Big Boss
Encyclopedia
is a recurring fictional character
from Konami
's Metal Gear
video game franchise. He is first introduced in the original Metal Gear
as the commanding officer of protagonist Solid Snake
, only to be revealed as the leader of the enemy forces as well, a role he would resume in Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
. Big Boss would play a key role in the backstory of the series beginning with the first Metal Gear Solid
, where he is revealed to be the genetic father of Solid Snake, Liquid Snake and Solidus Snake.
In addition to his role in the sequels, Big Boss also appears as the protagonist in a series of prequels set before the events of the original Metal Gear (beginning with Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
, followed by Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
), where he is depicted as an American covert operative codenamed , the partial namesake of Solid Snake.
As Naked Snake, the character is voiced by Akio Ōtsuka in Japanese and David Hayter
in English. In his appearance in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
, Big Boss was voiced by Chikao Ōtsuka (Akio Ōtsuka's father) in the Japanese version and Richard Doyle
in the English version.
as the leader of the Special Forces Unit FOXHOUND
and Solid Snake
's commanding officer. He is depicted as an elderly mercenary with white hair and a beard, an eyepatch
over his right eye. He initially acts as a radio contact who provides Snake with information about mission objectives, as well as weapons and equipment.
However, near the end of the game as Snake approaches the final base where Metal Gear is stored, Big Boss begins to give misleading advice to the player, eventually ordering Snake to abort his mission. After Metal Gear is destroyed, Big Boss exposes himself as the leader of the Outer Heaven militia at the base's escape route and confronts Snake in a final battle with the base self-destruct mechanism counting down. After the ending credits, a message from Big Boss is displayed stating that he and Snake will encounter each other again.
In Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
, Big Boss is revealed to have survived his battle with Snake in Outer Heaven (reportedly after receiving cybernetic "Snatcher
" implants after losing most of his body according to a rumor mentioned by George Kasler in the game), and has since taken control of another fortified nation in Central Asia
- Zanzibar Land. This time, he establishes a military force along with his trusted lieutenant, Gray Fox, and commissions the development of a new Metal Gear model, Metal Gear D. Snake confronts Big Boss once again while escaping from the Zanzibar Land detention camp, with the former incinerating the latter.
and its subsequent sequels, where Solid Snake is revealed to be a genetically-altered clone of Big Boss created from a secret government project known as Les Enfants Terribles (The Terrible Children) along with another clone, his twin brother Liquid Snake. The ending of Metal Gear Solid also reveals the existence of Solidus Snake, a third clone who is an exact genetic duplicate of Big Boss, that served as the U.S. President during the events of Metal Gear Solid and later returns as the antagonist of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
. The Genome Army that Snake faces in Metal Gear Solid are also genetically altered soldiers who were implanted with Big Boss's genes after his body was recovered.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
, a prequel
to the previous games set three decades prior to the events of the original Metal Gear in 1964, introduces a young Big Boss as a former Green Beret under the codename "Naked Snake". While called by various characters, Snake states that his real name is . Naked Snake is virtually identical to Solid Snake from the previous Metal Gear Solid games in terms of appearance. He loses his right eye when a bullet fired by a young Ocelot skims his eyeball and begins to wear his characteristic eye patch late in the game. His primary outfit is a battle dress uniform
with changeable camouflage patterns.
In the prologue sequence of the game, the Virtuous Mission, Naked Snake, a member of the newly-formed special forces unit FOX (a precursor to FOXHOUND
) that was founded by the CIA
and Major Zero (since FOX was newly formed, Big Boss and others still classified him as a CIA
Agent), is given orders to infiltrate the fictionalized Soviet region of Tselinoyarsk and extract a defecting Soviet scientist named Nikolai Stephanovich Sokolov. After rescuing Sokolov, he is confronted by his mentor, The Boss, who defects to the Soviet Union and defeats Snake, before her new host, Colonel Volgin, deploys a nuclear weapon on a nearby research facility and leads the United States and Russia to the brink of war. In retribution for the attack and The Boss' defection, the United States sends Snake back to Russia on a second mission codenamed "Operation: Snake Eater," which comprises the remainder of the story. Snake's objective this time is to assassinate The Boss, as well as the Cobra Unit (The Boss's Comrades) and her new benefactor, Volgin, rescue Sokolov once again, and destroy the secret Soviet weapon Shagohod. In the end, Snake fulfills his mission and is awarded the title of Big Boss and the Distinguished Service Cross
by President Johnson
, only to learn the true nature of The Boss' defection from a recorded confession left by EVA, a female spy he worked and became intimate with during the story. The Boss was deep undercover to retrieve the Philosopher's Legacy before Colonel Volgin does, but was ordered to become a scapegoat after she was blamed for Volgin's nuclear attack on Sokolov's research facility.
