AND THE HISTORY OF RESIDENT EVIL STALKERS
DIMITRESCU
LADY
By Matthew Byrd
Lady Dimitrescu (aka "Tall Vampire Lady") has been the star of Resident Evil Village so far, but she's just the latest in Resident Evil's history of "stalker" characters.
The first Resident Evil didn't feature a "stalker" character, but some of its creature designs hinted at an interest in monsters that were tougher to kill and would chase the player.
It wasn't until Resident Evil 2 that we got our first proper series "stalker" in the form of the Tyrant known as Mr. X. This monster's ability to chase the player made him a true threat.
Interestingly, the design of Mr. X is believed to be inspired by the Scissorman in the Clock Tower series. That slasher-like character randomly appeared to hunt you down.
Scissorman's influence would be fully felt in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. In that game, a horrifying monster known only as Nemesis endlessly hunts the player much as the Scissorman did in Clock Tower.
Despite being the best part of Resident Evil 3, the Nemesis and the "stalker" concept were not revived in upcoming Resident Evil games. Resident Evil's remake and RE4 only nodded at that idea.
It wasn't until 2017's RE7 that the stalker concept was revived. In fact, that game's stalker, Jack Baker, was quickly considered one of Resident Evil's scariest creations in years.
Yet, it was 2019's RE 2 remake that solidified the stalker. That game's reimagined version of Mr. X behaved like Nemesis and quickly became the poster child of one of the year's best games.
RE 3's remake brought Nemesis into the modern age and made many fans wonder why stalkers disappeared for so long. Like horror slashers, players fell in love with these persistent personalities.
Now that Lady Dimitrescu has taken over the internet, it seems the stalker may be a permanent part of Resident Evil. Then again, you can never tell where this series will go next…