History Characters / CallOfDutyZombies

* ThisIsGonnaSuck: [[Spoiler:The general tone he has when he has to fulfill the broken cycle's future and get into a machine that drains him of his blood.]]

** He knows he's being controlled by a player and he knows he was created by Treyarch, leading to some very humorous lines. {{Flanderization}} of this started happening in the ''Black Ops'' instalments. [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments But holy HELL, isn't all for the better?!]]

* GunsAkimbo: Sports them in ''The Giant'' intro and in the cutscene of ''Der Eisendrache'' Easter egg as well as ''Revelations'' 's intro.

** Throughout ''Gorod Krovi'', Ultimis Nikolai is [[DrunkenMaster drunkenly blowing the shit out of zombies and dragons with a]] HumongousMecha, and coming up with hilariously drunk boasting and curses. [[spoiler:Then Primis Nikolai calls him out, saying he's only drunk because he's trying to forget the death of his wife in an air-raid. Ultimis Nikolai drops any pretense of drunken silliness and screams "Some things are forgotten [[SuddenlyShouting FOR A REASON!!!]]", and tries to KILL Primis Nikolai]].

* WeaponOfChoice: The [[CoolGuns/SubmachineGuns PPsH-41]] during the WWII era. Afterwards, the [[CoolGuns/BattleRifles FAL]] and the upgraded [[CoolGuns/MachineGuns HK21]].

* WeaponOfChoice: Nikolai is often seen using a KRM-262 in cutscenes.

* WeaponOfChoice: The [[CoolGuns/AssaultRifles AK-74u]] and [[CoolGuns/BattleRifles the upgraded M14.]]

* BigBad: Of the ''Black Ops II'' arc of the original timeline. He styles himself as the BigGood to Samuel and others who can hear him. He’s canonically usurped by Maxis, making him form a BigBadEnsemble with his rival.

* BreakoutCharacter: Probably the most popular character of the series, and this got him a starring role as the true protagonist of the series, whether he's TheHero or a VillainProtagonist, as well as a tenure as the Demonic Announcer. It got to the point he cameos in the otherwise-unrelated ''Shadows of Evil''; he kick-starts the plot of ''Black Ops III'' zombies with that, in fact.

* DroppedABridgeOnHim: Unceremoniously [[BoomHeadshot shot in the head]] by his younger self at the start of Primis' journey in ''Black Ops III''.

* VillainProtagonist: [[PlayedWith Apparently]], if you chose to help Maxis, Maxis will take over the zombies, but will kill them all nonetheless, [[NecessarilyEvil regretfully.]] Apparently, Edward was right when he mentioned that [[{{Foreshadowing}} "Maxis will kill you all!"]] ''Blacks Ops III'' reveals this to be the canon ending, though the Dark Horse comic would Retcon it a bit.

* GenreSavvy: He began to sense that [[spoiler:saving the universe would mean the end of him and his friends, so he led the gang to the hell of Alcatraz and collected vials of Arlington, Sal, Billy, and Finn, as their universe had already been sealed off from the Apothicons. It creates a paradox that spares them from the CosmicRetcon that occurs upon the defeat of the Apothicons.]]
* GoodIsNotNice: Is arguably the central protagonist of the Alternate Timeline, but is still an abrasive JerkAss who avoids telling his comrades anything unless he can help it, and shows remarkably little remorse for the various inviduals he [[IDidWhatIHadToDo has to screw over to accomplish his goals.]]

* DarkAndTroubledPast: All of them, as with the Original Survivors. However, their pasts are not truly shown or discussed outside of a few random references, and as such are a lot more vague and don't go anywhere, [[AbortedArc eventually getting thrown to the wayside entirely by ''Black Ops III'']]. The timeline does explain some of Russman and Samuel's backstory.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Their last appearance in ''Black Ops II'' is ''Buried'', having given Maxis the power to destroy the Earth to reach Agartha. The ''Zombies'' timeline eventually revealed that they helped deliver the Kronorium to Primis Richtofen and were put on ice for "when they are needed next".

* ActionGirl: The second fully playable female character (not counting Samantha, who only became playable once she was forced to possess Richtofen's body).

* {{Jerkass}}: While the others will happily snark at each other, they are when it comes down to it friends. Marlton is far more of a jerkass than the others, and is pretty ungrateful when he is revived, usually wanting you to get away from him. The only one he seems soft towards is Misty, and even then he won't exactly openly reciprocate her feelings. While most characters have one character they hate, one they are neutral towards, and one they like, Marlton hates two of the other three, and he's not that much better around Misty as it is.

* TerrifiedOfGerms: Which considering he's surviving in a post-apocalyptic nightmare, he's pretty SOL.

* DecoyProtagonist: He's at the forefront of the ''Mob of the Dead'' "movie poster" released by Treyarch, and narrated the first trailer. However, it's ultimately Weasel who breaks the cycle and brings the story to its conclusion.

* ScaryImpracticalArmor: [[SubvertedTrope Kind of.]] He wears hardened leather armour over a blue suit covered in barbed wire. Not exactly a match for the sort of armour-peircing weapons that the Mystery Box gives the Mobsters, but then it barely matters considering he's so tough-as-nails anyway.

* SpannerInTheWorks: In ''Blood of the Dead'', he suddenly appears and destroys the portal to ''Zetsubou No Shima'' that Primis was about to use, trapping them in the purgatory Alcatraz.

