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===The ''Metal Gear'' games=== |
===The ''Metal Gear'' games=== |
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Big Boss first appears in the original ''[[Metal Gear (video game)|Metal Gear]]'' as the leader of the Special Forces Unit [[FOXHOUND]] and [[Solid Snake]]'s commanding officer. He initially acts as a radio contact who provides Snake with information about mission objectives, as well as weapons and equipment.<ref name=mg1manual>{{cite web|url=http://www.msxnet.org/gtinter/mg1remi/mg1reme.htm|title = ''Metal Gear'' MSX2 version, instruction manual|accessdate=|author=|last=|first=|authorlink=|coauthors =|date=|year=1987|month=|work=|publisher=Konami|pages=|language=Japanese|archiveurl=|archiveda}}</ref><ref name=mg2manual>{{cite web|url=http://www.msxnet.org/gtinter/Setting.htm|title=''Metal Gear 2'' MSX2 version, instruction manual|accessdate=|author=|last=|first=|authorlink=|coauthors=|date=|year =1990|month=|work=|publisher=Konami|pages=|language=Japanese|archiveurl=|archiveda}}</ref> However, near the end of the game as Snake destroys [[Metal Gear (weapon)#TX-55 Metal Gear|Metal Gear]], Big Boss exposes himself as the leader of the Outer Heaven militia at the base's escape route and confronts Snake in a final battle where he is defeated. |
Big Boss first appears in the original ''[[Metal Gear (video game)|Metal Gear]]'' as the leader of the Special Forces Unit [[FOXHOUND]] and [[Solid Snake]]'s commanding officer. He initially acts as a radio contact who provides Snake with information about mission objectives, as well as weapons and equipment.<ref name=mg1manual>{{cite web|url=http://www.msxnet.org/gtinter/mg1remi/mg1reme.htm|title = ''Metal Gear'' MSX2 version, instruction manual|accessdate=|author=|last=|first=|authorlink=|coauthors =|date=|year=1987|month=|work=|publisher=Konami|pages=|language=Japanese|archiveurl=|archiveda}}</ref><ref name=mg2manual>{{cite web|url=http://www.msxnet.org/gtinter/Setting.htm|title=''Metal Gear 2'' MSX2 version, instruction manual|accessdate=|author=|last=|first=|authorlink=|coauthors=|date=|year =1990|month=|work=|publisher=Konami|pages=|language=Japanese|archiveurl=|archiveda}}</ref> However, near the end of the game as Snake destroys [[Metal Gear (weapon)#TX-55 Metal Gear|Metal Gear]], Big Boss exposes himself as the leader of the Outer Heaven militia at the base's escape route and confronts Snake in a final battle where he is defeated.<ref>{{cite video game|title=Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, Metal Gear|year=2005|developer=Kojima Productions|publisher=Konami|quote='''Big Boss:''' Solid Snake! You've finally come here. Yeah, I'm Big Boss General Commandant of Foxhound. And in charge of this fortress, Outer Heaven.}}</ref> |
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In ''[[Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake]]'', Big Boss is revealed to have survived his battle with Snake in Outer Heaven, and has since taken control of another fortified nation in [[Central Asia]] - Zanzibar Land. This time, he establishes a military force along with his trusted lieutenant, [[Grey Fox (Metal Gear)|Gray Fox]], and commissions the development of a new Metal Gear model, [[Metal Gear (weapon)#Metal Gear D|Metal Gear D]]. Snake confronts Big Boss once again while escaping from the Zanzibar Land detention camp, with the former incinerating the latter. |
In ''[[Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake]]'', Big Boss is revealed to have survived his battle with Snake in Outer Heaven, and has since taken control of another fortified nation in [[Central Asia]] - Zanzibar Land. This time, he establishes a military force along with his trusted lieutenant, [[Grey Fox (Metal Gear)|Gray Fox]], and commissions the development of a new Metal Gear model, [[Metal Gear (weapon)#Metal Gear D|Metal Gear D]].<ref>{{cite video game|title=Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake|year=2005|developer=Kojima Productions|publisher=Konami|quote='''Solid Snake:''' Big... Boss?! / '''Madnar:''' The very same! With Metal Gear and OILEX, he plots to rule the world. We cannot let the secret of OILEX fall into his hands!}}</ref> Snake confronts Big Boss once again while escaping from the Zanzibar Land detention camp, with the former incinerating the latter.<ref>{{cite video game|title=Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake|year=2005|developer=Kojima Productions|publisher=Konami|quote='''Big Boss:''' Even I make mistakes from time to time. Snake! This will be our final battle... Let's end this once and for all!}}</ref> |
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===''Metal Gear Solid''=== |
===''Metal Gear Solid''=== |
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Despite his apparent death, Big Boss's presence figures prominently in ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]'' and its subsequent sequels, where Solid Snake is revealed to be a genetically-altered clone of Big Boss created from a secret government project known as ''Les Enfants Terribles'' (The Terrible Children) along with another clone, his twin brother [[Liquid Snake]].<ref name= |