features Naked Snake once again as the main character. In this game, Naked Snake wears a new version of the sneaking suit he wore in Metal Gear Solid 3 dubbed the "Close Quarter Combat Enhancer", which serves as the uniform of the FOX unit. Although already awarded the title of Big Boss, he prefers to be addressed by his former codename, believing that he has yet to surpass The Boss as a warrior. Snake finds himself involved in an armed uprising caused by the FOX unit (now led by Gene) in the fictional San Hieronymo peninsula in Colombia
and learns that he has been convicted for instigating the revolt. Hoping to clear his name, Snake forms his own team of specialists by recruiting both old allies and defecting enemy soldiers to his cause, one of whom happens to be Roy Campbell. He faces not only the members of the FOX unit, but also the first built Metal Gear prototype known as the ICBMG. He defeats Gene and obtains the fund for "Army's Heaven", a precursor to Big Boss's own Outer Heaven.
reveals that Big Boss and his former commanding officer Zero, were the founding members of The Patriots. A fallout between Zero and Big Boss occurred due to each of them interpreting The Boss's will differently. Zero took the concept to mean control of the entire world by a group, to ensure unification. Big Boss believed that The Boss wanted a world where soldiers were not used as tools by the government. This caused Zero to initiate the Les Enfants Terribles project. This led Big Boss to break away from Zero and plot a coup d'état against him, causing the events of Outer Heaven and Zanzibar Land. Big Boss is revealed to have survived his defeat in Zanzibar Land, but is placed in an artificially induced cryogenic coma, with his genetic code used for the Sons of the Patriots ID recognition system, the use of which allows access to the AIs
that make up The Patriots. His body is recovered and preserved by EVA (now known as Big Mama). After the fall of one of the five AIs his body is reconstructed using parts from the bodies of both Liquid and Solidus and he awakens from his coma.
Following the voice casting credits at the ending, Big Boss appears before Solid Snake along with a now-catatonic Zero as a final twist in the story. After revealing the truth about Zero and the Patriots, as well as Ocelot's "possession" by Liquid, Big Boss shuts down Zero's life support
system. It is shown that his killing of the Boss has still had a profound effect on him, even remarking that the day she died was the day he died as well. He then reconciles with his son before dying from exposure to the FOXDIE virus implanted in Snake.
. Set in 1974, four years after the events of Portable Ops, Naked Snake has established his new group, the Militaires Sans Frontières ("Soldiers Without Borders") or MSF, on Colombia's Barranquilla Coast with his new partner Kazuhira Miller (the same character as McDonnell Miller from previous installments).
The story begins when two representatives of the Costa Rican government, Paz and Gálvez, seek to hire MSF to liberate Costa Rica of the "Peace Sentinels", a rogue CIA unit that has established bases in the country. Snake accepts the mission after Gálvez hands him an audio cassette with a recording of The Boss' voice. Following Miller's advice, the MSF takes over an offshore research platform in the Caribbean as their base of operations in a bid to expand the group's capabilities. Over the course of the story, Snake comes to learn about the true purpose of the MSF's campaign against the Peace Sentinels and gradually lets go of his guilt for killing The Boss, finally accepting the title of Big Boss.
Later in the game, Big Boss has finally created a weapon that will help make sure the world stays peaceful again: ZEKE, an AI-controlled machine that will only defend, not attack. However, during the course of the game, Paz (or going by her true identity "Pacifica Ocean"), sabotages ZEKE so she can pilot it. She had planned to use ZEKE to launch a nuclear strike on the Eastern Coast of the United States as part of an insurance policy by Cipher, should Big Boss refuse to rejoin them. Big Boss, after hearing her offer, refuses, and is forced to fight a now-manned ZEKE in order to stop Paz. In the end, he is victorious. However, ZEKE was heavily damaged, with Paz being ejected into the Caribbean Sea (although Big Boss speculates later that she may have survived).
