Coming up to its 20-year anniversary, the Call of Duty franchise debuted in 2003, and changed the face of first-person shooters forever. It may have taken a few entries to get going, but once it did, it's never stopped, and now Call of Duty is one of the biggest franchises on the entire planet, with millions of fans desperate to get their hands on the upcoming sequel, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Though the tight gunplay and fast-paced gameplay is what defined Call of Duty, the best entries in the franchise brought a little more to the table, like an engrossing plot and a lovable cast of characters.

One of, if not the most beloved characters in the Call of Duty franchise is Captain John Price, a mustachioed British Special Forces operative who's just as quick with a gun as he is with words. While most Call of Duty fans will remember Price from his pivotal role in 2007's Modern Warfare, and his subsequent appearances in the rest of the Modern Warfare trilogy, Captain Price actually has an even longer history in the franchise, dating all the way back to 2003 with the very first Call of Duty.

RELATED: Call of Duty Game Tier List

Captain Price in World War 2

Captain Price COD 1

Originally intended to be a reference to the World War 2 movie A Bridge Too Far, Captain Price first appears in 2003's Call of Duty, the franchise's debut title. Though he shares the same mustachioed appearance and British accent, this Captain Price is not the one found in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and though fan theories have suggested that it could be his grandfather, that hasn't ever been confirmed by Infinity Ward or Activision.

Chronologically, Captain Price actually appears first in Call of Duty 2, leading the 7th Armored Division in North Africa. Over the course of a few weeks, Captain Price and his Division manage to push back a good portion of the German presence in North Africa, first disabling their flak cannons then taking out their communications array before attempting to push the remnant forces out of Tunisia. However, during his time in Tunisia, Price and his team are ambushed by overwhelming German forces, and he makes the split-second decision to retreat with just a handful of his squad after the team gets separated. So while this may not be the same Captain Price fans would meet in later entries, he shares the same tactical reasoning and is willing to make impossible decisions if the situation calls for it.

A few months later, after the North African campaign comes to an end, Captain Price finds himself commanding a new division, the 2nd Battalion of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. This unit is first tasked with securing a bridge above the Caen Canal, the first step to pushing the German forces out of France. Upon securing the bridge against land, sea, and air forces, Price is called up to once again lead the 7th Armored Division, this time in Normandy. After clearing out a few villages, the squad are pinned down by a patrolling German Tiger tank, and Price takes it upon himself to give his team a rousing, morale-boosting speech, yet another trait that modern-day Price exhibits.

Following the French campaign, Price's determination and skill is recognized by the British Special Forces, who recruits him into the SAS. Captain Price's final mission would see him attempting to destroy the Tirpitz, a German battleship. Price and his squadmate Evan manage to sneak aboard the ship using forged papers. To avoid detection while onboard, Price uses his knowledge of the German language to blend in, proving that he truly is the best of the best. Unfortunately, the odds weren't in Price's favor, and the ship is eventually alerted to his presence. In a final act of sacrifice, Price distracts the German soldiers while his teammate plants explosives.

RELATED: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Should Skip PS4, Xbox One Consoles

Captain Price in the Modern Warfare Trilogy

captain price smoking a cigar

By far the more well known Captain Price, John Price is first introduced in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, during the game's opening training sequence, where he oversees Soap's final test. Since at least 1996, Price had served in the SAS, much like the WW2 captain of the same name. During a covert mission to Pripyat, Price is tasked with assassinating the arms dealer Imran Zakhaev. Price misses the shot, blowing off Zakhaev's arm instead. Alerting Zakhaev's forces, Price carried his wounded leading officer, MacMillan, to an extraction point. He then held off an entire army's worth of soldiers before the two were extracted, showing Price's inherent survival instincts.

Fifteen years later, Price now leads his own SAS task force, codenamed Bravo Team. Price and his team are tasked with taking down Zakhaev, who they eventually find in an underground nuclear bunker. After deactivating a series of nukes that were launched at the US, Price and his team chase Zakhaev, but are ambushed by a Hind gunship. With the entire team bleeding out on the ground, Price hurled his pistol over to Soap, who managed to kill Zakhaev.

Once Price has recovered, he's reassigned to a new elite squad titled Task Force 141, where he takes on the role of field commander. Price then leads this new task force on a series of missions, most of which are aimed at taking down Vladimir Makarov, the new leader of Zakhaev's old terrorist cell. Eventually, the task force is betrayed by General Shepard, the very man who set up the unit in the first place. Price and Soap hunt him down, and kill him, becoming war criminals in the process. The Modern Warfare trilogy's Captain Price is determined, and is willing to go to extreme lengths to complete his mission or achieve his own personal goal. Though his team is clearly his priority, he's not afraid to do whatever's necessary to complete the task at hand, no matter what, or who, it risks.

Captain Price in 2019's Modern Warfare

Captain Price close up in Call of Duty

Acting as a soft reboot of the series, 2019's Modern Warfare introduces a new, yet familiar version of Captain John Price. Having joined the military at just 16, Price served in the British Army for 18 years, and became an SAS operative at an extremely young age. By 2011, Price was granted the rank of Captain, and was put in charge of a counter-terrorism task force. With such a long and decorated career behind him, there's no part of the world that Price has not fought in, no terrain left untrod, no combat scenario that he hasn't managed to think, and brave his way out of. This most recent version of Captain Price may just be the most tactical, skilled, and deadly of the bunch, and based on just the trailers released so far, it seems as though his appearance in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will continue to show that.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 launches on October 28 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

MORE: Best Guns In Call of Duty: Warzone