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Characters / Call Of Duty Zombies Victis And Other Playable Characters

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Index | Ultimis and Primis | Victis and other playable characters | Mob of the Dead | Others | Enemy Types

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Victis

    As a whole 
The main cast of Black Ops II, referred to as "Victis". After the blast from the missiles hitting Earth and reducing it to a zombie wasteland, these four come to band together against the undead. These four seem to get along a bit better than the original four did, but they come into contact with both Richtofen and Maxis. As they grow to depend on each other, they must make their choice between the two otherworldly rivals, their actions determining the fate of the world and humanity. They are also the main protagonists in the Call of Duty: Zombies comic.
  • Badass Crew: Four survivors who managed to survive an entire decade of the apocalypse.
  • Back for the Finale: After six years out-of-universe and who knows how long in-universe, they make a playable return in Tag der Toten, the end of the Aether story, in Black Ops IV.
    • Back for the Dead: Only to get instantly wiped out at the end of the map's Easter Egg.
  • Cosmic Plaything: Nothing ever goes right for Victis. This is exemplified in Tag der Toten, where they end up being RetGoned out of existence after every they go through.
  • Dark and Troubled Past: All of them, as with Ultimis. 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, eventually getting thrown to the wayside entirely by Black Ops III. The timeline does explain some of Russman and Samuel's backstory, and the comic goes further in-depth.
    • Misty implies her parents were killed by the zombies years ago.
    • Marlton apparently had a part in Russman's departure from Broken Arrow, the latter ending up homeless until the apocalypse.
    • Samuel was a member of a fanatic cannibalistic cult that ate zombie flesh, and hides it as best he can.
  • Fire-Forged Friends: They form a powerful alliance as they fight the undead together without end.
  • Hero of Another Story: They star in the Dark Horse Comics series depicting their adventures post-Buried.
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: They are fooled into helping Maxis destroy the Earth.
  • Plot Armor: Invoked in-game. Richtofen wants them to fulfill his plans to regain ultimate power, and from Die Rise onward, he begins resurrecting them whenever they fall to the undead so that they can have another chance to work for him.
  • Properly Paranoid: In Tag they're understandably wary of following more directions from unidentified voices after narrowly surviving Maxis's betrayal, but go along with it since they don't have any other means of survival. Unfortunately, while Richtofen and Nikolai are benevolent characters this time, they're forced to concede that their plans involve Victis causing their own destruction.
  • Ruder and Cruder: Ultimis slipped in a few bits of innnuendo here and there, but they've got nothing on Victis; this video shows a rather substantial amount of crude quotes, most of them from Samuel. It's even more extreme in Tag Der Toten.
  • Shoot the Shaggy Dog: They're screwed over hard after all their work due to siding with Maxis. 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 for safe keeping. Double Subverted in Tag der Toten, where for their troubles in getting the Agarthan Device, they’re RetGoned out of existence.
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: Their last appearance in Black Ops II is Buried, having given Maxis the power to destroy the Earth to reach Agartha. The Zombies timeline (and the first volume of the Zombies comic) eventually revealed that they helped deliver the Kronorium to Primis Richtofen and were put on ice for "when they are needed next" in the lab under Alcatraz. They cameo in Blood of the Dead, but their fate at the end of that map's story is ambiguous once more until they make a full, playable appearance in Tag der Toten.

    Abigail "Misty" Briarton 

Abigail "Misty" Briarton

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/misty.png

We keep moving, we keep fighting. It's what we do, day in, day out. If you really need a reason why we do this, I'll give you one. We do it because doing something—anything, is a whole lot better than doing nothing!

Voiced by: Stephanie Lemelin (English)note 
Appearances: TranZit | Die Rise | Buried | Blood of the Dead | Tag der Toten

An abrasive young woman who has a crush on Marlton, likes Russman and will grudgingly get along with Samuel.

  • Action Girl: The second fully playable female character in Zombies mode.note 
  • The Bartender: According to Call of Duty: Mobile, she used to be one. This could probably explain why she belches the loudest upon drinking Perk-a-Colas; she'd be well-acquainted with drinks.
  • Exposed to the Elements: Like Sarah Michelle Gellar before her, Misty is...not properly dressed for the freezing cold temperatures of Tag der Toten. She at least has her shirt buttoned down as opposed to poor Sarah.
  • Expy: To Tank Dempsey. She's the most abrasive member of the crew, fits an American stereotype, and even eventually picks up a quirk of his where she'll Break the Fourth Wall and address the player directly concerning gameplay mechanics. This led to a popular fan theory that she is Dempsey's daughter who he mentions occasionally, which itself is referenced in Tag der Toten where she brings up her father, who was also a Marine.
  • Fire-Forged Friends: Even though she usually hates Samuel, she still considers him a member of the team.
  • Gasshole: She belches loudly and shamelessly, to the point the game's own wiki notes that she burps the loudest out of everyone on the team upon drinking Perk-A-Cola, and seems to be proud of it.
  • Give Geeks a Chance: She's in love with the geeky, socially awkward Marlton.
  • The Heart: She is able to end the others' bickering in the opening cutscene of Buried and rallies them to keep going.
  • Intergenerational Friendship: With Russman.
  • The Leader: She seems to alternate the role with Russman.
  • Ms. Fanservice: Pretty much the only reason she continues to wear such revealing clothing in a middle of a zombie apocalypse.
    • It's Zig-Zagged more in Black Ops IV. Her bust size has been reduced and her shirt has been buttoned up, but the sexual innuendos she spouts have increased in number.
  • Ship Tease: With Marlton. She's far more open about her feelings to the point of what's implied to be very direct sexual advances, while he doesn't openly reciprocate. When Marlton fails to openly reciprocate, she gradually stops flirting with him, but it turns into Will They or Won't They?.
  • The Smurfette Principle: The only female member of Victis.
  • Stepford Smiler: Well, she's not necessarily smiling, but she was putting on a lot of bravado to keep the others going. Various comments in Buried indicate she's very broken by this point.
  • Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: While they never end up together and Marlton isn't exactly ugly, he is overall unpleasant yet the beautiful, nice Misty is in love with him.
  • Vocal Evolution: In Black Ops IV, her voice has gotten much hoarser and gravelly, and she has also lost much of her Southern accent.
  • Will They or Won't They?: With Marlton as time goes on and the series doesn't commit to putting them into a romantic relationship but still dances with their Ship Tease.

