Rebecca Chambers (character)
Encyclopedia
is a player character
in the Resident Evil survival horror video games, first introduced in the first game in the series in 1996. She is also one of the main characters in the Resident Evil novels.
in 1996, Hope Levy in its 2002 GameCube remake, Riva Di Paola
in Resident Evil Zero (2002), and by Stephanie Sheh
in Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles (2007) and Resident Evil 5
(2008). In Zero, she was modeled after the J-pop
star Ayumi Hamasaki
, who was the official spokeswoman for the game in Japan. Rebecca's alternate costumes in the games "expose her midriff and voluptuous shape".
as a fellow officer in the fictitious special police force STARS in the United States. She arrives at the Arklay Research Facility before the STARS Alpha Team, after her unit is scattered across the Arklay Mountains. In the game, Rebecca is an 18-year-old member of STARS Bravo Team, being in charge of rear security and also serving as the team's field medic. Her introduction and other appearances throughout the game vary depending on the path the player chooses; she can be controlled by the player during certain portions of the story. Ultimately, Rebecca emerges as the Bravo Team's sole survivor of the incident, and it has been also confirmed that she has survived the events of Resident Evil 2
as well.
In Resident Evil Zero, which serves as a prequel
to Resident Evil, Rebecca Chambers is one of the two main characters. In this game, Rebecca comes across the Ecliptic Express train while investigating a series of murders within the Arklay Mountains. She encounters an escaped convict, Billy Coen, who helps her. The two discover that the attacks have been masterminded by James Marcus, formerly one of the Umbrella Corporation's top scientists, who has reanimated himself to kill his murderers. In the end, they manage to destroy Marcus and Rebecca allows Billy to escape, later falsely reporting his death to the authorities.
Rebecca appears in The Umbrella Chronicles, which summarizes the events of Resident Evil Zero and details her experiences between Resident Evil Zero and Resident Evil. The game pairs her with fellow STARS Bravo Team member Richard Aiken, as they work together to fend off hordes of undead creatures.
She is also a playable character in Resident Evil 5
in its Mercenaries Reunion mode of the game's Gold Edition and, uncanonically, in 2011's Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D
.
Gameplay
In Resident Evil Zero, Rebecca is a weaker character than Billy and as such can absorb much less damage and cannot push heavier objects, but she can still carry any weapons or items. Her unique skill is her ability to mix various chemicals. In The Mercenaries 3D, Rebecca is an unlockable character that has the highest recovery rate in the game but also takes 150% more damage from enemies. Her weapons in this game and in the Mercenaries mode in Resident Evil 5 are the MP5
submachine gun and a grenade launcher and her melee attacks include the use of a tear gas spray and a stun gun, along with a variety of pushes, punches and kicks.
's Resident Evil novels written in 1998-2004, namely in the original stories Resident Evil: Caliban Cove
and Resident Evil: Underworld
, as well as in the novelizations of the games in which she appeared (Resident Evil: The Umbrella Conspiracy and Resident Evil: Zero Hour). In Caliban Cove, Rebecca, declared outlaw and aided by members of the Exeter, Maine
branch of STARS, attempts to stop a rogue scientist from spreading a new strain of T-virus. In Underworld, she, Leon S. Kennedy
and an original character David Trapp (from Caliban Cove) embark to find the Umbrella Corporation's new facility hidden beneath the desert in Utah
, which was taken over by another rogue Umbrella scientist.
She also appears in the Resident Evil comic book S.T.A.R.S. Files and in George A. Romero
's rejected Resident Evil film screenplay, filling the same role as she did in the first game; in this script, she was one of the four survivors. A CG-animated movie continuing the events of the series and focusing on the current exploits of Rebecca could possibly be made in the future.
version of Resident Evil Zero). A diorama type figure of Rebecca and the monster Hunter was also released by Organic in 2009.
