Ethan Winters

This is a list of Resident Evil characters, which includes playable and recurring characters that were introduced in Resident Evil , a series of survival horror video games.

P - Playable character (campaign/unlockable-mini campaign)
P* - Playable character (minigame/DLC)

The Umbrella Corporation is an international pharmaceutical company in the Resident Evil universe. Founded in the late 1960s by prominent British royal descendants Ozwell E. Spencer and Edward Ashford, it is portrayed in the series as a major international player in pharmaceutical goods and medical supplies, along with more clandestine operations utilizing genetic engineering. Their legitimate status is only a front for their secret research of "bio-organic weapons" (BOWs), developed through the use of a unique virus discovered by the company founders shortly after World War II. The company is also presented as having a more public face, producing cosmetics, consumer products, and foods. Umbrella established multiple secret research facilities to help develop various bio-weapons. Its most prominent research facility is located in the Arklay Mountains, just outside Raccoon City, which was able to develop the "T-virus", a powerful mutagen that could dramatically alter living and recently dead organisms. The virus leaked and contaminated most of the Arklay Facility and its surrounding area, setting the stage for the first Resident Evil game. Following the destruction of Raccoon City, all of Umbrella's assets were frozen by the U.S. Government and its trading rights were revoked, effectively terminating its operations. However, it did not stop the rise of several bioterrorist organizations around the world, some of them making use of its research, leading to the foundation of B.S.A.A. In Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, it is revealed that Umbrella has been reinstated and seemingly reformed as a Mercenary group.

Ozwell E. Spencer (オズウェル・E・スペンサー, Ozuweru E Supensā^?) is one of Resident Evil's most mysterious characters. In the series, he is the owner and co-founder of the Umbrella Corporation, a pharmaceutical drug company that secretly manufactures bio-organic weapons. His colleagues, James Marcus and Edward Ashford, join his company, but they show more interest in studying the newly discovered Progenitor virus. Eventually, Edward Ashford dies, and Spencer seizes control of the company and its research by sending his subordinates, Albert Wesker and William Birkin, to assassinate Marcus. Spencer conducts some of his company’s research in the Arklay Research Facility, located in the Arklay Mountains. He hires George Trevor, a famous architect, to construct a mansion to conceal the facility. Spencer's plans progress smoothly, until Marcus returns from the dead, and begins to seek revenge with the help of his test subjects. Marcus destroys one of Spencer’s luxury trains, and causes a viral outbreak in the Arklay Research Facility. The outbreak spreads throughout the region, sparking the events of Resident Evil Zero and the original Resident Evil. The virus subsequently spreads to Raccoon City during the events of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, prompting the U.S. government to attempt to contain the outbreak by ordering the destruction of the city. After the city's destruction, Spencer attempts to disguise the incident as a government conspiracy by hiring top lawyers and false witnesses. His actions prolong the legal proceedings, and allow the Umbrella Corporation to stay afloat for five more years. Ultimately, Wesker betrays Spencer by handing over secret documents to the U.S. government, and seals Spencer's doom by personally testifying against him in court. Umbrella's business license is summarily suspended, and the U.S. government works swiftly to dismantle the remains of the organization. After Umbrella's public fall from grace, Spencer retreats to his mansion in Europe. He is eventually located by Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine prior to the events of Resident Evil 5, but is swiftly killed by Wesker before the two can reach him. His first name is romanized as Oswell in the Japanese version.

...
Wikipedia