List of Gears of War characters
 | It has been suggested that Marcus Fenix be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since November 2006. |
| It has been suggested that Dominic Santiago be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since November 2006. |
This article is a list of Gears of War characters & organizations with detailed descriptions of things encountered in Epic Games' Xbox 360 video game Gears of War. Template:Spoilers
Coalition of Organized Governments (C.O.G.)
During the seventy-nine year war, the Coalition of Ordered Governments, or COG, became a legitimate minor political party. Founded long before the Pendulum Wars by fanatical socialist Alexiy Desipich, the party was based on an obscure world-government philosophy based on eight guiding principle values: Order, Diligence, Purity, Labor, Honor, Loyalty, Faith, and Humility. The Pendulum Wars finally ended with the COG establishing control over Sera, with magnificent cities and culture returning to the war-torn planet. Many believed a new golden age was upon them. This belief was crushed on what is now called Emergence Day.
Delta Squad
Throughout the original Gears of War campaign, the game experience is centered around Delta Squad. During the first act of the game, several characters will rotate in and out of Delta Squad.
Marcus Fenix
Son of famed military scientist, Adam Fenix, Marcus established a reputation as a brilliant soldier during the Pendulum Wars, earning field promotions and decorations. He was on a fast track to an outstanding military career, until the war with the Locust Horde began.
One long decade after Emergence Day, the Horde Army breached Jacinto Plateau's defenses and Marcus defied orders so he could save his father. He was too late, and in addition to losing his father, Marcus was charged with dereliction of duty and was sentenced to 40 years in Jacinto Maximum Security Penitentiary; while it's later shown that Marcus's father was mapping the underground tunnels of the Locust Horde (a detail integral to the plot of Gears of War), it's never revealed whether Marcus was aware of how important his father's research was when he attempted to save him, or whether he specifically knew it related to the Locust Horde. Nonetheless, it can probably be assumed he did not.
Four years into his sentence, the Horde overtook the Jacinto Penintentiary, but Marcus was rescued by his best friend, Dominic Santiago, so that he could join the fight against the Locust Horde Army.[1]
Dominic Santiago
Dom is a vocal, colorful and yet practical soldier. He's loyal to a fault, especially with his friends, and has no patience for those that think of themselves first.
Dominic has always believed in his country and his leaders, but his faith has been slipping in the face of this endless war. Dom lost his wife in the Emergence Day cataclysm. For him, the fight against the Horde is deeply personal.
By testifying in Marcus' defense, Dom prevented an execution, but was forced to accept the heavy judgment the military tribunal handed down to his childhood friend. Never forgetting, Dom seized his first opportunity to save Marcus' life, and convinced Lieutenant Minh Young Kim to enlist Marcus into his squad.[1]
In the begining of Gears of War, Dominic Santiago frees Marcus Fenix from the Jacinto Maximum Security Penitentiary under orders from Lieutenant Mihn Young Kim. The two characters begin the campaign trying to escape the prison, which is now overrun with Locust Horde.
Marcus is often thought of as another Solid Snake to many fans of both games.
Private Augustus "Cole Train" Cole
Cole, aka "The Cole Train", is an adrenaline junkie and former professional thrashball player for the Cougars. He craves action, and prefers to take the most direct path to the Locust Horde in any situation. What he lacks in finesse, he makes up for in raw energy.
Along with his child-like enthusiasm and charm, Cole is supremely confident in his own abilities to overcome anything, regardless of the odds—and he hasn't been proven wrong yet.
Cole and Damon Baird have served together for years, and he treats Baird as he would an older brother with a younger brother's license to torment.[1]
Augustus "Cole Train" Cole is voiced by Lester "The Mighty Rasta" Speight. While relatively unknown, Lester Speight is legendary for his acting as the man who plays as "Terrible" Terry Tate, the "Pain Train", in the Office Linebacker commercials made for Reebok. The game's cinematic ending also leads into a credits sequence featuring a hip-hop remix of the various "Cole Train" voice overs encountered throughout the game. He is listed at being 6'2 and close to 280 pounds (110 Kg.)
Private Damon Baird
A cynical yet comical character who has repair skills. Despite being a reluctant and cynical soldier, Baird excels at the military life. Baird is perfectly capable of being a successful officer, but has never been promoted due to his poor attitude, short temper and his unwillingness to take on any responsibility.
Baird's greatest strength is his intelligence. He not only fights the Locust, but he studies and observes them as well. He's the closest the COG has to an expert, and when Baird tells his comrades to be quiet and listen, they know it is in their best interest to do exactly that.[1] Baird's expertise also includes a specialization in mechanical and repair-related skills. In Act 4 of Gears of War, when Delta Squad's Junker APC is offline, Baird is able to fix it given time and the use of pure ingenuity.
Baird's only motivation is self preservation. He's willing to do whatever it takes to get through the war alive -- even march alongside a troublemaker like Fenix.[1] Baird is constantly heard expressing himself through sarcastic jokes and disgusted reactions throughout the Gears of War campaign.
Lieutenant Mihn Young Kim
Lieutenant Kim is a proud, dedicated and ambitious soldier, a by-the-books believer in all things COG. To Kim, the Coalition of Organized Governments is humanity's only hope for survival and feels that it is an honor and privilege to serve as a Gear.
Kim moved quickly through the ranks, but after a run of bad luck he was left leading the misfits of Delta Squad. Feeling undervalued and overlooked, Kim has something to prove.
Only the strength of Dom's faith -- and the scarcity of experienced soldiers - convinced Kim to consider bringing former prisoner Fenix into his squad.[1]
Near the end of Act 1 of Gears of War, a King Raven helicopter comes to evacuate Delta Squad and Alpha Squad. However, Nemecyst spores bring the King Raven down and emergence holes spring up everywhere. Amidst all the chaos, Kim is yelling out orders while General RAAM emerges with all manner of drones. Kim is skewered by General RAAM's blade in a cinematic sequence.
Private Carmine
Private Carmine had very little dialog in Gears of War, but he appeared to be both young and inexperienced. He was also voted "Most Likely to Get Shot" while training at the academy, which eventually seals his fate. This also is apparent because during battles, Carmine has a tendency to rush forward into the enemy's forces. Carmine is known best as the COG character in Gears of War that is the first to die. Roughly half-way through Act 1, he is shot in the head by a Locust sniper while trying to fix his gun, which had apparently jammed.
Carmine dies so early in the game in-fact, that the developers decided not to give him his own character model. Instead, they simply used generic COG armor with a helmet to cover his facial features. An unknown Alpha squad soldier using the same character model dies at the hands of a Berserker near the end of Act 1. Carmine and this Alpha soldier are often confused with one another, and sometimes treated synonymously. These kind of characters are called red shirts, based on the Star Trek security officers with red shirts that would normally end up being killed.
Other members
Lieutenant Anya Stroud
Anya Stroud is the only female member of COG seen in Gears of War. She is usually detailing location information through radio for Fenix, Dom, or Kim — particularly where to go next or whether hostiles are en route.
Colonel Victor Hoffman
Like Anya Stroud, Hoffman is camera-shy in Gears of War, often barking off orders through radio after dropping off Marcus' squad at the beginning of the game.
Jack
A Jack of all Trades robot, Jack for short. It has limited A.I., does not talk, and responds only to simple commands. It is always alongside Delta Squad, hovering about with an invisibility cloak that makes the robot unseen until it decloaks to make itself useful.
Jack is used for cutting doors, communications, first aid and minor field surgery, as well as other delicate operations both during and outside of combat. Often times the Gears will have to defend Jack while it cuts open doors. In Act 4 of Gears of War, Jack is also used to download and store Adam Fenix's research data, which contained amazingly detailed maps of the Locust underground systems, and would be ultimately used with the Lightmass bomb to destroy many of the underground Locust forces.
The Locust Horde
The Locust Horde is a relatively unknown underground mutant alliance that has decided its ultimate motive to be the extermination of the human race down to every man, woman, and child. Locusts consist of a common race of drones and all manner of mutants and monstrosities.
Leaders
Locust Queen (Myrrah)
This section's information is based on speculation. View this article's talk page or discuss it on the Gears of War forums at Epic Games for further discussion.
At various points throughout the game, narration is provided by a female character; her voice is heard during the opening cinematic, the death of Lt. Kim, and the end-game sequence. Many have speculated this to be a sort of faction leader, or Locust Queen. In the credits sequence the game mentions the character 'Myrrah', voice acted by Carolyn Seymour. Since the character has not been seen anywhere in the game, many have assumed that Myrrah is the Locust Queen. There is also evidence pointing to the voice being the queen in multiplayer. When playing multiplayer as COGs, you will get talked to by Hoffman, the leader of the COGs. When playing Locust, you get talked to by the same voice, prehaps indicating her to be the leader of the Locust. It has been proven that there IS a Locust Queen, as in the cutscene preluding the final boss battle (against General RAAM), General RAAM emerges onto a platform on the train, and says to Marcus and Dom, "Serve the Queen!" (or something that sounds very much like that).
General RAAM
General RAAM is the main villain and final boss of Gears of War voiced by Shearly Clamp. He is a mostly silent and savage Locust general with a dark cinematic presence. He appears as a large Drone covered in dark shredded leathery robes. His appearance is much like the Theron Guards, except with facial features similar to the common Grub, but clearly more pronounced to represent his experience.
Players will sometimes hear the locust shout "For RAAM!" during gameplay, however who General RAAM is isn't revealed until the game's final chapter. General RAAM's name also implies that the Locust Horde follows a sort of military command hierarchy, but the only known military title for the Locust Horde is General.
RAAM carries a Troika machine gun and as well as a sword for melee damage. He is protected by Kryll which fly around him and form a shield. He also commands the Kryll to attack the player, which momentarily leaves him vulnerable to damage. In near-end cutscene of Act 1, RAAM skewers Lieutenant Kim on his sword.
Drones
Drones appear to be the common race among the Locust Horde. They seem to appear larger than humans with white skin, covered with gray patches. Human soldiers use the term "Grubs" as a derogatory nickname for them. They were bred in the hollow to be bloodthirsty fighters. When ordered, Drones will throw their lives away by the hundreds to kill one Gear. Drones wield almost every weapon in the game and they take on a variety of roles such as Snipers and Spotter. Regular drones wear full body armor, often including a helmet. This is possibly due to the fact that they are close-range specialists, and have a lower life expectancy. Locust who take the Sniper role tend to be the weakest of the drones, with only a few shots needed to dispatch them. Some regular Drones have taken to using the human Lancer, and will utilize the chainsaw to lethal effect.
Grenadiers
Grenadiers are far more agressive than Drones. They have strong bodies, but lack sufficient intelligence. Most Grenadiers rush foward in battle, forgetting to take cover. Though these enemies take more ammo to kill (on the Lancer), a single Frag Grenade or Longshot will bring them down. Grenadiers, when utilizing cover, often are too large to completely keep hidden, thus making it easier to kill them while they hide. Most carry Gnashers and Frag Grenades in battle.
Boomers
Larger, heavier, and slower moving Drones that can take a lot of damage. Boomers also fire a Boom-Shot (rocket launcher), often while saying "Boom!". They are occasionally seen partnered with other Boomers, and actually fight with vague but noticeable squad based tactics. The slow reload time of the Boom-Shot and lumbering speed are a Boomer's biggest weaknesses, and a lone Boomer poses little problem to a COG soldier who is adept at using cover.
Berserkers
DNA analysis has revealed Beserkers to be the female counterparts to the Drones. They are unable to see but can use noise (the slightest click of a gun can set her off) and scent to detect enemies. They walk slowly, but can build sufficient enough momentum to smash through walls. With their fused fists they can obliterate armored Gears with a single blow. Berserkers can't be harmed with any weapon with the exception of the Hammer of Dawn, but can be shot with regular weapons after being exposed to the Hammer. If confronted by a Berserker whilst the Hammer of Dawn is unuseable, a COG soldier will have to be quick-footed and very resourceful if they hope to survive the encounter.
