As of the 14th of July, Netflix’s live-action Resident Evil is officially bingeable and streaming, with each episode bringing several specific easter eggs from the franchise’s past. Being one of the earliest and most fruitful franchises, fans of Resident Evil are flocking to this series for some fresh content of the beloved horror game, certain to pick up the hints dropped within the show.
Developed by Andrew Dabb, it is just the second television adaptation of the series, following the animated miniseries, Infinite Darkness. Originating from its own universe, Netflix’s Resident Evil packs a punch and a half with a detail-oriented vibe. As the seventh live-action installment after the movies, not only does it feature references from the games, but from the films as well. With each rewatch, things that once went unnoticed become clear, leaving behind a reminiscent feel of past playthroughs.
Warning: This list contains spoilers for the Resident Evil series.
Mutated Mutt
In sections of the very first Resident Evil game, a mutant dog spirals through a glass window to attack Billie and Jade. It is a pretty startling and memorable moment, which is exactly why Netflix included the zombified mongrel in their Resident Evil series.
Any players of any Resident Evil game will attest to just how aggravating and maddening the sheer amount of these aggressive, athletic dogs are. No longer man's best friend, they showcase the impending dread faced when journeying through some of the games and are extremely difficult to shoot, especially the first of the series.
Grave Digger
After barely surviving being chased and attacked by a crowd of zombies while making her way back to camp in episode 1, Jade Wesker takes a breath of relieve. That is, until the ground around her quaked with fury.
As a humongous and mutated worm bursts from the earth, Jade is given another run for her money. The instance highlights the devastating conditions the people in the world of Resident Evil must endure in their everyday lives while also referencing a past foe, the “Grave Digger”, that originates from Resident Evil 3: Nemesis.
Lickers
Responsible for some of the most frightening moments in Resident Evil 2, the Lickers are maliciously mutated humans that are unfathomably deformed. Lacking eyes and skin, they hunt with the use of sound as well as their murderous tongues.
One of the numerous examples of negligence and insufficient morals present in the series, Lickers were once test subjects doomed to become victims of Umbrella Corps. A more enhanced species of these monsters is mass-produced and forced to follow orders, crushing the illusion of free will for the people of Racoon City.
Hydra Shotgun
Look familiar? Well, this easter egg is one for the super fans. While being escorted by a man wielding this gun, Jade and the others make their way through the sewers, where they are met by insidious lickers.
One by one, lickers are fired upon with this triple-barrel shotgun, though it doesn’t fight them off for long. Originally from Resident Evil 5, the Hydra shotgun makes an appearance in episode three of the show. Having the most firepower of any shotgun in the game, it is unlockable and upgradable by completing the campaign on normal difficulty.
Safe Room
One of the most notable references to the games, Jade is seen hiding away from her many foes in a room with a typewriter during the fourth episode of the series. This is a direct callback to the safe room in the Resident Evil games.
Giving both Jade as she descends to the floor to rest and players of the games a moment of calm, the safe room is known as a place to seek refuge from the horrors outside it. In the games as well as the Netflix series, the safe room is shown having a seemingly impenetrable door with a barred window and a desk with a typewriter on it.
Chainsaw Guy
During episode 4 of Resident Evil, a character donning a burlap sack over his head while using a chainsaw as a weapon can be seen when Baxter and Jade have a run-in with a prison cult. Players of the game will recognize this man immediately.
From the fourth game in the series, a character known as the “Chainsaw Guy”, who was originally a zombie during the game, makes his appearance in the show. Looking entirely the same, the only inconsistency is that he seems to still be human since his motor skills are intact, regardless of the number of zombies around him.
Lisa Trevor
When Billie and Jade find a disgusting and inhumane video of a hideously deformed Lisa Trevor in Albert’s computer, it is almost exact to the one uncovered in the games. With a giant eye growing out of her back, Lisa is shown chained up and mutated.
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A test subject of Umbrella Corp, Lisa underwent serious malformation when she was inoculated with a virus that has yet to be mentioned in the show, hinting that it will be revealed in the next season. Golgotha virus, aka what she was injected with by Albert in the games, seems like it could be a major plot point later in the series.
Red9
Viewers finally discover the true power of Baxter when he wields a gun with a longer barrel than other handguns, firing upon and taking out numerous zombies, something first time Resident Evil watchers may have found surprising.
However, Baxter isn’t one of Resident Evil's worst sidekicks as he may initially appear. As an Umbrella operative he was trained to shoot to kill. Yet another weapon arsenal easter egg, Baxter uses what looks to be a Red9, a gun that is a fan favorite for those who have played the games for its power and accuracy, adding to the many hair-raising instants in the Netflix series.
Moonlight Sonata
Specifically included for those with keen ears and attention to detail, this easter egg is a tough one to pick out. During episode 5, a song can be heard that is significant to the Resident Evil games, Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata.”
The orchestration proves to be a piece of Albert’s scavenger hunt that Jade and Billie must use, Furthermore, to unlock a secret room in the mansion of the first game, the song had to be played. Also present in Resident Evil 5, the tune is canonically a favorite of Oswell Spencer, otherwise known as Umbrella Corp’s co-founder.
Albert Wesker
The series’ main antagonist and incredible virologist Albert Wesker seems to be different than he was in the games, but everything is not as it seems, until his true colors are revealed later on in the show. Fans of the franchise certainly saw this twist coming.
By episode 7, viewers see that Albert had cloned himself, meaning Billie and Jade’s father is a clone, along with many others in the series. Bert then its that the authentic Albert was pushed into a volcano and murdered, a complete reference to Resident Evil 5. On top of this, in the last couple episodes, Billie wears a costume similar to Albert’s Matrix-like outfit.