After the destruction of ZEKE, Miller tells Big Boss that from then on, they will no longer be able to see the outside world unless they reveal their true nature, as well as admitting that he was in on Cipher's plot. Big Boss rejects this idea, stating that his "life shall be different from the Boss's". After this conversation, Big Boss gives a speech to the Militaires Sans Frontières, telling them that if the times demand it, they will be vigilantes, criminals, terrorists, etc. Also, he states that if they are all heading to hell, "then what other place for us than this?" He tells the soldiers in the base that together they would build a new home for themselves, calling it "Outer Heaven".
was released for the NES
in North America and Europe, the plot within the actual game itself remained unchanged. However, the instruction manual features a different version of the story that strays from the canonical version and gives a more satirical depiction of the game (as with most of Konami's American manuals at the time). The leader of Outer Heaven is mentioned to be a so-called "Vermon CaTaffy", a play on Muammar al-Gaddafi
, who is described in the manual as a "once tranquil shepherd boy who turned to terrorism". Big Boss is never mentioned by name in the manual either: instead a character called "Commander South" (a play on Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North
) is described as Snake's commanding officer.
Snake's Revenge
, a non-canonical sequel
to the NES version of Metal Gear released only in North America and Europe, features Big Boss as the final boss before the player's confrontation with "Metal Gear 2". He attacks Snake as a regular man, before transforming into a giant cyborg after sustaining damage. Like in the first NES game, the game's manual names a character other than Big Boss as the main antagonist: in this case, the apparent villain is "Higharolla Kockamamie" (a parody of Ayatollah Khomeini
).
In the original Metal Gear, Big Boss is characterized as having served in the Green Berets, SAS
, and GSG 9
prior to serving as the commander of FOXHOUND. The character portrait in the Japanese manual for the original MSX2 game depicts Big Boss wearing his eye patch over his left eye. However, the character's sprite in the game depicts the eye patch over his right eye. All subsequent depictions of Big Boss features the eye patch on his right eye. Big Boss's military career is further fleshed out in Metal Gear 2. He is revealed to had served the LRRP
during the Vietnam War
, followed by SOG and the Wild Geese
, before losing his eye in the 1980s and becoming FOXHOUND's commander in the 1990s. According to Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2, Big Boss was in his seventies during the events of Metal Gear 2 and his clones were created back when he was in his fifties during the 1970s.
Much of Big Boss' established past would be revised when his past was explored in Metal Gear Solid 3 and its sequels. Big Boss' age is stated to be somewhere in his 30s during the events of Snake Eater set in 1964, whereas Peace Walker his birthdate to be in 1935, establishing to be ten years younger than he was in the original Metal Gear Solid. He loses his eye during the course of Snake Eater to Ocelot, contradicting earlier statements of Big Boss having lost his eye during the 1980s. Additionally, the end of the game alludes to Big Boss forming FOXHOUND in 1970 (an event later depicted in Portable Ops), contradicting FOXHOUND's formation during the 1990s in earlier games.
having ranked him number 32 on their list of "Top 100 Video Game Villains" and fourth in the "Top 10 Metal Gear Villains". In January 2010, Jesse Schedeen from the same site wrote an article titled "Boss of the Day: Metal Gear's Big Boss" which talked about all his appearances in the Metal Gear series finding him one of the most important characters from the franchise to the point his "influence is felt in every Metal Gear game, even if he isn't always present in the flesh." Computerworld
named Big Boss as one of the most creative "badass villains" in video games, citing the complexity of his betrayal of Solid Snake, fueled by Snake being his genetic heir. Additionally, GameSpot
listed him as one the twenty best Metal Gear bosses with focus on his importance within the series' plot.
The inclusion of Naked Snake's role in Metal Gear Solid 3 has also received praised by critics. Prior to the game's release, Naked Snake was often called Solid Snake or simply Snake by critics due to his resemblance with Solid Snake, although some still were not sure about his true identity. Additionally, early speculation of Big Boss being the playable character from Metal Gear 3 was listed as one IGN's "The Ten Biggest Rumors on the PlayStation 2". GameSpy
further noted that various fans started making theories about Naked Snake's identity before the release of the game as while they thought it was Solid Snake, the setting from the game made it impossible for Solid Snake to be the game's protagonist due to their difference of years. Finding the revelation of Naked Snake's identity was considered by GameSpy as "the single coolest thing Kojima could have done in MGS3" because of Naked's differences from Solid in regards to their personality as well as because it made wonder fans how Naked Snake would become the series' antagonist Big Boss. Another comparison between Big Boss' and Solid Snake's character was made by IGN's Phil Pirrello in articled called "Stars Thunderdome: Snake vs. Big Boss." GamesRadar
placed his relationship with Eva in their list of "The Top 7... disastrous game romances" due to how it was ruined by the two's different roles in the story. Play editor Nick Jones listed Naked Snake's final fight against the Boss in such game as the second best moment from the franchise, citing the emotional focus from their characters. Various gaming sites placed him as one of the worst fathers in video games due to his poor relationship with Solid Snake and his attempts to murder him. David Hayter's performance as Naked Snake's English voice actor has been criticized by Edge
while discussing the dialogues from the game.
