Author note: Written by Jachin, a 23-year Resident Evil series fan based in Seoul, South Korea. This guide is based on 6 full RE9 playthroughs on PS5 and Steam (Casual → Insanity → NG+ Insanity completions). All strategies, timings, and locations have been personally tested across the v1.02 patch. AI tools were used only for grammar review and note organization; no AI-generated content appears in strategy analysis.
Verified on: v1.02 + DLC patch · Last reviewed: May 30, 2026 · About the author · Editorial policies
The Rhodes Hill Care Center is the second major area of RE9 and the first proper sandbox chapter. Grace explores the West Wing, then Leon takes over for the East Wing and Boiler Room. This RE9 walkthrough covers both halves, all safes (#2 and #4), antique coins, the optional Chef boss, and the Chunk #1 encounter.
| Location | Rhodes Hill Care Center (West + East wings) |
| Playable as | Grace (West), then Leon (East) |
| Items obtained | MSBG 500 Shotgun, Hemorrhetic Injectors, Pantry Key, Eye Spy Charm |
| Bosses | The Chef (optional), Chunk #1 Thomas K. Jackson (optional) |
| Trophies | First Blood (Bronze), Locked & Loaded (Bronze) |
| Difficulty | ★★ Medium (5/10) |
Rhodes Hill Care Center is the largest single-building location in the first half of RE9 and the chapter where most players first feel "comfortable" with the game's rhythm. It has three explorable floors per wing, four save rooms total, two optional boss fights, and the highest density of files anywhere in the campaign — eight in a single chapter. Expect 60–90 minutes on a normal first run, longer if you fight both optional bosses.
The chapter splits cleanly in two. Grace clears the West Wing solo (Bar, Lounge, Pantry, Chef's Kitchen). Then a forced cutscene hands control to Leon, who clears the East Wing (Examination Room, Pharmacy, the 2F psych ward where Chunk first appears) and the shared Boiler Room. Both characters merge at the basement door, which is the chapter's exit.
Grace enters Rhodes Hill through the West Wing fire exit, carrying the loadout from the Wrenwood Hotel chapter. The Bar & Lounge holds the MSBG 500 Shotgun behind the bar counter — a mandatory pickup that triples your damage against the Chef. Grab it before approaching the Pantry door.
The Pantry Key is in the lounge cigarette machine; press the broken button repeatedly until it dispenses. With the key, open the Pantry — this triggers the optional Chef boss arena. The Chef can be skipped, but defeating him drops the Hemorrhetic Injector, a one-use item that one-shots Chunk and most mini-bosses for the rest of the game. See the full how to beat The Chef guide for the cleaver-parry exploit and ammo math.
Safe #1 (logical second safe in the game) is mounted to the lounge wall behind the dartboard. Combination in the all 5 safe codes guide — reward is 3× Shotgun Shells and a Speed Loader part for the Handgun.
After the Chef encounter, Grace collapses from exhaustion and the camera switches to Leon, who has just arrived through the East Wing's main entrance. Leon's loadout is independent — he carries the Magnum starting weapon instead of the Handgun, but no shotgun (yet).
The Examination Room holds 12× Handgun Ammo (compatible with Magnum rounds via the Universal Cartridge mod), 2× Green Herb, and File #4 "Patient Intake Log." The Pharmacy further down the corridor is locked from this side; you'll unlock it from inside via the 2F maintenance shortcut.
Safe #2 is in the Examination Room behind the eye-test chart. Combination in the safe codes guide. Reward: 1× Hemorrhetic Injector (Leon's only natural source of this item if you skipped the Chef).
The stairs from the Examination Room lead up to the psych ward on 2F. This is where Chunk #1 — Thomas K. Jackson, a former hospital orderly transformed into the Chunk strain — first appears. Chunk #1 is an optional mini-boss; you can stealth past him by hugging the left wall and crouch-walking under the broken skylight, but defeating him drops the Eye Spy Charm (a permanent passive that highlights enemies through walls for 3 seconds on critical hits).
If you saved the Hemorrhetic Injector from the West Wing, deploy it the moment Chunk #1 charges. He staggers for ~6 seconds, giving you a free Shotgun + Magnum combo to finish. Without the Injector you'll need 8+ Shotgun Shells and 4+ Magnum rounds; full strategy and weak-point chart in the how to beat Chunk guide.
After the Chunk #1 fight (or stealth-skip), the 2F maintenance shortcut drops Leon back down behind the locked Pharmacy door. Open it from this side, loot the Pharmacy (Files #5–6, 6× Shotgun Shells, the Pantry's matching Boiler Door Key), and descend to the basement.
The Boiler Room is the East Wing's save room and holds the chapter's last safe — Safe #4. The save typewriter sits beside the furnace; the item box is one room over, behind a chain-link gate. Save before opening Safe #4 because the safe has a one-time trick.
Safe #4 is a fake combination safe — the visible dial only opens after you input the correct sequence backwards. The actual code is in our safe codes guide with the reverse-input walkthrough. Reward: 1× First Aid Spray, 4× Magnum rounds, and the Basement Elevator Key needed to exit the chapter.
Use two save slots before Safe #4 — one in case the reverse-input puzzle traps you in an empty-inventory state, one for the basement transition.
Exit the Boiler Room with 6+ Shotgun Shells and 4+ Magnum rounds. Basement spawns 3 Mortal-T variants right at the elevator.
Rhodes Hill is the most collectible-dense chapter in the first act. Missing anything here is recoverable later via NG+, but a clean sweep saves you a future replay.
The character handoff is forced and irreversible — once Leon takes over in the East Wing, Grace's inventory is sealed off until the Care Center Basement chapter. Anything Grace was carrying (herbs, ammo, the Hemorrhetic Injector from Chef) stays in her side of the inventory grid, greyed out, and Leon cannot access it. This is the game's first lesson about Grace vs Leon's separate inventories.
Practical implication: finish all West Wing collectibles and pickups before triggering the Chef cutscene. Grace will not return to the West Wing during this chapter. If you missed a Mr. Raccoon or a file, you'll need to swap back via the basement merge point and route Grace through manually.
The Basement Elevator Key from Safe #4 opens the chapter exit. Riding the elevator down triggers the auto-save and loads the next chapter — the Care Center Basement walkthrough, which is where Grace and Leon's storylines first physically merge.
The basement is significantly darker, drops Leon's Magnum effectiveness against the new Mortal-T enemies, and introduces the game's first multi-character puzzle. Bring 4+ herbs, full Shotgun, and at least one Hemorrhetic Injector saved if possible.
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