Be advised: Spoilers for the single player campaign ahead.
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Third Squad/1st Recon Squad
Sgt. Matt Baker's original squad, of which he is given command of just before the D-Day drop.
Staff Sergeant Matthew Baker
I never asked to be squad leader.
Voiced by: Troy Baker
The protagonist and player character in Road to Hill 30 and Hell's Highway. Promoted to Squad Leader just before the D-Day jump and put in charge of a Recon Squad just before Operation Market Garden. He struggles with leading his squad and guilt from losing men due to his actions, and coming down with PTSD which starts to adversely affect him in Holland.- A Father to His Men: Despite his reluctance to lead the squad, he genuinely comes to care for each and every man under his command. This is especially true to Franky "Beans" Laroche, whom he treats like a son. Ultimately, it becomes a Deconstructed Trope, as Baker treating Franky like a son pisses the latter off due to him having an uneasy relationship with his actual father, inadvertently getting him killed in the process.
- Beware the Quiet Ones: As Mac puts it:"Baker, I pegged you wrong. 'First I thought you were a shy, poetic young man. Turns out you're a shy, poetic young man who kills anyone that gets in his way. That's a downright admirable quality."
- Big Damn Heroes: Comes charging to the rescue at the Battle of Bloody Gulch which is depicted at the end of Road to Hill 30, courtesy of a pair of M4 Sherman tanks.
- Contemplate Our Navels: Big time in Road to Hill 30. Lampshaded by Desola in Earned in Blood:
- "We'd play baseball or whatever in England, not Baker! He's always off staring at the sky or some shit!"
- Distressed Dude: In the novelization, he and Mira end up captured by Fallschirmjäger troopers and held at gunpoint. Fortunately the timely arrival of Baker's squad and a pang of conscience by the Fallschirmjäger squad leader allows them to get away unharmed.
- Good Scars, Evil Scars: Baker's face is fairly messed up over the course of the three games. His most prominent ones are a series of overlapping scars on the left side of his fact that forms a backward "Z."
- In Harm's Way: According to Hartsock in Earned in Blood, Baker loves being in the thick of action despite Baker himself claiming to be afraid of fighting.
- Loser Protagonist: Downplayed, but one of his monologues in Road to Hill 30 mentions that he never realized how unremarkable his life was before joining the Army until he and the squad were swapping stories during their downtime.
- One-Man Army: In the the penultimate mission of Road to Hill 30, he is sent by Mac on his lonesome to find The Cavalry. He succeeds despite the Germans and three tanks in the way (though he won't actually take these out himself). In the second mission of Hell's Highway, he searches a Dutch mansion for German machine gunners. And when searching the hospital for Franky, at least until Red comes to the rescue.
- Rank Up: He is promoted to Staff Sergeant sometime between Earned in Blood and Hell's Highway.
- Rousing Speech: That someone else but him makes these is often lampshaded. After Red gives one of these in the penultimate mission of Road to Hill 30:
- Corrion: "I think he stole your line there, Baker."
- Played Straight however in Hell's Highway when he gives a rousing speech to his men at the end of the game when his squad began to doubt his command.
- Sanity Slippage: In Hell's Highway, where he begins seeing hallucinations in the midst of combat.
- Scars Are Forever: Sports a doozie as a result of being knocked on his ass by a German tank shell in Road to Hill 30.
- He gains an additional scar in "Hell's Highway" when the cafe he and Hartsock are in is destroyed by a mortar.
- Screw the War, We're Partying: After Hartsock is promoted Baker loots a bottle of brandy from a ruined building and suggests they celebrate.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: Heading this way in Hell's Highway. In addition to still having nightmares of the Normandy battles, he begins to see and hear hallucinations of Leggett, Allen, Garnett, Franky, and even Hartsock.
- Silent Protagonist: In Road to Hill 30, outside of cutscenes and the pre-mission monologue, he only speaks when barking orders. Averted in Earned in Blood, where he helps and gives orders to Hartsock in cutscenes before the latter is promoted to command of his own squad. In Hell's Highway, he appears in many more cutscenes, which replace the monologues of Road to Hill 30.
- Ship Tease: With Mira in the novelization. By the end of it it is implied he's been writing her letters but hasn't drummed up the courage to deliver them.
- Straw Nihilist: Shows some shades of being this in the Hell's Highway novelization."His experience since D-Day in Normandy, nearly four months ago, convinced him that there was no sense to life. It was all random chance. Life and death, love and hate, past and future were all lies that we convinced ourselves to believe. Praying for the Germans, the people he was trying to kill, didn't make sense."
- Suddenly Shouting: After spending all of his contemplative pre-mission narrations calmly voicing his thoughts in Road to Hill 30, he yells and swears about how maybe Allen and Garnett could have lived if he was put in charge of their final mission after they are found dead.
- You Are in Command Now: He's given command of 3rd squad just before the D-Day drop, due to the squad's previous leader getting injured in a training accident. In Hell's Highway, he also takes command of Second Squad temporarily following Red getting wounded in action.
Corporal Samuel Corrion
Tell me one thing I haven't followed to the letter...
The commander of Baker's assault team and a friend of his since boot camp. He fights under Baker through Normandy and Operation Market Garden but their friendship is tested as the war continues, with Corrion believing he is ready to command his own squad but Baker feels he is not ready. He is wounded in Holland and after learning that Baker hid the truth of Allen and Garnett's deaths from the squad he vows to never fight alongside Baker again, despite the former saving his life.- Ascended Extra: In Road to Hill 30 and Earned in Blood he received rather little screentime and characterisation compared to other squad members. In Hell's Highway, he becomes a major character.
- Character Development: After Baker and Hartsock, Corrion gets the most out of either member of 2nd or 3rd squad. Starting out as one of the more idealistic members of Baker's squad, he starts to become more cynical after Hartsock's promotion to Sergeant. With further stress from combat and being passed over for promotion one time too many, he becomes much more of a Jerkass towards Baker and the rest of 3rd squad.
- Green-Eyed Monster: By Hell's Highway, it's become clear that he's come to envy both Baker and Hartsock with their promotions to Sergeant. While subtle for the first few missions, it comes to a head when he overhears Baker recommending Paddock for promotion over him.
- The Leader: Of Baker's assault team in Road to Hill 30 and Hell's Highway.
- The Lancer: To Baker in Earned in Blood, following Red's promotion. He shares this role with Zanovich in Hell's Highway.
- Rank Up: He desperately wants to be promoted to Sergeant much like Baker and Hartsock, but this is ultimately averted when Baker, in the wake of Frankie's death, chooses Paddock for promotion instead.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: His last scene in Hell's Highway has him voluntarily leaving 3rd squad of his own volition from a combination of envy and mistrust towards Baker, implying he will request a transfer to new unit.
- Took a Level in Cynic: During the first game, he was one of the more idealistic members of Baker's Squad, to the point he was one of the few people who still vouched for Leggett following the ambush that he led with Allen and Garnett going array and killing the two of them. By the third, he's already started to question Baker following his repeated rejections for promotion. It finally comes to a head when he finds out the truth regarding the former event.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: Towards Baker after the latter tells the truth regarding Allen and Garnett's deaths. This is motivated by a combination of being passed over for promotion, finding out Leggett's role in Allen's and Garnett's deaths, and being mad at Baker for keeping the second one a secret from him, despite Baker having saved his life.
- Tragic Keepsake: Takes Leggett's (apparently broken) radio at the end of Road to Hill 30. Hartsock asks him if he's going to bury it, which Corrion responds that he might.
- Undying Loyalty: To Baker until he finds out the truth regarding Allen and Garnett's deaths.
- Ungrateful Bastard: Despite Baker saving his life after being critically wounded, he instead becomes even more of a jerkass towards him, not helped by the fact that he had just found out the circumstances regarding Allen and Garnett's deaths.
- You Are Not Ready: Baker tells him this as the reason he's passed over for promotion as Second Squad's new leader. It doesn't help that he was partially responsible for Frankie's death, by not keeping him in check.
