Quick Links
If you played the original, then the Chimera Statue will come as no surprise when it appears in Resident Evil 4 Remake. Upon reaching the Grand Hall, this chapter takes a turn for the open-ended. Leon and Ashley need to find the statue's three heads, each in a different room nearby. Chapter Nine gives you more freedom that the rest of the game - which path will you take first?
From the Courtyard prowled by Colmillos to the first encounter with the Armaduras below, this guide will help you gather the statue parts and open the path to the Library. Luckily, the Merchant is never far away if you need knife repairs or a quick weapon upgrade - you can even blow off steam in the Shooting Gallery!
This guide contains spoilers.
Updated April 29, 2023: We've updated this article to include a video walkthrough of Chapter Nine for Resident Evil 4 Remake.
How To Get Through The Courtyard
Start by smashing the vases around the perimeter of the room. When you've collected everything, leave through the double doors near Leon's starting position. Check the barrels to the left for ammo and cash before proceeding down the stairs to the courtyard.
Take a left at the bottom of the stairs and shoot the crows on the ground for more pesetas. Climb the ladder across from the stairs and pull the lever at the top to lower the first banner. While you're up there, listen for growling in the surrounding area; you may be able to take out a Colmillo or two from above with the rifle.
Next, take the left-hand path with your shotgun or TMP at the ready to deal with any Colmillos that jump out of the hedges. Turn right at the fork and loot the treasures in the dead-end room - beware of the viper in one of the crates - then return and take the other route. Go right, then left, then right again to find a First Aid Spray on a crate; take it, then check between the crate and the right-hand wall for a Clockwork Castellan.
Retrace your steps until you see a stone basin; proceed straight ahead and follow the winding path. You'll be attacked by a pair of Colmillos as you round a corner to the right. Kill them and keep going.
When you reach a fork, take the left-hand path to find a chest containing an Elegant Chessboard. Continue down the right-hand path, where you can climb a tower to pull the next lever and unlatch a door leading to the next section.
Take the second right to reach another Colmillo kennel. Be sure that all of them are dead before proceeding, or Ashley will be in grave danger. Take the narrow passage to the left of the kennel, and you'll find a lever that must be held down to keep a door open. Have Ashley stay with the lever, then retrace your steps to go through the gate. At the top of the stairs is the third and final banner lever.
When the lever is pulled, a group of Ganados will appear and chase Ashley. She'll let go of the lever to escape, so jump down from above to return to the garden level. Keep turning right to intercept the Ganado that grabs Ashley, or wait by the ladder for him to come to you while he tries to escape. As soon as you've got Ashley back, run up the stairs and through the banner door to escape.
The Merchant is in the room to the right, with a new shooting gallery minigame and inventory case upgrade. You can also take a tram back to the Audience Chamber to pick up any Treasures you missed without having to go back through the Courtyard! Before you enter his room, look at the statue to the left of the purple flame; it has a cask hanging form its hand that contains an Alexandrite!
When you're done at the Merchant's, climb the main staircase to find the Chimera Statue. You need to find the creature's three heads to open the door to the right. Start by climbing either side staircase to the upper level. Smash the vases and open the cupboards at the far end to restock on ammo, then pick one of the following routes.
How To Get The Lion Head
Facing the entrance, take the right-hand door on the upper level. In the first room, take the Green Herb on the windowsill to the right and check the cupboard in the far left corner for a Small Key. Walk to the end of the hall to reach the Armory; heal and reload if needed, then drop to the lower level where the Lion Head waits.
Before examining the Lion Statue, walk around the perimeter of the room to collect some useful ammo and supplies. Be especially sure to check at the feet of each suit of armor!
When you take the Lion Head, the suits of armor will attack in three waves. These Armaduras are slow-moving, so get around behind them and shoot the exposed Plaga on the back of their necks. Ashley will occasionally throw lanterns at them, stunning them; this allows you to kick off their helmets.
When the helmet comes off, the armored Plagas are almost identical to those spawned from Ganados, except that they only take damage from headshots. Flash Grenades will kill them instantly, as always, but only after their helmets come off.
When all the Armaduras are defeated, help Ashley down and have her operate the lever by the horse statues. When both Leon and Ashley turn the levers simultaneously, the door will open. Open the chest in the corridor beyond to get the Cubic Device, then unlock the door at the far end to return to the Grand Hall.
With the Cubic Device in hand, you can optionally use the tram in the Merchant's Hideout to return to the Audience Chamber and open the treasure box there.
How To Get The Goat Head
Facing the entrance, the left-hand door on the upper level leads to the Gallery. Follow the only available path until you're lowered into the Gallery. Try to toss a grenade onto the balcony with the red-robed Zealot as you descend; the sooner he's dead, the easier the fight will be.
If you have rifle ammo, you can pick off two Ganados waiting on balconies across the way before triggering the fight.
