#codzlore

[kino-der-joon]

Hellooooo! Very baby CoD zombies fan (in the sense I was just introduced to it at 21 by my homies at work who were SHOOK that I didn't grow up playing it like they did 💀) and I fear the brain has chosen Richtofen, specifically Ultimis Richtofen (cause old men with angular faces my beloved 🤣) to join my pantheon of characters to obsess over. So now comes my important question. How would one potentially go about finding out all the Richtofen lore and CoD zombies lore in general?

Quickest route, no freeways, as stated by the great and all-powerful lego batman lol

💫Hello hello!! Omg guys it's a babey! Welcome in, welcome in!! I do hope you enjoy it here!! ✨

💫 So, personally, my one-stop-shop for all things lore and Richtofen is this video right here! -> 🌟 Don't let the 9-hour run time scare you, it's not so daunting, I promise!! The video has chapter markers so you can skip around, along with audio logs and extra information so you can really understand what's going on! It's explained in a way that's easy to digest, and you can always go back to it! I've watched it in full about three times and still use it to reference certain parts of the lore! Best thing to do is just break it down into chapters if you don’t want to watch it all in one go!! I can also reccomend searching up audio logs on youtube too!✨

💫 Now, I can't help but notice you came to a Richtofen blog to ask about lore and Ultimis Richtofen, so, allow me to give you the warmest welcome by giving you a quick run down of his lore and the things he gets up to before, during, and at the end of the game! (Don't worry, I won't include huge spoilers!) ✨

⭐️ BEFORE THE EVENTS OF WAW.

Richtofen used to be a member of the Illuminati and joined Group 935 as a spy for them. However, he switched sides and ditched the Illuminati for Group 935 instead. The group's mission statement was to 'better the human condition,' but because of this being so open to interpretation, a LOT of strange science happened within the group.

Richtofen, partnered with Doctor Schuster my beloved, worked on teleportation experiments. They weren't going well, safe to say. Any deceased subject that was put into the M.T.D (Matter Transferance Device) came back as a sloppy pile of innards, or they would vanish. Until one fateful teleportation experiment, in which the subject returned as a reanimated corpse. An Undead. A zombie. With this new development, Maxis sought to control these zombies, and that later became an initiative to create an army of undead soldiers for the war effort.

Refocusing on teleportation, Richtofen decided to scale down the experiment. He attempted to teleport a walnut and found his first break through sucess!! He immediately told Doctor Maxis, the head of Group 935, but was met with mockery and the worst news of his life: Maxis had made a deal with the Nazi party. The deal was, if Group 935 supplied weapons for the German army, among other things, they would give the group funding to explore the concept of raising an undead army. This was a choice that would be the ruin Group 935, and Richtofen would make sure of that.

Richtofen offered himself up as the first human test subject, doing it in the name of science. He didn't die, but instead, he was sent up to the moon!! Though he wouldn't know that initially. On the moon, a device that would later be known as the MPD (Moon Pyramid Device) was waiting for him. This device had the ability to corrupt anyone who touched it, so, naturally, Richtofen touched it with his bare hands. To give him credit, he didn't know exactly what he was touching.

He then got teleported again, directly from the moon, to a place called Shangri-La. Now, this is unfortunately a bit of a racist trope, but we enjoy COD Zombies critically and are able to understand it is an old game with a lot of elements that haven't aged too well. While in Shangri-La, he was ambushed and taken by a tribe. Richtofen showed this old tribe the ways of electricity and hydro-power, and in reply, the tribe worshipped him like a God, making a shrine for him. He found a strange device in Shangri-La, and trapped up his altar to keep it safe. He also asked the tribe to mine element 115 for him, since there was quite a lot of it underground, and so the tribe did. They later succumbed to element 115 and turned into undead zombies. (Since I haven't mentioned it already: element 115 has the ability to turn you into an undead zombie if you have prolonged exposure to it)

Finding his way back to Germany, Richtofen took Schuster with him in an MTD ride for two and showed him the moon. After that, they began construction of Griffin Station. Griffin Station was a base of operations for Richtofen and the scienstis who he rallied against Maxis because of the deal with the Nazi party, and they conducted their own science on the MPD!

Richtofen led a double life for a while, acting as if everything was fine with Maxis, but it was difficult considering he was slipping into insanity. He heard voices in his head due to the corruption he was undergoing. Voices of creatures in a sealed-off realm, the voice of a man who spoke like a god. The voices were pulling a craving for more power to the forefront of Richtofen's mind, along with the idea of going to a place called 'Agartha.' (This is also a German conspiracy rooted in white supremacy, 'only pure whites can get into Agartha,' or something. THIS Agartha isn't that. THIS Agartha is basically just a COD Zombies equivalent to Christian Heaven.) And so, Richtofen started to go off script and use Group 935 equipment for his own personal experiments. Due to a spy catching him, his behaviour was reported, and Richtofen was sent to work closely with Maxis so that Maxis could keep an eye on him. That, however, was a mistake. While working on teleportation once again, Richtofen trapped Maxis and his daughter inside the MTD and...Kind of just sent them off?? into the stratasphear?? for all he cared?

Maxis ended up in a place known as 'The Crazy Place' and gained the ability to fuse himself with electricity. (It's a COD Zombies game, don't ask.) While his daughter, Samantha, was sent up to the moon and ended up running inside the MPD. Somehow, because of, well, science, Maxis was found and teleported to Griffin Station, where he was "asked" to coax Samantha out of the MPD. Instead, he asked her to 'do a favour' for him and 'kill them all' before shooting himself in front of his daughter. This drove Samantha even further along into insanity, and her vengeful wrath is why we're chased by zombies in the games!

Just before doing his own experiments, Richtofen was given three test subjects:

Nikolai Belinski

Takeo Misaki

Pablo Marinus

Tank Dempsey.

Richtofen thought he accidently killed Pablo in an experiment, and so his body was cast out and replaced with Dempsey. These test subjects were put on ice when Richtofen was punished for his personal experiments. But, when Group 935 was getting attacked by the undead hoard, Richtofen woke up these test subjects to help him fight.

🌟 BO2

This game is basically just a turf war between Maxis and Richtofen. Because of the events after the map 'Moon,' the Earth is an apocalyptic wasteland and both Richtofen and Maxis are fighting for control. They both want to go into 'The Aether,' because then they can reach Agartha.

