Viktor Reznov

"Mark my words comrade, one day things will change. We will take the fight to their land, to their people, to their blood!"

- Reznov to Dimitri Petrenko as they attempt to kill Heinrich Amsel

Sergeant Reznov was a Russian squad leader of the Red Army in Call of Duty: World at War during World War II. He is voiced by Gary Oldman.

Biography
Sergeant Reznov was born in Russia and joined the Red Army sometime before World War II. He is first seen in the level Vendetta as a sniper trying to assassinate the German general Heinrich Amsel, the "architect of Stalingrad's misery," which seems to be Reznov's hometown. As the only two survivors of the massacre in the fountain, he is saved from being executed by playing dead. He and Dimitri Petrenko meet each other, with Reznov explaining his situation to Dimitri. Reznov, who can no longer shoot precisely as a marksman due to his injured hand, gives Petrenko his Mosin-Nagant rifle, and asks him to eliminate the general. Reznov guides Dimitri into killing a few German soldiers as German Bombers fly overhead to shroud out the noise of the gunshots. He leads him through a Stalingrad in ruin, dueling against a German sniper, and a whole platoon with multiple soldiers equipped with flamethrowers. Then, they are saved by Petrenko's squad, and continue with them on an assault against a Nazi communication post. After deadly fighting, Petrenko kills Heinrich Amsel, which gives Reznov a hearty chuckle. They are soon attacked by a Panzer tank and Nazi soldiers. Reznov holds off numerous German soldiers before he jumps in the water, with Dimitri soon following him. It is important to note that due to Reznov's injured finger he could not fire his rifle with perfect aim, and thus, his "character class" was changed to Submachine Gunner as he wields a PPSh-41 from then on. He is seen without his finger three years later.

Three years later, Soviet troops are on the German land pushing toward Berlin. Sergeant Reznov along with a new recruit Chernov comes to rescue the captured Dimitri Petrenko from 3 German soldiers. Reznov often tells the other soldiers to follow Dimitri as an example, especially to Chernov, who seems to be shocked by the vengeful violence of his comrades against Wehrmacht soldiers. The atrocities Reznov and Petrenko saw at Stalingrad made them feel no pity for German troops. At the second to last mission in Berlin, near the Reichstag, he orders Chernov to at least prove he can die for his country, if he can't kill for it, giving him the Russian flag that must be planted on the top of the Reichstag, because Chernov was writing in his diary. Reznov also states that "no one will ever read this." After Chernov had been wounded by a flamethrower, he takes Chernov's diary and states that "someone should read this," contrary to what he had said earlier. Another soldier carries the flag to the top of the roof but is killed before being able to plant it. Reznov then asks Petrenko to take the flag and plant it. When Petrenko gets shot almost fatally with a P-38 by a surviving SS trooper, Reznov runs in and slices the unfortunate German twice and impales him in the back. After that, he helps Petrenko up, cuts the rope holding the Nazi flag and tells Petrenko to plant the Soviet flag. He expects the two of them to return to their home as "heroes." Reznov mentions many times that the heart of the army cannot be broken as long as Dimitri lives.

Personality and Traits
Reznov is patriotic, strong, and is a strong friend with Private Petrenko, often telling heroic stories of him and Dimitri during the Battle of Stalingrad. He also hates German soldiers with a passion, refers to them as mudaks, rats, and animals and shows no mercy to any Wehrmacht soldier, as many of his comrades and friends were coldly executed by Wehrmacht soldiers during the Siege of Stalingrad. He is assumed to have lived in Stalingrad before World War II as he is has great knowledge of the city and tells Petrenko of his life in Stalingrad before the German invasion. In combat, he uses a PPSh-41. Reznov is missing the upper tip of his right index finger, as can first be noticed during Vendetta (when it is wrapped up in a bloody bandage) which explains why he cannot use a sniper rifle although it is presumed that he was a marksman before his injury. Skillful handling of a sniper rifle is very much appreciated by Reznov. When Dimitri kills a German soldier in the Battle of Stalingrad by shooting a sniper rifle from the waist, Reznov compliments him, "No scope? Haha... nice!" He is also a powerful speaker giving motivational speeches to his soldiers time after time about Dimitri and the successes he has when he fights along side him. When he kills Germans, he calls it an example of "mercy-killing," most likely because of what can happen to them if they don't get killed there on the spot as a reference to the brutality in Soviet prison camps. He seems to have a good son bad son relationship with Petrenko and Chernov often yelling at Chernov for not being like Petrenko who he regularly compliments.