Despite his apparent death, Big Boss's presence figures prominently in ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]'' and its subsequent sequels, where Solid Snake is revealed to be a genetically-altered clone of Big Boss created from a secret government project known as ''Les Enfants Terribles'' (The Terrible Children) along with another clone, his twin brother [[Liquid Snake]].<ref name="clones">{{cite video game|title=Metal Gear Solid|year=1998|developer=Kojima Productions|publisher=Konami|quote='''Liquid:''' There's a killer inside you... You don't have to deny it. We were created to be that way. / '''Snake:''' Created? / '''Liquid:''' Les enfants terribles... the terrible children. That's what the project was called. It started in the 1970's. Their plan was to artificially create the most powerful soldier possible. The person that they chose as the model was the man known then as the greatest living soldier in the world...}}</ref> The Genome Army that Snake faces in ''Metal Gear Solid'' are also genetically altered soldiers who were implanted with Big Boss's genes after his body was recovered.<ref name=Genomeex>{{cite video game|title=[[Metal Gear Solid]]|developer=[[KCEJ|Konami]]|quote='''Liquid Snake''': The Genome Soldiers. They too are his progeny, carrying on his genetic legacy. But they're different. They're digital. With the completion of the Human Genome project the mysteries of humanity were laid bare...'''Liquid Snake''': Thanks to father's DNA, they were able to identify more than sixty 'soldier genes' responsible for everything from strategic thinking... to the proverbial 'killer instinct'. Those 'soldier genes' were transplanted, into the membrane of Next Generation Special Forces. That's how they became the Genome Soldiers. That's right... The Genome Soldiers that you've been killing are our brothers, with the same genes as ours.}}</ref> |
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===''Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater''=== |
===''Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater''=== |
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[[Image:Naked Snake.jpg|thumb|The young Big Boss goes by the codename of Naked Snake in ''[[Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater]]'']] |
[[Image:Naked Snake.jpg|thumb|The young Big Boss goes by the codename of Naked Snake in ''[[Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater]]'']] |
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''[[Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater]]'', a [[prequel]] to the previous games set three decades prior to the events of the original ''Metal Gear'' in 1964, introduces a young Big Boss as a former [[Special Forces (United States Army)|Green Beret]] under the codename "Naked Snake". While called {{nihongo|Jack|ジャック|Jakku}} by various characters, Snake states that his real name is {{nihongo|John|ジョン|Jon}}. Naked Snake is virtually identical to Solid Snake from the previous ''Metal Gear Solid'' games in terms of appearance. He loses his right eye when a bullet fired by a young [[Ocelot (Metal Gear)|Ocelot]] skims his eyeball and begins to wear his characteristic [[eye patch]] late in the game. |
''[[Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater]]'', a [[prequel]] to the previous games set three decades prior to the events of the original ''Metal Gear'' in 1964, introduces a young Big Boss as a former [[Special Forces (United States Army)|Green Beret]] under the codename "Naked Snake".<ref>{{cite video game|title=Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater|year=2005|developer=Kojima Productions|publisher=Konami|quote='''Zero:''' Do you copy? You're already in enemy territory, and somebody might be listening in. From here on out, we'll be using codenames to refer to each other. Your codename for this mission will be Naked Snake. I'll be referring to you as Snake from now on. You are not to mention your real name.}}</ref> While called {{nihongo|Jack|ジャック|Jakku}} by various characters, Snake states that his real name is {{nihongo|John|ジョン|Jon}}. Naked Snake is virtually identical to Solid Snake from the previous ''Metal Gear Solid'' games in terms of appearance. He loses his right eye when a bullet fired by a young [[Ocelot (Metal Gear)|Ocelot]] skims his eyeball and begins to wear his characteristic [[eye patch]] late in the game. |
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In the prologue sequence of the game, the Virtuous Mission, Naked Snake, a member of the newly-formed special forces unit FOX that was founded by the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] and [[List of characters in the Metal Gear series#Major Zero|Major Zero]] (since FOX was newly formed, Big Boss and others still classified him as a CIA |
In the prologue sequence of the game, the Virtuous Mission, Naked Snake, a member of the newly-formed special forces unit FOX that was founded by the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] and [[List of characters in the Metal Gear series#Major Zero|Major Zero]] (since FOX was newly formed, Big Boss and others still classified him as a CIA |
