The Resident Evil series is filled with memorable characters, but no one is more iconic than Jill Valentine. One of the original protagonists alongside Chris Redfield, Jill has been criminally underused by developer Capcom over the years. She hasn’t had a starring role since Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, meaning she couldn’t even get into the rotation for the bloated Resident Evil 6 cast. That said, she’s still a fan favorite with an extensive backstory, and because she’s often relegated to a bit player, many players might not be aware of some of the more intricate details about Jill’s well-documented life and career.
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Below is a list of ten facts that even hardcore fans may not be aware of, especially if you aren’t deep into the S.D. Perry novelizations.
1) She Is a Pioneer for Survival Horror
To be clear, there have been several women in scary games before the original Resident Evil, but Jill Valentine is the first lady to take the lead in a survival horror game. Granted, the first RE was among the first survival horror games, but it’s still an important milestone for Jill Valentine, cementing her status as one of the greatest all-time horror characters.
2) Her Surprising Hair Color Change Is Explained
Besides Resident Evil 5, Jill consistently sports brown hair. You might assume this was a change to make her more marketable, but it’s actually explained in the lore. See, after Jill was infected with the T-Virus in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, she developed a partial immunity to that strain. When Albert Wesker captured her before the events of RE5, he started to run tests on her that turned her into a subservient killing machine. Those tests wouldn’t have worked without her partial T-Virus immunity, but had the side effect of turning her hair color blonde.
3) Her Original Name Is a Reference to a Famous Musician
In the original files for Resident Evil, Jill’s name is “Jill Morrison.” This is a direct reference to Jim Morrison, the lead singer of The Doors. Most characters were originally inspired by various forms of pop culture, with Chris Redfield’s original jacket being a reference to the band Queen.
4) Jill Gained Her Skills From the Delta Force
Jill’s canon backstory says that she joined the US Army in the early 1990s. That eventually led to her being recruited by Delta Force. However, that unit did not enlist women, so she did a six-month training session with the nation’s top counter-terrorism unit. That’s where Jill developed her skills in lock-picking. She also showed an aptitude for bomb disposal, which isn’t highlighted by the original game’s corny dialogue.
5) An Alternate Canon Attributed Her Lockpicking to Her Dad
However, the S.D. Perry novelizations present an alternate version of Jill’s backstory. These novels aren’t canon, but are still a fun footnote. In the Perry-verse, Jill’s lock-picking skills come from her father, who is a world-famous thief. It gives the novel a bit more to chew on, and it’s too bad the games didn’t follow in Perry’s footsteps, since it could’ve given us a fun side character in RE3 and beyond.
6) Fans Once Thought a Surprising Photo Revealed Her Lovelife
In the original Resident Evil 2, fans could explore the S.T.A.R.S. office in the Raccoon Police Station. While inside, eagle-eyed fans might’ve spotted a picture on Jill’s desk that featured her with a young man. Many fans at the time thought this might be Jill’s boyfriend, but director Kazuhiro Aoyama quickly clarified that this was simply Jill’s “friend.”
The picture was replaced in Resident Evil 2 and 3 Remakes. If you go check it out, you’ll instead find a picture of an adorable puppy.
7) Her Family Background Might Surprise You
This one has never been overly important, but it is still a fun fact for Resident Evil superfans. While Jill’s father isn’t a thief in the mainline canon, we do know that he has French ancestry. Her mother, on the other hand, is of Japanese descent. Again, it’d be fun for Capcom to explore Jill’s history more, especially as characters like Chris lost their parental figures, so they can’t appear in the series.
8) Jill’s Original Live-Action Actress Was Finally Found in 2020
In the original Resident Evil game, Capcom produced a series of live-action shorts showing off the characters. From the credits, all fans knew about Jill’s live-action actress is that she went by Inezh. The actress wasn’t found until 2020, when she briefly popped up. However, the actress prefers to keep her life private, so she hasn’t featured in any substantial interviews in the years since.
9) She Turned 51 in 2025
Jill’s canonical birthdate occurred sometime in 1974, which means she would be turning 51 sometime this year. Interestingly, Ada Wong was also supposedly born in ’74, though her status as a reliable source is always questionable. Either way, if Jill shows up in Resident Evil Requiem, she’ll do so as a capable, middle-aged woman.
10) Jill’s Extensive Beret Collection
Finally, this is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment. Jill’s love of berets has long been documented; however, we learn in Resident Evil 3 Remake that she doesn’t just have one lucky beret. We see one beret in Jill’s apartment during the opening scenes, but a second beret is seen on her desk when Carlos Oliviera ventures into the Raccoon Police Department. It’s further evidence of Jill’s French heritage and proves that if she does make a comeback in Requiem, she’d better don the beret one last time.
Do you have a favorite fact about Jill Valentine? Let us know in the comments below!
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Image courtesy of 20th Century Studios
