Leon and Claire (Remake Games)
Blog Entry: Leon and Claire (Remake Games)
Blog Entry: Leon and Claire (Remake Games)
Posted by: VampireWarith
Posted: January 29, 2019, 8:58:14 PM
Updated: February 22, 2024, 8:22:02 PM
Posted: January 29, 2019, 8:58:14 PM
Updated: February 22, 2024, 8:22:02 PM
At first, I wasn't too excited for another Resident Evil 2 game or another game taking place in Raccoon City and that was assuming that it was just going to be the same old badly written crap. While the game did have two campaigns, an A and B scenario, but they were pretty much the same which was good because the old scenarios were not really needed, and it just made the storyline confusing. Although, while Leon's canon campaign was more of the A scenario, but it had a little bit of the B scenario as well since he and Ada kissed, but it should come to no one's surprise that Ada was not only lying to him, but she did that just to get him to do what she wanted him to do, she was using him and after she "died"... he missed her... I guess being lied too and manipulated is appealing... and that's all their so-called relationship has ever been based on. I know that Leon needs to be shown as being naive during this time, but the developers take it too far.
However, if Leon did have any feelings for her at all, then the symbolizing of him throwing her lab bracelet away, up-close when it's tossed, would indicate that she's dead to him. Since there was no real emotional connection between them, just her lying and a fake kiss, then Leon needs to let go of her, not hang on to something that was very brief and wasn't real. The line from RE4, "She's like a part of me I can't let go" never made any sense from someone he barely knew (which was all a lie) and that scene should have been a sign of him letting go of her. It's terrible characterization writing and poor character development to write Leon or any character that way, as if he has no problem being treated like that and act as if a few minutes of being with someone counts as love or a relationship or even a trusted partner / friendship.
https://the-cleon-vault.tumblr.com/post/183026479618/the-remake-was-so-totally-cleon-and-the-aeon-kiss/embed
http://the-cleon-vault.tumblr.com/post/183251246493/more-info-about-the-new-canon-i-might-have/embed
Hideki: (original director of RE2) "You'll question Ada's motives, her true intention."
Ampo: "But young Leon is shut down with a kiss."
Hideki: "Yeah, he is easy to control."
Resident Evil 2: Roundtable Part 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgxG3eRQFng
https://the-cleon-vault.tumblr.com/tagged/the%20truth
"As a whole, the story is designed to be more grounded and believable, feeling less like a B-movie. However, there will be a few Easter eggs to reference the tone of the original game."
--Game Informer #108
The whole Leon and Ada thing just comes across as if that's what supposed to happen and not because it makes sense. I guess that maybe it was done to show Leon who he should really be with, for him to grow and mature... but that's just wishful thinking on my part and hoping that the developers and writers actually do something more meaningful with Leon and Claire's relationship, something that would actually work... but I'm not counting on it since Infinite Darkness and Death Island pretty much showed that they still have no interest in that.
When the writers and developers try to force it (Leon and Ada), it's not believable or likable, but when they take their time with it (Leon and Claire), it actually comes across as real and enduring. I just can't understand what the developers and Capcom sees in teaming Leon up with someone who either has an ulterior motive, waiting to back-stab him like Ada, Jack Krauser, and Luis Sera, he has to save them all the time like Ashley, Angela and Manuela, or they treat him like shoot like Alexander Kozachenko and Helena. It's only been Claire in Degeneration and Infinite Darkness (briefly), Chris in Vendetta and Jill in Death Island who were good partners for Leon.
http://the-cleon-vault.tumblr.com/post/182684144993/ohh-shieet-im-not-the-only-one-who-thinks-ada-is/embed
http://the-cleon-vault.tumblr.com/post/182699292998/residentevilconfessions-extremely-unpopular/embed
https://66.media.tumblr.com/c63278bf01c65d20b6f56f3228d2c005/tumblr_pmso7umohg1r1b6uyo1_540.jpg
I really don't want to use tumblr as a source, because like facebook, twitter, reddit, and instagram it's the gutter trash of the internet with some of thy most idiotic people on the planet with barely a handful of people with brain cells... but at this point, no one else anywhere is providing info on this.
Scenes
Leon and Claire meet each other almost the same way they did in the original game, but of course with some changes. After that they only have two little flirt scenes, the dialog, the expressions and the emotions all flow naturally. Both have a mutual attraction for each other, there's chemistry between them, a concern for each other's safety and it's not forced or faked.