🌟 BO4

The map 'Classified' is a little detour the group is forced to take, and it takes place between Shangri-La and Moon.

The map 'Alpha Omega' is the last map we have with Richtofen, and we see how the story ends in the 'Tag Der Toten' easter egg!

✨I really hope this helped! It's only a small run down, and you'll find a lot more info in the video!! And once again, welcome!! ✨

[kino-der-joon]

Please share your headcanons on Richtofen squared i BEG 🙏🙏🙏

💫 Hello, hello!! Welcome in! Ask, and you shall receive!! 🙂‍↕️ ✨

💫 RICHTOFEN² HC’S!✨

✨ Lore wise, the first meeting between Primis! Richtofen and Ultimis! Richtofen actually happens during the time Ultimis! Richtofen is a zombie after the events of Bo2!

✨ He can’t speak it, but there’s a charm he sees in his younger self. It’s almost as if the sun is in his younger self’s eyes, he lights up a room in ways Ultimis Richtofen could only dream to! There’s no menacing edge, no aura of fear, just pure warmth and a sense of endearing naivety.

✨ Ever the narcissist, Ultimis! Richtofen can’t help but admire Primis! Richtofen’s bone structure, and the way his deep set eyes strike him. There’s also a sense of envy in there somewhere, especially being undead. He feels older than ever before, and yet here another version of himself is, popping in and out of portals, rushing around for blood vials and some strange old relics.

✨ When he’s back in his body, he can’t help but wonder about his other self. Why did he want the summoning key? What was that book? The blood vials had actually been his own idea, but why did the other him want them so badly? Maybe his other self is a vampire- That would certainly explain the pallor. Either way, he hopes he can see him again to see how his own genius paid off!

✨ And so, it seems, his wish is granted! He won’t ever forget that blue portal opening up, his crew’s ’other selves’ spilling out of it. There’s something different about his other self this time. His eyes are sharper, darker, and his body is incredibly tense. He’s also silent. No ‘hallo,’ no ‘good to see you again,’ just…Silence.

✨ Ultimis! Richtofen suspected as much, but in the events of Alpha Omega, it turns out that this other version of Richtofen isn’t the one he met, but a new one with a different personality! Way more fun, it would seem!

✨ Templar! Richtofen is egotistical, battle ready, and not an overly goody-two-shoes who throws frequent pity parties like Primis! Richtofen, which naturally means that Templar! And Ultimis! Richtofen get on like a house on fire! Templar! Richtofen might think Ultimis! Richtofen is a little extreme, but they don’t morally clash!

💫 Now, this is where this ship gets interesting. If we assume Primis! And Ultimis! Richtofen got to spend a lot of time together in a different au with slightly different lore, I believe their relationship would blossom something like this: 💫

✨ Ultimis! Richtofen is evil incarnate. What he did to Samantha, to Maxis, it is unforgivable! Such a twisted mind deserves nothing more than a bullet to the brain, an unceremonious send off before he’s forgotten to the sands of time. Primis! Richtofen holds rage in his veins, but also an urge to protect the rest of the world from this mad man’s path.

✨ Primis! Richtofen is an overly emotional wreck with a biased moral compass that forever points in the direction of his own absolvement. He is a well of untapped potential, and the fact he’s been so for this long is unforgivable! The voices of The Aether whisper such beautiful suggestions to Ultimis! Richtofen as he looks at his other self: Blood splattered across his cheek bones, violence stomping out all the light in his eyes, moral corruption and temptation that Ultimis! Richtofen knows he can speak! There’s an itch under his skin to make those voices happy…

✨ At first, the two are oil and water. They are only ever one word away from aiming their guns at each other and shooting with reckless abandon. Primis! Richtofen hisses an insult, Ultimis! Richtofen meets it with teasing and laughter, but they both agitate each other like bed bugs.

✨ Violence, unfortunately, is a language they both understand, and this gives them some common ground when they eventually…Fight along side each other in sync? It’s the first time it’s happened, and it’s unsettling to watch.

“I have great news, hell-spawn! You have just qualified for one of my discount lobotomies!”

Covered in blood and far too wrapped up in his role, Primis! Richtofen doesn’t notice Ultimis! Richtofen’s stare of awe. It only glitters in his eyes for a few moments before he snatches an MP40 off the wall and hands it to him.

“Scalpel, Doktor~!”

“Thank you, Doktor~!”

✨ The pair actually end up laughing together! Their morbid puns rubbing off on each other so much that they both forget themselves, losing sight of who it is they’re each speaking to. When the heat of battle dies down, they both catch their breaths, and in the silence, their smiles slowly fade.

✨ Primis! Richtofen remembers the anguish his other self caused to so many. He remembers the dark, the evil.

✨ Ultimis! Richtofen remembers his goal, and almost celebrates! But, that smile falls, and so does his own.

“Don’t- Don’t look at me like that- I am nothing like you. This was a one off!”

“Awh, are you sure? Because for a moment there, it was like looking into ein mirror~!”

✨ They’re both tense again, but Primis! Richtofen can’t drown out the thoughts anymore. He had just delighted in carnage. He had gotten so lost, he was far more violent than usual…What on Earth would Maxis think of him?

✨ Ultimis! Richtofen sneaks glances at his other self constantly, but now there’s more than just an urge to choke out the goodness in him. As he watches his other self frown and stare down at the ground in contemplation, his hands itch to pat his shoulder. He wants to comfort him, assure him…The voices rage so violently in his head, it makes his stomach churn.

✨ The more Ultimis! Richtofen reflects, the sickening realisation hits him like a freight train. He doesn’t want to corrupt his other self on behalf of the voices anymore, he wants to be on the same page because he…Likes how his heart races when he’s next to him. He likes their repertoire even when they’re at each other’s throats. Recently, he’s found himself grooming himself more, taking extra special care of his appearance before their day starts…Uh oh…

✨ Ultimis! Richtofen starts acting like more of a support for Primis! Richtofen in combat, reviving him a few times with quips and one liners like usual. But, there’s something different. He’s holding himself back. Primis! Richtofen notices it, and asking how his other self is doing comes out of his mouth so naturally it takes him off guard.

✨ Ultimis! Richtofen doesn’t admit it, but he knows what’s wrong deep down. He isn’t ashamed, of course he’s not! But, he knows he shouldn’t be flustering at his other self’s laugh like he is. He has a job to do, a job assigned by the almighty one from above: Corrupt and destroy…But how can he?

