Given that the trailer confirmed many of Resident Evil 8’s previous rumors to be true, it might be worth considering the possibility that other unconfirmed rumors may be true as well, and, if so, Resident Evil 8 could bring the series’ storyline into a full circle finally. The Resident Evil games could traditionally be split into three separate story arcs between the main games, which have their own infectious experiments largely separate from each other, albeit some loose connections, such as shared protagonists.
RELATED: Here’s Why Resident Evil Village Isn’t Called Resident Evil 8
Resident Evil’s 3 Origin Stories and Plot Arcs
For example, Resident Evil 1-3, as well as Resident Evil 0, 6 and Code Veronica all featured the story arc manifested from the Resident Evil’s infamous T-Virus, which Umbrella obtained from a particular flower that only grows in a secret cave in West Africa. Next, Resident Evil 4 and 5 featured monstrosities created from the Las Plagas parasites which came from a secret underground cave in Spain. With the exception of Albert Wesker and Ada, and Krauser to a degree, the main antagonists in Resident Evil 4 and 5 also had their own origins separate from the T-Virus.
Resident Evil 5 heads into some particularly strange territory with a story arc that is one of dualism, as Albert Wesker, Resident Evil 5’s main villain, was attempting to unleash the Ouroboros virus on the world, which shares lineage exclusively with the T-Virus arc, or more specifically, the earlier Progenitor virus. Finally, Resident Evil 7 rolls into completely new waters again, introducing players to the fungal experiment known as the Mold and the Eveline project in Resident Evil, with origins that are still mostly unclear.
In short, these three story arcs could be described as the T-Virus, the Las Plagas, and the Mold arcs. Interestingly enough, just a few weeks before the release of the Resident Evil 8 trailer, developers from Resident Evil 3’s team officially confirmed that the Nemesis’ storyline was changed in Resident Evil 3 Remake in order to connect the storyline to the Las Plagas parasites in Resident Evil 4. Specifically, they confirmed that Umbrella Corporation’s Nemesis Parasite, which was responsible for turning a Tyrant into the Nemesis, was engineered to mimic the Las Plagas parasites.
This means that Umbrella was aware of the Las Plagas’ existence and has some sort of unknown link to the matter, which was previously not known by players. In short, this also confirms that the Nemesis villain is a fusion of the T-Virus and the Las Plagas parasite lineage of infectious experiments.
Now that the Las Plagas parasites and T-Virus story arcs are interconnected, and a Resident Evil 4 Remake is rumored to be in the works, Resident Evil 8 can bring the three main story arcs to a full circle by explaining the origins of the Mold and hopefully weave it into the fabric of Umbrella’s dark presence throughout the Resident Evil universe, specifically the Las Plagas and T-Virus family of experiments.
Resident Evil 7 never fully explained how the Mold’s psychic abilities work, or even the Eveline project’s mysterious origins. Given that the Las Plagas parasite also shared a similar mechanism in its ability for the Dominant Plagas host to communicate with followers, there is ample room to tie the origins of the Mold into the story arcs of the Las Plagas and T-Virus backgrounds.
The Mold’s Origins
After all, Umbrella’s presence looming over Resident Evil 8 is all but confirmed in the trailer, as a quick snippet shows the Umbrella emblem upon what appears to be a classic-style Resident Evil puzzle. And Ethan, who was infected with the Mold in Resident Evil 7, may still carry its presence in his blood stream, which could likely play some sort of significance in Resident Evil 8. In fact, just after the two minute mark in the trailer, there appears to be a short clip showing one of the female characters potentially biting Ethan’s hand in first-person view and drawing blood from it. However, there is no way to confirm if that is Ethan, since Resident Evil 8 is rumored to feature three playable characters.
RELATED: Everything You Missed in Resident Evil 8’s Debut Trailer
It is also worth mentioning that Resident Evil lore has confirmed that the H.C.F. paramilitary organization, belonging to longtime antagonist Albert Wesker, had a role in the research and creation of the Eveline project in Resident Evil 7, and assisted the mysterious group it belonged to known only as The Connections. While this does not mean Albert Wesker necessarily had a direct involvement, it could speak volumes for the latest rumor regarding Alex Wesker’s return to Resident Evil 8 as an antagonist.
In the timeline of Resident Evil’s past, Alex Wesker was known for supervising projects on multiple islands owned by Umbrella, where she turned them into deadly playgrounds and real-life simulations to test her subjects and bio-weapons within. This was essentially the plot for Resident Evil: Revelations 2, which was set on an island where Alex Wesker was testing her T-Phobos virus to identify suitable prisoners for more advanced experiments.
Resident Evil 8’s village, which appears remote and encapsulated within a range of mountains or valleys, would seem to be a great experimental playground for Alex Wesker. Furthermore, her keen interest in experiments that target hosts’ minds appear fitting for Resident Evil 8’s psychological-horror direction and rumored hallucinatory in-game effects, as well as the psychic communicative properties of the Las Plagas parasites and the Mold too.
Resident Evil 8: Bringing it all Together
Resident Evil 8 also could very well leave room for inclusion of the Nemesis Parasite in some role within the storyline. One important matter to note is the emblem shown in the Resident Evil 8 trailer, which appears similar to a Las Plagas parasite, or some of the parasites created by the Nemesis monster in Resident Evil 3 Remake. One key difference is the presence of what appears to be a large head with a surgical scar on it, which also makes it resemble some sort of fetus.
Resident Evil 8 clearly comprises themes of dark and occult horror, at least on the surface, and often times these include themes of fertility. From black goats, witches, weird symbols and rumors that Ethan and Mia have a baby in Resident Evil 8, themes of the occult resonate strongly here. And in looking closely at the strange emblem in the Resident Evil 8 trailer, there appears to be a scar on its head with stitches in it, as if it was possibly operated upon.
It is important to remember that while the Las Plagas parasites in Resident Evil 4 and 5 need to be injected in the neck or orally consumed by their human hosts, the Nemesis Parasite, on the other hand, is surgically implanted into the brain. The Nemesis has the surgical scar on its head to show it. Furthermore, like the Las Plagas parasite, the Nemesis Parasite also has European origins, where Resident Evil 8 appears also takes place. Furthermore, Umbrella’s European facilities in Resident Evil were focused on experiments that manipulated the mind or retain intelligence.
Given the timing of the revelation by Capcom developers that the Nemesis conveniently fuses the lore of the Las Plagas and T-Virus story arcs together, there is some room for speculation that Resident Evil 8 could be the ultimate cocktail of all of Resident Evil’s most diabolical experiments. This is further supported by additional rumors which claim that zombies will be returning to Resident Evil 8.
Resident Evil 8 certainly appears ambitious in its direction, and hopefully it will answer some of Resident Evil 7’s most pressing questions, such as the role of Chris Redfield in Resident Evil 8. But perhaps just as pressing is Resident Evil 8’s potential to provide greater insight into the lore and canon of Resident Evil’s past, as well as future, and tie it all together.
Resident Evil 8: Village is in development and set to release on the PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X in 2021.
MORE: Will Resident Evil 8 be Supernatural or Biological Horror?
