An iconic British special forces operative.

A difficult childhood. Simon grew up in a dysfunctional family with a cruel, sadistic father who abused both him and his younger brother, Tommy. As an adult, Simon worked as a butcher, but following the 9/11 attacks, he decided to make a radical change in his life; he enlisted in the British Army and subsequently earned a spot in the elite SAS unit.

Captivity in Mexico. During a joint operation in Mexico aimed at capturing drug lord Manuel Roba, Riley’s unit was ambushed due to a betrayal by their commander. Simon was subjected to brutal torture and brainwashing, and was ultimately buried alive in a coffin alongside the body of a fallen comrade.

Task Force 141. He confronted Viktor Zakhaev in Verdansk and, later, working alongside Soap MacTavish and Alejandro Vargas, thwarted the schemes of the terrorist Hassan Zyani and the corrupt General Shepherd in Mexico and Al-Mazrah.

The hunt for Makarov and the events of 2026. In *Modern Warfare III*, Ghost fought against the ultranationalists led by Vladimir Makarov. Following the tragic death of Soap and Price’s lethal reckoning with Shepherd, the team went their separate ways. In the events of *Modern Warfare 4* (set in 2026), Ghost and Gaz tracked down Captain Price who had become a fugitive in Mexico; however, they eventually joined forces with him to oppose a new leader of the Russian ultranationalists, known by the call sign "Archer."