B.O.W.

A Bio Organic Weapon (B.O.W.) was a form of "living biological weapon" and encompasses any life form to which improvements such as gene remodeling/reinforcement were performed for military application through the use of either viral agents or parasitic organisms. It was the main focus of a top-secret biological weapons R&D program of the Umbrella Corporation, and eventually other organizations. The advent of the B.O.W. concept was due to the discovery of the Progenitor Virus, which possessed the ability to promote organic evolution through mutating the DNA of a host. Although unsuitable for the production of a B.O.W. by itself, improved artificial viruses based on it, in particular the t-Virus, allowed otherwise harmless creatures to become dangerous and effective weapons.

A B.O.W.'s success as a weapon varied depending on its level of intelligence and combat abilities. A certain B.O.W. may possess exemplary combat abilities but low intelligence, and vice versa. The ultimate B.O.W. which balanced all of these attributes is considered to be the "Tyrant."

The following B.O.W. list is organized by base organism classification and contains all known B.O.W.s created by several organizations, including Umbrella, its rival company, terrorist groups and other organization, including governments. In a strict sense, wild animals secondarily infected in accidents or leaks are not considered a B.O.W., but are regarded as "Irregular Mutants."