The Call of Duty franchise has become one of the biggest action shooter franchises in the world. It’s gone from the beaches of Normandy, to the jungles of Vietnam, and has even ventured into outer space.
Whether they’re playing as a hero or a villain, there are a few characters that have become iconic in the series. From the mustachioed Captain Price to the enigmatic General Shepherd, here are some of the best characters in the series.
Table of Contents
1. Captain John Price
Captain John Price is one of the most recognizable characters in the Call of Duty franchise. He’s gruff, tough, and armed with an unmistakable mustache.
Price is a veteran of World War II and an important member of the SAS, who is one of the most iconic protagonists in the franchise. The character first appeared in the original Call of Duty and subsequently has become an icon for the entire series.
In modern times, Price leads Task Force 141 in a mission to capture Vladimir Makarov and return him to the Five Eyes Alliance. However, after a failed raid, Price is captured by Ultranationalists and imprisoned in the Gulag. He is eventually rescued in 2016 and returned to leadership of Task Force 141.
When he is re-inducted into Task Force 141, Price decides that the current conflict in the United States needs to end before they can focus on killing Makarov. While his original objective was to kill General Shepherd for betraying the Task Force, he soon changes his mind and decides that the world needs to be a safer place before they focus on their enemy.
As he and his team make their way to Azerbaijan, they encounter Khaled Al-Asad, an Ultranationalist who has hidden a nuclear missile in the capital city of his country. In an ensuing battle, Al-Asad is killed by Price’s teammates.
Later, the team makes their way to Verdansk, a city in Ukraine where they find a rogue Al-Qatala leader named Victor Zakhaev. The Al-Qatala operative had been in hiding for years, and was now planning to nuke the city. Luckily, Price has the skills to stop him.
During the operation, he is joined by Farah, NIkolai, and Griggs. He and his team take down several Al-Qatala operatives, including Al-Asad, before he is finally captured.
After capturing him, he gives Griggs an M1911 pistol that he uses to kill Zakhaev with in the next mission. The game then reveals that Yuri also fought Zakhaev in 1996, and the two have a blood feud that goes on until the campaign ends.
2. Edward Richtofen
Edward Richtofen is a German scientist who was a member of Group 935. He developed the Wunderwaffe DG-2 and a teleporter that can transport people to different places in time.
He also worked on a new Moon base named Griffin Station and helped Schuster power it with souls from sacrificed soldiers. He also developed a Hellhound that was able to charge the teleporter when a rat died.
Richtofen made his first appearance in Call of Duty: World at War. He later appeared in Black Ops and Call of Duty: Black Ops II, where he is primarily heard as the Demonic Announcer in TranZit, Die Rise and Buried.
In Black Ops, Richtofen has a scar under his right eye. However, this is not present in Shi No Numa, suggesting that it was probably a different scar.
After returning to Germany, Richtofen secretly gathered many members of Group 935 to build a Moon base called Griffin Station and started experimenting with Element 115. He also renounced his involvement with the Illuminati, who were a large part of his previous plans.
He also began experimenting with the teleporter that could transport people to different places in time, which he eventually developed into the Wunderwaffe DG-2. He eventually captured three members of Group 935, Tank Dempsey, Nikolai Belinski and Takeo Masaki; all of whom experienced memory loss due to using the Element 115. He then began a grand scheme to find Agartha and destroy the Aether, and used Maxis as his henchman.
3. Commissar Markhov
Commissar Markhov is a Soviet political officer in the World War II campaign of Call of Duty: World at War. He yells out patriotic/bloodthirsty encouragement and occasionally joins the front lines with a submachine gun.
He is one of the most prominent characters in Call of Duty, appearing in a number of levels including Heart of the Reich and Downfall. He also commands the 3rd Shock Army during their push into Berlin.
The most common way to describe him is that he’s a hard-line communist who hates the Germans with a passion. During the level Ring of Steel, he personally leads his troops into battle, armed with a PPSh-41 submachine gun.
Despite their reputation, many commissars are actually aversions. They care about their soldiers and want them to do well – but they also want to make sure they do it right.
For example, if they see an individual in their squad getting pinned down by a sniper or another soldier, they’ll draw a card and execute that guy to restore the group’s morale. They’re especially helpful if they’ve cultivated relationships with their troops (see Catachans below).
In Warhammer 40,000, Commissars are longcoat-wearing political officers attached to Imperial Guard armies and Imperial Navy ships. They’re inspirational badasses who are calm under fire and lead by example, but they can also shoot anyone that fails to meet their stringent standards.
They can also order other members of their HQ to kill or capture soldiers whose actions are contrary to their beliefs. This is how they maintain discipline in the ranks of their paladins and fighters, so they’re more likely to get the best results for their soldiers.
This is a particularly popular trope in video games, where the morale of a group can affect the game’s success, and it can make or break a game. In fact, it’s so common that even games based on real-world wars employ the trope, sometimes with the same name.
In the upcoming Call of Duty: WWII, the Russians will have their own version of this trope called “Advanced Squad Leader” in some scenarios until late 1942. It’s a bit less aggressive than the more familiar Commissar Letlev from the original Call of Duty, but it’s still tough to keep morale high for a whole unit while it’s surrounded by enemy forces.
4. Ronald Daniels
Daniels was a tall, strong soldier who lived in Longview, Texas. He was married to Hazel and they had a son named Joseph Turner Daniels in honor of Lieutenant Joseph Turner who died during the Normandy landings.
He served in the US Army with a platoon that included Private First Class Robert Zussman (Jonathan Tucker) and Technical Sergeant William Pierson (Josh Duhamel). They were ordered to blow the seawall on Omaha Beach during Operation Overlord, but were attacked by Nazi forces. The team was able to destroy several bunkers, but Red was stabbed by a German soldier before he knocked the soldier out.
