S.T.A.R.S. (Resident Evil)

S.T.A.R.S. is a fictional law-enforcing task force appearing in Capcom's Resident Evil survival horror franchise. The name is an acronymn for Special Tactics And Rescue Service (or Squad). While the five main characters in the original Resident Evil (Chris, Jill, Barry, Rebecca and Wesker) were all members of S.T.A.R.S., the team for most part served as cannon fodder against the various monsters and creatures featured in the game.

Only eleven of the team's twelve members appeared in the original game. Edward Dewey, Bravo Team's pilot, was only mentioned in the game's instruction manual, but not actually featured in the game. For a long time it was assumed that the disembodied hand found by Joseph in the game's intro belong to Edward, but a few retroactive changes were made in order to include the character for a small role in the prequel Resident Evil 0 (in the Resident Evil remake, the dead pilot is now identified as Kevin).

In Resident Evil 2, all of the S.T.A.R.S. operatives from the original game (excluding Rebecca), could be seen on a photograph located in an office on the second floor of the RPD police station. They were pictured along with two previously unseen members. It is generally accepted that these two are simply early versions of Kevin Dooley and Edward Dewey from Resident Evil 0.

=History= A special unit of the Raccoon Police Department, it was founded in 1996 in order to combat the increasing rate of terrorism and cult-related crimes. It's comprised mainly of twelve members with two teams; Alpha Team (led by Albert Wesker) and Bravo Team (led by Enrico Marini).

Two years after its formation, S.T.A.R.S. was deployed by the police to investigat.e a series homicides that took place in the Arklay Mountains on the outskirts of the city. The Bravo Team was sent ahead on July 23, 1998 to investigate these incidents.

However, contact with Bravo Team was lost and on the following day, Alpha Team was dispatched to follow-up on Bravo Team's mission. Their probe of the area led to the Spencer Mansion, where various mutated creatures (including the mansion's residents) have been transformed into undead creatures as a result of a viral outbreak. Moreover, the members Alpha Team also found the remains of their Bravo Team compatriots.

It was revealed that the experiments in the mansion were conducted by the international Umbrella Corporation and that the team's leader, Albert Wesker, was a double agent working for Umbrella, who ochestrated the deaths of his subordinates in order to test battle data for Umbrella's Bio-Organic Weapons.

The team managed to thwart Wesker's plot by destroying the T-002 Tyrant prototype. Only Alpha Team members Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield and Barry Burton, along with Bravo Team survivor Rebecca Chambers, managed to escape the mansion alive.

After their return to civilization, S.T.A.R.S. requested a full-scale investigation of Umbrella's activities. However, many found their outlandish story too unbelievable and chief of police, Brian Irons (who was secretly under Umbrella's payroll) disbanded the team officially. Regardless, the surviving members remained together and became involve in Anti-Umbrella operations in Europe.

=Members=

Alpha Team

 * Barry Burton


 * Joseph Frost - Alpha Team's vehicle specialist. He is very hot-blooded and has a wild personality. He has never failed to raise the team's mood with his cheerfulness. Joseph strays too far from Alpha team upon entering the Arklay forrest and is killed by a Cerberus creature. Joeseph was also the only other member of Alpha team aside from Barry carrying a weapon other than a 9mm pistol sidearm, but the weapon is lost because of the hostile presence.


 * Chris Redfield


 * Jill Valentine


 * Brad Vickers - A chemical protection expert. He is a very moody and cynical guy, who is also very cowardly (earning him the nickname Chickenheart). He's been assigned to be Alpha Team's helicopter pilot. He manages to escape the events at the Spencer Mansion, but is killed by the "Nemesis" B.O.W. In Resident Evil 2, he appears in zombified form as a hidden monster within the RPD's perimeter. After he is dispatched, the player (as Leon or Claire) can acquire the locker key from his corpse and change costume.


 * Albert Wesker

Bravo Team

 * Richard Aiken - An expert in the field of communications who also excels in combat abilities. He has taken the liberty of watching out and supporting new recruit Rebecca, who is closer to his age than the other Bravo Team members. During his exploration of the Spencer estate he is mortally wounded by Yawn (a massive snake B.O.W.) and dies in the original Resident Evil. In the remake, his life can be prolonged if the serum is delivered to him in time; Richard later dies a heroic death while trying to save a fellow S.T.A.R.S. member from either: a mutated shark attack (in Chris' scenario) or Yawn itself (in Jill's scenario). The player can acquire his custom shotgun afterwards.


 * Rebecca Chambers


 * Edward Dewey - The tallest member of S.T.A.R.S. A trained helicopter pilot and also a skillful sniper. K.I.A. after an encounter with the "Cerberus" B.O.W. The player (as either, Rebecca or Billy) encounter him as a zombie.


 * Enrico Marini - Bravo Team's leader. Second-in-command of S.T.A.R.S. He is popular among his subordinates due to his wealth of experience and gentle personality. Enrico becomes a victim of Wesker's treachery, and is shot to death before disclosing the details of Bravo Team's fate.


 * Forrest Speyer - Bravo Team's vehicle specialist. Has a strong sense of professionalism and is proud of his perfect work record. He has gained a great deal of trust from his comrades. He specializes in heavy weapons (such as grenade launchers) and has marksman skills equal to Chris. He was previously acquainted with Chris and Jill prior to joining S.T.A.R.S. Forrest unfortunately meets his end at the talons of a flock of T-virus infected Crows, and (in either: Resident Evil: Director's Cut or the remake) subsequently attacks either Jill or Chris after they retrieve his weapon. Forrest is one of the most resilient zombies encountered by Alpha team, with uncanny speed and endurace, second only to a fully mutated Crimson Head.
 * Kenneth J. Sullivan - A member of S.T.A.R.S. assigned with the dangerous duty of reconnaissance (field scout) and securing territory. He is very reserved, but speaks with efficient eloquence during work. He also has an expertise in chemistry. Kenneth suffers a horrible fate at the hands of a zombified science worker, due to his hesitance to engage the creature before it is dangerously close to him. In the remake, Kenneth's personal video log of his demise is found with him and the tape can be viewed in the research laboratory section of the lab. Kenneth is also the first Bravo team member found dead in the estate, being slowly consumed by the zombie who took his life.

Others

 * Kevin Dooley - An R.P.D. officer assigned as Bravo Team's helicopter pilot. Not an officially-recognized member of S.T.A.R.S., but has assisted the team on various missions.

=In other media= The Resident Evil novelizations by S.D. Perry offers a slightly different backstory to S.T.A.R.S. than the actual games. S.T.A.R.S. is potrayed as a larger and much older organization (having been founded during the 1960's) than potrayed in the game. The Raccoon City branch is merely one of several STARS unit established within the United States, with another branch established in Exeter, Maine, as seen in the original novels; Caliban Cove and Underworld.

The movie Resident Evil: Apocalypse also featured a few original S.T.A.R.S. members written specifically for the film.

Note that the films and novels are non-canonical in regards to the games' continuity.

Original characters from S.D. Perry's novels

 * John Andrews - A man with "muscles on his muscles". Formerly a communications expert and field scout for the Exeter S.T.A.R.S.


 * Karen Driver


 * Steve Lopez


 * David Trapp - 30 years old, from the S.T.A.R.S. Exeter Branch, in Maine. He works hard to get the information that the team needs. David is articulate and doesn't find himself able to talk often in front of people he does not know. He traveled to Caliban Cove, with Rebecca, and a small team. After escaping from that ordeal, he then began a mission to Nevada, where they *he and Rebecca* are joined by other members of S.T.A.R.S. Raccoon, and Exeter Branch.