Phillip Graves returning in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (MW3) leaves some questions. He is working with Task Force 141 again after betraying them, so it has some people thinking that maybe he had a change of heart. However, we have the concrete answer for anyone confused below.
Warning: Spoilers for the events of MW3 and MW2.
Is Graves a Good Guy Now in MW3?
I am going to say Graves is not a good guy for many reasons. Graves is a complex and morally ambiguous character in the Modern Warfare series, and is back in MW3. He was initially introduced in Modern Warfare 2 (MW2) as the CEO of Shadow Company, a private military corporation that was working with Task Force 141. However, it was later revealed that Graves was actually a traitor who was working for General Shepherd. He betrayed Task Force 141 and tried to kill them on multiple occasions.
Despite his betrayal, Graves survived the events of MW2 and made a return in MW3. In this game, he is working with TF 141 once again, but it is unclear if he is truly on their side. He seems to be helping them for his own personal gain, and he is still willing to cross the line if it means getting what he wants.
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However, Graves isn’t a good guy and it’s not really a debate. He is certainly not a hero, and he has a long history of betraying those who trust him. However, he is also willing to help TF 141 when it suits his needs. Ultimately, Graves is a self-serving individual who is only interested in advancing his own goals, even if it means doing the objectionably wrong thing.
In the original MW2, he died in a tank but has survived it in the remake. This gives us more time to look at what he will do with his life. Sure, he helps Task Force 141, but it is clearly because he doesn’t want to go to lose everything he’s built. By the end of the Campaign he betrays General Shepard, his once closest ally, for his own benefit. He admits that General Shepard gave him orders to attack Task Force 141 but says he never acted upon those orders, a half-truth that hurts Shepard and not himself.
He’s not a good guy but it’s arguable that he’s an antihero. When his personal goals align with what is right, such as in MW3, he’ll do it to the best of his abilities.