✨ Being more subdued, Primis! Richtofen is able to trap him in more heartfelt conversations. It’s under the guise of not wanting his other self to get distracted and get them both killed in combat, but in truth, it’s because he knows his older self is a loose canon. He can’t have the man being unpredictable, not if he wants to live. Backstabbing and twisting the truth was as normal to Ultimis! Richtofen as breathing. Though, there’s something uncanny in the way Ultimis! Richtofen brushes him off- It’s almost too genuine.

✨ How they actually end up together is anyone’s guess, but they stay in a tense limbo for quite a while, trying to figure out each other’s feelings and how to express them!

✨ Thank you so much for your request!! I hope this suffices, and I’m sorry about any typos I may have missed! ✨

[kino-der-joon]

💫Hi hi~!! - Lore ramble ahead!!💫

💫 So, I’ve seen something and I want to weigh in. However, I need to state something very important first:

⭐️ I’m making a new post because I’m worried that reblogging and typing all this there would make the reblog chain way too long, but please understand that this isn’t meant to be an indirect or vague post. I’m hesitant to tag people because I don’t know if they would take kindly to it, but if you see this and you know what this is about, comment by all means and I’ll link the initial post and reblog!! I have nothing but respect, I have no ill will, and simply want to offer a fresh perspective, that’s all! This is NOT an attack, I cannot stress that enough!! Without further ado:

💫 I keep seeing the take that Ultimis Richtofen is pure evil and always has been. I also keep seeing the take that Primis Richtofen is selfish and also evil. I want to discuss these takes and yap about why I don’t fully agree, even though I can see where the view point comes from. Let’s talk about Ultimis first.✨

꧁ ༺ 🌟༻ ꧂

💫 “Ultimis Richtofen was never good intentioned and the story wouldn’t have happened if he took responsibility.” 💫

✨ Yes, but also…No? Kind of. Don’t forget, Dr.Maxis is also at fault. I’d argue he kicks everything off and Richtofen’s story gets worse from there. Dr.Maxis also destroys the earth. Twice. ✨

💫 So, the first thing I want to acknowledge is that yes, Richtofen did originally join the illuminati. We don’t know why or what for, but eventually he was sent into Group 935 to act as a spy. I’m not about to defend him for joining the illuminati because we don’t have enough information to understand his motivations. Objectively though, I agree this is a bad choice of him to make. But, the first thing of note he does in lore is abandon the illuminati to work honestly for Group 935. He never explicitly tells us why he does this, but we can use his audio logs to make an educated guess. He never shows joy in experimenting on p.o.w’s or human test subjects until after the MPD incident, so I’m reluctant to say that was the reason. If we look at Group 935’s mission statement though, we can infer his motivations behind his betrayal. Group 935 was founded on the idea of “Improving the human condition.” I wholeheartedly believe that Richtofen supported that mission statement and betrayed the illuminati because of that, which would put him in a morally grey position in my eyes, and shows he may have had good intentions in the beginning. Group 935 did do human experimentation, but Richtofen’s main area of expertise was teleportation. While that did use human test subjects, I would argue that his work wasn’t heavily reliant on human lab rats seeing as he later scaled down the experiments to test on a walnut. If Richtofen truly enjoyed human experimentation so much, he would have showed resistance and reluctance to dial the teleportation experiments back, but he doesn’t. Him and Schuster both agree to dial back the experiments and use a test subject that isn’t human. After finding success, Richtofen then offers himself up as the first human test subject after that, and it resulted in no other p.o.ws or human subjects being put at risk. Because of this, I believe he had good intentions when in Group 935 to begin with. He cared about the science more than anything else, and the science was carried out with the aim of bettering humanity initially. He even wanted the science to continue after he felt Dr. maxis “lost sight” of the group’s goals, and continuing the science would result in more experiments being done to “better humanity.” Regardless of how focused he was on the science, you could argue that his passion was inspired by the group’s initial mission statement. This puts him in a morally grey position because we then have to start asking questions like: ‘Do the ends justify the means?’ And ‘How much bad can you do in the pursuit of good before you’re deemed as evil?’ But, those aren’t questions we’re tackling here because they relate to more than just Richtofen.

✨ When it comes to the Wunderwaffe, I can’t weigh in on that because I don’t know where in the timeline the gun was invented. I don’t know what the original intent behind it was, or his motivations for making it the way he did. Since I don’t know about it, I’m not going to address it. ✨

✨Now we get to the matter of accountability, free will, and the amount of control he had over his actions. After touching the MPD, he was slowly corrupted by the Dark Aether. He was hearing voices, his mind unravelling, and we know it was slow because we can hear his descent in audio logs. Richtofen isn’t the only one we see being corrupted by the Dark Aether. For instance, we see Pernell get corrupted by it, so much so that he becomes Avogadro! When the Dark Aether corrupts, it drives people to do things they wouldn’t usually do, and warps their goals and influences them to follow through with its will. What I mean by this is: I’m not entirely sure Richtofen even knows why he wants to get to Agartha. He never explains it, he never tells us what he’ll do once he’s up there. In audio logs we see his obsession with Agartha grow over time, but he never mentions Agartha before the MPD incident once. To assume that he only hears voices and goes a little stir crazy because of them alone ignores the whole point of his character. He is evil by the end because power corrupts him, not because he was pure evil from the jump. When he speaks in game, in cut scenes or in Easter Eggs like Tag, we are hearing his corrupted self, not his genuine, uncorrupted self. This is also important to note when we hear him having an absolute blast! The Dark Aether loves chaos and death, Apothicons are naturally evil, so of course he would feel enjoyment while doing what he does after the MPD incident, the Dark Aether is not only influencing him, but actively validating and praising his actions too, we can hear this in his lines on the original Der Riese. If you want more proof that his actions aren’t fully his own, The Shadowman himself even states in Revelations:

“He did everything I told him to.”