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
's Metal Gear
Metal Gear (series)
is a series of stealth video games created by Hideo Kojima and developed and published by Konami. The first game, Metal Gear, was released in 1987 for the MSX2. The player takes control of a special forces operative Solid Snake who is assigned to find the eponymous superweapon "Metal Gear", a...
video game franchise. He is first introduced in the original Metal Gear
Metal Gear (video game)
is an overhead military action-adventure video game originally released in by Konami for the MSX2 computer standard in Japan and parts of Europe. Considered to be the progenitor of the stealth game genre, it was also the first video game designed by Hideo Kojima, who also directed many of the...
as the commanding officer of protagonist Solid Snake
Solid Snake
Metal Gear, initially released in 1987, introduces Solid Snake, the rookie recruit of the elite special-forces unit FOXHOUND. Snake is sent by team leader Big Boss into the rogue nation Outer Heaven to rescue his missing teammate Gray Fox and discover who or what the "METAL GEAR" mentioned is, and...
, only to be revealed as the leader of the enemy forces as well, a role he would resume in Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
is an overhead stealth action game that was originally released by Konami in for the MSX2 computer standard exclusively in Japan. Metal Gear 2 was directed and written by Hideo Kojima, who also designed the MSX2 version of the original Metal Gear...
. Big Boss would play a key role in the backstory of the series beginning with the first Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid
is a videogame by Hideo Kojima. The game was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and first published by Konami in 1998 for the PlayStation video game console. It is the sequel to Kojimas early MSX2 computer games Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake...
, where he is revealed to be the genetic father of Solid Snake, Liquid Snake and Solidus Snake.
In addition to his role in the sequels, Big Boss also appears as the protagonist in a series of prequels set before the events of the original Metal Gear (beginning with Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
is an award-winning stealth action video game directed by Hideo Kojima. Snake Eater was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2, and was released on November 17, 2004 in North America; December 16, 2004 in Japan; March 4, 2005 in Europe; and on...
, followed by Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
is a stealth game directed by Masahiro Yamamoto and written by Gakuto Mikumo, with series creator Hideo Kojima acting as a producer. Portable Ops was developed by Kojima Productions and published by Konami in 2006 for the PlayStation Portable. It is the third Metal Gear title for the PSP and the...
and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
is a video game produced by Konami and Kojima Productions that was released for the PlayStation Portable in 2010. Peace Walker is the fourth Metal Gear title for the PSP, although it is only the second to be considered part of the series' main canon, following Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops...
), where he is depicted as an American covert operative codenamed , the partial namesake of Solid Snake.
As Naked Snake, the character is voiced by Akio Ōtsuka in Japanese and David Hayter
David Hayter
David Hayter is a Canadian-American voice and screen actor and screenwriter. He is best known for providing the English voices of Solid Snake and Big Boss in the Metal Gear video game series, and for writing the screenplay for X-Men and co-writing the screenplay for The Scorpion King and X2...
in English. In his appearance in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
is a video game developed by Kojima Productions for the PlayStation 3 console. The game was directed by Hideo Kojima and made its worldwide release on June 12, 2008, ten years after the release of Metal Gear Solid and twenty years after the North American release of Metal Gear.Guns of the Patriots...
, Big Boss was voiced by Chikao Ōtsuka (Akio Ōtsuka's father) in the Japanese version and Richard Doyle
Richard Doyle (actor)
Richard Doyle , sometimes credited as Richard Doyal, is an American actor and voice actor.- Early life :Richard Doyle was born in 1945 in Brockton, Massachusetts...
in the English version.
The Metal Gear games
Big Boss first appears in the original Metal GearMetal Gear (video game)
is an overhead military action-adventure video game originally released in by Konami for the MSX2 computer standard in Japan and parts of Europe. Considered to be the progenitor of the stealth game genre, it was also the first video game designed by Hideo Kojima, who also directed many of the...
as the leader of the Special Forces Unit FOXHOUND
Foxhound
A foxhound is a type of large hunting hound. Foxhounds hunt in packs and, like all scent hounds, have a strong sense of smell. They are used in hunts for foxes, hence the name. When out hunting they are followed usually on horseback and will travel several miles to catch their target. These dogs...
and Solid Snake
Solid Snake
Metal Gear, initially released in 1987, introduces Solid Snake, the rookie recruit of the elite special-forces unit FOXHOUND. Snake is sent by team leader Big Boss into the rogue nation Outer Heaven to rescue his missing teammate Gray Fox and discover who or what the "METAL GEAR" mentioned is, and...
