METAL GEAR WIKI

'Metal Gear' Profile: Big Boss

ADVERTISEMENT

METAL GEAR WIKI

Big Boss 00:00

EDIT

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

REAL NAME John

ALSO KNOWN AS Jack

Naked Snake
Vic Boss
Ishmael
The Legendary Soldier
The Legendary Mercenary
Saladin
The Man Who Sold the World

NATIONALITY American

BORN 1935

DIED 2014, Arlington, Virginia,

United States

AGE 79 at death

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

EYE COLOR Blue, later brown

MORE
HAIR COLOR Brown, later white

Others like you also

ETHNICITY viewed
Caucasian

HEIGHT 180 cm (5'11") (1999)

192 cm (6'4") (2005)

WEIGHT 89 kg (198 lbs) (1999)

Solid Snake Venom Snake Liquid Snake Solidus

CAREER AND FAMILY INFORMATION

This article is about the legendary soldier Big
Boss. You may be looking
AFFILIATION(S) for his
United mentor
States ArmyThe
Boss or his phantom. Green Berets

“
FOXHOUND
CIA
FOX

We have no nation, noThe Patriots no ideology.

philosophy,
Long-range
We go where we're needed, 6ghting not for
reconnaissance patrol
country, not for government,
SOG but for ourselves.
We need no reason toWild
6ght. We 6ght because we
Geese
are needed. We will beMilitaires
the deterrent for those
Sans Frontières
Outer
with no other recourse. We Heaven
are soldiers without
Zanzibarby
borders, our purpose de6ned Land
the era we live
in.
OCCUPATION Soldier, spy, mercenary, ogcer,
politician
BIG BOSS

NOTABLE FAMILY The Boss (mother Sgure)

EVA[3]
(ex-lover)
Big Boss, real name John, also known as Jack,
Solid Snake (“son”)
and formerly known as Naked Snake, Vic
Liquid Snake (“son”)
Boss,[4][5][6] Ishmael, Saladin, or simply Snake,
Solidus Snake (“son”)
was a renowned special forces operative and
Venom Snake (body double)
mercenary commander.Gene
He founded U.S. Army
therapy subjects
(progeny) along with the
Special Forces Unit FOXHOUND,
mercenary company Militaires Sans Frontières,
and was one of the founding members of the
Patriots. Big Boss later established the military
BEHIND THE SCENES
states of Outer Heaven and Zanzibar Land as
bases
MAIN for his companies,Metal
APPEARANCE(S) in order
Gearto realize his
Metal Gear
ambitions of creating a nation 2: Solid Snake
for soldiers.
Considered by some as Metal Gear Solid
"The Greatest 3: Snake
Warrior of
Eater
the 20th Century," he earned such monikers as
Metal Gear Solid: Portable
"the Legendary Soldier"[7]
Opsand "the Legendary
Metal Gear
Mercenary,"[8] feared in combat by Solid
both4: Gunsand
friend of
the Patriots
[9]
foe as a hero and a madman.
Metal Gear Solid: Peace
Walker
During the Cold War, BigMetal
BossGear
was Solid
an apprentice
V: Ground
Zeroes
to The Boss, the so-called "Mother of Special
Metal Gear Solid V: The
Forces," and later servedPhantom
as a black ops Seld agent
Pain
for the CIA's FOX Unit, under Major Zero. Having
hisCREATED
geneticBYcode usedHideo
as part of the government
Kojima
project Les Enfants Terribles, Big Boss was the
DESIGNED BY Yoji Shinkawa
genetic father of Solid Snake (his subordinate and
later nemesis), Liquid Snake
VOICED BY (JA-
and Solidus
Akio Ōtsuka Snake. He
(MGS3, MPO, PW,
was also the mental andMGSV)
PANESE) physical template for his
body double and formerChikao Ōtsuka (MGS4)
subordinate, Venom
Snake, with whom he shared the title of "Big Boss".
VOICED BY (ENGLISH) David Hayter (MGS3, MPO, PW)
Richard Doyle (MGS4)
Kiefer Sutherland (MGSV)

MOTION CAPTURE Mizuho Yoshida (MGS3)

Motosada Mori (MGS3; CQC)
Akio Ōtsuka (MGS4)
Miou Tanaka (PW)
Kiefer Sutherland (MGSV; facial)
Erik Brown (GZ, TPP)

ADVERTISEMENT

Quiz

FANDOM TRIVIA

How well do you remember Big

Boss?
Take the quiz to prove your knowledge.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Check out more quizzes at Fandom Trivia

Biography

Early years

Photos of Jack as a young man.

Born in 1935,[10] Jack’s military career dated back

to the 1950s, becoming The Boss' disciple in June
1950, and Sghting in the Korean War.[3] The Boss
taught Jack extensively regarding combat,
weaponry, survival, espionage, destruction,
psychology and foreign languages (such as
Russian), later developing CQC together. Through
the experience, Jack grew to hold The Boss in
great respect and reverence, viewing her not only
as a mentor, but also as a parental Sgure of sorts.
They went their separate ways on June 12, 1959.[11]

In 1954, Jack was involved in the Bikini Atoll test of

the Srst airborne detonation of a hydrogen bomb.
Unlike most of his friends present during the test,
Jack did not develop symptoms of leukemia,
thyroid cancer, or radiation poisoning, but was
rendered sterile.[12]

Warning: The following information is from outside

Hideo Kojima's core "Metal Gear Saga." Its canonicity
within the continuity is disputed, therefore reader
discretion is advised.[?]

In 1961, Jack carried out covert operations

alongside Python during the early stages of the
Vietnam War, before America ogcially participated.
He later stated that Python was one of the few
soldiers he could completely rely on in battle. The
two also played poker together, leaving Python
owing Snake money. The two were later involved
in a mission together where Python was shot and
presumed dead.

Non-"Metal Gear Saga" information ends here.

Prior to August 1964, Jack served in the Green

Berets for several years. By late 1964, he had
become experienced at sniping in urban and
marine environments,[13] and had eaten snakes
during previous survival training exercises,[14]
feats which would prove useful in future missions.
By this time, Jack had also been awarded various
commendations, including the Army Achievement
Ribbon, the Good Conduct Ribbon, Defense
Distinguished Service Ribbon, Korean Service
Ribbon, a ribbon that resembles the Vietnam
Service Ribbon, and the Distinguished Service
Cross Ribbon, along with several others.[15]

Operation Snake Eater See also: Virtuous Mission

and Operation Snake Eater
On August 24, 1964, under the command of Major
Zero, the supervision of The Boss, and the
assistance of Para-Medic, Jack took part in the
Virtuous Mission as a member of the CIA's FOX
Unit, in which he was to rescue defecting Soviet
scientist Nikolai Stepanovich Sokolov. Operating
under the codename "Naked Snake," he inSltrated
the Soviet region of Tselinoyarsk after undertaking
the world's Srst High Altitude Low Opening (HALO)
jump. Evading KGB troops in the region, Snake
successfully made contact with Sokolov and
escorted him to safety, following a brief battle with
Major Ocelot of GRU. Before he knocked the
defeated Ocelot unconscious, Snake
complimented the young ogcer on his gun-
Sghting skills, but suggested that his rather hashy
style was better suited to revolvers than pistols.
As Snake escorted Sokolov back to the extraction
point, the professor explained to him that the
Soviet government had forced him to work on a
new revolutionary weapon, the Shagohod. Fearing
the destructive power of this weapon, Sokolov
begged Snake to make sure to warn his
government about its existence and see to its
destruction.

However, the mission ended in failure with the

surprise defection of The Boss, and Snake was
injured during a confrontation with her, in which
he was thrown from a rope bridge. Sokolov was
taken by The Boss's Cobra Unit as a gift for the
rogue GRU colonel Yevgeny Borisovitch Volgin.
The Boss also personally gave Volgin a stolen Davy
Crockett Weapon System, along with two
American nuclear warheads. Volgin immediately
decided to test out his new weapon, by blowing up
Sokolov's test facility, with the injured Snake
witnessing the explosion up close as he waited for
his emergency extraction.

Snake, armed with pistol and knife, wearing camo uniform and
face paint.

Following his rescue, Snake was placed in an

advanced intensive care unit where he was
interrogated by agents of the U.S. Government,
regarding The Boss's defection.[16] A week later,
Zero showed up at to the inSrmary ward where
Snake was kept in custody, and briefed him on the
situation. The government had at Srst been
planning to use them as scapegoats for the failed
mission by charging both of them with high
treason for their connection to The Boss, but had
dropped the idea due to more pressing matters
arising. Volgin's detonation of the nuclear warhead
had created an international incident, as Soviet
intelligence had detected both the explosion and
the American plane that had delivered Snake in
the area, and now the Soviet government were
demanding an explanation. The Soviet leader,
Nikita Khrushchev, was personally willing to
believe that a rogue element of his intelligence
service had been behind the detonation, but had
pointed out that without any substantial evidence
to back this claim, he would be unable to convince
his cabinet and the Soviet army, who were both
pressing for a nuclear retaliation against the
Americans, of the U.S. government's innocence in
the matter. Khrushchev was able to buy the
Americans a week to Snd the evidence, but
warned that failure to do so would in all probability
trigger a full-scale nuclear war. So instead, the
U.S. government now had an ojer for Snake and
Zero. They would both be cleared of any
involvement in the defection under the condition
that Snake, again under Zero's command, would
return to Tselinoyarsk, eliminate The Boss, destroy
the Shagohod, and recover Sokolov and the
remaining nuclear warhead. This mission was
designated Operation Snake Eater. For his support
team, Para-Medic was once again signed on,
along with the new member "Sigint", a technology
and weapons expert.

Despite not having completely recovered from his

previous injuries, Snake was redeployed to
Tselinoyarsk via a D-21 drone prototype.[17] Zero
briefed him on the way, telling that his Srst order
of business was to meet up with a contact with
the codename ADAM, an American mole in the
KGB. Unbeknownst to him, however, he was
secretly being followed by XOF commander Skull
Face, who had been ordered to follow, assist and
clean up after Snake. Shortly after his landing, The
Boss appeared before him on a white horse. Snake
demanded an explanation for her actions, but she
refused to provide one, and instead disarmed him
with ease, dismantled his gun, and destroyed the
D-21 prototype. Unbeknowst to Snake, also she
used this oppotunity to plant a transmitter on his
person so she could keep track of his movements.
The Boss then told him to leave the area, saying
she would have to kill him if he persisted in
following her, before riding away.

Undeterred, Snake continued to where he was

scheduled to meet with ADAM, but he instead met
a mysterious woman who identiSed herself as EVA
and claimed to be ADAM's partner. She provided
him with a new gun, intel on Sokolov's
whereabouts – telling him that he was held at
Graniny Gorki, a Soviet research plant in the area –
and a scientist disguise to help him inSltrate the
base. Though Snake was wary towards EVA to
begin with, as she failed to give him the correct
countersign to prove her identity, he became
convinced that she was on his side when she
helped him to Sght oj another attack from Ocelot,
who attempted to enact revenge on Snake for his
humiliating defeat during the Virtuous Mission. He
did, however, also prevent EVA from shooting the
heeing Ocelot, allegedly because he was "still
young," although he had actually taken a liking to
him.

Making it to Graniny Gorki, Snake donned his

scientist disguise and inSltrated the complex. As
he searched for Sokolov, he came across the bitter
Soviet scientist Aleksandr Leonovitch Granin,
Sokolov's professional rival, who drunkenly told
him about the prototype designs for Metal Gear he
was working on and how he planned to share
them with a friend in America as revenge against
his superiors for not appreciating his work. Granin
also told Snake of the Philosophers' Legacy, and
explained that it was responsible for making Volgin
as wealthy and powerful as he was. When Granin
learned that Snake was an American agent and on
a mission to extract Sokolov, he happily told him
that Sokolov was actually being held at the military
compound of Groznyj Grad where he was being
forced to continue his work on the Shagohod, and
then handed him a key card that would help him
gain entry to the fortress, in the hopes that Snake
would succeed in his mission and that having
Sokolov out of the way would help him advance
his own career.

During his trek through Tselinoyarsk, Snake fought

and defeated various members of The Boss's
Cobra Unit, including The Pain, The Fear, The End,
and ultimately The Fury. He also had another run-
in with Ocelot, who challenged him to a gun duel
at the Bolshaya Past crevice, which ended
inconclusively when Ocelot hed the scene after
noticing one of The Pain's hornets scouting the
area. Faced with having to inSltrate the Groznyj
Grad fortress, in order to locate Sokolov and get
closer to the Shagohod, Snake was told to
incapacitate the GRU ogcer, Ivan Raidenovitch
Raikov, who was Volgin's secret lover, and steal his
uniform in order to inSltrate the base. Snake's
inSltration attempt did, however, fail when he
happened to run into Volgin, who saw through
Snake's disguise, resulting in his capture after
losing another hand-to-hand encounter with The
Boss.

Snake awakened with a bag over his head in an

interrogation room to the sounds of Sokolov's
apparent death at Volgin's hands. Volgin then
turned his attention to Snake, repeatedly hitting
him and electrocuting him with his lightning
powers, while demanding to know the details of
his mission and if he had any accomplices. When
Snake refused to break, The Boss stepped and
tried to convince Volgin that his attempts were in
vain as she had personally trained Snake to never
give in to torture, but a frustrated Volgin instead
intensiSed the torture while asking Snake if he was
after the Philosophers' Legacy he had in his
possession, before telling him that he had hidden
the Legacy in an underground vault in Groznyj
Grad, so he would never get his hands on it.
During the torture, a transmitter fell from Snake's
body. When Volgin demanded an explanation, The
Boss claimed that she had planted it on him to
track his movements. Volgin then demanded proof
and that she and Snake were not colluding against
him and asked her to cut out Snake's eyes. Before
The Boss could so, however, EVA, in her disguise
as Tatyana, intervened and demanded that they
stop, causing Ocelot to step in and accuse her of
being the spy who had aided Snake. He decided to
settle the question with a game of Russian
Roulette, and prepared to shoot EVA. Snake,
attempting to protect EVA, bumped into Ocelot,
causing the gun to discharge in his face, which
saved her life at the cost of his own right eye.
SatisSed with what had taken place, Volgin
departed, telling a distraught EVA to join him in his
room. Ocelot, meanwhile, congratulated Snake on
surviving the torture and punched him in the back
(unbeknownst to Snake, placing the transmitter on
his body again), before also departing. The Boss,
meanwhile, covertly handed Snake a gun and a
fake death pill and told him to make his escape
when he had the chance. Before the guards
arrived to grab Snake, EVA leaned in on him and
quickly explained her hidden escape route from
Groznyj Grad, telling him to meet her in the sewers
under the complex.

Back in his holding cell, Snake managed to outwit

the prison guard, Johnny, and made his escape
from Groznyj Grad. By sneaking into the sewers,
Snake headed to the rendezvous site EVA had told
him about to meet her there. EVA, however,
radioed in to warn that his escape had been
discovered and that the Ocelot Unit was hot on his
heels. Trying to evade their pursuit, Snake found
himself surrounded at a dead end where the
sewer dropped oj into a waterfall. Ocelot showed
up once more, demanding that the unit did not
interfere as he gloated about getting to enjoy his
revenge and loaded his revolver with a single
bullet. As Ocelot cycled through the empty
chambers, Snake narrowly escaped by jumping
from the waterfall and landing in the pool below,
almost drowning in the process and sujering a
near-death experience involving the deceased
Cobra member, The Sorrow. Snake reunited with
EVA behind a waterfall in Tikhogornyj, retrieved his
equipment from her, and adopted the use of an
eye patch. He returned to Groznyj Grad and
successfully destroyed the Shagohod's hangar,
eventually defeating Volgin and destroying the
Shagohod itself.

Snake and EVA then made their way to Rokovoj

Bereg to board a WIG that EVA had stashed away
as an escape vehicle. With enemy soldiers still on
their tail, EVA was severely injured in a motorcycle
crash, needing to be escorted through Zaozyorje
by Snake while maneuvering around a search
team. Upon their arrival to the lake, however, The
Boss was waiting, and she confronted Snake in a
Seld of white howers. She reminded him of his
duty as a soldier, prior to engaging him in a Snal
duel. To ensure that Snake would carry out his
mission, The Boss radioed Russian Sghters, who
were only ten minutes away from their position, to
begin bombing Rokovoj Bereg. She gave Snake
some parting words, which would come to greatly
shape his worldview and haunt him for the rest of
his life:

“
There is nothing more for me to give you. All
that's left is for you to take my life by your own
hand. One must die and one must live. No
victory, no defeat. The survivor will carry on the
6ght. It is our destiny. The one who survives will
inherit the title of Boss, and the one who
inherits the title of Boss will face an existence of
endless battle.

THE BOSS TO NAKED SNAKE

Snake kills The Boss, his former mentor, after she urged him to
Jnish her oK.

Snake fought his mentor with great reluctance,

and after a Serce battle, his mastery of CQC now
matching hers, he eventually incapacitated her. As
Snake approached the injured Boss, she gave him
the Philosophers' Legacy, explaining that she had
stolen it from Volgin earlier, and told him to keep it
safe. She then calmly gave him her gun and urged
him to Snish her oj. Snake hesitantly obliged and
pulled the trigger.

Snake and EVA then started to make their escape

in the WIG, but before they could do so, they were
once again confronted by Ocelot, as he used a
hying platform to board the plane and challenge
Snake to another Sght. After an inconclusive Sst
Sght, Ocelot instead suggested that he and Snake
should settle it in a game that combined Russian
roulette and quick draw, but not before they
exchanged their real Srst names with each other
(Adamska and John). After they both Sred oj their
guns without killing each other, an amused Ocelot
revealed that he had played a trick on Snake and
that the bullet was a blank. He gave Snake a wry
smile as he hinted they would probably meet
again. He then jumped oj the plane, allowing
Snake and EVA to leave the area.

EVA and Snake eventually made their way to

Galena, Alaska, where two sought refuge in an
abandoned cabin, sharing together a night of
tumultuous passion. As Snake awoke the next
morning to Snd EVA had left him sometime during
the night, having taken the Philosophers' Legacy
with her, he also discovered a tape recording she
had left behind for him before she abandoned him.
In it she explained that she had never been the
real EVA, but was actually a triple agent working
for China. While under orders to kill anyone who
knew this, she had nevertheless decided to spare
his life, denying that she had done so because she
had fallen in love with him, but instead because
she had personally promised The Boss that she
would keep him alive. She also told him the truth
about The Boss' mission: namely, that The Boss
had been a double agent all along, the U.S.
government having staged her supposed
dehection in an attempt to both steal the
Philosophers' Legacy from Volgin and destroy the
Shagohod in one fell swoop. However, as a result
of Volgin's unanticipated decision to detonate one
of the American nuclear warheads in a display that
would destroy Sokolov's research facility, the U.S.
was forced to go with a change in plans, having
decided that sacriScing The Boss' life at the hands
of Snake, her own favorite trainee and disciple,
would be the best way of outwardly proving
America's innocence to the Soviets. The Boss
herself had agreed to this alteration of the original
plan, willingly giving up her life and reputation to
save both her country and the world from nuclear
war, all the while knowing that history would later
remember her both as a traitor and a war criminal.

Service ribbons and the Distinguished Service Cross.

Snake eventually rendezvoused with the U.S.

government, and was lauded for his ejorts. In a
ceremony at Langley Air Force Base, Snake was
awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the
codename of "Big Boss" by President Lyndon B.
Johnson. Meanwhile, members of the government
talked about his great skills as both a soldier and
agent, considering that he might be the right man
to train and head a new unit of other people with
his abilities.

The newly-christened Big Boss, however, found

no feeling of pride or accomplishment in the whole
ajair. Having learned the true nature behind
Operation Snake Eater, he only felt shame. When
Zero tried to congratulate him, Big Boss was
unable to look him in the eye, and quietly left the
ceremony.

As he stood over The Boss' anonymous grave at

Arlington National Cemetery, Big Boss came to the
conclusion that he had lost sight of what he was
Sghting for, and with it his patriotism for his
country. Because of this, as well as his blaming
himself for allowing it to happen, he retired from
FOX.[18]

Warning: The following information is from outside

Hideo Kojima's core "Metal Gear Saga." Its canonicity
within the continuity is disputed, therefore reader
discretion is advised.[?]

Unbeknownst to him, his disposing of Colonel

Volgin had also made him a hero to the people of
the Soviet Union.[19]

Post-Snake Eater

Snake's retirement from war was short lived, and

his attempts at becoming an instructor or hunting
guide failed.[20] In 1966, Big Boss encountered a
war orphan known as Frank Jaeger during the
Mozambican War of Independence. After defeating
him and nursing him back to health,[21] he
escorted him to a rehab facility where he could be
taken care of. The rehab facility later gave Jaeger
over to the CIA for use in the Perfect Soldier
Project. During this time, he also attempted to Snd
EVA, but was unable to Snd a trace of her for
years.[22]

San Hieronymo Incident Main article: San

Hieronymo Incident

Naked Snake (Big Boss), circa 1970.