Quotes

 * (During the cutscene before Vendetta): "The rotten cancer of the fascist Reich ravages Europe like a plague. Their relentless drive into our motherland steals the lives of men, women, and children alike. The arrogance of their leaders is matched only by the brutality of their soldiers. These are the darkest days of the Nazi occupation of Stalingrad."
 * (During the cutscene before Ring of Steel): "With the line at Seelow now broken, nothing stands between the Red Army and Berlin. Every day, we carve deeper into German territory. Every day, fear and desperation erode their will. When our train reaches to Berlin, they will have nowhere left to hide."
 * "Sniping your enemy is like hunting any other animal. Fire at the wrong moment, and your chance will be forever lost."
 * "Chernov finish these rats" start of Their land, Their blood.
 * "Wait until the bombers are directly overhead. The sound of their engines will drown out your shots."
 * "No scope?! Hahaha, nice!"
 * "Mark my words comrade. One day things will change; We will take the fight to their land, to their people, to their blood."
 * "DIE!!! You scum sucking animals!!! UURRRRAAA!!!'"
 * "The mudak in the car is General Heinrich Amsel. Architect of Stalingrad's misery."
 * "Dimitri? Hahaha! Once again you cheat death." 
 * (During the cutscene before Blood and Iron): "We have lost many brave men, but their sacrifice is not in vain. Our tanks now form a line of steel so powerful that all German resistance will be crushed beneath it's mighty treads. Today- we will watch as Seelow falls."
 * "You will be alright my friend" Said to Dimitri often.
 * "Their armor are no match for you! Hero of Stalingrad!"
 * "See how things have changed, my friend? Now it is their land... their people... their blood."
 * "It matters not where they choose to die! Hunt them down! No mercy was shown to my comrades in Stalingrad! No mercy will be shown here! An eye for an eye!"
 * "Today is the day of our glorious victory, for ourselves...and for Mother Russia."
 * "As the symbol of their decadence plummets, so will their wretched Reich!"
 * (In response to Chernov asking if they are to shoot the fleeing Germans in the back) "The back, the front, the head, do as you wish, just as long as they are dead!"
 * "Hahaha, you, you are a true marksman Dimitri."
 * "Cleave their heads from their shoulders!"
 * "These trenches will be their graves!"
 * "Chyort. Svoloch almost got me."
 * "In Stalingrad, Dimitri and I crawled through many smoke filled buildings. Do you hear him complaining?"
 * "You should have shot them Chernov, it is only cruel to prolong an animal's suffering."
 * "This is how you end a war Chernov."
 * "Ha ha, brute force Chernov! Brute force!"
 * "Shhh. Stay where you are. Let your eyes adjust to the darkness."
 * "CHERNOV! I'm not hearing gunshots!"
 * "URA!"
 * "Dimitri, ready the flamethrower. Good, now take a closer look at those rats on the horizon. They will be the first to burn on this day."
 * "If you lack the stomach to kill for your country, at least show me you are willing to die for it!"
 * "Make sure that they are all dead, KILL THEM ALL, wipe the scum from the streets!"
 * "Look around you, Chernov. Do you think these men will be denied their revenge? Death come only two ways: fast if not slow. Dimitri, it is your choice."
 * "Chernov, you should learn from Dimitri. He understands the nature of mercy killing."
 * "You will be okay, do you hear me? They flooded their own metro, in an effort to kill us Dimitri, but once again, they failed. Once more, we cheat death."
 * (To Chernov, after seeing him write in his diary) "Which do you think will lead us home? Writing about this war, or fighting it? No one will ever read this!"
 * "Chernov, NO!"
 * (After Chernov's possible death) "Someone should read this."
 * (To Dimitri, after killing the SS trooper that wounded him) "You can make it, my friend. You always survive."
 * "As long as you live, the heart of this army cannot be broken"
 * "I have seen my friends die at the hands of this vermin. They deserve everything they get, and more."
 * The Germans hang their cowards from trees. Make sure you keep hold of that flag, Chernov."
 * "Things will change my friend, as heroes we will return to Russia's embrace."
 * "Throw your molotovs, let them burn in their post."
 * "Dasvidanya,Scum!"

Video's
Video:A tribute to Reznov

Trivia

 * Throughout the campaign, Sgt. Reznov still has his thumb in bandages.
 * The developers of Call of Duty: World at War based Reznov off of the character model of Imran Zakhaev from Call of Duty 4, but he bears more of a resemblance to the first Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union, Vladimir Lenin.LeninReznov.jpg
 * The machete that Reznov kills the German with is the first time the player sees him use it, but he apparently has had it all of the game (shown in the cutscene in Blood and Iron).
 * Even after two and a half years he is still a Sergeant meaning he either turned down many promotions or the Red Army doesn't give promotions out lightly. This is true for Polonsky, Roebuck, Sullivan, and C. Miller in the Pacific campaign.
 * The voice for the multiplayer Red Army team is Reznov.
 * He looks quite old to be a soldier, like Captain Price and Lt. Volker in Call of Duty 4. (Note this is likely justified, as the Soviet army in World War II sustained the worst casualties of any other nation. Reznov is clearly a great soldier, and the Soviets would never turn down expertise due to age. Many of their soldiers in the early stages of the war were merely cannon fodder, poorly trained and even more poorly armed.)
 * On the mission Vendetta he may randomly say, "Take the shot Dimitri", referring to the shooting of Heinrich Amsel. This is probably a glitch.
 * Considering how he always calls Petrenko by his first name, it is possible he knew him before Stalingrad or maybe even the war. However, he never addresses Petrenko by name, until after they meet Daletski. After that he calls Petrenko by his first name.
 * There really was a Reznov in the 3rd Shock Army but he was a Brigade Commissioner, not a Sergeant.
 * In Vendetta, if you run out of ammo, (Possibly only for normal and lower difficulties) Reznov will whisper "Take the shot Dimitri!" and fully reload ammo. This can be important for when you find the PTRS-41, or the Walther P-38 when you attempt to kill Amsel with a pistol shot, as the Walther comes with low ammo.

Резнов