Simon "Ghost" Riley is a fictional character in the Call of Duty story arc Modern Warfare. He first appears as a non-playable character in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, where he is captain Soap MacTavish's second in command. He is known for his iconic skull-patterned balaclava, headset, and dark red sunglasses. His backstory is elaborated upon in the comic Modern Warfare 2: Ghost, which explored events leading up to him becoming a member of Task Force 141, and the short film Find Makarov: Operation Kingfish. The reboot version of Riley was briefly mentioned in the 2019 title Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, being playable in its multiplayer and Call of Duty: Warzone. He made his campaign debut in the 2022 sequel, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II. This version of Riley is depicted as having his entire face, save for his eyes, concealed by a skull-shaped mask. An alternate version of Riley appears as a protagonist of Call of Duty: Mobile, and appears in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare and Call of Duty: Ghosts as a skin in multiplayer. Riley is considered to be a breakout character for Modern Warfare 2, and is oftentimes cited as one of the most popular characters of the Call of Duty franchise. Character design Riley is first introduced in the fifth mission of Modern Warfare 2, "Takedown." He is voiced by Craig Fairbrass. His backstory is explored in the comic book mini-series Modern Warfare 2: Ghost, where he is depicted as a survivor of domestic abuse from his father and struggling with complex psychological issues. His signature skull-patterned balaclava has been likened to similar usage of skull masks among real-world soldiers. In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Riley returns to the campaign, which takes place in a new timeline. He is voiced and portrayed via motion capture by actor Samuel Roukin, in spite of early reports suggesting that Fairbrass would return to voice the character. His character was intended by Infinity Ward to be explored and humanized in greater depth than the original. In the reboot, his past is kept a secret to preserve his anonymity and is described as being an "expert in clandestine tradecraft." He is known to prefer doing missions alone and suffers from trust issues. Appearances Original Modern Warfare sub-series Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, lieutenant Simon "Ghost" Riley is