* WardensAreEvil: As a demonic prison warden, it's sort of his job to actively get in the Mobsters' way. He locks up the box, the perk-a-cola machines, the work benches and even the plane if he gets near them. Unlocking them costs 2000 points, a price that increases every time he locks it down within a round.

* DroppedABridgeOnHim: Killed in the intro. [[{{NotQuiteDead}} Not really.]]

* OurGhostsAreDifferent: A bit of type 4. They are also physical aspirations, so the answer to them attempting to attack you, [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim shoot their tangible]] [[HaveAGayOldTime arses!]]

* AntiVillain: She's not evil, she just wants to kill Richtofen and stop his plans by any means necessary, which would actually be for the best considering Ultimis Richthofen's plans for world domination.

* RageAgainstTheHeavens: Downplayed. In one conversation Floyd theorizes they've been brought here as a punishment for being "bad people". When Jessica asks if they should repent, he answers that they instead should "embrace [their] darker side."

* DudeWheresMyRespect: After completing one of the rituals, he angrily shouts this:

The title of the demonic, and in at least one universe Satanic, entity who controls the zombies. In ''World at War'' and ''Black Ops'', Samantha takes the reigns. Starting from the end of Moon, extending into ''Black Ops II'',Richtofen takes over, and by the end of his side of Buried's story easter egg, Dr. Maxis usurps him. On Mob of the Dead, it's implied to be Satan himself, and as of ''Black Ops III'', the Apothicons have taken the mantle, though both recycle Samantha's voice lines.

* {{Satan}}: It is heavily implied to be Old Scratch himself controlling the zombies in ''Mob of the Dead'' (although the quotes are Samantha's reused), what with the Satanic motifs decorating the prison, the zombies having red eyes, and the characters debating if they're in purgatory. The big clue, however, is entering either 115 or 935 into the electric number pad, and an unknown voice speaks, changing the numbers to 666. Additionally, Samantha had stated that there was something worse than even Richtofen in the Aether...though ''Black Ops III'' reveals that ''Mob'' takes place in another universe entirely, untouched by the Apothicons.

* GreaterScopeVillain: [[spoiler: Of ''Mob of the Dead'' and ''Blood of the Dead''. He is the true master of the Warden who is the more direct antagonist of the maps, though he never appears in either of them.]]

* HopeSpot: His very existence was this, as he is a doctor that could hav saved PRimus!Richtofen, but instead he cruelly says that the future is changed and that he won't be needing the blood vials anymore before taking the others and leaving him to his fate.

* WalkingSpoiler: That fact that this version of Richtofen appears after Primus!Richtofen performs a HeroicSacrifice.

* RealityWarper: Comes with being God, but he formed the House in Agartha, created new a body for Maxis and the children, and almost erased the four from existence in the ending cutscene of ''Revelations''. He also casually mentions creating a new moon in the ''Zombies Collection'' version of ''Moon''.

* RealityWarper: Comes with being God, but he formed the House in Agartha, created new a body for Maxis and the children, [[spoiler:and almost erased the four from existence in the ending cutscene of ''Revelations''. He also casually mentions creating a new moon in the ''Zombies Collection'' version of ''Moon'']].

* {{Satan}}: It is heavily implied to be Old Scratch himself controlling the zombies in ''Mob of the Dead'' (although the quotes are Samantha's reused), what with the Satanic motifs decorating the prison, the zombies having red eyes, and the characters debating if they're in purgatory. The big clue, however, is entering either 115 or 935 into the electric number pad, and an unknown voice speaks, changing the numbers to 666. Additionally, Samantha had stated that there was something worse than even Richtofen in the Aether...though ''Black Ops III'' reveals that Mob takes place in another universe entirely, untouched by the Apothicons.

->'''Appearances''': ''Shadows of Evil'' | ''Revelations''

* BigBad: Of the ''Shadows of Evil'' map. [[spoiler:Turns out they were manipulating the four into unleashing his masters upon our universe.]]
* BarrierWarrior: [[spoiler:When you fight him, you have to find a way to deplete his barrier before you can harm him.]]
* TheCorruption: [[spoiler:Whispers and speaks to Maxis, telling him what to do. It was ''his'' voice that the original Richtofen heard after making contact with the MPD, leading him to a path of destruction.]]
* {{Cthulhumanoid}}: [[spoiler:His real (or close enough) form.]]
* DarkMessiah: Paints himself as a savior to most people he communicates with. [[spoiler:He uses the Morg City crew to help try to bring his masters to our dimension after promising them redemption, and promised Maxis to help save his world by speaking to him.]]
* EvilAllAlong: [[spoiler:His real goal is to pave the way for his masters to enter our realm directly.]]

* GrandTheftMe: [[spoiler:Corrupts Maxis through the Summoning Key and takes over his body to bring the Apothicons to the Aether.]]
* TheHeavy: [[spoiler:He's the direct enforcer of the Apothicons' will and is the most present antagonist of the ''Black Ops III'' - and by extension the entire Aether arc's - story.]]
* HumanoidAbomination: Whatever he is, he most certainly ain't natural. [[spoiler:Turns out he's the servant of an eldritch power, the Apothicons.]]
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler:The four people who he manipulated into opening a portal into his masters' realm turn on him, kill him and send the horrors he unleashed back to where they came from when they realise his deceit. It then happens ''again'' where upon his death at the hands of Richtofen, Dempsey, Nikolai, and Takeo, they use the Summoning Key, the same thing the previous four he manipulated used to imprison him to send the Apothicons back to oblivion.]]
* KnightOfCerebus: His presence heralds the endgame of the series' arc up to this point, and it grows DarkerAndEdgier as well. [[spoiler:It also helps that he's an evil entity bent on bringing about the destruction of the entire universe through his masters, who are even ''worse'' than he is.]]