Corporal Thomas "Zano" Zanovich
Yeah, I was pretty fucking scared.
A veteran of the French Foreign Legion and the oldest member of the squad. He is promoted to corporal and fire team leader after Hartsock's promotion to second squad leader. Despite all the combat he has seen he still keeps his strong sense of humour.- Ascended Extra: Gets far more lines and screentime in Hell's Highway. It helps that he's the new fire team leader replacing the now-promoted Hartsock.
- BFG: He gets to use a Browning Automatic Rifle by the time of Hell's Highway.
- The Bully: The novelization of Hell's Highway has Baker being uncomfortable at how much Zano likes to torment recruits.
- Deadpan Snarker: Especially in Road to Hill 30. By Hell's Highway, he's mellowed out somewhat.
- Demoted to Extra: In Earned in Blood, where his only appearance is a brief cameo during Red's flashback during the D-Day drop.
- Inconsistent Spelling: In the Hell's Highway novelization, his last name is spelled as "Zanovitch".
- The Lancer: He becomes this alongside Corrion to Baker by the time the 3rd game takes place.
- The Leader: Of Baker's fire team in Hell's Highway.
- Rank Up: He is promoted from private to corporal and fire team leader before Operation Market Garden.
Private First Class Kevin "Legs" Leggett
Ahhhh...dammit...Fucking Kraut...bastards!
The radio operator for Baker's squad. Leggett is naive and idealistic thinking that all stories have happy endings, Through the series he learns that in war this is rarely the case. He strikes up a rivalry with Allen and Garnett which reaches its climax during an assault on an enemy held farm house when he starts a fight with Allen which leads to Allen and Garnett being killed. He is unable to live with the guilt of what he has done and eventually throws himself in front of an enemy tank during the battle of Hill 30, killing himself.- Break the Cutie: He goes from one of the more idealistic soldiers in Baker's squad just prior to the invasion to a guilt-ridden wreck just before getting killed by a tank shell.
- Communications Officer: He serves as the squad radio operator.
- Dirty Coward: He isn't, but many of the other squad members believe him to be one due to his sensitivity and Non-Action Guy status. It only becomes worse after Allen and Garnett get killed, and everyone but Baker assumes he hid in the bushes and let the two die. In reality, the suddenness of the shootout caught him off guard and stunned him in place, and by the time he came to his senses, everyone but him was dead.
- Foregone Conclusion: His death at Hill 30 is the opening of the game.
- Heroic BSoD: He suffers one after he gets Allen and Garnett killed.
- Non-Action Guy: Downplayed as he is still a paratrooper on the front lines, but as the squad's radio man, he is rarely in the thick of it like Baker and the rest of the squad is. Most of the time, he is with Hassay so he can remain in contact with Headquarters and coordinate troop movements, but sometimes he is sent with Baker to assist. Such as the time when he was with Allen and Garnett when they died.
- Pride: His pride is ultimately what causes Allen's and Garnett's deaths.
- Smart People Wear Glasses: He is one of the smartest people in the squad and the only one to wear glasses.
- Sole Survivor: He is the only one out of both the Americans AND the Germans who survived the shootout that got Allen and Garnett killed. This unfortunately sets him up with some major Survivor's Guilt and makes the other squad members see him as a Dirty Coward since Baker ordered him not to divulge the true circumstances of the shootout.
- Suicide by Cop: He is unable to deal with the guilt caused by Allen and Garnett's deaths and so stands out of trench to shoot at a German tank with a pistol to make it kill him.
- Survivor's Guilt: He holds a large amount of guilt for the role he played in Allen and Garnett's deaths and this, coupled with Baker making him keep his role a secret and thus suppress the emotions leads him to commit the Suicide by Cop mentioned above.
- Tempting Fate: Just minutes before Allen and Garnett are killed, he screams loudly for the Germans to come kill them. While he survives unscathed, Allen and Garnett aren't so lucky.
- Too Dumb to Live: Yeah, Kevin. Calling out the Germans to come kill you, Allen, and Garnett in the middle of an open field is a brilliant idea .
Private First Class Jack Courtland
Don't go digging where theres already holes...
A young private from Richmond, Virginia. He joined the paratroopers with dreams of gaining glory and wooing French girls with his tales of valour. These dreams faded after his first hellish days in combat and now his main concern is getting out of the war alive.- Ascended Extra: Gets more lines and screentime in Hell's Highway. It probably helps that he's attached to Baker's squad from the start, rather than joining up with the rest of them late into the story.
- Demoted to Extra: In Earned in Blood, where his only appearance is a brief cameo during Red's narration of the D-Day drop.
- 11th-Hour Ranger: He's the last member of Baker's squad to join up with the rest of his unit.
- Flat Character: Suffers this in Road to Hill 30, mostly due to appearing late in the story, and having no dialogue outside of combat.
- The Generic Guy: In Road to Hill 30, where he's the last squad member to appear, and has the least characterization.
- The Quiet One: Had almost no dialogue outside of combat in Road To Hill 30. Averted in Hell's Highway, where he gets a ton of speaking roles.
- Satellite Character: He's mostly there just to provide additional manpower in Corrion's assault team late in Road to Hill 30. This extends somewhat to Hell's Highway, where he mostly serves as one for Jasper, despite receiving more focus and characterization.
Private First Class Stephan "Obi" Obrieski
"Which is why I say we break out the champagne."
A Polish immigrant in Baker's squad and a good friend of Zanovich. "Obi", as his friends call him, joined the paratroopers to prove he was American. He has family back in Poland and hopes to rescue them from the Nazi occupation.- Boom, Headshot!:See Killed Off for Real below.
- Immigrant Patriotism: His primary motivation for volunteering in the Paratroopers.
- Killed Off for Real: Shot in the head by a German sniper in Carentan.
- My Girl Back Home: He has a girlfriend back in the states who he tells the squad about. This leads into Fatal Family Photo territory as he is killed only a day after she is first mentioned.
- Screw the War, We're Partying: His first suggestion after the squad takes Carentan is to break out the champagne and start partying.
- Surprisingly Sudden Death: One second he is joking with his friends about how he plans to celebrate liberating Carentan, then next second he is shot dead by a sniper.
Private First Class Dale "Kid" McCreary
A young loud-mouth from Pennsylvania, Dale McCreary irritates the majority of the squad with his somewhat arrogant attitude and talkative manner.- Ascended Extra: Gets far more speaking roles and screentime in Hell's Highway.
- Boisterous Bruiser: Noted to be one of the most talkative members of the squad, while at the same time still taking down a lot of Germans.
- The Cameo: Has one in Earned in Blood, looking after a wounded Mac.
- The Friend Nobody Likes: Most of the squad find him real annoying, but that doesn't seem to bother him that much.
- Older Than They Look: Is around the same age as the rest of the squad (apparently in his early 20s), but looks like a 15-year old.
Private First Class Gary "Jas" Jasper
"Wilco!"
A new addition to Baker's squad who joins before Operation Market Garden. He is brought in to replace those lost in Normandy. He serves as a member of the squads special weapons team, operation the bazooka or machine gun.- Anti-Armor: He carries around a bazooka as one of his primary weapons for this purpose, though in practice he only does this once, against two Panzer IV tanks while assaulting a town. Most of the time, he's confined to destroying enemy positions, vehicles, and artillery pieces.
- Anti-Infantry: On other occasions, he carries around the Browning M1919 machine gun, capable of killing German infantry in one or two hits.
- Anti-Structure: In practice, his bazooka is more often than not used against enemy fortifications and gun emplacements, as he is the only one capable of blowing them apart from long range.
- BFG: His bazooka and M1919 Browning machine gun. Compared to the other weapons that the Paratroopers carry, these two by are are the heavies, largest, and the ones that can deal the most damage.
- The Big Guy: In Baker's Squad in Hell's Highway, due to the fact that he's responsible for handling machine guns and anti-tank weapons.
- Demolitions Expert: Aside from handling machine guns, he's also the squad's go-to guy for destroying fortifications and tanks with a bazooka.
- I Call It "Vera": He labels his bazooka as "Stella".
- More Dakka: His role as the squad's heavy weapons guy also grants him access to light machine guns, specifically the M1919A6 Browning.
Private First Class Mike Dawson
"Do you believe in fate?"
A veteran paratrooper who gets reassigned to Baker's squad some time before Operation Market Garden, serving as part of Baker's assault team. A self described "English bastard of a rich father and a poor mother," his resentment of being the result of his upper-class father slumming it with his not-so-rich mother led him to move to America and enlist in the US Army. He is a strong believer in fate and his superstitions have made him a loner in the group. It is revealed that he met Leggett before he joined the squad and was told the truth of Allen and Garnett's deaths. He spends much of the third game trying to get Baker to confess the truth to the squad.- Anti-Hero: He's an aloof jerk who keeps bringing up uncomfortable topics like the deaths of other soldiers, but he still fights under Baker against the German war machine.
- Berserk Button: A few days after Franky's death, Mike catches a British soldier wearing Franky's Airborne jacket. Infuriated, Dawson has to be restrained from picking a fight with a half-dozen Brits.Baker: Daws, take it easy! It's just some random Brit!Dawson: [Pointing to Franky's name on the jacket] Does this look fucking random to you?
- Blackmail: An interesting variation. He threatens Baker to spill the true circumstances of Allen's, Garnett's, and Leggett's deaths himself, otherwise he will tell them himself, only holding back because he believes it is Baker's responsibility as squad leader.
- Helmets Are Hardly Heroic: One thing that makes him stand out on the battlefield is his refusal to wear a helmet. He says it throws off his aim.
- Jerkass: Like Paige, he's a tad bit insubordinate, brash, and aloof. Down to blackmailing Baker with regards to the true circumstances of Allen's and Garnett's deaths.
- Jerkass Has a Point: That said, his blackmailing towards Baker isn't for personal gain, and has some merit in that not revealing what really happened to Allen and Garnett would break the trust between him (Baker), and the rest of his squad. His point is proven later when Corrion is utterly disgusted at his actions, and as a result takes a level in jerkass towards Baker.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He may come off as an asshole towards Baker by figuratively rubbing salt in a wound the latter didn't have a good experience with, but his intentions are clearly for trust between Baker and the rest of his squad. He was also possibly the only person other than Baker who actually took the time to let Leggett tell his side of the Allen and Garnett story, rather than alienate him for supposed cowardice.
- Secret-Keeper: He's one of the few people to know about the true circumstances regarding Allen's, Garnett's, and Leggett's deaths. He refuses to spill the beans himself and would rather have Baker reveal it to the rest of the squad, feeling that it's his job to tell the others.
- Sour Supporter: He's not exactly Baker's biggest fan, due to knowing the true circumstances of Allen's, Garnett's, and Leggett's deaths, plus Baker hiding the rest of these details from both their own and Hartsock's squads, but still continues to serve under him due to Baker being a good squad leader and veteran soldier like Dawson himself.
- Token Minority: He's a Brit serving as a paratrooper in the US Army, and his accent stands out.
- You Can't Fight Fate: A firm believer of this, down to lecturing the others soldiers in Baker's squad about fate.
Private Larry Allen
"And it's a wonder you don't like him, Leggett..."
A young Private in Baker's squad who serves as part of Baker's fire team in Normandy. He is best friends with Private Garnett and shares a rivalry with Leggett. He is killed along with Garnett three days after D-Day while trying to flank a farm house held by the enemy. He and Leggett get in a fight that alerts nearby Germans to their presence and the Germans take them by surprise. He bleeds to death after he kills the Germans who attacked them, his final words being an apology to Leggett.- Agonizing Stomach Wound: He ends up dying from a bullet wound he receives in the stomach. Despite the pain and him bleeding from both his mouth and the entrance wound, he still manages to gun down a couple of Germans before dying.
- Blood from the Mouth: A result of receiving a German rifle bullet to the stomach, and a clear sign he's bleeding to death.
- Deadpan Snarker: One of the biggest in the squad alongside Garnett.
- Gallows Humour: He and Garnett love to indulge in this.Garnett: [while observing a dead body] What do you suppose killed him?Allen: Wasn't old age, I know that.
- Hypothetical Fight Debate: He and Garnett are seen arguing with Leggett over who would win between Superman and Batman.
- Killed Offscreen: In Road to Hill 30, where we only hear the brief firefight where he and Garnett die, and Baker only finds his and Garnett's bodies not long afterward. Subverted in Hell's Highway, where we finally get treated to how both he and Garnett were killed.
- Taking You with Me: He manages to kill the Germans who had fatally shot him and Garnett before bleeding to death.
- Those Two Guys: Along with Garnett. The two are always seen together and even landed right next to each other on D-Day while other squad members took days to find one another. They even die togther.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: Him and Garnett have this kind of friendship.
Private Michael Garnett
"That was kind of crazy...I'm sure we'll never do anything like that again..."
A young Private in Baker's squad who serves as part of Baker's fire team in Normandy. He is best friends with Private Allen and shares a rivalry with Leggett. He is killed along with Allen three days after D-Day while trying to flank a farm house held by the enemy. Allen and Leggett get in an argument and Garnett is shot in the head while yelling at the two to be quiet.- Boom, Headshot!: His fate when his patrol is ambushed by German Paratroopers.
- Deadpan Snarker: One of the biggest in the squad alongside Allen.
- Gallows humour: He and Allen love to indulge in this.Garnett: [while observing a dead body] What do you suppose killed him?Allen: Wasn't old age, I know that.
- Hypothetical Fight Debate: He and Allen are seen arguing with Leggett over who would win between Superman and Batman.
- Killed Mid-Sentence: "Leggett, Allen get the fu-"
- Killed Offscreen: In Road to Hill 30, where his and Allen's bodies are only shown after the firefight that killed both of them. Subverted in Hell's Highway, where we see how he was shot in the head by a German patrol.
- Pretty Little Headshots: Notable in that he's the only character whose skull is still intact after being shot in the head, while Obrieski and Marsh, as well as German soldiers, have theirs shattered to bits.
- Sad Clown: Downplayed example - he snarks plenty, but he always has a glum look on his face. He's not overly negative either, but some grimness does color some of his statements.
- Those Two Guys: Along with Allen. The two are always seen together and even landed right next to each other on D-Day while other squad members took days to find one another. They even die together.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: He and Allen.
Private Michael Desola
One of the Assault team members under Corrion during the assault on Normandy.- The Cameo: Gets a brief non-speaking one in Hell's Highway during the flashback where Allen and Garnett are killed. He's the soldier holding the M1 Garand alongside Corrion and Red.
- Dropped a Bridge on Him: Killed by shrapnel from a German bomb in an attempt to cross the bridge at Purple Heart Lane.
- Killed Offscreen: We only find out that he was killed by a German bomb in the same level that Baker wakes up in.
- Gory Discretion Shot: While at first played straight when you don't actually see him die as Matt gets knocked out by the same bomb, the trope is horribly averted in the next scene when you get to see the unfortunate aftermath of what happens when a bomb lands right next to you.not for the faint of heart
Private Timothy Connor
"Oh, I've been waiting for this! Firing!"
A replacement in Baker's squad who serves as Jasper's assistant in the squad's heavy weapons team.- Badass Bandolier: Carries around spare .30-06 belts when serving as part of the machine gun team. He provides these belts to Jasper when the latter's machine gun runs out of ammo.
- Boisterous Bruiser: Despite being The Quiet One outside of battle, he's pretty chatty during the heat of battle, particularly if he's helping Jasper operate his machine gun or bazooka.
- The Quiet One: He has one line of dialogue in the game. Besides that one line the closest we get to more dialogue is him screaming if he is wounded during gameplay.
- Satellite Character: His role is Hell's Highway is simply to provide assistance to Jasper by either helping load his bazooka and/or Browning, or covering him.
