Resident Evil 2 Director Hideki Kamiya Confirms Leon S. Kennedy Is Named After 1994 Movie Leon: The Professional

After astir 30 years of speculation, Resident Evil 2 manager Hideki Kamiya has confirmed that, yes, Leon S. Kennedy is named aft the Léon: The Professional movie.

The Capcom alum and enactment crippled developer icon revealed the inspiration for 1 of the astir recognizable fearfulness protagonists of each clip with a elemental station connected X/Twitter today. It follows decades of theories from fans who already believed Leon's sanction had originated from the 1994 film, but it's inactive confirmation, nonetheless.

Kamiya recalled naming Leon erstwhile consulting with Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami. After a fewer ideas were changeable down, the manager said (via Google Translate), "Well, wherefore don't we conscionable instrumentality it from that movie I watched the different day?"

"And his effect was simply, 'Yeah, that works,'" Kamiya added.

Resident Evil fans person drawn the transportation betwixt Léon: The Professional and Leon S. Kennedy agelong earlier today. Aside from the evident similarities betwixt the names of the endurance fearfulness video crippled leader and the quality Jean Reno played successful the '90s, Resident Evil has famously featured a "Professional" trouble mounting for years.

There's besides the Matilda, a handgun that Resident Evil Leon has been known to usage successful the past, which has ever been assumed to beryllium a notation to the quality Natalie Portman played successful the film, Mathilda. Kamiya clarified that this imaginable reference, however, is not 1 helium came up with, but thing idiosyncratic other astatine Capcom added aft helium left.

Fans were already speedy to respond to the Resident Evil revelation aft it brought an extremity to speculation that dates backmost to the merchandise of the archetypal sequel backmost successful 1998. Kamiya said the absorption is unexpected, joking that he's amazed helium hadn't mentioned the connections to Léon: The Professional due to the fact that it wasn't thing helium intentionally tried to hide.

Kamiya directed Resident Evil 2 earlier going connected to carve retired a stylish caller absorption for enactment gaming with the archetypal Devil May Cry. He aboriginal went connected to pb celebrated classics similar Okami and Viewtiful Joe earlier leaving Capcom to co-found PlatinumGames, which yet helped effect successful games similar Bayonetta, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, the Wonderful 101, and more. After leaving PlatinumGames successful 2023, he's since started his caller studio, Clovers, which is helping Capcom make Okami 2.

Kamiya's power connected Resident Evil tin inactive beryllium felt to this day. In summation to the massively fashionable Resident Evil 2 remake that arrived successful aboriginal 2019, Leon has remained an important sanction successful gaming acknowledgment to titles similar the Resident Evil 4 remake from 2023 and Resident Evil Requiem, which launched this past February.

Michael Cripe is simply a freelance writer with IGN. He's champion known for his enactment astatine sites similar The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be definite to springiness him a travel connected Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).