Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. Guides

Resident Evil 4 Charms: all Charm effects and where to find them

Jesse Lennox
By

Everyone loved the attaché case from the original game and was very excited to see that it would return in the Resident Evil 4 remake. This case brings back the delicate balance of managing your inventory space between healing items, ammo, weapons, and other items that you want to bring with you. What’s new are the little keychains you can attach to your case called Charms. These are more than minor cosmetic flair, though, as each Charm has a unique buff that can help turn the tides in your favor. However, being brand new, even veterans of the survival horror classic won’t know how to get or use them immediately. Leon needs every advantage he can get in Resident Evil 4 remake, so help him out by checking out all the Charm effects and where to find them.

How to get Charms

Three shooting range scoreboards.

Since Charms are a new addition in the remake of Resident Evil 4, the way to get them is also somewhat new. Those who played the original might recall a small shooting range Leon could mess around in. In the remake, this mini-game has been expanded quite a bit. There are now multiple shooting ranges and within them multiple challenges. The first one you can encounter is when you find the Merchant in Chapter 3 after going through the Quarry. Whichever shooting range you pick, enter the ornate elevator to be transported to the range.

Recommended Videos

Shooting range challenges will rank you based on your score, and depending on what you get, reward you with either a silver or gold token (if you score high enough, of course). These tokens are what you will turn in to get yourself charms.

Related

The downside is the system for getting Charms isn’t as easy as a shop where you can trade in your coins for the Charm of your choice. Instead, you will insert them into a machine that will randomly spit out a Charm. The only small influence you have is based on what tokens you insert, as you must put in at least three tokens. That means there are four possible token combinations you can use:

  • 3 gold tokens
  • 2 gold and 1 silver token
  • 1 gold and 2 silver tokens
  • 3 silver tokens

While there are some conflicting reports, it does seem as though the more valuable combinations — three gold tokens or two gold and one silver — have a better chance of a higher tier Charm payout, but your mileage may vary. What is known is that what Charms you get are set once you start your playthrough. What this means is you can’t “save scum” the system to get what you want since reloading a save before inserting your tokens will always yield the same Charm.

How to equip Charms

A grid of charms in Resident Evil 4.

Once you’ve got one or more Charms unlocked, you can attach up to three of them to your attaché case of choice. To do this, simply go to the Customize Case tab in the typewriter menu and select the Charms you want to equip from the menu below. You can swap them out at any typewriter, so feel free to change them out to suit your current needs.

All Charms

Leon collecting a teddy bear charm.

There are over 30 Charms in Resident Evil 4 remake if you include the two that are only given as DLC bonus items for those who purchased the Deluxe Edition. They’re broken down into four tiers: Legendary, Epic, Rare, and Common. Here’s a full list of all the Charms, plus what bonuses they give.

Legendary Charms:

  • Cute Bear: reduces 1 gunpowder used when crafting.
  • Striker: increases run speed by 8%.

Epic Charms:

  • Iluminados Emblem: increases melee critical hit rate by 20%.
  • Ashley Graham: increases health recovery for Green Herbs by 50%.
  • Merchant: offers 5% off all weapon upgrades.
  • Rhino Beetle: increases health recovery item resale value by 100%.

Rare Charms:

  • Ada Wong: offers 30% off body armor repairs.
  • Luis Sera: increases weapon resale value by 20%.
  • Leon w/ Rocket Launcher: offers 20% off the Rocket Launcher.
  • Leon w/ Handgun: offers 30% off knife repairs.
  • Leon w/ Shotgun: increases ammo resale value by 40%.
  • Chicken: increases health recovery rate for all Egg types by 100%.
  • Black Bass: increases health recovery rate for Black Bass by 100%.

