Fan theory about Leon Kennedy and Sherry Birkin being married sparks outrage in the Resident Evil community

A Resident Evil fan posted a theory on Twitter claiming that Sherry Birkin – the little girl Leon rescued in Resident Evil 2 – could be his wife in the upcoming Resident Evil Requiem. The post immediately drew a wave of backlash from the community.

The theorist cites recent comments by producer Masato Kawazama about Leon's relationship status, along with leaked details suggesting Sherry is the one contacting Leon over the radio and feeding him intel in the new game. The fan interprets this as Leon wanting to keep Sherry somewhere safe, which supposedly hints at a deeper romantic connection. The leap from mentor-protégé dynamic to married couple is a significant one, and it's not entirely clear how that conclusion was reached – but then, that's fan theories for you. Enough to make any fanfiction site blush.

The community's response was overwhelmingly negative. Fans were quick to point out that Sherry was just 12 years old during the events of Resident Evil 2, when a 21-year-old Leon pulled her out of Raccoon City. Throughout the series, their bond has always been portrayed as deeply familial – Leon treats Sherry like a daughter. In the ending of the original RE2, Sherry even suggests that Claire and Leon could adopt her. The community's position was pretty unified:

— Sherry is like a daughter to him – full stop.

— Check this guy's hard drive.

— You clearly never played Resident Evil 2.

Several users suggested the post was just typical rage bait designed to provoke a reaction.

The original poster tried to defend the theory, arguing that "times change and people grow." With the new game set roughly 30 years later – making Leon around 51 and Sherry around 42 – the age gap admittedly looks less extreme. But that line of reasoning only made things worse, as the community has very clear expectations about where these characters stand with each other.

As for actual hints from the developers, game director Koshi Nakanishi gave a deliberately vague answer to Deadline when asked about Leon's romantic life, though he did mention "a personal relationship between Leon and Ada." Whether that relationship gets any real development in the new game, however, remains to be seen.

Resident Evil Requiem launches February 27, 2026 on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2.