It wasn’t Richtofen’s choice to be corrupted, and it wasn’t his choice to be tormented and manipulated by horrors beyond his comprehension, and trying to state otherwise is…Disappointing. You’re missing the whole point of his character.✨

💫 So, is he inherently evil from the jump? No, I don’t think so. With the information we have, I would say he fits nicely into being morally grey/questionable, I’m not arguing that he’s a morally good person. Would the events of the story change if he took accountability? …Maybe? It’s difficult to say because of his corruption. But given the whole point of his character, I’m hesitant to say it would have made a huge difference. We also need to look at Maxis and his actions. My point is that his character has nuance, and I feel that shouldn’t be ignored.✨

꧁ ༺ 🌟 ༻ ꧂

💫 “Primis Richtofen is egotistical, selfish and just as bad as Ultimis Richtofen.” ✨

✨ Not in the slightest, and I think saying this is actually quite a big reach. For this section, I want to address the reblog that I saw from an oomf. But again, I mean no disrespect!! In the reblog I saw, there were several errors I saw, so, I also want to correct those too. Respectfully, of course.✨

💫 The main motivator for Primis Richtofen isn’t ego or selfishness, it’s actually survival for himself and survival for Maxis. Later on, that changes to survival for the rest of crew, Samantha and Eddie as well. The reason he creates the paradox that perpetuates the cycle to begin with is self preservation, he even tells us this directly:

“The others don’t understand, I’ve been doing this for a long time. I don’t want this to end, und by that I mean, I don’t want me to end.” - Richtofen, Revelations.

✨ He does have a need to be needed, but that isn’t why he takes on the leader position of the group. If anything, I think the circumstances simply feed into his complexes even more. When he first reads The Kronorium, he reads that he dies in every single universe. Understandably, that revelation frightens him. Things must happen in a certain order for the cycle to continue, and it’s that fear that drives Richtofen to secrecy- He needs to have control over what the group does, or else the cycle could change. Not only that, but, in his mind, he is protecting the others by not letting them read the book. This is shown to us directly. He tells Nikolai in BoTD this:

“If I believed for an instant that you could comprehend so much as a phrase in The Kronorium, I would hand it over! But, no. That is mein burden to bear! My way, Nikolai, is the only way.” - Richtofen, Blood of The Dead.

✨ While I can understand this being seen as selfish, let’s remind ourselves why he’s doing this. If he lets the cycle end, all of their futures aren’t secure, not his, not anyone else’s, and his soul won’t be born anew. He has been following The Kronorium to protect and preserve his and eventually everyone else’s souls, things need to happen a certain way for the cycle to remain unchanged. Knowing this, I think his protectiveness over The Kronorium and his secrecy makes perfect sense! He even calls it a ‘burden.’ You might be asking why I’m so sure about this, and that’s because Nikolai himself agrees with me:

“It is only now…Now, that I understand the path of bloodshed and sacrifice that lays ahead…And how such knowledge must have gnawed -and clawed- at the German’s mind…I pity him. From this day on, it is my burden to bear.” - Nikolai, Alpha Omega.

✨ They both become undone and are protective over The Kronorium and its knowledge because that knowledge is heavy to carry. Nikolai also says he fears it might ‘drive him insane.’ If it were so easy to simply share what The Kronorium says with the rest of the crew, there’s nothing in either of their voice lines that suggest they wouldn’t be honest. There’s also nothing in either man’s voice lines that suggests their actions have anything to do with selfishness. (And no one calls Nikolai selfish even though he does the same thing as Richtofen, I’ve always found that interesting.)

✨ Focusing back on Richtofen, his plan isn’t to do the same thing as Ultimis to save his soul and discard the rest of the crew, that wouldn’t make sense. He presumably, going by what we’re told in the Tag EE, secured his own soul in the time between Origins and The Giant. This is why we don’t see his soul get sent up to Agartha via the summoning key in Gorod Krovi. While he doesn’t initially like the crew he’s with, he was never going to abandon them. He simply didn’t care either way, until he did. He also didn’t drag the members down with him, they were spying on him and Group 935 for their respective countries until things got out of hand. Richtofen was more than willing to kill the group’s Ultimis counterparts himself until Dempsey stopped him and insisted that he kill his Ultimis counterpart instead in Der Eisendrache. We also hear voice lines that imply his willingness to see the mission through on his own while playing solo, for example, on Zetsubo no Shima:

“Assuming I succeed in neutralising the next target, we are making excellent progress! Maxis would be proud of me.” - Richtofen, Zetsubo no Shima.

✨ At the end of the cycle, the crew presumably live out the rest of their lives until they die of old age and then reincarnate and start the cycle all over again. The reason that Templar! Richtofen is in that cryochamber in Alcatraz is because when Al Arlington broke his cycle, that had a knock on effect in other time lines and the past in the Primis timeline changed. That’s also why the crew show up late and in the wrong place, their timeline changed because the cycle was broken. Templar Richtofen is NOT the same as Primis Richtofen.✨

✨ I believe that…Should?? Cover everything?? One small detail though— Primis Richtofen doesn’t hear voices. The reason he’s the way he is, is because of the constant 115 exposure and dimension hopping. He has dimension hopped more than any other Primis crew member, so the 115 exposure is affecting him more than the others. Primis Richtofen was never corrupted by the Dark Aether. ✨

✨ So, to put it simply: I do think his actions are selfish to a degree, but his main motivator is self preservation and survival. It’s why he fights so hard during BoTD! Both of these characters are nuanced, and Primis Richtofen is NO WHERE NEAR as bad as Ultimis Richtofen, not by a long shot! ✨

💫 To wrap up, I do want to reassure again that this is NOT an attack by any means. This is simply my opinion and my attempt to add some perspective to the conversation! I love these two so much, but I’ll always look to the lore solidly for any reasonings behind their actions. Of course, feel free to disagree, but I would hope I’ve given some pretty strong arguments and some food for thought! Thank you, if you read until the end of this little essay, I appreciate you so much!✨

[kino-der-joon]

💫 It's hot, we've got nothing but time, so, let's talk about another version of Richtofen, yeah? ✨ Yeah! ⭐️(Mini 'Analysing Richtofen.') ⭐️

✨ This version of Richtofen is one that we don't spend an awful lot of time with. He's known as "Templar" Richtofen, and has gone through the cycle once (or perhaps more.) He's found in Primis Richtofen's lab under Alcatraz in BotD and ends up betraying our beloved Primis Richtofen before moving on to feature in 'Alpha Omega' and the final cut scene in 'Tag Der Toten's easter egg. My obvious and strictly upheld bias aside, let's talk about him!! (please excuse any typos, it’s sweltering right now 😭)

