‘Leon Kennedy looks good I guess’, said the internet, being completely normal about it. He’s older now, as Resident Evil Requiem takes place long after Resident Evil 4, and an older body demands a new design. But if the broad response from his fans is any indication – Leon’s older age is absolutely not an issue.
In fact, several female Capcom staff apparently took on a special role within the development studio. It doesn’t seem like they took on this mission in a formalized capacity – no special Avengers-style task force was dedicated to making Leon hot.
Instead, it was the passion that did it. Passion, an eye for detail, and some great talent played a very important part in sculpting the Leon Kennedy we see today.
This information comes to us though an Automaton interview with Resident Evil Requiem’s director: Koshi Nakanishi. Leon’s sporting a new “hot uncle” or “ikeoji” look that particular staff members had a huge hand in refining.
“Leon has many fans among Capcom employees,” Nakanishi said, “and women in particular were pretty strict when reviewing his design. They would point out and comment on even the finest details like the wrinkles on his neck.”
“When I mentioned that story in the past, a female fan told me, The women developers at Capcom did a really good job (laughs).”
With Resident Evil Requiem set to release in just under a month, you won’t have to wait long to see Leon’s new design in action, though you’re probably more interested in something else. Something the game’s teasers won’t be able to properly show you.
Leon Kennedy’s Beauty Is Not Skin Deep
Beyond the visuals, Nakanishi also took care to mention how much refining Leon’s personality went though, as well.
“Every staff member had their own interpretation of Leon’s 30-year-long history, so they would tell me things like, Leon would definitely not act like that in this kind of situation. So, there were more opinions about what he’s like on the inside compared to his looks, and after many discussions, we were able to settle on something that clicked for us.”
Leon Kennedy is a hardened soldier at this point in the story. The Resident Evil universe has more than its fair share of horrifying sights and sounds, and Leon’s already encountered a lot of it. He’s not one to get scared easily, nor would he back down in the face of the unknown.
“When players see this Leon in the game,” Nakanishi added, “hopefully they will be able to find their own interpretation of him as well.”