    Marlton Johnson 

Marlton Johnson

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/marlton.png
I like understanding things, and these days, I don’t understand almost anything.

Voiced by: Scott Menville (English)note 
Appearances: Nuketown Zombies | TranZit | Die Rise | Buried | Blood of the Dead | Alpha Omega | Tag der Toten

A self-loving nerd, who was present at Nuketown when the missiles hit. Afterwards, he met up with Misty, who he ended up developing feelings for, and later Russman and Samuel, the both of whom he shares a mutual hatred.

  • Badass Bookworm: He's a zombie-fighting nerd.
  • The Cameo: Returns (as a voice only) as part of Alpha Omega's easter egg. Even earlier, he appeared in Nuketown Zombies, of which the former map is based on, hiding in a bunker.
  • Claustrophobia: He's afraid it'll kick in when riding upon the bus.
  • Early-Bird Cameo: From a storyline perspective. If you knife the fallout shelter in Nuketown Zombies, you can hear him locked in there, giving him an early cameo considering this is set ten years before the start of TranZit.
  • Expy: To Takeo Masaki. He's the smartest member of the crew while Takeo was the most sane as of Ascension and swears the least.
  • Friendly Sniper: His preferred weapon is the DSR-50, and can be seen wielding one in Die Rise's opening cutscene.
  • Jerkass: While the others will happily snark at each other, they are when it comes down to it friends. Marlton is far more abrasive, and pretty ungrateful when 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.
  • Mr Fix It: He is implied to be the one the others rely on for complex buildables, even though everyone can build just fine in gameplay. He's even referred to as "engineer" in game files, hinting at his pre-apocalypse occupation.
  • My Beloved Smother: He mentions that his mother was overbearing and wanted him to be a surgeon.
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Russman implies that Marlton is the reason he lost his position at Broken Arrow and became homeless.
  • Precision F-Strike: Compared to the others, he rarely swears, but the times he does make an impact.
  • Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: Often speaks in overly complicated diction.
  • Ship Tease: With Misty. The two clearly have feelings for one another, but the zombie apocalypse isn't the best place to have a romance. Plus, Marlton's all about his no-touch policy anyway.
  • Sole Survivor: The only one to walk away from Nuketown after Maxis' missiles struck the site.
  • Specs of Awesome: He wears large glasses.
  • Terrified of Germs: And considering he's surviving in a post-apocalyptic nightmare, he's pretty screwed.
  • Will They or Won't They?: With Marlton as time goes on and the series doesn't commit to putting them into a romantic relationship but still dances with their Ship Tease.

    Samuel J. Stuhlinger 

Samuel J. Stuhlinger

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/samuel_9.jpg

I'm the only one who knows what to do!

Voiced by: Dave Boat (English)note 
Appearances: TranZit | Die Rise | Buried | Blood of the Dead | Classified | Tag der Toten

A paranoid conspiracy theorist, who's the only one who can hear Richtofen's voice in his head. He's friends with Russman, grudgingly gets along with Misty, and like Russman, shares a mutual hatred with Marlton.

