Claire Redfield
Encyclopedia
is a player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...

 appearing in the Resident Evil series of survival horror video games.

Claire is the younger sister of 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...

, the protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...

 of the first Resident Evil game
Resident 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...

. She is the female protagonist of Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 2, known as in Japan, is a survival horror video game originally released for the PlayStation in 1998. Developed by Capcom as the second installment in the Resident Evil series, its story takes place two months after the events of the first game, Resident Evil...

 and 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...

, also appearing in Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, known as in Japan, is an on-rails shooter video game for the Wii developed by Capcom and Cavia. The game was released on November 17, 2009 in North America. It was released in Europe on November 27, 2009 bundled with the Wii Zapper accessory.-Plot:The game's...

 (a re-telling of the events of RE2 and Code: Veronica), the CG
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...

-animated film Resident Evil: Degeneration
Resident Evil: Degeneration
Resident Evil: Degeneration, known in Japan as , is the first full-length CG animation feature based upon Capcom's Resident Evil video game series. The film was made by Capcom Studios in cooperation with Sony Pictures Animation and Sony Pictures Entertainment...

, and the live-action films 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 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...

'.

Character design

Claire Redfield was originally known as 'Elza Walker', the female lead in the original version of Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 2, known as in Japan, is a survival horror video game originally released for the PlayStation in 1998. Developed by Capcom as the second installment in the Resident Evil series, its story takes place two months after the events of the first game, Resident Evil...

 (in 1997, after a year of work, this version of the game was scrapped by the development team and is now widely referred to as Resident Evil 1.5). In the released version of the game, Elza Walker, a college student and motorcycle racer, was changed into Chris Redfield's sister, Claire. Her appearance and background remained mostly unchanged, but she now had an explanation for her skills with firearms and other weapons and her reason for coming to Raccoon City was to search for Chris, as opposed to trying to recruit fans at Raccoon City university to form a racing team back in her hometown. Comparatively, Claire shares the same age and blood type as Elza, in contrast, her hair was made auburn as opposed to blonde. She was also given physical features which more closely resemble her brother, her signature jacket, and a sheath for a standard-issue STARS knife from Chris. The changes that occurred were done to connect Resident Evil 2 to the original game.

The character of Claire did not exist in the early drafts of the film 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...

, as 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...

 was supposed to re-appear from her debut in Apocalypse
Resident Evil: Apocalypse
Resident Evil: Apocalypse is a Canadian-British 2004 science fiction action horror film directed by Alexander Witt, from a screenplay written by producer Paul W.S. Anderson...

. Later producers Paul W.S. Anderson and Jeremy Bolt
Jeremy Bolt
Jeremy Bolt is a British film producer who often works with Paul W. S. Anderson at Impact Pictures.Since creating Impact Pictures with Paul WS Anderson in 1992, producer Jeremy Bolt has produced the majority of Anderson’s movies...

 decided to have a separate game character appear alongside the previous film's lead Alice
Alice (Resident Evil)
Alice is a fictional character and the primary heroine of the Resident Evil film series, which is loosely based on the video game series of the same name. Though she is not a character in the game series, she does eventually interact with a number of characters from the games, including Jill...

, saying, "We thought, rather than bring Jill back, put her with another game heroine."

Portrayal

Claire is voiced by Alyson Court
Alyson Court
Alyson Stephanie Court is a Canadian actress who first appeared in the 1985 children's film Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird, and played summer camper Dawn in the animated film Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation the following year...

 in the games and in the film Degeneration (her Japanese voice actress in the Japanese version is Yūko Kaida
Yuko Kaida
is a Japanese voice actress and theater actress from Kanagawa. She works at Ken Production. Kaida's most known roles include Neela Rasgotra in the Japanese dub of ER, Shimei Ryomo in Ikkitousen, Kyō Takamimori in Potemayo, Amane Ootori in Strawberry Panic!, Minako Tsukiyama in Maria-sama ga Miteru...

), for which she was motion-captured by Lori Rom
Lori Rom
Lori Rom is an American actress.Rom attended Carnegie Mellon University's drama conservatory, where she also worked through school...

. In the live-action films, Claire is portrayed by Ali Larter
Ali Larter
Alison Elizabeth "Ali" Larter is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for playing the dual roles of Niki Sanders and Jessica Sanders on the NBC science fiction drama Heroes as well as her guest roles on several television shows in the 1990s.Larter's screen debut came in the 1999 film...

