In a game that includes five separate tofu skins, fans were surprised to find that the unlockable and purchasable costumes in Resident Evil 2 Remake weren’t equally ridiculous. That’s not to say there aren’t questionable costumes, you just don’t have the character wandering around in anything so absurd it breaks the seriousness of the game.

Some costumes are unlocked by beating the game and others can only be obtained through DLC or in free updates. Hopefully, this will give you an idea of which ones to shoot for in your game and which to avoid like the plague.

Updated on March 3, 2024, by Jason Wojnar: With this remake being more than five years old and still being revered as one of the greatest entries in the series, it's safe to regard it as an all-time classic. As new generations of gamers become Resident Evil fans, more and more people will be going through this game for the first time.

With this in mind, we decided to bring this list up to date so newcomers can easily discover how to unlock every costume. After you beat the game for the first time, you're going to want to do it in style in any of these fancy outfits.

11 Classic 98 Leon

A Blast From The Past

• Available in a free update.

Considering Resident Evil 2 Remake is a remake, it’s understandably going to be littered with homages and tributes to the original. Classic 98 Leon is one example of a tribute to the original game that might resonate with some fans, but probably isn’t one anyone will use very often.

Staying true to its 1998 graphics, Classic 98 Leon is frankly ugly, with a blocky figure and hands that look like they belong on a doll. Classic 98 Leon is rough to look at, especially against the game's modern backdrop. It comes in a free update.

While we are grateful for the remake, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find and play the classic Resident Evil games. They are available as PS1 Classics on PS3 and PSP, but are unavailable on modern platforms.

10 Classic 98 Claire

Another Classic Skin

• Available in a free update.

Classic 98 Claire was with the same update as Classic 98 Leon and looks equally as bad. Her arms look bizarre and she seems angrier than the modern Claire. It breaks the immersion by watching a highly realistic zombie bite into a Claire that looks like a slightly more evolved character from Minecraft.

Granted, some might like these costumes for their nostalgic value, but that’s the only reason anyone would like these costumes. Playing the game with them would be more for the quirkiness than for really liking them.

9 Normal Custom Claire

Nothing Fancy

• Beat the game as Claire.

It’s the same default costume she wears throughout the campaign, but you're now able to decide which outfit she wears when you want. This is a cool addition of course, and one that you'll certainly pick if you already liked what she was wearing in your first playthrough.

In this case, players can decide whether Claire will wear her red jacket or her black tank top. To get this option, you must simply beat the game as Claire.

8 Normal Custom Leon

Giving You More Choices for The Costume

• Beat the game as Leon.

Of course, if Claire can get her regular outfits available sooner, so does his male counterpart. Leon’s Normal Custom mode sees him in his gray jacket, his Racoon Police Department gear, or wearing the R.P.D. gear with an injured side.

The latter gives the game a more gritty feel sooner, but really it’s nothing special as it’s still the default costume just available sooner. This costume is unlocked the same way that you unlocked Claire's Custom Mode: by beating the campaign once (in this case, as Leon).

7 Noir Claire

If Resident Evil Took Place In The 1940s

• Available in the Extra DLC Pack.
• Also available as an individual purchase.

The Noir set of costumes comes with an in-game filter that turns everything black and white, just like in the old Noir movies. Even with the filters, this costume is rough. With high heels she never kicks off during a zombie apocalypse, an untucked shirt, a long tie for zombies to grab onto, and the silliest-looking pair of pants with suspenders, this isn’t a great costume.

There may be some hardcore hipsters who like this costume, but it's likely more out of rebellion against modern fashion conventions than a legitimate attraction to the costume itself. You can get the Noir outfit for Claire by buying the Extra DLC Pack.

The Extra DLC Pack also contains bonuses like the Samurai Edge (Albert Mode) and the ability to play the game with the original soundtrack.

6 Noir Leon

If Leon Had Become A Detective, Would He Have Dressed Like This?