  • Big Eater: He's always hungry and often complaining about what he'd like to eat. Whether it's booze, cheese, or zombie flesh.
  • Book Dumb: From the quotes he has, he does not sound too intelligent in terms of... standard education.
  • The Cameo: A voiced one, no less, in Classified.
  • Cloudcuckoolander: At times; compared to the other survivors, some of his quotes come off as total non-sequiturs.
  • Crazy Survivalist: Thanks to his paranoia.
  • Dark and Troubled Past: After the apocalypse began, Samuel joined up with The Flesh, a cult that consumed zombie flesh to survive. Eating 115-laced meat caused them to hear the voice and demands of Richtofen, leading them to go to war with a group of survivors who followed Maxis. During the ensuing battle, a horde of zombies came and killed most of the two groups, with Samuel being one of the few survivors of The Flesh.
  • Easily Forgiven: Played With. Samuel comes to genuinely like the much more heroic Primis Richtofen, even after all the grief that Ultimis Richtofen gave him.
  • Expy: To Edward Richtofen, naturally, as he is the only one who can constantly communicate with him. Like Richtofen, he is the most erratic member of the crew, heavily implied to suffer from schizophrenia, and is acting against the rest of the crew's interests. Oh yeah, and his surname is German.
  • Fire-Forged Friends: With Misty. He usually returns her dislike of him, but he's willing to listen to her and regard her more as a valuable comrade as the group's story progresses.
  • The Friend Nobody Likes: He's the most unpopular member of Victis. Both Misty and Marlton hate him, while Russman, who even Samuel sees as a "buddy", grows more exasperated with him as time goes on. This plays a large part in why Victis ultimately sides with Maxis as opposed to listening to Samuel and Richtofen.
  • Green-Eyed Monster: It's implied that his hostility towards Marlton stems from repressed romantic feelings for Misty. While most of his comments towards her are equally hostile, he sometimes mixes in flirty comments, and he'll sometimes say the following when reviving her in Tag der Toten.
    "Answer me this, Misty: why Marlton? I know there's not a lot of men to choose from, but come on, Marlton!?"
  • Hearing Voices: Richtofen's, to be exact. It gets flipped on its' head when Blood of the Dead, Richtofen actually hears Samuel's voice in his head. The irony is not lost on either of them. Sam then goes back to hearing Richtofen's in Tag der Toten.
  • I'm a Zombietarian: A well-kept secret of his, and likely the reason for both his ability to hear Richtofen and his seemingly random comments about being hungry after killing zombies.
  • The Lancer: Misty observed that Samuel was Russman's lancer when they met, or his "lapdog".
  • Mission Control: In Blood of the Dead, he helps guide Richtofen on his quest to escape Alcatraz with the aid of Icarus/Weasel.
  • Politically Incorrect Hero: Makes several sexist remarks about Misty.
  • Right-Wing Militia Fanatic: Gives off plenty of comments indicating this, especially in TranZit when he makes several sexist comments about Misty.
  • Sharing a Body: If you complete all easter eggs in Richtofen's favor, he will enter Samuel's body. Samuel isn't pleased. Notably, Richtofen is surprised when Samuel continues speaking as he wasn't expecting to be sharing his body.
  • Sole Survivor: He is one of the few survivors of The Flesh.
  • Specs of Awesome: Wears glasses.
  • The Smart Guy: Considers himself this, but Russman claims he only knows what Richtofen tells him to think.
  • Those Two Guys: With Russman. They traveled together in the bus before finding Marlton and Misty in TranZit.
  • Took a Level in Badass: In Buried, he sounds a lot more confident than in the other maps. Judging from his recent redesign, he may have been a recent attack, and survived.
  • Token Evil Teammate:
    • Subverted. He is for all effects and purposes a loyal servant of Ultimis Richtofen, who is essentially the Big Bad of the Black Ops II arc... but on the other hand, he, Marlton, Misty, and Russman side with Maxis, who is revealed to have been Evil All Along. Samuel himself isn't evil, and by the time of Buried just wants to follow Richtofen's orders so he'll hopefully leave him alone.
    • Averted in Tag der Toten, as Ultimis Richtofen is trying to help Primis Nikolai save the universe through Victis, though the other groups are understandably still wary of Samuel's "friend".
  • Trademark Favorite Food: Cheese.
  • Word of St. Paul: Dave Boat, his voice actor, claims that Samuel is a former CIA agent.

    Russman 

Russman

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/russman.png

The world is broken, very broken.

Voiced by: Keith Szarabajka (English)note 
Appearances: TranZit | Die Rise | Buried | Blood of the Dead | Alpha Omega | Tag der Toten

An elderly survivor suffering from Alzheimer's, who was a homeless man before the missiles hit. He's good friends with Samuel and Misty, but has a mutual hatred with Marlton. He acts as the group's leader following Die Rise.

  • Better to Die than Be Killed: Considers this when low on ammo in Die Rise.
    "Under five bullets. I guess I could cap us all."
  • Big Eater: Despite being an 80+ year old man in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, he never has trouble finding a good meal. A comment from Stuhlinger suggests that he is the only member of the crew to have gained weight over the course of their journeys. When they arrive in Empty Earth, his first instinct is to throw on an apron and make a fresh-cooked meal for the crew.
  • Black Dude Dies First: Played With in Die Rise. He's killed in the opening cinematic by a Jumping Jack, but it's revealed that whenever Victis falls to the undead, Richtofen uses his powers to bring them back.
  • Characterization Marches On: In the first two Victis maps he's mostly a senile old coot, but the intro cutscene of Buried depicts him as considerably more normal, thoughtful, and wise. Marlton's comment that his memory is going again appears to imply his previous characterization was due to him suffering from his memory loss.
  • Cool Old Guy: A mostly pleasant, funny old man.
  • Dark and Troubled Past: He was a member of Broken Arrow, America's answer to Group 935 formed after the Pentagon outbreak, but left after suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's brought on by exposure to 115. He became homeless before meeting up with and surviving with Samuel when the zombie apocalypse came.
  • Depending on the Artist: His model in Black Ops II was the same height as the other characters, but the Zombies comic and future appearances depicted him as much taller than the others.
  • Expy: To Nikolai Belinski. While Nikolai had alcohol, Russman has food. He also befits the Big Fun archetype Nikolai assumed, as a jovial, quirky fat guy with a bit of a Blood Knight streak.
  • Formerly Fit: In Black Ops II he was a stocky but pretty average-sized guy. By the time Victis enters the stasis pods at Alcatraz, he's grown a noticeable pot belly.
  • Freudian Excuse: If Marlton really did screw him out of his job at Broken Arrow, his hostility becomes much more understandable.
  • Guns Akimbo: Wields them in Die Rise's opening cutscene while defending Samuel.
  • Hates Being Touched: "Ain't no one allowed to touch Russman!"
  • Heroic Sacrifice: Buys Samuel some time to run while he's devoured by a Jumping Jack in the opening of Die Rise. He gets better, though, with the others.
  • Intergenerational Friendship: With Misty.
  • The Leader: He led the group on foot from Die Rise to Buried, and was the more dominant between him and Samuel before they met Marlton and Misty.
  • Noodle Incident: Something happened that resulted in his departure from Broken Arrow, but it's implied it had something to do with Marlton apparently not keeping his mouth shut.
  • Scatterbrained Senior: Years of exposure to 115 fried his brains, and his old age and implied Alzheimer's has also taken its' toll as well.
  • Stating the Simple Solution: "We could just use the key."
  • Stuff Blowing Up: Loves it. Reason why he loves the RPG and War Machine.
  • Team Dad: By Buried he's settled into the role of an authority figure of sorts, and Misty at least looks up to him and tries to help him when he loses his memory.
  • Third-Person Person: Often refers to himself in third-person.
  • Those Two Guys: With Samuel, though as said he's the more dominant of the pair.
  • Token Minority: The only black survivor.

