Richard Aiken

Overview

Richard is the communications expert for Bravo Team who supplied communications for Alpha Team. Richard was said to be a very inviting and friendly individual, one that always tried his best to make any new members--such as Rebecca Chambers--feel welcome.

Umbrella Chronicles

After being attacked in the Raccoon Forest by Cerberus dogs, Richard is able to escape and seek refuge in the Spencer mansion. Later on he found a sleeping Rebecca Chambers and told her that they needed to find a safer place to stay. They attempted to make it to the attic where they could try to contact the rescue helicopter. On their way, they were attacked by a giant snake called Yawn.

Resident Evil

They both survived this encounter, but Richard was bitten amidst their escape and is poisoned. He is eventually found by either Jill Valentine or Chris Redfield, depending on the scenario. In Chris's version, Rebecca may also be found alongside him, depending on whether the player first encountered her in the pharmaceutical room or not. As Jill, he will always be encountered alone as Rebecca Chambers is omitted from Jill's version of the game completely.

He asks that Chris/Jill find serum to cure the poison, however he will always die regardless of how quick the player can return to administer the shot. Before he dies, he is at least able to hand over his radio to the player. Examining his corpse, like with most STARS corpses in the game, will give the player a handgun clip.

Resident Evil remake

His appearance in the remake differs fairly differently than his original appearance. While he is once again attacked off-screen by the giant snake Yawn, he can now potentially be saved if the player manages to return with the serum in time -- roughly five minutes. If he is saved, he will then reside within the pharmaceutical room so as to recover. However Richard will still ultimately perish as the story progresses.

In Jill's version of the game, Richard will accompany her when she must confront Yawn and will assist as a friendly NPC during the battle. After so much damage, Yawn will recede away; Jill and Richard then lower their guards, only for Yawn to strike and attack Richard, who pushes Jill out of the way, swallowing him whole. The battle will still continue, only now Jill must fight the monster on her own, if not instead collect the death mask and run away. If Jill leaves the room while Richard's still alive, she will hear a scream, notifying the player that Richard was killed.

In Chris's version of the game, Richard isn't encountered again until the player enters the aqua duct. Here it shows Richard telling Chris to get away; before Chris can react, however, Richard quickly pushes him out of the way just before a giant shark--codenamed Neptune--attacks, sacrificing himself in the process.

While Richard will still die, it's beneficial to save him from the poison due to his shotgun. Once killed by either Yawn or Neptune, he will have dropped his custom Assault Shotgun, which can hold more rounds and is slightly more powerful than the regular shotgun of the game. However if the player opts to abandon Richard as Jill during the battle against Yawn, then his assault shotgun will not be available to collect.

Trivia

• Like the rest of the Bravo team Richard makes a cameo during the opening cinematic, though he has no dialogue.

• In the Resident Evil remake he is voiced by Joe Whyte, who also voices Chris Redfield. In Umbrella Chronicles he is voiced by Yuri Lowenthal.

• Both of Richard's alternate deaths depict him pushing Chris/Jill out of the way of an attack, sacrificing himself in the process.