Albert Wesker
Encyclopedia
is a character in the Resident Evil franchise. Although portrayed as a supporting character in the first game, he was later established as the primary antagonist
of the series; he usually manipulated story events behind-the-scenes and had a role in more games than the other main characters. The film version of Wesker is played by Jason O'Mara
in Resident Evil: Extinction
and Shawn Roberts
in Resident Evil: Afterlife
. Roberts will reprise the role of Wesker in Resident Evil: Retribution
.
, assisting
the player character against Lisa Trevor in the remake. In that game, he is the commanding officer
of Alpha team of the Special Tactics And Rescue Service (STARS). It is eventually revealed that Wesker is a double agent
working for the Umbrella Corporation; ordered by his superiors to lure the STARS into the Spencer mansion to be used as test subjects against the mutated creatures to gather battle data. Chris Redfield
, Jill Valentine
and the others come to learn of Wesker's true motive, but after releasing the Tyrant monster, Wesker seemingly dies.
But this is part of an even bigger plan. In the special giveaway fictional documentary
titled Wesker's Report, Wesker reveals that he survived his apparent death in the first game by injecting himself beforehand with an experimental virus, provided by his former Umbrella colleague William Birkin, that revived and augmented him with superhuman strength, speed and regeneration
, but at the expense of his humanity. Wesker returned in Resident Evil Code: Veronica
, augmented with superhuman
powers and working for an unnamed secret organization against Umbrella. When Chris knocks his sunglasses off during a brief struggle, Wesker's cat-like eyes are seen for the first time. He confronts both Chris and Alexia and he took the corpse of Steve Burnside for tests. In the remake, Code: Veronica X, he briefly confronts Chris' younger sister Claire
and nearly kills her in order to torment Chris, but is called away by his associates and thus chooses to spare her life.
Wesker then appeared alongside William Birkin in Resident Evil Zero, a prequel
to the original game, and later in Resident Evil 4 as a conspirator manipulating events from behind the scenes, where he would issue orders to Ada Wong
. He is also the main protagonist in Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles and a playable character in several of the game's scenarios, expanding upon events alluded to in early games, as well as his involvement in Umbrella's downfall after the events of Code: Veronica and his development in Resident Evil 4. In the end he kills Sergei Vladimir, a loyal Umbrella enforcer.
Wesker returns in Resident Evil 5 as the main antagonist conspiring with Tricell Pharmaceutical Company to create a potent virus called Uroboros which he ultimately plans to release into the Earth's atmosphere, ensuring complete global saturation. Before being killed by Wesker, Ozwell Spencer reveals that Wesker was the survivor of a genetic engineering experiment on children - Project Wesker. (It is implied in the RE5 DLC
"Lost In Nightmares" that another Wesker, Alex, survived as well). Chris and Sheva Alomar prevent the worldwide infection and ultimately kill Wesker inside a volcano
at the end of the game. Masachika Kawata, the game's producer, confirmed that Wesker perished in the game's finale.
Wesker appears in the spin-off title Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D
as a playable character along with various other Resident Evil characters. Albert Wesker's voice is heard on the 15th anniversary special video narrating the events.
as a playable character and a key character in the game's plot, in which he joins forces with Doctor Doom
as the two build an army of supervillains, attempting to merge the two dimensions in the hopes of conquering both.
He also makes a guest appearance as an unlockable skin in Lost Planet 2
.
. Played by Jason O'Mara
, this version of Wesker is the head of the Umbrella Corporation, as opposed to Wesker's role in the games as a renegade high-ranking Umbrella researcher. He runs Umbrella's operations from behind the scenes, holding meetings via hologram with his underground board of directors in Tokyo
.
Shawn Roberts
took over the role of Wesker in Resident Evil: Afterlife
, where the character is closer to his Code Veronica and especially his Resident Evil 5 incarnations, complete with superhuman abilities and glowing red eyes; he even wears the same outfit as in the latter game. Wesker says some of his lines from the game as well.
of Wesker was released by Palisades Toys
in 2002; two more were released by Hot Toys
in 2009.
