Capcom’s Resident Evil 9: Requiem is designed to be the ultimate celebration of 30 years of Resi, which probably means some classic characters are at least making a cameo in the new game. Following Chris Redfield’s return at the end of 7 and during Village, Requiem is reportedly bringing another character back for the modern series.
Leaked by Dusk Golem, a reputable Resident Evil leaker who previously revealed Nintendo Switch 2 ports of 7, Village and Requiem before their official announcements, a character from Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 6 is coming back for the ninth mainline entry.
Speaking on Twitter, Dusk Golem explained that Capcom is set to officially reveal the return of character Leon S. Kennedy during Tokyo Game Show next week. So far, Capcom has pushed the game as an almost independent entry, although players have been expecting the return of Leon due to the game’s use of Raccoon City as a major location.
“The murmurs of Leon being revealed next week are very loud,” the leaker claimed on social media, “to the point I don’t doubt it.”
According to Dusk Golem, Leon S. Kennedy’s appearance in Resident Evil 9: Requiem will see the character looking “more rugged” than previous entries. Following the haggard appearance of Chris Redfield in Resident Evil 8: Village, it seems that Leon will age appropriately for the new game.
During the game’s reveal, Capcom explained that the original plan for Resident Evil 9 had Leon as the primary protagonist. In fact, at one point, the game was even a multiplayer, third-person open world game before development restarted as a traditional Resi game.
Following Dusk Golem’s claims, an alleged screenshot of a Capcom presentation leaked on social media 4Chan, via Reddit. The slideshow shows the return of R.P.D zombies as well as new, mutated creatures and a version of Leon S. Kennedy wearing an eyepatch.
As a major celebration of the Resident Evil series, it would make sense for Leon to return in Requiem. As the most popular protagonist of Capcom’s legendary horror franchise and a character tied to the returning Racoon City, it’s a perfect fit to celebrate the series’ 30th anniversary.
Resident Evil 9: Requiem officially releases on February 27, 2026 for Xbox Series, PlayStation 5, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.