Sheva Alomar

Overview

Sheva Alomar, born in 1986, is a character introduced in Resident Evil 5, as a replacement partner for Chris Redfield following the death of Jill Valentine. Sheva is a member of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA), specifically the West African branch.

In Resident Evil 5, Sheva is based off of Michelle Van der Water, while motion capping and voice acting are done by Karen Dyer. She was also portrayed by Naja Hill in the viral campaign for Resident Evil 5.

Sheva primarily functions as the secondary character of game, either being controlled by an AI or the player 2. Though upon completing the story the player can then choose between playing as Chris or Sheva as player 1; when playing solo, there is unique dialogue depending on which character is player 1.

According to production designer Yasuhiro Anpo, Sheva was intended to embody two key themes: femininity and strength. She is also intended to represent the game's theme of companionship, signifying Chris' bond with her, by mixing beauty with ferocity. Sheva's design was very well-received, with several publications praising her design and characterization.

Early Life

Born in 1986, not much is known about Sheva Alomar's early life. When she was eight, her parents died in a mysterious accident at the factory where they worked, and Sheva was forced to live with her uncle. Due to the fact that her uncles as caring for seven other children, Sheva ran away and ended up living with a truck driver who had mercy on her.

The truck driver was actually part of a anti-government guerrilla group, which Sheva later joined. It was during her time with the guerrilla group that she learned about her parents' true fate. Their village, specifically their factory, was the site of a bio-organic weapon test enacted by the Umbrella Corporation, and her parents were killed in the resulting destruction.

Several years later, Sheva was contacted by an American operative searching for candidates to help stop the Umbrella Corporation from selling bio-organic weapons. After bringing the Umbrella Corporation's agent to justice, Sheva moved to America to begin life anew. She managed to learn English and join a university fairly quickly, graduating within a couple of years. The American operative suggested that she join the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA). Within a few years, she was chosen as Chris Redfield's next partner.

Resident Evil 5

During the events of Resident Evil 5, Sheva Alomar is Chris Redfield's partner, replacing Jill Valentine. She is specifically assigned to Chris to help keep the natives from growing restless in the presence of a foreigner.

Sheva is always present as a partner throughout Resident Evil 5. She is either computer controlled or human controlled, helping Chris through obstacles and fights, as well as assisting him in terms of weapon and item allocation. The player is able to manually heal Sheva, give her items, and give her ammunition.

Chris and Sheva's relationship during Resident Evil 5 is initially shaky, due to the fantastic relationship Chris had with Jill. However, as events progress, Chris comes to trust Sheva more, and the duo eventually face off against Wesker himself in the final confrontation, simultaneously firing two RPG-7s to kill him off.

Costumes

Part of Resident Evil 5 is its wealth of unlockable content, such as costumes for each playable character. There are four costumes for Sheva.

• Clubbin' - This costume is simply unlocked after the first playthrough of Resident Evil 5. It gives Sheva a golden outfit, as well as a blond wig.
• Tribal - After completing the game once and then destroying 30 BSAA emblems, the Tribal costume is unlocked. This consists of a leopard print bikini, as well as tribal paint.
• Business - Unlike other costumes, this one is not unlocked through normal gameplay. It is included in the Costume Pack 2, and is available in the PC version for free. The Business costume is a grey suit with sunglasses, intended to give Sheva the appearance of Ingrid Hunnigan from Resident Evil 4.
• Fairy Tale - Themed after Little Red Riding Hood, this costume is also unlocked by downloading one of the costume packs (specifically Costume Pack 1). It consists of a red hood and skirt, and high black boots.

Trivia

• Sheva's age during the events of Resident Evil 5 is 23, the same age as Jill Valentine during the events of Resident Evil and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis.