Viktor Reznov

"Things will change my friend! As heroes, we will return to Russia's embrace!"

- Reznov to Dimitri Petrenko after the latter raises the Soviet flag on the Reichstag

Sergeant Reznov is 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 2. He is first seen in the level Vendetta as a sniper trying to assassinate the German general Heinrich Amsel, "architect of Stalingrad's misery," which seems to be the sergeant'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 with shroud out the noise of the gunshots leaving the other German soldiers unknowingly of their allies befallen. He leads him through a Stalingrad in ruin, dueling against a German sniper, and a whole platoon equipped with flamethrowers. Then, they are saved by Petrenko's squad, and continue with them an assault against the Nazis troops. After deadly fighting, Petrenko kills Amsel, which gives Reznov a hearty chuckle. They are soon attacked by a Panzer tank and Nazi soldiers. Reznov holds off numerous German soldiers while Petrenko jumps in the water. Reznov jumps in the water after Dimitri. 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. Most likely Reznov was a superior sniper but due to the his finger he could not snipe as effective any more.



Three years later, Soviet troops are on the German land pushing toward Berlin. Sergeant Reznov along with a new recruit Chernov comes to rescue captured Private Petrenko from 3 German soldiers. Now, they are fighting together in the 3rd Shock Army. Reznov is good friends with Petrenko, and often tells the other soldiers to follow him as an example, especially to Chernov, who seems to be shocked by the vengeful violence of his comrades against Wehrmacht soldiers, and Reznov disliked his merciful attitude towards the German soldiers, although he truly did like Chernov, as you will see near the end of the game. The atrocities Reznov and Petrenko saw at Stalingrad made them feel no pity for German troops. At the 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 a flag that must be planted on the top of the building. After Chernov had been wounded (He most likely died of his wounds after this, but as you can see he survived the initial attack by looking at him closely you can see him breathing and blinking in pain) by a flamethrower, he takes Chernov's diary and states that "someone should read this." Another soldier carries the flag to the top of the roof but gets killed before being able to. Reznov then asks Petrenko to take up 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 best friends 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, in front of him, by Wehrmacht soldiers during the Siege of Stalingrad. He is assumed to have lived in Stalingrad before World War Two 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 the Stalingrad mission (when it is wrapped up in a bloody bandage) which explains why he cannot use a sniper 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 comments on it by complementing 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.

Trivia

 * The developers of Call of Duty: World at War based Reznov off of the character model of Imran Zakhaev from Call of Duty 4
 * The machete that Reznov kills the German with is the first time we see him use it, but he apparently has had it all of the game(shown in the cutscene in Blood and Iron).
 * This is not the first time Gary Oldman voiced/played a Russian. He played Ivan Korshunov, in Air Force One(1997).

Quotes

 * "Shhhh"
 * "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!!!'"
 * "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!"
 * "Look around you, Chernov. Do you think these men will be denied their revenge?"
 * "Today is the day of our glorious vengeance. For ourselves...and for Mother Russia."
 * "As the symbol of their decadence plummets, so will their wretched Reich!"
 * "As long as you live, the heart of this army cannot be broken"
 * "Do as you wish, Chernov. Just as long as they're dead!"
 * "You can make it my friend."
 * "If you lack the stomach to kill for your country, at least show me you are willing to die for it!"
 * "Someone should read this."
 * "No Scope! Nice!"
 * "HaHaHa, you, you are a true marksman Dimitri."
 * "The mudak in the car is General Heinrich Amsel. Architect of Stalingrad's misery"
 * "Chyrot. Slovoch almost got me"
 * "In our time 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 animal suffering."
 * "Chernov, NO!"
 * "This, is how you end a war Chernov."
 * "Shhh. Stay where you are. Let your eyes ajust to the darkness."
 * "April 30th, 1945. When he first spoke of Dimitri, Reznov told tales of a hero. Someone we should all aspire to be like. At times I have seen him show mercy, and others complete brutality. Perhaps, heroes need not question their actions."
 * "CHERNOV!I'm not hearing a gunshot"
 * "URA!"
 * "Hero of Stalingrad!"
 * "Dimitri, ready the flamethrower. Good, now take a closer look at those rats on the horizon."
 * "Sniping your enemy is like hunting any other animal. Fire at the wrong moment, and your chance is forever lost."
 * "Wait until the bombers are directly overhead. The sound of their engines will drown out your shot."