Technician 5th Grade Nathan Holden
3rd Squad's replacement radio operator following Leggett's death.- Communications Officer: His role in the squad aside from being a fire team member is to radio friendly units.
- Deadpan Snarker: Has his moments, particularly with regards to being stuck in traffic in the middle of a war.
- The Smart Guy: Acts as this in Baker's squad during Hell's Highway, where he often makes philosophical remarks outside of battle.
Private David Muzza
A member of the squad's scout team. Muzza is the first member of the squad to die, being killed before he can even set foot off the plane on D-day.- Red Shirt: Serves no other purpose than to be one of Baker's men with a name and die.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: He is killed at the beginning of the series, before anything can be learned about him.
Private Johnny Rivas
A member of the squad's scout team. Rivas is killed as soon as he meets up with the squad four days after D-day by being shot in the throat by a sniper.- Red Shirt: For the same reasons as Muzza, except he dies a little later into the story.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: He is first seen sitting on the plane on D-day and his only other appearance is his death.
Private Franky "Beans" Laroche
"You're welcome!"
The youngest member of Baker's squad, Franky is joins the squad in Holland as a replacement for those lost in France. He is the only member of the squad without combat experience but he excels in training and is eager to prove himself. During the bombing of Eindhoven he disobeys orders to try to save a local girl he met earlier. He fails and both of them die. He is the only member of Baker's squad to not survive Operation Market Garden.- All There in the Manual: The only way you can find out his full name is by checking Hell's Highway's game manual, as the game itself never drops it.
- Always Save the Girl: Deconstructed Trope. He thinks that saving the Dutch civilians from German fire, or at least comforting them when they're wounded or dying, takes priority over completing their mission. On a more literal note, while he does successfully save the Dutch girl he met in Eindhoven, he ends up straying too far from the rest of the squad and ends up getting both her and himself killed when they end up at a German-occupied hospital.
- Child Soldiers: He is believed to have lied about his age to join the army.
- Died in Your Arms Tonight: He ends up bleeding to death in Baker's arms during "The Rabbit Hole", following an ambush by a German infantryman. Baker later names this trope word-for-word to Corrion explaining why the Corporal isn't ready for promotion.
- Embarrassing Nickname: "Beans", though it only comes up once.
- First Kiss: Has his with a local girl he meets in Eindhoven.
- Foregone Conclusion: He's the one who dies in Eindhoven in midway into Hell's Highway's story.
- Improbable Aiming Skills: He can shoot a Quarter at fifty yards.
- New Meat: He's the only real replacement that Baker's squad receive, as Dawson, Jasper, Connor, and Holden all fought in Normandy, albeit in different units from Baker's own.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: He's only called Franky by the other squad members.
- Senseless Sacrifice: He abandons the squad to save a Dutch girl he met earlier that day only for him to die along with her.
- Skilled, but Naive: Baker notes that he's an excellent shot and rather skilled for a replacement soldier. Unfortunately, however, he's also a bit too naive with how war actually works. Which is what ultimately gets him killed when he tries to save a Dutch girl he met.
Second Squad
Suffering heavy casualties during the D-Day drop as well as around the time of the Carentan battle, 2nd squad is composed of the remnants of its original members prior to the landings. Later, following the Battle of Bloody Gulch, they receive a new leader in Sgt. Hartsock, as well as additional members in the form of the remnants of 1st squad.
Staff Sergeant Joseph "Red" Hartsock
Sgt. Joe Hartsock, sir. Uh, well everyone calls me Red.
Best friend of Baker and the protagonist of "Earned in Blood". He was originally part of Baker's squad as the fire team leader. He was promoted to leader of second squad after the battle of Hill 30 and leads his squad through the remainder of Normandy and Operation Market Garden in Holland. Red is the only married man in the squad and his wife gave birth while he was in the army, he wants to win the war so he can go home and meet his daughter for the first time. He is wounded in an artillery attack in Holland and left paralysed from the waist down, finally being allowed to return home to meet his daughter.- Adaptation Dye-Job: In the Playstation 2 Port of Road to Hill 30, he has black hair instead of his usual red.
- Career-Ending Injury:
- Subverted with his ring finger injury in Earned in Blood. As Col. Marshall states, had he lost another inch of that finger, he would have been sent home then and there.
- He gets paralyzed from the waist down late in Hell's Highway.
- A Father to His Men: No doubt. It's telling when Friar immediately makes it a point to help patch his wounded hand at first instinct instead of either keeping the Germans busy or taking cover.
- Fingore: He gets his ring finger blown off in Bapute.
- Good Scars, Evil Scars: He has a scar running from the bridge of his nose across his right cheek.
- Hero of Another Story: He serves as this in "Hell's Highway".
- Promoted to Playable: In "Earned in Blood", becomes the player character.
- The Lancer: To Baker in Road to Hill 30.
- Rank Up: He is promoted from corporal to sergeant after the battle of Hill 30. He is then promoted a second time to staff sergeant before Operation Market Garden.
- Rousing Speech: He gives one to the squad before the battle of Hill 30
- Tragic Keepsake: He wears Doyle's 82nd Airborne patch on his helmet after Doyle is killed.
Corporal /Sergeant Franklin Paddock
"Hey! We're gonna send some of your friends your way...Real soon!"
A loud mouthed corporal from Kansas who serves as leader of Hartsock's assault team. He is made leader of second squad after Hartsock is wounded.- Blood Knight: Compared to every other member of 2nd and 3rd squad, he's the most enthusiastic about going after the Germans.
- Boisterous Bruiser: One of the most talktative men under Hartsock's command, and has established himself as a very competent team leader.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Not the brightest mind in either of the squads, but he's still a very competent soldier and team leader regardless.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Is quite a bit out there compared to the rest of Baker's and Hartsock's men.
- The Cuckoolander Was Right: Despite his...erm...weird thinking pattern, he does prove to have some merit when he's proves himself right that the Germans would set up 88mm guns outside of St. Sauveur, when the maps that Red gave to Doyle mentioned none. He also proves to be on the mark about Marsh and Friar getting killed in Holland during a poker game in England prior to the drop.
- Comically Missing the Point: He misunderstands Cole asking what unit he is from and believes that Cole is asking where he grew up.Cole: Where are you paratroopers from?Paddock: Kansas, sir!Doyle: He means what unit.Paddock: Oh, uh, 101st, F Company.
- Dynamic Entry: He is introduced when he single-handedly destroys a German Anti-Aircraft gun blocking Hartsock and Doyle's path.
- Iconic Sequel Character: He debuted in Earned in Blood, and unlike the rest of 2nd squad, he maintains a large role in Hell's Highway, serving as one of Baker's subordinates in two missions.
- The Lancer: To Hartsock for most of Earned in Blood, and twice, to Baker in Hell's Highway.
- Mercy Kill: Played for Laughs, when the Mercy Kill in question is him wanting to shoot 2nd Squad's jeep for being unresponsive and unreliable.
- My God, What Have I Done?: He reveals to Holden, Zanovich, and Baker that he regrets predicting that Marsh and Friar were going to get killed in Holland, and that he told it to the rest of 2nd squad.
- Rank Up: He is promoted from Corporal to Sergeant near the end of "Hell's Highway".
- Shoo Out the Clowns: Averted. Despite being arguably the biggest source of humor amongst the cast, he has quite a number of serious scenes, particularly in Hell's Highway, where Paddock is witness to several deaths, including Pieter's, Nicolaas', and Friar's.
- Smarter Than They Look: Despite being a farm boy from Kansas, he's actually pretty savvy when it comes to tactics and combat.
- For one, he was assigned to be Red's Assault Team Leader, a position requiring knowledge of leadership and following of orders.
- In "Run of the Mill", Paddock correctly assumes that, given the hilly terrain surrounding the mill they're supposed to capture, the Germans have set up 88mm Anti-Vehicle guns to protect the area, something that wasn't mentioned in any of the intel Red and his squad captured prior.
- During Hell's Highway, he correctly deduces that Marsh and Friar were the most likely to get killed in action, something that unfortunately is proven to be on the mark.