Although he had been labeled Big Boss and

became a legend in the black ops world due to his
exploits, he continued to use the codename Naked
Snake because he felt that he was unworthy of
the title of Boss. In November 1970, the FOX Unit
was considered to be rogue after its members
organized a revolt, capturing a Soviet base in
South America, on the San Hieronymo Peninsula.
Big Boss was captured by FOX and taken to the
peninsula, where he was imprisoned and
interrogated. Likewise, Big Boss was also charged
with treason by the Department of Defense for
supposedly spearheading the FOX rebellion. The
agent who led the rebellion managed to gather
FOX members who specialized in solo sneaking
missions and kill oj all those who opposed, with
Snake believed to be the only one capable of
doing so.[23]

Big Boss met fellow prisoner Roy Campbell, a

member of the Green Berets. Big Boss managed to
contact Para-Medic, who told him that both he
and Major Zero had been charged with treason by
the Pentagon, believing them the masterminds
behind the revolt. Big Boss and Campbell escaped
and went on to persuade former Red Army
soldiers, along with disillusioned FOX operatives,
to join them and rise up against the revolt. Para-
Medic and Sigint also helped take down FOX and
clear their names.

Naked Snake leads a rebellion against FOX on the San Hieronymo

Peninsula.

During this time, Big Boss met Null (Frank Jaeger)

and the two fought on a number of separate
occasions. He also met Python once again, who
had not died during the Vietnam War, but was kept
alive by the CIA and trained as an "anti-Snake."
Despite this, Boss still managed to defeat Python.
Big Boss also learned that FOX operative
Cunningham's actual mission from the
Department of Defense was to force Gene, the
leader of the revolt, to launch Metal Gear to tarnish
the CIA's reputation. Big Boss killed Cunningham
and went on to kill Gene, although not before
learning that, contrary to what was told to him,
The Boss's death was actually planned from the
very beginning by "a single deviously-cunning
strategist."

With the help of the Red Army soldiers he had

recruited, Big Boss destroyed Gene's nuclear
missile. Gene left Big Boss with a large cache of
funds and supplies that he intended to use in the
creation of Army's Heaven.

Non-"Metal Gear Saga" information ends here.

In 1970, Big Boss ogcially formed FOXHOUND, to

carry on the tradition of the FOX Unit.

The Patriots and Les Enfants Terribles

Big Boss, Dr. Clark, Zero, and Donald Anderson founded the
Patriots.

After Zero obtained control of the Philosophers'

Legacy, Big Boss was invited to join in his
formation of a new organization, comprising
Sigint, Para-Medic, Ocelot, and himself, which
would later be known as the Patriots. Dedicated to
achieving a unity of thought and awareness in
honor of The Boss's Snal wishes, Big Boss was
chosen to be an icon for the group, having known
The Boss better than anyone else.

Around this time, Big Boss participated in a

mission to rescue EVA from Hanoi in 1971, who
later joined Zero's organization herself. Stories
about Big Boss, riddled with exaggeration and
misrepresentation, were disseminated by Zero
among the masses, elevating him to the status of
an idol; a symbol to control the people. Friction
developed between the two as Zero's lust for
power grew, with Big Boss resenting his role as
the puppet.

Afraid of losing Big Boss, Zero planned to Snish up

a secret project called Les Enfants Terribles
wherein Big Boss's DNA was used to create
genetically enhanced soldiers.[note 1] The clones
Solid Snake, Liquid Snake, and Solidus Snake were
produced in this project and were collectively
known as the "Sons of Big Boss." Other heirs to Big
Boss's genetic legacy included the dozens of
failures produced early in the experiment, in
addition to the abortion of six fetuses during the
creation of Liquid and Solid Snake. Big Boss
eventually found out about the project, which
became the last straw for him. Determined to
oppose Zero and his plans, Big Boss broke away
from the Patriots.

Big Boss left the United States and FOXHOUND,

drifting from country to country as a lone soldier.
During this time, he returned to Vietnam to join an
LRRP (Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol), and
fought alongside SOG (Studies and Observation
Group), the Green Berets and the Wild Geese,
completing more than 70 missions.[1]

Meeting Kazuhira Miller

In late 1972, Big Boss was hired by the Colombian

government to work with its army. There, Big
Boss's unit ambushed guerrilla leader Kazuhira
Miller and his unit, wiping them all out except for
Miller. Big Boss later established his own
mercenary group known as Militaires Sans
Frontières (Soldiers Without Borders), or MSF for
short, and recruited Miller as second in command.
In order to ensure Miller was pardoned by the base
commander instead of interrogated and/or
executed, he also blackmailed the base
commander with a private journal dealing with
subject matter that could result in the latter's
execution.

Peace Walker Incident Main article: Peace Walker

Incident
On November 4, 1974, Big Boss stationed MSF in
the Barranquilla Coast of Colombia, where he was
approached by Ramón Gálvez Mena and Paz
Ortega Andrade from Costa Rica, a "Nation without
a Military." Since the Cuban Missile Crisis, Latin
America had become a key to maintaining the
power balance between East and West. Despite
this, an unknown armed force stationed
themselves in various regions of the country,
claiming to be an "international police force" hired
by the Costa Rican Development Agency (known
as CODESA). Gálvez doubted their claim believing
they were actually employed by "la cia."

Big Boss, circa 1974.

Big Boss initially refused to hold back the invasion,

not wanting his unit to become "dogs of war." Big
Boss eventually agreed when Gálvez showed Big
Boss a recording from Paz's missing friend in
which the voice of The Boss could be heard. Big
Boss accepted, taking Gálvez gift of an oj-shore
base and establishing it as the new Mother Base
for the Militaires Sans Frontières.

Six days later, to preserve peace in the region, MSF

moved into action. Big Boss and Miller quickly
discovered that the CIA was bringing nukes into
Costa Rica. On his way to Nicaragua, Big Boss
enlisted the help of a Sandinista National
Liberation Front unit led by Amanda Valenciano
Libre to Snd out more information, while
undercover as a Colombian ornithologist, though
he was eventually forced to take Amanda to
Mother Base after she was injured while trying to
save her younger brother Chico.

Big Boss rescued Chico and headed to Mount

Irazu, where the nukes were stationed. There, he
encountered Pupa after overhearing an argument
between Huey Emmerich and Hot Coldman.
Learning about the Peace Walker project, as well
as an AI facility in a Mayan Pyramid, Big Boss
recruited Huey to MSF.

At some point, Snake and Miller executed a

mission with the aid of a shared cardboard "Love
Box" disguise, successfully bypassing both an
enemy truck and an AI weapon. However, the
cramped space between them caused problems,
which along with Miller's sunglasses ejectively
blinding him, caused them to trip up on occasion,
with Miller also complaining about Snake's
supposed bad breath. Eventually, they became so
annoyed with each other that Snake inadvertently
blew their cover, lifting up the box while still within
enemy sights and expressing irritation at the
Miller's complaints.[24]

Afterwards, he managed to help Cécile Cosima

Caminades, the missing friend of Paz, as well as
learn a disturbing truth; The Boss's voice he had
heard was actually an AI programmed in her
image, known as the Mammal Pod.

Big Boss encountered Strangelove, who hated

him, and took out Chrysalis and Cocoon. He
attempted to stop Peace Walker from reaching
Nicaragua, but ultimately failed. Boss followed
Paz, who had been captured by Coldman, and
found Peace Walker. Gálvez (whose real name was
Vladimir Zadornov) revealed he was actually using
Snake so the Soviet Union could conquer Central
America with ease. Big Boss was forced to stop
Peace Walker from causing a nuclear war after
Coldman activated the launch sequence.

Big Boss leads MSF against Peace Sentinel, in 1974.

At the end of the Sasco, Snake decided to formally

identify himself as Big Boss after learning of The
Boss "putting down her gun", which he viewed as
a betrayal of herself as a soldier. He removed The
Boss's former bandana from his head following
Peace Walker's sacriSce. Big Boss, under Kaz,
Huey, and Strangelove's suggestion,
commissioned the creation of Metal Gear ZEKE
using parts salvaged from the AI weapons.

At some point, Big Boss initially approved of a

sauna being installed at Mother Base when
suggested by Kazuhira Miller, but ultimately
decided against it, especially after an incident
where one of the MSF personnel, Armadillo,
fainted with enough force to send the seagulls
hying away and also had to be hospitalized for an
entire month, despite being boasted as being as
"sturdy as a tank." He also proceeded to do an
investigation on what actually happened there,
eventually learning from both Swan and Gazelle
that Miller had been in the room at the time, with
the former even doing "soap play" with Miller at
the time, and ultimately conSrmed his suspicions
when Miller inadvertently revealed that he knew
Armadillo fainted in the room when he didn't even
mention who fainted. This led to Big Boss to tell
Miller oj in the showers for his womanizing
behavior setting a bad example on the MSF forces,
which quickly escalated into a severe brawl.
Afterwards, he sentenced Miller to a year of
cleanup duty as punishment, apologizing to all
involved, and keeping a check on his philandering
nature. Paz witnessed this and recorded this event
in her diary without their knowledge.[25]

While ZEKE was nearing completion on Mother

Base, Big Boss deduced there was a spy among
the ranks of MSF. Zadornov managed to escape
several times while Zeke was being built, and the
man hinted as much after Big Boss shot him in
self defense. Before they could think of what this
could mean, Big Boss received word that ZEKE
was hijacked, and rushed to confront the hijacker.

To their shock, MSF learned that the hijacker was

Paz (who was actually Cipher agent PaciSca
Ocean). The mission was planned by Cipher in
order to get Big Boss to rejoin them. After he
refused, Paz threatened to launch a nuke at the
East Coast and frame the MSF. Big Boss defeated
ZEKE and although Paz was seemingly killed, he
suspected she survived. Miller admitted that he
too was working for Cipher as a businessman,
though Big Boss forgave him. In time, they would
come to be known as the founders of "Outer
Heaven."

Snake and Miller eventually discovered Paz's tapes

and diary left behind on Mother Base. It was clear
that her commitment to Cipher was wavering but
with Paz's disappearance, nothing else could be
certain.

At some point, Snake used Miller as "Subject D" for

the R&D Team's Human Slingshot project, due to a
lack of volunteers, upon receiving a report on the
weapon.[26] At another point, Snake and at least
three MSF soldiers successfully executed a
mission near a beach, although Snake was so
exhausted that he delayed returning and let his
men leave on the extract chopper, much to their
gratitude, while requesting a second chopper to
pick him up.[27]

Camp Omega

Side Ops

Afterwards, Big Boss alongside the further

expanding MSF participated in various missions
within the United States Naval Facility in Cuba.

Big Boss awaits deployment to an American black site in Cuba.

On December 3, Big Boss inSltrated the base to

assassinate an infamous sniper duo from the
Laotian Civil War, Glaz and Palitz, after MSF were
hired by KGB contacts of Miller's. After neutralizing
the targets, they began to suspect the base in
Cuba due to the sniper team being terriSed to
such an extent that it even exceeded their fear of
death itself.

On December 7, Big Boss returned to the base to

ensure the extraction of MSF Intel Unit agent
Hideo. Intending to rendezvous with Hideo at the
heliport, Big Boss provided cover Sre from a Hind
while the agent escaped in a stolen jeep. However,
when Hideo's jeep was disabled and he ended up
knocked out, Big Boss was forced to disembark
from the chopper to directly intervene, taking out
an APC before carrying Hideo to the chopper. He
also shot down a Blackhawk when it tried to
pursue the Hind as it retreated.

On December 21, MSF was hired by the U.S.

military's Joint Chiefs of Staj (JCS) to rendezvous
with their undercover agent at the base, with Big
Boss inSltrating by hiding in the back of a truck.
Following suspicions that the base had been
secretly converted to a black site, Big Boss located
and interrogated the agent, who revealed that he
had stowed away information he had uncovered,
being unable to directly hand it over due to the
high level of security. Big Boss retrieved the tape
cassette containing the information after
deducing its location and escaped. Through this
tape, MSF was able to discover the existence of a
man known only as Skull Face, as well as conSrm
the JCS's suspicions regarding the base.

On January 9, 1975, Big Boss sabotaged all the

base's anti-aircraft emplacements with C4, in
preparation for a MAGTF assault arranged by the
JCS. The MAGTF's amphibious assault carrier was
detected earlier than expected by the base's
defense systems, forcing Big Boss to operate
under a full alert, ultimately destroying an APC,
whose cannon would have threatened the
advance. He also rescued a prisoner who was a
member of the MSF Intel Team that had been
captured on an earlier reconnaissance of the base.
As he was about to retreat, however, he learned
from Miller that two unidentiSed aircraft had
shown up on radar, and were headed towards his
location. He narrowly managed to escape the base
via chopper, witnessing the aircraft's
bombardment during his departure, and causing
MSF to suspect Cipher's involvement in the ajair.
Ground Zeroes Incident Main article: Ground
Zeroes Incident

Big Boss inJltrating Camp Omega.

In February 1975, Big Boss and Miller received a

request by the IAEA to inspect Mother Base.[28]
Although the ogcial reason given was because
they had purchased nuclear fuel from Uzbekistani
ogcials, they both knew that the real reason was
because Cipher inhuenced them as revenge for
their earlier defeat. Big Boss stated that they send
the IAEA an ogcial letter of refusal due to their
status as a private company, not a nation under
the NPT.[29] However, Huey, the only MSF member
who supported the inspection,[29] ended up
sending another letter that indicated that they
changed their minds, forcing Big Boss to allow the
inspection to happen because it would have
otherwise drawn too much suspicion. In
preparation, various AFVs save for ZEKE were
relocated to shore as well as various trouble-
making personnel ordered to take mandatory
R&R.[30] All civilians save for Huey, including
Cécile, were given papers to travel back to their
home countries. The remaining members of the
FSLN group made rendezvous with Amanda who
was already at Cuba. Big Boss also learned that
Strangelove had resigned from MSF and left
Mother Base a week earlier (he had been away on
an assignment at the time and thus had been
unaware before then).[28]

Ten days later, Big Boss's suspicions about Paz's

survival were eventually conSrmed, when he
learned that she had been rescued by a Belizean
Ssherman while she lay adrift in the ocean. Cipher
suspected Paz was compromised as a double
agent, and was being interrogated and imprisoned
within Camp Omega, a maximum security military
prison facility located on the southern tip of Cuba.
Big Boss suggested to kill her due to her
knowledge of MSF but Kaz opted to instead rescue
her as she was their only viable link to Cipher. They
decided to retrieve her later, as they had the
inspection to worry about.[31] Unfortunately, after
Chico ended up sneaking oj a supply ship that
was refueling at Santiago de Cuba en route to
Amanda in Havana,[32] as well as his being
captured, Big Boss and Miller were forced to revise
their plan to do a solo rescue op, after Chico
conSrmed their locations in an SOS transmission.
Big Boss volunteered to be the one to undergo the
operation, thereby missing the inspection.[33] For
the mission, Big Boss assembled a skeleton crew
to assist him, including the helicopter pilot
Morpho, and one of his top operatives, an
exceptionally talented MSF medic, to provide
medical support if need be.

On March 16, forty hours since Chico's last

contact, Big Boss had arrived and scaled the clij.
During the inSltration, U.N. inspection teams
departed from Mother Base, with Miller holding
down the fort. When nearing Chico's cell, Miller
radioed in telling him that they notiSed Amanda
about Chico's current status, and expressed some
disturbance regarding her oddly being elated
about being "ready for the worst" regarding her
brother. Big Boss eventually located Chico,
although he was later forced to choke him into
unconsciousness due to the latter panicking at the
sight of him, and thus risking his getting caught by
the guards. He later carried Chico all the way back
to the chopper, due to his ankles being pierced
with a nut and bolt.

Afterwards, Big Boss inquired Chico about Paz's

status. He was then supplied with a cassette tape
containing Paz being tortured by various
personnel, with Chico claiming that she had died.
Big Boss managed to deduce Paz's location after
further inspection of the tape, and managed to
retrieve her, who was alive, albeit unconscious,
and took her back to the chopper. Shortly after
boarding, however, the medic looked over Paz and
decided emergency surgery had to be carried out
to remove a bomb implanted in her abdomen. Big
Boss assisted the medic in holding down Paz as
he cut her open, and was also able to Snd the
bomb implanted in her; he immediately tossed it
out of the chopper.

The team's return to Mother Base occurred in the

middle of an attack by XOF forces. Miller and Big
Boss provided support and cover Sre for MSF
soldiers attempting to evacuate the base via
chopper, narrowly escaping before the strut
collapsed. After telling Big Boss that the
inspection was actually a smokescreen, a furious
Miller tried to interrogate Paz irritably, only to be
restrained. Big Boss eventually witnessed Paz's
death when she exploded after jumping out,
learning that she had in fact been implanted with
two bombs rather than one as earlier believed. Big
Boss only sujered limited injuries from the
explosion as the medic jumped in front of him and
shielded him with his body as the bomb went oj,
thereby taking the brunt of the explosion himself.
Regardless, the explosion made the MSF chopper
spin out of control, sending it into a collision
course with a pursuing XOF chopper.

Later, Big Boss, Miller, and the medic were treated

in a hospital emergency room, where both Big
Boss and the medic's lives was saved by a medical
team but, Big Boss would fall into a coma due to
injuries sustained from the crash. The medic,
meanwhile, was then placed into an artiScially
induced coma.

Nine-year coma

Once the two men were stable enough to be

moved, Zero had EVA move both Big Boss and the
medic to Dhekelia SBA Memorial Hospital in
Cyprus in order to be hidden, to receive medical
treatment, and to be looked after while they are in
their comas. Zero controlled the information so
that their enemies, including Skull Face and XOF
would not be able to Snd them while they were
unconscious.

Ocelot and Zero talked, with the former being in

charge of the security at the hospital. During the
conversation, Zero told Ocelot that he aimed to
create another Snake, with Ocelot angrily
assuming it was a product of the Les Enfants
Terribles project. Zero explained he actually
planned for the medic to become a mental copy of
Big Boss, and act as a body double meant to divert
attention away from the real Big Boss. Ocelot, who
only cared Big Boss's best interests, reluctantly
agreed to the plan.

After Miller recovered from his injuries, he noticed

that Big Boss was missing. Contacting Zero, he
explained that for Big Boss's safety, Miller had to
stay away from Big Boss until the latter woke up
from his coma. Zero said that the code word for
when Big Boss woke up was "V [had] come to."
Unbeknownst to Miller, Zero was actually referring
to the medic, who would act as the new Big Boss,
while the real one was to disappear out of the
public eye.

In 1976, Skull Face sent Zero a lapel pin that

belonged to The Boss which Skull Face recovered
from Tselinoyarsk, and coated the lapel pin with a
form of the vocal cord parasites that infected Zero
when the latter accidentally pricked his Snger.
Skull Face, not content with just killing Zero,
coated the lapel pin with a form of parasites that
would eventually send Zero into a vegetative state
that he would remain in for the remainder of his
life.

In 1977, Zero visited both Big Boss and the medic,

though he ignored the latter for the most part. He
only inquired about the medic when asking the
doctor which was the real Big Boss and that the
doctors did as instructed. When Zero asked if
either of them had woken, the doctor told him that
both Snakes' EEGs showed stable activity levels.
However, there was no change and that the
doctors moved their muscles every four hours, so
that they'd be ready to move should they wake up.
Zero told the doctor that the two would be in the
hospital for the rest of the duration of their comas
due to the risk of moving them, and their location
was safe. After talking to Big Boss spiritually about
the time Zero visited Big Boss in hospital following
the Virtuous Mission, Zero left the hospital and
went back into hiding for good.

Awakening

In early 1984, Big Boss awoke from his coma in the

Cypriot hospital, while the medic remained
unconscious. Over several sessions, Ocelot briefed
him on what had happened in the years he had
been unconscious, and told him that XOF had
learned of his recovery and that the "Man on Fire"
had awakened too. Recognizing the man who had
saved his life during the attack on Mother Base,
Big Boss was made aware of the plan to make the
medic into his physical and mental doppelganger,
not only as a decoy to protect him from Cipher,
but to be his face on the world stage until the time
came for his own resurgence. Justifying to himself
that the medic had risked his life to protect him
previously, and possessed the skills to take on this
dangerous role, Big Boss agreed to the plan,
despite knowingly placing the lives of innocent
hospital patients at risk in the event of an attack.

Big Boss also received information from Ocelot

regarding Les Enfants Terribles, learning that the
project was abandoned in 1976, and they
discussed how they should respond to any
potential encounter with the missing clone "Eli",
who had given his British handlers the slip
somewhere in Southern Africa. Big Boss stated
that he felt no real connection to him, but ordered
that he should still be treated like a human being
and nothing more.