's commanding officer. He is depicted as an elderly mercenary with white hair and a beard, an eyepatch
Eyepatch
An eyepatch or eye pad is a small patch that is worn in front of one eye. It may be a cloth patch attached around the head by an elastic band or by a string, or an adhesive bandage. It is often worn by people to cover a lost or injured eye, but it also has a therapeutic use in children for the...
over his right eye. He initially acts as a radio contact who provides Snake with information about mission objectives, as well as weapons and equipment.
However, near the end of the game as Snake approaches the final base where Metal Gear is stored, Big Boss begins to give misleading advice to the player, eventually ordering Snake to abort his mission. After Metal Gear is destroyed, Big Boss exposes himself as the leader of the Outer Heaven militia at the base's escape route and confronts Snake in a final battle with the base self-destruct mechanism counting down. After the ending credits, a message from Big Boss is displayed stating that he and Snake will encounter each other again.
In Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
is an overhead stealth action game that was originally released by Konami in for the MSX2 computer standard exclusively in Japan. Metal Gear 2 was directed and written by Hideo Kojima, who also designed the MSX2 version of the original Metal Gear...
, Big Boss is revealed to have survived his battle with Snake in Outer Heaven (reportedly after receiving cybernetic "Snatcher
Snatcher
is a cyberpunk-themed graphic adventure game produced by Konami, originally released in Japan for the NEC PC-8801 and MSX 2 computer platforms in 1988. It was followed by a CD-ROM-based remake released for the PC Engine video game console in 1992, which was subsequently ported and localized into...
" implants after losing most of his body according to a rumor mentioned by George Kasler in the game), and has since taken control of another fortified nation in Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
- Zanzibar Land. This time, he establishes a military force along with his trusted lieutenant, Gray Fox, and commissions the development of a new Metal Gear model, Metal Gear D. Snake confronts Big Boss once again while escaping from the Zanzibar Land detention camp, with the former incinerating the latter.
Metal Gear Solid
Despite his apparent death, Big Boss's presence figures prominently in Metal Gear SolidMetal Gear Solid
is a videogame by Hideo Kojima. The game was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and first published by Konami in 1998 for the PlayStation video game console. It is the sequel to Kojimas early MSX2 computer games Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake...
and its subsequent sequels, where Solid Snake is revealed to be a genetically-altered clone of Big Boss created from a secret government project known as Les Enfants Terribles (The Terrible Children) along with another clone, his twin brother Liquid Snake. The ending of Metal Gear Solid also reveals the existence of Solidus Snake, a third clone who is an exact genetic duplicate of Big Boss, that served as the U.S. President during the events of Metal Gear Solid and later returns as the antagonist of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
is a stealth action video game directed by Hideo Kojima, developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2 in 2001....
. The Genome Army that Snake faces in Metal Gear Solid are also genetically altered soldiers who were implanted with Big Boss's genes after his body was recovered.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
is an award-winning stealth action video game directed by Hideo Kojima. Snake Eater was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2, and was released on November 17, 2004 in North America; December 16, 2004 in Japan; March 4, 2005 in Europe; and on...
, a prequel
Prequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
to the previous games set three decades prior to the events of the original Metal Gear in 1964, introduces a young Big Boss as a former Green Beret under the codename "Naked Snake". While called by various characters, Snake states that his real name is . Naked Snake is virtually identical to Solid Snake from the previous Metal Gear Solid games in terms of appearance. He loses his right eye when a bullet fired by a young Ocelot skims his eyeball and begins to wear his characteristic eye patch late in the game. His primary outfit is a battle dress uniform
Battle Dress Uniform
The Battle Dress Uniform were the fatigues that the armed forces of the United States used as their standard uniform for combat situations from September 1981 to April 2005. Since then, it has been replaced in every branch of the U.S. military. Only the U.S. Navy currently authorizes wear of the...
with changeable camouflage patterns.
