Lead "Boss", Badge No. 3187, is the nom de guerre of the player character in SWAT 4. He is based on Cyrus Kange (The Boss) the template player character from SWAT 3 (that appears in the original manual and strategy guide). His default name is Officer Default.
Background[]
He is described as a sergeant with the Fairview Police Department's SWAT Team. Furthermore, his in game bio mentions that he is a recent transfer from Los Angeles at 15 years of service (13 in TSS).[1][2][3]
In 2006, he commanded his element to stop the Stetchkov Syndicate.
In 2008, he again commanded his element against various terrorist groups.
Personality and traits[]
He is also described as being cool under fire and always business like, which has helped him gain the respect of his new element. Unlike his squadmates, the element leader does not usually make comments about his observations, instead only speaking to give orders, issue compliance, or to notify the team's tactical operation center. He does show anger at the lack of containment in the Fresnal Street Station and when a news reporter broadcasts SWAT entry at St. Michael's Medical Center. He does also show hints of sadness upon discovery of the basement in the Children of Taronne Tenement.
Titles and nicknames[]
- Boss
- Officer Default
- You!
- Lead
- SWAT Team Leader
- Cyrus Kange (see below)
Behind The Scenes[]
Given that Los Angeles was the setting for the previous SWAT game, the player character's background serves as a reference to the game's predecessor, suggesting that this is the same officer players controlled in SWAT 3: Close Quarters Battle. More appropriately it’s likely a reference to Cyrus Kange (The Boss) the sample player shown in the original Swat 3:CQB manual and SWAT 3 strategy guide who also shares a 15 year career history (though its history in SWAT not total police experience as in case of SWAT4). If so this suggests that SWAT 4 takes place in 2005 just as SWAT 3 did (though in game other references suggest it takes place in 2008-2009), as does Brewer County Courthouse listing the year as 2008 (150 year anniversary od the founding of Fairview). As Cyrus template was Asian, his physical appearance in SWAT 4 may effectively fit the character.
However, the dates given for suspects/civilians all essentially add up to the 2008-2009 period for SWAT 4, and between TSS set in 2006 (two years before SWAT 4) it breaks any continuity that might have have been intended to Cyrus. So while SWAT 4 might have been intended to to be Kange, the TSS retcon to Boss' police experience makes it impossible for them to be the same character (since Boss in TSS has less experience in 2006, than Kange had in 2005, by two years).
However, in-game given that alternative backstories for various characters in SWAT 3 who can be chosen in place of the Officer do not mesh with Boss's background, with some being in SWAT for over twenty years (career mode default years in swat is 23).
See Robert Marlowe the character sharing the SWAT 3 career mode Serial# 103277 and element slot. Roughly 27 years in police department, 24 years in SWAT.
See Kenneth Thrasher (callsign: Sunshine) , Harry Smith (callsign: Weasel) and Dick Koch for the default Officer characters in Swat 3's mission and campaign/multiplayer modes respectively. And Tom Colt in the random template shown in the GOTY edition manual. The default character model in career mode is “black” with 23 years in SWAT.

The manual offers a template photo with a rather blurry name (possibly Officer Thrasher, perhaps a nod to Kenneth Thrasher from SWAT 3 (the default Missions character), while 15 year career reference/nickname Boss is taken from the SWAT 3 manual.
Harry Smith’s 12 years in swat (assuming he went into SWAT directly out of police academy) would add up to 15 years of total police experience in 2008. But his physical appearance doesn’t match SWAT 4 character. Not to mention the alternate callsign.
SWAT 4: The Stetchkov Syndicate character bio lists Boss' years of service as 13 years or two years less than the main game. And character bios also add up to 2006. Suggesting TSS is a prequel. Although there anre other inconsistent details in the game itself that suggest it takes place later. It certainly contradicts the Cyrus Kange history from SWAT 3 manual.
He is played by Justin Gross who also plays the team leader Kurt Wolfe in SWAT: Target Liberty leading to the speculation that they are the same character. However their years of police service do not match up. Kurt has less service time but has seemingly served longer in New York, while Boss is claimed to be a recent transfer (although TSS may suggest Boss has been in NY for two years already as it takes place in 2006). Both SWAT 4 and TL games appear take place in the same year as SWAT4 in 2008 (less than one month apart).
References[]
- ↑ SWAT 4 Bio: Officer Default Nickname: Boss Badge No.: 3187 Years of Service: 15 A recent transfer from Los Angeles, the Sergeant is cool under fire and always businesslike. With a new element to command he will have to gain the respect of his squad while on the job.
- ↑ SWAT 4 SG, pg 5: “ Officer Name: You! Nickname: Boss Badge Number: 3187 Years of Service: 15 A recent transfer from Los Angeles, the Sergeant is cool under fire and always businesslike. With a new element to command he will have to gain the respect of his squad while on the job.
- ↑ SWAT 4 TSS Bio: Officer Default Nickname: Boss Badge No.: 3187 Years of Service: 13 A recent transfer from Los Angeles, the Sergeant is cool under fire and always businesslike. With a new element to command he will have to gain the respect of his squad while on the job.
SWAT 4 Characters | |
SWAT | Boss · Steven Reynolds · Anthony Girard · Zachary Fields · Allen Jackson · Sierra 1 · Sierra 2 · Sonny Bonds · Wilson · Hanson |
---|---|
Factions | America Now · Army of Faith · Children of Taronne |
Suspects | Alex Jimenez · Alice Jenkins · Allen Kruse · Andrew Taronne · Clark Jennings · Hadeon Koshka · Jean Trouffant · Lawrence Fairfax · Lian Niu · Simon Gowan |
Civilians | Gary Altman · Gladys Fairfax · Heidi Rosenstein · Hyun-Jun Park · James Betincourt Junior · Jeremy Walsh · Kim Dong Yin · Lawrence Adams · Louie Baccus · Melinda Kline · Theodore Sturgeon · Warren Rooney · Willis Fischer |
TSS Factions | Citizens Against Satanic Music · Stetchkov Syndicate |
TSS Suspects | Andrew Norman · Anton Georgiev · Javier Arias · Kiril Stetchkov · Todor Stetchkov |
TSS Civilians | Lionel Macarthur · Wilkins · Oscar Bogard · Rita Winston |
SEF Factions | Italian Mafia · Sovereign Citizen Movement |
SEF Suspects | Adam Moretti |