To understand the story behind Resident Evil Code: Veronica (and its upcoming remake), you need to do a deep dive into the Ashford family’s history.
They’re one of the most recognizable villains of the Resident Evil franchise, mainly because their destruction was the result of their actions more so than being foiled by the heroes. Every major event that takes place in Code Veronica traces back to the Ashford family’s obsession with perfection.
A Family Built on the Ashford Name
Edward Ashford was the 5th Earl and one of the three men who created Umbrella Corporation, alongside Oswell Spencer and James Marcus. When Edward died due to being infected by the Progenitor Virus following its discovery in West Africa, his legacy became a burden that would haunt his descendants for generations.
His son Alexander inherited his father’s title and the pressure that came with it. He was a competent scientist, but not a remarkable one. The Ashford name had been built on the genius of Veronica Ashford, a brilliant 19th-century noblewoman whose research into genetics laid the groundwork for viral bioweapon development.
Alexander knew he couldn’t live up to Veronica’s legacy, so he tried to recreate it instead. He launched Project CODE: Veronica, a secret project dedicated to cloning Veronica’s DNA to produce an heir worthy of the family name. The project resulted in the birth of twins Alfred and Alexia.
The Successful Twin
Alexia was a success. She was a child prodigy who became one of Umbrella’s most brilliant scientists in her early teens. She developed the T-Veronica Virus, a unique strain bonded with ancient ant queen DNA, designed to give a compatible host near-total control over other organisms.
Alexia knew the virus would be lethal without proper integration. How did she resolve this little issue? She injected herself with the T-Veronica Virus and had herself cryogenically frozen for 15 years to give the virus time to slowly bond itself with her DNA.
Before she went into cryo-sleep, Alexia used her own father as a test subject. Infected with the T-Veronica Virus, Alexander transformed into the grotesque creature the game calls Nosferatu. He was imprisoned beneath Rockfort Island, a forgotten symbol of the family’s self-destructive nature.
Alfred Alone
Alfred was the failed result of Alexander’s experiment, as he possessed no exceptional intellect. This left him deeply unstable and resentful. He also developed a bizarre obsession with his twin sister Alexia. It was so extreme that after she went into cryo-sleep, he developed dissociative identity disorder. He developed a second personality modeled after Alexia where he dressed as his sister and spoke like her too.
In fact, at first Claire Redfield and Steve Burnside assumed that Alfred was Alexia until they learned the truth. When Claire is captured and brought to Rockfort Island, Alfred is the game’s primary antagonist in the first half, since he acts as a military commander.
He’s not a match for Claire physically. But he makes up for it by triggering a missile strike on Rockfort Island and fleeing to the Antarctic facility where Alexia is.
Alexia Wakes Up
Desperate to have his sister back, Alfred wakes Alexia up prematurely. Or right on schedule depending on how you look at it. Then he dies almost immediately as she’s waking up, collapsing at Alexia’s feet.
Now that she’s awake, Alexia takes over as the main villain. She sees herself as an evolved being, destined to rule over others using the T-Veronica virus’s hive-mind.
She infects Steve Burnside with a specific strain of the T-Veronica virus taken from her own blood to use as a weapon against Claire. He mutates into a massive green monster with an axe that nearly kills her. However, Steve’s love for Claire lets him fight through the infection long enough to save her life before dying.
The End of the Line
Claire’s brother Chris arrives at the Antarctic facility after Albert Wesker, who’d been hunting Alexia for her virus, reveals Claire is already there. Chris reunites with his sister for a brief moment before they’re separated again.
Chris is the one who confronts Alexia directly in a multi-stage boss fight where she morphs into increasingly monstrous forms. He finishes the fight by blasting her with a linear launcher. Meanwhile, Wesker escapes with Steve’s body, taking the virus with him.
The facility burns down to the ground as the Ashford bloodline has been eliminated.
What makes the Ashfords a tragedy is that their destruction wasn’t inevitable. Alexander could have accepted his limitations. Alfred could have found normal ways to grieve his sister. Alexia could have done literally anything other than injecting herself with a virus and going to sleep for 15 years. Every decision an Ashford made tarnished their legacy instead of adding to it. The Ashford family didn’t just self-destruct. They made sure to take out everyone around them.