Leon: "Claire... I hope you made it here."
Claire: "Leon... I'm sure you beat me here."
Claire: "Leon! We really gotta stop meeting like this."
Leon: "Are you alright? Police chopper... it just came out of nowhere..."
Claire: "Yeah, I'm fine."
Leon: "I take it you don't have the key..."
Claire: "No, I don't... it's good to see your face, though. How are you holding up?"
Leon: "I am... hanging in there."
Claire: "Helluva night, huh?"
Leon: "Yeah. You find your brother?"
Claire: "I did actually, he's-- just when you think it can't get any worse... Leon, you should get going."
Leon: "Don't worry about me. Just... get yourself to safety."
Claire: "No, Leon, seriously, they're getting through the fence! Please just go!"
Leon: "We're gonna make. Both of us."
Leon: "Claire... it's so nice to see you."
Claire: "How you doing? That helicopter just came out of nowhere..."
Leon: "Yeah, I'm in one piece."
Claire: "I'm guessing you don't have a key in one of those fancy pockets."
Leon: "Unfortunately, no... but, how are you holding up?"
Claire: "You know, just surviving."
Leon: "That's good. Any luck with your brother?"
Claire: "No, not yet."
Leon: "Claire, don't lose hope... I'm sure we're gonna find him-- damn it. You know that that means..."
Claire: "Yeah... Dinner time."
Leon: "Claire, I think you should go."
Claire: "Don't worry about me Leon, you take care of yourself."
Leon: "Claire, you need to go--NOW!"
Claire: "Hey... let's get through this. Both of us."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EwYKvf1UFE
http://leonandclairebsaa.tumblr.com/post/183698203183/someone-please-tell-me-im-not-dreaming-valenfield/embed
When Claire is attempting to get the underground train moving, Leon appears on a video feed telling Claire that she needs to get out of there. Claire tells him that she thinks they can all make it and asks where he is. Their video feed keeps breaking up and Leon insists that Claire not worry about him, just for her to get out of there. Claire makes another desperate attempt to reach Leon, but the video feed cuts off.
Leon: "Claire!"
Claire: "Leon? You're down here too?"
Leon: "Yeah, but the whole place is coming down. Listen to me, you need to get out. Fast!"
Claire: "Yeah. There's a way out. We can make it! Where are you now?"
Leon: "Claire? You still there?"
Claire: "Leon? Hey Leon, you're breaking up..."
Leon: "Forget about me! Just get out of here! Damn it!"
Claire: "Leon? Leon? Damn!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz3R5tF_JPM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSn0kHvL_3s
https://clairexleon.tumblr.com/post/183726087892/starlightmachine-cleon-caring-for-each-other/embed
When Leon gets on the train, the expression on Claire's face and the emotion in her voice, she's overjoyed that Leon made it.
Leon: "Claire."
Claire: "Leon! It's so good to see you."
Leon: "I told you we'd make it, didn't I?"
Claire: "You did."
Claire: "Leon?"
Leon: "We made it..."
Claire: "Just like I said we would."
The other flirt scene is the ending where they walk off into the sunset with Sherry asking if their boyfriend and girlfriend. Claire asks if it's over, Leon doesn't know but says that they'll stop it, whatever it takes, Claire agrees and Leon states that they'll stick together. They both hold Sherry's hands, she says that they can adopt her, she also wants a puppy, a parrot and wants to learn to play an instrument.
Sherry: "So... are you guys, like, boyfriend and girlfriend?"
Leon: "No, we're just, uh... well we actually we just met... last night?"
Claire: "Yeah, that would've have been one helluva of a first date, though."
Leon: "Yeah, you have no idea--"
Claire: "So... is it over?"
Leon: "I don't know. But if it's not, we'll stop it. Whatever it takes."
Claire: "Yeah. You damn right we well!"
Leon: "As long as we stick together, we'll be fine. Come on."
Sherry: "Hey! you guys can adopt me."
Claire: "Adopt you?"
Leon: "Uh?"
Sherry: "We can get a puppy!"
Claire: "A... puppy?"
Sherry: "And a parrot!"
Leon: "A parrot?"
Claire: "Parrot? Great..."
Sherry: "I've always wanted pets, but my mom said they were too messy."
