Resident Evil Village art director appreciates that fans want Lady Dimitrescu to chase them

What you need to know

• Lady Dimitrescu, or Tall Vampire Lady, is a major antagonist in Resident Evil Village.
• Speaking with IGN, Art Director Tomonori Takano talked about early concepts for the character.
• Takano was also "struck" by comments from fans about how they want Lady Dimitrescu to chase them.

Ever since the reveal of Resident Evil Village, the vampiric Lady Dimitrescu, better known as Tall Vampire Lady, has easily risen to the top of any discourse around the game. Speaking with IGN, Tomonori Takano, Art Director on Resident Evil Village, says that the character concept began with trying to create a "bewitching vampire."

Takano notes that there was inspiration drawn from stories like that of Elizabeth Báthory, a Hungarian noblewoman and reported serial killer, as well as Morticia Addams as portrayed by Anjelica Huston.

With Dimitrescu standing at an imposing, eyebrow-raising 9'6", Takano was also happy to work on the design upon seeing her height realized. "The very first piece of concept art I drew was the scene in the trailer where Lady Dimitrescu ducks down to walk through the doorway," Takano said. "From that moment, I knew I had to do that scene."

Even with that background, it seems like Capcom has still been taken aback by her success. "I don't think anyone [on the team] could have predicted how wonderfully fans have reacted to Lady Dimitrescu," says Takano. "Personally, I was particularly struck by comments like, 'I want to be chased by her.'"

Different editions of Resident Evil Village are available to preorder now and the game is set to release on May 7, 2021. If you really want to get an up-close glimpse of this imposing villain before launch, there's a PS5-exclusive Maiden demo available right now. In her impressions, our lead gaming editor Carli Velocci found it to be an excellent audio showcase.