 (dubbed by Hiroe Oka
Hiroe Oka
is a Japanese actress and voice actress from Tokyo Prefecture. She is affiliated with the Bungaku Company.-Television animation:*Ikki Tousen *Marvel Anime: Iron Man -Dubbing roles:*Casino Royale...

 in the Japanese version), while in the Resident Evil 2 commercial she was played by Adrienne Frantz
Adrienne Frantz
Adrienne Danielle Frantz is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She is known for her role as Amber Moore in The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless .-Career:First breaking into the soap opera genre in 1997 as Tiffany Thorne on Sunset Beach, Frantz left the show...

.

In video games

Claire first appears in Resident Evil 2 (1998), which revolves around her search for her missing brother Chris, an officer in the local police special force called STARS. Claire arrives in Raccoon City to find the town being overrun by zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...

s and soon meets up with a rookie cop Leon S. Kennedy
Leon S. Kennedy
is a player character appearing in the Resident Evil series of survival horror video games. Leon is a protagonist in Resident Evil 2 and the main protagonist of Resident Evil 4. During the events of RE2, Leon is a new police officer who arrives in Raccoon City late for his first day on the job,...

, but along the way she is separated from him. The rest of the game focuses on Claire's attempt to escape from the city alive. She maintains radio contact with Leon and teams up with a young girl named Sherry, while fighting against the various creatures infesting the Raccoon Police Department, including a mutated William Birkin. Claire eventually escapes from the city through the Umbrella Corporation's underground research complex along with Leon and Sherry, after the three of them manage to destroy Birkin. As revealed in the epilogue of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, released in Japan as is a survival horror video game and the sequel to Resident Evil 2, developed and published by Capcom. The game was released for the PlayStation, and was subsequently ported to the Dreamcast, Microsoft Windows and Nintendo GameCube...

, Claire left to continue her search for Chris, while Leon and Sherry were rescued by the U.S. military.

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...

 (2000) is set three months after the events of Resident Evil 2. Claire, still searching for her brother, is the player character for the bulk of the game. After an unsuccessful infiltration of Umbrella's medical branch in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

, Claire finds herself imprisoned on Umbrella-owned Rockfort Island. She escapes and teams up with fellow prisoner Steve Burnside following another viral outbreak caused by a rival corporation of Umbrella's. During the escape, she manages to discover the whereabouts of her brother and sends a message to Leon, telling him to get help from Chris. The pair escape from the island, only to find themselves in another of Umbrella's secret labs, this time in Antarctica, before they are taken captive by Alexia Ashford. The second half of the game follows Chris trying to save his captured sister from Umbrella. He finds his way into the Antarctic lab and rescues Claire before the final battle with Alexia. The siblings escape from the facility via the transport airplane Chris used to get there. During the game's ending they vow to put an end to the Umbrella Corporation.

Claire is also playable in Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, known as in Japan, is an on-rails shooter video game for the Wii developed by Capcom and Cavia. The game was released on November 17, 2009 in North America. It was released in Europe on November 27, 2009 bundled with the Wii Zapper accessory.-Plot:The game's...

 (2009), which retells the events of Resident Evil 2 and Code: Veronica, and in an uncanonical game 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...

 (2011).

In addition, she is also an unlockable bonus character in the unrelated Capcom title Trick'N Snowboarder
Trick'N Snowboarder
Trick'N Snowboarder, known in Japan as , is a snowboarding sports video game published by Capcom in 1999. It is the second snowboarding game developed by Cave and unlike the first, was developed for the home console market rather than the arcade....

 (1999). Whilst not appearing in the game, one of C. Viper's costumes in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
is a crossover fighting game developed by Capcom. It is an updated version of Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds. After the events of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami disrupted the development schedule for downloadable content for the original game, the additional content was made into a...

 (2011) borrows heavily from her iconic look.

In other media

Claire plays a major role in the CG-animated film Resident Evil: Degeneration
Resident Evil: Degeneration
Resident Evil: Degeneration, known in Japan as , is the first full-length CG animation feature based upon Capcom's Resident Evil video game series. The film was made by Capcom Studios in cooperation with Sony Pictures Animation and Sony Pictures Entertainment...

 (2008) alongside Leon S. Kennedy. The film is set seven years after the events of Resident Evil 2. In the film, Claire is now a member of TerraSave, a non-governmental organization which handles search and rescue at chemical and biological attacks. She is rescued from a bio-terrorist incident at the Harvardville Airport by Leon, and together with him and a police officer Angela Miller they survive an a zombie outbreak at the WilPharma Corporation's research complex, in the end exposing and arresting the WilPharma's researcher Frederic Downing.