✨ This first thing I want to clear up is that 'Templar' and 'Primis' Richtofen are not the same. I've seen people say that the "Primis Richtofen" who dies in BotD is a new version that we've never seen before, and that 'Templar' Richtofen is actually the version of Primis Richtofen that we followed through the events of Bo3. This isn't true. For starters, let's look at the voice acting for Richtofen! ✨

✨ Each time Nolan North reprises his role as Richtofen, he always gives each incarnation a specific tone. We can tell Ultimis and Primis Richtofen apart because of their personality and also how they sound! So, if 'Templar' was meant to be 'Primis,' he wouldn't sound so different in 'Alpha Omega.' 'Templar' sounds a lot more deadpan and 'down-to-earth' than any other incarnation (aside from 'Director' Richtofen, who came after.) ✨

💫 Speaking of voice lines, we can also tell 'Templar' is a version of Richtofen we've never seen before because he has lines that share a lot about his life that don't match up to anything 'Primis' has ever shared!

But my last string of evidence here is to look at the cycle and the lore once again:

✨ Origins

✨ The Giant

✨ Der Eisendrache

✨ Zetsubo No Shima

✨ (Pit stop into Alcatraz)

✨ Gorod Krovi

✨ Revelations

✨ [REPEAT.]

💫 'Mob of the Dead' is significant because it's actually Al Arlington who breaks the cycle. The paradox that Primis Richtofen creates hinges on Alcatraz running the way that it should, so when Al Arlington breaks the cycle and escapes, The Kronorium rewrites itself because the timelines have changed! There was also influence of The Shadowman and The Warden to make this happen. ⭐️

✨ The reason that 'Primis' is lured to Alcatraz is because The Shadowman needs his blood to open up a gateway into Agartha. His blood has been contaminated by all the dimension hopping he's done- Remember: Primis Richtofen has also had some solo adventures too, his time wasn't just spent with the rest of the 'Primis' crew! It's this crucial detail that separates 'Primis' from 'Templar.' A man who has been dimension hopping from one place to another is going to have more contaminated blood than a man who has been locked away in cryosleep for potentially more than a century. ✨

💫 With that out of the way, let's look into some voice lines from 'Templar' and see what we can learn about him!! You can consider this a mini 'Analysing Richtofen,' (< A link to the last entry!✨ ) while I work on the next entry !!

💫 Here is the video I am using for Reference! ⭐️ HERE! And while listening to it, feel free to skip back to the start to listen to 'Ultimis,' their voices are so distinct! "Templar"s voice lines start at 26:49 !!

💫 The one thing I notice straight away is that Templar uses more German words than Ultimis or Primis. It gives him a mysterious air, almost. It really feels like he's behind the times somehow, I can't quite put my finger on why. ✨

(28:27) (28:29) (29:19) (29:55) (30:20) (30:28) (31:47) (31:49) (34:02) (36:07) (36:56) (37:34) (41:12) (44:04) (44:16) (44:48) I think I have proven my point -

✨

"Ohh! like charging up the dragon head at Der Eisendrache!" (28:36) - A nice little reference!! But, we can also tell that this version of Richtofen has been through the cycle at least once, and was likely put into cryosleep pretty soon after the cycle came to a close if he remembers a small detail such as this. ✨

"I used to dream of doing that to frogs with my Bunsen Burner, back when I taught university." (30:39) -

✨ To my knowledge, Primis Richtofen never mentioned teaching in any capacity. Richtofen joined Heidelberg University under Dr. Maxis' tutelage on August 11th, 1906, according the wiki, but he never mentioned teaching a class specifically. This version of Richtofen also mentions wanting to teach Pathology during the 'Tag Der Toten' cut scene, and seems wistful at the notion. This Richtofen had a passion for teaching, one that all his fighting with the undead couldn't knock out of him. He also as a line about the university not teaching their students to self medicate, and this sounds like something that would be emphasised in Chemistry. Perhaps he took several science based classes! ✨

"I've always been good with knives, even before I took up surgery professionally!" (32:01) -

✨ With this line we can infer two things! Firstly, much like with Ultimis, there seems to be some kind of violence that took place before any lore events. Secondly, we can see what his education might have looked like! He studied, became a teacher, and then a surgeon. Or, perhaps, a surgeon and then a teacher. Either way, he clearly has passion for medical professional roles! He also has other lines embodying medical roles:

"Nurse! He needs sutures!" (32:20)

"Cause of death: terminal concussion!" (32:22)

"Take two aspirin, und call me in the morning." (32:28)

It makes me wonder if his interest was only in surgery, or if he perhaps wanted to be an all-around type of medical professional as well as a teacher. ✨

"This almost takes the fun out of stabbing!" (32:16) -

✨ Going back to the line about being good with knives before taking up surgery, there is a sick enjoyment from violence being shown here. Templar really seems like a middle ground between 'Ultimis' and 'Primis!'✨

"Heads are overrated anyway- Just ask Maxis!" (32:37) -

✨ I know damn well Primis would flip if he heard that. This is another reason we know that this isn't Primis: The Primis Richtofen we know would never say that! But, the lack of his title shows that this version of Richtofen was also close to Dr. Maxis too. ✨

"You didn't even see it coming! Oh! That would also be a good title for mein autobiography!" (32:52) -

MY SHAAAYYYLLLAAAAA- Sorry, sorry- Professional. AHEM.

✨ This line could also be a reference to how Primis Richtofen didn't see the betrayal coming, and that hurts my heart. Though, this isn't the first time that this Richtofen mentions an autobiography. Perhaps he did actually aim to write one before Nikolai repaid the favour from BotD...✨

"Hm. Caught short again...Who can I shake down?...Ohh, Takeeeooo!"(35:55) -

✨ I hate this version of Richtofen, let me make that ABUNDENTLY clear, (Even though I agree with his actions,) but this line is one of my favourites, it's funny, sue me. This line also tells me that, just like Primis, this version of Richtofen was probably also close with Takeo! He has another line in which he asks Takeo to carry something for him, and then he seems to reflect and think better of it. I like to think that his version of Takeo would have absolutely carried things for him when asked. More about their relationship: Richtofen refers to him as 'Tak' in one revive line, but he doesn't have nicknames for anyone else on the team. Do with this what you will. ✨

"Big, clumsy und ostentatious. Hey, Dempsey! This knife is you!" (39:52) -

✨ It seems in all universes, Richtofen and Dempsey are at odds, whether playfully or otherwise! ✨

"Diagnosis: I am fucking dying down here!" (41:05) -

✨ Another funny line, but it's also another addition to the interesting and somewhat foreign sound of Richtofen swearing! 💫

"Something is kicking up mein allergies! " (44:41) -

Not much to add really, he canonly has hay fever!✨

💫 Moving on to slightly more lore relevant information, we can see this little sneak peek into 'Templar' Richtofen's cycle! If we take this tid bit at face value.