"Five" Survivors

    John F. Kennedy 

President John F. Kennedy

Do not pray for easy lives, my friends. Pray to be stronger men.

Voiced by: Jim Meskimen (English)note 
Appearances: "Five" | Ascension

The 35th president of the United States. He is forced to fight for his life alongside his allies and rivals when the Pentagon is overrun by zombies.

  • Alternate History: Ascension and Revelations reveal that in one fractured timeline, he actually died at the Pentagon during the zombie attack.
  • Enemy Mine: Not a big fan of Castro, understandably, but still stands alongside him in their Last Stand. More downplayed with Nixon, who ran against him in the election. Classified reveals that the true purpose of the fateful Pentagon meeting was to form an alliance with Castro against the threat of Samantha.
  • Forgiven, but Not Forgotten: He invites Nixon to the meeting with Castro as a gesture of goodwill - "forgive your enemies, but remember their names."
  • The Leader: Is nominally in charge of the four, as he's the president and all.
  • Manchild: Some of his lines.
    (upon trying to buy a wall weapon he can't afford, in the tone of a small child throwing a fit) "But I want it!"
  • Unusually Uninteresting Sight: Subverted. He barely blinks at the sight of zombies approaching, but as the lower levels of the Pentagon make clear, the American government was well acquainted with 115, Group 935, and the whole zombie shebang.

    Robert McNamara 

Secretary Robert McNamara

Voiced by: Robert Picardo (English)note 
Appearances: "Five" | Revelations | Classified

Secretary of Defense under President Kennedy. He's Kennedy's most loyal supporter and unofficial bodyguard during the attack on the Pentagon.

  • Back for the Finale: Makes a surprise return in an audio log found in Revelations, the final map of Black Ops III.
  • Badass Bookworm: Perhaps the brainiest of the four and still slaughtering zombies with the rest of them.
  • The Cameo: As Radios in both Revelations and Classified. You can also (kinda) interact with him in Classified; knock on the covered glass door in the corner of the office (between the Mystery Box location and the first Perk Machine), and he'll have something to say. Do it four times, and...
  • Enemy Mine: He's even more hostile to Castro than Kennedy, but is forced to team up with him.
  • The Lancer: As the only member of the group with absolute loyalty to Kennedy and his de facto right hand man.
  • My Greatest Failure: Deeply regrets not being able to save the president (and to a lesser extent Nixon and Castro) in his final log.
  • Politically Incorrect Hero: In his final audio log, he derogatorily suggests that the zombies are actually a bunch of "hippies".
  • Sole Survivor: He was the last surviving member of the four for a while in one fractured dimension, and got out one last distress signal that the Origins crew listens to in Revelations.
  • Undying Loyalty: To Kennedy.

    Richard Nixon 

Vice President Richard Nixon

NIXON'S BAAAACK!!!

Voiced by: Dave Mallow (English)note 
Appearances: "Five" | Ascension

The Republican candidate for president who lost to Kennedy, who bears him no ill will and invites him to the Pentagon for a meeting with Castro.

  • Alternate History: Nixon never became president in one fractured Zombies timeline, having been killed in the Pentagon attack.
  • The Big Guy: The least... put together of the four, and also one of their best fighters.
  • Cassandra Truth: When Nixon hears a zombie encroaching on the group, he jumps up and starts panicking, and Kennedy dryly assures him it was just a storm outside. Moments later, it's proven that they really are in danger.
  • Defeat Means Friendship: He has become a nominal ally to Kennedy in the wake of his defeat in the election.
  • Expy: He's basically the same portrayal of Nixon from Futurama, right down to having many quotes (like the one above) straight from the show.
  • Graceful Loser: He's accepted his defeat at Kennedy's hands and now submits to his command in the attack.
  • Sanity Slippage: On full display in the opening when he immediately flips out upon hearing a zombie approaching.
  • Vitriolic Best Buds: With Castro, of all people.

    Fidel Castro 

Prime Minister Fidel Castro

Viva la Revolucion.

Voiced by: Marlon Correa (English)note 
Appearances: "Five" | Ascension

The dictator of Cuba and leader of a Communist revolution. After the Cuban Missile Crisis, he meets with Kennedy's group to try to hash out a peace before they are attacked.

  • Alternate History: He is killed in the Pentagon attack just a few years into his rule over Cuba (when historically he was in power for over 50 years) in at least one fractured timeline.
  • Enemy Mine: It's plainly obvious why he's not on good terms with Kennedy and America at the time of the attack, but he nevertheless teams up with them for their survival.
  • Historical Domain Character: Subverted. He is the only character whose real-life counterpart was alive at the time of the release of Black Ops in 2010 note .
  • Smoking Is Cool: Is seen enjoying a Cuban cigar (what else?) during the opening cutscene.
  • The Friend Nobody Likes: With a slight exception for Nixon, none of the group particularly likes or respects him, for obvious reasons.
    Kennedy: "Castro's down; everyone point and laugh!"
  • Vitriolic Best Buds: With Nixon.

Celebrity Survivors

    Sarah Michelle Gellar 

Sarah Michelle Gellar

Let's slay some stiffs!

Appearances: Call of the Dead

Famous for her roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Cruel Intentions, Ringer and others, Sarah Michelle Gellar is one of the actors working a film with George Romero until the zombie outbreak.

