Leon Kennedy was one of the faces of the Resident Evil franchise prior to Capcom creating Ethan Winters for Resident Evil 7. The rookie cop turned heads in Resident Evil 2 and starred in Resident Evil 4, one of the most beloved games in the series. His campaign in Resident Evil 6 was one of the best in the much-maligned game, but he's been missing in action since.
It's a bit of a surprise given how popular Leon is to series fans that he didn't pop up in either Resident Evil 7 or Village. It's not like he was killed in this last adventure like some other figures prior to to Resident Evil 8. Capcom seems very committed to telling Ethan's story at the expense of bringing back these fan-favorites. The only real old-school character players have interacted with in the last two games is Chris Redfield.
Like Leon, Chris is a fan-favorite character. He initially appeared in the first Resident Evil and has made several appearances since then. Also like Leon, Chris' last starring role was in Resident Evil 6. The two characters came out of that game together, making Leon's current absence even more surprising.
[Warning: Spoilers for Resident Evil: Village below.]
What's Leon Up To During Resident Evil Village
The two popular Resident Evil characters do have one very important difference that might explain why Chris continues to appear in games while Leon does not. Chris previously served in the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA), while Leon is, as far as players know, still a member of the Division of Security Operations (DSO). Both organizations are concerned with protecting the United States and the world at large from bioterrorists; however, they certainly have different methods and objectives.
The BSAA has been very active in both Resident Evil 7 and Village. Before Chris leaves after becoming disillusioned with the organization, he was sent in, along with his team, to help clean up the Baker Ranch incident in RE7. Village's cliffhanger sees him falling out with the Alliance, but the game is still heavily connected to the BSAA.
Leon, on the other hand, isn't heavily involved with the organization. He and Chris are obviously friends and have worked together in the past, but Leon works for a completely separate organization. If players assume that Capcom is building to the end of a trilogy, it might make sense to keep non-BSAA operatives on the back burner for now. Capcom certainly seems to be building to a conclusion that sees an ultimate confrontation between Chris and the BSAA in Resident Evil 9. That could be the perfect opportunity for Chris to call in his old friends to help save the day one more time.