"Uhh...There was this one time, I...Uhh...I-I, well...Shot him in the face." (1:06:17) - This Richtofen's cycle included the first of many pivotal moments, the same as Primis! Though, this might not be as trustworthy as it seems. ✨

"It's almost like there's some kind of common memory shared regardless of individual experience- A hivemind." (1:07:12) - ✨ Taking this into account, we suddenly can't trust that we know anything at all about this version of Richtofen. But, we can use this observation to make another inference! ✨

"I don't know how many Richtofen's you've met, Takeo, but let me reassure you about one thing, I am the nicest one." (1:04:56) -

Don't. Piss. Me. Off.

Sorry - 💫 To give the backstabber some credit, perhaps Primis Richtofen really did want to assure his comrades that he wasn't as evil as they thought him to be. After all, even if he did have a round about way of going about it, he really did have good intentions. This sentiment might come from Primis Richtofen himself and it has just manifested as a thought from this Richtofen. ✨

💫 Given that this was meant to be a little 'mini version' of my little self indulgent series, I will stop it here. But we've uncovered some interesting things. no? ✨

✨If you've read this far, please, PLEASE, make sure that you're taking care of yourself!! Stay hydrated in this heat!! Drink water, sit by a fan, get a vessel for Maxis, open the gateway-- ...Okay, perhaps don't do those last two- In any case, thank you for reading!! ✨

[kino-der-joon]

💫 Could you survive in the COD Zombies Universe? ✨

✨Today, I want to do a little thought experiment! I'm doing this just for fun, but this could absolutely be used to give you more insight into the life of your COD Zombies oc's or self insert ships if you'd like!! Let's dive in! ✨

💫 For this thought experiment, we will assume that, when Ultimis Richtofen formed the elemental shard, he needed the essence of five human souls, not four. That last soul he used was yours. How would you fare? How would you change? What would your new life look like, and do you think you could keep up with it all? This little window into another far off dimension will put you in the Primis crew! I'll do another post putting you in the Ultimis crew too if it’s wanted, since this is such a fun idea! And, so that this post isn't too long, we'll go map by map if more is requested!!

💫 General ✨

✨ Firstly, let's talk about what you would be experiencing generally. TW here for talks about drugs and weight loss. ✨

💫 For starters, your teeth would feel awful. With all the chaos of the zombies coming after you and the fact you'll be moving around so frequently, you won't have time to brush your pearly whites every morning. Not only that, but with your constant exposure to element 115, it's likely you'd often forget if you had any sort of dental routine set up. After a while, you would need to be careful when chewing gobblegums. Your teeth would get sensitive, brittle, and the sugar in those gum balls would make any cavities you've developed even worse! You'd also probably reek, along with the rest of the crew. Not only are you running for your life, building up sweat, but you're also lifting and carrying heavy guns, that's going to be an added strain on top of all that moving you're doing- Your arms are going to burn! How's your stamina? I hope it's good, because if you run out of breath, if you stop moving or stop shooting, it could be the last thing you ever do. (This is how I know that I wouldn't survive, because my stamina is terrible!)

What would you be wearing? Oddly enough, your choice of clothing being in either crew actually matters quite a lot! Being in the Primis crew, you'd want to bundle up. Most of the Primis locations are freezing! If you want a fashion icon to look towards, Dempsey is your best bet. The belts and straps that Dempsey wears are easily and quickly removeable should he need to take his coat off and breathe. And, his coat covers all of his arms, giving him some skin protection. It also looks to be at least a little insulated, keeping him warm when he's idle. The leather of the coat also means he would keep his torso mostly dry if he's caught out in rain. The other members of the crew either have too many belts and straps, waist coats that would be a hassle to remove, or they're wearing material that isn't insulated! ...Richtofen.

Are you proficient with weapons? Well- I suppose I should really be asking: What other weapons are you proficient with? You can shoot a gun, that's amazing for your temporary survival, but you'll need a trusty secondary weapon at your side if you want to survive long-term! Something sharp, or perhaps blunt if you have the strength for it. Something that won't run out of ammo, something that doesn't break easily.

🌟 Richtofen uses a knife (And has a bone saw strapped to his thigh.)

🌟 Dempsey uses a knife.

🌟 Nikolai uses an axe .

🌟 Takeo uses a samurai sword.

🌟 What do you use? ...What can you use?

💫 What about the perk-a-cola's? Do you think you could handle swallowing down sludge to survive? Oh, you do? That's great! But, that shouldn't be your only concern. It's highly likely that you might become a bit...Addicted to some of the perk-a-cola's. Some of them are made with certain...Enhancers that aren't typically good for the brain or body.

"I can't be sure, but, I think the active ingredient rots your mind." - Richtofen, about Speed Cola.

✨ And finally, in general, your body would change. With all of that running around you're doing, you'd lose weight quite substantially, but that might be the only healthy way you shed some pounds. The perk-a-cola's will probably make you lose weight, but not in a healthy way. The gobblegums also aren't all that nutritious, so eventually your body would start eating into your natural fat stores for energy.

Now we've covered the basics, let's see how well you fare against your first obstacle: Origins.

💫 Origins ✨

The year is 1918. The place: Northern France. In this deadly hypothetical, you are a spy sent in from your native country to oversee the activities of Group 935. You have intel that they've recently established a dig site in Northern France, looking for something that will give Germany the upper hand in the war. It is your job- No, it is your duty, to report back anything you find to your higher ups. Your country is counting on you, you can't let them down.