Big Boss was told by Ocelot that the war business

Miller and himself started in the 1970s had a
favorable inhuence on Cipher by directing the
public's animosity outside their countries, they
could unify their frame of mind, that guns for hire
could continue the cycle, and the rewards would
beneSt the economy. One day war would become
a business to manipulate the minds of the public.

Concerning Zero's location, Ocelot said there were

no leads, and they were not even sure if Zero was
still alive, but the protocol he put into place was
still progressing. Ocelot compared Zero to Big
Brother due to his controlling of information and
said that Big Boss was the Big Brother of the
battleSeld. However, Zero would eventually have
nations under his control, he would control
people's way of life and extend oppression to the
whole world. One day, Big Boss and Ocelot would
have to Sght this oppression Zero had created.

Zero had been attacked, but Ocelot said that while

the details were not completely clear, a biological
weapon was used. Zero received medical
treatment, but he had not shown any progress in
recovery. Since the attack, Zero's speech and
actions became unhinged, and Zero's new location
was unknown, having used a blackout in New York
to disrupt the transportation and information grids
and had been covered up. While the AI Cipher
used would have the answers, it had been sealed
oj. While Skull Face successfully attacked Zero,
even he didn't know where he was now.

Now that Zero was too ill to continue running

Cipher, Ocelot revealed that Donald Anderson had
taken over command of Cipher, as well as the AI
he oversaw. The idea came to mind in 1974 when
the Mammal Pod penetrated NORAD, but due to
what happened during the Peace Walker Incident,
the new AI had been given restrictions and its
purpose was to Slter data it collected before
passing it on to people, guiding their decision
making. They achieved this by recruiting
Strangelove into DARPA. That Zero's last request
was for Big Boss to be safe. Anderson's new
project was called "the Patriots", which was going
to be used to drive society to unify the world.

Phantom Pain Incident See also: Hospital Escape

and Phantom Pain Incident

Big Boss as Ishmael in 1984.

The medic awakened on February 26, 1984, and on

March 11, Big Boss made his move. Disguising his
face in bandages, Big Boss saved the still-
recovering medic, whom he dubbed "Ahab," from a
female assassin, forcing her to jump from a
window after setting her on Sre. When Ahab asked
who he was, Big Boss told him that he was "talking
to himself," identiSed himself as "Ishmael," and
explained that "he's been watching over him for
nine years" and that the whole world wanted him
dead. After Ishmael injected Ahab with digoxin to
help him move, the two proceeded to escape the
hospital.

Due to the digoxin taking too long, Ahab and

Ishmael opted to use the elevator where they
encountered Tretij Rebenok and the Man on Fire,
the latter who caused Ahab's arm to dislocate,
which Ishmael helped put back into place, telling
Ahab that next time he should do it himself,
advising him that it was good to Sx his injuries
while hiding from the enemy. The hospital was
then raided by a XOF strike force who came to
liquidate Big Boss, and to achieve this they began
to indiscriminately and systematically kill everyone
they came across in the hospital, regardless of
whether they were staj or patients. As they
sneaked through the corridors of the besieged
hospital, Ishmael saved Ahab from multiple close
brushes with death by the hands of the XOF
soldiers. While hiding among dead doctors and
patients, they were caught by a XOF squad who
were distracted and killed by the Man on Fire,
who's attack caused Ahab's ankle to dislocate,
which Snake Sxed himself. Ishmael, meanwhile,
realized the Man on Fire's weakness, shot the
sprinklers, causing him to disappear. Ishmael and
Snake were then able to recover some Srearms
from the fallen XOF soldiers, and was now able to
Sght back against the strike force. Making their
way to the entrance hall, Ahab and Ishmael
separated as the latter ran interference to distract
the soldiers and allow Ahab to escape.

After making it outside, Ishmael commandeered

an ambulance and used it to run over the Man on
Fire to save Snake who he then proceeded to drive
to safety. Ishmael drove, evading XOF soldiers, but
he was knocked unconscious after taking a shot
from a helicopter. Ahab attempted to drive the
ambulance, but he crashed into a river bank.
Recovering from the accident Srst, Ishmael was
pulled from the vehicle by Ocelot and left the
unconscious Ahab in the ambulance.

Ocelot returned to the base area to meet with Big

Boss, who discarded his bandages and role of
Ishmael, and received clothing, an eyepatch and a
motorcycle from his ally. Ocelot then gave Big
Boss a U.S. passport and told him to go by the
name in said passport and advised him to change
his face, so he could return to the States without
incident. Ocelot then informed him that the medic
would be Big Boss from here on out, and believed
himself to be Big Boss, with the real Big Boss
summarizing that the medic was his "phantom."

Big Boss with Ocelot before going into hiding.

Ocelot told Big Boss it was necessary as the whole

world wanted him dead and assured once again
him that the phantom would be all right and that
he could handle it. Before going their separate
ways, the two smoked a cigar and Ocelot left with
D-Horse, though not before Big Boss promised
that they would meet again. Big Boss then used
the motorcycle to be on his way and began his
long term plan to create his new military nation:
Outer Heaven.

Big Boss's plans following the hospital escape

were orchestrated by Ocelot, who guided the
medic in his new role of Venom Snake and stand-
in for the real Big Boss. He intentionally used
Venom Snake and his mercenary company
Diamond Dogs to further the legend of his own
name, all the while making preparations for the
establishment of the "true" Outer Heaven, outside
of the public eye.

Sometime after Venom Snake defeated Skull Face

and regained his memories, Big Boss sent a
cassette tape to Venom Snake, labelled "From the
Man Who Sold the World," which revealed the truth:

“
Now do you remember? Who you are? What you
were meant to do? I cheated death, thanks to
you. And thanks to you I've left my mark. You
have too – you've written your own history.
You’re your own man. I'm Big Boss, and you are
too… No… He’s the two of us. Together. Where we
are today? We built it. This story – this “legend”
– it’s ours. We can change the world – and with
it, the future. I am you, and you are me. Carry
that with you, wherever you go. Thank you... my
friend. From here on out, you’re Big Boss.

BIG BOSS

Big Boss's actions, however, made him an enemy

of Diamond Dogs' XO and former comrade
Kazuhira Miller. Feeling that he had been betrayed
after learning the truth, Miller decided to oppose
Big Boss and intended to aid his phantom and
"sons" in bringing about his downfall.

Later career

Big Boss in his later years.

Since then, Big Boss appeared in numerous

territorial and ethnic conhicts around the world.[1]
At some point during the Mozambican Civil War, he
was reunited on the battleSeld with Frank Jaeger
(then a RENAMO soldier), rescuing him from
imprisonment and torture. Big Boss later took both
Jaeger and his foster sister, Naomi Hunter, to the
United States where he helped them establish
normal lives. Big Boss and Jaeger eventually
returned to Africa to continue Sghting, leaving
Naomi behind in America.

Big Boss, commander of FOXHOUND, Outer Heaven and Zanzibar

Land.

Big Boss achieved near-mythical status due to his

extraordinary military career and the exploits of
Venom Snake, earning him the "Legendary Soldier"
moniker. He was heralded as a true hero and made
the front covers of popular magazines in many
countries. Afterwards, he served as a combat
instructor and worked to reintegrate former child
soldiers into society.[3] One of them was a young
Sniper Wolf, whom he rescued from a harsh
upbringing and raised as a soldier.[34]

At some point during the Gulf War, information

regarding Big Boss's genes was used for
experimentation on various soldiers serving in the
conhict. However, many of these soldiers would
later sujer from side ejects attributed to Gulf War
Syndrome, and their ojspring would sujer from
physical deformities (nicknamed the "Gulf War
Babies").[35]

In the early 1990s, he returned to the U.S. to once

again take command of FOXHOUND, the special
forces unit he founded almost two decades earlier.
While serving as FOXHOUND commander, he
secretly built up his mercenary company Outer
Heaven into a larger military establishment, with
Venom Snake acting in his stead. During this time,
he was responsible for the wild and instinctive
strategies utilized by FOXHOUND during
operations, which often appeared to be planned
with little caution and detail.[1]

Circa 1995, David, a former Green Beret who had

fought in the Gulf War, joined FOXHOUND. Knowing
that David was one of his three cloned sons, Big
Boss designated him the codename Solid Snake.
Big Boss taught Snake the techniques of CQC and
the importance of having the will to survive on the
battleSeld.[36] At some point, he told Snake that he
was his father.[37]

Outer Heaven Uprising Main article: Outer

Heaven Uprising
In 1995, the U.S. learned of Metal Gear's
development in Outer Heaven. Big Boss
commissioned FOXHOUND to inSltrate the fortiSed
nation and destroy the weapon before anyone else
so he could buy Venom Snake time to Snish the
TX-55 Metal Gear.[9]

Big Boss Srst sent in Gray Fox.[9] When Fox was

captured, Big Boss briefed Solid Snake,
FOXHOUND's least experienced member about the
situation. He then sent him in a follow-up mission
codenamed Operation Intrude N313 to rescue Fox
and destroy Metal Gear, while also informing
Venom Snake of the operation.[38]

Later, Solid Snake showed skills beyond Venom

Snake's expectations, leading Big Boss to start
feeding Solid Snake with false information and
eventually telling him to abort the mission to
prevent Solid Snake's success.[39][40][41] Despite
Big Boss now actively attempting to sabotage the
mission, Snake disobeyed his orders and
succeeded in inSltrating Outer Heaven and
destroying TX-55 Metal Gear.

Afterwards, Venom Snake confronted Solid Snake

personally, calling himself Big Boss.[42] After
engaging the base's self-destruct countdown,
Solid Snake and Big Boss's phantom fought one
on one, and the latter was ultimately killed. With
his "phantom" and best man dead, Outer Heaven
destroyed, the real Big Boss left FOXHOUND for
good and used Venom Snake's death to fake his
own before going into hiding.

Following NATO's subsequent bombing of the

area, Big Boss rescued many of the survivors,
including refugees, orphans, and Resistance
members.[43] However, he only did this because he
intended to use them on the battleSeld.[44] He
later hed with the survivors to Central Asia.[1]

Zanzibar Land Disturbance Main article: Zanzibar

Land Disturbance

Big Boss and his mercenary forces.

In 1997, Big Boss and his followers participated in

the Mercenary War, giving a hedgling nation on the
border of the former USSR, Pakistan, China, and
Afghanistan its independence. Zanzibar Province,
a former autonomous zone of the USSR, thus
became Zanzibar Land with Big Boss as its
president. Recruiting war orphans from across the
Third World and raising them as soldiers, Big Boss
hoped to create a nation by and for soldiers where
soldiers were honored, not treated as political
tools. Some of the children in Zanzibar Land would
come to view Big Boss as a father Sgure.[45] Big
Boss recruited Gray Fox to his cause and, to
ensure Zanzibar Land's success, he once again
commissioned the creation of a Metal Gear: Metal
Gear D. This time, Dr. Madnar developed the new
model of his own free will, after being branded a
madman in the U.S. Dr. Madnar was also rumored
to have provided Big Boss with cybernetic body
parts to compensate for the injuries he received in
Outer Heaven, under orders from an Eastern Bloc
despot, who couldn't resist getting his hands on
the legendary soldier.[46]

In December 1999, Big Boss was forced to contend

with ex-FOXHOUND agent Solid Snake, who had
been sent to inSltrate Zanzibar Land's stronghold.
Elite mercenaries were dispatched to eliminate the
intruder, but each were thwarted by Snake. In
recognition of his professionalism, a dying Black
Ninja imparted Snake with knowledge on Dr. Kio
Marv's location, claiming that Zanzibar Land's
leader would have wanted him to.[43] After CIA
agent Holly White was captured by Zanzibar Land
forces and imprisoned, Big Boss, anticipating the
likelihood of Snake rescuing her, had one of the
children posted near her cell to report whether he
was nearby, as Holly denied Snake's presence.[47]

Despite Big Boss's ejorts, Metal Gear D was

destroyed and his most trusted lieutenant Gray
Fox was defeated in hand-to-hand combat by
Snake. Big Boss then confronted Snake in the
underground base, appealing to the warrior within
Snake that craved the world of perpetual warfare
that he was trying to create.[48] Having spent his
entire life on the battleSeld, Big Boss could not
conceive of a world without war, and stated that
the best soldiers were otherwise dead weight and
useless when removed from the battleSeld. After
Snake proclaimed his deSance, Big Boss imparted
the Snal words of his own mentor, before
challenging his former subordinate to one Snal
battle.

“
It doesn't matter who wins here. Our 6ght will
continue. The loser will be liberated from the
battle6eld, and the winner will remain. And the
survivor will live out the rest of his days as a
soldier.

BIG BOSS TO SOLID SNAKE, IN ZANZIBAR LAND

Big Boss attempted to gun down Snake, but

ultimately fell to Snake's makeshift hamethrower,
having underestimated his initially unarmed
opponent. Big Boss yelled Snake's name as he was
engulfed in hames, unwilling to concede the
battle, but eventually collapsed from severe burns
and was left for dead by Snake.[49]

After "death"

Sometime after his defeat in Zanzibar Land, Big

Boss's body was recovered by the Patriots. Despite
sujering major injuries, he was still alive. The
Patriots then had him injected with nanomachines
in order to artiScially induce a coma, preserving
him as an icon for the organization. Big Boss's
genome was then used to identify the so-called
"soldier genes," which were implemented in the
Next-Generation Special Forces via gene
therapy.[35] Big Boss's body was later believed to
be in cold storage to preserve his remains.

Big Boss's body is preserved by the Patriots.

In February 2005, Big Boss's body was one of the

demands issued by a rogue FOXHOUND Unit,
which had launched a revolt on Shadow Moses
Island under the command of Liquid Snake. Liquid
planned to use Big Boss's DNA to cure genetic
mutations in the Genome Soldiers, and to recreate
Big Boss's dream of Outer Heaven, utilizing the
threat of a nuclear strike with the stolen Metal
Gear REX. In doing this, Liquid hoped to surpass
the father for whom he had developed an intense
hatred. Big Boss's supposed death had also led a
vengeful Naomi Hunter to make Solid Snake a
target of the FOXDIE virus, though only Liquid's
genome proved recognizable to the bio-weapon,
which led to his death.

Prior to 2014, Big Boss's DNA and biometric data

was used for the Patriots' ID recognition system,
the use of which allowed access to their AI
network. The Patriots also declassiSed documents
relating to Big Boss's exploits during the 1960s,
which contributed to a resurgence in his
popularity, with soldiers beginning to adopt CQC
techniques.

Data relating to the location of Big Boss's

comatose body was stored in the Patriots' AI, GW.
This data fell into the hands of Raiden supplying
the information to the Paradise Lost Army led by
EVA, now known as Big Mama. Using the body
parts of Liquid and Solidus Snake, EVA had Big
Boss's body rebuilt, eventually restoring him to his
former appearance, though he remained in a
comatose state due to the Patriots' nanomachines
within him.

Guns of the Patriots Incident See also: Liquid

Sun, Solid Sun, Third Sun, Twin Suns, Old Sun,
and Naked Sin/Naked Son
By 2014, a tombstone to commemorate Big Boss
had been erected in Arlington National Cemetery.
Placed next to The Boss's grave, it read: "A Hero
Forever Loyal to the Flames of War, Rests in Outer
Heaven. 193X - 1999."

Due to his identical genome to Big Boss, the

remains of Solidus Snake were used as a decoy in
order to fool both the Patriots and Liquid
Ocelot.[50] Prior to GW's destruction, with which
Liquid Ocelot had inSltrated the Patriots' AI
network, access to the core AI JD was opened,
revealing the location of Zero. After the FOXALIVE
virus was uploaded into GW, the Patriots' system
of control was destroyed thus allowing Big Boss to
awaken from his coma. Now fully revived, he
proceeded to track down Zero.

Big Boss's Jnal confrontation with Solid Snake.

Big Boss found that his former friend was now in a

vegetative state, dependent on life support and
conSned to a wheelchair. He then took Zero to
Arlington National Cemetery, the location of The
Boss's grave. There he witnessed Solid Snake
attempt suicide and commended him when he
refrained. Big Boss revealed his presence to the
startled Snake, disarming him with CQC after the
latter drew his weapon in surprise. Embracing him
in a hug, Big Boss told his "son" (or rather
"brother"), that he felt no hatred between them,
and proceeded to explain his resurrection and the
truth behind Liquid Ocelot.

Elaborating on the history of the Patriots, Big Boss

described the struggle between Zero and himself
to Snake. Big Boss stated that, although there was
bad blood between him and Zero, all he felt now
was "a deep sense of longing, and pity." He
pondered on whether Zero despised or feared him.
Big Boss proceeded to switch oj Zero's air supply
machine, killing him, and Snally ending their
conhict.

Soon after, Big Boss began to feel the ejects of

the new FOXDIE virus, which he had knowingly
contracted from Snake. While in pain, he
requested that Snake take him over to The Boss's
grave, and assured him that the old FOXDIE
mutation wouldn't cause an epidemic as the new
strain would supplant it. When he arrived at The
Boss's grave, he rehected back on the day he killed
The Boss, sorrowfully admitting that he was
"already dead" ever since.[51] He then rehected on
The Boss's will, Snally understanding it after all
those years. He stood and saluted, echoing his
salute 50 years beforehand.

Big Boss seconds before succumbing to the eKects of FOXDIE.

“
This is good... Isn't it?

BIG BOSS'S LAST WORDS.

Sharing one Snal smoke, Big Boss Snally made

peace with his last living son, and, as a last
request, pleaded with Snake to spend his Snal
days in peace, not to waste them Sghting.
Moments later, Big Boss passed away at the grave
of the woman whose life and death had made him
into the person he was.

ADVERTISEMENT

Codenames and aliases

Big Boss's former codename of "Naked Snake" was

in reference to the on-site procurement policy of
FOX, and to the stealthy nature associated with
snakes. It was also partially in honor of the Cobra
Unit, which was founded and led by his mentor,
The Boss. During the San Hieronymo Incident,[52]
as well as the Peace Walker Incident,[53] several of
Big Boss's comrades often mistook or joked about
the meaning behind the "Naked" part of his
codename; as if it were that Snake had not worn
any clothes during the Virtuous Mission. Although
not a formal codename or alias, he was once
referred to as "Son of The Boss" by Colonel Volgin
just before their Sght in the Groznyj Grad hangar,
in reference to the fact that he was The Boss's last
disciple.[54] Similarly, while it is not a true alias, he
did briehy refer to himself as "Serpiente" (the
Spanish word for "Snake") when formally
introducing himself to Amanda, shortly before the
latter lost consciousness.[55]

The title of "Big Boss" was awarded to Snake

following Operation Snake Eater, being regarded
as "above even The Boss" after his defeat of the
former legendary soldier. However, Snake disliked
the title—since he felt that he hadn't actually
surpassed The Boss—and did not identify himself
as such until 1974. Prior to this, several of his
subordinates and comrades had nevertheless
called him "Boss," or other variations such as "Vic
Boss" ("Boss of Victory").[6] Big Boss shared his
main title with Venom Snake after the latter woke
up from his coma.

In 1984, Big Boss was also known by the alias

Ishmael, which was the name of the protagonist
and narrator of Moby-Dick.

Sniper Wolf referred to Big Boss as Saladin, [56] in

reference to the prominent Sgure in Kurdish
culture, who led the Muslim opposition against the
Christian Crusaders in the Levant.

ADVERTISEMENT

Personality and traits

“
To do the right thing, you sometimes have to
leave the things you care about behind.

BIG BOSS

Big Boss had an innate desire for conhict, mostly

because that was the only thing he truly knew,
having been exposed to combat at a fairly young
age.[57] Big Boss often viewed subjects from a
military perspective such as using environmental
landmarks to set traps,[58] and identifying with
aspects of other countries, such as France, by
their armed forces and national anthem.[59][60]
However, he was tolerant to people who believed
in peace; even if his Outer Heaven vision involved
giving the soldier a place where he would always
be needed in the world, he had nothing against
people who aspired for peace, as evidenced by his
interaction with Paz's alleged beliefs towards
peace.

He was also sometimes compassionate and

forgiving towards his friends and enemies,
forgiving Kazuhira Miller after he admitted that he
was in on Cipher's plot and forgiving Ocelot for
blinding his right eye. However, he was willing to
kill Paz to prevent her from talking after she was
captured by Cipher.

In addition, Big Boss disagreed with mercy killings,

feeling that there was always another reason to
live, as evidenced by his response to Amanda's
request that he put Chico out of his misery, if the
latter should reveal information under torture.
Though Big Boss did kill his former friend Zero, it
was mainly to Snish oj the Patriots.

During his youth, he was also willing to sacriSce

himself for his country if need be, although his
patriotism towards America came into serious
question after he was forced to kill The Boss in a
conspiracy that showcased to him how even the
best of soldiers are expendable to the
government. While Big Boss did still have some
respect for his country, he wasn't going to live his
life the way The Boss had, as a tool for corrupt
political aims, and anything he did would be done
out of loyalty to himself rather than a country.

Naked Snake.

