Resident Evil: Glossary of Good & Evil

Albert Wesker: Former Umbrella researcher, S.T.A.R.S. founder and the man who betrayed Chris and Jill during the Mansion Incident. Wesker injected himself with an experimental virus which allowed him to not only survive attack by a Tyrant, but resurrected him with super-powers. Now the series' omnipresent Machiavellian supervillain, aspiring to reform Umbrella in his own image.

Excella Gionne: A descendant of the Travis family which founded the TriCell Pharmaceutical Corporation, Excella was responsible for founding and installing TriCell's presence in West Africa. She can be seen in recent trailers handling both T-virus and Las Plagas samples, assisted by the beaked figure, and making romantic advances towards Wesker.

Irving: The BSAA's main contact regarding the rumoured viral outbreak in the Kijuju region. Finding him is the main objective at Resident Evil 5's outset - but this proves trickier than it sounds. Hordes of infected villagers, several B.O.W.s and a mysterious beaked figure stand between Chris and Sheva and their annoying, pipsqueak quarry.

Beaked Figure: This enigmatic, apparently female evil-doer wears a raven-beaked mask, long flowing grey cloak and high heeled boots, and can be seen turning a man into a writhing, snakelike B.O.W. in Resident Evil 5's opening cinematic. Seemingly Irving's personal protector, early trailers point to her also being a cohort of Excella Gionne.

Umbrella Inc.: Founded by Ozwell E. Spencer, James Marcus and Edward Ashford, Umbrella was a legitimate pharmaceutical company with a distinctly less legitimate sideline in bioweapon research. Their discovery of the Progenitor Virus eventually led to the T-Virus and G-Virus being created. Following the T-Virus outbreak in Raccoon City, the once-powerful Umbrella was dissolved and much of their research - both technological and B.O.W. related - fell into terrorist hands.

TriCell Pharmaceutical: Founded by the Travis family and now ran by their descendant, Excella Gionne. It would seem that TriCell were a rival to Umbrella, who have now acquired not only Umbrella's T-Virus, but the Las Plagas parasite which first emerged as the premier contagion in Resident Evil 4.