The story has become a surprisingly important aspect of Resident Evil in recent years. While the overarching plot and rotating cast was always one of the franchise’s main draws, Resident Evil 5 wrapped up the main Umbrella story arc and Resident Evil 7 essentially reset the board. Which makes it all the more surprising that Resident Evil Village is the most story driven game in the series yet.

RELATED: 10 Things Only Pro Players Know You Can Do In Resident Evil Village

Resident Evil Village’s story is a highlight of the game that manages to find some real pathos, but there are a number of threads left hanging by the time credits roll. Dealing with so much lore and franchise history, it’s only natural that Resident Evil 8 let some questions slip through the cracks.

10 Is Eveline Still A Threat?

Eveline Resident Evil Village
Eveline Resident Evil Village

The last hour of Resident Evil Village ties Eveline back into the narrative in a major way. Beyond just being the main antagonist of Resident Evil 7, Eveline is also intimately connected to Mother Miranda’s deceased daughter, Eva. Not just that, her subconscious seems to be tied to Rose and outright taunts Ethan after his “death.”

With Rose still alive at the end of the game and her “handler” outright calling her “Eveline,” it’s entirely possible she’ll remain a threat into Resident Evil 9. After all, the franchise has a main villain space that needs filling without Wesker or Miranda.

9 When Did Mother Miranda Swap Places With Mia?

Resident Evil Village Mia Rose

Closer to the of the story, it’s revealed that the “Mia” Chris shot at the beginning of the game was none other than Mother Miranda herself. At some point prior to the events of Village, Miranda kidnapped Mia and replaced her at the Winters residence. Unfortunately, it isn’t clear how much time she impersonated Mia. Ethan’s memories seem to suggest that Mia was taken right before or after Rose’s six month check-up, but the abstract nature of Mia’s dialogue makes it difficult to tell what’s real and what’s just a figment of Ethan’s imagination.

8 What Experiments Were Done On Mia?

Resident Evil Village Mia

Mia mentions to Chris during her rescue that she was experimented on by Miranda. It doesn’t take long for control to swap back to Ethan from here, so Mia doesn’t actually get a chance to detail what happened to her during these experiments.

RELATED: Resident Evil Village: 10 Things To Do After You Beat The Game

Given the black markings on her body, it’s possible Mold-like tests were run on her by Miranda herself. The photo of Mia Ethan found by the Mia doll in House Beneviento could also tie into these experiments, but it’s important to keep in mind that Ethan was heavily hallucinating inside the house.

7 Who Is The Duke?

resident evil village the duke close up

The Duke is one of the most mysterious characters in Village, taking several cues from Resident Evil 4’s Merchant. Unlike his predecessor, the Duke has a fairly significant story role and actively helps Ethan throughout his adventure. While Capcom intended for the Duke to be the fifth Lord, this doesn’t seem to be the case in the final game. The Duke certainly has a working relationship with Miranda’s Lords as evidenced by notes in Castle Dimitrescu, but he also conspires against them by assisting Ethan.

6 Did The Duke Survive?

Resident Evil Village Ending
Resident Evil Village Ending

Even the Duke’s fate is mysterious. Ethan stays behind to destroy the Megamycete at the end of the game, dying alongside the Village. While Chris manages to escape with Mia and the rest of the HW Squad, the Duke was seemingly left behind much like Resident Evil 4’s Merchant.

That said, it’s not exactly clear whether or not the Duke is a living being. He tells Ethan before the final battle that he’s not sure what exactly he is, suggesting a greater layer of mystery. Some theories have suggested that the Duke is a manifestation created by Rose to protect Ethan (though that raises several questions).

5 What Are The BSAA Up To?

A screenshot of Chris Redfield standing in Ethan's home, as seen in the Resident Evil 8 teasers and trailers.

The BSAA is a major counter-terrorist organization and Chris Redfield’s former occupant prior to establishing the Hound-Wolf Squad. The end of Resident Evil Village reveals that the BSAA are now using their own bio-weapon soldiers. Concept art data reveals that these aren’t infected humans, but artificially created creatures. With Chris’ arc setting up a confrontation with the BSAA, it’s possible the company will become a major antagonistic figure in Resident Evil 9 – or even an eventual remake of Resident Evil 5.

4 How Long Is The Time Skip?

Rose Resident Evil Village Ending

The final cutscene in Resident Evil Village flashes several years into the future and follows an older Rose Winters visiting her father’s grave. While a time skip has clearly happened since Ethan’s death, it’s not clear how much time has passed when considering the “Eveline” of it all.

RELATED: 10 Best Weapons In Resident Evil: Village

Since Rose is fundamentally Eveline’s reincarnation, she should have access to her abilities. This also means she might be rapidly aging just like Eveline was in Resident Evil 7. While Mia was cured of the Mold by Village, Ethan wasn’t (along with being deceased), suggesting some foul play going on with the time skip. It’s possible only a few years have passed since Ethan’s death.

3 What Is Chris’ Relationship With Rose?

Rose Winters Resident Evil Village Ending

Right before Ethan’s sacrifice, he hands Rose over to Chris and asks him to teach her to be strong. Come the final cutscene, it’s implied that Rose and Chris are actively working together, and he actually kept his promise to Ethan. Beyond that, however, their relationship isn’t touched upon and Chris doesn’t appear in the ending. Depending on how much time has passed, Chris could very well be past his prime at this point, letting Rose do the heavy lifting.

2 What Of The Megamycete Records?

Megamycete Resident Evil Village

The Megamycete Records is a catalogue more or less dedicated to everyone infected by the Mold. Mother Miranda specifically uses the Megamycete Records as part of her ritual, pulling Eva’s consciousness out of the Mold in an attempt to recreate Rose in her daughter’s former image.

Besides linking into Ethan’s dream sequence at the end of Resident Evil 7 where he speaks with Jack Baker, Miranda tells Ethan that he’ll be added to the Megamycete Records. While there’s no telling what Rose can do with her powers yet, Ethan might be able to return in Resident Evil 9 through the Megamycete Records.

1 The Rosemary Of It All

Resident Evil Village - Rose threatens an agent

Resident Evil Village’s ending is clearly setting up Rosemary Winters for greater things, but it isn’t clear how Capcom will go about this. Regardless of when exactly Resident Evil 9 takes place, all the original main characters will be pushing 50 years of age. Rose will essentially have to be the main character by default.

Not just that, though, Rose has access to abilities that skew supernatural – putting her on a level unlike any other Resident Evil protagonist. Rosemary is a loaded gun that can fundamentally reshape the franchise if Capcom so chooses. With Resident Evil 7 taking influence from the classic games and Village modeling itself after 4/5/6, there’s no telling how Resident Evil 9 will play out.

Next: Resident Evil 8: Every Recipe, Ranked