The character of Albert Wesker has been well-received by video game publications. In 2006, IGN
ranked Wesker number three on their list of "10 Most Memorable Villains", claiming that "Res Evil fans know that whenever Wesker shows up, non-cannon zombie Wesker isn't far behind" and also ranked him as the 14th best video game villain in 2010. In 2008, GamePro
ranked Wesker as the 40th most diabolical video game villain of all time. An IGN article from March 2010 titled "Big Boss of the Day: Resident Evil's Albert Wesker" that discussed his appearances across the franchise, comparing him with other video game villains including Bowser
and Sephiroth as well commenting it is strange to have a Resident Evil without him. GameSpot
featured him in the "All Time Greatest Game Villains" poll, where Wesker lost to Ganondorf from The Legend of Zelda
. In 2009, GamesRadar
listed Wesker as one of the top seven characters who never stay dead, describing him as the "proverbial man behind the curtain" in the Resident Evil series. Similarly, 1UP.com
also placed him number eight in their article "They is Risen" in response to his apparent resurrection in the Resident Evil series. GamesRadar gave praise to Wesker's death in Resident Evil 5 as it showed the character's strength due to the requirements to defeat him while D. C. Douglas
's performance as the character also received positive comments during the self-bloopers from the series. On the other hand, 1UP.com also ranked him as the top thing in the series that Resident Evil 5 "could do without" prior to its release.
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
of the series; he usually manipulated story events behind-the-scenes and had a role in more games than the other main characters. The film version of Wesker is played by Jason O'Mara
Jason O'Mara
Jason O'Mara is an Irish actor who starred in the American television network dramas In Justice and Life on Mars. He now appears in the Fox series Terra Nova.- Career :He performed with The Royal Shakespeare Company...
in Resident Evil: Extinction
Resident Evil: Extinction
Resident Evil: Extinction is a Canadian-British 2007 science fiction action horror film also categorized as a doomsday and zombie film, and is the third installment in the Resident Evil film series, which is based on the Capcom survival horror series Resident Evil...
and Shawn Roberts
Shawn Roberts
-Life and career:Roberts was born in Stratford, Ontario on April 2, 1984. He started with playing the wolf in a school play of "Little Red Riding Hood" award-winning screenwriter Robert Forsythe and his friend's father helped him get a role in Emily of New Moon...
in Resident Evil: Afterlife
Resident Evil: Afterlife
Resident Evil: Afterlife is a 2010 Canadian-German 3D science-fiction horror action film written and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. It stars Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Kim Coates, Shawn Roberts, Spencer Locke, Boris Kodjoe, and Wentworth Miller. The film marks Anderson's second time to direct in...
. Roberts will reprise the role of Wesker in Resident Evil: Retribution
Resident Evil: Retribution
Resident Evil: Retribution is an upcoming 2012 3D science-fiction action horror film written and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. It is the fifth installment in the Resident Evil film series, which is based on the Capcom survival horror series Resident Evil.The film has many returning actors and...
.
Resident Evil
Wesker made his first appearance as a non-playable character in the original Resident Evil gameResident Evil (video game)
Resident Evil, known as in Japan, is a survival horror video game by Capcom. The first installment in the Resident Evil series, it was originally released in 1996 for the PlayStation and was subsequently ported to the Sega Saturn and PC. In 2002, a remake of the game was released for the Nintendo...
, assisting
Supporting character
A supporting character is a character of a book, play, video game, movie, television or radio show or other form of storytelling usually used to give added dimension to a main character, by adding a relationship with this character...
the player character against Lisa Trevor in the remake. In that game, he is the commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of Alpha team of the Special Tactics And Rescue Service (STARS). It is eventually revealed that Wesker is a double agent
Double agent
A double agent, commonly abbreviated referral of double secret agent, is a counterintelligence term used to designate an employee of a secret service or organization, whose primary aim is to spy on the target organization, but who in fact is a member of that same target organization oneself. They...
working for the Umbrella Corporation; ordered by his superiors to lure the STARS into the Spencer mansion to be used as test subjects against the mutated creatures to gather battle data. Chris Redfield
Chris Redfield
is a fictional character from Capcom's Resident Evil series.Chris is one of the two main protagonists in the first Resident Evil game, the other being Jill Valentine. Redfield returned as a playable character in Resident Evil Code: Veronica, where he must search for, and ultimately rescue, his...
, Jill Valentine
Jill Valentine
is a fictional character in the Resident Evil survival horror series by Capcom.Jill is one of the two protagonists of the original Resident Evil game, where she was introduced as a member of the Raccoon Police Department's Special Tactics And Rescue Service , trapped in a secret research complex of...
and the others come to learn of Wesker's true motive, but after releasing the Tyrant monster, Wesker seemingly dies.