In Resident Evil: Extinction (2007), Claire is the leader of a convoy of survivors who, at the end of the film, go to Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...

 in search of a safe haven. The live-action film's Claire has no connection to the video game character and her look has been completely redesigned.

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...

 (2010), Claire, is ambushed by the Umbrella Corporation and manipulated by a device that controls her and impairs her memory, before she is rescued by Alice and reunited with her brother Chris. Together the three manage to defeat and kill Albert Wesker
Albert Wesker
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...

 with the help of convoy survivor K-Mart, who had been a close friend of Alice and Claire's, and find themselves preparing to fend off an attack by Umbrella led by a device-controlled Jill Valentine. According to the interview with Ali Larter, this time she was dressed in the outfit that Claire wears in "the videogame".

Claire appears in S.D. Perry's 1999 novels Resident Evil: City of the Dead
Resident Evil: City of the Dead
Resident Evil: City of the Dead is a novelization of the horror video game Resident Evil 2 written by author S. D. Perry, as the third book in her series of Resident Evil novels. It is based on the LeonA\ClaireB scenarios.-Plot:...

 (a novelization of Resident Evil 2), Resident Evil: Underworld
Resident Evil: Underworld
Resident Evil: Underworld is a novel written by S. D. Perry in 1999. Underworld is the fourth Resident Evil book written by S. D. Perry, the fifth in chronological order, and the second which is not based directly on one of the games....

 (an original story) and Resident Evil Code Veronica (a novelization of the game of the same title and the last book in the series), as well as in the comic book series Resident Evil by Capcom (1998) and Resident Evil: Code Veronica by WildStorm
WildStorm
WildStorm Productions, or simply WildStorm, published American comic books. Originally an independent company established by Jim Lee and further expanded upon in subsequent years by other creators, WildStorm became a publishing imprint of DC Comics in 1999...

 (2002).

In promotion and merchandise

Claire appeared in George A. Romero
George A. Romero
George Andrew Romero is a Canadian-American film director, screenwriter and editor, best known for his gruesome and satirical horror films about a hypothetical zombie apocalypse. He is nicknamed "Godfather of all Zombies." -Life and career:...

's Japanese TV commercial for Resident Evil 2, as well as in a viral marketing
Viral marketing
Viral marketing, viral advertising, or marketing buzz are buzzwords referring to marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in brand awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to the spread of viruses...

 video to promote Resident Evil 5
Resident Evil 5
Resident Evil 5, known in Japan as , is a survival horror third-person shooter video game developed and published by Capcom. The game is the seventh installment in the Resident Evil survival horror series, and was released on March 5, 2009 in Japan and on March 13, 2009 in North America and Europe...

 (despite not appearing in the actual game).

Several action figures of Claire were released by various manufacturers, including one by Toy Biz in 1998, two by Moby Dick Toys in 2001, and two 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 2001. A Claire block-style figure was also released in the Kubrick's Resident Evil line.

Reception

The character of Claire Redfield was well received by fans and critics. In 2007, Tom's Games listed her among the 50 greatest female characters in video game history, with a comment: "A rugged beauty, Claire's got a daredevil
Stunt performer
A stuntman, or daredevil is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career.These stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be...

 attitude and is a quick learner when it comes to firearms." In 2008, she was featured in GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...

's list of top 50 "hottest game babes on trial", ranked 42nd, as well as in UGO Networks' top 50 "videogame hotties", with a comment: "Any woman that can take down a horde of zombies is A+ by our standards. But if she can do all that while exposing her midriff, she gets a heaping pile of brownie points." Featuring her in the 2009 list of top nine "greatest video game heroines", San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...

 cited Claire as an example of a positive female game character that "Brandi Chastain
Brandi Chastain
Brandi Denise Chastain is a professional American soccer defender and midfielder who plays for the team California Storm of Women's Premier Soccer League and is a former member of the United States women's national soccer team....

 would be proud of", adding that she "gets the nod for saving her brother early in the series." Also in 2009, 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...

 included her among the character they would like to see returning for Resident Evil 6, calling Claire to be "leagues above that walking bag of useless called Sheva
Sheva Alomar
is a fictional character in the Resident Evil survival horror series by Capcom. She was introduced in 2008 as an operative of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance and the new partner of Chris Redfield.-Character design:...

".

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK