Shepherd

"Five years ago, I lost 30,000 men in the blink of an eye. And the world just fuckin' watched."

- General Shepherd

Lieutenant General Shepherd was an officer in the United States Army in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 that commanded both Task Force 141 and Shadow Company. He starts out as a supporting character for the player, only to reveal himself as the main antagonist in Modern Warfare 2. He is voiced by Lance Henriksen.

Biography
General Shepherd served as the supreme commander of the U.S. forces in the Middle East during the course of the Second Russian Civil War (see Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare), including the Marine Force Recon units killed when Al-Asad detonated a nuclear weapon in the capital city. After losing 30,000 troops as a result, Shepherd became disenchanted with the world, seeking a way to fully unleash the military might of the United States to destroy the Ultranationalists who had killed his men in an act of nuclear terrorism, as well as spark a restoration of American power and influence around the world, something he felt had waned in recent years as evidenced by America's and the rest of the world's action of response to the obvious threat of the Ultranationalists, being weary of suffering such extensive losses again. Shepherd's warnings of the coming of the second Cold War with Russia went unnoticed, leaving him disillusioned with no apparent justice for the men he had lost and no means of effectively countering the terrorist threats present in the world without the full military might of America for him to use, something he had not been in control of since the failed attempts to defeat America's Hatred in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Shepherd is also a traitor.

To accomplish this, Shepherd needed an enemy, something to rally the entire nation behind him. After many terrorists attacks throughout Europe, Shepherd believed Russian Ultranationalist extremist Vladimir Makarov could indirectly help bring the recruitment plan into play. Shepherd then became the commanding officer of Task Force 141 with the intent of stopping Makarov and hand-picks Joseph Allen to be an undercover agent. Shepherd's plan progresses as Allen's position was compromised by Makarov after the massacre at Zakhaev International Airport. As a result, the United States was invaded, and in response, Shepherd is named supreme commander of all US military forces around the globe by the Secretary of Defense for his insight of the threat Russia posed, just as he had planned. With the full power of the 3.5 million soldiers (as in 2016) of the United States Armed Forces at his fingertips, Shepherd was in a perfect position to bring about his ultimate goals: to make the United States the mightiest power on the planet, and style himself as the hero who made it so by eventually bringing Ultranationalist Russia to its knees. Besides the United States military forces he officially commanded, Shepherd, through unknown means, also acquired the services of Shadow Company, which openly operated for Shepherd after Day 6 of the global crisis of 2016.

Shepherd would soon start a second, personal war, deploying Task Force 141 to recover intelligence pertaining to his scapegoat, Vladimir Makarov. Shepherd eventually reveals his true colors when he executes Roach and Ghost in the Caucasus Mountains after the latter raid an Ultranationalist safehouse and retrieve intelligence that could implicate him, and attempts to have his Shadow Company men assassinate Captain Price and Captain "Soap" MacTavish in Afghanistan. With his status as a war hero secured, the ruthless officer betrays the task force in an attempt to destroy any link to his treacherous actions and so that he can bring down Vladimir Makarov himself. Price and MacTavish figure out Shepherd's agenda and attack his base in the Afghan cave system known as Site Hotel Bravo.

Shepherd escapes Site Hotel Bravo with Soap and Price in pursuit. After having his helicopter shot down, MacTavish and Price's speed boat plunges into the water falls below. Shepherd survives the crash as an injured and dazed MacTavish attempts to kill Shepherd with a knife, only for Shepherd to take down MacTavish and stab him in the chest. Just as Shepherd attempts to execute MacTavish with his .44 Magnum, Price tackles Shepherd, causing him to miss the shot, and the two get into a hand-to-hand fight. Shepherd eventually overpowers Price and gains the upper hand. However, MacTavish regains consciousness and pulls out the knife Shepherd stabbed him with, aims it at Shepherd, and then throws it. The knife pierces Shepherd's left eye, killing him.

Quotes
"The more things change, the more they stay the same. Boundaries shift, new players step in; but power always finds a place to rest its head. We fought and bled alongside the Russians; we should've known they’d hate us for it. History is written by the victor, and here I am, thinking we'd won. But you bring down one enemy and they find someone even worse to replace him. Locations change... the rationale, the objective. Yesterday's enemies are today’s recruits... Train them to fight alongside you and pray they don’t eventually decide to hate you for it, too."

- Shepherd's speech during the intro to S.S.D.D.