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Agent), is given orders to infiltrate the fictionalized Soviet region of Tselinoyarsk and extract a defecting Soviet scientist named [[List of characters in the Metal Gear series#Sokolov|Nikolai Stephanovich Sokolov]]. After rescuing Sokolov, he is confronted by his mentor, [[List of characters in the Metal Gear series#The Boss|The Boss]], who defects to the Soviet Union and defeats Snake, before her new host, [[Colonel Volgin]], deploys a nuclear weapon on a nearby research facility and leads the United States and Russia to the brink of war. In retribution for the attack and The Boss' defection, the United States sends Snake back to Russia on a second mission where Snake's objective this time is to assassinate The Boss and her new benefactor, Volgin, rescue Sokolov once again, and destroy the secret Soviet weapon [[Shagohad|Shagohod]]. In the end, Snake fulfills his mission and is awarded the title of Big Boss and the [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]] by [[Lyndon B. Johnson|President Johnson]], only to learn the true nature of The Boss' defection from a recorded confession left by [[List of characters in the Metal Gear series#EVA|EVA]], a female spy he worked and became intimate with during the story. The Boss was deep undercover to retrieve the Philosopher's Legacy before Colonel Volgin does, but was ordered to become a scapegoat after she was blamed for Volgin's nuclear attack on Sokolov's research facility. |
Agent), is given orders to infiltrate the fictionalized Soviet region of Tselinoyarsk and extract a defecting Soviet scientist named [[List of characters in the Metal Gear series#Sokolov|Nikolai Stephanovich Sokolov]]. After rescuing Sokolov, he is confronted by his mentor, [[List of characters in the Metal Gear series#The Boss|The Boss]], who defects to the Soviet Union and defeats Snake, before her new host, [[Colonel Volgin]], deploys a nuclear weapon on a nearby research facility and leads the United States and Russia to the brink of war.<ref>{{cite video game|title=Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater|year=2005|developer=Kojima Productions|publisher=Konami|quote='''The Boss:''' I'm defecting to the Soviet Union. Sokolov is a little gift for my new hosts.}}</ref> In retribution for the attack and The Boss' defection, the United States sends Snake back to Russia on a second mission where Snake's objective this time is to assassinate The Boss and her new benefactor, Volgin, rescue Sokolov once again, and destroy the secret Soviet weapon [[Shagohad|Shagohod]]. In the end, Snake fulfills his mission and is awarded the title of Big Boss and the [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]] by [[Lyndon B. Johnson|President Johnson]],<ref>{{cite video game|title=Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater|year=2005|developer=Kojima Productions|publisher=Konami|quote='''President:''' You are above even The Boss. I hereby award you the title of Big Boss.}}</ref> only to learn the true nature of The Boss' defection from a recorded confession left by [[List of characters in the Metal Gear series#EVA|EVA]], a female spy he worked and became intimate with during the story. The Boss was deep undercover to retrieve the Philosopher's Legacy before Colonel Volgin does, but was ordered to become a scapegoat after she was blamed for Volgin's nuclear attack on Sokolov's research facility.<ref>'''EVA''': The Boss's defection was a ruse set up by the U.S. government. It was all a big drama staged by Washington so they could get their hands on the Philosopher's Legacy. And The Boss was the star of the show. They planned it so that they could get the Legacy that Colonel Volgin inherited...and destroy the Shagohod at the same time. (''Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater'') Konami Computer Entertainment Japan, 2005</ref><ref>'''EVA''': (...) Everything was going according to plan, but then something happened that no one could have predicted. Colonel Volgin fired an American-made nuclear warhead at Sokolov's research facility. Khrushchev demanded that the U.S. government provide proof that it wasn't involved. (...) The authorities in Washington knew that in order to prove its innocence they'd have to get rid of The Boss...and that one of their own would have to do the job. (...) That was the mission she was given. (...) She sacrificed her life and her honor for her native land. (''Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater'') Konami Computer Entertainment Japan, 2005</ref> |
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===''Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops''=== |
===''Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops''=== |