- Southern-Fried Private: He's from Kansas, speaks in a strong southern accent, and is one of the most gung-ho and brash members of Hartsock's squad.
- "Open!" Says Me: He attempts this on the front door of a church in Eindhoven, attempting to kick and later shoot it open...
- Target Spotter: Baker tasks him to spot targets for Allied artillery during "Tooth and Nail". He ends up causing the artillery to fire all over the area, as Mac states.
- We Have the Keys: But he only succeeds in hurting his foot and wasting ammo, and finds out not long after that the door was already unlocked.
- You Are in Command Now: He is promoted to Sergeant after Hartsock is wounded.
Corporal Jacob Campbell
"So you're like crazy or bonkers or something?"
A corporal originally from 1st Squad, who is later folded into 2nd due to suffering heavy losses during the D-Day landing. He becomes Hartsock's fire team leader later in the story.- Demoted to Extra: Unlike Paddock, he gets less screentime and focus in Hell's Highway.
- Impromptu Tracheotomy: Thanks to some shrapnel from a German mortar attack, he ends up getting wounded in the throat and unable to talk.
- The Leader: Of Hartsock's fire team once he and the rest of 1st squad get absorbed into.
- The Voiceless: Literally, after the same artillery shell that killed Friar and wounded Baker and Hartsock also damages his throat, though its unclear if this is temporary or permanent.
Private First Class James Marsh
"There's no way we're getting this out!"
A member of second squad, and the only one to have prior combat experience, in this case seeing action in the Tunisia campaign.- Back for the Dead: His second appearance in Hell's Highway, no less, has him found dead by 3rd squad in Eindhoven, with Red and Campbell mourning his loss.
- Demoted to Extra: Goes from being a supporting character in Earned in Blood to having no lines and dying in Hell's Highway.
- Killed Off for Real: Killed by a machine gunner hiding in a burning building.
- Killed Offscreen: We only see him in Hell's Highway minutes after he dies.
- The Voiceless: In Hell's Highway, he gets no lines and only serves as a background character.
Private First Class Dean "Friar" Winchell
"There's a thousand people that need our help right now!"
A second squad member, notable for receiving his nickname due to an incident during basic training.
- Cloudcuckoolander's Minder: Is forced to act as one for Paddock, advising him against doing reckless things such as Paddock trying to shoot their jeep.
- Demoted to Extra: He goes from being a main character and squad member in Earned in Blood to a supporting character only appearing in cutscenes and background events in Hell's Highway.
- Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: Helps Baker regain his composure following Pieter's death during the bombing of Eindhoven.
- Killed Off for Real: By an artillery shell when the café he, Campbell, Red, and Baker are in is hit.
- Noodle Incident: How he got his nickname, which according to Paddock happened during their time in basic.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: He's only ever called "Friar" by everyone else in both Baker's and Hartsock's squad.
- The Medic: He's forced to act as an impromptu medic when he has to patch up Red after he's hit in the hand.
Private First Class William Paige
"Momma said to come home alive..."
One of the 1st squad members folded into 2nd alongside Campbell and McConnel.
- Aloof Ally: Compared to the rest of the 1st squad members, Paige is the one who spends the least amount of time with Red. Down to accompanying Doyle instead of sticking with the rest of 2nd squad during the assault on St. Sauveur.
- Blood from the Mouth: A result of him getting shrapnel embedded in his chest from a tank shell, and a sign that he's dying.
- Deadpan Snarker: Of 2nd squad.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Drags Red to safety despite being mortally wounded from the same tank shell that killed Doyle.
- Jerkass: He's pretty much of an asshole towards the Germans that he and the rest of his squad had captured, and is pretty aloof compared to the rest of 1st.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: That said, he is also shown to still be loyal to the rest of his squad, down to helping a dazed Red move to safety when a Panzer attack leaves him mortally wounded and Doyle in bits and pieces.
- Those Two Guys: With Mcconnel, and sometimes with Dolye. Doesn't last.
Private Derrick McConnel
"Well, I'm going if Paige is going. If anyone's gonna shoot him, it's gonna be me."
Hailing from Florida, McConnel is one of the original 1st squad members folded into 2nd following Red's promotion.- Demoted to Extra: In Hell's Highway, where he is only mentioned a few times but is never seen in person.
- The Generic Guy: Of 2nd squad. Compared to Campbell and Paige, he gets the least characterization and acts mostly as a Satellite Character to Paige in the few lines he has.
- Only Friend: He's the only member of the squad who gets along with Paige.
- The Quiet One: He rarely ever speaks in cutscenes, and only does when it's about Paige. When Paige bites it, he stops speaking altogether.
- Satellite Character: His main characterization is that he's Paige's Only Friend in the squad.
- Silence of Sadness: After Paige is killed in St. Sauveur, he refuses to talk with the rest of 2nd squad and mostly keeps to himself. This carries over into Hell's Highway, where only Baker acknowledges his presence.
- Those Two Guys: He's most often seen with Paige, both in and out of combat. Sadly, this doesn't last, as Paige is killed in St. Sauveur.
Private James Roselli
"Sorry."
A new member of Second squad who joined just before Operation Market Garden.- BFG: His weapon of choice is a B.A.R.
- 11th-Hour Ranger: He doesn't come under Baker's command until the final level.
- The Generic Guy: Among Red's squad in Hell's Highway, he receives the least focus and characterization.
- New Meat: Notable in that he's the only replacement to join Second Squad.
- Out of Focus: For most of the game, due to being part of Second Squad and doing missions alongside Red.
- Satellite Character: He's mostly just there to assist Paddock, as well as Connor and Jasper on occasion. As such, he is never seen without any of them.
- Token Minority: The only Italian-American member of Hartsock's squad.
101st Airborne Other
Members of the 101st Airborne that aren't part of the main squads.
First Sergeant Greg "Mac" Hassay
"Whatever it is you guys eat for breakfast...You gotta share it!"
Voiced by: Jeff Kribs
A platoon sergeant who served alongside Baker's father. He serves as Baker's superior officer in Normandy and is eventually promoted to First Sergeant. It is revealed in Hell's Highway that he is the only person Baker told the truth about Allen and Garnett's deaths.
- Demoted to Extra: He has only three major appearances in Earned in Blood and around four in Hell's Highway, compared to his appearance in every other level of Road to Hill 30.
- "Open!" Says Me: He kicks open the side gate of a house that he, Baker and Leggett have to sneak around.
- Rank Up: He's promoted to First Sergeant just before Operation Market-Garden.
- Secret-Keeper: He serves as this to Baker when it comes to the reasons for Allen and Garnett's deaths.
- Sergeant Rock: He's the type who leads in a no-nonsense sort of way. Demonstrated when he tells Allen and Garnett to stop arguing with Leggett over superheroes.
- So Proud of You: He tells 3rd squad this as part of a Rousing Speech during Red's promotion ceremony.
Gideon
"That's why I needed to speak with you privately, Sergeant."
A Medic from the 502nd, responsible for tending wounded paratroopers from Baker's squad.
- Bearer of Bad News: He's the one who tells Baker about Red's Career-Ending Injury, but asks Baker to tell it to him in his stead, so that the recipient doesn't have a breakdown.
- Chekhov's Gunman: He's shown in a background role in "The First Bad News" sitting next to Lt. Col. Cole's body, and it isn't until much later in the game that he becomes important again when Baker comes to him because of Red and Corrion getting badly wounded just a day apart.
- The Medic: His role, though unlike most examples in similar works he stays behind friendly lines rather than journey with Baker's squad.
- Mildly Military: Compared to the other Paratroopers shown, he doesn't wear the jacket that other Paratroopers of the 101st wear.
- Non-Action Guy: Despite being a medic, he treats his patients behind the frontlines, rather than in the heat of combat.
Lieutenant Colonel Robert Cole
"If it screams, shoot it. If it screams in German, shoot it again."