Two days later, the division launched an operation to sneak attack a German air base in the Ardennes. They positioned their squad in an overwatch tower and provided sniper support during the battle, but the tower was hit by a tank, causing both Daniels and Zussman to fall to the ground. They were then captured and transported out of the area by a truck.
While he was in the military, Daniels made a promise to his friend Robert Zussman that he would never abandon him. He had vowed to do whatever it took to save his friend, even if it meant sacrificing his own life.
After the war, Daniels returns to Texas and reunites with his wife and son. He visits his brother Paul’s grave and puts his Bronze Star medal on it.
Also Read : Call Of Duty- Vanguard Side-Eyed As Activision Records Deep Slide In Player Numbers
Ronald “Red” Daniels is the main protagonist of Sledgehammer’s Call of Duty WWII. He is a member of the US Army 16th Infantry Regiment and is tasked with liberating Europe.
His character is well-written and he’s a favorite among Call of Duty fans. He has some hilarious moments throughout the Call of Duty and is one of the most memorable characters in the franchise.
He is also a good leader and his actions are based on morality, not selfishness. He cares for the people in Germany and has a high level of intelligence. He’s a great example of how to be a hero without losing sight of the bigger picture.
5. Alex Mason
In the first mission of Call of Duty: Black Ops, Mason, along with Joseph Bowman and Frank Woods, partake in a mission to assassinate Fidel Castro. After shooting Castro’s body double, Mason and Woods are able to escape Cuba in an extraction plane.
However, the CIA is suspicious of the operation, and they capture Mason for questioning. During the interrogation, Mason recalls events from his past.
After serving a highly respected term in the Marines, Mason was recruited by the CIA’s Jason Hudson due to his skills and drive to get things done. Years before, Mason had partnered with another Marine/CIA Agent, Frank Woods, with both being sent across the world to undertake covert operations.
As a result, Mason has an extensive military history and has a reputation for being impulsive, reckless, and passionate. He is also a primary protagonist of the Black Ops storyline, having fought alongside Joseph Bowman and Frank Woods in the Bay of Pigs, escaped imprisonment in Vorkuta, prevented a massive Nova 6 attack, and undergone intense psychological interrogation and reprogramming.
In addition to his military and CIA credentials in Call of Duty, Mason has an interesting family history. He has a son named David, who was born in 1979.
6. Frank Woods
Frank Woods is one of the most familiar faces in Call of Duty games. He has appeared in every Black Ops title, and even made an appearance in the spin-off Modern Warfare.
Woods was a Marine who served in the Korean War and was a sergeant in the MACV-SOG during the Vietnam War. He was a prisoner of war in Laos and escaped during his captivity.
He was a fearless soldier and helped Alex Mason in his mission to assassinate Fidel Castro. After the mission, he joined the CIA and became a Special Activities Division agent.
In Call of Duty: Black Ops, Woods was involved in a confrontation with Soviet Colonel Lev Kravchenko. He and Mason managed to steal a helicopter and fight their way out of a Russian compound.
During the Call of Duty game, Woods had a tattoo of a wolf howling with the number 115 above it. This is a reference to Element 115, which led to the creation of zombies in the series.
In Black Ops Cold War, Woods travels to Trabzon, Turkey in 1981 where he learns about a mysterious enemy. He joins a team tasked with hunting down this new threat at all costs.
7. Simon “Ghost” Riley
Call of Duty is one of the most popular franchises in the world. It’s a series that covers a variety of themes, from WWII-themed combat to piloting spacecraft. It has a wide array of multiplayer modes, esports tournaments, and battle royale platforms.
Simon “Ghost” Riley has been a favorite character of the Call of Duty franchise for years. He’s an expert in clandestine tradecraft and has a deep love of dogs. However, he suffers from trust issues and prefers missions that don’t involve killing people.
After a long hiatus, Ghost makes a comeback in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. His identity is still shrouded in mystery. During the campaign, he finally takes off his mask and stirs up a ton of theories about who he is.
But he may not be as impressive as he seems. Dataminers have recently uncovered Ghost’s face, and it looks nothing like the grizzly, leathered alpha male we expected him to be.
The image is courtesy of Activision, and shows the face of Samuel Roukin, who voices Ghost in the Modern Warfare and Warzone games.
In addition to his sexy face, Ghost also has a great arsenal of weapons and equipment. He can carry two primary weapons (Bolt-Action rifle, Sniper rifle, Semi-automatic rifle, sub-machine gun, LMG, or Anti Tank weapon), and can have up to ten grenades in a single player game.
8. Viktor Reznov
Viktor Reznov first appeared in Call of Duty: World At War, where he serves as a mentor for the player. He’s also been a fan favorite from the series, and he has an incredible sense of gravitas.
He later appeared in Call of Duty: Black Ops, where he accompanied Alex Mason on his escape from Vorkuta prison. During the prison break, Mason and Reznov formed a bond; they both suffered a month of solitary confinement together, and were loyal to each other.
During the World At War mission, they were sent to a wrecked German ship to acquire a Nazi chemical weapon called “Nova 6.” This nerve toxin is intended for use against Allied cities and had been tested on Petrenko by Kravchenko and Dragovich. However, when British commandos arrived and wanted to steal the substance, it was escaped from the ship by Reznov and his soldiers.
After this, they were captured by the Soviets and sent to Vorkuta. They were forced to work in the gulag, and Mason met and befriended Reznov.
They eventually meet again when Mason and Hudson head to Rebirth Island to assassinate Friedrich Steiner, who is threatening to expose the secret Nazi nerve toxin. It’s at this point that Mason starts hallucinating a series of randomized numbers.