* ManipulativeBastard: He orders the four chosen around to help them look for redemption. [[spoiler:It's a crock of shit. His real goal is to cause TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt.]]

* OutsideContextProblem: [[spoiler:Monty was unaware of his presence inside the Summoning Key.]]
* TheReveal: [[spoiler:He's actually an evil entity who works as an emissary of the Apothicons, seeking to help them corrupt and bring chaos and destruction to the entire universe.]]

* CruelAndUnusualDeath: [[spoiler:Being drained of your own blood while your allies abandon you would definitely qualify for this trope.]]

* HopeSpot: His very existence was this, as he is a doctor, but instead he cruelly says that the future is changed and that he won't be needing the blood vials anymore before taking the others and leaving him to his fate.

->'''Voiced By''': Julie Nathanson (''World at War'' - ''Black Ops''), Grace Kaufman (''Black Ops II'')

->'''Voiced by''': Live Schreiber

->'''Voiced by:''' Robert Knepper

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: His original timeline self didn't appear after ''Moon'' until ''Gorod Krovi'', two games and five out of universe years later. Even then, the one from the original timeline is presumably dead after being left by Richtofen and the Maxis' on the Moon.

* FireForgedFriends: With Takeo in particular. It's especially notable since they were always at each other's throats in the original timeline. In the ''Revelations'' ending, [[spoiler:they both suspect Monty is about to betray them and silently agree to try to kill him together.]]

* MadeOfIron: [[spoiler:He tanks a handgun bullet pretty well (albeit with it being deflected by his chest plate)]].

* FaceDeathWithDignity: To escape his tortured existence and to help save the universe, [[spoiler:he humbly agrees to die with honor]], and even asks Primis Takeo if he would be [[spoiler:his kaishakunin as he committed {{seppuku}}]].

* MyFriendsAndZoidberg: Richtofen barely remembers him, except in ''Call of The Dead'''s radio messages. This also may be out of spite since Takeo was the only one who had recovered his memory and was more onto him. Was often this to the rest of the cast prior to Ascension. [[{{Flanderization}} After that]], he managed to break out as the ComicallySerious.

* {{Seppuku}}: [[spoiler:How he meets his end, with Primis Takeo serving as his kaishakunin.]]

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: The Ultimis incarnation of Takeo is never seen again post-''Moon''.

* BrokenPedestal: He's devastated when he learns [[spoiler:his older self was tortured and experimented on by orders of the Emperor himself, after devoting his life to the Emperor's honor.]]
* EveryoneHasStandards: Voices his horror at the level of depravity inflicted on [[spoiler:his older self by Division 9.]]
* HeroicBSOD: Has a brief out in ''Zetsubou No Shima's'' Easter Egg, where [[spoiler:his older self]] tells him he's been imprisoned on the island on the orders of the Emperor of Japan himself.

* KatanasAreJustBetter: Any time Takeo is in a fight during a cutscene, you can bet he'll be using a katana while the others will be using guns. He manages to keep up and even outdo the others in kill counts at times too.
** As of Black Ops IIII, you can equip said katana, which has to compete with the [[ShockAndAwe Ragnarok DG-5]], [[GatlingGood Overkill]] and [[KillItWithFire Hellfire]]. It still keeps up with the best of them and can end up with a blood red BattleAura once fully leveled out too.
* MercyKill: Delivers one to [[spoiler:his Ultimis self]] at the end of ''Zetsubou No Shima'''s Easter Egg, decapitating him after he commits seppuku (an extremely painful ritual that is supposed to bring honour back to oneself and often followed by decapitation).
-->'''[[spoiler:Ultimis Takeo:]]''' Will you be my kaishakunin?\\

* OffWithHisHead: Does this to [[spoiler:his [=WW2=] self]] at the end of ''Zetsubou No Shima'', at his demand.

* IDidWhatIHadToDo: His justification for [[spoiler:killing the 1.0 Survivors]] in the new timeline is that he "only wants to secure a better tomorrow". [[spoiler:It's revealed that the reason he has to kill them is because the artifact allowing him to preserve their souls can only work if the subject is recently deceased, i.e. killed by him or another member of the 2.0 Survivors]]
* IHatePastMe: In ''The Giant'' intro, his [=WW2=] self seems ecstatic to meet his Origins self, taking off his hat to salute him. Origins!Richtofen makes his dislike of his older self clear, [[spoiler:[[BoomHeadshot by putting a bullet through his head]]]].
** [[spoiler:May be subverted - although Richtofen 2.0 doesn't say anything on Richtofen 1.0, he reveals that killing him wasn't out of malice, but to put his soul inside an artifact that would fix the dimensional rifts. [[WhamEpisode Unfortunately]], that also means [[GottaKillThemAll needing to kill the other 1.0 Survivors to get THEIR souls too]].]] In ''Revelations'', when he arrives in the portion based on Alcatraz Prison, he remembers the torment Samuel endured from his Ultimis counterpart during ''Black Ops II'', and expresses remorse (but also acknowledges it wasn't really him who did it).