Common Charms:

  • Leader Zealot: increases health recovery for Green Herbs by 10%.
  • Don Jose: increases handgun ammo craft bonus frequency by 15%.
  • Soldier w/ Hammer: increases handgun ammo craft bonus frequency by 20%.
  • Don Estaban: increases shotgun shells craft bonus frequency by 15%.
  • Zealot /w Shield: increases shotgun shells craft bonus frequency by 20%.
  • Don Diego: increases rifle ammo craft bonus frequency by 15%.
  • Dr. Salvador: increases rifle ammo craft bonus frequency by 20%.
  • Don Miguel: increases submachine gun ammo craft bonus frequency by 15%.
  • Zealot w/ Scythe: increases submachine gun ammo craft bonus frequency by 20%.
  • Soldier w/ Stun Rod: increases bolt craft bonus frequency by 15%.
  • Zealot w/ Bowgun: increases bolt craft bonus frequency by 20%.
  • Soldier w/ Dynamite: increases attachable mines craft bonus frequency by 30%.
  • Maria: Increase magnum ammo craft bonus frequency by 15%.
  • Bella Sisters: increases magnum ammo craft bonus frequency by 20%.
  • Isabel: increases health recovery for Vipers by 30%.
  • Don Pedro: increases health recovery for Vipers by 40%.

Deluxe Edition DLC Charms:

  • Green Herb: increases health recovery for Green Herbs by 15%.
  • Handgun Ammo: increases handgun ammo craft bonus frequency by 30%.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox loves writing, games, and complaining about not having time to write and play games. He knows the names of more…
The best weapons in Resident Evil 4
Leon holding a gun in Resident Evil 4.

Leon clearly wasn't prepared for what he would encounter in the Resident Evil 4 remake or he would have come with more than a middling handgun and a knife. While those basic tools can get you through the opening stages of the game, it won't be long before you will need to call upon some much stronger firepower in order to survive the tougher -- and more grotesque -- monsters that stand in your way. The Resident Evil 4 remake offers a ton of weapons you can collect, such as pistols, SMGs, rifles, and more. However, most will cost a lot of cash -- and even more if you want to invest in their upgrades. You will have to make some tough choices about what weapons you want to stick with, and picking a dud can make your playthrough much more difficult. Instead of investing all your cash in a pea-shooter, check out the best weapons you can get in the Resident Evil 4 remake to blast your way through Ganados and Las Plagas alike.
The best weapons in Resident Evil 4

Red9
Where else could we start but with the Red9? Almost certainly the most popular handgun -- or gun in general -- from the original Resident Evil 4 has returned in the remake and is just as potent as ever. Not only can you grab this gun as early as Chapter 3, making it a great choice for investing your upgrades in, but it can be altered and has essentially no drawbacks. By default, the Red9's recoil is the primary point of criticism you could levy at it, but if you spend a few Spinels to give it the stock, you'll be able to basically snipe with this pistol. By the time you unlock the Exclusive upgrade, which multiplies the gun's power by 1.5x, you'll hardly ever find a situation where this handgun can't do the job.
Bolt Thrower
The Bolt Thrower isn't on this list for its high power, accuracy, or anything that you would traditionally look for in a gun. The reason it has to be here is due to the simple fact that you can recover the bolts it shoots into enemies after they're dead to massively cut down on your ammo expenditure. Ammo for it is also crafted using knives, but it even has a secondary firing method where it launches mines, giving it a lot more utility. The Exclusive upgrade isn't game-changing -- it doubles the ammo capacity -- but the less you have to reload, the less often you'll be caught in a sticky situation.
Stingray
In the rifle category, the Stingray is never going to let you down. This is a semiautomatic rifle, so the firing rate is mostly up to you, plus it has a great clip size by default. If you're hitting those weak points, this baby will also deal 3x damage, and can be outfitted with almost any scope. The Exclusive upgrade boosts your final firing rate by an additional 2x, which shouldn't be too necessary if you're trying to be precise, though can help in a pinch.
LE 5
The LE 5 is a weapon you can easily miss that is kind of like a good version of the Punisher in that it has amazing penetration power. Being an SMG, it also boasts a far greater firing rate and clip size, as well as more power. This is the perfect weapon to rip through any shield-wielding enemies. Again like the Punisher, the Exclusive upgrade allows the LE 5 to pierce up to five targets at once.
Broken Butterfly
Another returning favorite, the Broken Butterfly magnum is not just the best-looking hand cannon in the game, but also the most deadly. If you don't count a special weapon like the Rocket Launcher, the Broken Butterfly (after upgrades) deals the most damage of any gun in the Resident Evil 4 remake. The Exclusive upgrade plays a major part in this by boosting its final damage by 1.5x, again just like the Red9, but magnum upgrades are among the most expensive in the game, so this power won't come easy.
Striker
What's the worst part of a shotgun? The firing rate. Well, that is if you're not using the Striker. This semiautomatic shotgun spits out damage like nobody's business. It has power on par with any other shotgun, but way better firing speed, plus a massive clip size so you don't have to worry about running dry out an enemy in your face. If you get the Exclusive upgrade, you can even double the already huge clip size.
Rocket Launcher
This is a big investment both in terms of cash and space, but the Rocket Launcher is too iconic to the series not to be amazing. Yes, this has a one-hit kill on just about everything and will cost more or less depending on what difficulty level you're playing on. It has no upgrades because, well, what is there to make better? Unless you're playing with the infinite ammo for it enabled, you do only get one shot, so make it count.
Primal Knife
While technically not a gun, the knife is so good in the Resident Evil 4 remake that it has to be mentioned. This tool will save your skin more often than you think thanks to the new ability to parry and finish downed enemies, but the obvious drawback is durability. The Primal Knife has to be unlocked by finding and destroying all 16 of the Clockwork Castellans in the game. What makes it the clear frontrunner of all knives is the Exclusive upgrade that makes it completely unbreakable, no matter how much you use it.

