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 can introduce new predominant 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 plainly Grace’s elements of the sport will play extra like typical survival horror, the brand new trailer, beneath, gave followers a peek at Leon’s extra action-orientated zombie-battling gameplay, full with chainsaw. “Grace’s gameplay fashion relies on Resident Evil 2, whereas Leon’s relies 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, “sizzling uncle” — a cool and engaging older man). “Leon’s regularly changing into a sizzling uncle” one consumer mused. Sharing some screenshots, one other consumer chimed in with “Leon’s growing older in a cool method.” One other consumer summed up: “Resident Evil 9’s Leon is just too sizzling. 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 just too rattling wonderful,” mentioned one consumer, posting the next fan artwork. “He’s growing older in such a beautiful method, whereas retaining his coolness. I’m actually trying ahead to assembly this Leon,” enthused one other consumer. “He’s turning right into a sizzling older man, like Keanu Reeves!” mentioned 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 seen that Leon appears to have some type of rash on his neck, prompting issues that he has been contaminated. Whereas many appear to be having fun with middle-aged Leon’s appears to be like, others are apprehensive as as to if he ought to nonetheless be combating 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 maintaining 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 sport 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 love so that you can stay fortunately in your outdated age,” Kamiya commented, sharing a timelapse of Leon’s growing older face. In response, one other consumer wrote that, though they have been wonderful with sport characters getting older, they hoped that Resident Evil and Satan Could Cry characters might obtain the comfortable ending they deserve. Replying to this, Kamiya mused: “Even when Dante grew to become comfortable, 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 might be like “leaping into a chilly bathtub after a sizzling sauna,” such is the distinction between the tense survival horror sneaking and Leon’s no-holds-barred motion. In accordance with director Akifumi Nakanishi, there might be an virtually equal break up between newcomer Grace and fan favourite Leon. “Though he’s a personality who carries rather a lot on his shoulders, we took numerous care in refining him into an ‘ikeoji’,” Nakanishi concluded. “The reactions to the trailer on that entrance have made us comfortable (laughs).”
Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance author who beforehand served as editor, contributor and translator for the sport information website Automaton West. She has additionally written about Japanese tradition and flicks for varied publications.