Leon: "Hmm... yeah..."
Sherry: "Oh, and it would be fun to learn piano. Do you guys play any instruments?"
It's a much better ending than what the epilogue files and Darkside Chronicles had where Leon yells at Claire to "leave us alone!" and the three of them don't see each other for years. It's fits Leon's character more for him to say that they'll "sick together" or as much as possible after this and Sherry wanted to see where Claire lived, and she agreed to that. It never made any sense for Leon to have an outburst like that or for Claire to leave them, that's not the type of character Leon and Claire should be.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aD_1bsESf8M
https://clairexleon.tumblr.com/post/182767546347/what-really-makes-this-awesome-is-the-fact-that/embed
http://leonandclairebsaa.tumblr.com/post/183406640973/ok-direct-to-the-point-you-know-sherry-is-a
https://clairexleon.tumblr.com/post/187473044272/damnit-capcom-more-more-more-interactions/embed
Some people wanted more scenes between them, so did I, but then they say that the original game had more... but it didn't, nobody ever goes into details on that at all (the only scenes they had in the 1998 game was when there in the police car, the police station, and the train, that's it), and while Darkside Chronicles had more interaction, but both had very platonic scenes that didn't really mean anything to either of them. In the Remake they clearly show an interest in each other and that was Tsuyoshi Kanda's goal.
"We've also tried to deepen the narrative experience and the relationships between not only Leon and Claire, but all of the game's characters, in order to increase the dramatic tension."
https://archive.vn/bW0LS
Background and other Changes... but not really
It's interesting that Hideki Kamiya mention this in an interview for Famitsu magazine.
"She had a few boyfriends, but doesn't seem to be going out with anyone in particular [at this time]."
http://the-cleon-vault.tumblr.com/post/182828417768/screams-capcom-you-are-amazing-more-cleon/embed
Thankfully they changed one part of his back story that made no sense.
https://66.media.tumblr.com/69db7c1be04ba2e729fed8dc50369999/tumblr_pmdrsfN02S1r3gyujo2_1280.png
https://www.bleedingcool.com/2018/12/28/capcom-has-fixed-leon-kennedys-backstory-in-resident-evil-2/
That felt like a last-minute idea to state that Leon broke up with his girlfriend, got drunk, overslept and was late getting to Raccoon City. But that's never once mention or implied at all in the original RE2, not even in the instruction booklet or in the Darkside Chronicles game... this was only stated in a guild book... but what was the point to that??? Leon's character never once came across as someone who acted like that, if you think that makes him relatable, gives him some sort of edge (where none was seen), but being a responsible adult where one is simple doing their job isn't... it's another reason why I don't care for the RE fan base, I also don't care for the majority of the Leon/Claire fan base (then again, what fan base?) or this generation of losers.
CBR Deletes Tweet For Anti- Captain America Memorial Day Article
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73E9ivRX4Hg
Sadly, western culture no longer rewards such things as responsibility, strength, patience, grit, courage, manliness. Instead, we reward being selfishness, whining, crying, complaining, pouting and grievance, that's what gets reward.
One would think that with this part of Leon's background changed, the characterization interactions, the ending where Leon says that they'll stick together, the fact that the remake wasn't a scene for scene, line for line, character behavior from the original game, it almost seemed as if the developers wanted a new continuity since the old one turned the series into a mess where it went from survival horror (RE1-2-3) to action fantasy (VC-RE4-RE5-RE6-RED-RER-REV). The characters don't see each other for years, Wesker comes back with superpowers, there's clones of him, Leon becomes a super-agent who's just bland and boring with no life, he and Ada have nothing more than a cat and mouse game that goes on and on, both Chris and Leon are turned into single depressed drunks and so on. All of this led to the downfall of the series, but the developers and Capcom are not smart and will most likely just repeat this one way or another.
What they should have done after the RE3 remake, is just ignore everything else after that and come up with new storylines, ones that involve all the main characters interacting with each other, where they don't just become a team, but friends and a family. If we really want to see Chris, Jill, Leon, Claire, Sherry, Billy, Rebecca and Barry develop and grow as characters in this more realistic approach that they wanted to go, the whole "stick together", the only way to do that is for them to come together, that means starting a new RE canon and this series needed it badly. But like I said this is just wishful thinking and RE Village, Infinite Darkness, RE4 Remake and Death Island showed that they haven't learned anything.