The cornea and lens of Big Boss's right eye was

damaged, and the eyeball itself ruptured, due to
the muzzle burn from Major Ocelot's revolver in
Operation Snake Eater. From then on he adopted
the use of an eyepatch. Coincidentally, two of his
clones would later utilize similar attire, but on their
left eyes instead: Solidus Snake, to cover his own
damaged eye, and Solid Snake, to aid the vision of
his still functioning eye via the Solid Eye device.

Perhaps the biggest eject had on Big Boss's

personality was when he was forced to kill The
Boss, who was akin to a mother Sgure to him,
during Operation Snake Eater, an action that
haunted him for the rest of his life. He initially
refused to identify himself as Big Boss because he
felt he was still inferior to The Boss, and in his Snal
moments, he told Solid Snake that he was already
dead from the moment he killed her. It wasn't until
the end of the Peace Walker Incident, ten years
after Operation Snake Eater, that he was Snally
willing to embrace the title of Big Boss. On a
similar note, Big Boss also wasn't too fond of the
heap of praise for his soldiering skills initially, as he
referred to his reputation as "overblown" when
Para-Medic claimed he was wanted for treason
due to the one who organized the FOX revolt
utilizing similar skills to him.[61]

Big Boss was implied to be disillusioned after

killing The Boss, misinterpreting her Snal message
as The Boss wanted absolute freedom for all. His
disillusionment was pushed further at the end of
the Peace Walker Incident when Strangelove said
that The Boss laid down her gun and wanted to
live in peace. Big Boss at this moment believed
that The Boss betrayed him and everything she
stood for as a soldier. On his death in 2014, Big
Boss Snally realized what her Snal will was.

In his later years, Big Boss was shown to be a

wise-cracker, such as asking whether a uniform
Snake procured was a girl's high school uniform, or
whether he was moving house after he located a
cardboard box.[62][63]

Big Boss was fond of smoking cigars, and would

do so even while undertaking a sneaking mission.
He also ended up irritated whenever people either
erroneously refer to his cigar as a cigarette or act
as though they are the same thing, as evidenced
by his reaction to Para-Medic and Sigint's
statements about his cigar in 1964. Big Boss also
drank alcohol, although he had enough restraint to
keep himself from doing so during a mission. He
also showed huency in some foreign languages,
such as Russian and French, and was shown to
know at least a bit of Spanish.

During the time of Operation Snake Eater, Naked

Snake was a fan of dog sledding.[64]

He generally did not watch or follow pop culture

aspects such as movies, although he was
convinced by Para-Medic to see two movies
during his missions in Tselinoyarsk: A Fistful of
Dollars and Jason and the Argonauts.

Having a large appetite, Big Boss was willing to eat

anything he could capture during his missions into
Tselinoyarsk, sometimes not even caring if they
were poisonous as long as they at least tasted
good. This caused Para-Medic to either scold him
if the animal in question was not something to eat,
or jokingly call him a cannibal if he was eating
something like snakes or jackfruit. During the
Peace Walker Incident, he decided not to hunt any
animals (although he did jump into the water to
eat a raw Arowana Ssh while searching for the AI
lab in Central Heredia during the Peace Walker
Incident), as he and his men had plenty of food to
eat. In 1984, after Ocelot provided information on
certain animals, he would tell Venom Snake not to
eat them.

Due to a combination of both his training under

The Boss and his drills in FOX, Big Boss was
resilient to varying levels of torture to prevent him
from talking.

Big Boss possessed no qualms in utilizing

unorthodox tactics, such as hiding in a cardboard
box, or considering the idea of shooting down a
hornets' nest on an unsuspecting soldier during
the Virtuous Mission.

Big Boss in formal military dress, circa 1964.

During his days as a CIA agent and mercenary, Big

Boss indicated that he held several beliefs in
myths and the supernatural, in conversations with
his comrades:

He stated that thinking about vampires gave

him nightmares, in a radio conversation with
Para-Medic regarding vampire bats. For this
reason, he would rather she didn't utter the
name "Dracula" when speaking to him (as she
was quite the movie buj). His fear of vampires
was also noted by a female soldier in the
Militaires Sans Frontières.[65]
Big Boss revealed to Huey Emmerich that he
believed in Santa Claus, going so far as to
argue for his existence. Their conversation
related to NORAD, and was in reference to an
annual event called "NORAD tracks Santa."[66]

Despite his beliefs, there had been instances

where he was unfamiliar with some supernatural
creatures, a notable example occurring during
Operation Snake Eater, regarding the Zombie
facepaint, where he expressed unfamiliarity with
the concept of zombies.

Big Boss's snake-shaped "scar" in Colombia (1974).

In the early 1970s, Big Boss received a snake-

shaped scar across his chest, similar to that of his
mentor, The Boss. Although its appearance
suggested that it was self-inhicted, the scar was
actually a fake, and was used to store a jigsaw on
his person in case he needed it in an emergency
situation. Nevertheless, the shape and placement
of the scar served as a visual testament to Big
Boss's passion, and even obsession, with The
Boss. In addition, similar to his compatriots, he
also revered the Marxist revolutionary Che
Guevara.

One of Big Boss's haws was his tendency to

underestimate people in regards to accomplishing
a task. In one instance, during the Peace Walker
Incident, he allowed Chico to sell a photograph of
the Chrysalis UAV and pass it oj as a UFO photo,
believing wouldn't be successful, and another was
during Solid Snake's mission in Outer Heaven,
where he sent Snake into the fortress state
believing that he wouldn't get far, in an attempt to
spread misinformation to the West. Both times,
this led to potentially disastrous consequences.
The Srst time, Chico managed to sell the Chrysalis
photo to a magazine, which, along with other
supposed evidence, convinced Prime Minister
Gairy to request that the UN set up an agency to
investigate UFOs, drawing the ire of the CIA whom
considered assassinating him. The second time
resulted in Solid Snake gaining information on TX-
55 Metal Gear and ultimately destroying it, causing
the loss of Outer Heaven, Big Boss's command of
FOXHOUND and the death of his best friend and
body double, Venom Snake.

Big Boss intended to become an instructor after

the events of Operation Snake Eater.[20] In his later
years, he eventually served as a combat instructor,
working to reintegrate former child soldiers into
society.[3] However, he eventually came to believe
that soldiers on the battleSeld could never be
reintegrated into society.

Through years of training and experience, Big

Boss developed heightened levels of endurance[67]
and rehexes, surviving prolonged periods of pain,
torture,[68][69] and narrowly evading numerous
near-fatal incidents.[70]

ADVERTISEMENT

Relationships

The Boss

The relationship that Big Boss had with The Boss

was the most impactful relationship he ever had.
The Boss was Big Boss's mentor and mother
Sgure. Having spent ten years living together and
having developed CQC together, they developed a
strong bond that would last for the rest of their
lives. Big Boss, known at the time as Naked Snake
described to EVA that half of him belongs to The
Boss and that their relationship is even deeper
than friends or lovers.

When Big Boss thought that The Boss had

defected, he was devastated, even more so when
he was given the mission to assassinate his
mentor, something he found digcult to come to
terms with during Operation Snake Eater. After
great hesitation, Big Boss completed his mission
and killed his beloved mentor, this would create a
guilt that Big Boss would sujer for the rest of his
life.

When Big Boss discovered that The Boss did not

defect and that the U.S. Government had her
killed, he lost his patriotism for his country and
went on to create his own mercenary company.
During the Peace Walker Incident, Big Boss lost
some respect for The Boss due to believing that
The Boss put down her gun and rejected
everything in her life.

Before his death, Big Boss would speak spiritually

to The Boss and realize that she was right and
understand the meaning behind what she did. Big
Boss admitted sorrowfully that ever since the day
he killed The Boss he was already dead.

Zero

Zero and Big Boss were friends with the former

being the latter's commander during his time in
FOX. They trusted each other and both of them
had a thing in common that they both trusted and
had known The Boss really well at some point in
their lives.

In order to fulSll The Boss's will, they formed the

Patriots, with Big Boss trusting Zero with the
Philosophers' Legacy at the time. However, their
relationship began to strain due to Zero using Big
Boss's fame in order to inhuence people and
organizations. The strain went further when Zero
created Big Boss's clones in the Les Enfants
Terribles project, at which point Big Boss left the
Patriots for good.

Zero still valued Big Boss as a friend and actually

helped to save his life and keep him safe after
Skull Face put Big Boss in a coma, something Zero
could not forgive. In 1977, Zero visited Big Boss
one last time to say farewell before leaving the
public eye for good.

Just before their deaths, Big Boss looked back

over the history of the Patriots and how even
though there was much bad blood between them,
he no longer felt hatred for Zero, only feeling
longing and pity, and wondered if Zero hated or
feared him. Big Boss then killed Zero, sending his
former friend to peace.

Para-Medic

Para-Medic and Big Boss met during the Virtuous

Mission, having both served in the FOX unit at the
time, and they got on fairly well. She would give
him guidance on how to treat serious injuries and
ailments, as well as giving him info on the edible
wildlife in Tselinoyarsk. Para-Medic said that, while
there was a risk of her losing her medical license,
she said that she didn't care and was not worried
as she believed in Big Boss. She enjoyed sharing
movie plot lines and trivia with Big Boss. She and
Big Boss would later become two of the founding
members of Cipher.

Ocelot

Big Boss and Ocelot Srst met during the Virtuous

Mission as enemies, but over time they would
come to enjoy and respect each other, with the
former ojering advice that Ocelot would give to
others twenty years after their Srst encounter.
They became something like friendly rivals who
would attempt to outdo each other for sport. Big
Boss and Ocelot trusted each other immensely, as
Ocelot was one of the few individuals to know
about Venom Snake's true identity and role. Ocelot
idolized Big Boss and, despite his deceiving
nature, his loyalties were always to Big Boss and
Big Boss alone. Ocelot later carried on Big Boss's
will during the Guns of the Patriots Incident by
building Outer Haven.

Sigint

Big Boss met Sigint during Operation Snake Eater,

who was assigned to give him intel on weapons,
camouhage, armor, and vehicles. He also
explained the story of The Sorrow after Big Boss
encountered him on the other side. He and Big
Boss would later become one of the founding
members of Cipher.

EVA

EVA met Big Boss during Operation Snake Eater.

Though initially distrusting and rejecting her
advances, Big Boss eventually came to trust and
care for EVA. At Srst only trying to seduce Big Boss
as part of her mission, EVA also came to love him
and felt guilty when she was forced to steal the
Philosopher's Legacy from him (which turned out
to be a false copy). They worked together
throughout the entire operation and spent the
night together in Alaska afterwards. Although Big
Boss found out that EVA lied about her origins and
objectives, he did eventually forgive her. They,
along with their fellow Patriot founders, would be
the only ones to know about The Boss's true
loyalties.

EVA, out of love for Big Boss, served as the

surrogate mother to carry his "children". Big Boss,
however, didn't share EVA's care for them due to
the nature in which they were created, and
wanted nothing to do with them. Even in 2014, she
continued to respect and care for Big Boss and
their last surviving "son", Solid Snake.

Colonel Volgin

Volgin was one of Big Boss's loathed enemies due

to the former's ruthless and sadistic ways, the
latter Big Boss was on the receiving end of. After
being tortured by Volgin, Big Boss told Zero that
he would pay Volgin back for the torture, seeing
him fully as the ruthless and cruel man he was.
Even prior to his torture, he expressed horror and
disgust when he learned from EVA of not only
Volgin's role in the Katyn Forest massacre, but the
exceptionally sickening method of him executing
the prisoners by beating them to death after
removing the blindfolds. During Operation Snake
Eater, Volgin hated Big Boss for his killing of the
Cobra Unit and the threat he posed to Volgin's
plans. By the end of Operation Snake Eater, Volgin
hated Big Boss so much that all he cared about
was killing him, destroying almost all of Groznyj
Grad and killing a number of his own men in his
wild rampage with the Shagohod.

After becoming the "Man on Fire", Volgin's only

goal in his undead life was to get revenge on Big
Boss for destroying his plans during Operation
Snake Eater, his hatred and lust for revenge
against Big Boss was so great that it allowed him
to survive his devastating injuries. Discovery of not
only Volgin's survival, but also his impending
arrival at the hospital alongside XOF, was also the
reason why Big Boss was forced to accelerate the
plan regarding Venom Snake acting as a decoy.
The two encountered each other at the Dhekelia
Memorial Hospital - however, Volgin went after the
wrong Snake, instead hunting down Big Boss's
body double Venom Snake. Later, at the Yakho
Oboo Supply Outpost, Volgin attacked Venom, but
upon realizing he wasn't the same man as Naked
Snake who he carried so much resentment for, let
his anger fade and Snally returned to rest.

CIA Director

Snake and the CIA Director met during the

former's award ceremony after Operation Snake
Eater. The CIA Director ojered to shake Snake's
hand, but after discovering the true nature of
Operation Snake Eater with The Boss's defection
being nothing more than an undercover mission
and that the CIA fabricated it to the public as true,
Snake refused to shake the Director's hand, telling
the DOD Ogcial that the reason he refused is
because his loyalties did not belong to the Director
or the CIA.

DOD O[cial

Though Snake and the DOD Ogcial didn't meet at

the time, the DOD Ogcial was there when Snake
was awarded the title "Big Boss" by Lyndon B.
Johnson and reconsigned the skills that Snake
possessed and that he proved that they could use
a unit like FOX in the army.

Warning: The following information is from outside

Hideo Kojima's core "Metal Gear Saga." Its canonicity
within the continuity is disputed, therefore reader
discretion is advised.[?]

Six years later, the DOD Ogcial was implied to

have been responsible for supplying Big Boss with
FOXHOUND, thus ultimately getting his wish for a
FOX-like unit in the Army.

Non-"Metal Gear Saga" information ends here.

Ten years after Operation Snake Eater, they would

interact during the Peace Walker Incident in which
Big Boss successfully convinced the DOD Ogcial
that the nukes were fakes, to which Big Boss was
grateful for.

The DOD Ogcial later repaid Big Boss for this

earlier action by hiring him and MSF to discreetly
retrieve intel located by an undercover JCS agent
at the United States Naval Prison Facility in Cuba,
after it was suspected to have been penetrated by
Cipher.

Warning: The following information is from outside

Hideo Kojima's core "Metal Gear Saga." Its canonicity
within the continuity is disputed, therefore reader
discretion is advised.[?]

Cunningham

Snake had heard of Cunningham before meeting

him during the San Hieronymo Incident.
Cunningham tortured Snake repeatedly during the
incident, wanting to know the location of The
Philosopher's Legacy, to which Snake knew
nothing of. Snake's disgust for Cunningham grew
when he tried to kill his men to make him talk.
Cunningham respected Snake and had hoped that
they would both receive the highest honors a
soldier can get, and also implied he genuinely
hoped that Snake would be sympathetic enough
in Cunningham's hatred of the CIA to aid in the
DOD's smear campaign against the CIA, though in
his last moments he tried to take Snake with him
in death, with Snake trying to talk him out of using
the Davy Crockett in that manner. Snake killed
Cunningham during the same incident.

Non-"Metal Gear Saga" information ends here.

Roy Campbell

Warning: The following information is from outside

Hideo Kojima's core "Metal Gear Saga." Its canonicity
within the continuity is disputed, therefore reader
discretion is advised.[?]

Both Snake and Campbell were prisoners of the

FOX Unit during the San Hieronymo Incident. They
both worked together to defeat Gene. Snake saved
Campbell's life when he had malaria and gave him
advice about how it was okay to be scared, though
Campbell misinterpreted this.

Non-"Metal Gear Saga" information ends here.

Campbell became Big Boss's vice commander in

FOXHOUND and would come to command this
unit on his own after the Outer Heaven Uprising.
Campbell would help Solid Snake to defeat Big
Boss during the Zanzibar Land Disturbance,
calling the latter a "madman."

Warning: The following information is from outside

Hideo Kojima's core "Metal Gear Saga." Its canonicity
within the continuity is disputed, therefore reader
discretion is advised.[?]

Jonathan

Jonathan was the Srst recruit into FOXHOUND and

Snake complimented Jonathan's quick recovery
and his quick thinking. Jonathan called Snake a
hero when he realized that Snake was Big Boss
and defeated Volgin during Operation Snake Eater.
Jonathan joined FOXHOUND and asked for his Srst
mission. Jonathan was loyal to Big Boss as he lead
the team that rescued him and saved Big Boss's
life but at the cost of his own. Snake held
Jonathan while he died and screamed in anguish.

Non-"Metal Gear Saga" information ends here.

Venom Snake

Big Boss regarded Venom Snake as MSF's best

man. He trusted Venom Snake more than almost
anyone else in MSF, as he was one of the few that
knew that Paz had survived the Peace Walker
Incident and vice versa, shown when as a medic
Venom Snake leaped in front of Big Boss to shield
him from an explosion during XOF's attack on
Mother Base.

The medic would later be converted into a body

double for Big Boss to protect the latter from his
enemies. Big Boss would be eternally grateful to
Venom Snake, respecting him as a comrade and a
friend. He saw that they were both Big Boss
together, creating the idea of the legendary soldier
as a collective rather than as one single person.
That the legend of Big Boss belonged to both of
them. Venom Snake continued to possess his
unwavering loyalty to Big Boss, continuing his role
as Big Boss even after being told the truth. He
would later go to battle against Solid Snake under
orders from Big Boss and lose his life in loyalty to
his leader.

The Twin Snakes

“
I never thought of you as a son, but I always
respected you as a soldier... and as a man.

BIG BOSS

Big Boss refused to acknowledge that Liquid and

Solid Snake were his sons, calling them more
disgusting than cells grown in a lab. His attitude
stemmed from his being cloned by the Patriots
without his consent, in order to further their
inhuence and power. Despite this, Big Boss felt
they should be treated like human beings, but
nothing more.

Big Boss respected Solid Snake as a soldier,

enough to personally train him in CQC as his
commanding ogcer, and later attempted to
convince him of his ideological views on warfare.
Before his death, he made peace with Snake,
lauding him for his choice in diverging from the
path he himself had taken, recognizing he had
been mistaken.

ADVERTISEMENT

UnconJrmed history

The following information has been detailed in ogcial

Konami-licensed media, written by various external
authors. Its status in the Metal Gear canon is
unconSrmed.[?]

Naked Snake's reluctance towards shaking

President Lyndon B. Johnson's hand, following
Operation Snake Eater, was partially due to his
view that Johnson was not a true president,
having only entered ogce because of President
Kennedy's assassination.

Shortly after Solid Snake's initiation into

FOXHOUND, Big Boss gave a speech while shaking
the hands of each recruit, telling them that the
battles they would face were in a war unlike any
before, and that none would tell of their
successes, failures, or even deaths. However, the
battles the soldiers faced would be ones that they
were chosen for, regardless of who gave the order,
and that they would know no life but combat. Big
Boss also acknowledged that they were in a way
to be pitied, but informed the soldiers that they
were not tools of the government, or anyone else,
and that they would Sght for themselves and to
protect the things they held dear. Snake never
realized the connection between this speech and
Frank Jaeger's last words on Shadow Moses until
meeting with Big Boss in Arlington almost twenty
years later.[71]

ADVERTISEMENT

Behind the scenes

Big Boss (ビッグ・ボス, Biggu Bosu?) is the

central character of the Metal Gear series. He is
Srst introduced in the original Metal Gear as the
commanding ogcer of the protagonist, Solid
Snake, only to be revealed as the leader of the
enemy forces, and thus the main antagonist of the
game. He would resume the latter role in Metal
Gear 2: Solid Snake, in which he was the Snal boss.
Big Boss would then play a key role in the
backstory of the series where Metal Gear Solid and
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty revealed that
he's 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 main 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, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker and
Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes and as a
supporting character in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns
of the Patriots and Metal Gear Solid V: The
Phantom Pain, where he is depicted as an
American covert operative codenamed Naked
Snake (ネイキッド・スネーク, Neikiddo
Sunēku??), in the Srst two, being simply known as
Snake in Peace Walker and Ground Zeroes and
Ishmael in The Phantom Pain, sharing the
namesake with his sons, Solid Snake, Liquid Snake
and Solidus Snake, and his phantom and body
double, Venom Snake.

Big Boss is also the Srst character in the series to

appear as the protagonist and the main antagonist
in dijerent games.

As his younger self, the character's Japanese

voice is provided by Akio Ōtsuka. His English voice
is provided by David Hayter and Kiefer Sutherland.
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.

Big Boss's name in Chinese is Tai Pan, which is

also the name of a family of the most dangerous
snakes in the world. In Cantonese Chinese, Tai-
Pan could also mean a foreign "Big Boss" or "Big
Shot" in business term.

Metal Gear

Omcial artwork of Big Boss in the Metal Gear user's manual.