* TheSociopath: It's strongly hinted that even this version of Richtofen is one, despite being a heroic character; while his ultimate goal is to [[spoiler:save the universe and preserve his and his comrade's lives in the process]], he shows essentially no remorse for the fates of Samantha in ''Origins'', S.O.P.H.I.A. in ''Gorod Krovi'', or what his past self did to Samuel. There's also his cutting out Maxis's brain and sticking it in a robot; Maxis apparently considers this a FateWorseThanDeath, but Richtofen is just happy to keep Maxis alive.
* TheSoulless: Monty confirms that [[spoiler:Primis Richtofen doesn't have a soul during the events of ''Black Ops III''. The others notice at the end of ''Gorod Krovi'' that only their three souls floated into the heavens to the House.]]
* ThoseWackyNazis: Subverted by this Richtofen, since he's with Germany during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, and he also is more moral than Richtofen 1.0. [[spoiler:[[FutureMeScaresMe Richtofen 2.0 makes this even more clear]] [[BoomHeadshot by shooting Richtofen 1.0 in the head when meeting him]].]]
* TimeTravel: The opening for ''The Giant'' has Richtofen 2.0 travel to 1945 after the rest of Primis and [[spoiler:[[BoomHeadshot execute his future self]].]]

* BackForTheFinale: Makes a surprise return in an audio log found in ''Revelations'', the final map.

* SoleSurvivor: He was the last surviving member of the four for a while, and got out one last distress signal that the ''Origins'' crew listens to in ''Revelations''.

* HistoricalDomainCharacter: Like the other three, he is this, being a real historical figure playable in the game. He is a notable case, however, in that he is the only character whose real-life counterpart was alive at the time of the release of ''Black Ops'' in 2010 [[note]]Kennedy of course died in 1963, Nixon died in 1994, [=McNamara=] in 2009, and Castro himself died in late 2016, six years after ''"Five"''[[/note]].

!!''[=TranZit=]'' Survivors (Victis)

* ShootTheShaggyDog: They're screwed over ''hard'' after all their work due to siding with Maxis. [[spoiler:Eventually Subverted; they're able to provide a key part of Primis Richtofen's plan to save the universe, though, and are put in stasis, apparently "dying" a peaceful death when the universe is rest, though if ''Blood of the Dead'' is any indication, their story is far from over.]]
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Their last appearance in ''Black Ops II'' is ''Buried'', having given Maxis the power to destroy the Earth to reach Agartha. The ''Zombies'' timeline eventually revealed that [[spoiler:they helped deliver the Kronorium to Primis Richtofen and were put on ice, and appear to have been written out of existence upon the defeat of the Apothicons (given the timeline mentions they were placed on ice underneath Alcatraz, but later mentions that Dimension 63 was destroyed by the Apothicons).]]

* HearingVoices: Richtofen's, to be exact.

->'''Appearances''': ''Mob of the Dead''

->'''Appearances''': ''Mob of the Dead''

* TheDragon: Implied to be this to the Satanic entity behind the events going on in the map. [[spoiler: ''Blood of the Dead'' confirms it.]]

* AmbiguouslyEvil: There are some ominous signs that Monty is not the benevolent guy he's cracked up to be. Trying to erase the Primis crew is one thing, he meant no harm and genuinely came to like them by that point. But in his last notes, Primis Dempsey mentioned if Monty ever found a certain place, they'd all be doomed. Richtofen and Maxis are both eager to keep certain information from him.

* RememberTheNewGuy: Only introduced in the penultimate map, and yet provided nudges to the creation of every single thing relating to the Perk machines, Pack-a-Punch, the Summoning Key and everything inbetween.

* VillainsNeverLie: During ''Revelations'', he's actually telling the truth when he informs the crew that [[spoiler:once they defeat him, Monty will allow them to simply fade out of existence.]]

!Post Revelations Edward Richtofen

[folder:Spoiler Character]]

* PunchClockVillain: It's implied Brutus is just doing his job for his master, whatever or whoever that may be, and claims he's stuck in Alcatraz like the mobsters.

->'''Appearances''': ''[=TranZit=]'' | ''Die Rise'' | ''Buried'' | ''Blood of the Dead''

->'''Voiced by''': Creator/NolanNorth, Creator/GeorgeARomero [[note]]Romero’s roars from ''Call of the Dead'' are recycled for ''Mob''[[/note]]

A boss zombie. He appears and 'patrols' Alcatraz, locking perks and the box as he goes. He may be the warden as a zombie.

* TheDragon: Implied to be this to the Satanic entity behind the events going on in the map.
** DragonWithAnAgenda: It's unlikely Brutus was instructed to help Weasel live by his master.

->'''Appearances''': ''Mob of the Dead''

* FishOutOfTemporalWater: [[spoiler:He actually heralds from 14th century Europe, having been teleported to the Angolan town thanks to Element 115-induced teleportation.]]

->'''Appearances''': ''Der Riese'' | ''Kino der Toten'' | ''Moon'' | ''[=TranZit=]'' | ''Die Rise'' | ''Buried''

* DirtyOldMan: Richtofen mentions that he is obsessed with young American women.

* NotQuiteDead: Subverted. It was initially assumed he somehow survived Samantha's original purge of Group 935, but it was revealed that ''Der Eisendrache'' all took place in a new timeline formed by [[spoiler:the death of the original Richthofen.]]

* YouAreInCommandNow: After the fall of Der Riese and the [[spoiler:death of the original timeline Richthofen]], he assumes command of Group 935.