But this is part of an even bigger plan. In the special giveaway fictional documentary
Mockumentary
A mockumentary , is a type of film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues by using a fictitious setting, or to parody the documentary form itself...
titled Wesker's Report, Wesker reveals that he survived his apparent death in the first game by injecting himself beforehand with an experimental virus, provided by his former Umbrella colleague William Birkin, that revived and augmented him with superhuman strength, speed and regeneration
Regeneration (biology)
In biology, regeneration is the process of renewal, restoration, and growth that makes genomes, cells, organs, organisms, and ecosystems resilient to natural fluctuations or events that cause disturbance or damage. Every species is capable of regeneration, from bacteria to humans. At its most...
, but at the expense of his humanity. Wesker returned in Resident Evil Code: Veronica
Resident Evil Code: Veronica
Resident Evil Code: Veronica, released in Japan as , is the fourth installment in Capcom's Resident Evil survival horror series, originally released for the Dreamcast in 2000...
, augmented with superhuman
Superhuman
Superhuman can mean an improved human, for example, by genetic modification, cybernetic implants, or as what humans might evolve into, in the near or distant future...
powers and working for an unnamed secret organization against Umbrella. When Chris knocks his sunglasses off during a brief struggle, Wesker's cat-like eyes are seen for the first time. He confronts both Chris and Alexia and he took the corpse of Steve Burnside for tests. In the remake, Code: Veronica X, he briefly confronts Chris' younger sister Claire
Claire Redfield
is a player character appearing in the Resident Evil series of survival horror video games.Claire is the younger sister of Chris Redfield, the protagonist of the first Resident Evil game...
and nearly kills her in order to torment Chris, but is called away by his associates and thus chooses to spare her life.
Wesker then appeared alongside William Birkin in Resident Evil Zero, a prequel
Prequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
to the original game, and later in Resident Evil 4 as a conspirator manipulating events from behind the scenes, where he would issue orders to Ada Wong
Ada Wong
is a game character in the Resident Evil series. The film version of Ada appears in Resident Evil: Retribution, where she is played by Li Bingbing.-Creation and development:...
. He is also the main protagonist in Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles and a playable character in several of the game's scenarios, expanding upon events alluded to in early games, as well as his involvement in Umbrella's downfall after the events of Code: Veronica and his development in Resident Evil 4. In the end he kills Sergei Vladimir, a loyal Umbrella enforcer.
Wesker returns in Resident Evil 5 as the main antagonist conspiring with Tricell Pharmaceutical Company to create a potent virus called Uroboros which he ultimately plans to release into the Earth's atmosphere, ensuring complete global saturation. Before being killed by Wesker, Ozwell Spencer reveals that Wesker was the survivor of a genetic engineering experiment on children - Project Wesker. (It is implied in the RE5 DLC
DLC
DLC may refer to:* Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport, which has the IATA code DLC, a military and public airport in Ganjingzi District, Dalian, China* Dead Letter Circus, an alternative rock band from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia...
"Lost In Nightmares" that another Wesker, Alex, survived as well). Chris and Sheva Alomar prevent the worldwide infection and ultimately kill Wesker inside a volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
at the end of the game. Masachika Kawata, the game's producer, confirmed that Wesker perished in the game's finale.
Wesker appears in the spin-off title Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D
Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D
Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, known as in Japan, is a third-person shooter video game developed by Capcom for the Nintendo 3DS. The game was announced at the 2010 Nintendo conference in Japan...
as a playable character along with various other Resident Evil characters. Albert Wesker's voice is heard on the 15th anniversary special video narrating the events.
In other games
Wesker appears in the crossover fighting game Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two WorldsMarvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds
is a crossover fighting game developed by Capcom. It features Capcom's own characters and characters from American comic book company Marvel Comics. It is the fifth installment of the Marvel vs...
as a playable character and a key character in the game's plot, in which he joins forces with Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
as the two build an army of supervillains, attempting to merge the two dimensions in the hopes of conquering both.
He also makes a guest appearance as an unlockable skin in Lost Planet 2
Lost Planet 2
Lost Planet 2 is a third-person shooter video game developed and published by Capcom. The game is the sequel to Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, taking place ten years after the events of the first game, on the same fictional planet. The game was developed for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and...