Read more
All Resident Evil 4 remake Wayshrines and how to open them
An open wayshrine with a bracelet inside.

In the opening chapters of the Resident Evil 4 remake, you will come across strange shrines erected by a cult. These can be interacted with, but prompt you to use an item. Unfortunately, you won't even have the chance to open the first couple you find since the item required to open them can't be picked up until a bit later -- and only if you know where to search for it. But it's ro say that the treasures you get from them make it worth your time to backtrack and grab all the goodies inside. Here's how you can open all the Wayshrines in the Resident Evil 4 remake, and what each one holds inside.
How to get the Wayshrine Key

Surprise surprise, but Wayshrines can only be opened once you grab the Wayshrine Key. It will feel like a long time, but you can't even access the key until you reach Chapter 4 and beat Del Lago. Once you can explore the lake, head south to the Mural Cave. Deep in the caves, you will find an ornate cabinet after solving the puzzle in the cave. You can get there by going down the path from the southern dock and through the section with the two large stone hands. Thankfully, unlike Small Keys, the Wayshrine Key is reusable and can open every Wayshrine in the game.
How to 0pen Wayshrines

Read more
How to solve the Castle Sword puzzle in Resident Evil 4 remake
Leon looking at murals of a knight.

The castle section of the Resident Evil 4 remake is one of the most diabolical. Aside from being visually distinct from the previous village area, this location is full of tougher enemies and deadlier traps. Once you've managed to escape from the dungeons and up into the castle proper, you will be blocked by a gate beside some images of a knight in different situations. Something is off about all of them, and one part missing entirely. This is the sword puzzle, but it isn't as straightforward as you might assume looking at it. Here's how to solve the Sword Puzzle and make your way into the Audience Chamber in Resident Evil 4.
How to solve the Castle Sword puzzle

The first thing you'll notice about this puzzle is that there are four murals of the knight, but only three swords to pick up in this room. The last sword is behind another locked gate, but this one you can open. The gate has three animals on it, an eagle, deer, and snake, which correspond to three different plates. As each one is activated, the symbols on the gate will light up to show you're on the right track. The deer can be activated by pulling the chain beside the gate, while the second two are on the other side of the gate to the right and need to be shot.

Read more