A real life paratrooper who serves as Baker's battalion commander in Normandy. He is awarded the Medal of Honour for leading a bayonet charge on a German held farm, an event that is depicted in the game. He goes on to lead Baker's battalion during Operation Market Garden. He is shot dead by a German sniper during the second day of Operation Market Garden.- Back for the Dead: In Hell's Highway.
- Boom, Headshot!: How he is killed by a German sniper, just like in real life.
- Colonel Badass: He leads a bayonet charge against a well defended enemy position and succeeds.
- Demoted to Extra: Goes from a supporting role in Road to Hill 30 to a brief cameo in Earned in Blood, to appearing in one level of Hell's Highway.
- Historical Domain Character: One of the real-life members of the 101st depicted in all three games.
- Killed Offscreen: We only see his body. Subverted when a flashback immediately follows said scene showing the exact circumstances of his death.
- Shoot Everything That Moves: His advice to his men is if something moves shoot it and if it screams in German shoot it again.
Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Cassidy
"About time I found some more men."
Another real life paratrooper, who serves as one of the 502nd's battalion commanders. On occasion, he assigns Hartsock and his squad missions, usually patrols deep behind enemy lines.- Big Damn Heroes: He and a squad of Paratroopers save Red and his own squad from a German armored attack late in "Hedgerow Hell".
- Non-Action Guy: Unlike Cole, he prefers to lead from the rear, and prefers directing his troops from his command post. He does, however, fight directly when necessary, such as providing relief for Red's squad.
- Historical Domain Character: Like Cole, he's one of several real-life 101st members to be depicted. However, he's only depicted in Earned in Blood.
Colonel Howard Johnson
"Go talk to your men, Corporal."
Yet another real life paratrooper, and commander of the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment. Hartsock, along with the combined might of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd squads, are assigned to help reinforce his beleaguered position.- Artistic License – Military: He's a full Colonel, but his helmet shows the rank of a Lt. Colonel. In addition, he's the commander of the 501st PIR, yet has the 502nd's heart logo on his helmet instead.
- Colonel Badass: He leads from the front, and at one point helps Hartsock fend off a German attack.
- Historical Domain Character: Like Cole and Cassidy, he's one of several real-life 101st members depicted. Like Cassidy, however, he only appears in Earned in Blood.
Colonel Robert Sink
"How the sam hell are you gettin' back across the river!?"
Voiced by: Dale Dye
Yet another real life paratrooper, and commander of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. During the events of Hell's Highway, he often assigns 2nd and 3rd squad scouting missions.- Actor Allusion: This is not the first time Dale Dye played Sink.
- Age Lift: In the Hell's Highway, Sink appears to be at least in his early 50s. In Real life, Sink was in his late 30s/early 40s at the time the game takes place.
- Big Good: He's the highest ranking officer in the game, and he's the one giving Baker and Hartsock their orders.
- Historical Domain Character: He's a real-life member of the 101st, though unlike the previous ones, was already well-known in media via Band of Brothers.
- Non-Action Guy: He's always seen commanding. The one time he is on the front lines, he's never shown firing a weapon, instead ordering Baker and Hartsock to take the other side of Son.
- One-Steve Limit: Averted. There's another Colonel named Robert, and that's Cole.
Staff Sergeant Parker
- Communications Officer: Serves as this to Colonel Sink during Operation Market Garden.
- The Voiceless: Never says a single word.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: He never appeared again after his debut level, so it is impossible to tell wether he survived Operation Market Garden or not.
- You All Look Familiar: His model is mostly the same as Friar's. The only notable differences are his changed rank insignias and the radio he always carries on his back.
Allies other
Sergeant George Risner
"I'm always saving your ass Matt..."
The childhood best friend of Baker, Risner is the commander of an M5 Stuart light tank fighting in France. He originally trained to be a paratrooper but was injured in training and transferred in the regular army. He reunites with Baker in France the day after D-day and offers to use his tank to support the squad. He is killed the same day when his tank is disabled by a German anti tank squad and he is forced to fight them with his pistol before he is shot dead.- Big Damn Heroes: Saves Baker and 3rd squad from a German ambush in his introductory level.
- The Cameo: Has a brief one in Hell's Highway during one of Baker's flashbacks.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Rather than bail out of his tank and run for cover when it's knocked out, he covers Baker from a German infantry assault and dies in the process.
- Sacrificial Lion: The first major character to die in the story when he is killed in an ambush near St. Come Du Mont, along with the rest of his crew.
- Tank Goodness: He commands an M5 Stuart tank.
Sergeant Jackson
A Sherman tank commander, whose tank is initially attached to the 4th Infantry Division. In this position, he assists Baker, Hartsock, Corrion, and Desola in taking a Farmhouse just outside St. Come du Mont. He later reappears as part of the 2nd Armored Division alongside Sergeant Kilroy, where he saves 2nd and 3rd squad from the German armored assault on Hill 30.- The Cameo: His and Kilroy's tanks make a brief appearance during the prologue of Hell's Highway.
- The Cavalry: He serves as half of the armored reinforcements to Baker and the rest of 2nd and 3rd squads in both "No Better Spot to Die" and "Bloody Gulch".
- Epic Tank-on-Tank Action: In all the missions he appears in, he helps Baker and his squad destroy any German tanks or tank destroyers they come across.
- Glass Cannon: The Sherman, in comparison to both the Stuart and the German Stug III and Panzer IV. It's more heavily armed and armored than the former and similarly armed in comparison to the German tanks, but compared its German opponents, its far less armored, even in the front.
- The Voiceless: He never speaks in all three of his appearances.
- Tank Goodness: He commands an M4 Sherman tank, which has a far more powerful main gun and more machine guns than the Stuart. It's also more than a match for the German tank types encountered.
Sergeant Kilroy
Hop on Sergeant. Lead the way.
A Sherman tank commander from the 2nd Armored Division, who serves as half of the reinforcements for 2nd and 3rd squad in "No Better Spot to Die" and "Bloody Gulch".- Big Damn Heroes: He saves Baker from a German ambush late in "No Better Spot to Die". Not long after, he and Jackson, with Baker's direction, save 2nd and 3rd squad from the ongoing German infantry assault on Hill 30.
- The Cameo: His and Jackson's tanks makes a brief appearance during the prologue of Hell's Highway.
- The Cavalry: He and Jackson reinforce Baker's squad just as the Battle of Bloody Gulch takes a turn for the worse for the paratroopers.
- Epic Tank-on-Tank Action: He and Sgt. Jackson help Baker destroy 3 Panzer IV tanks late in "No Better Spot to Die", on order to drive back the German counterattack.
- Tank Goodness: He commands an M4 Sherman tank like Sgt. Jackson does.
Corporal/Sergeant Seamus Doyle
"We need you."
An Irish paratrooper from the 82nd Airborne Division who Hartsock meets on D-day after Doyle saves him from a German. The two quickly become friends and fight alongside each other throughout Normandy. He is eventually promoted to sergeant and given his own squad. He is killed during the battle of St. Sauveur after taking a direct hit from a tank shell.- Chunky Salsa Rule: Invoked dramatically when he dies. The point-blank shot from the tank reduces him to a pink mist in the air and a red smear on the ground.
- Hero of Another Story: He serves as this in "Earned in Blood".
- Ludicrous Gibs: This happens after he is shot by a tank.
- Not Enough to Bury: He gets hit directly by a tank shell, which causes his body to disintegrate instantly (see Chunky Salsa Rule above). The only thing left of him aside from his Helmet and Thompson is his unit patch.
- Rank Up: Like Red, he gets promoted from Corporal to Sergeant in-between "Three Patrol Action" and "Baupte".
Col. S.L.A. Marshall
"This was just after you, Sgt. Baker, Pvt. Allen, and Pvt. Garnett cleared out an entire platoon in Foucarville!?"
A US Army combat historian, and one of the few Real Life characters depicted.- Ascended Extra: He goes from a mere mention by Mac at the end of Road to Hill 30 to a fully fleshed out character with a major role throughout Earned in Blood's story.