In the prologue sequence of the game, the Virtuous Mission, Naked Snake, a member of the newly-formed special forces unit FOX (a precursor to FOXHOUND
Foxhound
A foxhound is a type of large hunting hound. Foxhounds hunt in packs and, like all scent hounds, have a strong sense of smell. They are used in hunts for foxes, hence the name. When out hunting they are followed usually on horseback and will travel several miles to catch their target. These dogs...
) that was founded by the CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
and Major Zero (since FOX was newly formed, Big Boss and others still classified him as a CIA
Agent), is given orders to infiltrate the fictionalized Soviet region of Tselinoyarsk and extract a defecting Soviet scientist named Nikolai Stephanovich Sokolov. After rescuing Sokolov, he is confronted by his mentor, The Boss, who defects to the Soviet Union and defeats Snake, before her new host, Colonel Volgin, deploys a nuclear weapon on a nearby research facility and leads the United States and Russia to the brink of war. In retribution for the attack and The Boss' defection, the United States sends Snake back to Russia on a second mission codenamed "Operation: Snake Eater," which comprises the remainder of the story. Snake's objective this time is to assassinate The Boss, as well as the Cobra Unit (The Boss's Comrades) and her new benefactor, Volgin, rescue Sokolov once again, and destroy the secret Soviet weapon Shagohod. In the end, Snake fulfills his mission and is awarded the title of Big Boss and the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
by President Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
, only to learn the true nature of The Boss' defection from a recorded confession left by EVA, a female spy he worked and became intimate with during the story. The Boss was deep undercover to retrieve the Philosopher's Legacy before Colonel Volgin does, but was ordered to become a scapegoat after she was blamed for Volgin's nuclear attack on Sokolov's research facility.
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
Set six years after the events of Metal Gear Solid 3, Metal Gear Solid: Portable OpsMetal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
is a stealth game directed by Masahiro Yamamoto and written by Gakuto Mikumo, with series creator Hideo Kojima acting as a producer. Portable Ops was developed by Kojima Productions and published by Konami in 2006 for the PlayStation Portable. It is the third Metal Gear title for the PSP and the...
features Naked Snake once again as the main character. In this game, Naked Snake wears a new version of the sneaking suit he wore in Metal Gear Solid 3 dubbed the "Close Quarter Combat Enhancer", which serves as the uniform of the FOX unit. Although already awarded the title of Big Boss, he prefers to be addressed by his former codename, believing that he has yet to surpass The Boss as a warrior. Snake finds himself involved in an armed uprising caused by the FOX unit (now led by Gene) in the fictional San Hieronymo peninsula in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and learns that he has been convicted for instigating the revolt. Hoping to clear his name, Snake forms his own team of specialists by recruiting both old allies and defecting enemy soldiers to his cause, one of whom happens to be Roy Campbell. He faces not only the members of the FOX unit, but also the first built Metal Gear prototype known as the ICBMG. He defeats Gene and obtains the fund for "Army's Heaven", a precursor to Big Boss's own Outer Heaven.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Following up on the cliffhanger ending of Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the PatriotsMetal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
is a video game developed by Kojima Productions for the PlayStation 3 console. The game was directed by Hideo Kojima and made its worldwide release on June 12, 2008, ten years after the release of Metal Gear Solid and twenty years after the North American release of Metal Gear.Guns of the Patriots...
reveals that Big Boss and his former commanding officer Zero, were the founding members of The Patriots. A fallout between Zero and Big Boss occurred due to each of them interpreting The Boss's will differently. Zero took the concept to mean control of the entire world by a group, to ensure unification. Big Boss believed that The Boss wanted a world where soldiers were not used as tools by the government. This caused Zero to initiate the Les Enfants Terribles project. This led Big Boss to break away from Zero and plot a coup d'état against him, causing the events of Outer Heaven and Zanzibar Land. Big Boss is revealed to have survived his defeat in Zanzibar Land, but is placed in an artificially induced cryogenic coma, with his genetic code used for the Sons of the Patriots ID recognition system, the use of which allows access to the AIs
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
that make up The Patriots. His body is recovered and preserved by EVA (now known as Big Mama). After the fall of one of the five AIs his body is reconstructed using parts from the bodies of both Liquid and Solidus and he awakens from his coma.
Following the voice casting credits at the ending, Big Boss appears before Solid Snake along with a now-catatonic Zero as a final twist in the story. After revealing the truth about Zero and the Patriots, as well as Ocelot's "possession" by Liquid, Big Boss shuts down Zero's life support
Life support
Life support, in medicine is a broad term that applies to any therapy used to sustain a patient's life while they are critically ill or injured. There are many therapies and techniques that may be used by clinicians to achieve the goal of sustaining life...
system. It is shown that his killing of the Boss has still had a profound effect on him, even remarking that the day she died was the day he died as well. He then reconciles with his son before dying from exposure to the FOXDIE virus implanted in Snake.
