Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness

Did You Know?

• Tokyopop announced a manga-style graphic novel based on the series in October 2020.
• The graphic novel miniseries titled Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness - The Beginning was released on December 21, 2022.
• A graphic novel collection of all issues was released on March 12, 2024.

Premise

Set between the events of Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5, the series takes place in 2006 after a hacking incident is uncovered at the White House. Leon S. Kennedy is ordered to investigate, but encounters zombies when the White House is attacked. He later meets Claire Redfield again, who has been investigating a strange drawing by a child refugee while working on a TerraSave mission in the fictional South Asian republic of Penamstan.

Production

Netflix Portugal briefly tweeted a teaser trailer calling it a CGI movie before deleting the post. The series was officially announced at the virtual 2020 Tokyo Game Show by executive producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi. At the virtual Biohazard Showcase in April 2021, Eiichirō Hasumi was revealed as director and Yugo Kanno as composer. TMS Entertainment handled production, with animation by Quebico. Hasumi set the miniseries before Resident Evil 6 to have more freedom with younger versions of Leon and Claire, noting their popularity required careful characterization. The new character Jason mirrors Leon's sense of justice due to similar backgrounds and ideas about partners. The director was reminded that the miniseries was animation during Leon and Jason's interactions, and to maintain tension.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 50% approval score and an average rating of 5.5 out of 10 from 22 reviews. The site’s critics consensus praises the animation for capturing the intense feel of the games but notes the story isn’t as compelling as the scary moments. Austin Jones from Paste Magazine rated it 5 out of 10, saying the show requires viewers to already be invested in the Resident Evil franchise. Sam Barsanti of The A.V. Club gave it a C+, remarking that while it’s not high art, the CG four-episode format works better than the video games or the Milla Jovovich movies did. Andrew Webster of The Verge pointed out that some tie-ins aim to attract new fans, but this one is clearly for existing fans. Sam Stone of CBR called it a fun side story that lets Leon take center stage and recalls an older era of the series, focusing more on global action than horror. Kate Sánchez of But Why Tho? A Geek Community gave it 7.5 out of 10, describing it as more about political schemes, corporate secrets, and war survival than zombie killing. Taylor Lyles of IGN gave it 7 out of 10, noting that despite a predictable villain, weak performances and animation for some minor characters, and uneven focus between the two main characters, the show is a positive move forward. Tessa Smith of Mama’s Geeky gave it 3 out of 5, saying that while there are issues with animation and pacing, the show is action-packed and offers a glimpse into what Leon and Claire were doing between the games.