| Sheva Alomar | |
|---|---|
Sheva Alomar in Resident Evil 5 |
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| Series | Resident Evil |
| First game | Resident Evil 5 (2008) |
| Voiced by | Karen Dyer |
| Motion capture | Karen Dyer |
| Portrayed by | Naja Hill (promotion) |
Sheva Alomar (シェバ・アローマ Sheba Arōma) is a fictional character in the Resident Evil survival horror series by Capcom. She was introduced in 2008 as an operative of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA) and the new partner of Chris Redfield.
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Sheva's character model was based on Australian actress Michelle Van Der Water, with her voice and motions performed by Karen Dyer.[1][2] In the RE5 viral campaign she was played by Naja Hill.
Production designer Yasuhiro Anpo revealed that "The designing of a female character is a killer assignment. We had to change and modify Sheva considerably to combine two qualities, feminine attraction and the strength of a fighting woman." Modeler Yosuke Yamagata added, "Sheva is a character who symbolizes one of the themes of RE5 – the 'bond of partnership'. Her existence is very important in characterizing RE5. She is a new major protagonist, so we tested ideas repeatedly for a long period to decide what kind of portrait was right for her. Sheva already existed at the early development phase, but we discussed many ideas for her background. Sometimes she was a civilian or a guerrilla, sometimes she was a commander of a military corps. In fact, we made in-game models of Sheva for some of these ideas. But there were certain desired constants in all iterations: beauty at a heroine, ferocity and determination as a fighter. Finally, we chose the current design which is contemporary, as with Chris, mixed with a wild look appropriate for the assignment in Africa. We took great care in creating her face, sometimes starting from scratch just after we had finished. We then had to adjust the modeling several times after she appeared in-game until we got positive feedback on her appeal. Our visuals staff even suggested an adjustment to her in-game lighting so that she looks more charming."[3]
Sheva made her first appearance in Resident Evil 5 working with Chris Redfield as his new partner. At the age of eight, Sheva's parents died in what appeared to be a factory accident, she was taken in by her uncle to live with him and seven other children. Eventually, Sheva ran away from her uncle's home and was found by a truck driver who took her in and looked after her, but unknown to Sheva, he was part of a guerrilla group. Sheva later joined the group, and soon learned that what happened to her parents was much more than just an accident, the factory was the location of a final test of one of Umbrella Corporation's bio-organic weapons (BOWs). With the help of the local government, Umbrella destroyed Sheva's village and all inhabitants after the test was complete. Sheva remained with the guerrillas through her childhood. When she reached the age of 15, she was contacted by American operatives to stop Umbrella selling a BOW to the guerrillas. With Sheva's help, the operatives stopped the deal and apprehended the Umbrella salesman. The man who initially contacted Sheva offered her a chance to start her life again in America. Sheva accepted, within months, Sheva was speaking English like a native and enrolled in a university two years later. After graduation, her benefactor suggested she join the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance, an organization formed by the U.S. federal government, United Nations Security Council and the fictitious Global Pharmaceutical Consortium to combat biohazardous threats around the world. While Umbrella had dissolved years before this, Sheva's hatred of Umbrella and all others like them led her to join the BSAA. Sheva was assigned to Josh Stone's unit for eight months for training in which she excelled. Upon completion of her training, she was chosen to become an operative agent and was assigned to the BSAA's West African department soon after. She was put alongside Chris Redfield at the start of the Kijuju mission as his new partner, after the loss of his previous partner, Jill Valentine.
Two action figures of Sheva were released in the RE5 series by NECA and Hot Toys in 2009.[4]
In the Resident Evil 5 viral advertising videos, Sheva was played by Naja Hill.[5] Sheva's voice and motion actress Karen Dyer also posed for the 2009 calendar while dressed as the character in her various costumes.[6]
Sheva was met with a largely positive critical reception, especially for a relative newcomer to the series. Already in 2007, UGO.com ranked Sheva as the seventh "videogame hottie" of all time, declaring that "RE5 may not be out yet, but we've seen enough of Sheva to know that she's got some serious acrobatic chops to go with all the zombie-slaying she'll be dishing out next year."[7] In 2009, GameDaily featured her in their Babe of the Week galleries "Brunettes" (describing her as both gorgeous and tough) and "Babes We're Thankful For".[8][9] In 2010, Complex ranked her as the eighth "hottest woman in video games".[10] That same year, GamesRadar included her and Chris among the gaming's seven "most violent double acts".[11]
PlayStation: The Official Magazine stated "Sheva isn't just beautiful, she's smart and tough (...) [but her addition] is probably the highlight of the Resident Evil 5 experience",[12] while GamesRadar found her attire to be one of the most practical in the series, stating "The absolute antithesis of vulnerable, Sheva is a walking fortress that is equal parts kick-ass and intimidating feminine sexuality."[13] On the other hand, IGN called Sheva a "walking bag of useless" while stating their preference for the comeback of Rebecca Chambers and "just dumb as a rock when it comes to fighting zombies" when asking for a greater role for Jill.[14][15]
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