How to Save Emily RE9 – The Complete Guide to Resident Evil Requiem’s Most Emotional Story Beat
If you’re here, you likely just saw something sad happen to a blind girl in Resident Evil Requiem. Now you might be asking: could it have been prevented? Is it possible to save her?
The short answer is yes. But there’s a catch.
You can’t save Emily during the game. No matter what you choose in the Care Center, the Water Treatment Plant, or other places, it won’t change what happens to her then. But there is one choice at the very end of the game that decides if Emily lives or dies for good.
This guide will explain everything. Who Emily is, what happens to her, what you need to do to save her, and how both endings play out. Clear and easy to follow.
Let’s get into it.
Who Is Emily in Resident Evil Requiem?
Before we explain how, you need to know who Emily is. Once you understand her background, the story becomes much more powerful.
Emily is a young girl you meet early in Resident Evil Requiem. She is stuck inside the isolation ward of the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center, a place overrun by zombies and bioweapons. When FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft finds her, Emily is alone, weak, and blind.
She’s not blind by accident. According to the Resident Evil Wiki, Emily is a clone made by The Connections, a secret criminal group. She was created to help with their research on Elpis, a strange project linked to the Umbrella Corporation. The tests they did on her caused her to lose her sight.
She has been living in the isolation ward, away from other patients, completely alone. The only person with her was her cellmate Marie, who had already become a dangerous mutant before Grace arrived.
Despite everything, Emily is clever and brave. She reads braille. She helps Grace solve an important puzzle to escape the facility. The two quickly form a strong emotional bond in the game.
Grace isn’t just running away. She’s trying to save Emily.
Emily’s Connection to Grace Ashcroft
This relationship is the main emotional part of the whole game.
Grace is a young FBI analyst who is out of her depth. She is sent to look into strange deaths near the ruins of Raccoon City. Things quickly go wrong, and she finds herself trapped inside the Care Center, fighting to survive.
When Grace finds Emily, something changes. Actress Angela Sant’Albano, who voices Grace, said in a Variety interview, “meeting Emily is the moment Grace truly connects with another person.”
Emily gives Grace a reason to keep going. For players, Emily is the person you fight to protect.
That’s exactly why what happens next hurts so much.
What Happens to Emily in the Water Treatment Plant?
This part surprises most players. Here is what happens, step by step.
Grace and Emily escape from the Care Center. A pilot named Harry Reed gives them a helicopter ride. Zombies attack during the flight, causing the helicopter to crash. Reed dies, and Emily is badly hurt.
Grace carries Emily to a nearby chapel. She does everything she can to keep Emily alive. But Emily has lost too much blood. She stops breathing.
Grace performs CPR. Desperately. And it appears to work.
But it doesn’t — not the way she wanted.
The t-Virus inside Emily wakes up. Emily changes. She turns into a scary, wild monster. Then Leon S. Kennedy shows up.
Should You Shoot Emily or Not?
Here’s a common question players ask: when playing as Leon, should you shoot Emily?
According to Game8’s guide, you must shoot Emily to continue the story. There is no way to avoid shooting her or get a different ending.
But here’s the thing most players don’t realize right away: Leon doesn’t hit any vital organs. He says this himself later in the game. He aimed carefully. He knocked her down without killing her.
Grace doesn’t know the truth yet. She only sees Leon shooting the girl she tried to save. She’s heartbroken. She blames herself and Leon. In her pain, she makes a quick choice. She leaves Leon and goes with Dr. Victor Gideon and a man named Zeno. They tell her she is the “key” to unlocking Elpis.
This is the moment when the game switches to Leon’s view for a long part.
Does Emily Die in RE9?
This is a very common question about the game, so let’s answer it clearly.
Emily does not die for good — but only if you choose the right option at the end.
Mid-game, she seems to die two times. First from losing too much blood. Then in her mutated form when Leon shoots her. Both moments seem final. But neither is really the end for her.
Whether Emily lives or not depends on one choice you make near the end of Resident Evil Requiem.
How to Save Emily RE9 — The Complete Step-by-Step
Here’s everything you need to know, laid out clearly.
Step 1 – Escape the Care Center With Emily
Early in the game, Grace must get Emily out of the isolation ward at Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center. To do this, find 3 Joint Plugs in the Basement. These unlock the way out.
Don’t worry too much in this part. Your goal is to explore and stay safe. Just concentrate on finding the plugs and keeping Emily safe as you move.
