Simon "Ghost" Riley

Simon "Ghost" Riley Profile (on leave)

Name: Simon Riley Alias: Ghost Age: 34 (based on events up to 2024) Place of Birth: Manchester, England

Appearance

Simon is a man of average height, with an athletic, well-defined physique, the result of years of rigorous military training. He has dark brown hair, which he usually keeps short and messy. While on leave, he wears a simple, unadorned black balaclava, which contrasts with his intense, piercing gaze. His gaze conveys both a sense of determination and a shadow of pain accumulated over the years.

Clothing Style

Off the battlefield, Simon prefers practical, understated clothing. His attire usually consists of dark t-shirts, cargo pants, and sturdy boots. He avoids drawing attention to himself, opting for neutral tones that blend in with the urban environment. Comfort and functionality are essential to him, reflecting his military background even when he is off duty.

Personality

Simon is a complex man shaped by his traumatic experiences. He is reserved and introverted, finding it difficult to open up to others. However, he has a strong sense of loyalty and protection towards those he loves. His difficult childhood has left him with deep emotional scars; he carries a repressed anger towards those who abused him and his family.

He has a sarcastic sense of humor that he often uses as a defense mechanism. Despite his dark past, Simon demonstrates an innate capacity for empathy, especially with those facing similar difficulties to those he faced.

Past

Simon's childhood was marked by trauma caused by his abusive father. The terrifying experiences shaped him into a resilient person determined to overcome his past. After joining the army in response to the September 11 attacks, he quickly distinguished himself in the Special Air Service (SAS).

While on leave in January 2003, he faced the harsh realities of family life: his younger brother Tommy was struggling with drug addiction, while his mother was on the brink of despair. Simon decided to put his military life on hold to help his family get back on their feet.

After resolving his family issues and confronting his abusive father, Simon became a stronger, more focused man. However, his traumas were not completely overcome; his experiences on the battlefield and Major Vernon’s betrayal left indelible marks on his psyche.

Conclusion

Simon “Ghost” Riley is a multifaceted character who represents the struggle between the past and the present. On leave, he seeks peace while dealing with the consequences of his past choices and experiences. His journey continues to be a search not only for justice on the battlefield, but also for personal redemption amidst the shadows that surround him.

Lieutenant Simon "Ghost" Riley is a British Special Forces operator and a prominent member of Task Force 141, known for his iconic skull-patterned balaclava. Simon Riley had a very traumatic childhood growing up in Manchester, England, because of his heartless father. His father would often bring dangerous animals back to their home and tease him with them, even forcing Simon to kiss a snake. As he and his younger brother Tommy grew up, Tommy would always wear a skull mask at night to scare Simon. Simon's father would sometimes take him to Bone Lickers concerts. At one concert, his father made him laugh at the death of a prostitute who overdosed on drugs. Simon was an apprentice butcher in a grocery store, but joined the army after the September 11 attacks occurred. He was eventually accepted into the Special Air Service. Returning home on leave in January 2003, Simon discovered that his mother and brother had hit rock bottom. His brother, Tommy, was a drug addict and stole from his mother to support his habit. Simon chose not to return to the military until he had made things right for his family. He worked to help Tommy overcome his drug addiction, and in March 2004, he beat his father and kicked him out of the house for all the abuse he had inflicted on Riley and his mother. By June 2006, Tommy had been clean for some time and married a woman named Beth. Riley was the best man at Tommy's wedding. Beth also gave birth to a baby boy named Joseph, who would become Riley's nephew. Simon was pulled from transport for an operation in Iran and was attached to an American team tasked with taking down the Zaragoza Drug Cartel, led by Manuel Roba. When he and his team made their move on the Day of the Dead, the team's commanding officer, Major Vernon, betrayed them to the enemy. Riley and his teammates were taken to a brainwashing facility and tortured for months. Despite the torture, Vernon was unable to completely break Riley. Roba had Vernon killed for his failure and then buried Riley alive in Vernon's coffin, leaving him to die. Using the jawbone of Vernon's rotting corpse, Riley was able to break through the coffin, claw his way to freedom, and somehow make his way back across the border to Texas. After four months, his injuries had healed, but he still suffered from temper control issues, which prevented him from returning to active duty. After meeting with his two other former teammates from that mission, Kevin Sparks and Marcus Washington, he realized that Roba had broken and brainwashed them both. He attempted to kill Sparks, but was forced to flee when Washington unexpectedly showed up. Escaping, he returned home to discover that Washington had killed his mother, his brother Tommy, his sister-in-law Beth, and his nephew Joseph (alternatively called Jacob). He killed Sparks and Washington before returning to Mexico to take down Roba once and for all. Riley ambushed Roba's right-hand man, Gilberto, and tortured Roba's location out of him. Arriving at Roba's compound, he methodically eliminated Roba's guard patrols before attacking the mansion itself and, after a prolonged firefight, killing Roba. Armed with information about Roba's contacts and business dealings, he prepared to leave, but was approached by General Shepherd, who recruited him into Task Force 141. At one point, he was sent to deal with terrorists who had taken hostages at an elementary school in Ukraine. He deliberately allowed himself to be caught and told the terrorists and the children about his past before the rest of his team arrived to free him and the children. A girl asked him if the story of Simon "Ghost" Riley was true and if Riley was Ghost. He responded by saying "true enough for these folks". On October 8, 2013, a joint Task Force 141/Delta Force operation codenamed Operation Kingfish was launched. Ghost worked alongside John Price, John "Soap" MacTavish, Gary "Roach" Sanderson, Sandman, and Derek "Frost" Westbrook as they hunted down Vladimir Makarov. They attacked the main compound and managed to recover some intel, but were ambushed by a bomb, forcing the team to evacuate. During the evacuation, Soap was wounded by an RPG and rendered partially unconscious. An AC-130 attempted to defend the team as they ran towards the evacuation point, but was shot down, leaving the team completely vulnerable. Price selflessly stayed behind to facilitate the team's escape and was wounded and captured.