𓆩 𝓛𝓮𝓽 𝓜𝓮 𝓛𝓲𝓿𝓮 𓆪

The Unleashing of the Quiet Rage

Every scar will build my throne.

Tribute to Capcom's concept art. Click for better quality.

A further analysis into the representation through puzzle pieces. 🦁🦄👱‍♀️

Unicorns:

Traditionally associated with freedom, an untameable spirit, and healing - much like Claire's fiery spirit + her drive for love & family. Unicorns in the late Greek text called the Physiologus described that the fierce unicorns were only tameable by a pure girl left on her own.

Lions:

Traditionally associated with kingship, supreme courage, and guardianship - much like Leon (whose name means lion in various languages) as he puts his life on the line to protect and serve. In tarot, the lion is gently tamed by a maiden, symbolising quiet strength, or strength with humility.

On the back of the unicorn & lion medallions there are some images of a child being comforted by adults, but on the back of the maiden medallion is an imitation of a famous tapestry. The noblewoman is flanked by a lion and a unicorn as they symbolise her divine protection.

In the Royal Coat of Arms, the Lion represented the English monarchy, while the Unicorn represented the Scottish monarchy. What I find interesting in how we can relate this to the dynamic is how the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland clearly operated as rivals who would one day come together to form the Act of Union in 1707. As of this, the Lion and Unicorn were seen as archetypal opposites who, by a destined path, must collaborate to meet their objective. It's a motif we see used within RE2R to guide the player through Leon and Claire's respective playthroughs; the duo's constant separations and yet they're both pulled back onto the same path with the same objective - that objective being Sherry.

Leon's blue coded, isn't he? He wears a blue uniform and is usually seen in the movies and merch represented by the colour blue. Possibly, those cool tones symbolise his attachment to the government and his cool demeanour. Then we have Claire - who is obviously a red coded character. Redfield, red(toned) hair, red jackets, red like blood and blood is for family. She's fierce, warm, passionate. Interestingly, if we look back at the English and Scottish monarchy, the Lion was red in heraldry, known as 'Gules'. It represented sacrifice and military fortitude. Even though Leon's visual design uses blue tones, his actual life path is defined by Claire's colour: the bloody, the high-stakes, and the systematic duty of the Lion. Similarly, the Unicorn was represented by the colour blue, or 'Azure' in heraldry, which symbolised fredom, independence, and humanitarianism. Claire's character is autonomous - she moves outside of the system, but she still allows herself to join a humanitarian organisation like TerraSave. She lives a life defined by Leon's colour. It's an interesting thematic clash to their dynamic, and I like how it highlights their opposite traits and intrinsic inversion. While they're pulled away by Leon's state duty vs. Claire's humanitarian outlook, I believe these oppositions in symbolism act as a metaphor for the deep bond they share through adversaries.

Looking back at the monarchal comparisons, there is a lot of the crown symbolism found regarding the King statue, too. For example, the scepter, the book he holds in his left hand, as well as chess pieces that present monarchal positions.

Lions (Leon) are the Kings of the Jungle - Claire wears Let Me Live & Made in Heaven jackets, both songs by the artist Queen.

Resident Evil: Degeneration (2008)

I love this moment in Degeneration because it says a lot about Claire and Leon's dynamic.

Leon throws Claire a gun, and she catches it like pure muscle memory. She does not panic, fumble, or hesitate. She just starts shooting and drops every zombie in front of her without missing. It is a quick reminder that Claire absolutely knows what she is doing. She has survived Raccoon City, Rockfort, Umbrella soldiers, monsters, and the general horror show that follows this franchise around.

But the part I really like is what happens after. Once the immediate danger is over, Claire goes straight back to Rani and hands the gun back to Leon.

And Leon does not even reach for it at first. He hesitates, like he expected her to keep it. Or maybe like he is a little disappointed that she is not going to stay in ass-kicking mode with him.

His reaction has very strong Jackie Brown energy: “What the fuck happened to you, man? Shit, your ass used to be beautiful.” lol

Because Leon knows Claire can fight. He has seen it. He knows she is not helpless, and he knows she is not scared when it actually matters. But Claire is not Leon. She does not live with a gun in her hand. She does not seek that life out.

She will pick up the gun when someone needs protecting. She will handle the threat. She will make the shots. And then, once the danger passes, she gives it back.

Makes this moment very cool to me. Claire is capable of violence, but she refuses to make it her identity. Leon carries the gun because that is his world now. Claire can use the gun, but she does not want it to become hers.

I mean, look at this

Sashay them hips, baby

She’s gorgeous, I love her beauty and her personality, but there’s one thing I always notice: the way she runs. I don’t know why, but her running animation has something so unique that I catch myself watching her instead of where I’m going. I know it sounds weird, but I absolutely love it.

🪽 According to recent leaks, Claire may be able to combine herbs with lab chemicals during the first half of the game to create more effective healing items.

🪽 This mechanic is reportedly designed to free up inventory space, putting even more emphasis on resource management and survival.

🪽 The leaks also claim the system takes inspiration from Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village, while being reworked to better fit Veronica’s gameplay and identity.

also re1 chris is his second best look (re5 and rev1 being no.1 obv)