While the Japanese MSX2 manual for Metal Gear

displays Big Boss's eyepatch on his left eye, the
character sprite displays it on the right eye, and it
is the latter appearance that carried over to later
games. The eyepatch itself may have been
inhuenced by the appearance of Snake Plissken in
the Slm Escape from New York, much like Solid
Snake was. The same manual also describes Big
Boss as having been a previous member of the
SAS and GSG 9. However, this information was
disregarded in all future biographies, and is
assumed to no longer be canonical. In artwork
featuring the game's boss characters, the
unidentiSed Outer Heaven leader is depicted in
silhouette with a walking cane. It is later revealed
in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain that the
"Big Boss" fought by Solid Snake in Outer Heaven
was actually a body double, making the identity of
the silhouetted character ambiguous.

The packaging and instruction manual for the NES

version of Metal Gear[72] and Snake's Revenge
identify Solid Snake's commanding ogcer as
Commander South, and the enemy leader as
Colonel Vermon CaTajy. The names are references
to Marine Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North and
Libyan dictator Muammar al-GaddaS, respectively.
Despite this, the packaging and manual for Metal
Gear features a screenshot that identiSes Big
Boss's role as Snake's CO via the Transceiver
Mode. A similar distinction is made canonically in
The Phantom Pain, with Big Boss's Phantom
serving as the "Outer Heaven Commander" and
Big Boss serving as Solid Snake's CO.

Snake's Revenge

Main article: Big Boss (Operation 747)

Big Boss returns as the penultimate boss in the
non-canonical NES sequel to Metal Gear, Snake's
Revenge. He guards the Snal fortress where Metal
Gear 2 is located. Big Boss reveals to Solid Snake
that he survived his injuries in Outer Heaven
through surgeries that turned him into a cyborg.
At Srst, he Sghts with a machine gun, but after
being shot several times, he then transforms into
a giant RoboCop-like cyborg, and proceeds to
chase Snake around while Sring napalm shells at
him. However, Snake lures him out of the
command room and places mines on his feet,
which ultimately kills him. Despite his death in this
game, Metal Gear 2 is still activated.

The packaging and instruction manual for Snake's

Revenge identify the enemy leader as Higharolla
Kockamamie, a reference to Iranian Supreme
Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake

Like Snake's Revenge, Big Boss returns as the

main villain in the canonical sequel Metal Gear 2:
Solid Snake. His appearance in the original MSX2
version was modeled after Scottish actor Sean
Connery. Like other characters, this image was
updated for later releases of the game to rehect
his look in ogcial artwork of Metal Gear Solid,
which was also carried over to his appearance in
Metal Gear Solid 4. His character sprite in Metal
Gear 2 depicts him wearing a red beret, although
his portrait, both in the original and the re-
released versions, does not rehect this.

In the original manual, Big Boss is stated to have

lost his eye in the late 1980s, after which he
retired from the front line to focus on military
education and training. It is also stated that he
was nominated as FOXHOUND's international
planning commander in the '90s, but his lust for
power led him to take control of Outer Heaven.
Later games in the series would retcon this
information, with Big Boss losing his eye and
assuming command of FOXHOUND under dijerent
circumstances.

One of the mercenary units that Big Boss was said

to have fought with, after serving in Vietnam, was
the Wild Geese, a reference to the novel and 1978
war Slm of the same name, about a mercenary
group participating in African conhicts. The novel
itself was named after a 17th-century Irish
mercenary army.

During the Sght with Big Boss in Metal Gear 2,

George Kasler will mention a rumor that Big Boss
lost his right eye in Outer Heaven, along with his
hands, feet and right ear, before he was
reconstructed as a cyborg under the Snatcher
Project (referring to an earlier work by Hideo
Kojima). Despite altered depictions of Big Boss's
eye injury in later games, Kasler's account is
included in the Metal Gear Solid 4 Database and
the Project Itoh novelization of Metal Gear Solid 4.
In the same call, Kasler will comment that Big
Boss's fame as a soldier was comparable to that of
American-born Cuban revolutionary William
Morgan, although this reference was cut from the
Virtual Console re-release, due to it being too
obscure.[73] It is revealed in Metal Gear Solid V: The
Phantom Pain that the rumor was false.

Big Boss was never meant to be fought against

using the regular weapons found through out the
game. However by the use of cheat codes the
player can actually face him while still using the
regular weapons of the game. This will reveal that
Big Boss doesn't actually have any collision at all,
as bullets and explosives will simply go through
him without making any physical contact with
him. However Big Boss is vulnerable to direct
explosions, ironically retaining his weakness to
missiles from the original game. This is odd
considering that unlike Gray Fox there isn't any
actual explosives around the area, this likely
means that either the make-shift hame thrower
Snake actually uses against him has the same
properties as an explosion, or the Sght was
supposed to include a wider variety of weaponry.

Metal Gear Solid

Big Boss character artwork for Metal Gear Solid.

It is Srst revealed that Big Boss is the father of

Solid Snake in Metal Gear Solid. Snake tells Naomi
Hunter that Big Boss had told him of this prior to
his "demise" in Zanzibar Land. It is commonly
assumed that Big Boss relayed this information to
him immediately prior to their Snal battle in Metal
Gear 2, though the only detail that's made clear is
that Snake knowingly "killed" his own father at that
time, with only himself and Roy Campbell being
aware of this fact.[37] The same game further
elaborates that his status as Snake's father was
the result of a cloning project called Les Enfants
Terribles, with it also being tied directly to Snake's
twin "brother" Liquid Snake, the main antagonist
of the game. Both the original Metal Gear Solid
and to a lesser degree its remake The Twin Snakes
implied that Big Boss was a knowing participant in
Les Enfants Terribles, although later games
(notably Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots)
retconned this to reveal it was done against his
wishes. On a similar note, his exact role in Liquid
being designated the inferior clone and Liquid's
knowledge of such that acted as his motivation
varied between versions. In the original game,
Liquid claimed Big Boss had told him such directly
and had done so multiple times.[74] In the game's
GameCube remake, The Twin Snakes, Liquid
instead indicated he merely assumed Big Boss
had deliberately designated him to be the inferior
clone.[75]

In the English version of Metal Gear Solid, Liquid

Snake states that Big Boss was in a coma during
the time of Les Enfants Terribles.[76] However, the
original Japanese script states that he had simply
been sterilized due to injuries from combat.[77] The
latter account was briehy referenced in Nastasha
Romanenko's book In the Darkness of Shadow
Moses: The Uno_cial Truth.[78] Despite the
dialogue changes made for the remake Metal Gear
Solid: The Twin Snakes, in order to be a more
direct translation of the Japanese script, the
speciSc line concerning the coma was retained.

Big Boss's relationship to FOXHOUND is elaborated

on in the game's manual, where it is revealed that
he is actually the founder of the organization,
having been impressed with the power and
egciency of high-tech weaponry used during the
Gulf War. Metal Gear Solid 3 further retcons this by
revealing he had founded FOXHOUND two
decades earlier than originally stated.

Strategy guide biography

The Metal Gear Solid: O_cial Mission Handbook,

published in 1998 by Millennium Books, contains a
biography of Big Boss's early years. This
information was disregarded in later games, in
which Big Boss was of a younger age, and had
been a member of the CIA in the early 1960s.
Similarly, his clones' Japanese heritage had
actually originated with an egg donor's
mitochondrial DNA.

According to the Handbook, Big Boss was a third

generation Japanese-American who was born in
Hawaii. The entire American side of his family had
perished during the Japanese attacks on Pearl
Harbor. While his Japanese relatives were locked
up in internment camps, he joined the 442nd
Infantry Regiment in his teens. Big Boss gained his
Srst combat experience Sghting in France, where
his unit had contributed to freeing towns from
Nazi control in 1944. After returning to America
after the war, he lost patriotism for his country,
due to prejudice towards his Japanese heritage.
Big Boss later participated as a mercenary for
France in the Congo Crisis, from 1961 to 1968, later
serving in wars in Asia, Africa, and the Middle/Far
East. He also speciScally chose missions that
related to people's liberation, even declining
various missions from an abundance of
governments, military organizations, and terrorist
groups that were well-paid. It was also implied
that his sterility was diagnosed due to various
battleSeld injuries, and that he covertly agreed
with the U.S. Government to participate in the Les
Enfants Terribles. Big Boss also allegedly said,
upon being defeated by Solid Snake, that "Even
after my demise, I [Big Boss] shall live on, in the
fears and tormented minds of my hated
enemies."[79]

Ghost Babel

In Metal Gear: Ghost Babel, an alternative sequel

to the original Metal Gear, Big Boss did Sght with
Solid Snake in Outer Heaven but was killed. It is
stated that Big Boss was originally under orders by
the U.S. Government to form Outer Heaven as part
of Project Babel, but he broke ties with the project,
resulting in Operation Intrude N313. In addition,
Solid Snake reveals to Chris Jenner that Big Boss
is his father, during an optional Codec
conversation, although it is not speciSed whether
their relationship is through natural means or via
Les Enfants Terribles.[80] He also alluded to killing
his father in a Codec conversation with Weasel,
regarding rumors of the latter murdering his
brother in a conhict.[81] No. 4 of the Special Stages
section of Ghost Babel, speculated that the reason
Big Boss went renegade was so he'd have an
opportunity to Sght his son to the death.[82] No. 4
also mentioned that using Metal Gear in the
project was Big Boss's idea, and indicated that he
intended for the TX-55 to include a rail gun to Sre
stealth missiles.[83] One of the main antagonists of
the game, "General" Augustine Eguabon, was also
a former disciple of Big Boss during the Outer
Heaven Uprising.[84]

Metal Gear Solid 2

Prior to the release of Metal Gear Solid 3, Big Boss

was originally to have learned the art of warfare
from Dead Cell strategic master Old Boy, in Hideo
Kojima's "Grand Game Plan" for Metal Gear Solid 2.
In the game itself, Big Boss appears opposite both
Solid Snake and Liquid Snake in a cutscene, during
Solidus Snake's explanation to Raiden of the
similarities of their connection to the one shared
by the Twin Snakes and Big Boss.

Metal Gear Solid 3

According to a voice casting sheet for Metal Gear

Solid 3, Naked Snake's "physical constitution" was
intended to be similar to actor Arnold
Schwarzenegger in terms of bulk. It also stated
that Snake was to be 6'5, though cutscenes show
Colonel Volgin (who is more than 6'7) towering
over Snake.[85] During the game's development,
Kojima intended that Naked Snake be given a more
human feel (having feelings and pain) to directly
contrast him to his clone, Solid Snake. Prior to the
game's release, however, Kojima when asked
about Naked Snake's identity kept the matter
vague in interviews, owing to the trailers never
directly indicating who Naked Snake was.[86]

Metal Gear Solid 3 artwork depicting Naked Snake.

Naked Snake in the Olive Drab uniform is very

similar looking to the appearance of Iroquois
Pliskin, the Navy SEAL who Solid Snake disguised
himself as during the Plant Chapter in Metal Gear
Solid 2. In early testing versions of Metal Gear
Solid 3, Pliskin's model served as a placeholder for
Naked Snake, as can be seen here.

Before commencing the HALO jump into

Tselinoyarsk, Naked Snake stamps out a cigar that
is almost blown out of the aircraft he is on board.
According to Hideo Kojima's commentary on Metal
Gear Solid 3, this was done as a response to Solid
Snake throwing away a cigarette into the Hudson
Bay during the Tanker chapter in Metal Gear Solid
2, of which a lot of angry reactions were made to
it. The director's commentary, as well as Para-
Medic's conversation about Snake's mask, reveal
that portions of his mask were based on the Slm
The Fly, and was done both to give it a feel of the
time period, the 1960s, as well as a homage to
Raiden. His curling up and spinning after jumping
oj the plane before going into position was also
intended to be an homage to Kamen Rider.
Regarding Snake's use of the high speed drone,
during commencement of Operation Snake Eater,
Kojima commented on his lack of pressure suit in
comparison to the pursuing MiG pilots, and
jokingly stated that this was the moment when he
became superhuman.

In the Trial Version demo for Snake Eater, in the

call relating to Indian Gavials, Naked Snake, when
Para-Medic referenced the movie Godzilla: King of
the Monsters, took particular note of her
description of Godzilla as being "...radioactive and
pissed oj...", foreshadowing how he himself was
irradiated during the Bravo Shot test at Bikini Atoll
and his ultimate descent into villainy as Big Boss
in the MSX2 games. This was omitted in the Snal
release.[87]

Shortly after Naked Snake told Para-Medic that his

real name was John Doe, she claimed that he was
"a real Captain Nemo." This is a reference of Akio
Ōtsuka, Naked Snake's Japanese voice actor, who
previously provided the voice of Captain Nemo in
Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water.

During the game, Snake mentions that he can't

smell, in a radio conversation with The Boss; it is
actually the player that cannot use their sense of
smell to help play the game.

A conversation with Zero, regarding Big Boss's

brothers (or lack thereof), is a subtle reference to
the three future clones: Solid, Liquid, and Solidus.
The conversation originated when Zero noted the
coincidence that Major Raikov technically had the
same name as Naked Snake ("Ivan" is the Russian
version of "John" or "Jack"), and that common
Russian folklore had the youngest in the family,
usually named "Ivan," treated badly by the family,
and yet he often ended up better oj than his elder
brothers.

Naked Snake mentioning that he couldn't help but

compare himself to James Bond is an inside joke.
In the original MSX2 version of Metal Gear 2, Big
Boss's appearance was modeled after Sean
Connery, as noted above. Connery famously
portrayed Bond from 1962–71 and again in 1983
and 2005 (the latter as the voice of Bond in the
video game James Bond 007: From Russia with
Love).

Naked Snake's motion actor throughout the game

was Mizuho Yoshida, the sole exception being
during the CQC battle at Dremuchij North at the
beginning of Operation Snake Eater, in which
Motosada Mori did the motion capture acting after
deciding that the way Mori did it was more painful
compared to how Yoshida did it, and thus more
genuine. Similarly, Mori also did the motion
capture of The Boss landing the deciding blow on
Naked Snake in the same scene.[88]

Naked Snake's immense knowledge of handguns,

more speciScally his explanation and reaction to
the M1911A1 custom that he received from EVA,
was the result of one of the production staj
suggesting that they characterize Snake as being
similar to a gun maniac at a Gun Shop.[88] This
suggestion also resulted in the original concept of
Snake getting a spy-Slm gun being cut.

When EVA attempts to kiss Naked Snake, during

their rendezvous at the Krasnogorje mountaintop,
he freezes up. The reason for this was because
Snake's motion capture actor, Mizuho Yoshida, got
nervous and froze up due to his ending up being
in an emotional scene, whereas the regular
actresses were told to do action scenes.[89]

If the player inputs the Konami Code on the game

cleared screen, Naked Snake will be heard saying
"One More to Go..."

While facing The Sorrow, Naked Snake encounters

the souls of all the soldiers that the player has
killed during the game (if any), including the Cobra
Unit members. Given The Sorrow's dialogue that
Snake would face "all those whose lives he had
ended," it is unclear whether this is intended to
imply that he had never killed anyone prior to the
Virtuous Mission, though the kill count may simply
be a gameplay element.

During The Boss's speech about what being a

soldier entails, Naked Snake agrms that he will
"obey the will of the president, no matter who is in
charge." In real life, the American military and its
various soldiers swear to defend the Constitution
of the United States, and not to the President
himself.

Subsistence

Naked Snake appears in several of the Secret

Theater videos, which were included in Metal Gear
Solid 3: Subsistence. In Metal Gear Raiden: Snake
Eraser, Raiden travels back in time to assassinate
Naked Snake, à la the Terminator, so that he can
usurp Solid Snake's role as main character in the
next game. However, Raiden is unable to bring
himself to kill Naked Snake when he had him at his
mercy during the Shagohod chase. This would
later come back to haunt him when he decided to
target Solid Snake directly during the Zanzibar
Land Disturbance, which ends in Big Boss
shooting Raiden. Big Boss proclaims that Snake
belongs to him, while Raiden angrily states he
should have killed Big Boss when he had the
chance. Similarly, in Metal Gear S..., Sigint
frequently managed to beat Naked Snake to the
punch in regards to key events, ending with Snake
being caught up in an air raid at Rokovoj Bereg as
Sigint and EVA escape in the WiG.

Naked Snake appeared as a unique character in

the Online Mode of Subsistence. His stats were
similar to those in the main game. His CQC was
identical to standard characters, although it
stunned enemy players instantly. He also had a
special taunt that involved smoking his cigar. In
Sneaking Mission rules, the player who is Snake
must steal a microSlm and take it to the goal to
win, while the enemy players must keep the
microSlm safe to win. Although he was stronger
and faster than enemy players, he couldn't
respawn if killed, and use of Stealth Camo had a
shorter duration, with the stolen microSlm
remaining visible if procured. Performing his taunt
would also give away Snake's position due to the
burning cigar.

Portable Ops

SAN HIERONYMO REBEL STAFF

Snake

METAL GEAR SOLID: PORTABLE OPS

(PLUS)

CAREER N/A

EQUIPMENT Mk22

INITIAL MAX INITIAL MAX SNS

LIFE LIFE STMN STMN
 120 180 (-) 400 500 (-) 50 (50)
(180) (600)

COMBAT ABILITY

A (A) B (B) A (A) B (B) A (A) A (A)

S (S2) A (A) A (A) A (A) A (A)

MORE

If Para-Medic is recruited in Metal Gear Solid:

Portable Ops, Big Boss can learn about El Dorado
in an optional radio conversation with her. Upon
hearing about golden knives, Big Boss expresses
intrigue in them, since he could use it to distract
the enemy during CQC, much to Para-Medic's
annoyance. If the player utilizes a radio frequency
in the Town area gained from interrogating a
Soviet soldier, Big Boss will call in and fake his
identity to HQ as a patrolman claiming that a
suspicious individual was sighted at the south of
the town and that they request backup.

He also appears in the expansion for Portable Ops,

Portable Ops Plus, and also does the opening
narration for the game. Besides his appearance in
that game, he also was the main commanding
ogcer-type character on the ogcial site, where he
supplies the new recruit (the website user) with
the mission of locating various Kerotans across
various parts in the Town. Afterward, Snake
congratulates the user and supplies the user with
an exclusive wallpaper, and was about to close the
mission, but then discovered that more Kerotans
have been spotted in the REX hangar, dispatching
the recruit to locate them. Afterwards, he supplied
the user with a second wallpaper, before stating
that he has to depart, feeling his place was at a
place for soldiers like himself. If the player ends
the conversation prematurely, Big Boss will say
"Hey, don't interrupt me!" before signing oj.

Concept art and commentary for the scene where

Elisa visits Big Boss inside his cell indicated that
Ashley Wood, the illustrator behind the graphic
novel cutscenes for the game, was forbidden to
draw Snake's genitals during this time. However,
he eventually revealed concept artwork nine years
later that did depict his penis and noted it on his
Instagram.[90]

“
A former member of the Special Forces unit
FOX, and a hero who once saved the world from
nuclear war. Hailed as a true patriot by the U.S.
President and given the title of Big Boss, he
subsequently retired from FOX.

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION IN METAL GEAR

SOLID: PORTABLE OPS PLUS

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Big Boss appears (as Naked Snake) in Super

Smash Bros. Brawl as both a trophy and sticker.

“
As a member of the special-forces unit FOX,
Naked Snake assassinated The Boss and ruined
the Shagohod, a Soviet nuclear weapon. Years
later, he was used to plant the seeds of Les
Enfants Terribles, a project designed to create
cloned super soldiers. The three Snakes - Liquid,
Solid, and Solidus - were thus born. He would
then embrace his name, Big Boss, and duel
Solid Snake.

TROPHY DESCRIPTION FOR NAKED SNAKE

Naked Snake's camounage suits used by Solid Snake in Super

Smash Bros. Brawl.

His trophy depiction had him wearing bandages

over his torso and arms, referring to the injuries he
sustained both when Sghting against The Boss in
the ending of the Virtuous Mission, and when he
was tortured by Colonel Volgin during Operation
Snake Eater.

His appearance as a sticker grants the second

highest possible Flinch Resistance of +160 in the
Subspace Emissary Adventure Mode (only being
beaten by The Boss' sticker by one point).

A sticker depicting his artwork from Metal Gear

Solid/The Twin Snakes was also unlockable,
granting its wearer an increase by 30 in Trophy
drops.

During a Codec conversation about Toon Link,

Solid Snake mentions to Mei Ling that "there's
been more than one Snake." He is referring to his
counterparts, Big Boss, Liquid Snake, and Solidus
Snake (and possibly Raiden and Venom Snake).

Also, several of Naked Snake's camouhage

uniforms appear as alternate costume options for
Solid Snake. Brawl presents Solid Snake as a
composite of the Metal Gear Solid 2 Solid Snake
and the Metal Gear Solid 3 Naked Snake, as in
Brawl, Snake has Naked Snake's beard and green
bandanna, but his own sneaking suit from Metal
Gear Solid 2.

