8. Chainsaw Man (Resident Evil 4)
Spoiler alert: we’re gonna be talking about quite a few Resident Evil 4 monsters today.
The chainsaw-type enemy was first introduced in RE4, and while chainsaws themselves have always been scary and frightening in the horror genre, RE4 really capitalized on that and made it a Thing.
There’s a reason why we keep seeing chainsaws popping up in virtually every Resident Evil game that came after this one; they’re just really fucking scary, and Capcom knows it.
The first time you encounter the Chainsaw Man in Resident Evil 4 is a moment you’ll probably never forget. You’re in the village, you hear shouting, and then, the rev of a chainsaw. Before you even realize what’s happening, this maniac with a bag on his head is full-on sprinting towards you with a chainsaw in-hand.
There’s barely any time to react, and the fact that the chainsaw’s a one-hit kill certainly doesn’t help matters either. That whole encounter was intense, and cemented the chainsaw-type enemy as one of the most iconic ones in the series.
7. Crimson Head (Resident Evil)
Introduced in the fantastic remake of the original Resident Evil, the Crimson Head is one of the very best additions Capcom’s ever made to the series.
Most of it is due to the fact that you just don’t expect Crimson Heads to show up in the game. As you make your way through the Spencer mansion, you’re taking down zombies — as you normally would — and clearing your path so you can get from point A to B easily.
However, if you’re not burning those zombie bodies, they come back later to literally bite you in the ass as Crimson Heads. Crimson Heads are much more aggressive and dangerous than your regular zombies, and they look creepy as hell with their red, pulsing heads.
6. U-3 (Resident Evil 4)
It’s definitely a shame that we didn’t get more time with U-3, especially considering how great this monster’s design was.
Created by Saddler, U-3 (or It, as it’s referred to as occasionally) is basically an insect/chimera-like blob with a human head and a scorpion-like creature protruding from its back. It’s complete with a disgustingly-elongated tongue and alien-like limbs that allow it to scale walls and pursue you through all sorts of terrain.
The encounter in RE4 is memorable as well, as U-3 consistently chases you through a crate rig while you’re trying to figure out a way to get yourself out of the situation. The entire sequence with U-3 is extremely intense, and I definitely wish it got a bit more screen time in the game.
5. Bitores Mendez (Resident Evil 4)
As gross as U-3 looked, though, it can’t compare to Bitores Mendez, who’s basically the imposing and towering Tyrant-like enemy that Mr X wishes he could be. You can quote me on that.
All throughout the first half of Resident Evil 4, Mendez is presented as this incredibly scary man who shows no pain or emotion whatsoever. He has his hat, his disheveled beard, those dead eyes, and he’s ready to hunt you down no matter what it takes.
One of the most frightening moments in Resident Evil 4 has got to be the build-up to this boss fight, where Mendez finally corners you in a tiny shack. He then reveals his true nature as yet another gross monster with an elongated spine, giving him this eerie centipede look.
Mendez is one of the most memorable and charismatic bosses of Resident Evil 4 — again, shame that we couldn’t get more of him in the latter half of the game.
4. Marguerite (Resident Evil 7)
After a long drought filled with boring and bland monster designs in Resident Evils 5 and 6, finally we got something a little creepier in Resident Evil 7 with the ever-lovable Marguerite.
On her own, Marguerite’s already creepy enough as the crazed housewife who cooks human limbs and gunk for her guests. When she actually turns into a monster, though, her design takes on a whole new level of creepy.
Marguerite’s monster form is essentially a bug, as she sprouts a literal hive on her lady parts, where mosquitoes get to fly in and out. During her boss fight, she literally crawls all over the walls to plant hives around the room to generate even more bees and flies.
In classic Resident Evil fashion, Marguerite also gets elongated limbs to make her appearance seem somewhat human at first glance, but when you take a closer look, you realize that there’s something very, very wrong with her.
3. Licker (Resident Evil 2)
It’s considered a classic for a reason. The Licker was, hands down, the most terrifying enemy the Resident Evil series had ever seen when RE2 first dropped.
The Licker is a completely skinned creature, with its enlarged, exposed brain being its core defining feature. Oh, and there’s that long ass tongue too, of course. It’s presented as this completely feral creature that you can never outrun when you first encounter it, adding to its terrifying nature.
The original RE2 did a great job of introducing it early on in the game, and the remake took a more subtle approach by just showing its tongue-piercing capabilities as you walk towards the STARS Office for the first time.
2. Tyrant (Resident Evil)
Mr. X and Nemesis are great, but neither of those two are quite as memorable or as creepy as the T-002 Tyrant from the original Resident Evil.
This is the Tyrant presented in its purest form — no fedora or guns, just a clawed hand, an exposed heart, and veins popping up all over his body. The Tyrant commands so much attention when it appears onscreen, and there’s honestly something awe-inspiring about its simple, yet elegant design as an imposing monster whose only goal is to kill.
1. Regenerators/ Iron Maidens (Resident Evil 4)
There’s no competition. The Regenerators are the very best enemies Capcom has ever created for the Resident Evil series. They’re easily the scariest enemy type in the series, in appearance, encounter, and the way that you have to kill them.
The fact that Capcom had to bring a new iteration of them back in Resident Evil 6 as the Rasklapanje to make that game feel even remotely scary speaks volumes to their effectiveness.
The Regenerators don’t look particularly scary at first glance; they’re literally just a grey walking mass. However, the way their bodies twitch as they inch their way slowly towards you soon becomes terrifying as you realize that they can insta-kill you.
To kill the Regenerators, you’ll first need to get a special thermal scope for your sniper rifle, then use that to aim and shoot at the key spots in the Regenerator’s body. This is an intense process because you need to take the time to aim and shoot, all while their twitching bodies are shambling towards you, making it hard to aim.
The Regenerators come back later as Iron Maidens, which are basically spiked and deadlier versions of that base enemy type. Just when you thought they couldn’t get worse, they get even freakier.
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