The reason Leon returns to Resident Evil Requiem: How old is he in Capcom’s latest game?
Decades of fighting bioterrorism have left their mark on Leon S. Kennedy.
Resident Evil Requiem will arrive on February 27 and is already shaping up to be one of the most significant releases of 2026. The ninth installment of the saga developed by Capcom is committed to returning to Raccoon City and bringing back one of the franchise’s most iconic characters: Leon S. Kennedy.
Leon has been a favorite among much of the community since his debut in Resident Evil 2. However, the new installment presents a very different version of the character. Gone is the idealistic rookie who first arrived at the Raccoon City Police Department, as well as the nearly invincible action hero of Resident Evil 4. In Requiem, Leon appears visibly tired, marked by the passage of time and decades of confrontations with bioterrorist threats.
The comparison is inevitable. Just as with Kratos in his modern reinvention or Wolverine in Logan, Leon’s face reflects the weight of his history. It’s not just wrinkles or scars, but an emotional burden that redefines his role within the saga.
The title of the game itself may contain a clue. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, requiem is “a solemn chant (such as a dirge) for the repose of the dead.” The choice of name suggests a possible turning point for the character: the end of a cycle, infected, a heroic sacrifice, or even a transformation that definitively distances him from the ideal he represented.
How old is Leon S. Kennedy in Resident Evil Requiem?
The official canon places Leon S. Kennedy’s birth on July 31, 1977. In Resident Evil 2 (set in 1998), he was 21 years old. Resident Evil Requiem, meanwhile, takes place in 2028, which puts the character at 51 years old. The difference is notable. In Resident Evil 6, set in 2012, Leon was 35 years old.
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The time jump highlights the physical and psychological change that now becomes one of the narrative threads of the new installment. Everything points to Resident Evil Requiem not being just another entry in the franchise, but a turning point for Leon. It is no longer just about surviving a new biological crisis, but about facing the weight of his own legacy.
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