The ladder to the balcony level is on the right-hand side of the room. Fight your way to it and climb up to get an easy shot at the Zealot and pull the lever to raise the bridge again. The Ganados will try as hard as they can to capture Ashley here, so keep her close by!
When the bridge is back up, take the staircase across from the ladder to get back to the starting area. As long as all the Ganados are dead, you'll be able to cross the bridge unhindered and get the Goat Head. Watch out, though, as one last group will arrive just as you try to leave with your prize!
Be sure to loot the Gallery thoroughly before you leave - there's a Red Herb by the ladder, and a chest containing a Yellow Diamond under the bridge!
How To Get The Serpent Head
Take the door nearest the Chimera Statue to find the Dining Hall. Be sure to check the Merchant Request posted to the right of the door! If you can kill all three rats in the next area, you'll get some Spinels the next time you visit the Merchant.
The first rat is immediately past the door. Take care of it before you do anything else.
The Serpent Head is in the next room, but it's in a locked cage. Leon and Ashley can both sit in the dining room chairs; the correct combination will open the cage.
Look at the paintings on the far side of the room. The Lady is seated near an empty dish and wine glass, while the Lord has a bread roll and a bottle.
Have Ashley sit at the place setting that matches the Lady's (facing away from the paintings, the near-left seat on the far table), then have Leon sit at the Lord's place (the near-right seat on the near table). When both characters are seated, ring the service bell to open the cage and get the Serpent Head.
How To Rescue Leon
When you place all three heads on the statue, Leon and Ashley will get separated again. Gameplay will resume as Ashley. She's unarmed, so you'll need to proceed with caution.
Look for a blue lantern to the left. Taking it will open a secret passageway that you can use to escape the Ganados. Follow it until you find a broken grandfather clock. A note on the table to the left suggests that you need to set the clock to the correct time.
Take the door near the table and follow the corridor beyond. When you come to a dead end, crouch through the destroyed bookshelf on the left. Walk past the locked elevator and follow the stacks to the far end of the library. You'll come upon a pedestal for the lantern; place it there to open a new path forward.
Turn the crank in the hidden room, then retrieve the lantern and take the staircase that has appeared. Take the keys on the table upstairs, then return to the main library floor.
Ashley won't smash vases, so you'll need to return as Leon to get the gear inside.
The Armaduras will animate when you come back down the stairs; you can freeze them in their tracks by shining the lantern on them, but it's better to avoid them altogether.
When you first see a knight moving on the other side of a bookshelf, turn left to go in the opposite direction. This will bring you around behind it, providing an escape route.
The second Armadura will attempt to cut you off; freeze it with the lantern, then run to the elevator. Use the keyring, selecting the second key from the right to unlock the gate.
When the elevator stops, open the rear gate and climb out. A brief cutscene will play, after which you can explore the new room. Follow the blood trail behind the bookcase to find a desk with a note. It shows the Roman numerals "VII XII" and the word "clock." Set the grandfather clock in the main room to seven o'clock (not 7:12 - the Roman numerals are referring to the actual symbols on the clock face, rather than the time) to reveal a hidden door.
Go down the stairs behind the clock. An Armadura will appear from around the corner at the bottom of the stairs; freeze it with the lantern and quickly turn the crank behind him to open the way forward.
Another knight will be on the left in the next room. After freezing it, run to the far side of the room and through the door at the end of the corridor. There's another clock here; set it to seven o'clock just like the last one. The Armaduras will be chasing you, so it may be worth waiting for one to burst through the door to feeze it before focusing on the clock.
Run down the stairs behind the clock and press the call button for the elevator. While you're waiting for it to arrive, face the stairs and be ready to shine your lantern at the pursuing knight.
Take the elevator down to the basement, and ring the gongs in each of the four side alcoves. Each gong will cause more knights to animate, so have your lantern ready and keep moving! When all four gongs are rung, you'll be able to enter the room at the far end, where the Armaduras can't reach thanks to the blue torch inside.
Follow the hall to a chamber with more lanterns on pedestals surrounding the central pillar. Each lantern, including Ashley's projects a different image. Place Ashley's starting lantern on the center pedestal, showing the full moon. She'll pick up the crescent moon lantern.
Place the crescent moon lantern on the pedestal to your right, swapping it with the star lantern, then place the star lantern on the empty pedestal opposite. When all three lanterns are in position, the pillar will open, revealing the Salazar Family Insignia.
Taking the Insignia causes the lanterns to go out, leaving you with no way to fight the knights. Run back the way you came and crouch under the frozen knights at the blue torch. Once you're past them, run straight for the lift, only zig-zagging slightly to avoid attacks from the side. Take the lift back up and start climbing the stairs; when a knight blocks your path, run back to the bottom to give yourself room to maneuver around it.
Retrace your steps back to the study, avoiding Armaduras as you go. Place the Salazar Family Insignia in the slot by the gate to open it and walk through to end the chapter.