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Following up on the cliffhanger ending of ''Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops'', ''[[Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots]]'' reveals that Big Boss and his former commanding officer [[List of characters in the Metal Gear series#Major Zero|Zero]], were the founding members of [[The Patriots (Metal Gear)|The Patriots]]. A fallout between Zero and Big Boss occurred due to each of them interpreting [[List of characters in the Metal Gear series#The Boss|The Boss]]'s will differently. Zero took the concept to mean control of the entire world by a group, to ensure unification. Big Boss believed that The Boss wanted a world where soldiers were not used as tools by the government. This caused Zero to initiate the ''Les Enfants Terribles'' project. This led Big Boss to break away from Zero and plot a coup d'état against him, causing the events of Outer Heaven and Zanzibar Land. Big Boss is revealed to have survived his defeat in Zanzibar Land, but is placed in an artificially induced cryogenic coma, with his genetic code used for the Sons of the Patriots ID recognition system, the use of which allows access to the [[Artificial intelligence|AIs]] that make up The Patriots. His body is recovered and preserved by [[EVA (Metal Gear)|EVA]] (now known as Big Mama). After the fall of one of the five AIs his body is reconstructed using parts from the bodies of both Liquid and Solidus and he awakens from his coma. |
Following up on the cliffhanger ending of ''Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops'', ''[[Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots]]'' reveals that Big Boss and his former commanding officer [[List of characters in the Metal Gear series#Major Zero|Zero]], were the founding members of [[The Patriots (Metal Gear)|The Patriots]]. A fallout between Zero and Big Boss occurred due to each of them interpreting [[List of characters in the Metal Gear series#The Boss|The Boss]]'s will differently. Zero took the concept to mean control of the entire world by a group, to ensure unification. Big Boss believed that The Boss wanted a world where soldiers were not used as tools by the government. This caused Zero to initiate the ''Les Enfants Terribles'' project. This led Big Boss to break away from Zero and plot a coup d'état against him, causing the events of Outer Heaven and Zanzibar Land. Big Boss is revealed to have survived his defeat in Zanzibar Land, but is placed in an artificially induced cryogenic coma, with his genetic code used for the Sons of the Patriots ID recognition system, the use of which allows access to the [[Artificial intelligence|AIs]] that make up The Patriots. His body is recovered and preserved by [[EVA (Metal Gear)|EVA]] (now known as Big Mama). After the fall of one of the five AIs his body is reconstructed using parts from the bodies of both Liquid and Solidus and he awakens from his coma. |
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Following the voice casting credits at the ending, Big Boss appears before Solid Snake along with a now-catatonic |
Following the voice casting credits at the ending, Big Boss appears before Solid Snake along with a now-catatonic Zero. After revealing the truth about Zero and the Patriots, as well as Ocelot's "[[Spirit possession|possession]]" by [[Liquid Snake|Liquid]], Big Boss shuts down Zero's [[life support]] system. It is shown that his killing of the Boss has still had a profound effect on him, even remarking that the day she died was the day he died as well.<ref>'''Big Boss''': Ever since the day I killed The Boss... with my own two hands... I... was already dead. (Konami, ''Metal Gear Solid 4'', 2008)</ref> He then reconciles with his son before dying from exposure to the FOXDIE virus implanted in Snake. |
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===''Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker''=== |
===''Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker''=== |
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Big Boss' past serves again as the scenario in the PlayStation Portable game ''[[Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker]]''. Set in 1974, four years after the events of ''Portable Ops'', Naked Snake has established his new group, the ''Militaires Sans Frontières'' ("Soldiers Without Borders") or MSF, on Colombia's Barranquilla Coast with his new partner Kazuhira Miller (the same character as McDonnell Miller from previous installments). |
Big Boss' past serves again as the scenario in the PlayStation Portable game ''[[Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker]]''. Set in 1974, four years after the events of ''Portable Ops'', Naked Snake has established his new group, the ''Militaires Sans Frontières'' ("Soldiers Without Borders") or MSF, on Colombia's Barranquilla Coast with his new partner Kazuhira Miller (the same character as McDonnell Miller from previous installments). |
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The story begins when two representatives of the Costa Rican government, Paz and Gálvez, seek to hire MSF to liberate Costa Rica of the "Peace Sentinels", a rogue CIA unit that has established bases in the country. Snake accepts the mission after Gálvez hands him an audio cassette with a recording of The Boss' voice. Following Miller's advice, the MSF takes over an offshore research platform in the Caribbean as their base of operations in a bid to expand the group's capabilities. Over the course of the story, Snake comes to learn about the true purpose of the MSF's campaign against the Peace Sentinels and gradually lets go of his guilt for killing The Boss, finally accepting the title of Big Boss. |
