Capcom and Resident Evil fans admire Claire Redfield for their impressive instincts and survival skills. After all, it's not every day that a mere civilian can face a zombie. Also, it's not all the time an untrained civilian can withstand a city-wide outbreak and survive the destruction of that city. Regardless, Claire proved that special forces training isn't necessary when it comes to sibling love.
Interestingly, Claire's search for her brother Chris Redfield will end up embroiling her in the conspiracy surrounding the Umbrella Corporation and its research into bio-organic weapons. However, Claire faces the challenge of becoming a force to be reckoned with, especially when civilian lives are at stake. Also, what else should fans know about Claire?
10. Originally Elza Walker, Biker
Fans may fondly remember Claire's first appearance in Resident Evil 2 as perhaps her most iconic. Anyone would remember the red-haired Claire as her free-spirited nature contrasted dramatically with Leon Kennedy's Boy Scout discipline. Additionally, Claire's visual aesthetic vividly makes her independent nature apparent, thanks to her biker theme. However, this seems to be something the developers intend to do.
Essentially, Claire's initial design for Resident Evil 2 revolved around the aesthetic of a young motorcycle racer. However, those early drafts wouldn't call her Claire Redfield. Instead, Leon's original Player 2 was supposed to be Elza Walker, a Raccoon University student and motorcyclist. Unfortunately, Elza Walker would not do the final edit.
9. Red for Claire, Blue for Leon
Interestingly, Capcom gave Elza's story a makeover in one of the first revisions of RE2. This time, Elza's character needed to have a relationship with Chris Redfield. In turn, Capcom came up with the idea for Claire. Additionally, Claire's signature red aesthetic also falls within Capcom's aesthetic plans. Essentially, Resident Evil 2 will have a more vibrant color scheme compared to the rather grayish first game. In turn, Capcom's redesigned Claire concept had to revolve around a "red" theme.
Additionally, Claire's predominant red colors conflicted with Leon's "blue" theme, courtesy of his police uniform. Also, even her “helpers” had opposing color schemes. Sherry Birkin wore a blue dress to contrast Claire's red biker outfit. Meanwhile, Ada Wong wore a red outfit to contrast with Leon's blue uniform.
8. Your Motorcycle Wasn't Always a Harley-Davidson
On a more aesthetic note, Claire's motorcycle she used to get to Raccoon City was actually a Harley-Davidson. In the case of the Remake, Capcom actually partnered exclusively with Harley-Davidson to give Claire her own motorcycle. As a result, she rides a 1998 Harley-Davidson FXSTB night train. It's also red in color, matching her signature.
However, in her original design by Elza Walker, her early concept art revealed her motorcycle to be a Ducati. While the exact model remains unclear, it appears his Ducati is based on the 500s Ducati 1970 GTL.
7. Not Totally No Training
Fans who play Resident Evil 2 may initially think that Claire didn't have any combat experience during her experience in Raccoon City. However, fans might be surprised to learn that Claire actually had quite a bit of combat training even before her zombie outbreak adventures. For example, Chris is revealed to have already introduced fellow STARS member Barry Burton to Claire, as the two have also joined the Air Force.
In addition to this newfound friendship, Chris will also actively teach Claire some firearms training and hand-to-hand combat basics whenever they meet. Before Raccoon City, Claire will receive Chris' STARS knife and a golden lighter. It is unknown if Chris still tutored Claire during his time with the BSAA.
6. Reservations Already Made
Cutscenes in Resident Evil 2 implied that Claire had just entered Raccoon City in search of her brother Chris Redfield. With that in mind, Claire's eventual involvement in a citywide zombie outbreak seems like an incredibly unfortunate circumstance. However, another game revealed that Claire's visit to Raccoon City may have been planned beforehand.
Resident Evil Outbreak players must head to the Hellfire setting to find this clue. As players explore the Apple Inn, they may come across an item from the hotel's registry. Upon inspection, they will see Claire's name as one of the guests. In turn, Claire may have made reservations to stay in Raccoon City before her visit.
5. Continuing The Fight Against Bioterror
Despite her horrific experiences in various outbreaks, Claire has remained more adamant about becoming a force against bioterrorism in the world. After the Raccoon City incident and her worldwide journey to find her brother, Claire became involved in a handful of anti-bioterrorism organizations. For example, Claire became a member of TerraSave, an NGO that provides various forms of aid to bioterrorism attacks.
Courtesy of her brother, Claire has also formed a connection with the BSAA or Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance. This organization takes a more combative approach to combating bioterrorism. Additionally, thanks to her bond with Leon, Claire was able to help strengthen unity between the US government and the BSAA's global efforts.
4. A Talent for Younger Helpers
Interestingly, out of all the protagonists in Resident Evil, Claire has developed the most connections with proteges or sidekick-like figures. Also, except for the charismatic Steve Burnside, Claire actually had a soft spot for caring about younger female figures. Some might say this causes Claire to act like her brother Chris, who also cared deeply for her as a little brother.
For example, Claire associates with young Sherry Birkin during the Raccoon City incident. Her bravery and protection for Sherry motivated the young woman to develop a strong vision against bioterrorism. Meanwhile, she has also developed a close bond with Moira Burton, Barry's daughter, in her struggle to escape Sejm Island. The two also formed a bond with Natalia Korda, a young girl, with whom they fled the island.
3. Gameplay Evolution Reflects Growth
Fans who have followed most Resident Evil releases may have mixed feelings about Claire's overall gameplay. However, hardcore gamers will soon realize that Claire's "different gameplay" in her appearances really highlighted her evolution as a character. For example, in 2's RE1998, Claire has less health compared to Leon. However, her signature weapons include the Grenade Launcher and Spark Shot, highlighting her cunning. Subsequent appearances in games like Code: Veronica will see Claire have no observable differences from the protagonists.
However, his future appearances will soon highlight his growth. In The Mercenaries 3D, Claire not only has a better HP recovery rate. Additionally, Claire is the only character in the title who can cancel an attack with her melee. Lastly, in Apocalypse 2 Claire also has a more expanded arsenal compared to the other characters.
2. Punk And Rock Complete
Fans might wonder if Claire's biker theme simply extended to her "general" outfit in Resident Evil 2. However, it appears Capcom has remained consistent with some more intricate design themes in Claire's other appearances. For example, Claire's main outfits in RE2 and RE Code: Veronica actually had references to the band Queen. Her RE2 jacket design had “Made in Heaven”, while her CV jacket had “Let Me Live”. Both are popular Queen songs. Interestingly, Claire's "punk" look seems to reflect her unyielding will to live, despite the terrifying nature of the T-Virus.
Claire shares this design trait with Billy Coen from Resident Evil 0. In Coen's case, the ex-con has the "Mother Love" tattoo, which also serves as another Queen song.
1. Visual Appearances Inspired Hollywood
Fans who want more information on Claire's designs can also thank Alyson Court for some interesting ideas. Court acted as Claire's voice actress in six of her seven appearances (as of writing) on the series. According to her, Resident Evil 2 Claire had an image based on Neve Campbell, the actress who starred in the popular horror series Scream. Meanwhile, Claire from Code: Veronica bore a resemblance to singer and actress Liv Tyler.
Interestingly, fans can pay special attention to the part that says that Claire from RE2 was inspired by the image of Neve Campbell. For horror fans, Campbell's portrayal of Sidney Prescott cemented the "only survivor" trope of horror movies - which is evidently something Claire also shares, albeit from a zombie outbreak perspective.
