Ode to Ramon Salazar, Resident Evil’s most absurd villain
Soapbox features allow our individual contributors and contributors to give their opinions on hot topics and random things they’ve discussed. Today, Ollie looks back at the Resident Evils pantheon across all Resident Evils and pays homage to perhaps his favorite character in the video game world…
I have to make a small confession. Back in 2005, when I first played Resident Evil 4 on my trusty GameCube, I completely fell in love with it, but Ramon Salazar and I didn’t get the best results. After playing through the initial part of the village-themed game that featured the deadly Ganados, the venerable Dr. Salvador, El Gigante, and the fearsome village head Bitores Mendez, my first encounter with Salazar left me with a bitter taste in my mouth.
Right from the start, there was definitely a feeling that Resident Evil 4 was a completely different beast compared to what came before it, and I don’t mean because of its harsher focus on action rather than horror. Despite the show’s obvious B-movie roots, RE4 has shown a surprising willingness not to take itself so seriously. Now, I’m not saying that every RE game up until the fourth entry considered itself serious.Citizen Kanesurvival horror genre, but with Leon’s sarcastic jokes (“Where’s everyone going, bingo?”), his wonderful repertoire of wrestling moves, and his burgeoning friendship with a stray dog, it was clear that Resident Evil 4 was something else entirely. from the doom and gloom of Raccoon City.
That is why, when I got to the castle part and met the local castellan Ramon Salazar there, I was completely stunned by both his appearance and behavior. I distinctly remember sitting in my chair and looking at my 19″ CRT screen with a ‘a sidelong look at Chloe’. Seriously, who was this guy?
However, here’s the thing. I’ve played Resident Evil 4 times more than I can even remember (I lost count after my fifteenth playthrough) and I absolutely Love Salazar now. Love it. He’s one of my favorite characters of all time, not just in Resident Evil 4, not just in the franchise as a whole, but in all games. He was both sweet and unnerving in equal measure; a villain who seemed almost ridiculously kind compared to the likes of Nemesis and Wesker, but who also managed to strike fear into my heart with his quirky, childish quirks and formidable caped bodyguards.
What’s more, with each successive playthrough, I actually lamented the fact that Salazar wasn’t the game’s main antagonist. Don’t get me wrong, I like Osmund Saddler as much as I like the next Ganado, but he was a typical “fancy pants villain with a dastardly plan”. Compared to the delightful charm and attractive appearance of Salazar, he frankly bored me.
Possible Salazar (REALLY OBVIOUS SPOILER!) death at the hands of Leon Kennedy brings with it a deep sense of loss whenever I play the game now. Yes, he was evil. Yes, he wanted to help Saddler take over the world with the help of the parasite Las Plagas, but damn it, he was adorable! Perhaps some part of me, deep inside, thought that I could change him. Can you imagine Salazar joining Leon, Chris, Jill and company? in the fight against bio-organic terror? I think he would do a solid job.
Resident Evil 4 a remake is just around the corner – though sadly not for Switch owners, although a “cloud version” seems likely at some point given the fact that everyone else has received the same treatment – and I just can’t wait to see it again dive into this world. Summary of Salazar (very briefly) the appearance in one of the pre-release trailers of me … not worriedas such, but slightly disturbed. His appearance has definitely changed a lot, and to me he no longer looks like a creepy kid with the features of an old man. He just looks like an old man.
It’s weird, but I believe Capcom will do justice to the character. Well… besides keeping him alive, of course.
What do you think of Ramon Salazar from Resident Evil 4? Would you classify him as one of your favorite characters in the series? Share your thoughts with a comment below.
