Here's how Netflix's Resident Evil 2 in 1998 only cemented that success, whose incredible sales made it clear Capcom had a franchise on its hands.
Resident Evil 2 is also the game that introduced Claire Redfield and Leon S. Kennedy, with the two finding themselves trapped in a police station while attempting to escape Raccoon City. The game was split in two, following Claire and Leon's separate adventures while their paths occasionally intertwined. Despite this newfound partnership, later sequels in the Resident Evil game series didn't reunite the duo - aside, obviously, from 2019's Resident Evil 2 remake. Instead, Claire and Leon's relationship was first revived with 2008's Resident Evil: Degeneration, a CGI-animated adventure that saw a viral infection take over an airport.
Leon fronted two further CGI adventures, without Claire, though Resident Evil: Vendetta did see him team with her brother Chris. Claire and Leon finally reunited once more in Netflix series Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness, and for those not up to speed on the franchise's knotty timeline, this installment takes place in 2006, between the fourth and fifth games. Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness again has Leon and Claire on largely separate paths that converge at the end, as they uncover a government conspiracy to use bioweapons. The main antagonist Jason attempted to reveal an evil scheme by Defense Sectrary Wilson, but in Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness' ending, Claire Redfield and Leon Kennedy's friendship is seemingly severed when he refuses to hand Jason's evidence over to her.
Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness Fractured Leon & Claire's Friendship
Jason wanted the public to know the truth and full horror of bio weaponry, and Claire also wanted to expose this conspiracy. Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness' final scenes sees Leon deciding to cover up the truth, in keeping with the government's wishes and hoping to spare the fear it could inspire. Claire is left disgusted by his actions, and as she walks away, it appears his decision has marked the end of their friendship.
Having survived the Raccoon City outbreak and the events of Resident Evil: Degeneration together, it stands to reason Claire Redfield and Leon Kennedy's relationship should be solid. However, it's interesting to note that after Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness' events, the pair have yet to reunite, be it in a game or movie. Leon did work with Chris a couple of times, but in the current timeline, it appears this ideological riff permanently damaged their friendship.