The story begins when two representatives of the Costa Rican government, Paz and Gálvez, seek to hire MSF to liberate Costa Rica of the "Peace Sentinels", a rogue CIA unit that has established bases in the country. Snake accepts the mission after Gálvez hands him an audio cassette with a recording of The Boss' voice. Following Miller's advice, the MSF takes over an offshore research platform in the Caribbean as their base of operations in a bid to expand the group's capabilities. Over the course of the story, Snake comes to learn about the true purpose of the MSF's campaign against the Peace Sentinels and gradually lets go of his guilt for killing The Boss, finally accepting the title of Big Boss.<ref>{{cite video game|title=Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker|year=2010|developer=Kojima Productions|publisher=Konami|quote='''Naked Snake:''' I won't make the same choice as her. My future's going to be different. / '''Miller:''' Then... / '''Naked Snake:''' Yeah, that's right. From now on, call me Big Boss.}}</ref> |
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Later in the game, Big Boss has finally created a weapon that will help make sure the world stays peaceful again: ZEKE, an AI-controlled machine that will only defend, not attack. However, during the course of the game, Paz (or going by her true identity "Pacifica Ocean"), sabotages ZEKE so she can pilot it. She had planned to use ZEKE to launch a nuclear strike on the Eastern Coast of the United States as part of an insurance policy by Cipher, should Big Boss refuse to rejoin them. Big Boss, after hearing her offer, refuses, and is forced to fight a now-manned ZEKE in order to stop Paz. In the end, he is victorious. However, ZEKE was heavily damaged, with Paz being ejected into the Caribbean Sea |
Later in the game, Big Boss has finally created a weapon that will help make sure the world stays peaceful again: ZEKE, an AI-controlled machine that will only defend, not attack. However, during the course of the game, Paz (or going by her true identity "Pacifica Ocean"), sabotages ZEKE so she can pilot it. She had planned to use ZEKE to launch a nuclear strike on the Eastern Coast of the United States as part of an insurance policy by Cipher, should Big Boss refuse to rejoin them. Big Boss, after hearing her offer, refuses, and is forced to fight a now-manned ZEKE in order to stop Paz. In the end, he is victorious. However, ZEKE was heavily damaged, with Paz being ejected into the Caribbean Sea. |
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After the destruction of ZEKE, Miller tells Big Boss that from then on, they will no longer be able to see the outside world unless they reveal their true nature, as well as admitting that he was in on Cipher's plot. Big Boss rejects this idea, stating that his "life shall be different from the Boss'". After this conversation, Big Boss gives a speech to the ''Militaires Sans Frontières'', telling them that if the times demand it, they will be vigilantes, criminals, terrorists, etc. Also, he states that if they are all heading to hell, "then what other place for us than this?" He tells the soldiers in the base that together they would build a new home for themselves, calling it "Outer Heaven". |
After the destruction of ZEKE, Miller tells Big Boss that from then on, they will no longer be able to see the outside world unless they reveal their true nature, as well as admitting that he was in on Cipher's plot. Big Boss rejects this idea, stating that his "life shall be different from the Boss'". After this conversation, Big Boss gives a speech to the ''Militaires Sans Frontières'', telling them that if the times demand it, they will be vigilantes, criminals, terrorists, etc. Also, he states that if they are all heading to hell, "then what other place for us than this?" He tells the soldiers in the base that together they would build a new home for themselves, calling it "Outer Heaven". |
Revision as of 17:33, 26 March 2012
Big Boss (Naked Snake) | |
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Metal Gear series character | |
File:Big Boss (Metal Gear).jpg Big Boss was illustrated in Metal Gear Solid by Yoji Shinkawa. Although the character never actually appeared in the game, this illustration is used in the instruction manual and other official publications. | |
First game | Metal Gear (1987) |
Created by | Hideo Kojima |
Big Boss (ビッグ・ボス, Biggu Bosu) is a fictional character from Konami's Metal Gear video game franchise. He is first introduced in the original Metal Gear as the commanding officer of protagonist Solid Snake, only to be revealed as the leader of the enemy forces as well, a role he would resume in Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. Big Boss would play a key role in the backstory of the series beginning with the first Metal Gear Solid, where he is revealed to be the genetic father of Solid Snake, Liquid Snake and Solidus Snake.
