You’re sitting in a dark room. Russell Adler is leaning over you, cigarette smoke curling into the air, telling you there’s a job to do. You believe him. Why wouldn't you? You’ve been through Vietnam together. You've bled together. Except, you haven't.
In Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Bell is the ultimate enigma. Most players go through the first half of the campaign thinking they’re just playing another custom soldier. But the truth about Bell is much darker, and frankly, it’s one of the best narrative pivots in the entire franchise.
The Truth About Bell: Who Are They, Really?
Basically, you aren't who you think you are. For the majority of the game, you play as "Bell," a supposedly elite operative with a background you choose at the start of the game—maybe you’re ex-MI6, or CIA, or even former KGB.
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But that's all a lie.
The reality? Bell was originally a high-ranking lieutenant to Perseus, the Soviet shadow figure trying to tip the balance of the world. During a heist in Turkey gone wrong, a fellow associate named Arash Kadivar shot Bell and left them for dead. The CIA found Bell’s body in the wreckage, barely breathing but still alive.
Instead of just interrogating a dying man, Russell Adler and the CIA used the MKUltra program. They pumped Bell full of drugs, used hypnotic triggers (the famous "We’ve got a job to do" line), and literally rewrote Bell's brain. They took Adler’s own memories of Vietnam and grafted them onto Bell.
Every time you "remembered" a mission in the jungle during the game, you were actually experiencing Adler’s life, not your own. You were a sleeper agent created by the people you thought were your friends.
Does Your Background Actually Matter?
Kinda. When you start the campaign, you get to pick "psychological profiles." While they don't change the massive plot twist, they give you gameplay perks that make a huge difference on Veteran or Realistic difficulty.
- Paranoia: This is a life-saver. It makes your ADS (aim down sights) speed 50% faster.
- Violent Tendencies: Gives you a 25% damage boost. Honestly, if you're looking to breeze through gunfights, this is the one.
- Professional: You get full movement speed while aiming. Great for those who don't like the "clunky" feel of traditional COD movement.
You can also choose your gender or leave it as "Classified." If you go the "Classified" route, the game uses they/them pronouns. It’s a small touch, but it shows how Raven Software wanted Bell to be a true "blank slate" for the player to inhabit before the rug gets pulled out.
Why Adler Kept Saying "We've Got a Job to Do"
You've probably noticed that Adler repeats that phrase like a broken record. It’s not just bad writing. It’s a trigger.
In the world of MKUltra—which, by the way, was a very real (and terrifying) CIA program in the 1950s and 60s—triggers are used to force a subject into a suggestible state. Every time Adler said it, he was reinforcing the brainwashing. He was keeping the "Bell" persona in control and burying the "Perseus agent" deep inside.
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The mission "Breaking on Through" is where this all comes to a head. It’s easily the trippiest level in Call of Duty history. You're forced through a looping dreamscape where Adler is shouting commands at you. If you disobey him—like taking the left path when he says go right—the game world literally starts to collapse. It's a brilliant way to show the struggle between your actual free will and the CIA's programming.
The Three Endings: What Happens to Bell?
Everything comes down to a single choice in a basement in Cuba: Do you tell the truth, or do you lie?
1. The "Good" Ending (The Truth)
If you tell Adler that Perseus is at the Solovetsky Monastery, you go there and stop the nukes. You save Europe. You're a hero. But the CIA doesn't like loose ends. After the mission, Adler takes you to a scenic cliffside. He thanks you, tells you that you did the right thing, and then pulls his gun. You both draw at the same time. The screen cuts to black. It’s heavily implied that Adler kills Bell here because a brainwashed Soviet agent is too dangerous to keep around.
2. The "Bad" Ending (The Lie + Ambush)
If you lie and say Perseus is at Duga, you can lead the CIA into a trap. But there’s a catch: you have to use the radio in the safehouse before the final mission to alert the Soviet forces. If you do this, you get to kill Adler, Woods, and Mason. You then help Perseus detonate the Greenlight nukes, effectively destroying the West’s grip on Europe. You survive, but the world is in ruins.
3. The "Worst" Ending (The Lie + No Ambush)
If you lie about Duga but don't set up the ambush, it’s just sad. You lead the team to an empty radar station. Adler realizes you lied, gets angry, and shoots you on the spot. The nukes go off anyway, but you don't even get the satisfaction of winning.
Is Bell in Black Ops 6?
Short answer: No.
Because of the way Cold War ends, Bell is considered a "discarded" asset. In the canon timeline (which leads into the 1984 events and eventually Black Ops 2 and 6), the "Good" ending is generally accepted as the truth. Adler survives—we see him in later games—which means he likely won the shootout on the cliff, or Bell simply didn't shoot back.
The tragic irony of Bell is that they were never a person to the CIA; they were a tool. A "bell" that Adler could ring whenever he needed a job done.
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Actionable Insights for Players:
- For the Best Gameplay: Choose Violent Tendencies and Stone Cold (reduced flinch) during character creation to make the late-game combat much easier.
- To See Everything: Make sure to unlock the Safehouse Gate early. You need the code (which is the date of the JFK assassination: 11-22-63) to access the radio required for the "Bad" ending ambush.
- Pay Attention to the Walls: In the safehouse, keep an eye on the photos and notes. They change as the game progresses, subtly hinting at your deteriorating mental state and the "real" history the CIA is trying to hide.