Mr. X (Resident Evil)

Shinji Mikami is credited with creating Mr. X, also known as T-00, who was an improved version of Resident Evil's T-002 Tyrant. The Tyrants are bioengineered supersoldiers created by Umbrella Corporation, a pharmaceutical company with secret, sinister plans that involve the creation and sale of BOWs, or Bio-Organic Weapons. The basic idea of a trenchcoat-wearing humanoid monster, and a later transformation process, existed from the early stages of Resident Evil 2's development. In the 2019 remake, Mr. X was particularly designed to stalk the protagonist, much like Nemesis in Resident Evil 3 and the Baker family in Resident Evil 7. Ominous music and heavy footsteps increase in volume and intensity the closer he gets to the player. Because of his numerous appearances in different places, some people thought there were multiple Tyrants in existence, but game director Kazunori Kadoi affirmed there was only a single instance of Mr. X. == Appearances ==

In the original Resident Evil 2 (1998), Mr. X wore only a trench coat, while in the remake, he also wears a fedora hat. While being temporarily incapacitated by the impact of a moving van and explosives detonated by Ada Wong, he later recovers before being seemingly killed by William Birkin, a mutated scientist who formerly worked for Umbrella. In Claire's scenario, he is not seen further, while in Leon's scenario, Mr. X is shown to have regenerated again, pursuing Leon into NEST, a secret Umbrella Corporation research facility. When the self-destruct sequence for NEST is triggered, he mutates into a Super Tyrant and attempts to kill Leon once and for all. Ada gives Leon a rocket launcher, allowing him to permanently kill Mr. X. Files that the player obtains after the fight reveal that Requiem Mr. X is not the same as Resident Evil 2, but a mass-produced variant sold on the black market after Umbrella's demise. and as a playable character in Resident Evil: Resistance (2020), a companion game to Resident Evil 3 (2020). Outside the Resident Evil franchise, Mr. X appears in Monster Hunter: World (2018), PUBG Mobile (2018), and Puzzle & Survival (2023). == Reception ==

Due to his implacability and appearance, Mr. X became popular among reviewers and fans. Alex Donaldson of VG247 dubbed Mr. X a "perfect panic-inducing enemy", also praising its excellent implementation, persistent danger, and ability to turn the game into a horrific experience. While appreciating his presence, Game Informers Kyle Hilliard despised him frequently for his recurring irritability, silliness, and frightening moments. Aaron Potter of Den of Geek and IGN staff named Mr. X as one of the best Resident Evil bosses, with Potter commenting, "You simply have no way of defeating or halting this 7-foot-tall stalker... This endless game of cat and mouse never fails to get the heart pumping, especially since he follows you in real time." Willow Green of Empire described Mr. X as one of the greatest video game characters and stated, "Relentlessly pursuing our heroes, he was designed by Capcom to offer a different kind of opponent from the usual hordes of shuffling dead-heads." According to Patrick Gill of Polygon, some elements of Mr. X can be horrifying even if the character isn't visible on screen but you can hear his ominous footsteps. Mr. X became an internet meme on Twitter in 2019, one of which featured the 2002 song "X Gon' Give It to Ya" playing when the character appeared onscreen. Fans have additionally created various mods involving Mr. X, including one again playing "X Gon' Give It to Ya" whenever he appears. Another mod, "X No More", removes him from the game entirely and is targeted towards fans who struggle with the difficulty of his presence. == References ==