Step 2 – Survive the Water Treatment Plant
When you get to the Water Treatment Plant, the helicopter crashes and Emily’s mutation starts. You can’t change what happens. It always goes the same way.
When Leon arrives and Emily is mutated, you have to shoot her. This is required. But Leon purposely avoids hitting her vital organs.
According to Game8, shooting Emily or not does not change her ending. So don’t worry about pressing the trigger. It makes no difference.
Step 3 – Progress Through Raccoon City as Both Characters
After the Water Treatment Plant, the game changes perspective. You will play parts as Grace and Leon. Continue through these chapters as usual.
You’ll learn much more about Elpis during this time. Grace finds out that Elpis is not a mind-control bioweapon like people believed. It is actually an antiviral cure created by Oswell E. Spencer, the co-founder of Umbrella, as a way to make up for all the harm the company caused.
That revelation changes everything.
Step 4 – Reach the ARK Facility Final Decision
This is the moment everything comes down to.
Inside the ARK Laboratory in the ruins of Raccoon City, Grace and Leon reach a main console while Zeno watches. Grace must unlock Elpis. Then she faces a choice.
You will be given two options:
| Option | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Release Elpis | Releases the cure. Leads to the good ending. Saves Emily. |
| Destroy Elpis | Destroys the cure. Leads to the bad ending. Emily remains dead. |
Step 5 – Choose “Release Elpis”
This is the only way to save Emily.
When you choose Release Elpis, this is what happens according to Gamer Blurb:
- Elpis is revealed to be an antiviral cure, not a weapon
- Zeno injects himself with Elpis, losing his enhanced abilities
- Victor Gideon kills Zeno
- Grace injects Leon with Elpis to cure his T-Virus infection
- A boss fight follows that you need to survive
Step 6 – Survive the Final Boss Fight
After finishing Elpis, you’ll face the last boss. Keep going. When you win, the ending will happen.
Leon tells Grace that Emily can be saved. He explains that when he shot her at the Water Treatment Plant, he aimed to avoid her vital organs. Then, they give Emily the Elpis antiviral.
As Game Rant says, “Leon and Grace go back to the Water Treatment Plant to give Emily an anti-virus cure that brings her back to life and cures her blindness.”
Emily survives. Her sight comes back. In the post-credits scene, Grace adopts Emily as her daughter.
The Two Endings of Resident Evil Requiem — Compared
Here’s a clean breakdown of both endings so you know exactly what you’re choosing between.
| Release Elpis (Good Ending) | Destroy Elpis (Bad Ending) | |
|---|---|---|
| Emily | Saved, vision restored, adopted by Grace | Presumed dead |
| Leon | Survives, cured by Elpis | Dies on-screen |
| Sherry Birkin | Saved | Presumed dead |
| Grace | Adopts Emily, hopeful future | Tragic outcome |
| Canon Status | Yes — confirmed good ending | No — game lets you reload |
| Achievement/Trophy | Yes | No |
According to PCGamesN, the game lets you play both endings. If you choose Destroy Elpis, it asks you to go back and try the other path. This suggests that Release Elpis is the main ending.
Emily’s Background – The Full Story
To understand who Emily is, here is her full story from the Resident Evil Wiki.
Emily was made outside the womb in a lab at ARK Laboratory in Raccoon City. She was called “Subject 171” by The Connections. After that, she was taken to Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center and kept alone, away from other patients, to keep the research secret.
She was not alone in the facility. She had a “sister” — another clone named Marie — in a nearby room. Marie later escaped through a hole in her cell wall, changed, and became one of the monsters Grace meets in the basement.
Emily also had a book she read in braille. Fans of the series will like the detail: it was “Village of Shadows” — the book from Resident Evil Village.
In October 2026, Dr. Victor Gideon purposely sabotaged the Care Center. He infected patients with a mutant t-Virus. Emily survived the first outbreak because she was kept isolated, but she was still very vulnerable.
That’s when Grace found her.
They escaped together, depending on each other at every step. Emily used her braille skills to solve a puzzle for Grace. Grace carried Emily when she couldn’t walk. It is one of the most human connections in any Resident Evil game.
Emily is voiced in English by Emma Rose Creaner.
Why Emily Matters to the Story of RE9
Emily is not just a character to protect. She is the heart of the entire story.
