In addition to its multiplayer gameplay, Call of Duty has some of the best single-player campaigns in gaming. Often, the effort of the team that creates single-player storylines is overlooked for the focus on multiplayer, but we should commend them. The stories are great, but the characters survive far beyond their games due to their unforgettable nature.
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Some characters have stood the test of time in the Call of Duty franchise, despite there being many games. Some of the best characters from the single-player storyline end up as skins in multiplayer, and some of them also appear in Call of Duty: Warzone. Rather than just focusing on the heroes, we have compiled a list of the best characters in the Call of Duty series. Players hate many great villains, so being hated by players is no less valuable than being loved by them. This isn’t to say we like these characters the most, just that they were the best at what they did.
When the best characters die, you will be in tears or screaming in victory, and we definitely felt the trials and tribulations of the following characters.
The most unforgettable Call of Duty characters
12) Gaz
Games featured: Modern Warfare, Modern Warfare 2019
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’s Gaz was pretty cool in the original, but he was greatly enhanced in the remake. He was given more personality and attention, showing many players that once blew him off how much personality he had. Gaz is a Lieutenant in SAS that you can play as in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. The game ends with Gaz being killed, but he’s unconscious when it happens, so he doesn’t suffer. Soap is forced to watch since he can’t do much, but Gaz technically bought Soap the time needed to be saved. Character-wise, it’s a pretty heroic ending.
11) Jason Hudson
Games featured: Black Ops, Black Ops II, Black Ops 4, Black Ops: Cold War
From the trailer for Black Ops to the constant memes surrounding puzzles involving numbers, we can’t forget the line, “The numbers Mason, what do they mean?” CIA handler Jason Hudson serves as Alex Mason’s ally throughout the game.
He dies a painful but heroic death in Black Ops II to save the day. His knees are shot, and his throat is slit so Mason and Woods can escape. This act makes him one of the franchise’s greatest heroes. This also shows how far Raul Menendez is willing to go to achieve his goals.
10) Vladimir Makarov
Games featured: Modern Warfare 2, Modern Warfare 3
Later in this list, we’ll discuss villains with good intentions, but Vladimir Makarov is not one of them. Makarov is the villain that will twist his mustache and do whatever it takes to make the world suffer. The player realizes how dastardly villains can be when he says the iconic line, “Remember, no Russian.” Even though he never really takes center stage as the main bad guy in any game, he does a good job as one of the major antagonists.
As he prepares to kill Price before the roof collapses, he is evil to the end, even in death. As he falls, things work out so that he receives a death that is similar to a lynching, which is exactly what he deserves.
9) Frank Woods
Games featured: Black Ops, Black Ops II, Black Ops: Cold War
It is Franks Woods’ ability to make players feel good during the war that makes him an unforgettable character. He keeps things under control by constantly being by Alex Mason’s side. He is funny, but he’s not taking everything as a joke, which makes him human. He also takes over as a narrator for Black Ops II at some point, but what’s most memorable is that you can kill him based on your decisions. You feel guilty when someone as likable as Woods dies because you couldn’t make the right choices.
8) David Mason
Games featured: Black Ops II
David Mason is the kind of son you would expect from someone like Alex Mason. David knows when to keep his head straight and when to pull back and look at the bright side. David’s relationship with his father is strained, but the game’s events provide closure. It would have been great to see David Mason again in other Call of Duty games, and he is undeniably a great character.
7) Raul Menendez
Games featured: Black Ops II
Many good villains have reasons to do what they do, and acting on those reasons makes them harder to hate. Raul Menendez believes he is doing the right thing makes him one of the best villains in the entire Call of Duty series. There is no mean radical twirling his mustache, he is faithful that he is making the right decisions.
You can actually lose to Menendez if you take care of your choices while playing Black Ops II, then you can reach an ending where Menendez wins. Incredibly, he was given a chance to win but that is just one of the reasons he’s memorable. Black Ops II had an outstanding campaign, and much of it had to do with fighting Menendez.
6) Alex Mason
Games featured: Black Ops, Black Ops II, Black Ops: Cold War
Since Alex Mason is one of the few characters that players spend a lot of time playing with and making decisions for, it’s easier to feel attached to him than to any other. Other Call of Duty games switch characters frequently, but Black Ops kept its focus on Alex. He not only tells an extraordinary story, but he also allows the players to experience it through his eyes. In Black Ops II and Black Ops: Cold War, he is easily one of the most beloved characters. Even though his experiences have made him rougher, we still want to see him live a life loved by his family.
5) Viktor Reznov
Games featured: World at War, Black Ops, Black Ops II
Victor Reznov replaced Captain Price as the leader for the player to follow and learn from. The man does an excellent job of leading the player and always seems to have a higher purpose, like helping others. Reznov is incredibly selfless and constantly tries to help the player. Although his role is less important in later Black Ops games, he is a great character to see again in Black Ops II. Despite not appearing in Black Ops 4, he is acknowledged; so it’s good to know he didn’t die on the battlefield because he deserves to live a happy life.
4) General Shepherd
Games featured: Modern Warfare, Modern Warfare 2, Modern Warfare 3, Modern Warfare 2019
General Shepard would come up if you asked people who they hated most in the Call of Duty series. In addition to killing Ghost and Roach, he is a terrible human being and doesn’t deserve the rank he has. It doesn’t feel right to have betrayed the people who loved him as a family, even though he gives us his reasoning.
Throughout the entire Modern Warfare trilogy, throwing the knife into General Shepard’s eye is the most satisfying moment. It didn’t require the overdramatization of other deaths. The satisfaction of knowing he was gone for good was enough for us.
3) Captain “Soap” MacTavish
Games featured: Modern Warfare, Modern Warfare 2, Modern Warfare 3, Modern Warfare 2019
Soap often works with Price and the player on various missions. His professionalism, sense of humor, and efforts to save the day make him an extremely likable character.
No one knew Soap would be a casualty in the series. He was far too skilled to be taken down easily, and his character was so good that everyone thought he had plot armor. He sacrifices his own survival to save the player during an explosion. For a moment, Price loses his cool in anger because Soap is so loved. In the few seconds he has left, Soap gives Price valuable information. Truly a hero.
2) Captain John Price
Games featured: Modern Warfare, Modern Warfare 2, Modern Warfare 3, Modern Warfare 2019
When you think of a true leader in the Call of Duty series, you should think of Captain Price. By his side, we would storm any trench, knowing he would never flinch. His honesty, fairness, and ruggedness make him a memorable character. Players wanted him to stay longer because he smoked a cigar, wore a mustache better than any other character, and continued to make you believe things would get better.
With his quote, “They say truth is the first casualty of war,” Captain Price perfectly sums up the Modern Warfare trilogy.
1) Simon “Ghost” Riley
Games featured: Modern Warfare 2 and Modern Warfare 2022
No one could forget Ghost. Call of Duty comics reveals so much about Ghost and his painful past, even though he never shows his face or speaks. His family is dead, and he has been tortured severely. In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, he is a protégé of general Shepard and is one of the best soldiers in the game.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 didn’t reveal much about Ghost, but his cool mask, sunglasses, and badass style caught fans’ attention. Seeing Ghost killed with no remorse made players choke up because general Shepard was like Ghost’s surrogate father, who betrayed his trust. Ghost’s mask is one of the most iconic styles in Call of Duty, and that won’t end anytime soon.
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