  • Action Girl: It is Sarah Michelle Gellar after all.
  • Celebrity Survivor: If you were caught in a Zombie Apocalypse you could frankly do a whole lot worse than Buffy the Vampire Slayer herself by your side.
  • Doesn't Like Guns: Surprisingly averted for the actress.
  • Exposed to the Elements: Thanks to playing a Ms. Fanservice character, even in the cold of Siberia, her belly is exposed as if it were a summer day. She often lampshades this during several quotes.
  • Ink-Suit Actor: Or rather Ink Suit Character: from hefting a minigun bigger than she is tall to her general personality, quips and fighting prowess, while they borrow from some of her other roles and the woman herself Sarah is basically a stand in for her most famous role.
  • Legally Dead: Heavily implied; the only reference to the group after this is an obscure bit that states the film crew went missing and was never heard from again.
  • Ms. Fanservice: She was clearly intended to be so in the film-within-a-game, and serves as this in the game proper. Which is the only reason she's wearing such revealing clothes in the cold conditions.
  • Shout-Out: Most if not all of them are to...well, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
  • The Leader: Appears in this role for the film and assumes it when the zombies arrive.
  • Visual Pun: She prefers Submachine Guns above all else, what are her initials? S.M.G.

    Robert Englund 

Robert Englund

This must be a nightmare!

Appearances: Call of the Dead

The man who played Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street, Robert Englund is one of the four actors trapped on the set of the film he's making when the zombies attack.

    Danny Trejo 

Danny Trejo

You just fucked with the wrong Mexican!

Appearances: Call of the Dead
A popular and well liked former crook from works such as Machete and Sons of Anarchy, Danny Trejo has to put his toughness to the test in order to survive.
  • The Big Guy: The biggest and burliest of the celebrities.
  • Celebrity Survivor: As with the other members of the group.
  • Ink-Suit Actor: His likeness is provided for motion capture by Danny Trejo.
  • Legally Dead: Heavily implied; the only reference to the group after this is an obscure bit that states the film crew went missing and was never heard from again.

    Michael Rooker 

Michael Rooker

Things ain't looking too good, folks!

Appearances: Call of the Dead

Michael Rooker has experience with zombies from his role in The Walking Dead (2010). Never did he dream that he would be in a real life outbreak.

Alcatraz Mobsters

See their character sheet here.

Morg City Survivors

    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.
  • Mark of the Beast: 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.
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: 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 and fucked up the perfect world Monty created.
  • Rage Against the Heavens: 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." This isn't Mob, however, and they're there for a very different reason.
  • Redemption Equals Death: Though they unwittingly allow the Apothicons to invade Dimension 63, they manage to fight back and seal the Shadow Man within the Summoning Key, mitigating the harm to the wider multiverse. Unfortunately, the Apothicons still succeed in destroying Dimension 63 and them with it, but they at least went down repairing some of the damage they caused.
  • Unwitting Instigator of Doom: They are tricked by the Shadow Man into unleashing the Apothicons into their dimension, and nothing can be done to stop them from destroying it even after the Shadow Man's defeat.
  • Unwitting Pawn: Help the Shadow Man assimilate their world with his. They end up playing the same role to Primis Richtofen.
  • Villain Protagonist: Heavily downplayed compared to the Mob of the Dead crew; the SoE foursome all committed murder and were by no means saints, but had a few redeeming qualities:

    Nero Blackstone 

Nero Blackstone/"The Magician"

Voiced By: Jeff Goldblum (English)note 

Appearances: Shadows of Evil

A henpecked magician who comes to believe his wife has wrought horrific financial debt upon them, and sought to collect their life insurance to pay it off.

  • Affably Evil: The most soft-spoken and polite of the Morg City survivors, he doesn't even swear outside of one instance of asking the Shadow Man "What the hell is going on?". He's still a murderer who killed his own wife.
  • Cloudcuckoolander: As to be expected of a character played by Jeff Goldblum.
    Nero: "With each subsequent transformation, I grow ever more confident with my tentacles."
  • '80s Hair: He has his portrayer Goldblum's hairdo during his prime.
  • Henpecked Husband: Part of the reason he kills his wife was because she made him feel like he was never good enough, and constantly spent their money. To deal with his debt and resentment of her, he kills her for her life insurance.
  • Ink-Suit Actor: He greatly resembles his portrayer Goldblum in his prime during the 1980s (but with a twirly mustache), right down to his '80s Hair he had. However, the way he dress and his shady background makes him bare some similarities with his past character Slick from Silverado (except Nero doesn't wear a jacket unlike Slick).
  • Make It Look Like an Accident: How he kills his wife in the intro, by making her the victim of a 'botched' knife-throw trick.
  • Metaphorgotten: He states that The Pen Is Mightier... unless you're in a sword fight.
  • Suspiciously Specific Denial: 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 adds that it's just to make sure it's all in place. All during a shot of how he killed his wife.
    "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."

    Jack Vincent 

Jack Vincent/"The Cop"

Voiced By: Neal McDonough (English)note 
Appearances: Shadows of Evil

A cop who has turned to corruption to pay the bills.

  • Blood Knight: The most hot-blooded of the four, and the most violent.
    Jack: "UH! Bleed for me!"
  • Dirty Cop: His lines often hint at various illegal activities, such as taking bribes and planting evidence. However, he justifies this as needing to in order to raise enough money to pay his bills; wherever or not that's true is up to the player.
  • Dude, Where's My Respect?: After completing his ritual, he may angrily shout 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!"
  • Henpecked Husband: Or at least he seems to think so. His other quote after doing his ritual has him say his wife constantly nagged him for his smoking and drinking.
  • Metaphorgotten: "When life gives you lemons, buy a fucking gun!"
  • Say My Name: Very fond of this, usually accompanied by a Precision F-Strike.
    Jack: "I'm Jackie motherfuckin' Vincent!"

    Jessica Rose 

Jessica Rose/"The Femme Fatale"

Voiced By: Heather Graham (English)note 
Appearances: Shadows of Evil

A burlesque dancer and aspiring actress.

