If you’ve played through it all, you’ll know that the MW3 campaign is full of twists and turns. After the credits roll, you may be wondering, why did Price kill Shepherd in MW3? Well, we’re here to explain best we can.
Spoiler Warning: Of course, Shepherd’s fate is a spoiler, but many characters’ stories are tied closely to the question. You’ve been warned!
Why Captain Price Kills General Shepherd in MW3
Captain Price kills General Shepherd at the end of MW3’s campaign for several reasons. The first is to get revenge for Shepherd’s nefarious actions in Modern Warfare 2’s campaign. Previously, Shepherd sent his Shadow Company to assassinate Task Force 141, specifically Soap and Ghost. However, the lads managed to escape to fight another day. This plot thread wasn’t resolved in MW2, and instead led to MW3 where Shepherd and Price have to bury their hatchet.
Throughout Modern Warfare 3’s campaign, Task Force 141’s grudge against Shepherd is on full display, with the team always threatening to kill the general whenever they interact. When they come face to face later in the story, Gaz convinces Price to keep Shepherd alive so they can use him to hunt down Makarov, but his usefulness runs out quickly.
The other reason Captain Price kills General Shepherd at the end of MW3’s campaign is out of caution after having learned a devastating lesson from how he handled Makarov. Task Force 141 captured Makarov in the past but had an ominous conclusion. Toward the end of the campaign, we are taken back in time to the capture of Makarov, who promises to see Soap again and tells us that you shouldn’t bury your enemies alive.
Soon after, we are faced with the final mission in the London underground, where Soap and Price must defuse a chemical bomb that threatens thousands of innocent lives. Makarov appears and kills Soap, and Price is then forced to complete his mission, bearing the weight of his friend’s death.
The credits then roll after a scene of the main characters mourning Soap, and we are greeted with the final scene between Shepherd and Price. Price then kills Shepherd, most likely due to the betrayal in Modern Warfare 2, and to tie up loose ends by adopting Makarov’s saying, “Don’t bury your enemy alive.”
Did Price Kill Shepherd Because of Soap’s Death?
With all of this said, though, Soap’s fate was the biggest catalyst that sent Price over the edge.
Price blames Shepherd and himself for not allowing Soap to pull the trigger once they had captured Makarov the first time. This pivotal moment would lead Makarov to kill Soap eventually, and sew chaos and destruction across the world as he furthers his mad goals besides. Coupled with the fact that Shepherd tried to have Price’s squad killed, it’s fair to assume Soap’s death was the main spark behind his actions.
Price is no longer willing to take chances on threats to him and his crew, so he decides to cut the head off the snake before it can strike again. Regardless of his reasoning, Price killed a Four-Star General of the USA, one that was in the public eye due to the events of the MW3 campaign. This now leaves a very worrying loose plot thread that could spell disaster for Price and Task Force 141.
That’s all we have on Why Price killed Shepherd in Modern Warfare 3. Feel free to check out our other Call of Duty news, guides, and updates below if you want to know even more about the series.
