TheDead Rising Deluxe Remasterhas had a positive reception, with many appreciating a revamped return to what is arguably the series' strongest entry. Protagonist Frank West may be a fan favorite, but he’s not the only personality that stands out inDead Rising.
Throughout the games, the antagonistic “Psychopaths” are some of the most memorable characters and designs that stand out in players' minds. Their encounters and roles in the games' stories are varied, with some Psychopaths being major recurring characters and others serving as minor diversions. Here are some of the best characters and encounters among them.
10Cletus Samson
Gunshop Owner
Cletus is one of the less insane “psychopaths” inDead Rising,his main failing being that he’s a little too paranoid. As the owner of the Willamette mall’s gun shop, he assumes that any survivors will head for the shop to stock up on guns, and be happy to kill him to get them.
This leads him to attack both Frank and fellow survivor James Ramsey, killing James before battling Frank. After the battle, he runs in fear of retribution, only to be killed by the zombified version of James.
Interestingly, in the re-designed Wii port of the gameChop til You Drop,Cletus becomes a friendly NPC after his defeat,selling and repairing weaponsfor Frank.
9Steven Chapman
Dedicated Manager
Many players will remember Chapman as one of the early psychopath encounters in the firstDead Risinggame. His design is memorable as it has an eerie touch of reality to it. He’s an exasperated manager of a convenience store, desperately trying to keep his store together despite the zombie outbreak.
As such, he’s decided anyone coming to the store for supplies must be looters and vandals, attacking Frank as well as numerous other survivors. The other notable aspect of Chapman’s design is hisself-customized weapons cart, a shopping cart strapped with blades and a pitchfork. Players can take it for a spin themselves once Chapman is defeated.
8Kent Swanson
Rival Photographer
Initially, Kent appears as a friendly NPC whochallenges Frank West to take better photosthan him in a couple of contests. Eventually, though, his actions escalate. When Frank stops him from zombifying another survivor for a photo, his jealousy of Frank’s abilities turns to rage and he attacks.
Kent’s multistep side story is interesting and one of the manymissable side mission events inDead Rising. Even though he appears friendly at first, Kent proves to be totally deranged. His commitment to the ultimate photo remains even after his defeat, as he appeals to Frank to take a photo of his death and save it “for his mantle.”
7Brent “Slappy” Ernst
Mascot Madness
Brent is a store mascot with a tragic story. When the zombie outbreak hit, he had been due to go on his first date with fellow mascot worker Louise. Unfortunately, zombies got to her before he ever got a chance.
With Chuck Greene being set up as the fall guy for the outbreak, Brent sees him as responsible for Louise’s death. This leads him to attack Chuck in full Slappy costume, skating around while wielding dual flamethrowers.
It’s a memorableDead Rising 2moment. Brent may be gone, but Slappy’s design was well-loved enough that the character is referenced several times inDead Rising 3.
6Randall Tugman
Randy Randall
Randall might be the most memorable psychopath design inDead Rising 2, thanks to his fetish costume, piggy silhouette, and giant pink chainsaw. The setting for his encounter only enhances the weirdness.
Chuck meets Randall in the Swept Away wedding chapel. He’s holding a young woman dressed as his bride as a hostage, along with his own father. Through his dialogue, it seems Randy’s father wanted him to wait until marriage for sex. Thus, Randy is forcing him to complete a wedding ceremony with his hostage so he doesn’t have to wait.
It’s a visually and thematically unique Psychopath fight, and the reward is Randy’s big pink chainsaw. That makes Randy one of the best and most iconic psychos in the series.
5Amber & Crystal Bailey
Glamour Girls
They’re not quite the big bad guys of Dead Rising 2, but the Bailey twins are formidable early antagonists for Chuck. Across the Terror is Reality mode and the campaign ofDead Rising 2,the reality show hostesses act as TK’s right-hand women.
The sisters are provocative, teasing viewers, contestants, and especially Chuck with innuendo and suggestive body language. They also make for a tough early fight inDead Rising 2, as players have to take on both sisters at once.
When Chuck defeats one of the sisters in their battle, the other sister takes her own life, saying that she can’t live without her twin. It’s a final moment that suggests there was more to these characters than is revealed in the game.
4Tyrone King
Terror Is Reality
Former cutthroat music producer Tyrone “TK” King makes his first appearance inDead Rising 2as the host, producer, and director of the death game show Terror is Reality. As the story progresses, protagonist Chuck realizes that it was TK that helped cause the zombie outbreak and set him up as the fall guy.
He might be an uncomplicated, greed-motivated, pure bad guy, but he later becomes a vital information provider for Chuck. The moral choice of having to save his life to getone of the game’s alternate endingsis also a stand-out moment inDead Rising 2.
3Raymond Sullivan
Hidden Mastermind
Raymond Sullivan’s heel turn is one ofDead Rising 2’s best twists. The character comes across as the gruff but well-meaning leader of the survivors when Chuck first meets him. The bluff is played well, Sullivan even feigns a lack of belief in Chuck’s innocence, when he knows the truth from the start.
Eventually, Sullivan betrays Chuck at a key moment, revealing that he is another key player behind the zombie outbreak. He’s been a Phenotrans agent all along, even working above TK in the background, and planting the bomb that Chuck was blamed for himself. His grisly death is also a highlight.
2Carlito Keyes
Terrible Vengeance
The main antagonist of the firstDead Risinggame, Carlito Keyes, takes some beating when it comes to Psychopath credentials. His trauma started when his hometown of Santa Cabeza was destroyed by a zombie outbreak at a research facility and the subsequent cleanup operation there.
This sets him and his sister on a twisted path of revenge, eventually culminating in them triggeringthe Willamette zombie outbreak. It’s a two-pronged attack designed to take revenge and attract media attention to the crimes of Phenotrans and the US government.
Sacrificing an entire town to make a point is a true Psychopath move, even if Carlito gets his comeuppance in the end.
1Isabela Keyes
Redemption Arc
Isabela might start out just as much of a Psychopath as her brother Carlito, but her guilt over the Willamette incident eventually leads her to the survivors' side. This turn leads to her becoming an important recurring character in the series.
In the first game in the series, Frank has to confront Isabela before she eventually agrees to help him by filling him in on her brother’s plan. She’s one ofthe few survivors of the first game, reappearing inDead Rising 2: Case Westas Frank’s contact, and again inDead Rising 3as a key character searching for a cure to the zombie outbreak.