"We are the most powerful military force in the history of man. Every fight is our fight, because what happens over here matters over there. We don't get to sit one out. Learning to use the tools of modern warfare is the difference between the prospering of your people, and utter destruction. We can't give you freedom. But we can give you the know-how to acquire it. And that, my friends, is worth more than a whole army base of steel. Sure it matters who's got the biggest stick, but it matters a helluva lot more who's swinging it. This is a time for heroes. A time for legends. History is written by the victors. Let's get to work."

- Shepherd discussing the military might of the United States, during the briefing of Team Player

"Get up, Private Allen! Rangers lead the way! MOVE!"

- Shepherd telling Joseph Allen to go with the rest of the Rangers

"Five years ago, I lost 30,000 men in the blink of an eye. And the world just fuckin' watched.. Tomorrow there will be no shortage of volunteers, no shortage of patriots... I know you understand."

- Shepherd before attempting to execute "Soap" MacTavish at the end of Endgame

"Do you have the DSM?... Good, that's one less loose end....""

- Shepherd, when Ghost and Roach bring the DSM to the extraction point

"You don't want to know what it's cost to put you next to him. It will cost you a piece of yourself. It will cost nothing compared to everything you'll save."

- Last speech of Shepherd to Joseph Allen

"Makarov's no prize. He's a whore. A mad-dog killer for the highest bidder. Just remember your new identity. It'll keep you alive."

- Shepherd to Joseph Allen

"Cain was the first man ever to strike down another. And when the Lord came to him and said "What have you done?", Cain could not hide his crime - for the voice of his brother's blood cried out from the very ground."

- Shepherd during the Infamy trailer

"You know what they say about revenge... you better be ready to dig two graves... (long pause) Killing me wouldn't change that. (long pause) Go ahead and end it. It wouldn't change anything. (long pause) Hmph. I know you couldn't do it. (long pause) You're a good warrior... but you can never take that extra step... to do what was absolutely necessary."

- Shepherd, if the player does not immediately attempt to kill him at the car in Endgame.

Unused quotes
These quotes were meant to be said by Shepherd during "Endgame". These quotes are said, with a damaged voice and a sore throat. They also give more insight behind Shepherd's motives.



Trivia



 * In "Endgame", when General Shepherd draws his Magnum, he dumps the casings onto the ground, meaning he used his weapon before attempting to execute Soap and Captain Price.
 * General Shepherd wears USAJFKSWCS (United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School) patches. At the rank of Lieutenant General, this would infer that he is the commander of SWC(The real SWC Commander is a MG).This would also mean he is Special Forces qualified and should be wearing a green beret, not black. Also, since it is a school, it never deploys personnel, however Shepherd wears a SWC combat patch.
 * "Every fight is our fight, because what happens over here matters over there. We don't get to sit one out." this phrase actually belongs to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Turkish Republic. By this quote Shepherd intended to say that it was an important thing to help keep peace in the world.
 * In each Modern Warfare game the player character kills a high ranking individual, with Modern Warfare 2 the HVI being Shepherd.
 * If the player looks closely at the picture to the right, it shows Shepherd's character model without the revolver in the holster. This is and Endgame where Shepherd also reloads his revolver is the only time this happens.
 * Though there are many chances to shoot Shepherd throughout the campaign, most times if the player does, it gives the player a "Mission Failed" Notice. However, during the mission Team Player, when the Rangers arrive at the school, shepherd can be seen outside the gates with his M4A1. He can be killed here with no penalty, but still shows up at the end of the mission.
 * When he is pinned down with Hunter 2-3 in "Team Player", he can be seen using an M4A1. This is the only time he is seen with a firearm other than his revolver.
 * It could be noticed from the picture that he holds the M4A1 as if it were an unequipped rifle, while ignoring the foregrip.
 * It is unknown why Shepherd is selected as the U.S. Supreme Commander as he is only a Lieutenant General. Normally a Four Star General would have been given that honor, but, as stated when the Secretary of Defense promotes him to Supreme Commander, his warnings of the Ultranationalists went unnoticed until they instigated a war. Only then did America listen and in order to make it up to him for his insight the government gave him the position and the blank check. Given, the senior Cabinet's whereabouts are unknown and the general disorganized state of the U.S. military may have left Shepherd the only high-ranking officer left available at the time. It is interesting to note that despite his new rank as Supreme Commander which would make him a five-star general, Shepherd still wears his Lieutenant General or three star general ranking marks.