Metal Gear Solid novelization

While Big Boss never physically appeared in the

original Metal Gear Solid, he does so in the 2008
novelization by Raymond Benson, as one of
Psycho Mantis's illusions. After Mantis enters Solid
Snake's mind, Big Boss, Meryl Silverburgh, and Hal
Emmerich, are trapped inside the mirrors of a
funhouse, in a theme park where Solid Snake
spent many of his childhood summers. While he
was ultimately resigned to his fate, Big Boss begs
Snake to input the detonation codes for Metal
Gear REX, as otherwise the Sons of Big Boss
would kill him.

Metal Gear Solid 4

In the Japanese version of Metal Gear Solid 4, Big

Boss was voiced by Chikao Ōtsuka, the real life
father of Akio Ōtsuka, who portrays Solid Snake
and Big Boss's younger self. According to the
Outcast Podcast and Famitsu, this was
intentional, as Akio Ōtsuka and Chikao Ōtsuka had
fallen out years before, so Kojima arranged for the
two to work together. Coincidentally, one of
Ōtsuka's prior roles, Dr. Weil from Mega Man Zero 4
(or more accurately the radio drama) had him
saying "Not yet, it's not over yet!" at one point,
which was a frequent line in the Metal Gear series
starting with Big Boss in Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake.
Concept art for the game indicated that Big Boss
would have worn his old sneaking suit underneath
his trench coat when meeting Snake, though this
was changed to beige dress pants.

In the English version of Metal Gear Solid 4, Big

Boss is voiced by Richard Doyle, rather than David
Hayter.

Big Boss's gravestone in Metal Gear Solid 4

revealed that he had been born sometime in the
1930s (later conSrmed to be circa 1935 in Metal
Gear Solid: Peace Walker), retconning him to be at
least one decade younger than stated in previous
games.[91]

The game's Virtual Range also features targets

named "John Doe," one of Big Boss's aliases, and
later the name of the Patriots' core AI.

At one point during the Snal battle with Liquid

Ocelot, Old Snake's health bar identiSes him as
Naked Snake, due to reusing health bars from
Metal Gear Solid 3.

Although the game depicts Big Boss wearing an

eyepatch in Naked Son, the novelization for Metal
Gear Solid 4 by Project Itoh mentions that Big
Boss was not wearing his eyepatch at the time of
his meeting with Snake at Arlington and his death.

Metal Gear Online

Although Big Boss himself didn't appear in Metal

Gear Online, several items were released that
referenced him, such as a STABO Harness,
Combat Boots and supporters, and leather gloves,
resembling the ones Big Boss, then known as
Naked Snake, utilized during his missions into
Tselinoyarsk. These items also came in various
colors, as well as the option to use them in the
coloring that was originally used by Naked Snake.
In addition, Big Boss's eyepatch as well as a
Crocodile Cap that was stated to have been
formerly used by Naked Snake during his missions
at Tselinoyarsk could also be equipped, although
unlike the above items, these had a Sxed color
scheme.

Peace Walker

A promotional image for Peace Walker depicted

Big Boss wearing a beret though he wears a
bandana in the game itself. This was presumably
to emphasize the similarities between Big Boss
and Che Guevara, which is noted during the story.
Big Boss also wore his fatigues collars up, similar
to The Boss.

When Big Boss contacts Kazuhira Miller after

escaping from the torture area, he briehy coughs
violently due to the ejects of the torture.
According to David Hayter in a podcast, he
actually had to force himself to vomit during
recording in order to come up with those
coughs.[92]

Big Boss's snake-shaped scar in Peace Walker

resembles the tattoo of Escape from New York
protagonist Snake Plissken. The game is also the
Srst to deSne Big Boss's age, being 39 years old at
the time of the Peace Walker Incident in November
1974. This was mentioned by KGB agent Vladimir
Zadornov, when he remarked upon the irony of Big
Boss being dead at the same age as Che Guevara,
before attempting to execute him.[93] In brieSng
tapes relating to the non-canon Monster Hunter
missions, Big Boss was revealed to have the ability
to speak cat language, and, although shocked that
he could actually understand what Trenya was
saying, he implies that he may have learned how
to speak the language from "picking up the local
lingo."[94]

In addition, two Extra Ops missions in Peace

Walker will portray Big Boss as being bisexual,
giving him the opportunity to date either Paz
Ortega Andrade or Kazuhira Miller (although the
brieSng for the latter part implied that he was
caught oj guard and unsure). Given the two
missions' non-serious nature, as well as
contradictory evidence between them and the
story (such as Paz declaring twice in her third
entry of her diary tape that she has absolutely no
interest in Big Boss, and Miller's womanizing
character throughout the story), neither mission is
considered to be canon.

MILITAIRES SANS FRONTIÈRES

MOTHER BASE STAFF

Snake

METAL GEAR SOLID: PEACE WALKER

ROLE Big Boss

TEAM ABILITY

MORE

COMBAT ABILITY

Big Boss is only usable in missions, and thus does

not appear in Mother Base's staj.
A A A A A A A

Big Boss was the basis for three action Sgures in

the Peace Walker line of the Square Enix toy-
making subsidiary Play Arts Kai. Each were based
on uniforms the player could obtain in the game
(the Jungle Fatigues, the Sneaking Suit, and the
Battle Dress). Of the three, two of the Sgures
(Jungle Fatigues and Sneaking Suit) also came
with a pass code that would unlock a soldier for
Mother Base if inputted. Likewise, the Battle Dress
was also customizable so it would resemble an
MSF soldier.

During gameplay, Big Boss could push press the

AI weapons Cocoon and Peace Walker, as well as
ZEKE via a button prompt to counter their
respective crush and stomp attacks. Similarly, in
missions relating to the Mine Base, depending on
whether the player is playing via single player
(prior to completing the story line in the case of
Main Ops) or via the game's CO-OP mode, Big Boss
either is required to lift up a garage door that
acted as the sole remaining obstacle between him
and Peace Walker's hangar, or otherwise allow a
friend to do it for him.

Yoji Shinkawa painted a picture of Big Boss for a

small live audience as part of his "The Art of Yoji
Shinkawa" exhibit at the Konami Style store.[95]
This same painting was also used for the cover of
the Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker O_cial Arts
Book. Similarly, MetalGearSolid.com also "snuck in"
T-shirts that bore this design into the 2011 Comic
Con, with them reporting to their Facebook page
that fans "inSltrate" to buy one and give positive
reviews to Kojima.[96]

During the Extra Ops mission "Base Defense" for

the Mine Base interior, Big Boss after defeating
every 10 soldiers will contact the player via radio,
marking the Srst time since Metal Gear that Big
Boss contacts the player via radio (not counting
the Portable Ops Plus ogcial website).

Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops

Big Boss also appeared in the android/iOS game

Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops, both as a major
character and as several cards. As such, he also
possessed the most bios in the game, containing
separate entries for his Virtuous Mission
appearance, his Operation Snake Eater
appearance, and his Peace Walker Incident
appearance.

Metal Gear Solid V

On June 6, 2013, Kojima conSrmed that Kiefer

Sutherland would be the voice and facial capture
actor for Big Boss.[97]

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes

A promotional image of Big Boss, as featured in Ground Zeroes.

Big Boss is the main character of Metal Gear Solid

V: Ground Zeroes. He returns in Metal Gear Solid V:
The Phantom Pain as an incidental character. In
the initial Ground Zeroes trailer, he appears to
have a fully gray head of hair after taking oj his
NVGs, although Kojima stated that this was
actually the result of lighting, rather than an
indicator that he had gone gray.[98] In the actual
gameplay demo, he still retains brown hair for the
most part, although his beard has gone gray. Big
Boss is also the playable character in the majority
of the pseudo-historical Side Ops, which take
place prior to the events of the main game.

Besides the main game, Big Boss is available as an

ogcer-type character for the Mother Base
development game on the Ground Zeroes app,
released on the iPhone and Android systems. He is
available from the start of the game, alongside
Kazuhira Miller. Aside from this, his Naked Snake
self is also an unlockable ogcer-type character, in
this case being unlockable by doing a no-kill run
during Ground Zeroes while connected to the app.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Big Boss later appeared in the VGA 2012 Phantom

Pain trailer, under the guise of Ishmael. However,
because it was initially stated that the game was
being developed by a seemingly separate Swedish
company called Moby Dick Studio, he wasn't
explicitly identiSed as such. It was also revealed
that while Akio Ōtsuka would reprise his role for
the Japanese version, David Hayter would not for
the English version. According to Hayter, Kojima
had left him out of the decision.[99] This was not
the Srst time where Hayter was considered for
replacement, or that a dijerent voice actor for
Naked Snake was considered, as Kojima had
intended for the character to be voiced by Kurt
Russell (who had previously played Snake Plissken,
one of the inspirations for Solid Snake and, to a
lesser extent, Naked Snake/Big Boss) as early as
Metal Gear Solid 3.[100]

Prior to the ogcial announcement of Ground

Zeroes, and by extension, The Phantom Pain,
during GDC 2012, Big Boss appeared on two
pictures on a Developers Sans Frontières website
recruiting various game developers for the new
Metal Gear game. The Srst picture, on the entry
gate for the website, was Big Boss, stylized in a
similar manner to Uncle Sam recruitment posters,
pointing at the user with the words "BIG BOSS [sic]
wants YOU! THE "NEXT" MGS DEVELOPMENT
WITHOUT BORDERS GDC 2012 Booth #1914" below
him. The second picture, contained in a "classiSed"
manila folder, showed Big Boss wearing a poncho
with a Rhodesian Ridgeback-like dog
accompanying him, as well as a logo that was later
revealed by Kojima to be the logo for "Diamond
Dogs."

As Ishmael, Big Boss appeared in the GDC 2013

trailer for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
Although his true identity was initially a mystery,
his English voice actor was discovered to be the
same as that of Big Boss, Kiefer
Sutherland.[101][102][103] The name Ishmael is a
reference to the character from the novel Moby-
Dick. The Phantom Pain trailer also featured an
apparition resembling a burning whale, and the
player character was referred to as Ahab, another
major character in the novel.

Ishmael's likeness was later used for a mask worn

by Kojima during an interview with GameTrailers
TV host Geoj Keighley, while posing as the
supposed creator of the game, Joakim Mogren, on
March 28, 2013. The Ishmael mask was earlier
hinted at in a Twitter post on Kojima's Twitter
account, where he claimed that he was bringing "a
secret weapon" to the GDC 2013 presentation.
Similarly, an earlier interview on the March 14, 2013
episode of GameTrailers TV, which aired prior to
the GDC 2013 announcement of The Phantom
Pain, had "Mogren" wearing similar bandages to
Ishmael, although he claimed that it was due to
him getting into an "accident."[104]

In the Truth ending, after Venom Snake hips the

tape "From Man Who Sold the World", he sees
Operation Intrude N313, which is the name of the
mission in the original Metal Gear. In the next
scene, Venom sees himself in the mirror with a
bloody face and larger horn, before punching the
mirror. The exact time is deliberately vague, and
Venom disappears into fog after smashing the
mirror. Even though Venom Snake and Big Boss
are established in the Truth ending and the Truth
tapes to be separate entities, the iDroid transcripts
for the ending and the tapes involving Big Boss
still list him as "Snake" similar to Venom Snake.

Mo
the
r
Ba
se
in_
ltra
tio
n
Venom Snake, Big Boss's phantom and double.
The
Ga
mescom 2014 Multiplayer trailer revealed that a
player could inSltrate another player's Mother Base
as Snake, with the other player's company being
changed to Roughneck Raven, another PMC
operating in the region, the Diamond Dogs logos
being (mostly) replaced by that company's logo. It
was also revealed that the owner of the base
could ambush the inSltrator, though interestingly
both appear as Snake, with the second wearing a
dijerent camouhage uniform.

Allusions to previous games

Big Boss's rivalry with Ocelot throughout Metal

Gear Solid 3 is somewhat akin to that of siblings.
Gene also referred to himself and Big Boss as
being "like brothers" during Portable Ops. These
relationships mirror the one between Solid Snake
and Liquid Snake in the original Metal Gear Solid.
On a somewhat related note, Kojima, in his
commentary of the former game, noted that
Ocelot and Liquid's Japanese names rhymed,
further comparing Naked Snake and Ocelot's
rivalry with Solid and Liquid Snake's rivalry.

In Peace Walker, Huey Emmerich asks Big Boss if

he would ever Sght a clone of himself, using it as a
metaphor for nuclear deterrence. Big Boss
answers "I wouldn't want to do that, no telling
who'd survive."[105] This is an obvious allusion to
the future conhict between Big Boss and his clone
Solid Snake, in which the former is defeated.

E3 Battle

In May 2012, Big Boss, identiSed as Naked Snake,

appeared as a participant in the Konami sponsored
web event E3 Battle, where he beat out Ash
Lambert from the 1996 game Vandal Hearts in the
Srst round. He proceeded to face oj against, and
defeated Murphy Pendleton from Silent Hill:
Downpour in the second round. He proceeded to
face oj against, and defeated, Psycho Mantis in
the third round. He then faced oj against and
defeated Solid Snake in the fourth round. He
proceeded to face oj against, and defeated
Raiden in the semiSnals. He will face oj against
Metal Gear REX in the Snal round of the event, in a
no-holds barred beat-down.[106] Naked Snake
managed to defeat REX and became the
champion of the E3 Battle.

“
NAKED SNAKE
FIRST APPEARED IN:
Metal Gear (1987, as 'Big Boss')
Founder of the Special Forces Unit, FOXHOUND,
among others. Survivor of countless battle6elds.

NAKED SNAKE'S BIO IN E3 BATTLE

Versus Battle

Big Boss appeared in Versus Battle twice, Srst

Sghting against Metal Gear REX and later
FOXHOUND under the name Big Boss, and also
under the name Naked Snake while Sghting
against Solid Snake.

“
STRENGTHS:
Arguably the Greatest Warrior Ever
WEAKNESSES:
Nukes? Cigars?
FEATURED FACT:
FOXHOUND founder and genetic father of Solid,
Liquid, & Solidus Snake, Big Boss earned his
name by defeating The Boss in Operation Snake
Eater
FEATURED GAME:
METAL GEAR SOLID: THE LEGACY COLLECTION

BIG BOSS'S BIO ON VERSUS BATTLE; AGAINST

REX

“
STRENGTHS:
The Original Snake, Taught by The Boss
WEAKNESSES:
Disillusioned from Battle & Betrayal
FEATURED FACT:
Although given the nickname “Big Boss” after
defeating The Boss, he continued to call himself
Naked Snake in respect to The Boss’s skill
FEATURED GAME:
METAL GEAR SOLID: THE LEGACY COLLECTION

NAKED SNAKE'S BIO ON VERSUS BATTLE

“
STRENGTHS:
Too Numerous To Name
WEAKNESSES:
EVA, Cigars
FEATURED FACT:
Naked Snake became known as Big Boss after
defeating The Boss in battle, and was the
genetic father of Solid Snake, Liquid Snake, and
Solidus Snake
FEATURED GAME:
METAL GEAR SOLID: THE LEGACY COLLECTION

BIG BOSS IN VERSUS BATTLE; AGAINST

FOXHOUND

Metal Gear Survive

Big Boss appears in the non-canon game Metal

Gear Survive in the hashback of the Ground Zeroes
Incident.

Aside from this, he also was alluded to in the havor

text for the Event Episode "The Encounter: Begin
1964 Event!", and his Jungle Fatigues are an
unlockable item in the same event at the price of
5000 Battle Points earned during the event
period.

References in other media

Owing to the popularity of the Metal Gear series,

Big Boss has made cameos in various media,
some with direct relation to the games he was
currently in as crossover material.

Monster Hunter Portable 3rd

As part of a crossover promotion between Peace

Walker and Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, male
players can receive a Big Boss outSt in a special
quest. Female players receive The Boss outSt,
while Felyne comrades get a Solid Snake
outSt.[107][108][109]

LittleBigPlanet 3

Big Boss appears as a costume in a Ground

Zeroes-themed DLC pack for LittleBigPlanet 3.

Archie Comics

Although Big Boss does not appear in any Archie

Comics stories directly, his Metal Gear Solid 3
incarnation appears as a Halloween costume for
the character Roll Light of the Mega Man serial in a
Halloween 2013-related blog by Ryan Jampole.
Her associated quote for the costume was also a
direct reference to the start of the Virtuous
Mission segment of the same game.[110]

I Wanna Be the Guy

Big Boss, more speciScally his appearance in Metal

Gear 2, makes a brief cameo in the end credits for
the freeware game I Wanna Be the Guy, as part of
a series of portraits depicting the previous "guys",
with his portrait being based on his appearance in
the original MSX2 version of Metal Gear 2 rather
than his appearance in the re-released versions of
the game.

Super Bomberman R

Naked Snake and his son Solid Snake appeared as

downloadable characters in Super Bomberman R.
Both characters are voiced by David Hayter,
marking the Srst time he voiced the characters in
a video game since Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
and Metal Gear Solid 4, respectively.

Naming controversy

Much controversy and debate surrounds Big

Boss's real name. When Metal Gear Solid 3 was
released, players safely assumed his real name
was Jack, as The Boss and Major Zero called him
by this name on several occasions. In addition, a
voice casting sheet leaked before Metal Gear Solid
3's release stated that Big Boss's real name was
Jack.

However, early on in the game, Big Boss is asked

by Para-Medic what his real name is, to which he
responds "John Doe" with Para-Medic replying
"and they call you Jack for short?" Due to slightly
tongue-in-cheek nature of the conversation, as
well as Para-Medic jokingly responding that her
real name is Jane Doe, most initially thought it
was nothing more than a joke. However, at the end
of Metal Gear Solid 3, Big Boss also tells Ocelot
that his name is John, and in Japan, a Limited
Edition release of Metal Gear Solid 3 included a
book called R which stated Big Boss's real name
was John Doe. The master Patriot AI, which is
accessed via Big Boss's biometric data, is also
named John Doe (although it is also possible that
JD was named as such as a reference to the fact
that the last leaders of the Patriots were "no one"
(i.e. AIs)). In Peace Walker, when Snake tells Gálvez
that Big Boss is just a codename the CIA made up,
Gálvez then asks if he would prefer it if he called
him John.

To further add to the confusion, the Metal Gear

Solid 4 Database listed Big Boss's name as simply
"John."

Kojima was asked in session 08 of the Kojima

Productions Report Podcast which helped
celebrate the North American release of Portable
Ops whether Big Boss's real name was Jack or
John. Kojima answered by saying that it could be
both since both names can be applicable as the
name "Jack" in English is the diminutive form of
the name "John."

The name John Doe is used as a colloquialism

when the true name of a male is unknown or is
being intentionally concealed.

To a lesser extent, there was also a minor

controversy surrounding the Vic Boss nickname
that Big Boss possessed in Peace Walker, whether
it was a South American dialect pronunciation of
Big Boss or whether it was shorthand for Boss of
Victory. However, the dialogue bubble included in
the Snal version of the game makes clear that the
Vic Boss was meant to the latter. Coincidentally,
"Vic Boss" sounded similar to Vic Viper, the Srst
spaceship used by Dr. Venom in the Srst Gradius
game (also made by Konami).[111]

While Big Boss's clones are most often referred to

as his sons in the series, they are biologically more
similar to identical twins, since they share more
genes with him than children born by normal
sexual reproduction.

ADVERTISEMENT

Appearances

Metal Gear
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
Metal Gear Solid (mentioned)
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (mentioned
and hashbacks)

Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (mentioned)

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Non-canon

Snake's Revenge
Metal Gear: Ghost Babel (mentioned)
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (Secret Theater)
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus
Metal Gear Survive (mentioned and hashbacks)

Sources

Metal Gear Acid

Metal Gear Acid 2
Metal Gear Solid 4 Database
Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops

ADVERTISEMENT

Gallery

Metal Gear

"Big Boss" character sprites.

Original character art from the

manual, with patch over left
eye.

Screenshot of "Big Boss" (top)

battling Solid Snake (bottom).

Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake

Screenshot of Big Boss (top)

battling Solid Snake (bottom).

Original portrait of Big Boss.

Revised portrait of Big Boss for

the 2004 re-release.

Metal Gear Solid

Concept artwork by character Yoji Shinkawa character art.

designer Yoji Shinkawa.

Yoji Shinkawa character

portrait.

Compiled artwork for The Art of

Metal Gear Solid book.

Illustrated biography from

Metal Gear Solid: Integral
website.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

Big Boss, from whom both

Solid and Liquid Snake wished
to sever ties, in a nashback…
cutscene.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Snake shirtless concept art

Snake early concept art

Polygon model of Naked Snake

in Jeld uniform.

Polygon model of Naked Snake

in CQC stance, with bandanna.

The game's Jrst full reveal of

the series' new protagonist.

Polygon model of Naked Snake,

saluting in formal dress
uniform.

Naked Snake, with bandanna

Snake on his mission to protect and eyepatch, at Rokovoj
Sokolov. Bereg.

Photos of a young Jack from a Snake smoking a cigar

nashback cutscene. following Operation Snake
Eater.