Because as far as Capcom is concerned, the 2019 game and the other remakes doesn't really change anything, the original RE2 and the remake are pretty much the same game, just a different telling of the same story and the canon is somewhere in the middle, so it's no different from the A/B scenario game from 1998, nothing changes.
RE4 Remake
The RE4 Remake still doesn't change anything between them, the memory that Leon has of Claire and Sherry leaving Raccoon City is just that, a simple memory, they didn't stick together, didn't become a couple and they didn't adopt Sherry. One thing to note in the RE4 Remake, is that Leon tells Ada about how he's changed since they last met, he asks her if she has changed or if she will continue to use him for her own agenda, like she did six years ago. Not surprisingly Ada gives no answer and leaves. Ada also tells Leon to leave Ashley behind, despite the fact that the whole reason why he's there.
Ada: "Leave the girl. She's lost no matter what."
Leon: "You think I'm gonna give up that easy?"
Once again, these two are shown to have completely different personalities, jobs, goals, beliefs etc., the few minutes they had in RE2 Remake and the 6 years since then are not two characters who known each other or in love. I've been stating this since 1998 and that hasn't changed. Leon has more in common with Claire, which is why they just make more sense being together. If the development team actual took their time in writing it, but they're not really interested in that.
https://eziosofia.tumblr.com/post/714056096636157952/claire-and-leon-parallels-from-re2-remake-and-re4/embed
Final Thoughts
Having said all that, while I do of course think that the scenes and dialog they had is something to build on to start a romantic relationship in the Remake, but I don't think the two were already deeply in love by the end, that takes time, or it should, although it shouldn't take years and hardly ever seeing each other. We don't need a repeat of the crappy writing from the original RE2 or CV in which a character falls for someone in a matter of minutes or seconds. What some people see in that type of "writing"... I'll never know, I am of course a Leon/Claire fan, and I always will be, but I'm more of a realist on that. Meaning that as much as I want them to be together, I don't see Capcom and the developers actually doing it, they've never given any indication that they're going to, they've only given little hints here and there in Degeneration and in the Remake... that's it, and they've done nothing with it and have even ignored it. The Netflix miniseries once again showed that they still have no interest on further developing their relationship beyond a friendship.
Sadly, it's too little too late to try and start getting these two together, the Leon/Claire fan base, which was never really that big or committed to them being together in the first place or hardly anyone having any real understanding of why they want them together, is pretty much gone now with barely a handful of fans left who really care. Most grew up, got jobs and started families, so they don't have time for this and what we're left with are the losers of the last 3 generations. Message boards for these two, when they were around, had very few people, the number of fan-listing websites for them was always small, fan art only slightly increases after the remake, fan fiction mostly comes from people who have a vague interest in them and since the 2010s are poorly written disgusting crap. I've only seen two or three couples do cosplay photos of them and all the likes that a tumblr, facebook, twitter and an instagram post gets is meaningless. Capcom and the developers had plenty of chances throughout the series on getting them together, but instead they wasted it with people who had piss poor writing skills who did nothing important with the characters. The remake didn't really bring a flood of new L/C fans demanding they become a couple, what little it did bring are only those who give lip service to them.
The whole "I ship them!" comes from people who never put that much thought into why they want two people to be together and most with these two would simply toss Leon aside for whatever new pretty boy would come along, because they have with characters like Piers Nivans and Neil Fisher (both are dead, thank God). Yet these same people want to act as if they're so committed to just Leon and Claire being together and with no one else... too many easily amused hypocrites and compulsive liars and with a development team that could care less about them being together... these two never had a chance and this fan base won't survive since it's already dead or on life-support.
The fact that most of the L/C fan base was excited for Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City film, even though it looked horrible from the get-go and that they liked the so-called "Leon" and "Claire" scene, it really shows they're just truly scrapping the bottom of the barrel with this and are just begging for more poorly written fan service… it's such utter desperation that it's sad…
Ever since the original RE2 and RE4, Leon was made to look pretty naive and overtime the fan base has been turning him into a joke and it's only gotten worse. Like with everything with entertainment these days, the L/C fan base has been taken over by woke feminist who try to make it seem that Claire is the only one who's tough, brave and smart one while Leon is just a dumb weak useless moron who needs to check his white male privilege and toxic masculinity. However, neither of them acted like that in the remake, they can't point to a single scene or dialog to prove it. But these days, your own head-canon is what matters, not the facts, or in this case, not even fictional facts matter. I and a few others tired telling the fan base this back in the early 2000s, but nobody wanted to hear it… and here we are…
This series needs to come to an end, it's a mess, Capcom needs to move on (they won't, they'll just keep milking this franchise for as long as they can), I was never a fan of zombies, the whole zombie genre is overrated and has been done to death. The remakes are nothing more than pointless eye candy for the easily amused.
