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In a recent interview, Resident Evil Requiem director Koshi Nakanishi talked more about how the "ikeoji" Leon Kennedy design came to be.
automaton-media.com
Leon Kennedy's "hot uncle" (ikeoji) redesign in *Resident Evil Requiem* was the result of meticulous internal review at Capcom—especially by female staff—balancing detailed visual aging with a carefully redefined veteran personality that respects his long series history.
Summary
- His new, aged-up appearance was unveiled at The Game Awards 2025 and quickly drew strong fan reactions.
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Look, we've all been there - blasting zombies in Raccoon City, dodging Lickers, and somehow still finding time to flirt with Ada Wong. But let's pause the zombie apocalypse for a sec and talk about the real horror in Resident Evil - the way Leon S. Kennedy gets reduced to a walking thirst trap. In a world where we're quick to call out the male gaze for turning women into eye candy, it's high time we flip the script and dissect the toxic female gaze. And poor Leon? He's Patient Zero for this epidemic of inherent misandry, where men are objectified not just for their brawn, but for their emotional vulnerability, all while being dismissed as disposable heroes.
Leon Kennedy first bursts onto the scene in Resident Evil 2 as a fresh-faced rookie cop with perfect hair, a sleek police uniform, and abs that could deflect a punch from Mr. X. He's the epitome of the "reluctant sweetheart" - competent, sassy, and just the right amount of brooding. But from the jump, the game's narrative - and let's be real, its fanbase - treats him like a Ken doll in a Barbie zombie world. Ada Wong literally uses him as a human shield, flirts to manipulate, and dips out faster than you can say "hasta la juego."
It's classic misandry: Leon's value is tied to his utility to women, his pain minimized, and his agency in the modern Resident Evil lore? That's for the ladies like Claire, Jill or Jessica to wield.
Fast-forward to the remakes and sequels, and the toxic female gaze ramps up to nightmare fuel. In Resident Evil 4 (and its shiny 2023 remake), Leon's not just fighting Las Plagas; he's battling the collective swoon of gamers who reduce him to "daddy" memes and fanfic fodder. Remember that scene where he's strapped to a chair, shirt half-open, getting injected with parasites? That's not horror; that's softcore objectification. The camera lingers on his chiseled jaw, his sweat-glistened forehead, turning vulnerability into voyeurism. And who benefits? Not Leon - he's the one grunting through the pain - but the audience, particularly those who've internalized a gaze that exoticizes male suffering.
It's inherent misandry at play: men like Leon are expected to endure endless trauma (zombies, bioweapons, endless betrayal) without complaint, all while looking hot doing it. Crying or complaining about it? Nah, that's "unmanly." Instead, his pain is aestheticized, fetishized and ultimately ignored. He's the lone wolf, the damaged good, the guy who's always saving the day but never gets his own happy ending. Ada ghosts him, Ashley Graham treats him like a knight in shining armor (read: disposable bodyguard), and even in crossovers like Dead by Daylight, he's just another pretty face to hook. Even his ageing can't save him from his cruel fate; in Requiem where he's well into his 50s, he's still a constant source of carnal desire. Even from his very own creators who have now branded him simply as yet another "イケおじ"; a hot uncle who's there for the ladies to thirst over.
This isn't admiration, it's a subtly-veiled hatred of male autonomy. By constantly portraying Leon as the eternal sufferer, the series reinforces that men are only "valuable" when they're broken and beautiful. Misandry disguised as desire.
And let's talk fandom for a hot minute. Scroll through Twitter or Reddit, and you'll see the gaze in full force: edits of Leon's slow-mo flips set to thirsty audio backgrounds, fan-art that amps up his "soft boy with cool haircut" vibes while ignoring his PTSD. Let's not even mention the bigoted Redfield bloodline memes, reducing his legacy in the franchise to simply another body that's there for primal breeding. It's not just harmless simping, it's a problematic cultural phenomenon that diminishes male characters to their appeal to women. Inherent misandry thrives here because it flips the power dynamic without accountability. Leon's agency is stripped away, his story arcs bent to serve romantic subplots, and his heroism is just a backdrop for someone else's empowerment. Compare him to female leads like Claire Redfield or Helena Harper. They're allowed complexity without the constant sexualization of their struggles. Leon? He's the juicy bait in a sea of undead.
Ignoring the toxic female gaze lets it fester, turning icons like Leon into symbols of unchecked misandry. Maybe in next remake (RE6?) give the guy a break: let him retire to a cabin, sip apple juice, and therapy his way out of the apocalypse just like other female characters like Sheva Alomar, Moira Burton and Sherry Birkin did. Until then, every time you reload that handgun and watch Leon's perfect hair bounce, remember - the real virus isn't the T-Virus. It's the gaze that infects all women.