Snake's Service ribbons and

Distinguished Service Cross.

MGS3 artwork depicting Naked

Snake wearing glasses and a
Snake.
white lab coat.

Naked Snake character art.

Artwork of Naked Snake by Yoji
Shinkawa.

Artwork of Naked Snake by Yoji

Shinkawa.
Artwork of Naked Snake by Yoji
Shinkawa.

Poor Naked Snake wrapped in

bandages, in a prison cell.
Artwork of Naked Snake and
The Boss by Yoji Shinkawa.

Artwork of Naked Snake and

The Boss by Yoji Shinkawa.

VIEW MORE

Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D

Snake smokes a cigar on board Snake examines his

an aircraft during a cutscene. surroundings during a
cutscene.

Snake arms himself with the

Mk.22 pistol during a cutscene.

Promotional image of Naked

Snake for Snake Eater 3D.

Promotional image of Naked

Snake (English).

Promotional image of Naked

Snake (Japanese).

Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater Pachislot

Promotional image with jungle-

themed background.
Promotional image for Snake
Eater Pachislot.

Wallpaper, featuring the

bereted Big Boss saluting.

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops

Promotional image of Naked Promotional image of Snake

Snake Jring an assault rine. engaging Gene at close
quarters.

Promotional image of Snake

battling Gene.
Wallpaper featuring Naked
Snake, with other characters
silhouetted behind him.
 Ashley Wood's depiction of
Naked Snake in cutscenes.

Naked Snake (Big Boss)

promotional image.

Polygon model portrait.

Screenshot of Snake
restraining a FOX Soldier in a
CQC hold.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Flashback cutscene art

featuring Big Boss with Metal
Flashback cutscene art
Gear D and his mercenary…
featuring Big Boss (far left),
forces.
and fellow founding Patriot…
members.

Flashback cutscene art

featuring Big Boss's body,
depicting the character as the…
Patriots' icon.

Big Boss appears in the

Screenshot featuring character
Epilogue, "Naked Son."
and voice actor title card.

Big Boss confronts Solid Snake.

Big Boss, holding the Patriot

assault rine.

Big Boss takes aim with the

Patriot.

Big Boss salutes The Boss's

grave one Jnal time.

Big Boss, moments before

succumbing to the new FOXDIE
virus.

"Big Boss" FaceCamo, based on

the biomort decoy.

Compilation of Big Boss

Shinkawa art of Big Boss, later
character art by Yoji Shinkawa,
used in nashback cutscenes.
used in nashback cutscenes.

Concept art of Big Boss and the

biomort, alongside the Jnal
polygon models.

Promotional art of Big Boss's

body, later used for nashback
cutscenes.

Metal Gear Solid 4 Database

Artwork depicting John (Naked Artwork depicting Big Boss for

Snake) for the 1950 the 1994 to 2014 (Act 4)
Relationship Chart. Relationship Charts.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

Promotional image of Big Boss

in Jungle Fatigues.

Promotional character render,

featuring beret with MSF
insignia.

Big Boss runs along a Costa

Rican beach in a game preview.

Promotional image showcasing

(left to right) Sneaking Suit,
Jungle Fatigues and Battle…
Promotional image of Big Boss Dress.
in Battle Dress.

Cutscene screenshot featuring

character title card.
Big Boss's snake-shaped "scar".

Big Boss, in Battle Dress, Big Boss and an MSF soldier.

preparing to Jght an attack
helicopter.

Loading screen display in the

HD Edition, featuring character
quote.

Big Boss at the MSF base,

Colombia, in a cutscene.

Big Boss has dimculty lighting

his cigar during a cutscene.
Big Boss speaks with Professor
Galvez during a cutscene.

Big Boss smokes a cigar during

a cutscene.

Big Boss salutes the Boss AI's

sacriJce during a cutscene.

Concept artwork for Big Boss.

Promotioanl Shinkawa art of

Big Boss in Battle Dress.

Artwork of Big Boss by Yoji

Shinkawa.

Shinkawa illustrations of Big

Boss.

Shinkawa illustrations of Big

Boss.

VIEW MORE

Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops

Naked Snake's Virtuous Mission Naked Snake's Operation Snake

biography (Japanese). Eater biography (Japanese).

Snake's Peace Walker Incident

biography (Japanese).

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes

Promotional image of Big Boss.

Big Boss on board a helicopter,
in the game's menu screen.

Big Boss inJltrates the U.S.

Naval Base in Cuba.
Big Boss promotional portrait,
featuring the U.S. base and
helicopters with searchlights.

Concept art and Jnal polygon

model of Big Boss in the Big Boss artwork in Dengeki
Sneaking Suit. PlayStation #555 by Yoji
Shinkawa.

Big Boss in a Lord Kitchener-

style recruitment poster for
"Development Without…
Borders."

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Big Boss as "Ishmael" at the Big Boss's cigar is lit by Ocelot.

Cyprus hospital.

Big Boss on his motorcycle.

Big Boss depicted as Big

Brother from George Orwell's
1984.

Concept art and Jnal polygon

model of "Ishmael".

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Naked Snake's camounage

suits.

Naked Snake trophy.

Commemorative events

Shinkawa art of Big Boss, for

the PlayStation 20th
Anniversary event, included in…
Famitsu.
Shinkawa art featured on
Konami's "Together Japan"
website.

Shinkawa art featuring Big

Boss (front-left) for the Metal
Gear 20th Anniversary event.

ADVERTISEMENT

See also

Venom Snake
Solid Snake
Liquid Snake
Solidus Snake
Snake (Raiden)

Notes

•. ^ In the English version of Metal Gear Solid,

Liquid Snake tells Solid Snake that Big Boss
was in a coma when the Les Enfants Terribles
project took place. In the Japanese version,
it's simply stated that Big Boss was left sterile
due to a combat injury.

References

This page uses content from Wikipedia.

The original article was at Big Boss. The list
of authors can be seen in the page history.
As with the Metal Gear Wiki, the text of
Wikipedia is available under the GNU Free
Documentation License.

•. ^ a b c d e f Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake - User's

Manual, Konami Corporation (1990).
Translated version available at G&T Soft
Å. ^ METAL GEAR SOLID (Japanese). Konami
Digital Entertainment. Retrieved on 2020-05-
20.
Ç. ^ a b c d Metal Gear Solid 4 Database ("Big
Boss"), Kojima Productions (2008).
É. ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima
Productions (2010).
Snake (Big Boss): Call me Snake. // MSF
Soldier: Oh, uh, sorry... Vic Boss! // Snake:
Listen up. For us, there is no victory.
Ñ. ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima
Productions (2010).
Amanda Valenciano Libre: Vic Boss! //
MSF/FSLN Soldiers: Vic Boss -- Vic Boss --
Vic Boss! Vic Boss! Vic Boss! Vic Boss! Vic
Boss! Vic Boss!
Ö. ^ a b Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (English),
Kojima Productions (2010).
"Vic Boss" is an abbreviation of "Boss of
Victory," translated from Japanese Shōri no
VICTORY

Bosu (勝利のボス, Shōri no Bosu?).

