Resident Evil: Best Escape Sequences, Ranked

Highlights

• Explosive escape scenes are a beloved tradition in Resident Evil games, adding drama and excitement to the series’ endings.
• From the Spencer Mansion to NEST Laboratory, these escape sequences involve intense action and challenges for the protagonists.
• The escape scenes in Resident Evil games are iconic, featuring self-destruct sequences, monsters, and high-stakes drama for a thrilling conclusion.

Over the years, Resident Evil is a series that has become steeped in traditions. Be it zombies, corny dialogue or magical inventory boxes that allow its heroes to transport weapons and items wherever they need them. But there’s another tradition in the series that is just as beloved – the escape scene.

Multiple Resident Evil games have seen their protagonists in a desperate escape to outrun some sort of self-destruct sequence or looming final threat. It’s a hallmark of the series, often punctuating the last-minute drama with some sort of explosion. This classic Resident Evil trope is still one of its finest, and it’s just one element of many that makes this zombie-killing franchise one of the best in the entire industry.

6 S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team Escapes The Spencer Mansion

The Debut Resident Evil Game Creates A Long-Lasting Tradition Of Explosive Endings

Six years after its release, the original Resident Evil was remade exclusively for the Nintendo GameCube, then later remastered for all modern platforms. And among the many improvements and quality of life features that it added, the remake of Resident Evil also included an updated version of the scene that sees S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team escape the Spencer Mansion.

After defeating Tyrant and eliminating the duplicitous Albert Wesker, either Jill or Chris make their way to the top of the Spencer Mansion after the underground laboratory’s self-destruct sequence is initiated. Depending on whether the player acquires the MO Disk, different versions of the ending and who accompanies them will play out. It was a unique way to end a game in 1996, and that carried over into its spectacular 2002 remake.

5 Chris And Claire Escape Rockfort Island Before Its Destruction

Siblings Chris And Claire Redfield Escape The Self-Destruct Sequence Of An Antarctic Base

Despite its dubious status as being one of the more forgotten entries in the series, Resident Evil Code: Veronica is still one of the finest games in the franchise. It’s one of the last classic-style entries before Resident Evil 4 took the series in a new direction, and also features one of the more memorable escape sequences of the franchise.

As most Resident Evil games do, Code: Veronica features two playable characters, Chris and his sister Claire. While the siblings struggle to escape a ticking clock, one initiated by the imminent self-destruct sequence of the antarctic base known as Rockfort Island, Chris engages in a boss fight with the heavily mutated Alexia Ashford, and the pair manage to escape. It’s a tense, hectic climax that is still one of the best final hours of a Resident Evil game.

4 Rebecca And Billy Flee The Umbrella Training Facility

S.T.A.R.S. Rookie And Escaped Prisoner Barely Escape Umbrella Building

After making a hardware change from the N64 to the Nintendo GameCube, Resident Evil Zero established the early origins of S.T.A.R.S. and saw Bravo Team rookie Rebecca Chambers team up with an escaped prisoner named Billy Coen. Upon escaping an Umbrella-owned train known as the Ecliptic Express, Rebecca and Billy find themselves in a training facility owned by the nefarious pharmaceutical company that is modeled after the Spencer Mansion.

Chased by both a horrific leech monster and a self-destruction timer, Rebecca and Billy are forced to fight their way to the top. It ties beautifully into the first two Resident Evil games, featuring William Birkin and Albert Wesker as the ones initiating the need for Rebecca and Billy to escape. Unfortunately for Rebecca, she escapes the horrors of the training facility, only to walk directly into the Spencer Mansion, triggering the events of the first Resident Evil.

3 Jill Valentine Escapes Raccoon City Before It’s Destroyed

The End Of Raccoon City

Resident Evil 3 features the return of Jill Valentine to the series, after having skipped the sequel. In this third chapter, Jill faces a desperate struggle to escape Raccoon City, but is stopped at seemingly every corner by Nemesis. This iconic monster chases Jill throughout the game, achieving his final form in the game’s climactic ending.

The fight against Nemesis unfolds with a countdown clock and Raccoon City’s impending destruction in the background, as the city had been marked for eradication in order to curve the viral outbreak. Jill’s protracted conflict with Nemesis is just the prelude, as the hero of the Spencer Mansion incident is forced to flee the exploding city in order to survive. It’s an escape sequence with some serious consequences, as it would define the story of the franchise moving forward.

2 Leon And Ashley Board A Jet Ski To Escape The Island

Iconic Duo From Resident Evil 4 Use A Jet Ski To Escape Collapsing Island

After remaking the second and third games in the franchise, it seemed only natural that the fourth entry in Capcom’s long-running series was due for the same treatment. Fortunately, it was well worth the wait, as it retained and improved on every aspect of the original. And thankfully, one thing that the remake kept was the explosive jet ski sequence to end the game.

Upon the defeat of Osmund Saddler, the twisted leader of the Los Illuminados, Leon and Ashley make their way off the island and board a jet ski. With the island exploding around them, Leon and Ashley make a final desperate attempt to escape. It’s a fantastic conclusion, as the cave walls are exploding all around the player, and it really drives home how different Resident Evil 4 was.

1 Claire And Leon Fight To Escape NEST Laboratory

The Survivors Of Raccoon City Struggle To Escape An Umbrella-Owned Laboratory

Following numerous rumors and speculation, Capcom finally unveiled the long-requested remake of Resident Evil 2 in 2018. It kept a lot of elements of the original, but also added some improvements, one of which was the entire climax. Though similar in principle, the remake of Resident Evil 2 sees Claire and Leon enter a laboratory owned by Umbrella called NEST, where the two are paired off with their own threats.

The explosive finale is filled with action, drama and some emotional punches that rank up with some of the best things the franchise has ever done. As NEST goes to pieces around them, Claire and Leon board a departing train and engage in one final battle against the last stage of William Birkin’s tragic transformation. It has everything one could want out of a finale, and is still Resident Evil’s best escape sequence.