The 12 Best Call of Duty Campaign Characters of All Time

Jason Hudson

His badassery, smooth-talking, and awesome lines aren't the only things that put him on this list, although the fact that he's voiced by two famous celebs definitely adds to his cool factor - for more of that head to the best COD celebrity crossovers. 

His sacrifice at the end of Call of Duty Black Ops 2 is what cements him as one of the best characters in the COD franchise as him giving his life so you can live almost feels real after the bond you build with him over multiple games.

Frank Woods

Bringing the fun to Call of Duty, there's no way the Black Ops series' resident comedian wasn't making it into this list. Joining the player for a large portion of Black Ops 1, 2, and Cold War, Woods can make any dull moment hilarious.

Filled with great lines such as "I'm a goddamn onion, Mason.", he's one of the best-written comedy side characters in all of COD, which is why he's on this list.

MacMillan

Despite only really appearing in a couple of flashback missions in the original Modern Warfare trilogy, Captain MacMillan leaves a lasting impression on COD gamers as a man who embodies what it means to be SAS.

Sometimes less is more, and MacMillan is one character that has left a lasting impression on all COD gamers who have played with him, which is why he has made it onto this list.

Farah Ahmed Karim

With a quick wit and charming personality, she is quickly one of the MW campaign's more likeable characters (amongst an impressive cast), and her backstory only further fleshes out why she is such a good character.

Despite a traumatic life fighting the Russians who invaded her homeland, she always fights fair and never loses sight of her morality, and these admirable qualities make her one of the best COD characters.

Raul Menendez

Easily one of the best COD villains ever created, what makes Raul Menendez so great is his character depth - one of the key differentiators from the worst COD characters. Much like many of the best villains in games, movies, tv, or books, Menendez has motivations and aims that are very understandable.

Despite his evil actions, the player can easily sympathise with his motivations, and the fact that he has the capabilities to actually succeed depending on your Black Ops ending only makes him an even better villain and COD character.

General Shepherd

Appearing in two different Modern Warfare trilogies with two very different takes on the character, Shepherd is by far one of the most hated characters in Call of Duty history - and that’s what makes him so good.

Throughout the original Modern Warfare 2, Shepherd seems to be the man with the plan, always helping your team and playing the hero. That’s why it was such a shock to the system when he brutally killed off Ghost in front of your eyes, and then shot the player, too.

Turning out to be the instigator of the game’s major world conflict, Shepherd was quickly cemented as one of Call of Duty’s best villains and most interesting characters. 

Gaz

While more of a background character in the original Call of Duty Modern Warfare trilogy, the new Gaz has much more personality and is a major playable character in the campaign. Starting off as just your regular officer, Gaz quickly meets Price and wants to take the fight to the enemy.

Reliable, feisty, and not afraid to speak his mind, Gaz quickly cemented himself as a fan favourite and one of the best COD characters in the new Modern Warfare series. From cleaning out terrorist houses to dangling on a rope from a helicopter, he’s involved in some of the most fun missions in both campaigns of the new Modern Warfare games.

Vladimir Makarov

Evil doesn’t even come close when it comes to describing Makarov, a villain who seems to enjoy mass-eliminateing civilians. Made famous to the general public from the infamous “No Russian” mission in the original Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 game, Makarov has long been COD’s most evil character.

Not only was he the mastermind of the despicable airport massacre, but he remained Captain Price’s arch-nemesis for much of the campaign, before eventually dying at Price’s hands and a bit of cable. He may be hated, but that of course was the point of Makarov, making him one of COD’s best characters.

Victor Reznov

One of the best and most influential characters from the Call of Duty Black Ops series, Victor Reznov is the player's ultimate guide and teacher, supporting the main protagonist of Alex Mason in his struggles and fighting off anyone who might try to harm you.

A truly selfless character, Reznov is the bridge between World at War and the Black Ops franchise, and his loyalty and altruism is what cements him as a fan favourite and one of COD's best characters. 

Captain “Soap” MacTavish

With many Call of Duty gamers believing Soap to be the best character in the game full-stop, it’s no surprise to see him appear on this list. His light-hearted banter between teammates, constant badass moments, and pretty awesome character design definitely puts him up there among the best.

His shocking and heart-wrenching death at the end of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 (the original trilogy) cemented his legacy as one of gaming’s greatest characters, and seeing Captain Price cry over Soap’s dead body was one of the most upsetting and impactful moments of the franchise.

Ghost

Easily one of the most recognisable Call of Duty characters ever created, if not the icon of COD, Ghost is easily one of the coolest characters in the Call of Duty franchise. Also known as Simon Riley, Ghost is the man you want by your side when the mission goes wrong.

A character so good he appears prominently in both the original Modern Warfare trilogy and even more so in the new one, he is famous for never taking off his iconic ghost mask, which has become synonymous with the COD franchise.

Captain John Price

The true hero of the Modern Warfare Campaign trilogy - containing some of the best COD campaigns of all time, Captain Price is the man everyone wants to either be, or follow into battle.

First introduced back in 2007 with the line “What the hell kind of name is Soap, eh?, Price has been the gamers’ favourite pretty much since he first appeared on-screen. For a full list of badass COD quotes, check out our article on the best Call of Duty campaign quotes ever.

With an epic beard, glorious fighting skills and some badass lines, you’ll struggle to find a single Call of Duty gamer who doesn’t love Price to their core, whether it's playing alongside him in the campaign, or using his skin in multiplayer.