Capcom stated that Resident Evil Village is the conclusion of Ethan’s story. Fans are wondering if that means he’ll live happily ever after or be killed in the course of the game. The answer is a bit complicated, and we’ll explain whether Ethan dies in Resident Evil Village or not below.
Warning: Massive spoilers below.
Does Ethan get killed in Resident Evil Village?
Ethan is technically dead before Resident Evil Village even begins, and even before most of the events of Resident Evil 7. As players will learn near the end of the game, Ethan was killed by Jack Baker in 2017. After incapacitating Mia, Jack stomped on Ethan’s head to knock him out, which killed him. However, Mia deserves some of the credit, as the massive blood loss from getting his hand cut off probably helped too.
Since Eveline was created from samples of the Megamycete found under the village, we know she has the ability to “remember” any consciousness she comes in contact with. After Ethan’s body was disposed of, in between when we first meet Jack and the dinner table scene, his memories were somehow fused into a Molded, which then assumes his form.
Ethan being a Molded explains why he was able to take so much damage and shrug it off. However, by the end of Resident Evil Village, he’s reached his limits, and his body begins showing the telltale petrification of a dead Molded. Comments from the Duke and Mother Miranda seem to indicate that this process is irreversible once it starts.
Unfortunately, Ethan dies a second death when he triggers the bomb to destroy the Megamycyte at the end of the game. This one seems to be permanent. However, it’s Resident Evil, and characters have a way of popping back up when least expected.
Can you save Ethan in Resident Evil Village?
Ethan’s death is an integral part of the plot of Resident Evil Village. As such, there’s no way around it. There’s no way to save Ethan and no alternate endings to the game as far as we’ve found.
However, as stated above, a character that seemed dead springing back to life is a Resident Evil tradition. Wesker “died” in the first game, only to come back as a major antagonist in multiple titles. So, Ethan is dead, but it remains to be seen if he stays that way.
