Best Of

5 Best Resident Evil Companions, Ranked

Published

2 years ago

November 30, 2021

Excluding Ashley, Capcom has actually done a pretty tidy job of making sidekicks for Resident Evil. Perhaps not these days, what with the franchise dipping back towards that sole survivor style. But a few years back, specifically during the height of couch co-op gaming, they were thrown in with almost every campaign that Capcom sparked to ignite.

Okay, so the question we've been asking ourselves for a fair few years is this; which companion was the best of the best? Which ones had our backs, and which ones contributed hardly anything towards the mission? Which ones took the form of a bullet sponge — and which ones keeled over from a slight gust of wind? Well, let's run it from the top. Here are, in our opinion, the best companions from Resident Evil, ranked.

5. Ashley

Oh geez, alright. Let's just get this out of the way and be done with it. Ashley. There isn't a great deal more I can honestly say to you that would make this so-called companion any less infuriating, to be brutally honest. And yet, for the sake of putting meat in the room, I suppose we're inclined to put her, I don't know — somewhere. And that somewhere, or course, is at rock bottom. Like, ocean floor bottom.

Not only was Ashley an absolute burden to lug around in Resident Evil 4 — but also a pretty useless shot when it came to conflict, too. And when I say useless shot — I mean she couldn't wield a gun. Lanterns, perhaps — but never a gun. Oh, but she could drive a bulldozer, weirdly enough. It's an odd combination of skills, for sure, but nothing remotely useful during something as disastrous as an outbreak, mind you. So, you can see why we're quick to slam her into the fifth spot on the list. Like I said — meat in the room.

4. Sheva

As much as I'd honestly love to say Sheva helped save my skin more times than I could count during my time in Africa — I'd actually be setting myself up for a thread of lies and nothing more. And if mindless bullet sponges were forming a cult for whatever reason — then Sheva would probably be elected as its brain-dead leader. Sorry, Sheva.

The personality was there, as was the overall chemistry between herself and Chris. But other than that, not a lot else clicked. Sheva would throw herself in front of bullets, rarely assist you in trying times, and genuinely get on your last nerve for just being emotionally vacant for the entire length of the journey. Of course, she was a step up from Ashley — maybe even a few lunges at most — but it wasn't enough to make a solid impression over the relatively short campaign.

3. Piers

As far as textbook companions with little to no original attributes go — Piers bags the platinum. In fact, it was almost as if Capcom opened up the book of cliché sidekicks, tapped the first page, and openly agreed to just copy and paste every single square inch of the details as written in the blocky paragraphs. In a nutshell, that was how Piers was created and thrown into Resident Evil 6.

Okay, so technically, Piers wasn't a bad character. A stereotypical G.I. Joe type of character, sure — but not necessarily a bad one. Combat-wise, he was somewhat useful, and even chipped in quite a lot during the odd boss encounter. But that was about it. Post-credits, however, and I couldn't even recall his name — let alone his backstory. He just sort of, I don't know — disappeared without a trace.

2. Helena

Another companion torn directly from the Resident Evil 6 cookbook is Helena, Leon's loyal and trustworthy sidekick. Now, there's a character who knows how to deliver a solid statement. Strong, well-rounded, and riddled with intriguing memories, Helena just sort of brought the whole package without hogging the spotlight from the centerpiece. And then some.

As well as having a pretty strong origin tale to boot, Helena also showed a lot of compassion for Leon's goals, as well as the struggles of mankind during the zombie outbreak. She was clean in a fight, always providing us with opportunities to get the leg up on the competition, and she rarely ever took on the role of a ragdoll in order to flail about aimlessly. Overall, Helena was a quality asset to have by our side, and an overall credit to the Resident Evil roster — flaws and all.

1. Jake

Ammo has always been a problem in games like Resident Evil. Annoyingly, we spend more time smashing up boxes for shells than we do exploring the nooks and crannies of the actual locations. But Jake, on the other hand, well — he just sort of punches things until they're dead. A simple technique, and yet oh so effective. And if you think that's tiring to behold after a few hours — then you're wrong.

After sludging through both Leon and Chris's campaigns, Jake was an absolute sight for sore eyes, bringing a new arsenal to the table, as well as a cryptic personality with a boatload of questionable qualities. He was a stone-hearted killer in a fight, as well as a closed book internally, open to unravelling his world for the right person. Or, failing that — then the right price. Mercenary or not, Jake was a perfect companion to have at our side over the course of Resident Evil 6.

So, what's your take? What order would you put the Resident Evil companions in? Let us know over on our socials here.