AResident Evil 4player recently realized that the design of the early-game boss Mendez has special significance in the game. Encountered at the end ofResident Evil 4’s village section, he’s one of the more grotesque opponents in the game, but his appearance comes with implications that not every player might pick up on.
Capcom released the remake ofResident Evil 4last month.The game starsResident Evil 2protagonist Leon Kennedy, who’s now a secret agent sent to rescue the president’s daughter Ashley from an isolated valley in a remote region of rural Spain. He soon discovers that she’d been kidnaped by Los Iluminados, a bizarre cult worshiping an ancient alien parasite. These Los Plagas parasites have overtaken most of the locals, converting some into zombies and others into horrific mutants.
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Resident Evil 4’s Bitores Mendezdefinitely falls into the latter category. The priest and leader of the village inRE4’s setting of Valdelobos, his human form is that of an imposing, bearded man in a dark trench coat. However, in battle, he transforms into a grotesque mutant with a hideously elongated torso and disgusting crab-like appendages. Interestingly, Mendez’s mutated body closely resembles the emblem of Los Iluminados. As oneResident Evil 4fan and Reddit user recently realized, that’s not just a coincidence. Instead, players are seeing a fully grown Los Plagas parasite “wearing” Mendez like a suit.
This detail is not new information for everyResident Evil 4player, though it’s not something everyone picked up on immediately. One commenter said they hadn’t realized the connection until playing the game’s VR port last year. The poster also noted that they’d picked up on the similarities a while ago, but the reason for it had escaped them until recently.
As the post pointed out, this revelation makes Mendez even more disturbing than he was before figuring that out. One commenter noted that the design works even better intheResident Evil 4remake, which presents Mendez as an insane true believer rather than a cynical manipulator. The degree to which the parasite has overtaken Mendez’s body has some interesting implications. It raises questions like whether the parasite is directly controlling his mind or if the former catholic priest simply went mad trying to justify the monster he’s become.
Either way, Mendez’s grotesque form is enough to makeResident Evil 4players' skin crawl. The reminder that something is crawling in Mendez skin only makes him more successful as a horror antagonist.
TheResident Evil 4remake is available on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