[[folder:Spoiler Character]]

* AmbiguouslyEvil: There are some ominous signs that Monty is not the benevolent guy he's cracked up to be. Trying to erase the Primis crew is one thing, he meant no harm and genuinely came to like them by that point. But in his last notes, Primis Dempsey mentioned if Monty ever found a certain place, they'd all be doomed.

* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:He intended for Primis to fade out of existence with the defeat of the Apothicons, but to his dismay, Richtofen caught on and ensured they survived the resetting of the universe. Monty allows them to go back in time to be Primis in Earth's Middle Ages.]]

The title of the demonic, and in at least one universe Satanic, entity who controls the zombies. In ''World at War'' and ''Black Ops'', Samantha takes the reigns. Starting from the end of Moon, extending into ''Black Ops II'',Richtofen takes over, and by the end of his side of Buried's story easter egg, Dr. Maxis usurps him. On Mob of the Dead, it's implied to be Satan himself, and as of ''Black Ops III'', [[spoiler:the Apothicons]] have taken the mantle, though both recycle Samantha's voicelines.

* GreaterScopeVillain: Of the game mode. While Samantha, Richtofen, Maxis, and [[spoiler:The Shadow Man]] are the most direct antagonists you face, whatever this entity is, it's definitely far more powerful than any of them and appears to be behind everything. Samantha even warns Richtofen that something far worse than him lurks in the Aether.
* {{Satan}}: It is heavily implied to be Old Scratch himself controlling the zombies in ''Mob of the Dead'' (although the quotes are Samantha's reused), what with the Satanic motifs decorating the prison, the zombies having red eyes, and the characters debating if they're in purgatory. The big clue, however, is entering either 115 or 935 into the electric number pad, and an unknown voice speaks, changing the numbers to 666. Additionally, Samantha had stated that there was something worse than even Richtofen in the Aether...[[spoiler:though ''Black Ops III'' reveals that Mob takes place in another universe entirely, untouched by the Apothicons.]]
* TheUnreveal: Despite all the foreshadowing from Samantha and ''Mob of the Dead'', we never learn what this entity's true nature really is. [[spoiler:Given the late revelations that the Apothicons and the Shadow Man are behind pretty much everything evil in the series, it's possible, but unconfirmed, that this entity ''was'' an Apothicon, at least before ''Black Ops III'' where they firmly take the reigns as the announcer.]]

A mysterious figure who offers the Morg City survivors a chance at redemption.

* TheHeavy: [[spoiler:He's the direct enforcer of the Apothicons' will and is the most present antagonist of the ''Black Ops III'' - and by extension the entire series' - story.]]

[[folder:Spoiler Character]]

!To prevent large chunks of white text for years-old spoilers, all spoilers up to the end of ''Black Ops II'' will be unmarked.

* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:All of the original versions of the characters are killed by their respective Primis counterparts in order to ensure a better tomorrow.]]
* KillEmAll: Presumably, Nikolai, Dempsey, and Takeo are long dead by the time of ''Black Ops II''. [[spoiler:By ''Gorod Krovi'', all of them are dead and reincarnated as children in The House.]]

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Besides Richtofen and Maxis, the Ultimis incarnations of Nikolai, Takeo, and Dempsey disappear from the plot and are never seen again post-''Moon''. Different incarnations of the characters are created when [[spoiler:Primis Richtofen kills his Ultimis counterpart in ''The Giant'', but they are eventually killed, and the incarnations of the characters we last saw on ''Moon'' are never seen again. They do make a return for ''Classified'', though it's currently unclear how it fits into the overall timeline.]]

After the Earth was destroyed twice over by Richtofen and Maxis, Samantha traveled to an alternate timeline in which the four heroes were World War I era soldiers, and they formed an alliance to free Samantha from Agartha. After a few years of peace, Richtofen recruited the gang yet again to help him purge the universe of the zombies and influence of Element 115. This meant killing off their original counterparts in the ''World at War''-''Black Ops II'' storyline. [[spoiler:The group succeeds after changing the original timeline by killing the original Richtofen, and go to live out their lives in peace in the Aether with Dr. Monty, only for the Shadow Man to return and threaten the universe on behalf of his masters, the Apothicons. After a great battle, the evil is vanquished, and as a reward for their services, Monty allows the group to live out the rest of their lives as Primis, medieval warriors who originally defended Earth from the Apothicons, completing the cycle.]]

* BadassCrew: Even moreso than the original group, thanks to the technology and powers they attain and the fact they're up against the UltimateEvil of the universe [[spoiler:and win. Twice.]]

* TrueCompanions: The crew becomes this by the end. [[spoiler:In Primis Dempsey's last note, he mentions looking forward to seeing his old friends again in the afterlife.]]
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:Monty intended for them to be erased from existence after they helped him save the universe from the Apothicons, but just to protect the new world from any leftover taint of the ancient evil. Richtofen foresaw this, and had the crew drink blood vials from realities closed off from the Apothicons to make a paradox that would save them from erasure.]]

* AxCrazy: After [[spoiler:getting corrupted by the Apothicons by way of]] touching the MPD, Richtofen quickly loses his mind and becomes all too eager for a slaughter.