.
In film
Wesker's character was adapted for the 2007 live-action film Resident Evil: ExtinctionResident Evil: Extinction
Resident Evil: Extinction is a Canadian-British 2007 science fiction action horror film also categorized as a doomsday and zombie film, and is the third installment in the Resident Evil film series, which is based on the Capcom survival horror series Resident Evil...
. Played by Jason O'Mara
Jason O'Mara
Jason O'Mara is an Irish actor who starred in the American television network dramas In Justice and Life on Mars. He now appears in the Fox series Terra Nova.- Career :He performed with The Royal Shakespeare Company...
, this version of Wesker is the head of the Umbrella Corporation, as opposed to Wesker's role in the games as a renegade high-ranking Umbrella researcher. He runs Umbrella's operations from behind the scenes, holding meetings via hologram with his underground board of directors in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
.
Shawn Roberts
Shawn Roberts
-Life and career:Roberts was born in Stratford, Ontario on April 2, 1984. He started with playing the wolf in a school play of "Little Red Riding Hood" award-winning screenwriter Robert Forsythe and his friend's father helped him get a role in Emily of New Moon...
took over the role of Wesker in Resident Evil: Afterlife
Resident Evil: Afterlife
Resident Evil: Afterlife is a 2010 Canadian-German 3D science-fiction horror action film written and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. It stars Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Kim Coates, Shawn Roberts, Spencer Locke, Boris Kodjoe, and Wentworth Miller. The film marks Anderson's second time to direct in...
, where the character is closer to his Code Veronica and especially his Resident Evil 5 incarnations, complete with superhuman abilities and glowing red eyes; he even wears the same outfit as in the latter game. Wesker says some of his lines from the game as well.
Promotion and reception
An action figureAction figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
of Wesker was released by Palisades Toys
Palisades Toys
Palisades Entertainment, LLC, better known as Palisades Toys, was a manufacturing and distributing toy & collectibles company geared toward the adult collector market...
in 2002; two more were released by Hot Toys
Hot Toys
Hot Toys is a Hong Kong based production house for designing, developing, and manufacturing highly detailed collectible merchandise to worldwide markets. Established in 2000, the company initially focused on producing 1/6 military special force gear set before extending to producing toys based on...
in 2009.
The character of Albert Wesker has been well-received by video game publications. In 2006, IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
ranked Wesker number three on their list of "10 Most Memorable Villains", claiming that "Res Evil fans know that whenever Wesker shows up, non-cannon zombie Wesker isn't far behind" and also ranked him as the 14th best video game villain in 2010. In 2008, GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
ranked Wesker as the 40th most diabolical video game villain of all time. An IGN article from March 2010 titled "Big Boss of the Day: Resident Evil's Albert Wesker" that discussed his appearances across the franchise, comparing him with other video game villains including Bowser
Bowser
Bowser may refer to:*Bowser , the main villain in the Mario series of video games**Bowser, Jr., Bowser's son*Bowser , a generic name for a tanker of various kinds...
and Sephiroth as well commenting it is strange to have a Resident Evil without him. GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
featured him in the "All Time Greatest Game Villains" poll, where Wesker lost to Ganondorf from The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda, originally released as in Japan, is a video game developed and published by Nintendo, and designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. Set in the fantasy land of Hyrule, the plot centers on a boy named Link, the playable protagonist, who aims to collect the eight fragments...
. In 2009, GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
listed Wesker as one of the top seven characters who never stay dead, describing him as the "proverbial man behind the curtain" in the Resident Evil series. Similarly, 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
also placed him number eight in their article "They is Risen" in response to his apparent resurrection in the Resident Evil series. GamesRadar gave praise to Wesker's death in Resident Evil 5 as it showed the character's strength due to the requirements to defeat him while D. C. Douglas
D. C. Douglas
D.C. Douglas is an American character actor, voice actor, and director now living in Los Angeles. Douglas was born in Berkeley, California. His father was a salesman, and his mother was an artist and writer. His grandparents were vaudeville performers...
's performance as the character also received positive comments during the self-bloopers from the series. On the other hand, 1UP.com also ranked him as the top thing in the series that Resident Evil 5 "could do without" prior to its release.
External links
- Albert Wesker - Capcom Database Wiki
- Albert Wesker - The Resident Evil Wiki
- IGN: Albert Wesker
- Albert Wesker at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...