, "Rebecca may seem like nothing more than a plucky sidekick
, but she can more than hold her own in battle." GameDaily
featured her as its "Babe of the Week" in an 11-page feature for September 19, 2008, explaining, "Resident Evil's youngest member battles zombies and other horrors so you don't have to. That makes her a true American hero." In 2009, IGN included her on the list of the characters they would like to return in Resident Evil 6. Joystiq
praised Rebecca's inclusion in Resident Evil 5s downloadable content
, stating "we're all for bringing [her] back." Rebecca's cameo appearance in an undeveloped film on Wesker
's desk in Resident Evil 2 was also ranked as one of best Easter eggs
in video game history by Cracked.com
and GameSpot
. In 2010, The Game Heroes included her among the top five game girls they would like to date. While evaluating which of the Resident Evill heroes is best dressed to survive a real-life zombie apocalypse, GamesRadar
found Rebecca to be "more practically attired than Ada Wong
or Jill Valentine" even as she has a look of "pre-pubescent tom boy".
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...
in the Resident Evil survival horror video games, first introduced in the first game in the series in 1996. She is also one of the main characters in the Resident Evil novels.
Character design
Rebecca was portrayed by an actress credited as "Linda" in the live-action cutscenes of the original Resident EvilResident 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...
in 1996, Hope Levy in its 2002 GameCube remake, Riva Di Paola
Riva Di Paola
Riva Di Paola is a Canadian actress.-Personal life:Born in Toronto, Canada to an Italian Father and Irish Mother, she attended High School at the Etobicoke School of the Arts with a major in theatre. She later studied at New York City's renowned Circle In The Square Theatre School on Broadway...
in Resident Evil Zero (2002), and by Stephanie Sheh
Stephanie Sheh
Stephanie Ru-Phan Sheh is a Chinese-American voice actress, a writer, and a story editor who has worked for Geneon Entertainment, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Bandai Entertainment, Media Blasters, NYAV Post, FUNimation Entertainment, and Viz Media...
in Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles (2007) and 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...
(2008). In Zero, she was modeled after the J-pop
J-pop
, an abbreviation for Japanese pop, is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in 1960s music, such as The Beatles, and replaced kayōkyoku in the Japanese music scene...
star Ayumi Hamasaki
Ayumi Hamasaki
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, record producer, model, lyricist, and actress. Also called "Ayu" by her fans, Hamasaki has been dubbed the "Empress of Pop" because of her popularity and widespread influence in Japan and throughout Asia. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she moved to Tokyo at fourteen to...
, who was the official spokeswoman for the game in Japan. Rebecca's alternate costumes in the games "expose her midriff and voluptuous shape".
In video games
Rebecca makes her first appearance in the original Resident Evil, as a supporting character who assists Chris RedfieldChris 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...
as a fellow officer in the fictitious special police force STARS in the United States. She arrives at the Arklay Research Facility before the STARS Alpha Team, after her unit is scattered across the Arklay Mountains. In the game, Rebecca is an 18-year-old member of STARS Bravo Team, being in charge of rear security and also serving as the team's field medic. Her introduction and other appearances throughout the game vary depending on the path the player chooses; she can be controlled by the player during certain portions of the story. Ultimately, Rebecca emerges as the Bravo Team's sole survivor of the incident, and it has been also confirmed that she has survived the events 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...
as well.
In Resident Evil Zero, which serves as 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 Resident Evil, Rebecca Chambers is one of the two main characters. In this game, Rebecca comes across the Ecliptic Express train while investigating a series of murders within the Arklay Mountains. She encounters an escaped convict, Billy Coen, who helps her. The two discover that the attacks have been masterminded by James Marcus, formerly one of the Umbrella Corporation's top scientists, who has reanimated himself to kill his murderers. In the end, they manage to destroy Marcus and Rebecca allows Billy to escape, later falsely reporting his death to the authorities.
Rebecca appears in The Umbrella Chronicles, which summarizes the events of Resident Evil Zero and details her experiences between Resident Evil Zero and Resident Evil. The game pairs her with fellow STARS Bravo Team member Richard Aiken, as they work together to fend off hordes of undead creatures.
She is also a playable character in 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...
in its Mercenaries Reunion mode of the game's Gold Edition and, uncanonically, in 2011's 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...
.
