Resident Evil Village drops on May 7, and it is set to continue the story that began in the seventh instalment of the franchise which put you, the player, into the shoes of Ethan Winters.
While there's a wealth of info out there on the likes of Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Leon Kennedy, and Sherry Berkin, there's not much on 7's protagonist. With that said, here are ten things that you may not have known about the good-doer looking for his girl.
Updated on February 6, 2021 by James Troughton: The new Resident Evil Village is coming, and with it, more details on Ethan. A lot's happened since he escaped the Bakers with Mia, and Chris Redfield seems a little peeved, so here's some new info on the latest Capcom protagonist.
15 He Is Modelled After Yaya Chamki
Ethan might not look too familiar but he isn't an entirely original design, instead being based on a model called Yaya Chamki. Coupled with his likeness is Todd Soley, who voiced the character and partook in mo-cap.
This wasn't Todd's first rodeo in survival horror, however, as he also voiced various unnamed characters in Dead Space 2, a game that plays like Resident Evil 4 in space, as if merged with Alien.
14 Ethan Is From Los Angeles
While not a lot is known about Ethan or who he is, it's pretty clear from the get-go that he isn't a native to Louisiana. He travels a long way to find his missing wife, which is touching, if not a little naïve—surely he could've informed more than his bud like maybe the local cops?
Nonetheless, he shows up wholly unprepared and ends up in a world of trouble, but where did he come from? Ethan is from Los Angeles, though we don't know anything more than that.
13 He Married Mia In 2011
Only a year before the events of the accursed Resident Evil 6, Mia and Ethan got married. As the story of Resident Evil 7 tells, he wasn't entirely aware of who he was getting involved with, but the two loved each other enough that he dropped everything for an email just for a shred of a chance of her being alive.
Not much is known about Ethan's past beyond his ties to Mia. There are little drip fed tidbits of information about his origins, but it ends there.
12 Ethan Is A Blank Slate Because Of The First-Person Perspective
Resident Evil was meant to be a first-person game but ended up going down the route of tank controls. Still, it experimented in ports and spin-offs along the way, before ditching it entirely to move towards the third-person shooter that it was in 4 and onwards.
Nonetheless, 7 took the game back to its roots with a sprawling mansion, puzzles, a small pool of characters, and the initially intended first-person perspective. As such, Capcom decided to keep Ethan Winters, the protagonist, vague, with little bits of information on who he is and his past, but not nearly as much as others in the series. This is to let you step into his shoes more fluidly, immersing more into the role than with other protagonists in the franchise.
11 There's A Character Referenced In Resident Evil 5 Called Ethan W.
Resident Evil 5 dropped way back in 2009, but it had a mention of a character simply known as Ethan W. This man was on a list of Umbrella scientists who Spencer had ordered killed.
Some fans have speculated that Winters, too, has his own hidden background like Mia, but, given his age, this is unlikely, while some theorize that his father may have worked for Umbrella and had the same name. However, it's more than likely that this is a mere coincidence or a niche throwback.
10 Canonically, Ethan Cures Mia, Not Zoe
Near the pinnacle of Resident Evil 7, just before you're thrown into the shoes of another character for the first time in the run, you, as Ethan, get to make a choice on who to cure. Since you only have one serum, you have to decide between Zoe Baker and Mia Winters.
However, the Zoe-centric DLC and Resident Evil Village both confirm that the canonical choice is, in fact, Mia. This isn't the first time that the franchise has opted to make one specific path the "true" story, as Rebecca Chambers canonically survives the mansion incident way back in the first game, as evident in Vendetta, contrary to her two possible death scenarios.
9 He Isn't The Same Playable Character As In The Resident Evil 7 Demo
In 2016, players were able to delve into a demo of Resident Evil 7, which was fairly different from the final product with its own puzzles, endings, and protagonist.
Rather than playing as Ethan Winters, players step into the unfortunate shoes of Clancy Jarvis, a member of the team of investigative journalists who trespass on the Baker's property. Though nobody knew it at the time, the demo, as well as the game's DLC, explores what happened to the three intruders.