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Big Boss' past serves again as the scenario in the PlayStation Portable game Metal Gear Solid: Peace WalkerMetal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
is a video game produced by Konami and Kojima Productions that was released for the PlayStation Portable in 2010. Peace Walker is the fourth Metal Gear title for the PSP, although it is only the second to be considered part of the series' main canon, following Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops...
. Set in 1974, four years after the events of Portable Ops, Naked Snake has established his new group, the Militaires Sans Frontières ("Soldiers Without Borders") or MSF, on Colombia's Barranquilla Coast with his new partner Kazuhira Miller (the same character as McDonnell Miller from previous installments).
The story begins when two representatives of the Costa Rican government, Paz and Gálvez, seek to hire MSF to liberate Costa Rica of the "Peace Sentinels", a rogue CIA unit that has established bases in the country. Snake accepts the mission after Gálvez hands him an audio cassette with a recording of The Boss' voice. Following Miller's advice, the MSF takes over an offshore research platform in the Caribbean as their base of operations in a bid to expand the group's capabilities. Over the course of the story, Snake comes to learn about the true purpose of the MSF's campaign against the Peace Sentinels and gradually lets go of his guilt for killing The Boss, finally accepting the title of Big Boss.
Later in the game, Big Boss has finally created a weapon that will help make sure the world stays peaceful again: ZEKE, an AI-controlled machine that will only defend, not attack. However, during the course of the game, Paz (or going by her true identity "Pacifica Ocean"), sabotages ZEKE so she can pilot it. She had planned to use ZEKE to launch a nuclear strike on the Eastern Coast of the United States as part of an insurance policy by Cipher, should Big Boss refuse to rejoin them. Big Boss, after hearing her offer, refuses, and is forced to fight a now-manned ZEKE in order to stop Paz. In the end, he is victorious. However, ZEKE was heavily damaged, with Paz being ejected into the Caribbean Sea (although Big Boss speculates later that she may have survived).
After the destruction of ZEKE, Miller tells Big Boss that from then on, they will no longer be able to see the outside world unless they reveal their true nature, as well as admitting that he was in on Cipher's plot. Big Boss rejects this idea, stating that his "life shall be different from the Boss's". After this conversation, Big Boss gives a speech to the Militaires Sans Frontières, telling them that if the times demand it, they will be vigilantes, criminals, terrorists, etc. Also, he states that if they are all heading to hell, "then what other place for us than this?" He tells the soldiers in the base that together they would build a new home for themselves, calling it "Outer Heaven".
NES games
When Metal GearMetal Gear
Metal Gear is a series of video games.Metal Gear may also refer to:*Metal Gear , bipedal tanks appearing in the Metal Gear series-Metal Gear video game series:...
was released for the NES
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
in North America and Europe, the plot within the actual game itself remained unchanged. However, the instruction manual features a different version of the story that strays from the canonical version and gives a more satirical depiction of the game (as with most of Konami's American manuals at the time). The leader of Outer Heaven is mentioned to be a so-called "Vermon CaTaffy", a play on Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
, who is described in the manual as a "once tranquil shepherd boy who turned to terrorism". Big Boss is never mentioned by name in the manual either: instead a character called "Commander South" (a play on Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North
Oliver North
Oliver Laurence North is a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer, political commentator, host of War Stories with Oliver North on Fox News Channel, a military historian, and a New York Times best-selling author....
) is described as Snake's commanding officer.
Snake's Revenge
Snake's Revenge
Snake's Revenge is a stealth action game by Konami released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1990. The game was produced as a sequel to the NES version of the original Metal Gear, made specifically for the North American and PAL market following the success of the first NES game...
, a non-canonical sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to the NES version of Metal Gear released only in North America and Europe, features Big Boss as the final boss before the player's confrontation with "Metal Gear 2". He attacks Snake as a regular man, before transforming into a giant cyborg after sustaining damage. Like in the first NES game, the game's manual names a character other than Big Boss as the main antagonist: in this case, the apparent villain is "Higharolla Kockamamie" (a parody of Ayatollah Khomeini
Ruhollah Khomeini
Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini was an Iranian religious leader and politician, and leader of the 1979 Iranian Revolution which saw the overthrow of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran...