Theron Guards
Theron Guards are the commanding officers among the drones. Their sheer voices (which is typically a low, hissing warning) have been known to scare Gears into fleeing. They are stronger, faster, and harder to kill than an average drone. Cold and calculating, they often wield Torquebows with explosive arrows into battle. On higher difficulties they can cause instant death. Theron Guards always keep a back-up weapon in case their Torquebow runs out, usually a Lancer or Gnasher.
Wretches
Small sized members of the Locust Horde, they are able to climb on almost any surface. They are very dangerous to Gears that forget to look up. Later in the game, they change from being pink to being a dark blue and become lambent after exposure to Imulsion (these are called Dark Wretches). This kind of Wretch explodes when killed, injuring players who are too close. Wretches, not being the most subtle or tactical of creatures, often make their presence known before becoming visible, by letting out a high-pitched scream or smashing nearby glass or objects. As such, a quick-thinking COG soldier can entrench themselves in preparation for a Wretch onslaught.
Seeders
Large, insect-like Locust that spits out Nemacysts, flying jellyfish-like creatures. These enemies then home in on the player, exploding on impact and massively injuring anyone around it. However, Nemacysts are very weak enemies that die with one or two shots. Seeders can only be killed using the Hammer of Dawn. In the game, jammed communications prelude Seeder encounters.
Reavers
Large, flying creatures about 20 times the size of a drone. They are saddled up and ridden by a pilot Drone as well as a passenger Drone (or Theron Guard), who guns down enemies. The passenger often wields a Torque Bow. Reavers can be killed with normal weapons and go down faster when their riders are killed.
'Rhino' Reaver
Large, flying creatures similar in appearance to the Reaver, but it has a head reminiscent of a rhinoceros beetle. It is seen only once during the end game cutscene and is never encountered by the player during combat. The Rhino Reaver appears to be piloted by a high ranking Locust (the Queen), or possibly a Theron Guard who wears a long slender cape. The Rhino Reaver also appears to have a mounted machine-gun and other machinery assimilated into its flesh. It is speculated that it will be encountered in a Gears of War sequal.
Corpser
Corpsers appear as horrific giant spider-like monstrosities, covered by a mysterious armored helmet. Corpser heads appear almost humanoid except for their bug-like eyes. Corpsers have eight thick rock-like legs that guard their vulnerable underbellies. Corpsers are used by the Locust Horde to dig tunnels through the soil of Sera, allowing the other members of Locust to move about undetected, and even allows the Horde to dig behind COG lines. The Jacinto plateau, which is positioned on a huge slab of granite, is the only place on Sera that the Horde cannot-yet-dig through.
Brumak
Gargantuan monstrosities, a DNA analysis indicates these were bred by the Locust Horde from smaller native apes. Extraordinary thick hide, and deadly at close range, they appear to be mildly sentient to hunt down, and bait prey. Ironically, while featured in many of the game's promotional material and pre-release articles, the player does not directly combat the Brumak (it appears at the end of Act 4).
Other adversaries
Kryll
Kryll are small flying bat-like creatures. They stay deep underground during the day and come up to the surface the moment the sun has subsided into the night. Kryll avoid lit areas and they can be dispatched by using an APC's UV light turret, but they can not be harmed by anything else. General RAAM carries the uncanny ability to use Kryll to shield himself in Act 5 of Gears of War. Kryll apparently feed on humanoids, and they will literally strip the flesh and bone away to nothing within a few seconds. They will eat both C.O.G. Gears or Locust Drones if they are foolish enough to step into open darkness.
The Stranded
Human survivors outside of Jacinto. The Stranded live in poor conditions ravaged by war. Their former ways of life were destroyed by the Scorched Earth policy. They use light as weapons and defense against the Kryll by placing propane tanks across their cities, and lighting them when they need to pass through. The Stranded are known to refer to COG as "bloodthirsty fascists," but they will help the Gears fight against Locust. The allied firefight in the chapter called The Last Stand is an example of Stranded and Gears fighting alongside one another.
Franklin
Franklin is one of the Stranded that owes Dominic Santiago a favor. Apparently Franklin has come into posession of a Junker APC, and Dominic acquires the Junker's keys with his favor. Little else is known about Franklin. He spends most of the Nightfall act in Gears of War guiding Dominic and Marcus through the ruined city and two checkpoints to Chaps Aspho Gas Station.