However, if Leon did have any feelings for her at all, then the symbolizing of him throwing her lab bracelet away, up-close when it's tossed, would indicate that she's dead to him. Since there was no real emotional connection between them, just her lying and a fake kiss, then Leon needs to let go of her, not hang on to something that was very brief and wasn't real. The line from RE4, "She's like a part of me I can't let go" never made any sense from someone he barely knew (which was all a lie) and that scene should have been a sign of him letting go of her. It's terrible characterization writing and poor character development to write Leon or any character that way, as if he has no problem being treated like that and act as if a few minutes of being with someone counts as love or a relationship or even a trusted partner / friendship.
https://the-cleon-vault.tumblr.com/post/183026479618/the-remake-was-so-totally-cleon-and-the-aeon-kiss/embed
http://the-cleon-vault.tumblr.com/post/183251246493/more-info-about-the-new-canon-i-might-have/embed
Hideki: (original director of RE2) "You'll question Ada's motives, her true intention."
Ampo: "But young Leon is shut down with a kiss."
Hideki: "Yeah, he is easy to control."
Resident Evil 2: Roundtable Part 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgxG3eRQFng
https://the-cleon-vault.tumblr.com/tagged/the%20truth
"As a whole, the story is designed to be more grounded and believable, feeling less like a B-movie. However, there will be a few Easter eggs to reference the tone of the original game."
--Game Informer #108
The whole Leon and Ada thing just comes across as if that's what supposed to happen and not because it makes sense. I guess that maybe it was done to show Leon who he should really be with, for him to grow and mature... but that's just wishful thinking on my part and hoping that the developers and writers actually do something more meaningful with Leon and Claire's relationship, something that would actually work... but I'm not counting on it since Infinite Darkness and Death Island pretty much showed that they still have no interest in that.
When the writers and developers try to force it (Leon and Ada), it's not believable or likable, but when they take their time with it (Leon and Claire), it actually comes across as real and enduring. I just can't understand what the developers and Capcom sees in teaming Leon up with someone who either has an ulterior motive, waiting to back-stab him like Ada, Jack Krauser, and Luis Sera, he has to save them all the time like Ashley, Angela and Manuela, or they treat him like shoot like Alexander Kozachenko and Helena. It's only been Claire in Degeneration and Infinite Darkness (briefly), Chris in Vendetta and Jill in Death Island who were good partners for Leon.
http://the-cleon-vault.tumblr.com/post/182684144993/ohh-shieet-im-not-the-only-one-who-thinks-ada-is/embed
http://the-cleon-vault.tumblr.com/post/182699292998/residentevilconfessions-extremely-unpopular/embed
https://66.media.tumblr.com/c63278bf01c65d20b6f56f3228d2c005/tumblr_pmso7umohg1r1b6uyo1_540.jpg
I really don't want to use tumblr as a source, because like facebook, twitter, reddit, and instagram it's the gutter trash of the internet with some of thy most idiotic people on the planet with barely a handful of people with brain cells... but at this point, no one else anywhere is providing info on this.
Scenes
Leon and Claire meet each other almost the same way they did in the original game, but of course with some changes. After that they only have two little flirt scenes, the dialog, the expressions and the emotions all flow naturally. Both have a mutual attraction for each other, there's chemistry between them, a concern for each other's safety and it's not forced or faked.
Leon: "Claire... I hope you made it here."
Claire: "Leon... I'm sure you beat me here."
Claire: "Leon! We really gotta stop meeting like this."
Leon: "Are you alright? Police chopper... it just came out of nowhere..."
Claire: "Yeah, I'm fine."
Leon: "I take it you don't have the key..."
Claire: "No, I don't... it's good to see your face, though. How are you holding up?"
Leon: "I am... hanging in there."