In addition to his role in the sequels, Big Boss also appears as the protagonist in a series of prequels set before the events of the original Metal Gear beginning with Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater where he is depicted as an American covert operative codenamed Naked Snake (ネイキッド・スネーク, Neikiddo Sunēku), the partial namesake of Solid Snake.
As Naked Snake, the character is voiced by Akio Ōtsuka in Japanese and David Hayter in English. In his appearance in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Big Boss was voiced by Chikao Ōtsuka (Akio Ōtsuka's father) in the Japanese version and Richard Doyle in the English version.
Fictional history
Fictional chronology in Metal Gear |
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The Metal Gear games
Big Boss first appears in the original Metal Gear as the leader of the Special Forces Unit FOXHOUND and Solid Snake's commanding officer. He initially acts as a radio contact who provides Snake with information about mission objectives, as well as weapons and equipment.[1][2] However, near the end of the game as Snake destroys Metal Gear, Big Boss exposes himself as the leader of the Outer Heaven militia at the base's escape route and confronts Snake in a final battle where he is defeated.[3]
In Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, Big Boss is revealed to have survived his battle with Snake in Outer Heaven, and has since taken control of another fortified nation in Central Asia - Zanzibar Land. This time, he establishes a military force along with his trusted lieutenant, Gray Fox, and commissions the development of a new Metal Gear model, Metal Gear D.[4] Snake confronts Big Boss once again while escaping from the Zanzibar Land detention camp, with the former incinerating the latter.[5]
Metal Gear Solid
Despite his apparent death, Big Boss's presence figures prominently in Metal Gear Solid and its subsequent sequels, where Solid Snake is revealed to be a genetically-altered clone of Big Boss created from a secret government project known as Les Enfants Terribles (The Terrible Children) along with another clone, his twin brother Liquid Snake.[6] The Genome Army that Snake faces in Metal Gear Solid are also genetically altered soldiers who were implanted with Big Boss's genes after his body was recovered.[7]
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/Naked_Snake.jpg/220px-Naked_Snake.jpg)
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, a prequel to the previous games set three decades prior to the events of the original Metal Gear in 1964, introduces a young Big Boss as a former Green Beret under the codename "Naked Snake".[8] While called Jack (ジャック, Jakku) by various characters, Snake states that his real name is John (ジョン, Jon). Naked Snake is virtually identical to Solid Snake from the previous Metal Gear Solid games in terms of appearance. He loses his right eye when a bullet fired by a young Ocelot skims his eyeball and begins to wear his characteristic eye patch late in the game.
In the prologue sequence of the game, the Virtuous Mission, Naked Snake, a member of the newly-formed special forces unit FOX that was founded by the CIA and Major Zero (since FOX was newly formed, Big Boss and others still classified him as a CIA Agent), is given orders to infiltrate the fictionalized Soviet region of Tselinoyarsk and extract a defecting Soviet scientist named Nikolai Stephanovich Sokolov. After rescuing Sokolov, he is confronted by his mentor, The Boss, who defects to the Soviet Union and defeats Snake, before her new host, Colonel Volgin, deploys a nuclear weapon on a nearby research facility and leads the United States and Russia to the brink of war.[9] In retribution for the attack and The Boss' defection, the United States sends Snake back to Russia on a second mission where Snake's objective this time is to assassinate The Boss and her new benefactor, Volgin, rescue Sokolov once again, and destroy the secret Soviet weapon Shagohod. In the end, Snake fulfills his mission and is awarded the title of Big Boss and the Distinguished Service Cross by President Johnson,[10] only to learn the true nature of The Boss' defection from a recorded confession left by EVA, a female spy he worked and became intimate with during the story. The Boss was deep undercover to retrieve the Philosopher's Legacy before Colonel Volgin does, but was ordered to become a scapegoat after she was blamed for Volgin's nuclear attack on Sokolov's research facility.[11][12]
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
Set six years after the events of Metal Gear Solid 3, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops features Naked Snake once again as the main character. Although already awarded the title of Big Boss, he prefers to be addressed by his former codename, believing that he has yet to surpass The Boss as a warrior. Snake finds himself involved in an armed uprising caused by the FOX unit (now led by Gene) in the fictional San Hieronymo peninsula in Colombia and learns that he has been convicted for instigating the revolt. Hoping to clear his name, Snake forms his own team of specialists by recruiting both old allies and defecting enemy soldiers to his cause, one of whom happens to be Roy Campbell. He faces not only the members of the FOX unit, but also the first built Metal Gear prototype known as the ICBMG. He defeats Gene and obtains the fund for "Army's Heaven", a precursor to Big Boss's own Outer Heaven.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Following up on the cliffhanger ending of Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots reveals that Big Boss and his former commanding officer Zero, were the founding members of The Patriots. A fallout between Zero and Big Boss occurred due to each of them interpreting The Boss's will differently. Zero took the concept to mean control of the entire world by a group, to ensure unification. Big Boss believed that The Boss wanted a world where soldiers were not used as tools by the government. This caused Zero to initiate the Les Enfants Terribles project. This led Big Boss to break away from Zero and plot a coup d'état against him, causing the events of Outer Heaven and Zanzibar Land. Big Boss is revealed to have survived his defeat in Zanzibar Land, but is placed in an artificially induced cryogenic coma, with his genetic code used for the Sons of the Patriots ID recognition system, the use of which allows access to the AIs that make up The Patriots. His body is recovered and preserved by EVA (now known as Big Mama). After the fall of one of the five AIs his body is reconstructed using parts from the bodies of both Liquid and Solidus and he awakens from his coma.
