Takeo Masaki

"The future hangs by a thread, you must awaken the test subjects."

- Takeo Masaki to the World War II Richtofen in the Giant about waking up the original timeline versions of themselves.

Captain Takeo Masaki (Japanese: 正木 武雄 Masaki Takeo) is a Japanese soldier who fought in the Imperial Japanese Army, and is a playable character in Zombies. His player indicator color is yellow (shared with Richard Nixon and Danny Trejo), but is randomized in all subsequent maps. An alternate version of Takeo appears in Origins, and reappears in Call of Duty: Black Ops III, in The Giant.

Biography
"Enter Takeo, for whom life has no meaning if not to perfect your discipline and to reveal true character and honor. Perhaps he ponders this and other philosophical questions as his Katana slices through the flesh and sinew of his enemy.

''Our hero was born into wealth; his family dynasty dates back several centuries, and throughout that time they have been highly decorated Samurai and Bushido. Well Takeo is no exception to this celebrated bloodline. Even when the family first saw the young, life-filled 5 year old Takeo playing in the street with his Katana and slicing the tails off terrified kittens, it was obvious he was destined to bring honor to the Masaki name.''

Reserved and reflective, the war is a perfect opportunity for Takeo to explore his blood lust and study the nature of those less honorable than himself, so if you fall victim to his swift action and might know that you have helped a man better than you reach enlightenment."


 * — Takeo's bio added with Map Pack 2 in Call of Duty: World at War.

Letters
"October 6 - 1917 The Emperor grows concerned that the barbarians drive for mechanization may soon yield weapons more devastating than anything the world has ever known. I am honored to act as his trusted agent and will ensure that any such weapons are secured for the benefit of Japan..."

- Takeo Masaki

"March 2 - 1918 My leadership & victory at the battle of Mukden has been brought to the attention of the Emperor himself. I have been instructed to meet with him on a matter of great importance to our Nation. Perhaps the Emperor recognizes the continued importance of the Samurai traditions, even in these times of great cultural change... Though I cannot explain why, every step I take towards my target brings with it a grieving sense of dread. I am haunted by twisted dreams that seem to grow increasingly vivid with each passing night. Perhaps the spirits of my ancestors seek to warn me of a dark, uncertain future..."

- Takeo Masaki

Original Timeline
Takeo tends to distinguish himself from Nikolai and Dempsey, due to their lack of intellect. He likes to see himself upon the mental level of Richtofen, however Richtofen would not return the same feeling. He stays vigilant by his suspicions for Richtofen. He is very quiet and won't appear to talk unless necessary. His relationship with Richtofen came to end at his grand scheme as he swore to annihilate him along with the rest of Group 935. Before Richtofen took control of the Aether, he considered him as high quality combatant, however he is not very fond of Dempsey, and dislikes Nikolai with hatred who returns the same feeling. His fate is left unknown after the events of Moon.

Origins/Alternate Timeline
In the alternate timeline, his personality remains largely unchanged, but his beliefs in honor and discipline still existed since he never met Richtofen; his background is also expanded: he comes from a noble family who is close enough to the Emperor's household, thus why he was entrusted with this mission, and he is a leader to his men as well, proven in the battle of Mukden. He doesn't trust his comrades and believes that their failures bring great dishonor and shame to their ancestors, but he will respect them if they fight well, and tolerates Richtofen, considering he does not have many combat experience. He believes that the machines used by the Germans are abominations and must be destroyed. When Samantha is heard talking, he remains suspicious of her but will continue to help her escape from Agartha nonetheless. After being explained by Samantha about future events, he and the others grown to trust each other and decided to work together to avert the apocalypse. He expresses the same feeling of changing the future alongside Tank and Nikolai, but when the future was erased by Richtofen when he killed his future self, he changed his opinion and agreed to continue help a better tomorrow, even though he doesn't speak much of it.

Trivia

 * Takeo was a Captain, as shown on his wrist cuff insignia.
 * Quick Revive is Takeo's favorite perk, sometimes commenting on how it tastes like sushi.
 * In Call of the Dead, Nikolai, Dempsey, and Richtofen can be heard behind a locked door. Takeo is revealed to be ill and isn't talking at all during the dialogues.
 * If the player completes the Original Characters Trapped Easter Egg in solo on Xbox 360, they unlock an Xbox LIVE Gamer Picture of Takeo's profile picture from the Call of Duty: Black Ops version of Shi No Numa.
 * According to the hidden radios in Call of the Dead, Takeo is Test Subject N3WB, which spells out "NEWB".
 * In the Kino der Toten Trailer, when Takeo fires the Crossbow, his first-person model is Richtofen's.

Takeo Masaki