- Chekhov's Gunman: Mac mentions him once during the ending of Hill 30, stating that he's planning on interviewing each of the paratroopers for their combat experiences in Normandy. During the start of Earned in Blood, he's shown doing just that, with Hartsock's interview being the entire premise of that game's story.
- Colonel Badass: Averted. Unlike the other Colonels in the series, he's the only one in a decidedly non-action role.
- Historical Domain Character: Like Cole, Johnson, Cassidy, and Sink, he's a real individual. Unlike them, he only appears in missions set behind the front.
- Mr. Exposition: His role in Earned in Blood is to help Hartsock recall his combat experiences from D-Day to St. Sauveur.
- Non-Action Guy: He is never shown wielding a weapon, much less seen in the thick of the action.
Sergeant Kelly
"You guys were sent here too?"
An M5 Stuart Tank commander from the same unit as Risner. Like Hartsock, he's been ordered to check on the Chateau Colombieres during the mission of the same name.- The Cavalry: He reinforces Hartsock's patrol and helps them clear the area surrounding the heavily defended Chateau Colombieres.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: To Risner. Like the former, he's the commander of an M5 Stuart Tank from the 4th Infantry Division tasked with assisting paratroopers of the 101st.
Tank Commander Redwood
"That's Jesus resurrected compared to your Yank Tommy!"
A tank commander from the Irish Guards who makes contact with Baker's squad early on. He later helps Baker's unit clear Eindhoven of German artillery.- The Cavalry: His unit's role is to reinforce the 101st Airborne and help them take their objectives in Eindhoven, then move further up north to reinforce the 82nd and British 1st Airborne.
- Fighting Irish: A member of the Irish Guards, and is himself pretty enthusiastic about giving Baker a Thompson submachine gun.
- Player Character: For the second-to-last segment of "Operation Garden", where you play as him commanding his tank.
- Tank Goodness: He's one of two Sherman Firefly tank commanders who are playable. And as such, you get a taste of just how deadly this tank can be when you're tasked with destroying several dug-in artillery positions.
Tank Commander Dickenson
"Bloody Krauts aren't making it easy to find them."
A British tank commander from a different unit than Redwood's, heavily implied to be the 11th Armored Division. First met at Veghel, he later reappears during the final level in order to help repel the remaining German Paratroopers and SS Panzer units.- All There in the Manual: His name is only given when subtitles are enabled, as he never introduces himself during the story proper.
- Big Damn Heroes: In Veghel, he saves Baker's squad from a Panzer IV that was about to attack their position.
- The Cavalry: In the final level, he steps in as additional firepower for Baker's squad, since the latter have no anti-tank weapons to deal with the German tanks defending the area.
- Player Character: During the last portion of Veghel, as well as the last part of the final level, you play as him commanding his tank.
- Tank Goodness: He's one of two Sherman Firefly tank commanders who are playable. In his case, you get to see how deadly the Firefly is against German Panzers. Since the Firefly was designed to counter the much larger Tiger tank, it easily makes mincemeat out of the much smaller Panzer IV.
Nicolaas
"Hello, I am Nicolaas. I will try to be of help."
A member of the Dutch Resistance who helps Baker's squad on occasion.- Killed Offscreen: Paddock mentions that he was killed during the German bombing of Eindhoven, but his body is never shown.
- La Résistance: He's a Dutch Resitance member who secretly aids the Allies against the German occupation.
- Non-Action Guy: He may be a Resistance member, but he's no fighter. His specialty is gathering intelligence for the Allies, such as alerting Baker's squad of German supply depots.
Pieter
- Child Soldiers: He's been spying on the Germans alongside his father. He takes it a step further when he steals his father's gun and goes on to kill several German soldiers.
- Death of a Child: He ends up being the youngest casualty shown in the game, and is notably the only child amongst them.
- Escort Mission: Baker has to cover him with a German Sniper Rifle late in "Operation: Garden".
- Killed Offscreen: He's killed during the German bombing of Eindhoven, and Paddock brings his body to Baker and his squad after the incident.
- La Résistance: Like his father, he's working with the Dutch Resistance against the German occupation.
- Missing Mom: His mother is never shown, though given the war, it's heavily implied that she was killed during the German occupation.
- Revenge: His main motivation on going a killing spree on the Germans.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: He ends up stealing his father's pistol and going on a killing spree against the Germans.
Dutch Girl
- All for Nothing: While Franky does find and save her initially, he ends up wandering too far off with her into a German-occupied part of the city. She ends up getting executed by the Germans afterward, finding her in possession of Franky's Paratrooper helmet.
- No Name Given: Franky, and by extension everyone else in the story and out, never find out her name.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: She ends up indirectly causing Franky's death, which in turn causes discord between Red, Baker, and Corrion, with Red ending up with a Career-Ending Injury in Veghel and Corrion getting wounded at Hell's Highway while also becoming a jerkass towards Baker.
- White Shirt of Death: She wears a white dress in all of her appearances, and is killed by the Germans while wearing it. When Baker comes across her corpse during "The Rabbit Hole", it's shown that her dress has been spilled with her blood from the gunshot wounds she sustained.
Mira
A Dutch civilian and member of the Resistance. She ends up assigned to assist the 101st Airborne during Operation Market Garden, eventually meeting Baker's squad while they are attempting to secure a canal.
- Action Girl: She's definitely not afraid to fight the Nazis, though she is wise enough to avoid direct confrontation if she can help it.
- Canon Foreigner: She only appears in the novelisation of Hell's Highway, but not in any of the games.
- Ship Tease: With Baker. Several passages indicate she finds him attractive, and they have several bonding moments, but the circumstances of the war somewhat prevent any real romance from taking place. Still, it is implied at the end that Baker at least wants to write her a letter.
German units
Different infantry units of the Heer, Luftwaffe, and Waffen-SS, and the opposition throughout all three games.
Osttruppen
Conscripts composed of prisoners captured on the Eastern Front by the German Army. They are distinguished by their grey caps.
- Anti-Air: One of two types of German troops to use them. In Road to Hill 30 and Earned in Blood, they're shown to be using 20mm Flakvierling guns on American planes.
- Cannon Fodder: Their purpose, aside from being auxiliaries. As stated in the Concept Art Gallery, their quality was so bad, that their commanders were ordered to shoot them if they tried to run away from battle.
- The Goomba: They serve as this in Road to Hill 30 and Earned in Blood. They are the easiest enemies to defeat, appear in only the first two to three levels of each game and are never seen again after that.
- Schizo Tech: They may have access to automatic weapons like the MG-42 and the MP-40, but they're also the only German troops to still rely on horse-drawn carriages for transport, as shown in Earned in Blood. In contrast, the Infanterie have motorized half-tracks to back them up.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: They're completely absent in Hell's Highway. Historically, the original Infantry Divisions composed of these troops were wiped out during the Battle of Cherbourg later in the Normandy campaign.
Infanterie
Regular German infantry, and the mainstay of the German Army. The most commonly encountered German units in the game. They are distinguished by their grey helmets, a sign that they're far better trained and equipped than the Osttruppen.
- Anti-Air: One of two German troop types to use the 20mm Flakvierling. In Hell's Highway, they also add the 88mm in the anti-aircraft role to their list.
- Anti-Armor: They're the first German infantry units shown to be using the Panzerfaust, as well as anti-tank guns of different calibers. In Hell's Highway, they're also the first German infantry shown using the Panzerschreck, which they deploy in teams of three.
- Anti-Infantry: They make heavy use of the MG-42 machine gun in all three games. In addition, they also use the 88mm gun in this role for most of Earned in Blood and Hell's Highway.
- Awesome Personnel Carrier: Their mechanized units use the Sdkfz 251 half-track, which, in addition to helping deploy troops quickly, can also double as a mobile machine gun platform.
- Elite Mooks: Their mechanized units in Earned in Blood definitely count, as they access to STG-44 assault rifles and Half-tracks.
- Mook Mobile: Their half-tracks in Earned in Blood, which double as armored mooks.
- Weapon Specialization: Of the German infantry units featured in all 3 games, theirs varies the most, depending on what unit they're assigned to.
