In the originalResident Evil 4, Ashley Graham wasn’t treated particularly well — both in her characterization and the way other characters interacted with her. She was whiny, a liability unless you stuck her in a full suit of armor, and sexualised in that archetypal ‘helpless schoolgirl’ kinda way. She was peak damsel-in-distress, constantly looking to Leon for assurances as though she didn’t have a brain of her own.
Seeing just how much Ashley changed for the Resident Evil 4 Remake was a relief. I didn’t have to cringe at every sexist comment Luis threw her way; I didn’t have to listen to her shrill voice shrieking every two seconds. Not only does the remake make it easier for Leon to issue more precise commands to Ashley, such as getting her to hide or get behind him, which makes protecting her way easier, but throughout the remake’s story, she’s actuallyuseful.
Ashley knocks down a wall with a wrecking ball; she frees Leon from a cage by braving the castle on her own. Even when she needs a little extra reassurance (as any untrained person in that situation would), she doesn’t turn into a doe-eyed damsel ready to faint at any moment — she’s just a young woman who’s genuinely terrified, naturally looking to someone older and capable of protecting her to verify everything would be okay.
Her relationship with Leon is handled more appropriately, too. Though Ashley clearly still has a crush on Leon, it seems more like a natural admiration than the “save-the-girl-and-she’ll-sleep-with-you” cliché. In place of the infamous “How ‘bout we do some overtime?” line, Ashley asks if he’d like to be appointed to her detail at the end of the game (a much less suggestive line, but stil indicating an interest). It’s definitely helped by the fact that she no longer follows up the suggestion with insecurequestions about Ada Wong, and the fact that Leon declines the offer because she can handle herself.
RELATED:Resident Evil 4 Remake: Best Weapons, Ranked
It’s this ringing endorsement that lays the groundwork for Ashley to return in a future Resident Evil game — or perhaps, get a standalone game or DLC of her own. Sure, it’s a long shot, but it would be amazing to see Ashley and Leon reunite with a far better basis for their relationship. Ashley asks Leon if he thinks she’d be able to join him someday, protecting the world against any and all threats that might come against it, and though he chuckles at the thought, he isn’t dismissive. If anything, he’s thoughtful; and that gives not only Ashley but also me hope for her future.
After all, Ashley’s actually physically capable in the remake, at one point arming herself with a full,heavycandelabra, posting up by the door and waiting for someone to come in so she can smack them over the head. Throughout the game, it’s clear she’s ready to go down swinging if she has to go down at all. Leon may be the onefighting the bosses, but Ashley makes it clear that fear doesn’t paralyze her — it motivates her.
She has the willpower to fight Las Plagas pretty effectively, though not entirely. She has the intelligence to figure out how to cure Leon after being cured herself. She saves his life repeatedly, and though it’s accurate to the original RE4’s gameplay, I think it’s a shame we didn’t get more playtime as Ashley, or got to see her actuallyfightinstead of just darting past enemies and freezing them with the lantern.
That’s exactly why she deserves a real shot at being a playable character. A slightly older Ashley who’s been put through some training would be the perfect addition to the Resident Evil family, and with the RE8 arc over, we’re about due for a reset. She could easily appear alongside Leon in a future game, be an add-on to an existing game with DLC, or maybe even replace Helena Harper in an RE6 Remake to give his campaign a much-needed chemistry boost (and no, I’m not the only one who thinksResident Evil 6 wasn’t all bad).
Ashley Graham is a wellspring of potential. She’ssomuch better in the remake that it opens up a whole new realm of possibilities for the series — she could actually stand toe to toe withJill, Claire, and Ada, not just exist as a one-off love interest for a main character who’s uninterested. So go on, Capcom: give us an Ashley stand-alone game. Give us a DLC where she’s a playable character. Give us more Ashley Graham.
NEXT:Resident Evil 4 Remake: Things To Do After Beating The Game
