Who is Ghost in Call of Duty, and why is his return so important?

This article contains spoilers for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Modern Warfare 2: Ghost.

A fan favorite character has been suggested to return to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. A teaser that has been released features the return of Lieutenant Simon "Ghost" Riley, who is apparently set to drop on February 11 - when Season 2 is due to begin.

The teaser, posted in a tweet, shows someone logging in to view the encrypted files they received from Captain Price. The ghost can be seen in the reflection of the laptop screen. “New Team: Operators” and “Updated Weapon System / Order” are also displayed on the screen, which could indicate what will happen in-game with the update. Some fans have also pointed out that the images that appear are of Rust, the iconic card from Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. Could this be where Ghost is making his comeback?

Who is Ghost?

It's no surprise that Ghost has made a comeback. First seen in Modern Warfare 2 in 2009, as a British Special Forces operator, he has been popular with fans ever since. The last time fans saw it, it was a customization option in Call of Duty: Ghosts so there's quite a bit of buzz surrounding its return.

Players first encountered Ghost in Rio de Janeiro in Descend, although he had only been in person for a short time. He then communicated by radio for the remainder of the mission. He was also seen in The Hornet's Nest mission with Task Force 141, an "elite multinational counterterrorism unit under the command of Lieutenant-General Shepherd."

Ghost's last appearance was on a mission that shocked every Cod fan who played him, and became infamous in the community - Loose Ends. This is the final level in which players see Ghost alive. In it, he and Gary "Roach" Sanderson, another member of Task Force 141, are betrayed by Shephard.

Ghost's death. Image via Activision / Infinity Ward

Ghost and Roach are sent to the antagonist's refuge on the Georgia-Russia border to search for information. When they find "a bloody gold mine" (according to Ghost) information and return it to Shephard, he betrays and kills them in order to take fame for himself and cement his status as a war hero. He then throws the bodies of the two figures into a ditch and sets them on fire with his cigar.

Why is he a fan favorite?

Many players were deeply affected by Ghost's brutal death, hence the reason Loose Ends has become such an infamous and painful level - and still is, even more than 10 years after its release. Back then, his death was horrific and players still mourn him to this day. Fans had warmed up to Riley throughout the game, charmed by his English slang (I can still hear him say “Holy shit, those trucks are bulletproof!”) And his permanent mask set. and sunglasses.

Lieutenant Simon Riley received such a positive reception that soon after MW2 was released, Wildstorm Productions developed a six-comic book series, Modern Warfare 2: Ghost, as a playmate. In the series, fans were able to explore Ghost's life before the events of MW2, including his childhood and the origins of his iconic skull mask.

It is revealed that Ghost's childhood in Manchester, England was traumatic, mostly because of his abusive father, who taunted him with deadly animals. Skulls and their symbolism are a recurring theme in Ghost's backstory, which explains the mask he wears. When he was a child, his brother wore a skull mask at night to scare Riley.

While in the military, Ghost was ordered to dismantle a Mexican drug dealer who was also smuggling terrorists into the United States. Rather, he is captured and tortured by the kingpin following a betrayal by the head of the mission (do you feel a pattern?). His torturers condition him to see skulls on the faces of other people to remind him of his abusive father and his troubled childhood in order to have him kill his traitor.

Ghost refuses to kill his former comrade and the cartel leaves him for dead in an underground coffin with the corpse of his traitor. Later in the series, the cartel he was pursuing would murder his entire family, except his father, and frame Riley for the murder. He goes to visit his father one last time in the hospital, and the two of them, having fallen into madness after their troubled lives, laugh at the idea of ​​death. His father is then killed.

Riley finally finds and demands revenge on his torturers, before being picked up by Task Force 141, beginning his story as fans previously knew.

The heartbreaking events of Modern Warfare 2: Ghost made Simon Riley a likeable figure to fans, and allowed them to connect and feel closer to his character. The things he survived only cement his role as a badass, and most Cod fans fondly remember him. Additionally, the fact that her face was still obscured by her mask led to much speculation within the community about her appearance. Despite his brief appearance in the game, he's an icon of the franchise, and the idea that we might see him again in Modern Warfare is very exciting.

Image via Activision / Wildstorm Productions

What can we expect?

While we don't have any information on Ghost's return other than the teaser, it's likely that he will join the game as a character or multiplayer feature in a new Spec Ops mission. Perhaps he'll be part of the new Operator Team, which is also briefly introduced in the teaser.

Since there are at least 5 years between the events of Modern War 2 and Modern War 141, it is possible that we could see Ghost in the early days of his role in Task Force XNUMX. Although it is unlikely that his cameo deepens his character, it would always be interesting to see a section of Ghost's. story in which we have not yet participated.

No matter how the rekindled Ghost role plays out, it will always be a special experience for fans to take a nostalgic trip and see the franchise's most beloved character again.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Season 2 begins February 11.