Following the voice casting credits at the ending, Big Boss appears before Solid Snake along with a now-catatonic Zero. After revealing the truth about Zero and the Patriots, as well as Ocelot's "possession" by Liquid, Big Boss shuts down Zero's life support system. It is shown that his killing of the Boss has still had a profound effect on him, even remarking that the day she died was the day he died as well.[13] He then reconciles with his son before dying from exposure to the FOXDIE virus implanted in Snake.
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Big Boss' past serves again as the scenario in the PlayStation Portable game Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Set in 1974, four years after the events of Portable Ops, Naked Snake has established his new group, the Militaires Sans Frontières ("Soldiers Without Borders") or MSF, on Colombia's Barranquilla Coast with his new partner Kazuhira Miller (the same character as McDonnell Miller from previous installments).
The story begins when two representatives of the Costa Rican government, Paz and Gálvez, seek to hire MSF to liberate Costa Rica of the "Peace Sentinels", a rogue CIA unit that has established bases in the country. Snake accepts the mission after Gálvez hands him an audio cassette with a recording of The Boss' voice. Following Miller's advice, the MSF takes over an offshore research platform in the Caribbean as their base of operations in a bid to expand the group's capabilities. Over the course of the story, Snake comes to learn about the true purpose of the MSF's campaign against the Peace Sentinels and gradually lets go of his guilt for killing The Boss, finally accepting the title of Big Boss.[14]
Later in the game, Big Boss has finally created a weapon that will help make sure the world stays peaceful again: ZEKE, an AI-controlled machine that will only defend, not attack. However, during the course of the game, Paz (or going by her true identity "Pacifica Ocean"), sabotages ZEKE so she can pilot it. She had planned to use ZEKE to launch a nuclear strike on the Eastern Coast of the United States as part of an insurance policy by Cipher, should Big Boss refuse to rejoin them. Big Boss, after hearing her offer, refuses, and is forced to fight a now-manned ZEKE in order to stop Paz. In the end, he is victorious. However, ZEKE was heavily damaged, with Paz being ejected into the Caribbean Sea.
After the destruction of ZEKE, Miller tells Big Boss that from then on, they will no longer be able to see the outside world unless they reveal their true nature, as well as admitting that he was in on Cipher's plot. Big Boss rejects this idea, stating that his "life shall be different from the Boss'". After this conversation, Big Boss gives a speech to the Militaires Sans Frontières, telling them that if the times demand it, they will be vigilantes, criminals, terrorists, etc. Also, he states that if they are all heading to hell, "then what other place for us than this?" He tells the soldiers in the base that together they would build a new home for themselves, calling it "Outer Heaven".
Miscellaneous
NES games
When Metal Gear was released for the NES in North America and Europe, the plot within the actual game itself remained unchanged. However, the instruction manual features a different version of the story that strays from the canonical version and gives a more satirical depiction of the game (as with most of Konami's American manuals at the time). The leader of Outer Heaven is mentioned to be a so-called "Vermon CaTaffy", a play on Muammar al-Gaddafi, who is described in the manual as a "once tranquil shepherd boy who turned to terrorism". Big Boss is never mentioned by name in the manual either: instead a character called "Commander South" (a play on Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North) is described as Snake's commanding officer.
Snake's Revenge, a non-canonical sequel to the NES version of Metal Gear released only in North America and Europe, features Big Boss as the final boss before the player's confrontation with "Metal Gear 2". He attacks Snake as a regular man, before transforming into a giant cyborg after sustaining damage. Like in the first NES game, the game's manual names a character other than Big Boss as the main antagonist: in this case, the apparent villain is "Higharolla Kockamamie" (a parody of Ayatollah Khomeini).
