The origins of Lady Dimitrescu, the sensation of Resident Evil Village
Who is Alsina Dimitrescu? We’re immersing ourselves in Japanese legends and Hungarian nobility to find inspiration for the character that stole the hearts (and blood) of Resident Evil Village fans.
If you have visited the internet in the last few days, it is not possible that you do not know them: She wears a dress almost as white as her skin, has a fearsome smile and is about three feet tall. We’re talking, of course, about Lady Alcina Dimitrescu, the villain from Resident Evil Village who took control of the entire community in seconds (literally).
Sure, maybe the effect she gets is the exact opposite of what Capcom wanted us to feel (or maybe not?), but whether you fear her or dream of her walking all over you, it’s clear that Lady Dimitrescu has every chance of becoming one of the greatest villain icons in the Resident Evil series.
At first glance, everything points to her being a vampire, especially given the clues the girl leaves in the demo when you meet one of her daughters (who also has beautiful minions), or the fact that Resident Evil Village is based on European folklore. But what’s really behind Lady Dimitrescu, and what materials did the Capcom artists use to design her?
Hachishakusama
And we must first go to the source of all this: Japan. Of all the urban legends that exist about ghosts (or yokas), one of the most popular refers to Hachishakusama, a name that translates as two and a half feet tall. This detail immediately reminds us of Lady Dimitrescu, but that’s not all.
Her appearance is also very similar to that of the villain in Resident Evil 8 Village, as she is often described as a woman with long black hair wearing a white dress and hat. It is said that she has a deep, almost masculine voice and that she constantly repeats the sound po po po.
According to legend, Hachishakusama spies on young children by stalking them for days (or even months), and when she stops… She kidnaps him to take him away from his family and eventually kills him. If it served as inspiration for Lady Dimitrescu, it may give us a clue to her role as an enemy in the game: Will she relentlessly pursue Ethan as the story unfolds? Is Lady Dimitrescu Mr. X/Nemesis of Evil Village?
Erzsébet Báthory
And if you found it disturbing, wait until you hear about a real character-based inspiration: Erzsébet Báthory was a Hungarian nobleman who lived from 1560 to 1614. As a member of one of the most powerful families of the time, Erzsébet is known as the murderer who has the most lives on her conscience in the history of mankind.
And no, it’s not a legend or a myth: About 300 people have testified to Erzebet’s brutal practices, including beatings, burns, limb mutilation and skin bites on her face, hands and other parts of her body, and she is suspected of practicing cannibalism. Victims are often young girls between the ages of 10 and 14.
She was arrested in December 1610 with four servants (Dorothea, Ilona, Catherine and Janos) accused of being her accomplices. Mutilated bodies and dead or half-dead prisoners have been found in his castle. Your punishment? She was sentenced to what would be house arrest today (the laws were… different in those days). She died in her castle at the age of 54, but to this day the whereabouts of her body are unknown.
And, wait, here comes the interesting part: the story of Erzebet’s torment and murder has grown over the years and become part of national folklore, gradually taking on a vampiric aspect.
It is said that she bathes in the blood of virgins to stay young, and some believe that the real inspiration for Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula can be found in Erzsebet Bathory, hence her nicknames as the Bloody Countess or Countess Dracula. On the other hand, her staff had become legendary, no longer servants of the castle, but three witches in the Countess’ service.
Sound familiar? This is almost literally the background of Lady Dimitrescu: a woman with vampiric tendencies who lives in a castle in Romania with three witches and a man (her brother, in the case of Resident Evil Village), and whose hobby is to capture local virgins.
There is no doubt that Capcom took inspiration from the legend of Erzsébet Bathory for the creation of Lady Dimitrescu.
What do you think, are you looking forward to meeting Mrs. Dimitrescu in person? Reminder: Resident Evil Village will be evacuated on the 7th. May for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
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