Who is Jack Krauser, and what is Operation Javier, in Resident Evil 4?

Capcom’s Resident Evil 4 remake pits Leon Kennedy against a town full of nameless infested villagers and repulsive monsters, but one enemy plays an outsized — and potentially confusing — role in our hero’s mission to save Ashley from her captors. The man in question is Major Jack Krauser. He loves Leon Kennedy but hates him.

Krauser appears in the original Resident Evil 4He played the role of a protagonist in another Resident Evil video game. The Darkside Chronicles: Resident Evil, In which Krauser’s backstory was elaborated further. That 2009 Wii game also explains what “Operation Javier” is, why Krauser is so pissed at Leon and the U.S. government, and why he throws his lot in with Ramon Salazar and Lord Saddler.

You have never played The Darkside Chronicles: Resident Evil, or if you’ve forgotten the events of that on-rails shooter for the Wii, here’s a quick recap.

Operation Javier, explanation

The Darkside Chronicles: Resident Evil sends Leon Kennedy on a mission to a South American jungle in search of drug lord Javier Hidalgo — who has also been working with the Umbrella corporation in buying and selling Bio-Organic Weapons (BOWs). Leon’s mission is to stop the spread of t-Virus throughout the region. Jack Krauser from the U.S. Special Operations Command is paired up with Leon because of its dangerous nature.

When the two meet, Krauser says he doesn’t believe in the existence of BOWs, but faced with the reality of their mission, in which they directly encounter dozens of zombified villagers and virus-infected creatures, accepts their existence. Krauser expresses jealousy over Leon’s status and his assignment, which came directly from the President of the United States. Krauser is feeling ignored by his government and wants to show his worth through the completion of this mission.

During the events of the game, Krauser is seriously wounded by an amphibious BOW under Hidalgo’s control — which is actually Javier’s mutated wife, Hilda — forcing him out of the army, and reinforcing his resentment of the government. In a post-game unlockable chapter, Krauser is also wounded. The Darkside ChroniclesTo gain further insight into Krauser’s thinking, the players can take over Krauser. Players hear Krauser’s internal thoughts as he begins to not only grow resentful of Leon during their mission, but begins to sympathize with Hidalgo and his use of the virus to strengthen himself.

Capcom image

Krauser’s revelation in the dramatic battle with Hidalgo is that the virus is his solution to the injury. He can regain his strength and his status as an elite spec operations soldier. “I can see it… I can see its power!” Krauser says. “This virus can change the world! This virus could change the world if I had its power. This virus, its power… I’ll make it my own! Then I’ll be reborn. This is the moment that marks my rebirth. For the darkness within me has awoken.”

Krauser seeks the assistance of Resident Evil’s career criminal Albert Wesker in order to get the virus. Krauser was assigned the task of infiltrating Los Illuminados to steal Las Plagas. He becomes obsessed with Las Plagas’ potential power and ingests the parasite to gain superhuman abilities.

Operation Javier Files Resident Evil 4You can make things look different by remaking them. The documents later found in the game indicate that Operation Javier was a secret operation designed to destroy South American drug cartels. This mission resulted, according to Krauser, in the deaths many elite soldiers. It appears that Krauser buries the journalist’s report on Operation Javier, in an attempt to keep the events of his and Leon’s secret mission further contained.