).
Backstory differences
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
, and GSG 9
GSG 9
The GSG 9 der Bundespolizei , is the elite counter-terrorism and special operations unit of the German Federal Police.-History and name:...
prior to serving as the commander of FOXHOUND. The character portrait in the Japanese manual for the original MSX2 game depicts Big Boss wearing his eye patch over his left eye. However, the character's sprite in the game depicts the eye patch over his right eye. All subsequent depictions of Big Boss features the eye patch on his right eye. Big Boss's military career is further fleshed out in Metal Gear 2. He is revealed to had served the LRRP
Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol
Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols, or LRRPs , were special small four to six-man teams in the Vietnam War on highly dangerous special reconnaissance missions deep into enemy territory....
during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, followed by SOG and the Wild Geese
Flight of the Wild Geese
The Flight of the Wild Geese refers to the departure of an Irish Jacobite army under the command of Patrick Sarsfield from Ireland to France, as agreed in the Treaty of Limerick on October 3, 1691, following the end of the Williamite War in Ireland...
, before losing his eye in the 1980s and becoming FOXHOUND's commander in the 1990s. According to Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2, Big Boss was in his seventies during the events of Metal Gear 2 and his clones were created back when he was in his fifties during the 1970s.
Much of Big Boss' established past would be revised when his past was explored in Metal Gear Solid 3 and its sequels. Big Boss' age is stated to be somewhere in his 30s during the events of Snake Eater set in 1964, whereas Peace Walker his birthdate to be in 1935, establishing to be ten years younger than he was in the original Metal Gear Solid. He loses his eye during the course of Snake Eater to Ocelot, contradicting earlier statements of Big Boss having lost his eye during the 1980s. Additionally, the end of the game alludes to Big Boss forming FOXHOUND in 1970 (an event later depicted in Portable Ops), contradicting FOXHOUND's formation during the 1990s in earlier games.
Reception
The character of Big Boss' has been well-received with IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
having ranked him number 32 on their list of "Top 100 Video Game Villains" and fourth in the "Top 10 Metal Gear Villains". In January 2010, Jesse Schedeen from the same site wrote an article titled "Boss of the Day: Metal Gear's Big Boss" which talked about all his appearances in the Metal Gear series finding him one of the most important characters from the franchise to the point his "influence is felt in every Metal Gear game, even if he isn't always present in the flesh." Computerworld
Computerworld
Computerworld is an IT magazine that provides information for senior IT leaders. It is published in many countries around the world under the same or similar names. Its publisher is International Data Group. Computerworld serves the needs of IT management via print and online...
named Big Boss as one of the most creative "badass villains" in video games, citing the complexity of his betrayal of Solid Snake, fueled by Snake being his genetic heir. Additionally, GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
listed him as one the twenty best Metal Gear bosses with focus on his importance within the series' plot.
The inclusion of Naked Snake's role in Metal Gear Solid 3 has also received praised by critics. Prior to the game's release, Naked Snake was often called Solid Snake or simply Snake by critics due to his resemblance with Solid Snake, although some still were not sure about his true identity. Additionally, early speculation of Big Boss being the playable character from Metal Gear 3 was listed as one IGN's "The Ten Biggest Rumors on the PlayStation 2". GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
further noted that various fans started making theories about Naked Snake's identity before the release of the game as while they thought it was Solid Snake, the setting from the game made it impossible for Solid Snake to be the game's protagonist due to their difference of years. Finding the revelation of Naked Snake's identity was considered by GameSpy as "the single coolest thing Kojima could have done in MGS3" because of Naked's differences from Solid in regards to their personality as well as because it made wonder fans how Naked Snake would become the series' antagonist Big Boss. Another comparison between Big Boss' and Solid Snake's character was made by IGN's Phil Pirrello in articled called "Stars Thunderdome: Snake vs. Big Boss." GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
placed his relationship with Eva in their list of "The Top 7... disastrous game romances" due to how it was ruined by the two's different roles in the story. Play editor Nick Jones listed Naked Snake's final fight against the Boss in such game as the second best moment from the franchise, citing the emotional focus from their characters. Various gaming sites placed him as one of the worst fathers in video games due to his poor relationship with Solid Snake and his attempts to murder him. David Hayter's performance as Naked Snake's English voice actor has been criticized by Edge
Edge (magazine)
Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. It is known for its industry contacts, editorial stance, distinctive anonymous third-person writing style, yearly awards and longevity....
while discussing the dialogues from the game.