Claire: "Helluva night, huh?"
Leon: "Yeah. You find your brother?"
Claire: "I did actually, he's-- just when you think it can't get any worse... Leon, you should get going."
Leon: "Don't worry about me. Just... get yourself to safety."
Claire: "No, Leon, seriously, they're getting through the fence! Please just go!"
Leon: "We're gonna make. Both of us."
Leon: "Claire... it's so nice to see you."
Claire: "How you doing? That helicopter just came out of nowhere..."
Leon: "Yeah, I'm in one piece."
Claire: "I'm guessing you don't have a key in one of those fancy pockets."
Leon: "Unfortunately, no... but, how are you holding up?"
Claire: "You know, just surviving."
Leon: "That's good. Any luck with your brother?"
Claire: "No, not yet."
Leon: "Claire, don't lose hope... I'm sure we're gonna find him-- damn it. You know that that means..."
Claire: "Yeah... Dinner time."
Leon: "Claire, I think you should go."
Claire: "Don't worry about me Leon, you take care of yourself."
Leon: "Claire, you need to go--NOW!"
Claire: "Hey... let's get through this. Both of us."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EwYKvf1UFE
http://leonandclairebsaa.tumblr.com/post/183698203183/someone-please-tell-me-im-not-dreaming-valenfield/embed
When Claire is attempting to get the underground train moving, Leon appears on a video feed telling Claire that she needs to get out of there. Claire tells him that she thinks they can all make it and asks where he is. Their video feed keeps breaking up and Leon insists that Claire not worry about him, just for her to get out of there. Claire makes another desperate attempt to reach Leon, but the video feed cuts off.
Leon: "Claire!"
Claire: "Leon? You're down here too?"
Leon: "Yeah, but the whole place is coming down. Listen to me, you need to get out. Fast!"
Claire: "Yeah. There's a way out. We can make it! Where are you now?"
Leon: "Claire? You still there?"
Claire: "Leon? Hey Leon, you're breaking up..."
Leon: "Forget about me! Just get out of here! Damn it!"
Claire: "Leon? Leon? Damn!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz3R5tF_JPM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSn0kHvL_3s
https://clairexleon.tumblr.com/post/183726087892/starlightmachine-cleon-caring-for-each-other/embed
When Leon gets on the train, the expression on Claire's face and the emotion in her voice, she's overjoyed that Leon made it.
Leon: "Claire."
Claire: "Leon! It's so good to see you."
Leon: "I told you we'd make it, didn't I?"
Claire: "You did."
Claire: "Leon?"
Leon: "We made it..."
Claire: "Just like I said we would."
The other flirt scene is the ending where they walk off into the sunset with Sherry asking if their boyfriend and girlfriend. Claire asks if it's over, Leon doesn't know but says that they'll stop it, whatever it takes, Claire agrees and Leon states that they'll stick together. They both hold Sherry's hands, she says that they can adopt her, she also wants a puppy, a parrot and wants to learn to play an instrument.
Sherry: "So... are you guys, like, boyfriend and girlfriend?"
Leon: "No, we're just, uh... well we actually we just met... last night?"
Claire: "Yeah, that would've have been one helluva of a first date, though."
Leon: "Yeah, you have no idea--"
Claire: "So... is it over?"
Leon: "I don't know. But if it's not, we'll stop it. Whatever it takes."
Claire: "Yeah. You damn right we well!"
Leon: "As long as we stick together, we'll be fine. Come on."
Sherry: "Hey! you guys can adopt me."
Claire: "Adopt you?"
Leon: "Uh?"
Sherry: "We can get a puppy!"
Claire: "A... puppy?"
Sherry: "And a parrot!"
Leon: "A parrot?"
Claire: "Parrot? Great..."
Sherry: "I've always wanted pets, but my mom said they were too messy."
Leon: "Hmm... yeah..."
Sherry: "Oh, and it would be fun to learn piano. Do you guys play any instruments?"