8 Capcom Is Still Hiding His Face In Resident Evil Village's Promo Material
Part of keeping Ethan Winters as an immersive, playable character that you can jump right into and connect with is keeping his face hidden. Sure, there are models and glimpses of his appearance, but Capcom isn't marketing him.
Resident Evil 7, and now Village, are both first-person, and to keep that feeling of being the character you play going strong, Capcom is obscuring Ethan's face in all the promo material.
7 Ethan Is One Of The Few Civilian Protagonists In The Series
There aren't many playable civilians in the Resident Evil franchise, with the very first game kickstarting by means of a group of specialized police officers in the midst of an investigation.
Even Claire Redfield ended up joining TerraSave in 2005, and Billy Cohen, who was a convict, was an ex-Lieutenant in the Marines. Ethan, being an everyman to help immerse players into the first-world survival horror action, is just an ordinary guy. It's always nice to see Capcom break from the mold.
6 He Is A Software Engineer
Ethan isn't a cop, he's not in the army, and, if he's ex-military or ex-Umbrella or what-have-you, it's unbeknownst as of now—so, what is he? What does he do in his day-to-day when he's not knee-deep in guts and gore, fighting the Bakers in their swanky mansion?
Well, Ethan is a software engineer. He doesn't use his computing skills much in Resident Evil 7, if at all, but he doesn't exactly get the chance to flex his muscles in that department. Still, he did go toe-to-toe with Jack Baker in one helluva chainsaw fight.
5 Ethan May Be Infected
If Ethan is an ordinary software engineer with no military or police background, how on Earth did he manage to stave off a family of enhanced monsters? Suspension of disbelief aside, given that gaming has always been about the underdog somehow taking on a world of pain, it might be due to the virus.
In Resident Evil 7, the Baker family is infected with the E-Virus, as is Mia. What if Ethan is, too? After all, his hand and leg are easily re-attached and he sees Evie's hallucinations. This would leave some interesting doors open for Village.
4 Deputy David Anderson Stumbles On Ethan When Looking For The Film Crew
You'll know about Deputy David Anderson if you've played Resident Evil 7 (he's the cop that swings by to ask about the noise before handing you a flimsy knife only to die at Jack Baker's hands) but what you may not have known is why he was lurking around the property.
The Baker residence is fairly remote. Getting there was a trek for Ethan and the introduction shows just how secluded it is. So, why is Anderson anywhere near the front door and window? Well, he was actually investigating the disappearance of the Sewer Gators film crew who you can play as with one of the VHS tapes.
3 Ethan Can Re-Attach His Leg If Jack Baker Cuts It Off
Speaking of re-attaching hands and legs, if you were fast enough in the beginning, you may have very well missed this brutal display of violence from the Baker's patriarch. If you don't get into the hatch quick enough, Jack will slice off your leg.
Naturally, this would be a bit of a hindrance to mobility throughout the game, and, while that might make for a fun challenge run, Ethan isn't too keen on making things more difficult. In actuality, you can slap that old foot back on and get going like nothing happened.
2 He Had A Daughter With Mia After The Events Of Resident Evil 7
Resident Evil 8 has a bit of a time jump following the events of the 7th game. So, a lot has happened for Ethan. Finally, he's settled down with Mia, and they're at peace... kind of.
He has a daughter with his wife called Rosemary Winters, and the three live a happy, normal, family life together in remote Europe. That is until Chris Redfield rocks up looking like he's cosplaying Mr. X.
1 Capcom Is Hinting That Chris Redfield Kills Somebody Close To Ethan - Likely Mia
What does Chris do that rocks the foundations of Ethan's nice little nuclear family? Well, he shows up, out of the blue (and heavily in the blue based on the lighting) and pulls a gun on Mia.
Some speculate he's under someone's control, that Blue Umbrella really is evil, that he's corrupted by becoming a werewolf, or that this is some dream or hallucination sequence. There are even theories that he's a clone. Either way, somehow Ethan is gonna have to get through to the guy that punched a boulder, and that won't be easy.