Who is Grace Ashcroft in Resident Evil Requiem? The new protagonist explained

Resident Evil Requiem (also known as Resident Evil 9) is the next entry in the mainline series. To mark this new beginning, fans will be introduced to Grace Ashcroft, a playable protagonist with a lot to offer.

We explain everything we know so far about Resident Evil Requiem’s Grace Ashcroft, from her story, personality traits, and the role she will play in the franchise as a whole. First, we must rewind the clock and dive back into the events of Resident Evil Outbreak, as this isn’t the first time the Ashcroft name has featured in the series.

How does Grace Ashcroft relate to Alyssa Ashcroft?

The fact that both characters share a surname isn’t a coincidence; Grace Ashcroft is the daughter of Alyssa Ashcroft, who played a significant role in the franchise’s history.

Before emerging as one of the key Resident Evil 9 characters, Alyssa Ashcroft was an investigative reporter and playable character in Resident Evil Outbreak, which was released for the PlayStation 2 in 2003. She was one of the few who managed to escape Raccoon City following the outbreak. Finding herself fighting for survival across Raccoon City, her work led her down a dark, interesting path. Alyssa reported on renovations at Raccoon University, for example, that were sponsored by the Umbrella Corporation. She went on to discover that Greg Mueller, who was suspected of mixing her memories, was leading the research at the university.

She returned to an abandoned hospital where her former colleague Kurt had been killed. Here, she recovered lost memories, confronted hospital director Al Lester, and helped destroy the remaining evidence of Umbrella’s illegal medical programme. Even after the Raccoon City incident, a location that remains central in the Resident Evil Requiem story, Alyssa continued to write about her experiences and condemn the actions of the Umbrella Corporation.

Could Alyssa’s work and continued digging be what got her killed? That’s certainly what’s implied in the Gamescom 2025 Resident Evil Requiem trailer. Her investigation of the Wrenwood Hotel case leads her there with her daughter, Grace. After a mysterious phone call to the hotel room they’re staying in, asking for Miss Ashcroft, the electricity is cut off, and the pair attempt to make their escape. After bumping into the hotel manager, who promises to get the power fixed, a hooded figure emerges from behind and murders the manager. Despite escaping to another part of the hotel, Alyssa is killed off-screen, and her death is witnessed by Grace. 

What role will Grace Ashcroft play in the story of Resident Evil Requiem?

Grace Ashcroft now works as a technical analyst for the FBI, and she is thrown on the frontline to investigate a series of strange deaths at none other than the Wrenwood Hotel, where her mother was killed eight years prior, an event she will be forced to come to terms with. 

Not only will Grace have to solve the peculiar details around the deaths caused by an unidentified disease, but she will be pulled into the same world as her mother, making the story deeply personal. As the Resident Evil Requiem main character, in some ways, Grace will act as the narrative bridge between this new era of the Resident Evil franchise and the unresolved mysteries from the past. 

After all, you will return to Raccoon City, but see it in a new light as Resident Evil Requiem is set approximately 30 years after its destruction. 

How does Grace Ashcroft compare to past Resident Evil protagonists?

As an analyst for the FBI, it’s expected that Resident Evil Requiem’s Grace will possess traits related to logic, deductive reasoning, and approach problems in an analytical manner. This contrasts with the likes of Chris Redfield, who was trained by the United States Air Force and later joined the Special Tactics and Rescue Service, as well as Leon Kennedy, a highly skilled secret agent. Both examples are hardened, confident, and less fearful of the fears they face. Grace is essentially a civilian who has been dragged into a whole new world that’s deep and complex, yet she has little to no knowledge beyond existing FBI reports.

Yes, Grace is also trained in weapons, but her personality is completely new for a Resident Evil protagonist. She is an introvert who’s easily startled and still harbors many fears ingrained in her past traumas that she will have to grapple with. This has the potential to build on the horrors you will come across in the Resident Evil Requiem story, making Grace more relatable by having her experience the nightmarish environments from the same perspective as the player. Drawing on emotional vulnerability can elevate immersion, especially when Grace reacts to horror in a way players should.

As expected, Resident Evil Requiem’s Leon Kennedy is older, but will still bring his wit, signature moves, and smooth gunplay as a second playable character. Having the wealth of experience from Leon meshes with viewing horror through a fresh lens, as Grace has the potential to bring about an interesting gameplay dynamic, perhaps representing fear as a pendulum, offering moments of relief while in the action with Leon, before slipping back into the psychological horrors with Grace.

What does the release of Resident Evil Requiem mean for the franchise?

Putting the Resident Evil Requiem cast aside, the Resident Evil series itself has spanned almost thirty years. During that time, it has introduced new stories, from navigating zombies and monsters as a product of the T-Virus created by the Umbrella Corporation, to the rise of even more bioweapons, and coming face-to-face with infamous characters such as Evelyn from the Baker family and the ever-powerful Mother Miranda. 

Although Resident Evil Requiem aims to push the series forward, the game appears to be grounded in the past. Revisiting lore that uncovers secrets tied to the legacy of the franchise, and going back to its roots by delving into horror first over action-heavy elements, while evoking a feeling of being unprepared in a fresh, yet familiar world. Grace Ashcroft will play a pivotal role in facilitating this due to her DNA and the unique way her character connects to the overarching Resident Evil narrative.

There are still so many unknowns about the Resident Evil Requiem story, characters, and the ever-present Umbrella Corporation this time around. Will Grace develop from an ordinary, timid FBI analyst to a hero in a similar way to Ethan Winters? Of course, it will be interesting to see how Leon Kennedy merges with her story and brings another gameplay style as he makes yet another franchise return.

All will become clear when the highly anticipated Resident Evil Requiem release date comes around on February 27, 2026.

References

1. Resident Evil Requiem World Premiere Trailer | gamescom Opening Night Live 2025 (YouTube)