It's a much better ending than what the epilogue files and Darkside Chronicles had where Leon yells at Claire to "leave us alone!" and the three of them don't see each other for years. It's fits Leon's character more for him to say that they'll "sick together" or as much as possible after this and Sherry wanted to see where Claire lived, and she agreed to that. It never made any sense for Leon to have an outburst like that or for Claire to leave them, that's not the type of character Leon and Claire should be.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aD_1bsESf8M
https://clairexleon.tumblr.com/post/182767546347/what-really-makes-this-awesome-is-the-fact-that/embed
http://leonandclairebsaa.tumblr.com/post/183406640973/ok-direct-to-the-point-you-know-sherry-is-a
https://clairexleon.tumblr.com/post/187473044272/damnit-capcom-more-more-more-interactions/embed
Some people wanted more scenes between them, so did I, but then they say that the original game had more... but it didn't, nobody ever goes into details on that at all (the only scenes they had in the 1998 game was when there in the police car, the police station, and the train, that's it), and while Darkside Chronicles had more interaction, but both had very platonic scenes that didn't really mean anything to either of them. In the Remake they clearly show an interest in each other and that was Tsuyoshi Kanda's goal.
"We've also tried to deepen the narrative experience and the relationships between not only Leon and Claire, but all of the game's characters, in order to increase the dramatic tension."
https://archive.vn/bW0LS
Background and other Changes... but not really
It's interesting that Hideki Kamiya mention this in an interview for Famitsu magazine.
"She had a few boyfriends, but doesn't seem to be going out with anyone in particular [at this time]."
http://the-cleon-vault.tumblr.com/post/182828417768/screams-capcom-you-are-amazing-more-cleon/embed
Thankfully they changed one part of his back story that made no sense.
https://66.media.tumblr.com/69db7c1be04ba2e729fed8dc50369999/tumblr_pmdrsfN02S1r3gyujo2_1280.png
https://www.bleedingcool.com/2018/12/28/capcom-has-fixed-leon-kennedys-backstory-in-resident-evil-2/
That felt like a last-minute idea to state that Leon broke up with his girlfriend, got drunk, overslept and was late getting to Raccoon City. But that's never once mention or implied at all in the original RE2, not even in the instruction booklet or in the Darkside Chronicles game... this was only stated in a guild book... but what was the point to that??? Leon's character never once came across as someone who acted like that, if you think that makes him relatable, gives him some sort of edge (where none was seen), but being a responsible adult where one is simple doing their job isn't... it's another reason why I don't care for the RE fan base, I also don't care for the majority of the Leon/Claire fan base (then again, what fan base?) or this generation of losers.
CBR Deletes Tweet For Anti- Captain America Memorial Day Article
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73E9ivRX4Hg
Sadly, western culture no longer rewards such things as responsibility, strength, patience, grit, courage, manliness. Instead, we reward being selfishness, whining, crying, complaining, pouting and grievance, that's what gets reward.
One would think that with this part of Leon's background changed, the characterization interactions, the ending where Leon says that they'll stick together, the fact that the remake wasn't a scene for scene, line for line, character behavior from the original game, it almost seemed as if the developers wanted a new continuity since the old one turned the series into a mess where it went from survival horror (RE1-2-3) to action fantasy (VC-RE4-RE5-RE6-RED-RER-REV). The characters don't see each other for years, Wesker comes back with superpowers, there's clones of him, Leon becomes a super-agent who's just bland and boring with no life, he and Ada have nothing more than a cat and mouse game that goes on and on, both Chris and Leon are turned into single depressed drunks and so on. All of this led to the downfall of the series, but the developers and Capcom are not smart and will most likely just repeat this one way or another.
What they should have done after the RE3 remake, is just ignore everything else after that and come up with new storylines, ones that involve all the main characters interacting with each other, where they don't just become a team, but friends and a family. If we really want to see Chris, Jill, Leon, Claire, Sherry, Billy, Rebecca and Barry develop and grow as characters in this more realistic approach that they wanted to go, the whole "stick together", the only way to do that is for them to come together, that means starting a new RE canon and this series needed it badly. But like I said this is just wishful thinking and RE Village, Infinite Darkness, RE4 Remake and Death Island showed that they haven't learned anything.
Because as far as Capcom is concerned, the 2019 game and the other remakes doesn't really change anything, the original RE2 and the remake are pretty much the same game, just a different telling of the same story and the canon is somewhere in the middle, so it's no different from the A/B scenario game from 1998, nothing changes.