* BigBad: Of the ''Black Ops II'' arc of the original timeline. He styles himself as the BigGood to Samuel and others who can hear him.
* BoomHeadshot: [[spoiler:On the receiving end by his younger self.]]
* BreakoutCharacter: Probably the most popular character of the series, and this got him a starring role as the true protagonist of the series, whether he's TheHero or a VillainProtagonist, as well as a tenure as the Demonic Announcer. [[spoiler:It got the point he cameos in the otherwise-unrelated ''Shadows of Evil''; he kick-starts the plot of ''Black Ops III'' zombies with that, in fact.]]

* DemotedToDragon: [[spoiler:At the end of ''Buried'', Maxis assumes control of the Aether and condemns Richtofen to be trapped inside a zombie's body.]]

* DroppedABridgeOnHim: [[spoiler:Unceremoniously [[BoomHeadshot shot in the head]] by his younger self at the start of Primis' journey in ''Black Ops III''.]]

* EnemyMine: Not a big fan of Castro, understandably, but still stands alongside him in their LastStand. More downplayed with Nixon, who ran against him in the election.

->'''Appearances''': ''"Five"'' | ''Revelations''

* BlackSheep: Not counting the Exo Zombies, Infinite Warfare Zombies and Sledgehammer Nazi Zombies continuities, the Mobsters are the only group in Treyarch Zombies where their story is not related to the rest of it in the slightest. [[spoiler:As it turns out, this means their universe was one of the very few sealed off to the Apothicons, something Primis!Richtofen was counting on.]]

** ''Black Ops III'': [[spoiler:They've not been corrupted by the Apthoicons and thus remain after their defeat, something Primis!Richtofen uses to his advantage by taking blood from each of them to avoid him and his team vanishing from reality after the Apothicons have been dealt with.]]

!Brutus

->'''Voiced by''': Creator/NolanNorth

* BigBad: Downplayed, he's the boss zombie, no doubt. But [[{{Evil Vs Evil}} the prisoners are no better than him.]]

->'''Appearances''': ''Origins'' [[note]]First physical appearance[[/note]] | ''The Giant'' | ''Revelations''

->'''Appearances''': ''Nacht der Untoten'' | ''Verruckt'' | ''Shi No Numa'' | ''Der Riese'' | ''Kino der Toten'' | ''Ascension'' | ''Call of the Dead'' | ''Shangri La'' | ''Moon''[[note]]First physical appearance[[/note]] | ''Nuketown Zombies'' | ''Origins'' | ''Revelations''

->'''Appearances''': ''Moon''

* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Never appears again after ''Moon'', not even in ''Der Eisendrache'' where Groph appears and has a prominent role.

!Diego

!Bruno

!Shaw

->'''Appearances''': ''Nacht der Untoten''[[note]]''Black Ops'' and ''Black Ops III'' only[[/note]] | ''Verruckt'' | ''Shi No Numa'' | ''Der Riese'' | ''Kino der Toten'' | ''Ascension'' | ''Shangri La'' | ''Moon'' | ''Der Eisendrache'' | ''Classified''

->'''Appearances''': ''Nacht der Untoten''[[note]]''Black Ops'' and ''Black Ops III'' only[[/note]] | ''Verruckt''[[note]]''Black Ops'' and ''Black Ops III'' only[[/note]] | ''Shi No Numa'' | ''Der Riese'' | ''Kino der Toten'' | ''Ascension'' | ''Shangri La'' | ''Moon'' | ''Gorod Krovi'' | ''Classified''

->'''Appearances''': ''Nacht der Untoten''[[note]]''Black Ops'' and ''Black Ops III'' only[[/note]] | ''Verruckt''[[note]]''Black Ops'' and ''Black Ops III'' only[[/note]] | ''Shi No Numa'' | ''Der Riese'' | ''Kino der Toten'' | ''Ascension'' | ''Shangri La'' | ''Moon'' | ''Zetsubou No Shima'' | ''Classified''

* InterchangeableAsianCultures: His 2.0 counterpart even ''returns'' to some of the conventions of the ''World at War''-era Takeo when the others almost abandoned theirs.
* MercyKill: Delivers one to [[spoiler:his [=WW2=] self]] at the end of ''Zetsubou No Shima'''s Easter Egg, decapitating him after he commits seppuku (an extremely painful ritual that is supposed to bring honour back to oneself and often followed by decapitation).

->'''Appearances''': ''Nacht der Untoten''[[note]]''Black Ops'' and ''Black Ops III'' only[[/note]] | ''Verruckt''[[note]]''Black Ops'' and ''Black Ops III'' only[[/note]] | ''Shi No Numa'' | ''Der Riese'' | ''Kino der Toten'' | ''Ascension'' | ''Shangri La'' | ''Moon'' | ''[=TranZit=]'' | ''Nuketown Zombies'' | ''Die Rise'' | ''Buried'' | ''The Giant'' | ''Classified''

A crazy German Doctor who worked for Group 935 in the past and is behind (almost) ''everything'' in the story, including nuking the Earth. From [=TranZit=] to Buried, he is the Demonic Announcer. Takes up the green slot on the scoreboard in ''World at War''.

!Scarlett

* DisappearedDad: She's on the search for her missing father.

* TheBigGuy: He's the main muscle of the heist team.

* BreakoutCharacter: Probably the most popular character of the series, and this got him a starring role as the true protagonist of the series, whether he's TheHero or a VillainProtagonist, as well as a tenure as the Demonic Announcer. [[spoiler:It got the point he cameos in the otherwise-unrelated Shadows of Evil; he kick-starts the plot of ''Black Ops III'' zombies with that, in fact.]]

