Summary
TheCall of Dutyfranchise may be most well-known for its fast-paced and addictive multiplayer, but these games have also featured some truly epic campaigns packed full of memorable levels, characters, and dialogue. When focusing specifically on the dialogue, though manyCODfans will fondly remember some of the opening lines said at the beginning of the games, this also applies to several closing lines, which act as one final sendoff before the credits roll.
Whether it’s a quick one-liner to end the journey on a high note, or a thought-provoking comment players can dwell on after the game finishes, there’s been no shortage of impactful final lines in this series. When stacked up against one another though, which stands out the most? It’s time to dive back into theCall of Dutycampaigns to uncover which climactic bits of dialogue are the best of the bunch, along with uncovering what exactly makes them so significant in the context of their stories.
ThoughModern Warfare 3’scampaign wasn’t all that well received by fans due to its short length and surface-level story, it did still succeed in delivering a final gut punch at the very end, which sawseries icon Soapbeing killed in action. The final scene of the game shows the other members of Task Force 1-4-1 standing atop a peaceful mountain in Scotland as they spread Soap’s ashes into the wind, while all give their own personal goodbyes to their fallen comrade.
Ghost is the one who gets the final say before the credits roll, ending off the game with the line “Rest in peace, Johnny” as a heartfelt farewell to his longtime friend. It’s an unusually somber ending for aCODgame, but one which is greatly amplified by the dialogue from each of the characters who are there to share the special moment.
No longtimeCODfan will ever be able to forget those final few moments of theModern Warfare 2campaign. After a chaotic final mission where Price and Soap chase afterShepherdacross the open seas, they eventually land in the middle of nowhere, only for Shepherd to surprise Soap with a sneak attack, severely wounding him, before the traitorous general is finally taken down for good with a knife to the eye.
At first, it seems as though this might actually be the end of the line for Soap, but thankfully, Nikolai comes down from the heavens and confirms he knows a safe area where Soap can be patched up back to full health. Not only was this a line that made everyone take a sigh of relief, but it also ensured this iconic trio would all be returning for the next game, which was shaping up to be an epic finale to the originalModern Warfareseries.
The final mission of the originalModern Warfare 3, Dust to Dust, puts players in the shoes of Captain Price, who is on a desperate mission to stop Makarov and his schemes once and for all. Despite the captain’s efforts, Makarov manages to briefly get the jump on him near the very end, which is where he decides to say his goodbyes to Price; the man who has been a thorn in his side for two entire games by that point.
However, despite believing he had Price dead to rights, Makarov is then tackled by Price who proceeds to wrap a rope around his neck before breaking the glass floor, killing him once and for all. It’s ironic how everything goes wrong for Makarov after he makes this remark to a defenseless Price just moments earlier, and it’s fair to say it had many players on the edge of their seats when he said it, suggesting this might truly be Price’s very last mission.
Call of Duty: World at Waris split up into two campaigns, one focusing on America’s battle with Japan in the Pacific, and the other centered around Russia’s advancement into Germany. While both have their own unique missions and characters, the final mission of the game would follow the Russian campaign, and more specifically, the Battle of Berlin.
After reaching the top of the Reichstag building and barely managing to plant a Soviet flag to signal victory, players are greeted with a small speech from Reznov where he claims they will return to Russia as “heroes”. However, the next time players see him inBlack Ops, Reznov has been tossed intoa prisonand essentially acts as more of an antagonist, making this line all the more meaningful in hindsight.
Pantheon refers to a group of shady arms dealers who act as the main antagonistic force in theBlack Ops 6campaign. By the end of the story, players are led to believe Pantheon was dealt with and is no longer an issue, but in the very last cutscene, Livingstone reveals not only are they still lingering around, but that “they never left” in the first place.
All of this is accompanied by a creepy scene showing a Pantheon agent breaking into Livingstone’s computer, indicating they are still far from extinct, and instead, are actively on the move to cause even more carnage in the near future. Adding this one final plot twist at the very end is a clever way to get players excited for what’s to come now that the enemy is known to be alive and kicking.
Daniels, the main protagonist ofCall of Duty: World War 2, lost his brother during their childhood after he failed to shoot a menacing wolf who was on the attack. This incident scarred Daniels for life and forced him to wonder how he could ever avenge his brother, but after showing true courage inthe warand managing to make it home to his wife in one piece, he reflects on his brother, and how that fateful day taught him what being a hero truly means.
It’s an incredibly emotional line to end on, but one that acts as a nice conclusion to Daniels' personal character arc, which is explored throughout the course of the game. It’s also just a piece of dialogue that can easily catch players off guard if they don’t have a few tissues nearby.
Throughout the story ofBlack Ops, it’s made pretty clear that the protagonist, Alex Mason, isn’t exactly thinking straight. With numbers coursing through his head and a bad case of amnesia, it’s eventually revealed he is actually a sleeper agent who was programmed by Dragovich to killpresident John F. Kennedy. By the time players reach the final mission, it seems as though Mason was able to fend off his programming and resist the orders implemented into his brain, at least until the final few moments.
In the closing seconds of the game, players are shown a reel of footage showing that Mason was there moments before Kennedy was assassinated, with him simply saying the word “Ascension” upon this being revealed. Many fans have theorized this implies Mason really was the one to pull the trigger that day, and that ‘Ascension’ is the code word that essentially means ‘mission successful’, serving as a haunting final line.
Task Force 1-4-1 is the name of the British group of soldiers who players follow throughout the originalModern Warfaregames, and while they aren’t technically a unit for theModern Warfare 2019reboot, it’s in the final cutscene whereCaptain Pricebegins putting them all together. After Laswell asks him what exactly he intends to call this super-group, he utters the three numbers that every fan will recognize.
While it’s a line that obviously acts as a callback to past games in the series, it also got players psyched up for the next installment, considering it would be featuring several fan-favorite members of the group, including Ghost. Truth be told, it’s hard not to crack a silly smile when hearing Price say this in the closing few moments.