Ü. ^ Metal Gear Solid, Konami Computer
Entertainment Japan (1998).
Mission Log: "[The terrorists] are demanding
that the US government turn over the remains
of "The Legendary Soldier" Big Boss and they
are saying that if their demands are not met
within 24 hours, they'll launch a nuclear
weapon."
á. ^ Metal Gear Solid 4 Database ("Legendary
Mercenary"), Kojima Productions (2008). [1]
à. ^ a b c Metal Gear - User's Manual, Konami
Corporation (1987).
•â. ^ The Truth behind METAL GEAR SOLID: The
Chronicle (Japanese). Konami Digital
Entertainment (2012). Retrieved on 2017-12-
27.
••. ^ Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Konami
Computer Entertainment Japan (2004).
The Boss: Talk to me. Let me hear your voice.
// Naked Snake: It's been 5 years, 72 days,
and 18 hours.
The Virtuous Mission took place on August 24.
•Å. ^ Naked Snake, during a radio conversation
with Para-Medic, reveals this.
•Ç. ^ 3: Snake Eater, Konami Computer
Entertainment Japan (2004).
Naked Snake: I've got experience sniping in
urban and marine environments.
•É. ^ Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Konami
Computer Entertainment Japan (2004).
Major Zero: You don't like snakes? // Naked
Snake: What do you mean? // Zero: You've
eaten one before, haven't you? // Snake: In
survival training. // Zero: I'm glad to hear that.
// Snake: I don't know if I'd ever order one in a
restaurant, but...
•Ñ. ^ Metal GearSolid 3: Snake Eater, Konami
Computer Entertainment Japan (2004).
Naked Snake wears these ribbons prior to the
award ceremony in which he is bestowed with
the Distinguished Service Cross Medal and
the title of Big Boss by President Johnson.
•Ö. ^ Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Konami
Computer Entertainment Japan (2004).
Major Zero: So, how does it feel to be a
patient in one of the most advanced ICUs in
the world? // Naked Snake: Would you do me
a favor and tell the suits about visiting hours?
I'll never get better with them assaulting me
day and night with their questions. // Zero:
Must be part of the top brass' inquiry. //
Snake: More like an interrogation. According
to them, I'm a traitor and an accomplice to The
Boss' defection. // Zero: They're just looking
for a scapegoat. // Snake: Does that mean
they're after you too? // Zero: Let's just say
neither one of us is going to be made a
national hero out of this.
•Ü. ^ Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Konami
Computer Entertainment Japan (2004).
Para-Medic: [EVA's] right Snake. You should
get some sleep. Although in your condition,
you really ought to be back in the ICU...
•á. ^
http://www.tentenpro.com/muni_shinobu/mg
s4/commentary1.html
•à. ^ Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, Kojima
Productions (2006).
Jonathan: Your mentor... the one who taught
you the art of battle... Who was she? // Naked
Snake (Big Boss): They called her The Boss. I
killed her. // Jonathan: The Boss... The
legendary soldier? Then Snake, you must be
Big Boss. You're the hero who killed Colonel
Volgin at Groznyj Grad.
Åâ. ^ a b Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, Kojima
Productions (2006).
Big Boss reveals this to Para-Medic in a radio
conversation, after she has been recruited.
Å•. ^ Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, Kojima
Productions (2006).
Null: I remember now... Big Boss... Even then,
you were the one who stopped me. I was
raised by adults to be a tool of war. But you
defeated me. Watched over me.
ÅÅ. ^ Snake explains this to Roy Campbell in a
radio conversation.
ÅÇ. ^ Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, Kojima
Productions (2006).
Para-Medic: I don't know. Any members of
FOX who didn't join the rebellion were killed.
The unit is in shambles. // Snake: I don't
believe this. // Para-Medic: I know how you
feel. You know why the military suspects you,
don't you, Snake? Whoever started this mess
managed to gather FOX members specializing
in solo missions and killed all those who
opposed. The only soldier who could have
pulled that oj is you. // Snake: ...Done in by
my own overblown reputation.
ÅÉ. ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker - Heita to
Kazuhira no Blues (Love Box), Konami Digital
Entertainment (2010).
ÅÑ. ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker - Heiwa to
Kazuhira no Blues (Sauna), Konami Digital
Entertainment (2010).
ÅÖ. ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker - Heiwa to
Kazuhira no Blues (Ultimate Combined
Weapon), Konami Digital Entertainment (2010).
ÅÜ. ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker - Heita to
Kazuhira No Blues (Mission Complete), Konami
Digital Entertainment (2010).
Åá. ^ a b Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, Kojima
Productions (2014).
Info > Pre-mission Brief: Mission Background
& Intel > Brief 3: Preparing Staj for the
Inspection
Big Boss: About the inspection, what do we
tell the men? // Kazuhira Miller: The truth.
What else? The one thing we don’t need to
worry about is anyone here spilling the beans
about ZEKE. // Big Boss: Good point. What
about the Sandinistas? There’s still quite a few
of them left on the base. // Miller: I hate to
say it, but it won’t look good having Soviet-
bloc personnel here. The problem is moving a
group that size in a hurry will look even worse.
// Big Boss: At least Amanda is on
assignment in Cuba. They’d recognize her. She
should stay put for now. // Miller: All civilians
save Huey will have to return to their
countries. // Big Boss: Even your Parisian
[Cécile Cosima Caminandes]? // Miller: Of
course. We’ll get her whatever paper she
needs. Dr. Strangelove’s departure came at a
perfect time. The less ZEKE-related staj here,
the better. // Big Boss: Wait, she left?! //
Miller: That’s right, you were away on a
mission. She left last week. There’s nothing
cooking in AI weapons research, and ZEKE is
complete. There was really no reason for her
to hang around. // Big Boss: I’m surprised
Huey let her go that easily. // Miller: Yeah, his
crush on Strangelove was never much of a
secret, huh? He followed her everywhere
while ZEKE was in development. Boy, would
she get pissed. But he does have a lot on his
mind right now. “I’ve got bigger issues to deal
with.” That’s what he said. // Big Boss: That’s
the spirit, Huey.
Åà. ^ a b Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, Kojima
Productions (2014).
Info > Pre-mission Brief: Mission Background
& Intel > Brief 1: Nuclear Inspection demand by
the IAEA
Kazuhira Miller: Snake, yesterday we
received ogcial communication from the
IAEA. It says: “It has come to our attention
that your organization recently purchased
nuclear fuel from Uzbekistan authorities. We
request permission to inspect your facilities.”
// Naked Snake (Big Boss): What a load of
bullshit… // Miller: Yeah. They’re after Metal
Gear ZEKE’s nuclear warhead. I’m betting this
is payback from Cipher after Paz’s leak. // Big
Boss: Using the UN. // Miller: There’s no
 telling how much inhuence they have. But the
IAEA can only do inspections in countries that
are partied to the NPT. // Big Boss: And we’re
not a country. // Miller: Exactly. We haven’t
signed a safeguards agreement with the IAEA
over peaceful nuclear use, and we’re not
obligated to report any nuclear material we
have, nor information about any nuclear
facilities. The IAEA has no authority to inspect
us. // Big Boss: But despite all that… // Miller:
That nuke’s our last line of defense. We don’t
want to announce we have it until the world is
preparing to wipe us oj the map. Until then,
we let everyone think we’re just a private army
with conventional Srepower. // Big Boss:
What’s Huey’s take? // Miller: That the
problem’s how to hide the nuke and Metal
Gear. But I gotta tell you, he was all for it. //
Big Boss: I see. But there’s no way we can
have the IAEA poking around here. // Miller:
So what do we do? Ignore them? // Big Boss:
Send them an ogcial letter of refusal. Say
we’re a private organization and we’ve done
nothing to attract this suspicion. // Miller:
You’ve got it.
Çâ. ^ Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, Kojima
Productions (2014).
Info > Pre-mission Brief: Mission Background
& Intel > Brief 2: Allowing the Nuclear
Inspection
Huey Emmerich: We’ve Snished ZEKE’s
waterprooSng reinforcement yesterday. The
day after tomorrow, we’ll be done installing the
main depth control tank, the compressed air
tank, and the attitude control propeller pod. //
Kazuhira Miller: Huey… // Huey: If the
underwater test goes well, next week we’ll try
the 300 ft. seabed depth. // Miller: Drop the
act, Huey. How did we end up agreeing to the
nuclear inspection? // Huey: …Because after
you sent that letter, I told them “after careful
reconsideration, we’ve agreed to your
request.” And frankly, we should be inspected.
This is our chance. If they come and go
without discovering the nuke, we can tell the
world we’re clean. Of course, it’s risky, and
we’ll have to make sure everything’s perfect,
but it’ll be worth it. // Big Boss: Huey, can
they do an inspection without going through
the Board of Governors? // Miller: We
contacted the IAEA’s admin branch, and they
said there’s no record of us being brought up
at any of the board’s meetings. Huey: I’d say
they’d… probably do a preliminary inspection
to determine whether we should be referred
to the board. So it’s bound to be a small
inspection team, and they won’t be here that
long. Don’t worry, leave everything to me. //
Big Boss: Has the media gotten wind of this?
// Huey: Yeah. Two major western networks
want to do stories on us. I planned on saying
yes. // Miller: What?! You want to broadcast
this place to the world?! // Huey: That’s why I
agreed to the inspection. This is a golden
opportunity. We can use the media to “prove”
to the world we don’t have a nuke. Besides,
even if we said “no,” it would just be delaying
the inevitable. // Big Boss: (groans in
irritation) Kaz, our hands are tied now. Start
getting the place ready. // Huey: Thanks,
boss. // Big Boss: Don’t get the wrong idea.
You set it up so that any more changes of
heart would arouse suspicion, that’s all. //
Miller: (Heh) ZEKE stays, but we’ll have to
move all other AFVs to shore. Any potential
troublemakers can go with them for some
mandatory R-and-R. Sound good, boss? //
Big Boss: Just do it.
Ç•. ^ Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, Kojima
Productions (2014).
Info > Pre-mission Brief: Mission Background
& Intel > Brief 4: Word of Paz's Survival
Kazuhira Miller: Ten days ago, we got reports
that Paz was still alive. // Big Boss: She
survived… // Miller: She was rescued by
Belizean Sshermen who found her drifting in
the Caribbean. Big Boss: So what’s the plan?
Silence her before we’re compromised? //
Miller: No, I’ve got something else in mind.
Our “friends” at Cipher suspect Paz could be a
double agent. She’s being held for
interrogation at a camp on the southern tip of
Cuba. // Big Boss: Black site. Nice. A slice of
American pie on Communist soil. And out of
U.S. legal jurisdiction. // Miller: The upcoming
inspection of Mother Base has to be
connected somehow. The timing’s too perfect.
// Big Boss: The UN’s nuclear inspection… //
Miller: My guess is they’re trying to
corroborate Paz’s leak. // Big Boss: We’re an
army without a nation. // Miller: Word of our
capabilities gets out, and we’ll have the whole
world out to shut us down. Having an
American private intelligence agency involved
is bad news. Cipher’s the ones who sent Paz
to us in the Srst place. // Big Boss: She knows
their true nature. // Miller: Right. Paz is our
only link to Cipher. If she’s still alive, we need
her on our side. If not us, who else is going to
rescue that bitch?! // Big Boss: When do we
do it? // Miller: The inspection comes Srst.
We’ll deal with this afterwards. // Big Boss: Do
the men know? // Miller: Word has started to
spread. The information came from Cuba
through Amanda. One of the base personnel
used to belong to el Frente. I’ll tell everyone
we don’t concern ourselves with the survival
of enemy spies. We need them focused on the
inspection. And if we get her back here and
she isn’t… cooperative, there’s still plenty of
room for her in the ocean. // Big Boss: Works
for me. What about Chico. He had a chance to
stop Paz from hijacking ZEKE and he blew it.
He’s carried that guilt ever since. Kid really did
care about her. // Miller: Chico… It’s hard to
say how he’ll react. // Big Boss: Have Amanda
call him out to Cuba. He shouldn’t be here
right now. // Miller: Good idea. They haven’t
seen each other in a while. A little time with
big sis, and he’ll forget all about you-know-
who.
ÇÅ. ^ Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, Kojima
Productions (2014).
Info > Pre-mission Brief: Mission Background
& Intel > Brief 5: Chico Vanishes
Kazuhira Miller: What?! Still no sign of Chico?
// Big Boss: What’s going on? // Miller: (to Big
Boss in a whisper) It’s Amanda in Cuba. A
resupply package arrived, but Chico wasn’t
with it. (To Amanda in normal tone) Relax,
Amanda. I’m sure he’s just… exploring Havana
or something. First time in a big city. Could
have gotten carried away. // Big Boss: Kaz,
wait! The boat Chico was on, did it stop
anywhere before it got to Havana? // Miller:
Yeah, it had to refuel at Santiago de Cuba…
You don’t think… oh shit… You’ve got to be
kidding me! He does this NOW?! // Big Boss:
It’s sixty miles from Santiago to the prison
camp. Chico used to cross the mountains with
the older Sandinistas like it was nothing. He’ll
make that in three days. // Miller: Still, even if
he does Snd his way there… // Big Boss: You
know how reckless he can be. Chico thinks
we’ve abandoned Paz, that’s why he’s doing
this. // Miller: (picks up the phone and starts
dialing) We’ll start by having the Intel
detachment in Cuba look for him. We can’t let
him be captured. (phone outbound ringtone is
heard)
ÇÇ. ^ Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, Kojima
Productions (2014).
Info > Pre-mission Brief: Mission Background
& Intel > Brief 6: Chico's Distress call
Chico: (transmission) East to a big building.
It’s an old… grassy facility. That’s where we are.
…Help me, Snake. // Kazuhira Miller: It’s a
setup! // Big Boss: We have no choice. //
Miller: Yeah. If Chico talks, he could blow the
nuke cover-up! We can’t hold oj until the
inspection’s over. // Big Boss: When can we
be ready? // Miller: It will take at least sixteen
hours to conSrm the hight path and prep a
bird. The Intel Unit has started reconning the
area. // Big Boss: …Sounds like I have to miss
the inspection. // Miller: Boss, we’ll just have
to send someone else to get them out… // Big
Boss: No! …I’ll go. // Miller: …Yeah, Chico and
Paz would only take orders from you, anyway.
We can’t go taking on those Marines at the
base head-on. It’s got to be oj the radar, and
it got to be you. Big Boss: Hold down the fort,
Kaz.
ÇÉ. ^ Metal Gear Solid 4 Database ("Sniper Wolf"),
Kojima Productions (2008).
ÇÑ. ^ a b Metal Gear Solid, Konami Computer
Entertainment Japan (1998).
Liquid Snake: That's right [Solid Snake]... The
Genome Soldiers that you've been killing are
our brothers, with the same genes as ours. //
Solid Snake: The Genome Soldiers!? //
Liquid: That's right. They are our brothers,
created artiScially through the alignment of
nucleotides to mimic our father's [Big Boss]
genes. They too are the product of numerous
sacriSces. // [...] Snake: So then...the so called
Gulf War Babies that have been reported by
Gulf War veterans are... // Liquid: Yes... They
too are our brothers and sisters.
ÇÖ. ^ Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (re-release), Kojima
Productions (2006).
Solid Snake: Never give up. Fight until the
end. Always believe that you will succeed,
even when the odds are against you. Those
are your words.
ÇÜ. ^ a b Metal Gear Solid, Konami Computer
Entertainment Japan (1998).
Solid Snake: Any family? // Naomi Hunter:
That's not a very happy topic for me. // Snake:
I don't have any family. No wait, there was a
man who said that he was my father... //
Naomi: Where is he? // Snake: Dead. By my
own hand. // Roy Campbell: Big Boss. //
Naomi: What!? Big Boss!? I had no idea. //
Campbell: There was no way you could. It
happened in Zanzibar [Land] six years ago.
Only Snake and I know the real truth of what
happened there. // Naomi: So, is it true? Was
Big Boss really your father? // Snake: That's
what he said. That's all I know. // Naomi: And
you were able to kill him, knowing that? //
Snake: Yup.
Çá. ^ Metal Gear (re-release), Kojima Productions
(2006).
Big Boss: This is Big Boss... Operation Intrude
N313. InSltrate the enemy's base Outer Heaven
and destroy the ultimate weapon, Metal Gear!
Let's go over the details Srst. Make contact
with Gray Fox, and Snd the location of the
ultimate weapon, Metal Gear.
Çà. ^ Metal Gear (re-release), Kojima Productions
(2006).
Big Boss: This is Big Boss... Get in the truck
on the right! ...Over.
Éâ. ^ Metal Gear (re-release), Kojima Productions
(2006).
Big Boss: This is Big Boss... Enter the door on
your left. ...Over.
É•. ^ Metal Gear (re-release), Kojima Productions
(2006).
Big Boss: This is Big Boss... Solid Snake! Abort
the mission. Return immediately. This is an
order!!
ÉÅ. ^ Metal Gear (re-release), Kojima Productions
(2006).
Big Boss (Venom Snake): Solid Snake! I've
been expecting you... ...I am the supreme
commander of the FOXHOUND unit... And...
The leader of the fortress of Outer Heaven, Big
Boss! I gave this mission to you, a rookie,
thinking I could use you to fool the rest of the
world... But you were too good. You went too
far! Solid Snake! I'm not going down alone. I'm
taking you with me! Prepare to die!
ÉÇ. ^ a b Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (re-release),
Kojima Productions (2006).
Solid Snake: What are you saying, Schneider?
// Kyle Schneider: ...Snake, after you
destroyed Metal Gear, NATO launched a
massive bombing campaign against Outer
Heaven. All of us Resistance Sghters...and the
children of Outer Heaven...they didn't care
about any of us. There was no escape from
the hames... They died like animals in a cage.
// Snake: I... can't believe this... // Schneider:
Think about it. The children of Outer Heaven
were originally orphans and refugees from all
over the world. They were a liability... and
NATO didn't want to deal with them... //
Snake: ...No... // Schneider: You're no
dijerent. They'll forget about you, too... But he
wasn't like them... // Snake: Who....? //
Schneider: He came... and saved us from
annihilation. He forgave us for what we'd
done. He gave us a new land to call home... A
new family... // Snake: He did...? You mean... //
Schneider: Snake, you'll understand soon...
what a wonderful man [Big Boss] is... Snake... I
owe you a debt. There's no hate between us.
I'll tell you where Dr. Marv is. It's what [Big
Boss] would want me to do... Find the man
who's guarding the cell where Dr. Marv is
being held. Follow that man...and he should
lead you straight to the cell. You can tell him
by his green beret. He should be on the Srst
hoor. Got that? A green beret. Follow the man
in the green beret!
ÉÉ. ^ Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (re-release), Kojima
Productions (2006).
Big Boss: You saw those children, didn't you?
Every one is a victim of a war somewhere of
[sic] the world. And they'll make Sne soldiers in
the next war. Start a war, fan its hames, create
victims... Then save them, train them... And
feed them back onto the battleSeld. It's a
perfectly logical system. In this world of ours,
conhict never ends. And neither does our
purpose... Our raison d'etre.
ÉÑ. ^ Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (re-release), Kojima
Productions (2006).
Kid: The one-eyed man is like our daddy. He
doesn't like grown-ups.
ÉÖ. ^ Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (re-release), Kojima
Productions (2006).
George Kasler: Big Boss... There's not a
mercenary in the world who hasn't heard of
him. He's a [sic] like a god, a living legend. //
Solid Snake: I already know all that! I need
new information! // Kasler: OK, OK... but this is
only a rumor, understand? Three [sic] years
ago, when Outer Heaven fell, Big Boss was
seriously wounded. He almost died... He lost
both hands, both feet, his right eye, and his
right ear. But somehow... he survived. Then an
Eastern bloc despot took an interest in him.
Probably couldn't resist getting his hands on a
soldier of Big Boss's caliber. They decided to
use Big Boss as a guinea pig in Madnar's
snatcher project. I don't know the details, but
apparently it involved turning him into a
cyborg. Now he's half man and half machine.
Hard to believe, I know. But if it is true, Snake,
you're way out of your league. None of your
current techniques is [sic] going to so much
as put a scratch on him. Snake... give it up...
There's no way you can win this time... Over
and out.
ÉÜ. ^ Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (re-release), Kojima
Productions (2006).
Kid: The one-eyed man told us to tell him if
we saw a man wearing green clothes.
Éá. ^ Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (re-release), Kojima
Productions (2006).
Big Boss: Snake... Welcome to Zanzibar
Land... I knew you'd come back to me. [...]
Once you've been on the battleSeld, tasted
the exhilaration, the tension... it all becomes
part of you. Once you've awakened the warrior
within... it never sleeps again. You crave ever
bigger tensions, ever bigger thrills. As a
mercenary, I'd think you would have realized
that by now. You care nothing for power, or
money, or even sex. The only thing that
satisSes your cravings... is WAR! All I've done is
give you a place for it. I've given you a reason
to live.
Éà. ^ Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (re-release), Kojima
Productions (2006).
(Big Boss is engulfed in hames) // Big Boss:
Snake!! It's not over yet... It's not... over... yet...
// (Big Boss collapses on the hoor) // Big
Boss: It's not... over... yet... Snake... Sn... a...
Ñâ. ^ Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots,
Kojima Productions (2008).
Solid Snake: How can you still be alive? // Big
Boss: That body Liquid burned on the Volta...
Wasn't mine. That was the body... Of a clone.
Solidus. [...] He was a perfect clone. Zero, and
the proxy AIs that came after him, were
convinced that Solidus was me.
Ñ•. ^ Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots,
Kojima Productions (2008).
Big Boss: Ever since the day I killed The Boss,
I was already dead.
ÑÅ. ^ Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, Kojima
Productions (2006).
A radio call to Campbell while playing as one
of the playable soldiers shows this.
ÑÇ. ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima
Productions (2010).
BrieSng Files > BrieSng Library > Miller > The
Fundamentals of Stealth > Dressing for the
Mission > Naked
ÑÉ. ^ Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Konami
Computer Entertainment Japan (2004)
Colonel Yevgeny Borisovitch Volgin: You're
mine! Son of The Boss!
ÑÑ. ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima
Productions (2010)
Snake (Big Boss): Amanda. Join my unit
[Militaires Sans Frontières] until you've healed
up. // Amanda Valenciano Libre: Your...
Unit? Who are you? Why are you here? Snake:
... I'm Snake. Serpiente. // Amanda: Snake?
Could it be... The Great Cacique... Has come to
lead us... Patria Libre O Morir... // (Amanda
loses consciousness)
ÑÖ. ^ Metal Gear Solid, Konami Computer
Entertainment Japan (1998).
Sniper Wolf: But then... he appeared. My
hero... Saladin... he took me away from all
that... // Solid Snake: Saladin? ...You mean Big
Boss?
ÑÜ. ^ Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, Kojima
Productions (2006).
Big Boss: You're pretty young. // Elisa: Well,
you were out on the battleSeld when you were
my age, weren't you, Snake? Or should I say...
Big Boss?
Ñá. ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima
Productions (2010).
BrieSng Files > BrieSng Library > Paz > Central
Heredia > AI Lab:
Naked Snake (Big Boss): What's so special
about that [the Stone Spheres of Costa Rica]?
// Paz Ortega Andrade: What if I told you
some of them are nearly perfect spheres? And
that they were carved out of granite, which is
quite a hard substance. // Snake: Hmm, could
be good for laying a trap. And if they're
spherical, they'd roll easily, too... // Paz:
Snake...
Ñà. ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima
Productions (2010).
BrieSng Files > BrieSng Library > Cécile >
France > National Anthem:
Naked Snake (Big Boss): There's one other
image I have of France: the national anthem.
Öâ. ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima
Productions (2010).
BrieSng Files > BrieSng Library > Cécile >
France > Foreign Legion:
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Heaven on earth,
huh... The only image I have of France is the
Foreign Legion. // Cécile Cosima
Caminandes: Th-that is how you view
France?!
Ö•. ^ Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, Kojima
Productions (2006)
Para-Medic: You know why the military
suspects you [for causing FOX's rebellion],
don't you, Snake? Whoever started this mess
managed to gather FOX members specializing
in solo missions and killed all those who
opposed. The only soldier who could have
pulled that oj is you. // Snake: ...Done in by my
own overblown reputation.
ÖÅ. ^ Metal Gear, Konami Corporation (1987).
Big Boss: This is Big Boss... Enemy Uniform?
What, like a girl's high school uniform? ...Over.
ÖÇ. ^ Metal Gear, Konami Corporation (1987)
Big Boss: This is Big Boss... Cardboard box?
Are you moving house or something? ...Over.
ÖÉ. ^ Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Kojima
Productions (2004).
Naked Snake states this to Para-Medic in an
optional radio conversation during Operation
Snake Eater.
ÖÑ. ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima
Productions (2010).
Quotes are randomly assigned to recruited
MSF soldiers, so they may not always appear
on certain playthroughs.
ÖÖ. ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima
Productions (2010).
BrieSng Sles > Huey > [2]
ÖÜ. ^ Managing to embark on Operation Snake
Eater and successfully complete his mission
despite only a week after sujering numerous
injuries during the Virtuous Mission; Enduring
a battle against The Fury while the area they
were in burned from the hames of the latter's
rocket fuel-laced hamethrower.
Öá. ^ Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Konami
Computer Entertainment Japan (2004)
Colonel Volgin: This is where the fun really
begins! My body carries an electric charge of
10 million volts. Let's see how you like this! (he
begins to electrocute Snake)
Öà. ^ Enduring a brutal beating at the hands of
Colonel Volgin; twice enduring Cunningham's
torture at two non-consecutive points;
enduring electrical torture at the hands of Dr.
Strangelove;
Üâ. ^ Twice surviving a large fall into a body of
water in Tselinoyarsk; Surviving the ICBMG's
missile launch despite standing close to
ground zero of the ignition blast; Evading the
blast of a tank shell at El Cadalso despite
having little reaction time beforehand;
surviving the fall from the mountainous Costa
Rican-Nicaraguan border, a fall that mortally
injured the horse he was riding; surviving
being burned alive in Zanzibar Land.
Ü•. ^ Metal Gear Solid Guns of the Patriots
novelization by Project Itoh (English, 2012).
ÜÅ. ^
http://www.nesSles.com/NES/Metal_Gear/Me
tal_Gear.pdf
ÜÇ. ^
https://tcrf.net/Metal_Gear_2:_Solid_Snake
#George_Kasler
ÜÉ. ^ Metal Gear Solid, Konami Computer
Entertainment Japan (1998).
Liquid Snake: Love!? It's hate!! He always told
me I was inferior and now I'll have my
revenge!!
ÜÑ. ^ Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, Konami
Computer Entertainment, Japan (2001)
Liquid Snake: Ha! Love!? It's hate!! His [Big
Boss] choosing me, knowingly, to be the
inferior one. For this, I want revenge!
ÜÖ. ^ Metal Gear Solid (English version), Konami
Computer Entertainment Japan (1998).
Liquid Snake: But father was wounded in
combat and already in a coma when they
brought him in. So they created us from his
cells... with a combination of 20th century
analog cloning and the Super Baby Method.
ÜÜ. ^ Metal Gear Solid (Japanese version), Konami
Computer Entertainment Japan (1998).
Liquid Snake: だが親父は戦場で負傷?すでに
不能者だった?だから俺達は親父の体細胞を
使って造られた。前世紀のアナログクローン技
 術とスーパーベイビー法によって。[But an
injury father sustained in combat left him
sterile. So they created us from his cells... with
a combination of 20th century analog cloning
and the Super Baby Method.]
Üá. ^ Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Konami
Computer Entertainment Japan (2001).
In the Darkness of Shadow Moses: The
Uno_cial Truth: "The man selected to serve as
the genetic template for the [Les Enfants
Terribles] project was the most famous living
mercenary of the time, Big Boss. Big Boss
was, however, incapable of reproducing, a
result of past war injuries. As a result, his body
cells were harvested for a cloning attempt."
Üà. ^ Metal Gear Solid: O_cial Mission Handbook,
Millennium Books (1998).
áâ. ^
http://metalgear.wikia.com/wiki/Metal_Gear:_
Ghost_Babel_radio_conversations#Snake.27
s_father
á•. ^
http://metalgear.wikia.com/wiki/Metal_Gear:_
Ghost_Babel_radio_conversations#Weasel.2
7s_brother_2
áÅ. ^ Metal Gear: Ghost Babel
-Stage 5-3 clear-
No. 4: Outer Heaven - formerly known as
Galuade. Do you know the truth behind that
mission where Solid Snake destroyed Metal
Gear and killed Big Boss to become a national
hero? Solid Snake, a rookie FOXHOUND
commando, inSltrates Outer Heaven alone,
rescues fellow FOXHOUND member Gray Fox
from the clutches of the enemy, and together
they destroy Metal Gear. Solid Snake then
takes down Big Boss, the commander of Outer
Heaven... That's the basic story known the
public. There are of course, parts that were
edited out -- such as the fact that Big Boss
was Solid Snake's biological father. He sent for
Solid Snake with the intention of Sghting to
the death with his own son, but it isn't clear
whether Snake knew anything about it...
Whichever the case, Snake took his father's
life with his own hands, and that is proof of his
strength as well as his weakness... And
something you could not accomplish...
áÇ. ^ Metal Gear: Ghost Babel
-Stage 10-3 clear-
No. 4: As you well know, the development of
Metal Gear began in Outer Heaven. The project
fell under the auspices of the CIA's Directorate
of Intelligence and its director Steven Gardner,
but the idea itself, for a bipedal vehicle that
would launch a nuclear strike from anywhere
on the planetary surface, was apparently
conceived by Big Boss, Outer Heaven's
commander-in-chief. The technology wasn't
there at that point, but the concept of an
invisible missile from a rail gun seems to have
been already planned by Big Boss. And the
idea became a reality in American hands
following Outer Heaven -- Metal Gear is the
phantom of Big Boss, in a sense. It's no
wonder Snake is so obsessed with the
destruction of Metal Gear; to him, it truly is the
'evil past'. But to us, it's the gospel to a new
world -- a blessing.
áÉ. ^ Metal Gear: Ghost Babel
-Stage 6-2 clear-
No. 4: As the 'General' said, Outer Heaven was
conceived as an unogcial military reserve to
keep various anti-American forces in check.
But what he didn't say was that he himself
was once an Outer Heaven mercenary, and a
fervent disciple of Big Boss. His connections
with the U.S. government date back to that
period. After Outer Heaven fell, he drifted from
country to country -- then came back, this
time as the 'big boss' himself. Maybe all this
explains why he chose Outer Heaven of all
places to resurrect Galuade...
áÑ. ^
http://www.tentenpro.com/muni_shinobu/mg
s3/leak.html
áÖ. ^
http://ps2.ign.com/articles/402/402879p1.ht
ml
áÜ. ^
https://twitter.com/BadHumans/status/13674
85542242390023
áá. ^ a b
http://www.tentenpro.com/muni_shinobu/mg
s3/commentary2.html
áà. ^
http://www.tentenpro.com/muni_shinobu/mg
s3/commentary4.html
àâ. ^ 兵隊 on Twitter: "MPOのムービーシーンの作
画を担当したアシュレイ・ウッドさん、
Instagramにスネークの股間をエルザが見てし
まうシーンの絵コンテをアップされていたので
すが、おてぃんてぃんを足して描いてしまうお
茶目なところがあるんですね。
https://t.co/QirOOSNyiJ
https://t.co/W2kXvgLxe3" / Twitter
à•. ^ Big Boss was stated to have "died" in his 70s
in 1999, according to his ogcial character
biography for Metal Gear Solid. Also, "Liquid
Snake" claimed in Metal Gear Solid 2 that Big
Boss was in his late Sfties at the time of the
Les Enfants Terribles project.
àÅ. ^ [3]
àÇ. ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima
Productions (2010).
Vladimir Zadornov: Dead at age 39... Just
like El Che.
The events of the game take place in
November, 1974.
àÉ. ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima
Productions (2010).
BrieSng Sles > Chico > The Legend of Isla del
Monstrua > Trenya
Snake: I'm still having trouble believing it. I
never thought I'd be talking to an animal one
day. What a world. // Chico: Amazing you
could understand its language. // Snake:
Picking up the local lingo is one of the basics
of intelligence work.
àÑ. ^ Yoji Shinkawa Live Art Show – Video/Photos
àÖ. ^ http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?
fbid=10150235591680986&set=a.3813279759
85.168167.285152375985&type=3&theater
àÜ. ^ Metal Gear Solid V Interview - IGN Video
àá. ^
https://twitter.com/HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN/statu
s/243217008903196672
àà. ^ http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1rjhhf9
•ââ. ^ http://www.metalgearinformer.com/?
p=26259
•â•. ^ 'Metal Gear Solid V' trailer: Kiefer Sutherland
and more weirdness. Entertainment Weekly.
Retrieved on 2013-06-07.
•âÅ. ^ Kiefer Sutherland is the voice of Snake in
Metal Gear Solid 5. Joystiq. Retrieved on 2013-
06-07.
•âÇ. ^ Kiefer Sutherland will play Snake in Metal
Gear Solid 5. Dusty Cartridge. Retrieved on
2013-06-07.
•âÉ. ^ Joakim Mogren interview Phantom Pain -
YouTube
•âÑ. ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima
Productions (2010).
BrieSng Sles > Huey > Nuclear Deterrence >
Nuclear Deterrence Theory
•âÖ. ^ http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?
fbid=10150846753565986&set=a.3813279759
85.168167.285152375985&type=3&theater
Metal Gear Solid
Our Konami E3 Battle has come to its Snal
match-up! Who will take home the prestigious
title of mightiest Konami character in this no-
holds barred beatdown between the
legendary soldier Naked Snake and bi-pedal
tank of mass destruction METAL GEAR RAY?
Your votes will decide!
Vote now at: www.konami.com/e3/battle/—
with Juan Vicente Blendo Moncada.
•âÜ. ^ [4]
•âá. ^ [5]
•âà. ^ [6]
••â. ^
http://www.themmnetwork.com/blog/2013/10
/31/31-days-of-halloween-costumed-roll-by-
ryan-jampole
•••. ^
https://twitter.com/Arc_Hound/status/10136
40327113125888

MORE INFORMATION

Top Contributors

Categories

More Fandoms

Sci-J Metal Gear

Other Languages:

Community content is available under CC-BY-SA

unless otherwise noted.

Fandom logo

EXPLORE PROPERTIES

Fandom Fanatical

Muthead

FOLLOW US

OVERVIEW

What is Fandom? Terms of Use

About Privacy Policy

Careers Global Sitemap

Press Local Sitemap

Contact

COMMUNITY

Community Central

Support

Help

ADVERTISE

Media Kit

Contact

FANDOM APPS

Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a

beat.

Store icon

Store icon

Metal Gear Wiki is a FANDOM Games Community.

VIEW FULL SITE