 * Shepherd is a man known by his men for not caring about the safety of his soldiers, especially during artillery fires, as Cpl. Dunn and Captain Price both say, "Since when does Shepherd care about danger close?" As seen in the picture on the right, he doesn't concern himself much with his own safety either, which could largely be a part of painting himself as a hero in the eyes of his troops by sending the message that he is willing to die with his men.
 * Despite being a high-ranking officer who is rarely in battle and approaching old age, Shepherd still possesses great skill in hand-to-hand combat, which is shown when he counters Soap's attack on him, and when he engages Price in a fist fight. Being soldiers from the S.A.S, Price and Soap are elite members of a group that units from all over the world base themselves off of. This begs the question of what units Shepherd must have been a part of in his youth to have acquired such skills that he could take on two such highly trained soldiers, especially after having survived a helicopter crash, though it should be noted Price and Soap were injured as well.
 * In the loading screen cutscene of "No Russian", Shepherd ironically tells PFC Joseph Allen that "[putting you next to Makarov] will cost you a piece of yourself." Then, during the level, it costs him his entire self as he dies at the end. This allows some players to forsee his true motives.
 * His betrayal is similar to the betrayal in Star Wars Revenge of the Sith. Where the actual main antagonist (Emperor Palpatine) (Shepherd) commands an elite force (Jedi Order) (TF 141) to seem like he is cooperating. He also has an army to obey him without question (Clone troopers) (Shadow Company).
 * He is also the first main villain to be American, as he is secretly manipulating the storyline from behind the scenes, until he executes Ghost and Roach and reveals his true motives.
 * His catchphrase, "history is written by the victors," though commonly attributed to Winston Churchill, it is alleged to have originally been said by Mithridates VI of Pontus.
 * Throughout the storyline, the player has a tendency to be looking up at Shepherd from the ground. This could be a reference to the amount of power and influence that Shepherd has in the military. In both instances where this occurs, Shepherd also reloads his revolver above the player, further symbolizing power.




 * General Shepherd is voiced by Lance Henriksen. Henriksen worked previously with Keith David (Sgt. Foley) in Mass Effect, providing the voice of Admiral Hackett. This is the second time Henriksen has voiced Keith's superior officer. Coincidentally, the name of the main character in Mass Effect is named Shepherd.
 * Shepherd can be killed in Team Player. He later shows up at the end of the mission. Strangely, at the end of the mission if Shepherd is shot in the head before he mentions Task Force 141, he will pose as if he were holding an assault rifle, although no rifle is there.Shepherd's_death.jpg
 * When Shepherd shoots Roach In Loose Ends, his first shot from his revolver sounds like that of the Desert Eagle. However, when he shoots Ghost the sound effect is that of an Intervention shot, presumably for more dramatic sounds.
 * Shepherd only fires his .44 Magnum three times in the whole game, and only one shot has the original gunshot audio.
 * During the events of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Shepherd seems to be leading the United States Army, Navy and Air Force, despite being a three-star Army General. Contrary to popular belief, it is possible for an Army General to be in control of a joint operation that involves other factions of the U.S. military, given his history of controlling many thousands of Marines during the events of Shock and Awe, it isn't beyond the realm of possibility that he would be given control of other factions.
 * Shepherd is known as 'Gold Eagle' on the Shadow Company radio, likely to keep a low profile from his antagonists (Soap and Price).
 * In Museum, he can be seen reloading his pistol like the other, non-revolver pistols in-game.
 * During "Endgame" the player can aim the knife at any part of the screen near Shepherd, but it will always hit his left eye.
 * Shepherd is commander of 4 factions: USMC, Army Rangers, Task Force 141 and Shadow Company.
 * Strangely, Shepherd's mustache appears brown in some levels of the game (noticeable in Team Player) and appears to be more grey in others (noticeable in Endgame). This, however, is possibly due to dust from the crash in Endgame, which would have caused the illusion of a color change.
 * In Endgame, when Shepherd and Price are fighting, The player can see cuts and scars on Shepherd's face.
 * Apparently, Shepherd uses his words wisely to describe the way everything has happened, like the betrayal of himself, the hunting of TF141 and what happened in 2011 with the US Marines.
 * It is unknown how Shepherd built up Shadow Company in order to secure military bases and combat enemies like Makarov's mercenaries. It is possible, though, that Shadow Company was already in existence as a special operations unit or private military/security company that Shepherd took command of, or possibly hired, during the Russo-American War.