Are HUNK & The Commander the Same Character in RE9?

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Exploring the fan theory that HUNK is the Commander in RE9

Co-authored by Glenn Carreau

Last Updated: March 25, 2026 Fact Checked

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Is HUNK in ''RE9''?

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Why HUNK Could Be In ''RE9''

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Who is HUNK?

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Does the Commander die?

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Other ''RE'' Characters in ''Requiem''

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Resident Evil fans have searched the latest game, Resident Evil Requiem (or Resident Evil 9), high and low for easter eggs and character cameos—as well they should! After all, many of Requiem’s levels take advantage of player nostalgia. Some fans even think a recurring mercenary character, HUNK, makes an appearance in Requiem…but does he, really? We’ll give you the answer. In this article, we’ll talk about HUNK’s Resident Evil 9 counterpart and why the two seem so alike. Plus, we’ll cover other characters from past games that have reappeared in RE9!

Does HUNK appear in Resident Evil Requiem?

HUNK—a legendary mercenary in the Resident Evil universe—isn’t explicitly named in Resident Evil Requiem (RE9). However, many fans believe an enemy in Requiem, the Commander, is actually HUNK; the two look alike, have the same voice actor, and share the same finishing moves in combat, among other similarities.

Section 1 of 5:

Is HUNK in Resident Evil 9 (Requiem)?

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HUNK’s cameo is unconfirmed, but heavily implied in Resident Evil 9. Neither Requiem’s developers nor the game itself explicitly calls out “HUNK” by name, but, for many reasons, fans believe that HUNK and a Requiem character called “the Commander” are the same. “The Commander” appears in Requiem’s final act as an enemy who faces off in a solo match against Leon Kennedy at the ARK facility.^{[1]
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- HUNK doesn’t appear often in the Resident Evil franchise, but has resurfaced from time to time during key events.
- Seeing as other classic characters made an appearance (or were at least referenced) in Resident Evil Requiem, it wouldn’t be surprising for Capcom to drop a cameo featuring this classic minor villain.
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One fan theory suggests the Commander is a clone, instead. This is not canon by any means, just a fun theory that fans of Resident Evil have proposed as an alternative to the original HUNK being in Resident Evil Requiem. This theory suggests that the Umbrella Corporation—HUNK’s former employer—made a clone (or several clones) of their operative, and that the clone now works for The Connections as “the Commander.”
- There isn’t any hard evidence to support this theory. However, it is possible that HUNK isn’t around anymore; most of his documented activities occur between 1998 and 2003, whereas Requiem is set in 2026—decades later.

Section 2 of 5:

Reasons HUNK Is Likely The Commander in Resident Evil 9

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The Commander and HUNK look almost identical. The first similarity is the most obvious: HUNK and the Commander are both shown wearing heavy black combat gear—and, most notably, a red-lensed gas mask. Although one is labeled “HUNK” and the other “the Commander” (and Requiem does not explicitly confirm a shared identity), they look extremely alike visually.^{[2]
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- The Commander is also shown to have Raccoon City Syndrome (just like Leon), implying that he was in Raccoon City during the Incident…which HUNK was.
During the Commander fight, there’s a quick-time event in which the Commander grabs Leon and tries to violently eliminate him by breaking his neck. That melee finisher looks more or less the same as HUNK’s finisher from the Resident Evil 4 remake’s Mercenaries Mode (which also shows HUNK snapping necks in melee combat).^{[3]
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The Commander’s hatchet seems like a reference to HUNK. When Leon defeats the Commander, he picks up the Commander’s hatchet, Mortal Edge. The hatchet’s in-game description seemingly drops a reference to HUNK, who was called the “Grim Reaper” for his legendary skills.^{[4]
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- The hatchet’s description reads: “A formidable instrument of death. It has taken countless lives and is steeped in a long, bloody history. Has exceptional parry capabilities.”
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The Commander and HUNK share the same voice actor. Keith Silverstein, HUNK’s voice actor from Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City (2012), Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D (2011), Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (2009), Resident Evil: Degeneration (2008), and Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles (2007), also provides the Commander’s voice. This also implies that they could be the same!^{[5]
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- Silverstein is also credited with “additional voices” in the Resident Evil 2 remake (2019)—and HUNK appears in that game, too.

Section 3 of 5:

Who is HUNK in Resident Evil?