• Available in the Extra DLC Pack.
• Also available as an individual purchase.

Leon’s Noir costume is a little better as he looks more put together in his gray vest and vertical shoulder holsters. But he looks very out of place in modern Racoon City surrounded by more conventional-looking zombies, police officers, and scientists.

Again, the Noir black and white filter helps a little, but it looks like an old movie where they could only afford to dress the main character in costume. Everyone else just wore what was in their closet... except Mr. X; he kind of has a Noir theme going on. Like Claire's outfit, Leon's Noir Costume is obtained via the Extra DLC Pack.

5 Alternative Claire

Return Of The Frayed Jean Shorts

• Beat the game as Claire.

This might be a little controversial, but Alternative Claire’s outfit, an homage to the original Resident Evil 2, isn’t a great outfit. The leather tanktop with the angel, Made In Heaven caption, and some awkward red short shorts over black short shorts, make it an outdated outfit for the year this remake came out.

Sure there’s nostalgia for the older game, but there’s a reason they updated the default costumes for the remake. You can get this outfit by beating the game as Claire.

4 Elza Walker

An Homage To The Resident Evil 2 That Never Was

• A part of the Extra DLC Pack.
• Also available as an individual purchase.

This is a more vague easter egg that even fans of the Resident Evil series might not be aware of. After the first game's success, a follow-up game titled Biohazard 1.5 was planned with Elza Walker as the main female protagonist. She was a motorcycle racer set to start her first semester at Racoon University when the outbreak occurred.

After Biohazard 1.5 was canceled, her character was revamped and adjusted into Claire for Resident Evil 2. The idea of a motorcycle racer and soon-to-be student getting thrown into the apocalypse makes for an interesting character, apart from being a great costume for Claire that gives a nod to the creation of her character. This is also available in the Extra DLC Pack.

3 Alternative Leon

The Original Leon Outfit Updated With The New Tech

• Beat the game as Leon.

One of the best costumes in the game is Leon’s old R.P.D. costume from the original Resident Evil 2, but updated with modern graphics. It straddles the line of being nostalgic and modernized without the clunky graphics Classic 98 Leon has. It just looks in line with the rest of the game.

Admittedly, the bulkier shoulder pads aren’t as sleek as Leon’s default costume, but then again, this is the zombie apocalypse with the undead biting at your jugular. Maybe bulky shoulder pads aren’t a bad thing. You can get the shoulder pads by beating the game as Leon.

2 Military Claire

This Claire Came Prepared

• Available in the Extra DLC Pack.
• Also available as an individual purchase.

Military Claire looks pretty awesome with the character fully decked out in military camouflage complete with a green bandana. Apart from her backstory, Military Claire seems like she’d fit in a post-apocalyptic Racoon City as one of the city’s national guard members who survived the outbreak and is trying to find a unit to join up with.

Pair Military Claire with her signature minigun and she looks pretty hardcore as she mows down zombies. At times, you’ll feel like Private Vasquez from Aliens 2, which would make for a really cool mod actually. You can get this costume by buying the Extra DLC Pack.

1 Arklay Sheriff Leon

Small Town Sheriff Vibes

• Available in the Extra DLC Pack.
• Also available as an individual purchase.

The Arklay Sheriff costume for Leon is two easter eggs spliced together to make the best-looking costume in the game. On the one hand, it’s a reference to the Arklay Mountains region where the mansion from the first Resident Evil game was located. The other is a more obvious nod to The Walking Dead series as it’s an almost identical replica of Rick Grimes' sheriff outfit at the beginning of the show.

Apart from the double easter egg, it’s simply a good costume. Sure it makes Leon stand out a little from the more urban costumes of his fellow officers, but considering it’s Leon’s first day on the job, it could make for a humorous quirk in his backstory. Like maybe after a heavy night of drinking he wore the wrong outfit to work. You can get it by buying the Extra DLC Pack.