Takeo Masaki

"Time... can be a cruel mistress. In its relentless march forward, it robs each of us of many things. Moments, experiences, people. Time can take them all from us, in an instant. Such things are gone forever, unless they live on within our hearts, our minds, our memories. For all its cruelty, time can also be a great teacher. Through the changes left behind in its wake, we can learn, we can grow, we can come to understand those truths that have eluded us in the past. Only then can we truly understand ourselves."

- Takeo Masaki

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 main character in Zombies. His player indicator color is yellow (shared with Richard Nixon and Danny Trejo), but is randomized in Moon and all subsequent maps. An alternate version of Takeo appears in Origins, and reappears in Call of Duty: Black Ops III, in The Giant, Der Eisendrache, Zetsubou No Shima (which also features the Original Timeline Takeo Masaki), Gorod Krovi and Revelations.

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.

''Captain Takeo Masaki comes from a noble family that has dutifully served the Emperor for decades. After the events of Der Eisendrache, Takeo's unwavering sense of loyalty will be tested as he fights alongside Tank, Nikolai, and Richtofen in their quest to secure a better tomorrow.''


 * — Takeo's bio for Call of Duty: Black Ops III.

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

"It has been several months since I last received orders from you, and I cannot help but say that I am at my wits end. Since I landed on the island, I, your foolish servant, have continued my inspection and recording of Division 9's activities. However, despite being directly dispatched by you, they regard my work with suspicious eyes. As such, I have been barred from, and forbidden access to, almost all research areas. The situations continues to worsen. The installation commander ordered me to hand over my weapons for the duration of my stay. If he hadn't shown me the relevant papers ordering me to comply to maintain security, marked with your signature and seal, I would no doubt have objected. I have never raised any doubts whatsoever concerning your judgement Sir, but I am concerned that these circumstances may prove a great hindrance to my mission. I understand how important the alliance is for our righteous cause and final victory, but the influence of the German operating force "Group 935" has become increasingly worrisome. Over the last few months, the number of officers they have here has increased; I cannot help but think that it is they who are propelling the plan. Judging by what I have seen, the research done by Division 9 has been far beyond acceptable. In fact, their aberrational methods of weapons research can only be described as "abnormal". Not only do they use prisoners of war for living-body tests, but they have also been trying to control the supernatural powers of Element 115. I therefore think that if we permit them to continue their work, dark clouds may soon loom over our great country. I, your foolish servant, will continue to watch them, and will report to you whenever possible. If the idea so pleases you, I think it is necessary that you intervene directly in order to for us to better understand the aim of Division 9's research, and make clear the ramifications of their plans. I hope you receive this message. Your humble servant, Takeo Masaki."

- 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 a 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.

Dimension 63 Timeline
In the Dimension 63 timeline, his personality remains largely unchanged, but his beliefs in honor and discipline are stronger, as he has not yet been heavily exposed to the schizophrenic, and largely unhonourable, Richtofen, unlike his original counterpart; his background is also expanded: he comes from a noble family who is close 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 much 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 becoming aware of the future events of a timeline different from their own, he and the others have grown to trust each other and decided to work together to aid Richtofen in his plan. 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 fighting for a better tomorrow, even though he doesn't speak much of it. However, in late rounds of The Giant, Takeo talks about honor more and his loyalty to the emperor of Japan and if playing on co-op he starts distinguishing himself from the others; this is due to exposure to element 115, thus, resulting in his original personality mixing with his younger version.

In Der Eisendrache, his personality is almost identical to his Original timeline self, however, in the ending cutscene, he and Nikolai watched in great sadness and silence as the Original Dempsey was put down, showing that despite his older personality mixing with his younger self he still had the remorse and respect for the allies he had in Origins. "Takeo Masaki... I did not believe I would find you in such place. (...) I... Share this memory I too have lived through many of the same victories. Punishment is one thing this is... Cruelty! Who amongst us could be so dishonorable?! My life... My path, is built upon a lie! This realm may have been consumed by evil but we possess the power to change things! A better tomorrow can only occur if we blow away the ashes of the past. (...) It is my honor!"

- Origins Takeo learning of Original Timeline Takeo being betrayed by the Emperor and explaining that his death will achieve a better future.

In Zetsubou No Shima, it is revealed that the Takeo of the Original Timeline universe was sent in to spy on the Division 9 facility by the Emperor. However, it was a plot by the Emperor to betray him, as Takeo unknowingly became their prisoner and test subject. When the Origins crew arrived at the facility, the Original Takeo had already been mutated into a giant Thrasher by Division 9. The crew helped to reverse his mutation, allowing the two Takeos to confront one another. After informing his younger self of the Emperor's betrayal, the Original Takeo then agreed to commit seppuku, with Origins Takeo acting as his kaishakunin.

In Gorod Krovi, Takeo is somewhat more respectful to Richtofen than the others, even thanking him for helping him realize what a fool he was for trusting the Emperor. He also is more aware of the others and the mission since he is no longer interested in the Emperor. In the end cutscene, he can be seen comforting Nikolai after he was nearly killed by his original counterpart before the former killed him with a shot with his shotgun.

Trivia

 * Quick Revive is Takeo's favorite perk, sometimes commenting on how it tastes like sushi.
 * In the Origins timeline, Takeo remains suspicious of Richtofen but appears to form a friendship after the events of Zetsubou No Shima.
 * The original Takeo hates Nikolai, who hates him in turn.
 * However, in the Origins timeline Takeo and Nikolai do not appear to harbor any animosity for the other.
 * Takeo originally disliked Dempsey but later grew to respect him.
 * In the Origins timeline, Takeo and Dempsey appear to have a friendship.
 * 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 is leetspeak for "NEWB".
 * In the Kino der Toten Trailer, when Takeo fires the Crossbow, his first-person model is Richtofen's.
 * Original Takeo in Zetsubou No Shima wears his officer uniform albeit striped of his medals and accolades hinting at him being betrayed. He also resembles his Call of Duty: Black Ops version more than his Call of Duty: World at War version.
 * Upon the completion of Seeds of Doubt, two blood vials will be added to Takeo's model, hanging on the side of Takeo's backpack.
 * Takeo's favorite bow is the Fire Bow.
 * Takeo's favorite staff is the Fire Staff