The Resident Evil Requiem from The Recreation Awards lastly confirmed that Leon S. Kennedy will return as the sport’s second playable protagonist. Though he has aged a bit since we final noticed him, Japanese followers have been taking to social media to reward Leon’s suave, older look.
Slated for a multiplatform launch on February 27, 2026, Resident Evil Requiem is the ninth mainline title in Capcom’s survival horror sequence. It’ll introduce new major character Grace Ashcroft, an FBI analyst who’s investigating a sequence of mysterious deaths that appear to be linked to Victor Gideon, a former Umbrella Corp. researcher. Whereas evidently Grace’s components of the sport will play extra like typical survival horror, the brand new trailer, under, gave followers a peek at Leon’s extra action-orientated zombie-battling gameplay, full with chainsaw. “Grace’s gameplay type is predicated on Resident Evil 2, whereas Leon’s is predicated on Resident Evil 4,” director Akifumi Nakanishi revealed in a current interview with Denfaminicogamer.
Though Leon has all the time had his followers, the D.S.O agent’s middle-aged incarnation is getting a lot reward from Japanese talking customers on X. He’s already being affectionately known as ikeoji (actually, “scorching uncle” — a cool and enticing older man). “Leon’s regularly changing into a scorching uncle” one consumer mused. Sharing some screenshots, one other consumer chimed in with “Leon’s getting old in a cool means.” One other consumer summed up: “Resident Evil 9’s Leon is simply too scorching. He’s 49 on this (as of 2026)? He’s so suave.”
Followers are additionally getting impressed to attract Leon’s new look. “Leon in Resi 9’s new trailer is simply too rattling high quality,” stated one consumer, posting the next fan artwork. “He’s getting old in such a beautiful means, whereas retaining his coolness. I’m actually trying ahead to assembly this Leon,” enthused one other consumer. “He’s turning right into a scorching older man, like Keanu Reeves!” stated one commenter.
RE9新トレーラーのレオンが良すぎて。 pic.twitter.com/PIkrWuylo1
— □ (@dbox_2525) December 12, 2025
Different eagle-eyed trailer viewers have observed that Leon appears to have some form of rash on his neck, prompting considerations that he has been contaminated. Whereas many appear to be having fun with middle-aged Leon’s appears, others are apprehensive as as to whether he ought to nonetheless be preventing off mutants at his age, with one particular person saying: “I really like Leon, however they need to let him relaxation.” Within the beforehand talked about Denfaminicogamer interview, Resident Evil Requiem’s director revealed that Leon has a “main secret” that can have important implications (however he’s conserving quiet on what precisely that’s).
コメントで教えてもらったけど
レオン..感染してるのかい？…#バイオハザードレクイエム pic.twitter.com/6GY05WqofY— それいけジェットでやってみよう！ (@neko_sougo) December 12, 2025
Legendary Japanese recreation developer Hideki Kamiya additionally weighed in on Leon’s new look and the way a few of Capcom’s beloved characters are getting lengthy within the tooth. “Uncle Leon, on the very least, I would really like so that you can reside fortunately in your outdated age,” Kamiya commented, sharing a timelapse of Leon’s getting old face. In response, one other consumer wrote that, though they had been high quality with recreation characters getting older, they hoped that Resident Evil and Satan Could Cry characters may obtain the pleased ending they deserve. Replying to this, Kamiya mused: “Even when Dante turned pleased, gained’t he all the time be poor?”
レオンおじさん…せめて老後は幸せに暮らして欲しい… https://t.co/EzsvnVHp54
— 神谷英樹🍀 Hideki Kamiya🍀 (@HidekiKamiya_X) December 12, 2025
Resident Evil Requiem’s devs have already revealed that switching between enjoying as Grace and Leon can be like “leaping into a chilly tub after a scorching sauna,” such is the distinction between the tense survival horror sneaking and Leon’s no-holds-barred motion. In response to director Akifumi Nakanishi, there can be an virtually equal cut up between newcomer Grace and fan favourite Leon. “Though he’s a personality who carries lots on his shoulders, we took quite a lot of care in refining him into an ‘ikeoji’,” Nakanishi concluded. “The reactions to the trailer on that entrance have made us pleased (laughs).”
Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance author who beforehand served as editor, contributor and translator for the sport information web site Automaton West. She has additionally written about Japanese tradition and films for numerous publications.