Who is Makarov in Modern Warfare 2?

Makarov is a recurring name in the Call of Duty series that fans may have encountered on more than one occasion. While the character Vladimir Makarov has appeared more sparingly in recent iterations of the series, he was a prominent figure at the outset of the Modern Warfare sub-series. If you’re a newcomer to this staple of the first-person genre or someone who has simply cared more about online competition than the story mode of older games, you may be in need of some thorough information on who exactly this character is. Here’s everything you need to know about Makarov in Modern Warfare 2 and other Call of Duty games.

Who is Makarov in Modern Warfare 2?

Though he did not physically appear in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Vladimir Makarov influenced the events in that game, which set the stage for his eventual appearance as the primary antagonist of the Modern Warfare sub-series. For example, players learn later in the series that Makarov was responsible for a nuclear detonation in Modern Warfare’s “Shock and Awe” campaign. However, Makarov more formally makes his debut in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. He had learned from the previous game’s main antagonist, Imran Zakhaev, and had taken over that antagonistic role himself as the sole surviving member of the Four Horsemen. Makarov is an Ultranationalist Russian who commits acts of terrorism against Western nations like the United States. This included committing a mass shooting in Moscow, then killing an American spy and leaving him at the site to frame the United States as if it was responsible for the shooting. Ultimately, Makarov’s goal was to pit the United States and Russia against each other, precipitating the in-game universe’s World War III. However, General Shepherd of the United States proved to have similar ambitions. After Shepherd turned on his own men, Makarov was ultimately able to escape capture at the end of the game by giving away Shepherd’s location to the American soldiers so they could hunt him down instead of Makarov.

Makarov in other Call of Duty games

Following his escape from harm at the end of Modern Warfare 2, Makarov returned as the main antagonist of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. In that game, the American heroes team up with Yuri, a Russian and former friend of Makarov who Makarov had shot and left for dead after Yuri attempted to thwart his mass shooting in the previous game. Makarov continued to orchestrate terrorist attacks against Europe and even successfully kills Yuri as he had failed to do in the previous game. However, Makarov ultimately met his demise in the final mission of Modern Warfare 3, “Dust to Dust,” when he was killed by Captain John Price. More recently, Makarov appeared as a playable character in Call of Duty: Mobile, joining the game in the midst of Season 7 Radioactive Agent. He also appears in that game’s Comics, naturally taking on the role of a major villain.

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