Gameplay
In Resident Evil Zero, Rebecca is a weaker character than Billy and as such can absorb much less damage and cannot push heavier objects, but she can still carry any weapons or items. Her unique skill is her ability to mix various chemicals. In The Mercenaries 3D, Rebecca is an unlockable character that has the highest recovery rate in the game but also takes 150% more damage from enemies. Her weapons in this game and in the Mercenaries mode in Resident Evil 5 are the MP5
Heckler & Koch MP5
The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar....
submachine gun and a grenade launcher and her melee attacks include the use of a tear gas spray and a stun gun, along with a variety of pushes, punches and kicks.
In other media
Rebecca plays a central role in S. D. PerryS. D. Perry
Stephani Danelle Perry is a novelist living in Portland, Oregon. She is the daughter of writer Steve Perry.S. D...
's Resident Evil novels written in 1998-2004, namely in the original stories Resident Evil: Caliban Cove
Resident Evil: Caliban Cove
Resident Evil: Caliban Cove is a video game-based novelization for Resident Evil by S. D. Perry.- Plot summary :The novel takes place between the events of the Umbrella Conspiracy and City of the Dead & Nemesis and centers around Rebecca Chambers...
and 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....
, as well as in the novelizations of the games in which she appeared (Resident Evil: The Umbrella Conspiracy and Resident Evil: Zero Hour). In Caliban Cove, Rebecca, declared outlaw and aided by members of the Exeter, Maine
Exeter, Maine
Exeter is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 997 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.- History :...
branch of STARS, attempts to stop a rogue scientist from spreading a new strain of T-virus. In Underworld, she, 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,...
and an original character David Trapp (from Caliban Cove) embark to find the Umbrella Corporation's new facility hidden beneath the desert in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, which was taken over by another rogue Umbrella scientist.
She also appears in the Resident Evil comic book S.T.A.R.S. Files and 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 rejected Resident Evil film screenplay, filling the same role as she did in the first game; in this script, she was one of the four survivors. A CG-animated movie continuing the events of the series and focusing on the current exploits of Rebecca could possibly be made in the future.
In merchandise
In 2001, toymaker Moby Dick produced an action figure of Rebecca in the Resident Evil 3 related series even as she does not actually appear in this game (the figure is actually based on the character's depiction in the canceled Nintendo 64Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
version of Resident Evil Zero). A diorama type figure of Rebecca and the monster Hunter was also released by Organic in 2009.
Reception
The character has been positively received by critics. According to IGNIGN
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...
, "Rebecca may seem like nothing more than a plucky sidekick
Sidekick
A sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato and Batman's Robin.-Origins:The origin of the...
, but she can more than hold her own in battle." 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...
featured her as its "Babe of the Week" in an 11-page feature for September 19, 2008, explaining, "Resident Evil's youngest member battles zombies and other horrors so you don't have to. That makes her a true American hero." In 2009, IGN included her on the list of the characters they would like to return in Resident Evil 6. Joystiq
Joystiq
Joystiq is a video gaming blog founded in June 2004 that has since become one of the most successful sites within the Weblogs, Inc. family of weblogs. It is the centerpiece of WIN's own network of video gaming blogs, which also includes a blog dealing specifically with the popular MMORPG World of...
praised Rebecca's inclusion in Resident Evil 5s downloadable content
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
, stating "we're all for bringing [her] back." Rebecca's cameo appearance in an undeveloped film on 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...
's desk in Resident Evil 2 was also ranked as one of best Easter eggs
Easter egg (media)
Image:Carl Oswald Rostosky - Zwei Kaninchen und ein Igel 1861.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Example of Easter egg hidden within imagerect 467 383 539 434 desc none...
in video game history by Cracked.com
Cracked.com
Cracked.com is a humor website that was spun off the last attempt to revive Cracked magazine. It began in its current form in 2007.-Attempted relaunch of Cracked:...
and 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...
. In 2010, The Game Heroes included her among the top five game girls they would like to date. While evaluating which of the Resident Evill heroes is best dressed to survive a real-life zombie apocalypse, 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...
found Rebecca to be "more practically attired than 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:...
or Jill Valentine" even as she has a look of "pre-pubescent tom boy".
External links
- Rebecca Chambers - Resident Evil Wiki
- Rebecca Chambers - Stars - IGN
- Rebecca Chambers 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...