Ezra Berg is one of Agent 47's targets in the HITMAN™ mission Freedom Fighters.
Background[]
Ezra Berg is a retired Mossad agent specializing in chemical interrogation techniques.
The son of an Israeli architect. Berg had a privileged upbringing in suburban Tel Aviv. However, during the inspecting of a West Bank housing project, Berg's entire family was taken hostage by Hezbollah and held for ransom. Eventually rescued by Israeli troops, young Berg has nevertheless come to sympathize with the plight of his captors. He was still committed to the safety of his nation, but he came to resent his government's harsh and inhumane treatment of a vastly inferior enemy.
Berg studied chemistry and took a particular interest in psychoactive medication. He eventually became an intelligence operative for Mossad, specializing in chemical interrogations, where he earned a reputation for being clean, efficient, reliable and able to make anyone crack. His methods were hardly ethical, but nevertheless non-violent, and Berg considered his services a "lesser evil".
Slowly, however, he began expanding his repertoire, dabbling in drug induced hypnosis, memory wipes and subliminal mind control. This became too controversial for the Mossad leaders who forced Berg into an early retirement. In 2015, he sold his property in Tel Aviv to, allegedly, travel the world. He has not been seen since.
A polite and soft-spoken gentleman, Berg considers himself a humanitarian who performs necessary duties with the least amount to cruelty and indignity. He is nevertheless willing and able to inflict intense psychological terror and can be recognized by his trademark featureless silicone mask, which he uses to unnerve and terrify his sedated subjects.― Target Intel
Gallery[]
Berg, along with Parvati, Rose, and Graves, from IOI's official World of Assassination guidebook.
Trivia[]
- If 47 enters the auction under the alias of Tobias Rieper in The Showstopper, Dalia Margolis will call Berg and ask him for a background check on Rieper. The phone call reveals that Margolis and Berg are former colleagues.
- When killed or subdued, Berg drops a Lethal Poison Pill Jar.
- A cropped version of Berg's HITMAN™ target photo was reused in HITMAN™ 2.
- Berg's mask may be a reference to Michael Myers from the Halloween franchise, who wears a near-identical mask.
- Berg's mask may also be a reference to real life serial killer Edward Paisnel aka "the Beast of Jersey", who wore a similar mask in real life while he committed his crimes.
- Berg objects to some of Sean Rose's more brutal tactics. He talks with Penelope Graves about Rose's plans to kidnap some children in Shanghai, and forcing an innocent man to commit murder. Berg's dialogue makes it clear that he disapproves.
- The plan Berg describes appears very similar to the plan carried out by Alma Reynard in Nightcall, kidnapping the wife and children of Lance Donovan and coercing him to murder his boss, a Providence operative.
- Many militia members seem to think that Berg is strange or dangerous because of his mask, but in fact he is one of the more well-behaved members of the camp. He does not physically harm or verbally abuse his prisoner, he is polite to his co-workers and he entertains questions from inquisitive subordinates. Interestingly, Berg does not use violence or threats during interrogation. Instead, he uses specialized drugs and psychological tricks to obtain information from his prisoners. This does not cause them any actual pain, although it does create significant disorientation and confusion.
- Berg will mention in conversation with Penelope Graves that he was brought to the farm because Lucas Grey wanted to "avoid unnecessary cruelty", further highlighting Berg's aversion to direct violence.
- When asked by a bodyguard about his unusual success rate, Berg claims that being a good interrogator is often about saying nothing and simply listening. This is consistent with principles of human behavior that are taught to intelligence officers in real life; a detainee will sometimes fill an uncomfortable silence with spontaneous admissions that can be more valuable than anything extracted under coercion.
- If the prisoner Berg is keeping an eye on is killed, he will immediately run to a swing set at the back of the farmhouse and sit there for the rest of the mission.
- 47 could originally disguise as Berg, though this ability was cut in development. An image of 47 wearing Berg's outfit can be found in the game files. Impersonating Berg would seem to be a feasible option for 47, since Berg's eccentric habit of wearing a mask would make imitating him simpler.
- Interestingly, Berg's facial model is incomplete if seen without his mask, as he is missing his nose. This suggests that the ability to disguise as him was cut early in development.
Gallery[]
An unused photo of 47 disguised as Ezra Berg.