Alfred Ashford, 7th Earl Ashford

The Ashford family is among the worlds first and finest. My grandfather is one of the original founders of Umbrella, Inc.

Alfred Ashford is a character in Resident Evil Code: Veronica, and is the main antagonist of the first half of the game.

Alfred Ashford was born the son of Lord Alexander Ashford, and grandson of Sir Edward Ashford, the latter one of the original founders of the Umbrella Corporation, and the former his disgraced son. He was born in Rockfort Island in the year of 1971, one of a set of twins, along with his twin sister Alexia. Both were the result of genetic tinkering of the ancient Ashford matriarch Veronica's DNA, infused with a dangerous intelligence-raising gene and the DNA of their so-called father, Alexander Ashford. While Alexia started displaying high-genius level intelligence, Alfred only showed signs of low-level genius intelligence. Both were raised in the first years of their lives in the lavish surroundings of Rockfort Island, between classes unsuitable for kids so young, and Alfred grew idolizing Alexia, and scorning the rest of the world.

Creating a Monster
I will not allow you fools to escape, this is what you get for trying to oppose me, now feel my revenge.

Later on, he eventually found out about the Umbrella Corporation Antarctic Research Facility. On a secret skirmish at the tender age of ten, he found a secret hall that was to be opened with three family gems that rested within the Ashford family tree: one he kept himself, another was in his sister Alexia's hands, and the final one was in the grasp of his father. Reasoning that something extremely valuable was to be found, he found a way to secure his father's gem, and eventually, wielding all three gems, he opened the secret corridor, finding undeniable evidence of the truth behind his and his sister's birth. Growing insane because of this realization, he aided his sister in abducting his father and injecting him with the initial strains of the t-Veronica virus. This caused him to mutate into the corrupted abomination known as Nosferatu, hiding him to avoid suspicion from the family butler, Scott Harman.

Realizing the mistakes she had committed during the experiments, the twins had a secret room added to hold their father. Eventually, Alexia found out how to properly control the viral corruption, but the process involved fifteen years in cryostasis. Seeing no other choice but to go ahead to complete her mad dream of godhood, she had Alfred seal her in the desired stasis in the underground section of the Antarctic Laboratory and feign her death.

Nurturing the Insanity
He then grew more and more demented, without the guidance of his sister, who had helped him remain somewhat stable throughout the years. He became embittered, sadistic and psychotic, though this did not stop him from journeying to England to graduate from a respectable University to complete his education. Over the years, however, due to his already unstable mind and to the fact nobody ever expected him to be as smart as Alexia was, his mind shattered, creating a dual personality: one that remained the insane Alfred Ashford, and another figment took over Alfred's memories of Alexia and created a new personality closely resembling her. Due to the fact he remained oblivious as to the truth of Alexia's apparent return, he lived alone in his house on Rockfort Island, often allowing the Alexia fragment to take complete control above his body, dressing up like her and speaking in her voice (which wasn't too difficult, due to his effeminate features and somewhat high voice). There, he, or the fraction of his mind that represented Alfred, had long conversations with the Alexia shard, and developed militaristic tendencies and a massive ego, as his mind eroded further.

1998
Awaken from your slumber... and bring forth the great Veronica!"

The true breakdown started when Rockfort Island was attacked shortly after Claire Redfield was transferred. Relating the two facts, he considered them to be effect and cause. Because of this, clad in his military-style uniform, and wielding a sniper rifle, he tried to hunt her and Steve Burnside down, until he, fleeing in his Alexia state to the twin's connected rooms, was shown his madness, as he realized the Alexia he had known from after the cryostasis was nothing more than a schizophrenic delusion of his own mind upon gazing in a mirror while still smeared in makeup. Irrationally blaming Claire and Steve, he continued to attack them, both by releasing an experimental Tyrant to kill them, and by redirecting their escape plane to the Umbrella Corporation Antarctic Labs. There, he once again tried to snipe the two down, but received a fatal wound from Steve, who was merely retaliating in self defense. He then was thrown down the long elevator shaft and ended in the cryostasic chamber where his sister lay in cryogenic sleep. He was once again reunited with his sister before he died in his sister arms.





Trivia

 * In an early version of the story, his original name was Hilbert Krueger.
 * Alfred is set to appear in Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles as a non-playable character and enemy/boss in the Code: Veronica scenario. Unlike the original game, which simply used Alexia's model, Alfred dons a unique model when dressing as his sister featuring masculine features and a corset to give his body a feminine look.
 * Coupled with his residence, the fact that he cross-dresses as a female whom he idolizes could be a reference to Norman Bates, from Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.

Appearances/Voice Actors

 * Game Canon (2 games)
 * Resident Evil Code: Veronica - (First appearance) Peter Oldring
 * Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles -