One thing common among most compelling stories is the presence of a great antagonist, which elevates the stakes, and Call of Duty is no stranger to crafting some of the best in business. There aren’t a lot of franchises as influential as Call of Duty, and they have succeeded in crafting some iconic villains, including Vladimir Makarov, General Shepherd, etc.
And with Modern Warfare 3 approaching its release in a few months, which will bring Makarov back, let’s take a look back at some of the most lethal antagonists the franchise has crafted over the years.
1. Vladimir Makarov:
Leader of an ultranationalist terrorist cell and protégé of Imran Zakhaev, Vladimir Makarov is responsible for some of the darkest things done by a Call of Duty villain. Makarov was an overarching enemy in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, a secondary antagonist in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and the main villain in Modern Warfare 3. With no regard for human lives, Makarov didn’t pull away from performing the most heinous acts in order to get the upper hand, making his enemies play the game by his rules, but eventually died at the hands of Captain Price.
2. General Shepherd:
Although General Shepherd might not be as brutal as Makarov, who nearly started World War 3, General Shepherd still remains one of the greatest villains in COD history. With a betrayal that still haunts Call of Duty fans to this day, Shepherd killing Ghost and Roach is one of the most gut-wrenching moments in the entire franchise. But fans do get the opportunity to get their revenge in the most satisfying way possible.
3. Raul Menendez
Serving as the main antagonist for Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Raul Menendez is not a force to be reckoned with. Responsible for orchestrating an attack against the United States of America, he is surely up there as one of the most ruthless yet charismatic antagonists in the franchise, whose hatred for America is fueled by his sister’s death.
4. Fredrich Steiner
5. DeFalco
Another wicked character with no sign of remorse is DeFalco, who was cool and mysterious from the very beginning. Appearing as the secondary antagonist in Black Ops II, like the others, he has no problem killing hostages and can survive if a player fails to catch up to him, and overall.
6. Imran Zakhaev
Like his protégé Makarov, Imran Zakhaev was a huge pain to deal with for the players. A ruthless mastermind, whose groundwork laid the foundation for the movements that would eventually lead to World War III, he really sets the tone and the standard for the MW series moving forward.
7. Salen Kotch
With a lone goal of destroying Earth, nothing stands in Salen Kotch’s way when he is moving full throttle. Serving as the main villain of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, the ruthless dictator did succeed in leaving an impact on fans, cementing him as one of the best parts of the entire game.
8. Jonathan Irons
Voiced by Kevin Spacey, Jonathan Irons is the main antagonist in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Although it isn’t the most beloved entry in the franchise but among its long list of problems, Irons isn’t one, who has no problem killing innocent people with the biological weapon he was developing.
9. Gabriel T. Rorke
Former leader of the Ghosts, who embarks on his path to take revenge on his former fellow soldiers after being tortured and brainwashed by the Federation, Gabriel T. Rorke doesn’t go easy on his targets. And among all of the heinous acts he performs in Call of Duty: Ghosts, killing Elias T. Walker in front of his sons was the most brutal act done by him.
10: Nikita Dragovich
Responsible for brainwashing Alex Mason, Nikita Dragovich is yet another ruthless villain from the first Black Ops game, who has no problem killing innocent civilians to fulfill his own goals. The antagonist is also behind the death of Dimitri Petrenko and the creation of Project Nova.
11. General Barkov
Serving as one of the main villains for 2019’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, General Barkov doesn’t shy away from performing several heinous acts throughout the campaign mode. From killing innocent civilians to torturing Farah and her brother Hadir, the character eventually gets taken down by Farah.
12: Khaled Al-Asad
Appearing in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Khaled Al-Asad worked closely with the mastermind behind the events in the MW trilogy, Zakhaev, and had no problem executing innocent civilians. He also overthrows President Yasir Al-Fulani from power, becoming the dictator of the Saudi Arabia.
Although Edward Richtofen is too up there, he is more of an anti-hero, who ultimately becomes the good guy to stop the evil version of himself. And with the threequel slowly inching toward its release, fans can’t wait to witness the ruthless yet cunning Makarov back in action.