- Regular squads are armed mostly with Kar 98 rifles, with only their sergeants using MP 40s.
- Anti-tank squads are distinguished by having a far larger number of MP 40s, as well as access to the Panzerfaust anti-tank rocket. In Hell's Highway they instead use the Panzerschreck in teams of three, with one using the launcher and the other two armed with MP 40s.
- Assault teams, similar to anti-tank squads, have MP 40s, but now use them exclusively rather than with the Kar 98.
- Their motorized units, as mentioned above, prefer the STG-44 assault rifle.
Fallschirmjager
German Paratroopers, who are better equipped than the regular Heer units. Like American Paratroopers, they are all volunteers, and are equipped with specialized weapons. They are distinguished by their unique helmets, as well as their camouflaged uniforms.
- Cold Sniper: A number of them carry Kar 98 sniper rifles in both Road to Hill 30 and Earned in Blood.
- Demoted to Extra: Compared to their numerous appearances in the first two games, they only appear in the final level of Hell's Highway.
- Elite Mooks: One of two. Compared to the Heer Infantry, they're armed with more automatic weapons, have snipers amongst their cadre, and have overall better access to anti-tank weapons and better tank support.
- Evil Counterpart: To the American Paratroopers.
- More Dakka: Like the Panzergrenadiers, they carry a large number of automatic weapons, in this case, the STG 44 in the first and third games and the FG-42 automatic rifle in the 2nd.
Panzergrenadier
Elite mechanized soldiers of the Waffen-SS. They are often seen accompanying tanks and other armored vehicles, and are notorious for carrying extra firepower with them. In Road to Hill 30 and Earned in Blood, they come from the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division, while in Hell's Highway, the ones encountered are from the 10th SS Panzer Division.
- Cold Sniper: Their snipers in Hell's Highway, which carry Gewehr 43 sniper rifles in place of the Kar 98 used by the Fallschirmjager.
- Elite Mooks: One of two, alongside the Fallschirmjager. Like the German Paratroopers, they carry a far larger number of automatic weapons than the regular German Infantry. This time, however, they also have the luxury of being accompanied by tanks far more often.
- Informed Ability: The Concept Art Gallery of Road to Hill 30 mentions that they're usually assigned to attack alongside German half-tracks. Not only do they not exhibit this in that game, but when Earned in Blood does introduce the German half-tracks, they're seen used instead by the Infanterie, with nary a Panzergrenadier seen working alongside a half-track.
- More Dakka: They prefer wielding STG 44 assault rifles and MP 40 Submachine-guns. And unlike the other German units here, they can equip all of their soldiers with either of these weapons. This even applies to their snipers, who use the semi-automatic Gewehr 43 sniper rifle instead of the Kar 98.
- Weapon Specialization:
- Their snipers prefer the Gewehr 43 Sniper Rifle, which can fire much faster than the Kar 98 sniper variant.
- Their regular units make liberal use of the Stg 44 Assault Rifle, particularly in Road Hill 30 and Earned in Blood. In the latter entry, all of the Panzergrenadiers defending St. Sauveur will be armed with one.
- Tank Goodness: When these troops are the ones you fight against, almost always expect a Panzer or two to accompany them into battle.
StuG Assault Gun
Turretless assault guns fielded by the Germans as tank destroyers, these are some of the first German armored units encountered in both Road to Hill 30 and Earned in Blood.
- Anti-Infantry: The Ausf. A variant in "Assault on Vierville" uses a short-barreled artillery gun as its main armament, with it primarily intended for use against infantry rather than tanks.
- Anti-Vehicle: The Ausf. F variant encountered in both Hill 30 and Earned in Blood is armed with a long-barreled 75mm gun designed to destroy enemy tanks, and because of this it can prove to be a threat to both the Stuart and Sherman tanks it faces.
- Fixed Forward-Facing Weapon: The StuG's most notable feature is its lack of a turret, with its main armament instead placed inside a fixed casemate integrated into the vehicle's hull. This forces the vehicle to move so that it's gun can face the target, but leaves the rest of the vehicle vulnerable to attack.
- Glass Cannon: Capable of destroying American tanks in a few hits, but compared to its contemporaries is rather lightly armored and has rather average mobility.
- Unique Enemy:
- The two StuGs encountered in "Action at Vierville" are the only Ausf. A variants, distinguishable by their short-barrel 75mm guns, are the only two of their kind encountered through Road to Hill 30. Every subsequently encountered StuG in the following levels is an Ausf. F variant.
- In Earned in Blood, the only StuG in the game is fought during "Chateau Colombieres", with every subsequent German tank encounter being the Panzer IV instead.
Panzer IV Medium Tank
Ausf. J variant, as seen in Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway
Ausf. F, as seen in Road to Hill 30
Ausf. G, as seen in Earned in Blood
The primary tank used by the German Army, the Panzer IV is utilized by elite SS Panzer and Panzergrenadier Divisions during the counterattacks at Carentan and Operation Market-Garden.
- Anti-Infantry: The Ausf. F variant is specialized in taking on enemy infantry and fortifications, which it does incredibly well in all of its encounters with the 101st in Road to Hill 30. Unfortunately, this variant performs poorly against American tanks like the Sherman, as demonstrated in "No Better Spot To Die".
- Anti-Vehicle: The Ausf. G and Ausf. J variants are armed with a long-barreled 75mm gun designed specifically to knock out enemy tanks like the Sherman.
- Mighty Glacier: Compared to the Sherman, the Panzer IV has thicker frontal armor, allowing it to take more damage than its American counterpart. In exchange, however, its also noticeably slower.
- The Workhorse: It's the most common tank used by the German Army, and this is reflected in all three games by being the most commonly encountered enemy armored vehicle.
Auckland
- Arc Villain: He and the men under his command are the main German opposition in "Five Oh-Sink".
- Authority Equals Asskicking: Subverted. When confronted by Baker or his squad, he goes down as easily as his subordinates in one or two hits.
- Killed Off for Real: He dies when either Baker or one of his squad members riddle him with bullets during his and his men's Last Stand.
- Lack of Empathy: Col. Sink states that he doesn't care about hitting civilians in the area with his artillery, which is promptly proven to be true when Auckland and his men begin firing on a crowd of Dutch civilians interspersed with Baker's squad, killing an innocent Dutch priest in the process.
- Last Stand: He, his 88mm artillery crew, and a few machine-gun teams do this during the final part of "Five-Oh Sink", defending the other side of Son from the combined assault of Red's and Baker's squads.
- Non-Standard Character Design: Unlike all other German soldiers that appear throughout Hell's Highway, he's the only high-ranking officer shown, and the only one shown wearing a Commissar Cap and goggles.
- Silent Antagonist: He never utters a line in his appearances, and, being a German officer, is directly opposed to the protagonists.
- Unique Enemy: He's the only enemy officer encountered in all 3 games.
Wilhelm Graf
A German Veteran Fallschrimjager who's fought in both the Western/Eastern Front.
- All Germans Are Nazis: Averted, He hates Nazi ideology. This tends to put him at odds to the more dedicated SS officers and soldiers who he encounters, especially when they still believe, and never cease to talk about, how Germany still has a chance in the war. For the record—Willhelm's been to both fronts of the war (hence his captured PPSH), so he's got a pretty decent awareness of how badly things are going.
- A Father to His Men: His main reason for fighting is the survival of him and his men.
- Canon Foreigner: Only appears in the Novelization of Hell's Highway.
- Heel–Face Turn: Briefly — When his squad captures Baker and Mira but Baker's own squadmates are closing in to rescue them, his SS handlers attempt to kill the pair rather than surrender them, resulting in Willhelm deciding he's had enough and killing the handlers himself before letting Baker and Mira flee. Afterwards, he leaves before Baker's squad arrives, leaving it ambiguous as to whether he intended to continue fighting or just surrender.
- Hero Killer: It's initially implied via a flashback by Baker that he's the one who killed George during the Events of Hill 30 and later confirmed.
