Highlights
- The reveal trailer for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 showcases the numerous prison tattoos of the game's antagonist, Vladmir Makarov, providing early insight into his motivations and beliefs as a feared criminal.
- Tattoos in Russian prisons hold deep meaning and act as a service record, and the abundance of tattoos on Makarov's body signifies his feared reputation and criminal standing.
- The symbolism behind Makarov's tattoos, such as the grim reaper with barbed wire and the snarling wolf, reflect his role as the harbinger of death and his resentment for authority.
With the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 capping off a trilogy-spanning narrative of campaigns, fans already have lots of reasons to get invested in the release. Most of the already revealed promotional material for the game concern its singleplayer narrative, and the presence of classic CoD villain Vladimir Makarov takes center stage.
The infamy of Makarov precedes him, and his role in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will be an explosive one, but he has received his very own reveal trailer to give fans more information. In the trailer, Makarov is shown in a Russian prison, with an extreme focus being placed on his numerous prison tattoos. Some of these tattoos are shown in great detail, and offer some fascinating early insight into the motivations and beliefs of the title's antagonist.
Modern Warfare 3's Makarov's Prison Tattoos
Whereas the original Modern Warfare trilogy essentially had the full breadth of its story to develop Makarov as a MW villain, fans of the new trilogy will be introduced to the figure for just the final game. This means players are likely to get an large dose of the fanatical terrorist in Modern Warfare 3, who will presumably escape captivity to become involved in the game's global conflict.
A lot of this missed backstory can be inferred from the litany of tattoos that Makarov has, especially within the context of Russian prisons. Tattoos among Russian inmates are a kind of service record for the individual; each one has deep meaning and says a lot about the bearer's history.
The sheer amount of tattoos that Makarov has is a dead giveaway for his feared reputation and criminal standing, which is only reinforced by the clear fear other prisoners feel towards him in the trailer. With this reveal trailer zoning in on a few tattoos in particular, a lot of Makarov's backstory in Modern Warfare 3 is seemingly told through his skin.
Modern Warfare 3: The Symbolism Behind Makarov's Tattoos
The first tattoo that the trailer focuses on is on Makarov's right arm, which is a large grim reaper wrapped in barbed wire and wielding a scythe and skull. While this does not have an overt meaning in Russian prison culture, it bears clear connotations of Makarov as the harbinger of death, with barbed wire only reinforcing the severity of his claim. Makarov masterminded the original Modern Warfare 2's infamous "No Russian" terrorist attack, so this tattoo is not to be taken lightly.
Skulls baring their teeth appear all over Makarov's body, which is a sign of resentment for authority in Russian prison circles. This iconography is more overtly stated with Makarov's snarling wolf on his back; this kind of tattoo is called an Oskal, meaning "big grin" in Russian. Makarov also bears the two-headed Russian eagle, which is a longstanding symbol against the communist regime, reinforcing Makarov's ideas of fanatical revolution in his homeland.
Makarov is also shown to have stars on his back, which are a symbol of great power for a Russian prisoner. This is reinforced by Makarov's Kremlin back piece, with the many spires in his tattoo indicating that he has served many sentences. From what has been shown of Makarov's tattoos, it is clear that the figure is already a feared and hardened criminal. With a clear resentment for government and authority, it is easy to see why Makarov is being tipped as a serious force to be reckoned with in Modern Warfare 3.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 launches on November 10.