This article's content is marked as Mature The page contains mature content that may include coarse language, sexual references, and/or graphic violent images which may be disturbing to some. Mature pages are recommended for those who are 18 years of age and older. If you are 18 years or older or are comfortable with graphic material, you are free to view this page. Otherwise, you should close this page and view another page. |
“ | Hassan: Do you know who I am? Rodolfo: You're a terrorist, pendejo. Hassan: I'm a soldier. And I am here to fight. |
„ |
~ Hassan and Rodolfo Parra. |
“ | I told you your nation would see fire. You think you can stop me...? We are not attacking... We are invading... | „ |
~ Hassan's last words before his death, just as he is about to kill Soap. |
Major Hassan Zyani (Persian: حسن زیانی) is the main antagonist of the 2022 video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, the second installment in the rebooted Modern Warfare sub-series.
He is a Major in Iran's Quds Force and General Ghorbrani's right-hand man who launches a campaign against the United States in retaliation to the assassination of his commander. He also works with the terrorist organization Al-Qatala and the Las Almas Cartel to achieve this.
In the end, Hassan was killed by Simon "Ghost" Riley while attempted to kill Johnny "Soap" MacTavish by throwing him out of the window at Chicago.
He was voiced and motion-captured by Ibrahim Renno, who also played Izak Bekher in Law & Order: Organized Crime.
Biography[]
Background[]
Not much is known about Hassan Zyani's past, but he was born in the Middle-East and became an officer in Iran's Quds Force, rising to the rank of major. Due to his position, he becomes the right-hand to the force's commander, General Ghorbrani. After Ghorbrani's assassination by the United States, Hassan took up the mantle for Iran by supplying terrorists with money, weapons and intel against their enemies.
Modern Warfare II[]
Wanting to avenge the general's death, Zyani aligned himself with the Al-Qatala to supply their soldiers with better weaponry and equipment. After Russian Ultranationalist leader Vladimir Makarov sent Konni mercenaries to steal American ballistic missiles during an illegal operation carried out by Shadow Company, they gave them to Hassan to start his retaliation against the United States. With the missiles, Hassan commences his campaign by partnering with the Las Almas Cartel, intending to have himself and the missiles be smuggled into the states.
Due to affiliating with the Al-Qatala, the United States places Hassan as a high-valued target, and send Task Force 141 and MARSOC Marines to capture or eliminate the major. Zyani managed to evade being captured by the joint teams in Al Mazrah, but one of the ballistic missiles is found in a AQ warehouse. While preparing to be smuggled into the states, 141 operatives John Price and Kyle "Gaz" Garrick and CIA station chief Kate Laswell uncover his plan in Amsterdam. With this information, Laswell contacts Los Vaqueros officers Alejandro Vargas and Rodolfo Parra to prevent the major from crossing the border. Though nearly stopped, Zyani is protected by the cartel, and manages to escape by leaving Parra to burn to death.
After being discovered, the cartel decides to bring Hassan back to one of their compounds in Las Almas to protect him from the United States. Due to Rodolfo's survival, he managed to give Vargas and the CIA intel of the major being moved and a shipment crossing the Atlantic. Following the failed operation, the United States assigns 141 to perform a joint operation with Los Vaqueros and Shadow Company to capture Zyani. At one of the cartel's compounds, Hassan is apprehended by 141 and Vargas, and is interrogated by Phillip Graves for the missiles' locations. Despite being let go, they hack into his phone and trace his last conversation to the cartel's smuggling operations in Spain. It's later revealed that the second missile was never there, as its guidance systems were previously there before placed with the ballistic.
Once free from capture, Zyani continued his plans to smuggle the last missile into the states, and contacted "El Sin Nombre" to make sure she could secure the shipment. Unbeknownst to the major, the cartel's leader was captured by the joint teams at one of her lieutenant's mansions, and revealed the second missile's location. Due to Shadow Company's betrayal, Hassan was given more time to return to the states and place the third missile onto a Chicago building owned by the cartel. However, his plan was revealed by Sin Nombre during her interrogation by 141, and tasked the Al-Qatala to protect him as the missile was being prepped for launch. Despite the third missile being launched, Zyani was confronted by 141, with Johnny "Soap" MacTavish successfully detonating the ballistic mid-flight.
As two AQ soldiers are killed by Soap, Hassan wounds the 141 operative, and attempts to throw him out of the window. While preparing to throw him out, he is shot in the head by Simon "Ghost" Riley, thus ending threat. After his death, Laswell learned of the Russian Ultranationalists hand in the events, informing Captain Price of whom they the group are working with. Price quickly identified Hassan's business partner to be Vladimir Makarov.
Personality[]
One of Hassan Zyani's most apparent traits is his contempt towards the Western world. This is evident when Hassan berated Task Force 141 during their escape from Las Almas, comparing them to the weapons of war which he labelled as "mindless". Later on, when Phillip Graves stated that he does not speak Arabic nor Farsi during the interrogation in the desert, Hassan goaded him by saying that he would converse with the team with their "bastardized medieval English" because they are, in his eyes, uneducated street dogs. Hassan also seems to be intolerant of vulgarity, as he did not hesitate to call out the Shadow Company's CEO as insolent and foul-mouthed.
Above all, Hassan is mostly defined by his desire for vengeance against the West for their killing of General Ghorbrani, calling the Western operators "war criminals" throughout the story. Though this also leaves his loyalty towards the Quds Force unquestioned, he is not above unholy alliances in his quest for revenge; willing to shake hands with the Las Almas cartel, Al-Qatala, as well as, by a stretch, the Russian Ultranationalists to achieve his goals.
Quotes[]
“ | We're here today because we lost a great leader, and I am here to declare revenge for the killing of General Ghorbrani. The West must pay for a century of hostile acts against us. Together, we will avenge the death of General Ghorbrani. We will have revenge for the death of our General! If the world courts do not punish these war criminals, we will take matters into out own hands at the time and place of our choosing. If we must, we will retaliate! We hold your soldiers and generals directly responsible for assassinating General Ghorbrani... Our brave General was executed by the West! | „ |
~ Hassan's broadcast. |
“ | No. Let him burn, as Ghorbrani burned. | „ |
~ Hassan to a cartel member, intending to leave Rodolfo burn to death. |
“ | Who the f-ck are you? | „ |
~ Hassan to Alejandro Vargas. |
“ | I am a Quds Force Major! You have no right-! | „ |
~ A captured Hassan to Soap. |
“ | You will pay for this dearly! | „ |
~ Hassan to Soap upon being captured. |
“ | Hassan Zyani: Do you speak Arabic? Phillip Graves: No. Hassan Zyani: Farsi. Phillip Graves: No. Hassan Zyani: Course not. Then I'll speak your bastardized medieval English because you are all uneducated street dogs. |
„ |
~ Hassand and Graves during the interrogation. |
“ | Phillip Graves: You're the commander of a foreign terror organization. Hassan Zyani: I can say the same to you. |
„ |
~ Graves and Hassan during the latter's interrogation. |
“ | DO NOT SPEAK HIS NAME! You executed him and you will pay for your crimes... Only God can help you now... | „ |
~ Hassan's threat to the group. |
“ | War is deception-you are easy to fool... | „ |
~ Hassan's message shown after dying in-game. |
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Hassan is the first and currently the only Call of Duty main villain who is Middle Eastern. However, Khaled Al-Asad from the original Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare can be considered as a partial example due to him being the main antagonist only in the first half or Act 1 of the campaign.
External Links[]
- Hassan Zyani on the Call of Duty Wiki.