Few games have had such a lasting impact on gaming as Resident Evil 4. Snappy combat, a compelling story, and just the right balance of action and disgusting body horror that the Resident Evil series is known for come together in one of the best games of all time.
With the Resident Evil 4 Remake on the horizon, let’s take a look at some of the worst times for Leon and his many, many deaths. In Resident Evil 4 there are lots of ways to die. Tons more than you’re thinking of. Some deaths you’ll see all the time, like taking a stray hatchet to the face, or a random bite from a Ganado. Other deaths are far more gruesome.
Not for the faint of heart, these deaths are among the worst: the grossest and goriest deaths in the game.
10. Crushed By A Boulder
One of the earliest quick time events in Resident Evil 4, the boulder is the enemy of players who puts the controller down during cutscenes. While Resident Evil 4 has all sorts of quick time events throughout the game, there are few more brutal than being crushed by several tons of rock. The game thankfully doesn’t go into the graphic details of someone getting Indiana Jonesed to death, but it is hard not to flinch when the boulder gets just a little too close.
9. Beheading Parasite Zealots
Once Leon reaches Salazar Castle he encounters a new type of enemy, the Zealots. These religious fanatics are members of the Los Illuminados, and if you shoot them in the head too many times, they can have their Plaga exposed. The worm-like Plaga can lunge forward when Leon’s life is slow, encasing his head with their massive mandibles and taking it clean off.
8. Sliced In Half By U3
One of the stranger bosses in Resident Evil 4, the human-insect-reptile chimera has many ways to kill Leon. The most brutal is with its pincer-like tail, which has enough force behind it to slice through a person’s body. The death animation looks particularly painful, as you know Leon is still alive for at least a little bit while U3 plays with him.
7. Swallowed By Del Lago
Del Lago is one of the most unique bosses in Resident Evil 4 and as such, has a uniquely horrible death for Leon. If you can’t swim away fast enough after the massive fish topples your boat, then this boss sucks Leon down whole. No brutal death animation, no bloody end. Just Leon getting swallowed up and slowly being digested by Del Lago.
6. Melted By A Novistadors
A particularly brutal death from the Novistadors involves being covered in an acid-like digestive juice. Not content with a simple death animation, the developers decided to show Leon’s half-dissolved face as he dies. Half an eyeball out and all.
5. Hugged To Death By Centipede Father Bitores Mendez
A religious figure and leader of the Ganados of the village, the fight with Father Mendez takes a turn in the second half. Not content with just being massively tall, Father Mendez transforms into a half-centipede thing thanks to his specially designed Dominant species Plaga. With all those extra arms he is well-equipped to hug Leon, to death.
4. Stabbed Through The Face With Garrador’s Claws
One of the wildest bosses Leon encounters on his mission, the Garrador is a multiclawed mutant who is so violent and uncontrollable that its eyes had to be sewn shut to prevent it from constantly attacking everything in sight. Unfortunately for Leon, its ears are fine-tuned to hunt down any noise he might make. Being such a violent killer, the Garrador is fashioned with claws on its hands and can stab clean through the skull before following up with a claw to the abdomen.
3. Decapitated By The Chainsaw Man
The first real boss Leon encounters in Resident Evil 4, the Chainsaw Man is a terrifying foe. It takes up tons of ammo to put him down and it can kill Leon extremely quickly with a single swipe from its chainsaw. If Leon is unlucky enough to be low enough in health, the Chainsaw Man can come in and take his head off in one of the most brutal death animations in the game.
2. Impaled In The Spike Trap
Another quick time event, this time taking place in the Salazar Castle. After falling down a pit from one of Salazar’s traps, players have to hit the quick time event to stop themselves from impaling on the spikes at the bottom of the pit. If they fail, they’re treated to a particularly brutal piercing session.
1. The Iron Maiden’s Embrace
One of the most terrifying monsters in Resident Evil 4, the Iron Maiden is the upgraded version of the Regenerador. With hundreds of spikes extending from its body, the Iron Maiden can send them out, catching enemies outside their already impressive reach and bringing them close for a warm embrace. While the Iron Maiden is already a terrifying enemy, having the same regeneration powers of the Regenerador as well as the same heavy panting, being pulled into this monster is an uncomfortable death for any player.
Ryan Hay (he/him) has been writing about Magic: The Gathering and video games for years, and loves absolutely terrible games. Send him your bad game takes over on Twitter where he occasionally rants about everything from cats to Lord of the Rings.