Your lugs are iced out with every short breath you take on the site. The steps you take are slow, staggered, measured. If you step too quickly, or God forbid run, you'll slip on the ice underfoot- It. Is. Freezing. Squinting through the snow that cascades down from the dreary clouds, and zips past your eyes thanks to the harsh, whipping wind, you can see various zones spiralling up from deep trenches, machinery lifting rocks with strange, deep blue ores littered inside. The blue glows unlike anything you've ever seen before. As you venture in more, there's a sickeningly sweet stench that plugs up your nose and clings to the back of your throat, carried too by the savage, whirling chill. It's floral, but not pleasantly so. There's a twang to it, sour and mouldy. So much so, that you can't help but choke on it. There's a faint succession of shrills and cries that get louder the closer the dig site gets. They sound...Animalistic in nature. Unnatural.

Your shoes hit the ground with a squelching thud as you jump into one of those winding trenches. The mud has been trampled to a sludge, and it sucks you down until you pull your foot up, taking your first step. That damn scent is everywhere, and so are those mysterious roars. The wind screams in your ears, frost bites at you cheeks and nose- It's all so much!

Then, you see it.

A figure stands slouched just ahead of you. It's clothing is withered, tattered, and through the large gaps in the material, you see moulding, decaying skin. Bones poke out from it's joints, skin hanging from the exit point, barley holding on. You can see it's shrivelled and cracked teeth through the hole that used to be it's cheek. It's faint, but you can hear it's breathing, rugged and congested. Your own isn't much better with the conditions that surround you, but despite your quiet shock, it seems to know you're there. It's neck snaps to you, eyes glowing menacingly. What is it? How is it alive?

You don't have time to get distracted, you need to act.

Do you fire your gun? Or maybe, in a blind panic you reach for your secondary weapon and use that to block the attack, create some space. Do you even get that far? Adrenaline courses through you, heart hammering in your ears, but do you shaking hands move at all?

With one last groan, whatever it was is dead, it's body in a decaying heap next to you. About three more take it's place up ahead of you, and it's now where your endurance will be tested under immense pressure. You need to figure out what the hell is going on here, before the mystery of it all consumes you first.

Fighting your way through, you follow the twisting trenches until you finally come across an entry point into a building. But, it seems you aren't the only one here. Barrels of guns are what you're met with, heled by three men who are heaving for breath, suspicion and weariness in their eyes. It's a silent stand off, and if you don't present your own weapon in warning, will they shoot first? Tension runs thick in the air, and it takes a few seconds for all four of you to notice there's someone else in this room with you: Dr. Edward Richtofen. This man's name was inside your intel, you know he's someone to watch for and so do the other men. All four of your draw your weapons on the doctor, stepping further inside the room. As if the circumstances weren't strange enough, there's a body laid before the Doctor, his skull sliced open, his brain missing. What have you stumbled into?

Just then, a different whirling sound scratches at your nerves. It isn't the wind, it's mechanical, and what greets you when you all look up is a mechanical beast towering over you, it's foot lifting to take a step. You need to do- Something! Can you duck and roll out of the way? Do you simply just run out from underneath it? If you have the energy to be agile, move swiftly, you might just survive.

🌟

An army of undead are upon you, you don't have time to ask questions. Which is frustrating, because the first thing the German does is begin muttering to himself under his breath. Something about a brain, someone called 'Maxis,' and something about a 'Conversion Generator,' whatever that is.

Right now, the thing you need to focus on is your field report. But, what do you tell your country? How can you even begin to explain what just happened in such a brief window of time? ...And would they believe you?

Your new discoveries aren't quite at an end yet- There's a...Chewing gum machine? In this shoddy lab? You twist the knob on it, and out falls a vibrant little ball! Inspecting it, it seems clean enough, and there's a small drawing on one side of it in white edible ink. With a shrug, you pop it into your mouth. It tastes...Strange. It's a flavour you can't quite put your finger on. But, that isn't the only thing strange about it. Swallowing down some gum infused saliva, your whole body suddenly shudders with a feeling that can only be described as: 'Empowerment!'

Which gum did you get? How do you use it? Do you hold off on blowing your first bubble, or do you let your curiosity get the better of you and potentially waste your newfound power?

Focus - Focus! No matter what you do, nothing is more important than your survival, you can ask about the machine later! The undead are ripping down the boards over the windows, and again, you need to act! In such a small space with four other adrenaline infused bodies, there isn't much room to breathe. Do you guard one specific window? Or perhaps you rotate around the room, trying to work in tandem with the crew you're now apparently a part of.

A survival skill you'll need to learn very quickly is knowing when it move on. As more undead filter into the space, it becomes increasingly obvious that you all need to move. Now. The smart thing to do would be to let the German lead you. He would know this site best after all. But perhaps you fancy yourself more of a leader type? Regardless, you find yourself outside in the bitter cold once more, and these 'Conversion Generators' need powering up and defending. By now, your arms might be starting to get a little bit sore, your chest might be aching from your panting breaths. But you must push through it, you need to survive!

Not only are you locked in combat with an ever-screaming enemy, but there are call outs being yelled from one crew member to another, and a mechanical stomping sound is getting louder and louder in the background. The fight is nothing short of overwhelming. Can you keep your nerve? Do you throw your own call outs to the others? Or maybe you simply follow commands, trusting that the others know what they're doing.

🌟

You aren't sure who, but as that mechanical tower is about to step on you, someone grabs you and shoots at it's foot. A betrayal? You close your eyes and brace for impact, or maybe you struggle against the grip you're in- But as you open your eyes...You're alive! You're alive and you're inside the robot? You don't recognise any of what's in front of you, and you don't have time to either- You are ejected from the robot just as quickly as you entered, falling with the person who grabbed you. Who...Who actually was that? Do you trust them after? Or are you weary of them?

🌟

Damn...Your gun is feeling pretty light. Looking over to the wall, you can see there's a chalk outline of a gun in white. You walk over and bring your hand up to it, a brow furrowing as you inspect the drawing- Heavy cold steel is suddenly weighing your hands down. A gun! A gun that's in the same exact shape of the chalk drawing on the wall...Are you even able to comprehend this? You'd better fire it just to make sure it's real. Who know, maybe you're losing your mind already? To your surprise, it does actually fire! Brilliant! This means, of course, that you either need to remember where your favourite new mysterious weapons are, or, you'll need to switch guns every time you run out of ammo. Do you adapt to this well? Or is your memory awful from the get go? Can you adjust to the different weights and rates of fire the other guns you'll encounter will have? You'd better hope you can.