* ShoutOut: Most if not all of them are to...well, take a wild guess. We'll wait. [[spoiler:Time's up, [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer a show you may have heard of]].]]

* ShootTheShaggyDog: They're screwed over ''hard'' after all their work due to siding with Maxis. [[spoiler:Eventually Subverted; they're able to provide a key part of Primis Richtofen's plan to save the universe, though, and are put in stasis, apparently "dying" a peaceful death when the universe is rest.]]

->'''Appearances''': ''[=TranZit=]'' | ''Die Rise'' | ''Buried''

->'''Appearances''': ''[=TranZit=]'' | ''Die Rise'' | ''Buried''

->'''Appearances''': ''[=TranZit=]'' | ''Die Rise'' | ''Buried''

* EvilAllAlong: After pretending to be the BigGood for ''[=TranZit=]'', ''Die Rise'', and ''Buried'', he reveals in the endgame of the latter map that he's been manipulating our heroes all along so he can destroy the Earth in a misguided attempt to find Samantha.

!!''Voyage of Despair'' Characters

!!Other Important Characters

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler:The four people who he manipulated into opening a portal into his masters' realm turn on him, kill him and send the horrors he unleashed back to where they came from when they realise his deceit. It then happens ''again'' where upon his death at the hands of Richtofen, Dempsey, Belinski and Masaki, they use the Summoning Key, the same thing the previous four he manipulated used to imprison him to send the Apothicons back to oblivion.]]
* KnightOfCerebus: His presence heralds the endgame of the series' arc up to this point, and it grows DarkerAndEdgier as well. [[spoiler:It also helps that he's en evil entity bent on bringing about the destruction of the entire universe through his masters, who are even ''worse'' than he is.]]

* VillainousBreakdown: When the four chosen by him plot against him, his veneer slides away as his plans are uprooted from under his feet.

->'''Appearances''': ''[=TranZit=]'' | ''Die Rise'' | ''Buried''

->'''Appearances''': ''Mob of the Dead''

* {{Gasshole}}: She burps the loudest out of everyone on the team, and seems to be proud of it.

[[folder: As a whole]]

[[folder: "Tank" Dempsey]]

[[folder: John F. Kennedy]]

[[folder: Robert [=McNamara=]]]

[[folder: Richard Nixon]]

[[folder: Fidel Castro]]

[[folder: George A. Romero]]

[[folder: As a whole]]

[[folder: Salvador "Sal" [=DeLuca=]]]

[[folder: Billy Handsome]]

[[folder: Finn O'Leary]]

[[folder: Albert "The Weasel" Arlington]]

[[folder: Brutus]]

[[folder: Stanley Ferguson]]

[[folder: Arthur]]

[[folder: Ghost Women]]

[[folder: Dr. Ludvig Maxis]]

[[folder: Samantha Maxis]]

[[folder: Sophia]]

[[folder: Dr. Schuster]]

[[folder: Diego]]

[[folder: Scarlett]]

[[folder: Bruno]]

[[folder: Shaw]]

[[folder: Brock and Gary]]

[[folder: Sally]]

!The Shadow Man

[[folder: Sally]]

--> '''Appearances''': ''Revelations''

A mysterious woman who has traveled far and wide on the trail of the Ultimis and Primis crew.

** He knows he's being controlled by a player and he knows he was created by Treyarch, leading to some very humorous lines. {{Flanderization}} of this started happening in the ''Black Ops'' instalments. [[CrowningMomentOfFunny But holy HELL, isn't all for the better?!]]

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Besides Richtofen and Maxis, the Ultimis incarnations of Nikolai, Takeo, and Dempsey disappear from the plot and are never seen again post-''Moon''. Different incarnations of the characters are created when [[spoiler:Primis Richtofen kills his Ultimis counterpart in ''The Giant'', but they are eventually killed, and the incarnations of the characters we last saw on ''Moon'' are never seen again.]]

->'''Appearances''': ''Nacht der Untoten''[[note]]''Black Ops'' only[[/note]] | ''Verruckt'' | ''Shi No Numa'' | ''Der Riese'' | ''Kino der Toten'' | ''Ascension'' | ''Shangri La'' | ''Moon'' | ''Der Eisendrache''

->'''Appearances''': ''Nacht der Untoten''[[note]]''Black Ops'' only[[/note]] | ''Verruckt''[[note]]''Black Ops'' only[[/note]] | ''Shi No Numa'' | ''Der Riese'' | ''Kino der Toten'' | ''Ascension'' | ''Shangri La'' | ''Moon'' | ''Gorod Krovi''

->'''Appearances''': ''Nacht der Untoten''[[note]]''Black Ops'' only[[/note]] | ''Verruckt''[[note]]''Black Ops'' only[[/note]] | ''Shi No Numa'' | ''Der Riese'' | ''Kino der Toten'' | ''Ascension'' | ''Shangri La'' | ''Moon'' | ''Zetsubou No Shima''

* OffWithHisHead: Does this to [[spoiler:his [=WW2=] self]] at the end of Zetsubou No Shima, at his demand.