  • Action Girl: The least combat-inclined of the four, yet can kick ass with the best of them.
  • Femme Fatale: It's in the name. The cinematic opens with her shanking a guy she's seduced.
  • Leitmotif: "Cold Hard Cash", one of the two Shadows of Evil songs. It's implied to be an in-universe song she performs at the burlesque, and is a soft, dark, jazzy song about gold-digging and materialistic romance.
  • Shapeshifter Mode Lock: Briefly worries about this happening with Beast Mode.
    Jessica: "I just realized. What if one time, we don't change back?"
  • The Smurfette Principle: The only female of the five characters.

    Floyd Campbell 

Floyd Campbell/"The Boxer"

Voiced By: Ron Perlman (English)note 
Appearances: Shadows of Evil

An insecure wrestler seeking glory in his shaky career in the ring.

  • The Big Guy: The most physically capable of the four. Whereas they in the intro resort to using guns or simply running away from the zombies, he can be seen punching them with his bare fists.
  • I Coulda Been a Contender!: He hid brass knuckles under his gloves for a chance at a title shot.
  • Token Good Teammate: Subverted. His crime is the least severe (its left ambiguous as to whether his murder was intentional) and his interactions the least confrontational of the four, but he's just as unrepentant as them and is even the one to suggest they embrace their "darker side".
  • I Work Alone: To the point of outright refusing to ally with any specific member of the four when offered.
    Floyd: I’m looking out for number one anyway. I don’t have a problem with anyone...unless they get in my way.

"Chaos" Story Characters

    Diego Necali 

Diego Necali

Voiced by: Christian Lanz (English)note 
Appearances: Voyage of Despair | IX

A master manipulator, veteran adventurer, and second-in-command to Scarlett.

  • Abhorrent Admirer: While it's likely he hits on every woman, not just her, Scarlett in particular finds his flirting abhorrent and usually has a nasty comeback ready.
    • Averted by the time of Ancient Evil; Diego has gone from abhorrent flirting to being genuinely in love with her, and Scarlett, for her part, doesn't respond with outright negativity.
  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: He uses his good looks and charm to steal a wealthy woman's key right under her nose.
  • Brainless Beauty: Judging by the comments the other members of the Chaos crew make; Diego is good-looking (and knows it) but doesn't seem to be especially bright or clever.
    Bruno: Soon my weapon will be as empty as Diego's brain.
  • The Casanova: Diego is a smooth, attractive man who could seduce an heiress out of her entire fortune if he wanted.
  • Dashing Hispanic: He has the charmer and fighter parts pat down at the very least.
  • The Fighting Narcissist:
    Diego: I wonder where I could get one of those helmets...? Haha, just kidding; it would be a crime to cover this face!
  • The Friend No One Likes: Diego isn't well liked by anyone on his team with Scarlett regularly blowing off his flirting, Bruno insulting his intelligence and Shaw getting frustrated with Diego's condescending comments. It's clear that he's only on the team because of his prior involvement with Alistair Rhodes.
  • Gratuitous Spanish: As expected from a Mexican.
  • It's All About Me: Particularly fond of bragging about or complimenting himself.
  • Ladykiller in Love: Appears to have become this by Ancient Evil with regards to Scarlett.
    Diego: Please, do not think me insincere Scarlett, but I do not understand you. You are unlike any woman I have ever known.
    Scarlett: Is that meant to be a compliment, Diego?
  • The Lancer: Seems to be second-in-command to Scarlett and serves as the face of the crew.
  • Sole Survivor: Of a sort. By Ancient Evil's ending, he's the only, for lack of a better word, "pure" member of the team left; both Shaw and Bruno have been inducted into The Order, the former quite violently, and Scarlett is out cold and supposedly more than human.

    Scarlett Rhodes 

Scarlett Rhodes

Voiced by: Courtenay Taylor (English)note 
Appearances: Voyage of Despair | IX | Dead of the Night | Ancient Evil

A genius inventor and seasoned adventurer; her father Alistair was investigating the mysterious Order before suddenly disappearing. Though she was always skeptical, his final letter before his disappearance hinted that all his tall tales might have actually been true...

  • Action Girl: She's a capable warrior before and after the zombie outbreak.
  • Ambiguously Human: Thanks to Ancient Evil's ending cutscene, which has the Oracle tell her that she's more than she thinks.
  • Blood Knight: She's the most violent out of the new crew and has more than a few lines that implies she has a bit too much fun killing zombies. She cools down a bit in Ancient Evil after fan backlash against her character.
  • Disappeared Dad: She's on the search for her missing father, Alistair.
  • Fiery Redhead: Her hair is nearly cherry red and she's a ferocious woman in combat.
  • Harmful to Minors: If Scarlett is to be believed, she didn't exactly have the best of childhoods.
  • Missing Mom: Though her father is the catalyst for her adventures, her mother has never been mentioned. Bruno asks about her once, and Scarlett tells him not to do it again.
  • Ms. Fanservice: Scarlett wears a tight outfit that emphasizes her curves, and she strikes an attractive pose during the money-making shot of the crew at the end of the Voyage of Despair cutscene. Notably, however, her personality downplays it.
  • Sir Swears-a-Lot: Loves to pepper her speech with obscenities, and is the most vulgar out of the Chaos crew.
  • When You Coming Home, Dad?: It's mentioned that Alistair was so obsessed with the Order and his adventures that he rarely made time for young Scarlett of the rest of their family. Then the Order kidnapped him.

    Bruno Delacroix 

Bruno Delacroix

Voiced by: Andrew Morgado (English)note 
Appearances: Voyage of Despair | IX | Ancient Evil

A hulking, brutish Frenchman with a gentle and remorseful soul. Formerly a member of the French Foreign Legion, now acts as a mercenary-for-hire.