🌟

Trust is another thing that you'll need to have in full supply. Not only will you need to trust your eyes when a green glowing bullet case that somehow refills your gun lifts from an undead's corpse, but this German mad man is leading you head first into things you've never seen before! 'Conversion Generators,' chalk guns on walls, the inside of towering robots, a gravity defying space underground dubbed 'The Crazy Place,' and even an old underground cavern which houses recreations of the old ancient staffs, and statues of the ancient heroes that won a distant war...One of them even looks like you...How strange...Are you able to keep your wits about you and trust him? Are you able to bend your suspicion of disbelief to it's absolute end? Or will you tumble at the first hurdle? What's more, there's a lost child's voice in your ear every now and again. Her name is apparently 'Samantha,' and she has been begging for help so she can 'go home.' Richtofen doesn't seem to trust her, but do you? Perhaps her pleas fill you with determination to see your mission to it's end, maybe you can help her too while you're here! Or...Maybe Richtofen is right, maybe she can't be trusted...You need to carve your own certainty out of all this madness, the question is: Are you able to?

🌟

This is just for fun, and food for thought and creativity. I'll try and keep up with this and do more if it's requested !! Thank you so much for reading and I hope you survived!!

[kino-der-joon]

hello, just had a few thoughts about primis/ultimis richtofen's childhood and how they actually became a scientist. Like, when they were in the orphanage, were they bullied or discouraged from their dreams? Or told that science would never work due to the heavy Christian influence of the early 1900s. Just wanted to hear your thoughts on this!

💫 Hi hi!! Welcome back!! Have a seat, get a drink!!✨

✨ So, shockingly enough I can actually answer this pretty accurately on Ultimis Richtofen’s part! Thanks to a line in Shangri-La, Richtofen actually hints that his father might have been a miner! (This is relevant, stay with me.) ✨

✨ When near the mine cart he says: ✨

“Reminds me of my childhood…STOP TALKING TO ME! ” - Ultimis Richtofen, Shangri-La.

“I was conceived in a mine cart! Or was it in a lab?” - Ultimis Richtofen, Shangri-La.

✨ Now, Ultimis Richtofen can absolutely be considered an unreliable narrator, so this depends on how much you want to believe him. But, I do! ✨

✨ If we believe him and then look at the lore we know around the whole ‘Teddy is a liar’ thing, we see some puzzle pieces fall into place!

✨ In the orphanage, Richtofen told his classmates that his father was a famous scientist, which tells us that he had a huge interest in science. Of course, he got found out for lying, and the children wrote ‘Teddy is a liar,’ on the orphanage yard’s wall. Given the fact that ‘Teddy is a liar’ is his log in to the Griffin Station base on the moon, it’s safe to say that this phrase stuck with him, he was likely bullied with it. Evidently, despite the bullying, he achieved his dream!

✨ As for Primis, it’s a bit more difficult to say. But, we do know that he was able to get himself into university and studied under Doctor Maxis for so long that they built up a strong, unbreakable bond. Maxis likely nurtured Richtofen’s love of science and saw an opportunity in Group 935. But before Maxis…We know that Primis Richtofen was orphaned at a young age, and we also know that he was a ‘sensitive and lonely child,’ so it’s highly likely that he held on to his dream for himself because no one else was there to support him. We know that he’s driven and resilient, and maybe this is an example of that in his childhood. ✨

✨ I’m not so sure about any Christian influences ever getting in their way- I’m quite sure they’d both tune things like that out since they both adore science! ✨

✨ It isn’t much, but I do hope I’ve answered your question well enough !! You might have been expecting more ‘headcanon’ territory, but the lore is equally as interesting !! I’ll also throw something else in too, did you know that Primis Richtofen loved chemistry and physics specifically?

“Chemistry was always mein first love, haah, but then physics came and shwept me off mein feet!” - Primis Richtofen, Blood of The Dead. ✨

[kino-der-joon]

Hey ! I have a lore question, if i can call it like that. I was listenning to the christmas album (" A very Zombie christmas") and Ultimis Richtofen has a weird reaction when Dempsey told him he just sung Dreidel, an Hanoucca's song. Maybe his story wasn't retconned at the time the album realased (2010), so could do you think we can still use this album to analyse the ultimis's realtions ?

💫 Hi hi!! This is an interesting question!! ✨

💫 Treyarch didn’t actually support the creation of that album apparently, and actually threatened to sue the VA’s (According to Nolan North,) so the album was taken down. The characterisations of our beloved crew in that album were written by the VA’s, not the actual narrative team at Treyarch. Because of that, I don’t think it’s a good reference for analysing Richtofen’s character and such, but that isn’t to say that we can’t have fun with it !! I would say that perhaps it can be used for HC material, for example: Richtofen seems really festive and into Christmas, so every time it comes around, he tries to celebrate with the crew! ✨

✨ Thank you so much for your question, and I hope you have A Very Zombie Christmas this year !!✨

[kino-der-joon]

Hello ! I have a lore question for you ! It might dumb (pretty new to the lore) but why does Ultimis Richtofen in Blacks ops III attacks with his zombie the Victis crew when Stuhlinger is in it ? Since he needed the victis crew (at least Stuhlinger ) for his scheme, why did he sends zombie to them ?

💫 Hello hello!! Welcome to the ask box!! This is a pretty interesting question, so let’s talk about it!! ✨

✨ What you’re asking about takes place in Black Ops 2 !! ^^ There are two instances where Richtofen sends Zombies after the Victis crew, so let’s get into it!!

✨ The first instance is literally BO2 itself, since Richtofen is inside the MPD and controlling the zombies. The canon ending for Black Ops 2 is that the Victis crew help Dr. Maxis take control of The Aether and Richtofen ends up trapped inside a zombie body. So, to avoid this, during the game he’s likely sending zombies to attack Victis to put pressure on Stulinger. Richtofen needs Stulinger to convince the rest of the Victis crew to do what he’s asking of them in order for him to beat Maxis, but Stulinger isn’t exactly the most persuasive person on the team. With zombies running after them, it’s probably his hope that the rest of the crew will come around to Stulinger’s suggestions under pressure.✨

✨ The second instance of Richtofen sending Zombies after Victis is in the comics! Primis Richtofen agrees to help get a Zombified Ultimis Richtofen back into his own body in exchange for his help herding the Victis crew so that Primis Richtofen can manipulate them! ✨

💫 Thank you so much for your question and I hope this answers it well!! 😆 ✨