Sherry Birkin

Overview

Sherry Birkin is a secondary character featured in Resident Evil 2, as well as its light-gun retelling Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles. Often home home alone due to the busy and obsessive work schedules of her parents, Sherry was contacted by her mother and instructed to seek shelter at the Raccoon City Police Department following an outbreak of the T-virus in the city.

Sherry is voiced by Lisa Yamanaka in Resident Evil 2, by Laura Bailey in The Darkside Chronicles, and by Eden Riegel in Operation Raccoon City and Resident Evil 6.

Resident Evil 2

Due to her parents, William & Annette Birkin, being too enveloped in their work, Sherry has had to learn to raise herself. Though despite this she is still rather shy and finds it difficult to open up to people. Thanks to her natural resourcefulness she is able to survive through several gruelling days during the T-Virus outbreak that occurs throughout Raccoon City. Using the many air vents, Sherry is able to avoid danger and travel through the Raccoon Police Department safe from harm; she eventually manages to bump into both Claire Redfield & Leon S. Kennedy, but continues to run away out of fear. She is eventually cornered by Claire in Chief Brian Iron's study room, and the two quickly bond and begin to establish a big sister-little sister mentality.

Sherry will on two occasions function as a friendly NPC and will follow Claire around. However because she is only twelve, she has no means of attack available. When following as an NPC players cannot run off too far otherwise Sherry will crouch down and cower, awaiting Claire's return. When standing still Sherry and Claire will hold hands, though they will let go once Claire starts moving again.

Players will also have to take control of Sherry at least once during Claire's Scenarios. The first is when she thinks she hears William calling to her and runs away to investigate, despite Claire's pleas not to. She doesn't encounter William, but does conveniently happen to locate a precinct key that she tosses to Claire. Though she then runs off on her own to continue looking for her dad.

Sherry will eventually reunite with Claire soon after Claire unlocks a hidden passage behind Chief Brian Iron's office. From here Claire will tell Sherry to wait while she must go and battle either a G larvae that burst out of Brian Irons and has now grown into a monstrous creature during Scenario A, or William Birkin himself in his first mutated form during Scenario B.

Afterwards, upon heading down to the sewers, Sherry will accidentally slip down one of the vents. In Scenario A players will now once again take control of Sherry as she tries to reunite with Claire. Only amidst her search she falls into a large garbage heap and is knocked unconscience; William then arrives soon later and infects her with a G larvae while she is still unconscience. Claire is soon able to find her as well, though only before having to kill a massive alligator. During Scenario B, however, players will not be given control of Sherry once she falls through the vent, and she will instead catch up to Claire on her own. Sherry is also not infected with a G larvae this time around, either.

As the game progresses during Scenario A Sherry will begin to feel sick, and must be left in a receptionist office upon discovering a hidden Umbrella Laboratory. She will then stay within this room until Claire asks Leon to bring her to the emergency escape train. Leon does so, and Claire soon arrives and administers the cure for the G infection, which appears to work. From there the three are able to escape the clutches and kill the now amorphous monstrosity that is William Birkin, after setting the train to self-detonate.

During Scenario B she again stays put at the receptionist office, only she is forced to flee once the T-103 Tyrant locates her; it is trying to collect the G-Virus vial which is unbeknownst to Sherry in her pendant. Claire, upon meeting Annette Birkin, soon notices that the Tyrant has her corned via CCTV, and the two rush to save her. Claire arrives just in time and, after Sherry throws the pendant to Claire, throws into a tub of molten liquid below -- to which the Tyrant then falls down with it in its attempts to grab the pendant.

From here Claire & Sherry begin travelling to the emergency train, only Sherry then finds Annette Birkin, wounded after a pair of pipes landed on her from above due to heavy vibrations within the facility. Annette with her dying breath apologises to Sherry for not being a good mother, and then dies from her injuries. Sherry weeps over her mother's death, but soon picks herself up and heads with Claire to the emergency train. From there the ending progresses the same way as it would in Scenario A.

Gameplay

As a playable character Sherry has no means of attack (she does at least have a first aid spray) and must attempt to avoid enemies. Though because of her small stature, zombies at least will not be able to bite her and will only attempt to vomit acid on her instead, which does considerably less damage. As well as having no means of attack, Sherry has a slower running speed than all the other characters in the game. Fortunately her running speed will still stay the same should her health decrease into the Caution or Danger statuses.

Epilogue

Upon the end of Resident Evil 2--which follows the Claire A, Leon B canon--Claire then leaves Leon & Sherry to continue her original goal of finding her brother, Chris Redfield. Sherry as such lives with Leon as her guardian while Claire is away.

They are both eventually given a visit by a US Government Agent, Adam Benford. He offers Leon a job in the Secret Service due to his proven abilities by surviving the Raccoon City outbreak. Leon accepts the offer, while Sherry is also forced into the government's care due to her previous infection with G. There she is then meticulously examined and is made to go under numerable tests so as to better understand her condition.

While growing up within the government, Sherry ultimately becomes an agent herself and works under the employ of presidential aide, Derek C. Simmons.

Resident Evil 6

Sherry finally makes her physical return in Resident Evil 6, now 27 years old and experienced agent for the US government.

She is the secondary character in Jake Muller's campaign and travels to Edonia in Eastern Europe. She is tasked by Derek C. Simmons with ensuring the safety of Jake, a simple mercenary, and bringing him to the US because he carries a special blood type that can be used as a treatment to the C-Virus. However, he is only willing to give a sample of his blood in exchange for a million dollars.

Besides the story, Sherry also stars in the game's Mercenaries minigame. Her alternate unlockable outfit for the mode attempts to fit Sherry in her Resident Evil 2 attire for the sake of sex appeal.

Other Media

Novels

Sherry is featured prominently in the third installment -- entitled City of the Dead -- of S.D. Perry's Resident Evil novelization. She is depicted much the same as she is in the game franchise, shown to be independent and brave beyond her twelve years of age. Having been present throughout the worst of the outbreak, she has witnessed more than her fair share of horror with regard to the ordeal.

Trivia

• In Resident Evil 6 is it revealed that despite Claire managing to cure Sherry's infection of G, it didn't erase it all. Though still human in appearance, Sherry now also has the ability to regenerate any wounds at an exuberant pace. However this ability isn't reflected in the gameplay, nor is it explored within the game's story.