RE4 Remake
The RE4 Remake still doesn't change anything between them, the memory that Leon has of Claire and Sherry leaving Raccoon City is just that, a simple memory, they didn't stick together, didn't become a couple and they didn't adopt Sherry. One thing to note in the RE4 Remake, is that Leon tells Ada about how he's changed since they last met, he asks her if she has changed or if she will continue to use him for her own agenda, like she did six years ago. Not surprisingly Ada gives no answer and leaves. Ada also tells Leon to leave Ashley behind, despite the fact that the whole reason why he's there.
Ada: "Leave the girl. She's lost no matter what."
Leon: "You think I'm gonna give up that easy?"
Once again, these two are shown to have completely different personalities, jobs, goals, beliefs etc., the few minutes they had in RE2 Remake and the 6 years since then are not two characters who known each other or in love. I've been stating this since 1998 and that hasn't changed. Leon has more in common with Claire, which is why they just make more sense being together. If the development team actual took their time in writing it, but they're not really interested in that.
https://eziosofia.tumblr.com/post/714056096636157952/claire-and-leon-parallels-from-re2-remake-and-re4/embed
Final Thoughts
Having said all that, while I do of course think that the scenes and dialog they had is something to build on to start a romantic relationship in the Remake, but I don't think the two were already deeply in love by the end, that takes time, or it should, although it shouldn't take years and hardly ever seeing each other. We don't need a repeat of the crappy writing from the original RE2 or CV in which a character falls for someone in a matter of minutes or seconds. What some people see in that type of "writing"... I'll never know, I am of course a Leon/Claire fan, and I always will be, but I'm more of a realist on that. Meaning that as much as I want them to be together, I don't see Capcom and the developers actually doing it, they've never given any indication that they're going to, they've only given little hints here and there in Degeneration and in the Remake... that's it, and they've done nothing with it and have even ignored it. The Netflix miniseries once again showed that they still have no interest on further developing their relationship beyond a friendship.
Sadly, it's too little too late to try and start getting these two together, the Leon/Claire fan base, which was never really that big or committed to them being together in the first place or hardly anyone having any real understanding of why they want them together, is pretty much gone now with barely a handful of fans left who really care. Most grew up, got jobs and started families, so they don't have time for this and what we're left with are the losers of the last 3 generations. Message boards for these two, when they were around, had very few people, the number of fan-listing websites for them was always small, fan art only slightly increases after the remake, fan fiction mostly comes from people who have a vague interest in them and since the 2010s are poorly written disgusting crap. I've only seen two or three couples do cosplay photos of them and all the likes that a tumblr, facebook, twitter and an instagram post gets is meaningless. Capcom and the developers had plenty of chances throughout the series on getting them together, but instead they wasted it with people who had piss poor writing skills who did nothing important with the characters. The remake didn't really bring a flood of new L/C fans demanding they become a couple, what little it did bring are only those who give lip service to them.
The whole "I ship them!" comes from people who never put that much thought into why they want two people to be together and most with these two would simply toss Leon aside for whatever new pretty boy would come along, because they have with characters like Piers Nivans and Neil Fisher (both are dead, thank God). Yet these same people want to act as if they're so committed to just Leon and Claire being together and with no one else... too many easily amused hypocrites and compulsive liars and with a development team that could care less about them being together... these two never had a chance and this fan base won't survive since it's already dead or on life-support.
The fact that most of the L/C fan base was excited for Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City film, even though it looked horrible from the get-go and that they liked the so-called "Leon" and "Claire" scene, it really shows they're just truly scrapping the bottom of the barrel with this and are just begging for more poorly written fan service… it's such utter desperation that it's sad…
Ever since the original RE2 and RE4, Leon was made to look pretty naive and overtime the fan base has been turning him into a joke and it's only gotten worse. Like with everything with entertainment these days, the L/C fan base has been taken over by woke feminist who try to make it seem that Claire is the only one who's tough, brave and smart one while Leon is just a dumb weak useless moron who needs to check his white male privilege and toxic masculinity. However, neither of them acted like that in the remake, they can't point to a single scene or dialog to prove it. But these days, your own head-canon is what matters, not the facts, or in this case, not even fictional facts matter. I and a few others tired telling the fan base this back in the early 2000s, but nobody wanted to hear it… and here we are…
This series needs to come to an end, it's a mess, Capcom needs to move on (they won't, they'll just keep milking this franchise for as long as they can), I was never a fan of zombies, the whole zombie genre is overrated and has been done to death. The remakes are nothing more than pointless eye candy for the easily amused.