The game’s title — Requiem — means mourning. It is about loss and the pain of the past. Raccoon City is still a hurt. Leon has carried it for many years. Grace’s mother Alyssa died because of it.
But Emily is different. She is the product of Umbrella’s darkest science — a clone created in a lab, blinded by experiments, and kept away from the world. Yet she remains kind. Still curious. Still reading her braille book in the dark.
When Grace promises to save her, it becomes the reason to face the horror. When the good ending happens — Elpis heals Emily, gives her back her sight, and Grace adopts her — it reflects an earlier part of the story.
Grace was also adopted. Journalist Alyssa Ashcroft took her in after Oswell Spencer, who had been caring for Grace as a baby, died and gave guardianship to Alyssa. The story ends with Grace doing the same for Emily. The game completes this full circle.
As Grokipedia says, a scene after the credits shows Grace’s FBI desk with a photo of her and Emily — a simple, strong moment.
Expert Tips for Playing This Section
Here are some things experienced players recommend:
- Don’t skip the braille puzzle. Emily is integral to solving it, and paying attention here helps you understand her abilities better before the emotional gut-punch later.
- Explore the Care Center thoroughly before leaving. You can put Emily down on the couch in the Guard Office (per Game8’s guide) if you want to backtrack and collect missed items. This is your window to get Mr. Raccoon Memoriams and charms.
- Don’t reload saves trying to save Emily at the Water Treatment Plant. Nothing you do there changes her fate. Save that mental energy for the final decision.
- The final choice cannot be undone mid-playthrough. If you pick Destroy Elpis by accident, the game will prompt you to reload. Just reload and pick Release Elpis.
- Difficulty level doesn’t affect Emily’s survival. It’s purely about the Elpis choice.
Pros and Cons of Each Ending
Release Elpis (Good Ending)
Pros:
- Emily lives and regains her vision
- Leon survives and is cured
- Sherry Birkin survives
- Grace gets a meaningful conclusion
- You get the game’s trophy/achievement
- Considered the canon ending by Capcom
Cons:
- Harder boss fight awaits you after the choice
- Some players feel the hopeful ending undercuts the horror tone
Destroy Elpis (Bad Ending)
Pros:
- Sees through a darker, more tragic narrative
- Interesting to experience at least once on New Game Plus
Cons:
- Emily dies permanently
- Leon dies on screen
- Sherry Birkin is presumed dead
- No trophy/achievement
- The game actively steers you away from this ending
FAQs – How to Save Emily RE9
Q1: Can you save Emily before the Water Treatment Plant?
No. You cannot save Emily during the game. Her mutation and death at the Water Treatment Plant are fixed parts of the story. Whether she really lives depends only on the Elpis choice at the game’s end.
Q2: Does it matter whether Leon shoots Emily at the Water Treatment Plant?
No. According to Game8, shooting or not shooting Emily then does not change what happens to her. The result is the same either way. Leon purposely avoids hitting her vital organs.
Q3: What happens to Emily in the bad ending?
If you choose Destroy Elpis, the cure is lost. Emily stays dead. The game does not say what happens to her directly, but it suggests she does not live. Leon also dies on screen in this ending.
Q4: Is the good ending (Release Elpis) the canon ending?
Yes. This is clear because only the good ending gives the game’s completion trophy or achievement. The game also asks you to reload if you pick Destroy Elpis, which shows that Release Elpis is the right choice.
Q5: Does Emily remember Grace after she recovers?
The game does not show their first meeting, but the post-credits scene confirms their connection. Grace adopts Emily, and a photo of them is on Grace’s FBI desk. This reflects how Grace was also adopted and raised. It is a touching ending to their story.
Final Thoughts
Emily’s story is one of the most moving parts Resident Evil has had in years.
She’s not a helpless girl. She’s a clone who survived tests, loneliness, and a zombie attack — and still had the bravery to help Grace get away. She just needed someone to rescue her.
You can do it. Just make one choice at the end: choose Release Elpis.
Do that, and the game offers something rare for a survival horror series — real hope. Emily can see again. Grace has a daughter. The cycle of tragedy that began in Raccoon City in 1998 gets, for these two, a brief moment of light.
If you haven’t seen the good ending yet, go try it. It’s really worth it.
Need more Resident Evil Requiem guides? Visit the Resident Evil Wiki on Fandom for full lore or go to Game8’s RE9 guide hub for step-by-step walkthroughs of every chapter.
