Ethan Winters first appearance was in Capcom's 2017 Resident Evil game, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (Simply Biohazard 7 in Japan). Resident Evil 7 has no coordination to Resident Evil 6, and takes place in Lousianna. This game takes place after a murder of a three-man TV crew called the "Sewer Gators" who visited the Baker family house after the rumours of the ghosts and murders taking place there. The members were then murdered by the Baker family members.
After this incident, Mia Winters, Ethan's wife is kidnapped by the Baker family and was kept in the Baker household for three years. The game begins when Ethan received a request from Mia to find her in Lousianna, despite the fact that Mia had been presumed dead. Throughout this game, Ethan is trying to save Mia from her demise (and also trying not to die).
Ethan Winters makes a come back in the 2021 Resident Evil game, Resident Evil 8: Village. In this game, Ethan now has a baby, Rose. Ethan is beginning to lay Rose down to bed and have some wine and dinner with Mia. As Mia is pouring the wine, Soliders break into their house and shoot Mia to death. Here it's learned that the Mia he was living with was actually a fake, and a lady called Mother Miranda had shapeshifted into Mia so she could kidnap Rose to become immortal. Chris Redfield had implemented the break-in, taking Rose and knocking Ethan out.
Ethan eventually wakes up in the snow, having been knocked out of the truck they were in as the truck got flipped; it's assummed it's due to Mother Miranda wanting Rose. He has to make his way towards the village where Mother Miranda took Rose and there he meets the four lords; Alcina Dimitrescu, Donna Beneviento, Salvatore Moreau, and Karl Heisenburg.
Ethan is primarily known for the fact that when his hand gets severed--which happens three times--he uses "First Aid Med" (basically rubbing alchohol) to cure his injuries. In Resident Evil 7, Mia had used a chainsaw to saw his hand off; in Resident Evil 8, his fingers are bitten off by a Lycan, and cut off by Lady Dimitrescu. He also had his his leg sliced off with a shovel in Resident Evil 7 by Jack Baker. So, yeah, he's a bit injury-happy.
You're probably thinking, "Okay, so what's so important about him? Why do you like him? He's literally just some white guy dawg..." and to that I say, you're right! He is literally just some guy trying to save his family. That's why he's important to me. He is truly no one; he's not some military trained jacked dude like Leon Kennedy or Chris Redfield, though I love both of my military boys aswell.
Ethan Winters is meant to represent as you, the player. That's the reason it's first person (also the fact it's scarier that way). You're scared for Ethan, you build this sense of fear for his family. While there can be a sense of detachment for many players due to the fact that Ethan Winters is technically superhuman (has regenerating powers due to the mold that infests his body), you are still able to feel for his family (espically after the ending of Resident Evil 8); he saved his daughter and allowed himself to die just show Rose can have a somewhat normal childhood.
His story is depressing to think about; your wife gets kidnapped by a family of cannibals and even after you save her and have a baby, you're still not allowed a rest because the person you thought was your wife was actually a shapeshifter, Mother Miranda, who wanted to use your baby to gain eternal life. You kill Mother Miranda and save your baby, but you die with your baby held in your arms, begging for your friend to help your wife take care of your baby. It's simply gut-wretching to think that after all these years Ethan never got to see himself truly happy because despite all the good he did, everything caught up to him.
That is why he's important to me. Call me a baby or sensitive, but I actually cried at the end of Resident Evil 8; Rose never got to meet her father and Ethan never got to see his daughter grow up. He never even heard her first words.
