How ‘World of Warcraft’ paid tribute to Gunny Ermey

On April 15th, 2018, one of the finest Marines to ever grace Hollywood, R. Lee Ermey, passed away. He left behind a legacy that will stand the test of time, portraying troops and veterans in a positive light while connecting civilians to the military by being a cinematic icon.

Nearly every time pop culture alludes to the military, they're inadvertently referencing his works — typically because of his incredibly popular role in Full Metal Jacket. Blizzard Entertainment's legendary World of Warcraft is no exception to that rule.

In fact, the newest expansion, World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth, features an entire series of quests dedicated to the Gunny himself.

You know, actual Marine Corps stuff.

(Blizzard Entertainment)

Over the years, the game has included a total of three nods to his works. First, there's a character exclusive to Halloween-time events named Sergeant Hartman that aids you in your fight against a fiendish Headless Horseman. There's a dwarf named Gunny at Honor Hold that makes snarky comments about the player, according to your character's in-game rank. And there's a Lieutenant Emry, a misspelling of Ermey's name, that offers the player a quest to take a beach from the Horde like any good Marine would.

But all of those characters were simply flavor NPCs — none of them really added anything to the story and they were more or less based off of Gunny Hartman, not Ermey himself. The fourth and most recent tribute character pulls nods from his life, sprinkling in just a bit of Full Metal Jacket. Since the latest expansion is very heavy on Naval themes, much of your time is spent landing on beaches.

And this nice little riff that would have made Ermey proud. You may be gone, but you'll never be forgotten.

(Blizzard Entertainment)

To begin the quest, you must first play on the Alliance, reach level 110, and begin the War Campaign. You'll be given three sites to invade the Horde-controlled Zandalar. From these options, you'll need to pick desert location, Vol'Dun. This is where you meet Sergeant Ermey of the 7th Legion — a human character bearing a striking resemblance to our beloved Gunnery Sergeant Ermey sporting an alliance-themed campaign hat.

Your very first mission is called "Ooh Rah!" and requires you to storm the beaches with Sergeant Ermey to secure a beachhead for the Alliance. Once you've killed your requisite number of baddies, Sergeant Ermey has another quest called "Honor Bound," during which you need to go behind enemy lines to rescue a missing Marine, Private James.

As you work to locate and rescue the private, Ermey delivers plenty of heartfelt lines, waxing on about how he'll never leave a comrade behind. A few slain creatures, inspected items, and explored areas later, you eventually save him. Once freed and ready to return, Private James will thank you and Sergeant Ermey. For all of his sentiment, when the moment finally comes, Ermey responds with a simple, "You better square yourself away, Private."

To watch the scenario play out, check out this clip.