Call of Duty’s Kazimir Zykov - The Tragic Odyssey

Kazimir Zykov is one of the most complex characters in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. His story starts with a simple act of duty but turns into something much darker. What begins as sacrifice becomes a descent into a warped world, ending with Zykov taking the name The Forsaken—a being of power, anger, and control. He was once a man who acted for his family and country, believing that some things were worth dying for.

The Soldier Behind the Name

Kazimir Zykov was a mechanic and sergeant in the Red Army during World War II. He grew up in the Soviet village of Burata with his wife Raisa and daughter Anya. His family survived famine, plague, and Stalin’s purges. When war broke out, Zykov joined the 1st Guards Tank Army and fixed Soviet tanks using parts from German vehicles. This resilience shaped his identity, making him the kind of man who would walk into a death trap for the greater good.

In 1945, his life changed. A secret Nazi research site called Projekt Endstation had opened a breach into another dimension—the Dark Aether. Zykov was ordered by NKVD Colonel Pavel Lazarev to enter the facility and shut it down. The mission was suicidal. He went anyway. Knowing he might never return, he accepted the mission after being promised the Hero of the Soviet Union award.

He succeeded in sealing the rift. But the doors behind him were welded shut. Zykov was left trapped in the Dark Aether. His final act of duty became the beginning of four centuries of torment in an alien dimension.

Trapped for Centuries

While only 40 years passed on Earth, Zykov spent what felt like centuries inside the Dark Aether. Time worked differently there. Survival became his only goal. He scavenged food, electronics, and built a base to protect himself from threats. He even tamed a Hellhound named Cinder, his only companion in a place where time and memory slowly faded.

Over the years, he found ways to glimpse Earth through weak spots. Sometimes he crossed over briefly, only to be pulled back. He kept a journal, broadcasting his survival logs. Requiem, a CIA-backed team fighting the undead, received these messages. But not all of it was true. Zykov's identity was shifting. The journal was either a mix of truth and manipulation—or a complete fabrication used to gain trust.

Becoming The Forsaken

Zykov was not just surviving. He was evolving. What started as a fight for survival turned into a hunger for control, driven by isolation and betrayal.

As he endured the horrors of the Dark Aether, he changed. The world twisted him. He consumed other beings to stay alive. Eventually, he became powerful enough to take control. He overthrew the Old Ones—beings who had ruled that realm. He killed some, enslaved others, and took their followers. Zykov was no longer human—he had become the most dominant force in the Dark Aether.

He renamed himself The Forsaken, a title born from betrayal. He believed Lazarev and his homeland had left him to die. Now, he ruled the Dark Aether and built an army, including corrupted German soldiers from Task Force Baldr. This force, once meant to rebuild the Reich, now served a god born from rage and abandonment.

Manipulation and Deceit

The Forsaken didn’t just control the Dark Aether. He wanted to return to Earth and rule it. His goal wasn’t just escape—it was domination through deception.

To do that, he manipulated people. One was Angelika Vogel, who believed she was speaking to her missing father. In reality, she was talking to Zykov in disguise. He used her and others to open rifts and push his invasion forward. His power to mimic loved ones made him a master manipulator, turning trust into a weapon.

He also reached out to Requiem, pretending to still be the trapped soldier. His broadcasts helped them survive, but they were part of a larger plan. He claimed credit for machines that aided Requiem—like crafting tables and the Pack-a-Punch device. While offering help, he was setting the stage for his own return.

Some of what he said was true. But much of it was a lie. The line between victim and villain blurred with each transmission.

Escalation and Global Threat

By 1983, a rift opened in Morasko, Poland, giving the Forsaken his first chance to send forces into Earth. Others followed, including a massive breach in the Ural Mountains. Requiem fought to close them, but the threat kept growing. Each new rift made Earth more like the Dark Aether—chaotic, broken, and hostile.

The Forsaken used Primordial Aetherium to build more rift generators. He even disguised himself as loved ones to trick survivors into helping him. Cities like Berlin saw major outbreaks as his influence spread. By 1985, parts of Earth were no longer safe. The invasion had gone global, and the Forsaken was closer than ever to crossing over for good.

Operation: First Domino

On June 4th, 1985, Requiem launched Operation First Domino. The goal was to stop Omega Group from using a device called The Machine to bring Zykov back. But they were too late. Zykov had fed them the design, knowing they’d build the key to his escape.

Zykov returned—revealing himself as the Forsaken. He mocked those who had helped him, including Kravchenko and Peck. A battle began at Red Site Anna. Samantha Maxis joined the fight and faced off against the Forsaken. His plan to be worshipped as a weapon failed the moment Maxis struck back.

Zykov showed the team a vision of a future where they failed. But they held their ground. Maxis sacrificed herself to weaken him. Requiem used a device to capture him at last. The Forsaken screamed as the machine locked him away—a final betrayal to end his long war.

Final Thoughts

Kazimir Zykov started as a man who wanted to save others. But isolation, betrayal, and power changed him. The Dark Aether did not just take him—it remade him. He became the enemy he once fought against. His descent was slow and painful, shaped by loss, survival, and a growing hunger to matter.

In Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Zykov’s story stands out for its emotional weight and complexity. He isn’t just a villain. He’s a soldier, a victim, and a monster—all in one. He reminds us how good intentions can twist into something terrifying when left alone too long.

His story is a warning about what happens when hope dies and power takes its place. Kazimir Zykov wasn’t just Forsaken—he became the force others had to destroy.

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