->'''Appearances''': ''Nacht der Untoten''[[note]]''Black Ops'' only[[/note]] | ''Verruckt''[[note]]''Black Ops'' only[[/note]] | ''Shi No Numa'' | ''Der Riese'' | ''Kino der Toten'' | ''Ascension'' | ''Shangri La'' | ''Moon'' | ''[=TranZit=]'' | ''Nuketown Zombies'' | ''Die Rise'' | ''Buried'' | ''The Giant''

A crazy German Doctor who worked for Group 935 in the past and is behind (almost) ''everything'' in the story, including nuking the Earth. From [=TranZit=] to Buried, he is the Demonic Announcer. Takes up the green slot on the scoreboard in World at War.

* DroppedABridgeOnHim: [[spoiler:Unceremoniously [[BoomHeadshot shot in the head]] by his younger self at the start of Primus' journey in Black Ops III.]]

* ThoseWackyNazis: Subverted. Group 935 was around long before the Nazi Party, but ended up exchanging their Wonder Weapons for funding, though they never saw service. It's implied Maxis never intended to help the Nazi Party and was just stalling, even when the Wunderwaffe exceeded expectations, and refused to mass-produce it for the Nazi's. There are a number of references to Richtofen still having traits of the Nazis, such as him wearing a nazi outfit and owning a Hitler Youth knife, but he is not a nazi himself.

** [[spoiler:May be subverted - although Richtofen 2.0 doesn't say anything on Richtofen 1.0, he reveals that killing him wasn't out of malice, but to put his soul inside an artifact that would fix the dimensional rifts. [[WhamEpisode Unfortunately]], that also means [[GottaKillThemAll needing to kill the other 1.0 Survivors to get THEIR souls too]].]]

!![=TranZit=] Survivors (Victis)

!!Buried Residents

* CoolOldGuy: Is this to the [=TranZit=] survivors in ''Black Ops II'' (particularly during ''Buried'' when he's noticeably on his best behaviour). It ends up being cruelly subverted when it's revealed he's been manipulating humanity to help give him the power to destroy the Earth.

* TheFaceless: Maxis is never seen, only heard in audio logs and various devices. He is finally seen in an old photograph from World War I in the opening cutscene of ''Origins'', and he makes his first physical appearance when we first see his lobotomized body, and then when he is uploaded into a quadrotor drone. It isn't until ''Revelations'' that his human form (or at least, the one Monty gives him) makes a physical appearance.

* CoDragons: With Dr. Schuster, though Groph himself is the one nominally in charge of Griffin Station.

!!Morg City Survivors
[[folder:As a whole]]
A group of four people who, one night where they were all at the Burlesque, fell asleep and woke up into a twisted version of their town.

* KillEmAll: [[spoiler:Maxis and Richtofen are unable to save them from the destruction of their dimension.]]
* MarkOfTheBeast: A symbol ressembling a "6" on the back of their hands, given to them by the Shadow Man and which allows them to (among other things) transform into the Beast for a while.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: [[spoiler:Trapping the Shadow Man in the Key did save their world, but it also meant that he ended up in a position to corrupt Maxis in the House (see below) and fucked up the perfect world Monty created.]]
* RageAgainstTheHeavens: Downplayed. In one conversation Floyd theorizes they've been brought here as a punishment for being "bad people". When Jessica asks if they should repent, he answers that they instead should "embrace [their] darker side."
* UnwittingPawn: Help the Shadow Man [[spoiler:assimilate their world with his]]. Fortunately, they stop this before it happens.

[[folder:Nero Blackstone]]
!!Nero Blackstone/"The Magician"
-> '''Played By:''' Creator/JeffGoldblum

->'''Appearances''': ''Shadows of Evil''

* {{Metaphorgotten}}: He states that ThePenIsMightier... unless you're in a sword fight.
* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: In the intro, after asking his lawyer how much debt his wife has accumulated, he then asks if their life insurance policies are fully paid up and then quickly added ''"Oh no, no! I can assure you that I'd never, ever, think of taking such a course of action. No, I just want to make sure our affairs are...in order."'' All during a shot of how he killed his wife.

[[folder:Jack Vincent]]
!!Jack Vincent/"The Cop"
-> '''Played By:''' Creator/NealMcDonough

* DirtyCop: His lines often hint at various illegal activities, such as taking bribes and planting evidence.
* DudeWheresMyRespect: After completing one of the rituals, he angrily shouts this:
-->'''Jack:''' No one ever said "Good job, Jackie". No one ever says "Hey, thanks for keeping the streets safe for normal folks. Here's a raise in pay so you don't have to go on the fuckin' take to pay for your bills". NO ONE EVER FUCKING SAID THAT TO JACKIE FUCKING VINCENT!"
* {{Metaphorgotten}}: "When life gives you lemons, buy a fucking gun!"

[[folder:Jessica Rose]]
!!Jessica Rose/"The FemmeFatale"
-> '''Played By:''' Creator/HeatherGraham

* ActionGirl: The least combat-inclined of the four, yet can kick ass with the best of them.
* FemmeFatale: It's in the name. The cinematic opens with her shanking a guy she's seduced.
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: The only female of the five characters.

[[folder:Floyd Campbell]]
!!Floyd Campbell/"The Boxer"
-> '''Played By:''' Creator/RonPerlman

* ICouldaBeenAContender: He hid brass knuckles under his gloves for a chance at a title shot.

--> '''Appearances''': ''Nacht Der Untoten''[[note]]World At War only [[/note]] | ''Verrückt''[[note]]World At War only [[/note]]

A four man squad of US Marines.

* TheGenericGuy / FlatCharacter: [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness Unlike the other survivors after them]], these guys have no real personality or characterization to speak of.
* SemperFi: Natch.