title earned him the respectful title of “ikeoji” (イケおじ, attractive old/middle-aged man) among Janese fans. Even those who weren’t that sold on Requiem at first glance seem to have changed their minds once Leon was announced. “I was about to just ignore [RE9] completely, but this actually made me want to play it,” a fan posted on X. “I’ve decided to buy RE9 just for this,” another user commented.
However, considering his age, some users have started expressing worries that the character will be forced to participate in the physically (and mentally) demanding missions of killing zombies even past his prime. “While I’m happy for Leon, I also feel like it’s soon time to let him rest,” a fan said.
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Surely at this age, they aren’t putting him on any “impossible” missions anymore, but I’m absolutely certain that if he ever quit, he’d start binge drinking and meet his end as a raging alcoholic, so I hope he continues to do his best. (lol)
Even Hideki Kamiya, director of Resident Evil 2 (where Leon makes his debut appearance), commented on the comeback, joking about how Capcom’s characters age with each new series entry.
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“It’s kind of alarming how Leon, Dante and Ryu are becoming old geezers’ day by day”
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Uncle Leon, I hope you at least live a happy life in old age.”
On a related note, Leon Kennedy’s addition to the game was not just fanservice for the seasoned followers of the Resident Evil franchise, but a choice that might help diversify the gameplay of Requiem. While Grace’s portion of the game will focus more on the horror and exploration aspects, the more experienced and physically adept Leon will help the title explore its possibilities as a full-on action game. Hopefully this time around, Leon and Grace will finally be able to put a conclusion to the story and let the veteran police officer enjoy the kind of true happy ending the fans (and Mr. Kamiya) would like to see.
Resident Evil Requiem is set to release on February 27, 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows (Steam).