  • Apologetic Attacker: Will often eulogize and express remorse for his kills.
  • Back from the Dead: Was killed defending Alistair, but brought back with the Scepter of Ra.
  • The Big Guy: He's the main muscle of the heist team. In the prequel comic, he singlehandedly flipped a whole car over by himself.
  • Bilingual Bonus: Has a few lines in French, although they're mostly simple stuff like "Oui." (Yes.), or affectionate (or not-so-affectionate) nicknames, like "Mon petite Mexican" (My little Mexican) for Diego.
  • Brainwashed and Crazy: As revealed by the end of Voyage of Despair, he's been branded with Order's mark. During IX he'll mention hearing a voice, called "Dark Bruno", and it makes him kill then resurrect Shaw during Ancient Evil.
  • The Eeyore: Is perpetually glum, grim, and morose, and expresses regret for killing (but expresses a belief that it's necessary.)
  • Face of a Thug: Bruno most definitely looks like a brute (and was without a doubt one before meeting Alistair Rhodes,) down to his build, but he's a genuinely good soul. Dark Bruno on the other hand...
  • Genius Bruiser: Despite his strength, Bruno is implied to be quite intelligent and philosophical, such as referencing Hieronymus Bosch during combat.
  • Gentle Giant: Bruno may be huge and intimidating, but he's loyal, hardworking, and can be very gentle and a real team player. Scarlett notes how sensitive he can be when being revived by him during IX. He also hates fighting (despite being really really good at it), and has a number of grim and remorseful lines for scoring kills.
  • I Owe You My Life: He considers Alistair Rhodes to be the one who saved him from his fate and as a result, feels indebted to him.
  • One-Man Army: Regardless of the fact any playable character is this by default, in the prequel comic, Bruno tears through numerous opponents with ease.
  • Mercy Kill: Considers taking down enemies with headshots to be this.
  • Power Fist: Bruno wields brass knuckles in melee combat. Sadly they don't show up in gameplay, and he uses a knife like everyone else.
  • Perpetual Frowner: He's the glummest and morose member of the crew.

    Stanton Shaw 

Stanton Shaw

Voiced by: Nick Boraine (English)note 
Appearances: Voyage of Despair | IX | Ancient Evil

An elderly alchemist and friend of Alistair. Serves as the lindquist, occultist, and overall "Smart Guy" of the group. Has a few nasty habits, however...

  • Back from the Dead: Bruno killed him and then resurrected him during Ancient Evil.
  • Cool Old Guy: He's an elderly old man who is a playable character nonetheless.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Is usually the one who points out ridiculous events as it happens. A prime example is when he sees the Goddess Tree for the first time.
  • Disabled Badass: Milky right eye. Braces on his leg and arm. Missing a kidney. Addicted to opioids. None of that stops him from keeping up with his allies.
  • Functional Addict: He's hooked on all kinds of narcotics, some of which are probably his own creation, but he's just as capable of kicking ass like everyone else. He'll even crack a joke at one point if he makes a bad shot that he must be coming down.
  • Last-Name Basis: He’s the only member of the Chaos crew who is largely referred to by his surname.
  • Mad Scientist: He wants to get samples of whatever monstrous mutant zombies he comes across, regularly destroys his lab on occasion, and then there's his elixirs.
  • Man on Fire: He will make comments about having been on fire. If you look closely, you'll notice that he has a burn scar on his face.
  • Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: IX is explicitly-stated to be a hallucination of his creation, but he has remarkably-little control over it, and the other members of the crew comment that the events feel far too real to be a mere hallucination.
  • Noodle Incident: What happened to his eye. The most he'll say is that it at least still works, even if it has "gone a bit milky."
    • He also apparently sets himself on fire regularly.
  • The Smart Guy: Genius alchemist who knows a great deal about the Order, worked closely with Alistair, and created the Elixirs that the Chaos crew use.
  • This Is Gonna Suck: Is the most likely of the crew to panic whenever something bad happens, and is fond of Gallows Humor.
  • Those Two Guys: Has the most affectionate dialogue with Bruno.

    Gideon Jones 

Gideon Jones

Voiced by: Kiefer Sutherland (English)note 
Appearances: Dead of the Night

A rough and rumble cowboy, Gideon Jones just didn't seem to mesh well with the high class socialites. Regardless, he agreed to meet up with his friend Alistair Rhodes, only to find himself in a fight no one could have imagined.

  • The Alcoholic: He has an affinity for whiskey and rye.
  • Cowboy: Looks and sounds the part.
  • Large Ham: Not to the extent of The Brigadier, obviously, but he has his moments of screaming at the top of his lungs.
  • We Hardly Knew You: Gets offed by Godfrey in his debut appearance.

    The Brigadier 

Brigadier General Jonathan Warwick

Voiced by: BRIAN BLESSED (English)note 
Appearances: Dead of the Night

A veteran general of the Boer and Zulu wars, the Brigadier had suddenly found himself in a brand new battlefield among the undead during a party hosted by his close friend, Alistair Rhodes. In spite of his age, his experience on the field more than formidable among the hordes of the undead.

  • Boisterous Bruiser: The heftiest of the crew, and easily the most bombastic.
  • Four-Star Badass: Well one star really, but he's a general fighting off the undead hordes like nobody's business.
  • Large Ham: What else do you expect from a guy who's voiced by BRIAN BLESSED? Even when run through with Godfrey's sword, he has enough time belt out a pained "BASTARD!" before he drops.
  • We Hardly Knew You: Gets offed by Godfrey in his debut appearance.

    Christina Fowler 

Christina 'Madame Mirela' Fowler

Voiced by: Helena Bonham Carter (English)
Appearances: Dead of the Night

A fake psychic performing at Alistair's party was just doing what she does best when the Order came in and created a massacre involving the undead. Now forced to fight, she quickly proves to be much more prepared for the sudden fight than anyone could've thought.