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HUNK is a mercenary and former Umbrella operator. During the height of the Umbrella Corporation’s power, HUNK (a codename which may stand for ‘Human Unit Never Killed’) was the leader of Umbrella’s Alpha Team—responsible for some of the company’s riskiest operations. He gained his nickname, the “Grim Reaper,” because he was so often the sole survivor of his missions, and a cold, ruthless person to boot.^{[6]
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- HUNK carried out dangerous missions for Umbrella over the course of about two years, after having been trained at Rockfort Island’s military training center in 1996.
- Additionally, HUNK and U.B.C.S. Sergeant Nikolai Zinoviev (a major antagonist in Resident Evil 3) were considered rivals.
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HUNK was present during the Raccoon City Incident of 1998. HUNK’s Alpha Team was ordered to break into Unbrella’s NEST facility and steal G-Virus samples from Dr. William Birkin. They collected the samples (as well as several t-Virus samples), but were intercepted by a mutated Birkin, who’d injected himself with the G-Virus. Birkin managed to destroy all the samples, but HUNK escaped the encounter and continued to find new samples.
- HUNK’s entire team died in Birkin’s attack, but HUNK didn’t seem to care about that.
- He even ignored one of his subordinates’ pleas for help, informing her that “survival is your responsibility” before reaching the extraction point and escaping Raccoon City—with a new sample—on his own.
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HUNK became a famous mercenary following Umbrella’s collapse. Before Umbrella’s fall, HUNK continued running missions for them, including the Rockfort Island Incident. After Umbrella’s collapse in 2003, HUNK went on to be a mercenary and even created the “CQBZ” (Close Quarters Quarantined Battle Zone), a fighting style based on CQB tactics.^{[7]
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- HUNK also designed equipment to suit those who used the CQBZ style, including the Zombie Beil, Zombie Eisen, Zombie Jammer, and Bite Guard.
- Considering that HUNK is a mercenary, it’s entirely possible that he could’ve been hired as a member of The Connections’ elite guard (The Connections being an international crime syndicate).

Section 4 of 5:

Does the Commander die in Resident Evil 9?

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Although Leon defeats the Commander, his body later vanishes. When Leon is forced to fight the Commander, he naturally wins and appears to kill the Commander—even calling him a “tough b*stard” while leaving the room. However, if players (as Leon) return to the room later, the Commander’s body will have vanished. This might imply the Commander’s (aka HUNK’s) survival.
- Requiem’s developers may want to imply that the Commander escaped the facility.
- Alternatively, the Commander’s vanished body might just be part of the game’s programming—not an intentional hint.

Section 5 of 5:

Other Past Resident Evil Characters that Return in RE9

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Alyssa Ashcroft isn’t from a mainline Resident Evil game, but she’s a playable character in the 2003 Resident Evil Outbreak. In Requiem, she appears as the mother of protagonist Grace Ashcroft—and even though she isn’t in the game for long, it’s Alyssa’s past associations and work that jumpstart Grace’s story.
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Leon Scott KennedyIt’s no surprise that Leon appears in Requiem—he’s one of the game’s two protagonists alongside Grace Ashcroft! Leon’s segments of the game are much more action-focused, while Grace’s lean more into horror and survival. And that makes plenty of sense: given Leon’s status as an expert agent and survivor of many gnarly missions before this one, he’s the perfect action hero (and a franchise staple since Resident Evil 4).
- Requiem may be the end of Leon’s story and his last appearance as a Resident Evil protagonist—but that’s just a rumor for now. Capcom hasn’t confirmed or denied whether Leon could be in future games.
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Mr. XIn Resident Evil 2, Mr. X is the huge and more or less indestructible tyrant that chases Leon and Claire around Raccoon City—and now, nearly three decades later, yet another version of Mr. X returns to hunt Leon in the ruins of Raccoon City. And yes, Mr. X’s portion of Requiem occurs while Leon explores the ruins of the old Raccoon City Police Department. Talk about deja vu!
- While it’s not the same Mr. X as the one in RE2 (since Leon does manage to kill that one), this Mr. X is basically identical, one of a mass-produced series sold on the black market.
Spencer doesn’t appear physically in Requiem, but his presence is palpable nonetheless—Gideon’s entire plan revolving around Grace is based on his past work with Spencer, and Spencer himself is shown in videos with Alyssa Ashcroft. Ultimately, Spencer’s past actions become central to Requiem’s plot, as well as his desire for redemption later in life.
Rolando is a character from Resident Evil Village, serving in Chris Redfield’s unit for the B.S.A.A. In Village, he’s first seen raiding the Winters’ house and killing the fake Mia. He reappears several times with Redfield as they work to defeat Miranda and rescue Ethan and his daughter, Rose. In Requiem, Rolando makes a brief cameo at the very end of the game—helping Leon and Grace on Chris’s behalf.
Sherry Birkin was rescued from a collapsing Raccoon City as a child and cared for by Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield. Now, as a fully-grown federal agent, she reappears as Leon Kennedy’s assistant and “guy in the chair” (basically, the tech-savvy operative looking out for the action hero). Throughout the game, she and Leon are both in peril, racing to find a cure for their infection.