  • Off with His Head!: Her fate, courtesy of Godfrey.
  • Phony Psychic: Something she'll freely admit once the blood flows.
  • Weapon Specialization: Seems to have a preference for SMGs, and is seen in the intro to carry one around in her handbag.
    Fowler: (After getting an SMG from the box) "Hmm. Feisty. Petite. Just like me."
  • We Hardly Knew You: Gets offed by Godfrey in her debut appearance.

    Godfrey 

Godfrey

Voiced by: Charles Dance (English)note 
Appearances: Dead of the Night

Alistair Rhode's personal butler, and secretly a member of the Order. He quickly betrayed his master and proceeded to make sure there were no witnesses, but unfortunately was caught in a battle he couldn't avoid.

  • Brainwashed and Crazy: Heavily implied to not be in control of his actions during the map.
  • The Butler Did It: And by it, we mean kickstarting the entire plot of the Chaos storyline.
  • Back from the Dead: The Dead of the Night trailer reveals that, before the events of the map, he was shot dead and promptly resurected by a member of the Order using the Scepter of Ra. This resulted in him coming back wrong.
  • Hearing Voices: Specifically his own, refered to in the subtitles as 'Dark Godfrey', which appears to act as a sort of Split Personality.
  • Servile Snarker: He makes it clear that he his job as a butler to Alistair wasn't exactly a pleasant one.

Requiem Strike Team/Operators

Appearances (Cold War): Die Maschine | Onslaught | Firebase Z | Outbreak | Mauer der Toten | Forsaken
Appearances (Vanguard): Der Anfang | Terra Maledicta | Shi No Numa (Remake) | The Archon
Appearances (MWIII): Operation Deadbolt

For the first time since Verrückt, Cold War Zombies forgoes unique playable characters, and instead allows players to use their Operators from multiplayer. In official material, it seems that the canonical Strike Team consists of NATO operatives Jason Hunter and Kwan Song along with Warsaw Pact operatives Sebastian Vargas and Mendo Garcia. See here for most of them. For Samantha Maxis, who became an Operator as of Season 2, see here.

This cycle repeats in Vanguard Zombies, with the multiplayer Operators taking the place of any unique characters. See here for information on them.

And for completeness' sake, the Zombies sub-mode of Call of Duty Mobile also lets the player pick whatever character they want; but considering Mobile has no real story and features characters from quite literally every part of the franchise (including several characters on this very page), they are functionally cosmetic and not worth discussing.

  • Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Combinging the use of Multiplayer characters and some of the gaudy skins you can buy for them, there's nothing stopping you from turning up to an infested zone dressed as a literal clown, or an 80's fitness coach or - as of Vanguard - as Snoop Dogg. Doesn't stop them from being Zombie-killing machines, of course.
  • Canon Immigrant: Barring Samantha Maxis, all of the Operators are from the main Call of Duty universe.
  • Celebrity Survivor: As of Vanguard, even Snoop Dogg finds time to smoke some zeds. Thanks to MWII, Nicki Minaj and Music/21Savage also join in the fight against the undead. The film crossover characters could also count.
  • Dull Surprise: In contrast to their predecessors, the Operators have rather mundane, subdued reactions to just about everything the Dark Aether throws at them. Not even the Wonder Weapons seem to faze them. The Operators in Vanguard are a little better; emphasis on "little", there.
  • Enemy Mine: It's possible to pair up NATO Operators with the Warsaw Pact. Some of the latter are even allied with Perseus. Official materials pair up NATO operators Hunter and Song with Warsaw Pact operators Vargas and Garcia. MWZ similarly gives the option of pairing up SpecGru and KorTac operators, like Alejandro and Valeria, or Soap and Makarov.
  • Even Evil Has Standards: Warsaw Pact Operators, including those who answer to Perseus, can join in the fight against the Dark Aether. MWZ extends this to Valeria, a drug lord, Makarov, a terrorist, and the Homelander.
  • Experienced Protagonist: Could count for everyone, really, but operators such as Spawn, Ash Williams, or Rick Grimes and Michonne are all too familiar with the undead at this point.
  • The Generic Guy: A first for the series since the Marines from Verrückt. While every character from the Campaign and Multiplayer/Warzone lore (plus Samantha Maxis, obviously) has a personality, in Zombies, not much of that shines through. They make very tame quips and speak in military lingo (taken further in a patch around Season 3 which occasionally has them use quotes from Multiplayer), and have no unique dialogue for picking up power-ups, drinking Perk-a-Colas, or any of the lore. Exaggerated in the cinematics, particularly the ending cutscene of Firebase Z in which they have absolutely nothing to say about Maxis' appearance nor the gigantic Eldritch Abomination coming to kill them, coming across like GTA/Red Dead Online characters. To be fair, an effort was made to improve Zombies specific dialogue with later characters, to the point some of the later ones have genuinely amusing and even personality-driven lines.
    • Vanguard Zombies's protagonists aren't much better, though at least they have lines for when they buy Perks this time.
  • Satellite Character: Ultimately what they are. Any actual plot that happens in Cold War, and to a lesser extent Vanguard, are given through Requiem, Omega Group and the Dark Aether Gods. Any characters you pick are purely personal choice.
  • The Smurfette Principle: You can play this straight by having one female operator in your team, subvert it with two, invert it with three, or avert it entirely with a four-woman squad. Official materials has Kwan Song as the sole female operator on the Requiem Strike Team.
  • Heroic Mime: In cutscenes, they rather jarringly refuse to speak at all.
  • Unusually Uninteresting Sight: This sums up how they react to most things they see and use. Taken up to eleven in MWZ where non-MWIII operators have zero Zombies-related lines and only use Warzone-related quotes.

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