Backstory differences
In the original Metal Gear, Big Boss is characterized as having served in the Green Berets, SAS, and GSG 9 prior to serving as the commander of FOXHOUND.[1][15] The character portrait in the Japanese manual for the original MSX2 game depicts Big Boss wearing his eye patch over his left eye. However, the character's sprite in the game depicts the eye patch over his right eye. All subsequent depictions of Big Boss features the eye patch on his right eye. Big Boss's military career is further fleshed out in Metal Gear 2. He is revealed to had served the LRRP during the Vietnam War, followed by SOG and the Wild Geese, before losing his eye in the 1980s and becoming FOXHOUND's commander in the 1990s.[2][16] According to Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2, Big Boss was in his seventies during the events of Metal Gear 2 and his clones were created back when he was in his fifties during the 1970s.[17]
Much of Big Boss' established past would be revised when his past was explored in Metal Gear Solid 3 and its sequels. Big Boss' age is stated to be somewhere in his 30s during the events of Snake Eater set in 1964, whereas Peace Walker his birthdate to be in 1935,[18] establishing to be ten years younger than he was in the original Metal Gear Solid. He loses his eye during the course of Snake Eater to Ocelot, contradicting earlier statements of Big Boss having lost his eye during the 1980s. Additionally, the end of the game alludes to Big Boss forming FOXHOUND in 1970 (an event later depicted in Portable Ops), contradicting FOXHOUND's formation during the 1990s in earlier games.
Creation and design
During his first appearances, Big Boss' visual appearance was inspired by actor Sean Connery. However, for the ports of the game released as part of Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, the original design was replaced by Yoji Shinkawa's design.[19] In the making of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Hideo Kojima asked Shinkawa to make Big Boss' younger self, Naked Snake, similar to Solid Snake but with the differences that unlike Solid Snake, Naked Snake was a rookie and thus acted more naive. Shinkawa stated he had no difficulties in designing Naked Snake as it was basically a revised version of Solid Snake.[20] Since the game's trailers did not state that Naked Snake was the future Big Boss, Kojima stated in an interview prior to its release that he wanted fans to keep to their imagination which was Naked Snake's identity.[21] Although by the ending of Metal Gear Solid 3, Naked Snake was given the title of Big Boss, Kojima stated "he's not really the Big Boss yet." With Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, he wanted to explain how Naked Snake became the Big Boss who appeared in the first Metal Gear game as Solid Snake's enemy.[22]
Reception
The character of Big Boss' has been well-received with IGN having ranked him number 32 on their list of "Top 100 Video Game Villains"[23] and fourth in the "Top 10 Metal Gear Villains".[24] In January 2010, Jesse Schedeen from the same site wrote an article titled "Boss of the Day: Metal Gear's Big Boss" which talked about all his appearances in the Metal Gear series finding him one of the most important characters from the franchise to the point his "influence is felt in every Metal Gear game, even if he isn't always present in the flesh."[25] Computerworld named Big Boss as one of the most creative "badass villains" in video games, citing the complexity of his betrayal of Solid Snake, fueled by Snake being his genetic heir.[26] Additionally, GameSpot listed him as one the twenty best Metal Gear bosses with focus on his importance within the series' plot.[27]
The inclusion of Naked Snake's role in Metal Gear Solid 3 has also received praised by critics.[28] Prior to the game's release, Naked Snake was often called Solid Snake or simply Snake by critics due to his resemblance with Solid Snake, although some still were not sure about his true identity.[29][30] Additionally, early speculation of Big Boss being the playable character from Metal Gear 3 was listed as one IGN's "The Ten Biggest Rumors on the PlayStation 2".[31] GameSpy further noted that various fans started making theories about Naked Snake's identity before the release of the game as while they thought it was Solid Snake, the setting from the game made it impossible for Solid Snake to be the game's protagonist due to their difference of years.[32] Finding the revelation of Naked Snake's identity was considered by GameSpy as "the single coolest thing Kojima could have done in MGS3" because of Naked's differences from Solid in regards to their personality as well as because it made wonder fans how Naked Snake would become the series' antagonist Big Boss.[33] Another comparison between Big Boss' and Solid Snake's character was made by IGN's Phil Pirrello in articled called "Stars Thunderdome: Snake vs. Big Boss."[34] GamesRadar placed his relationship with Eva in their list of "The Top 7... disastrous game romances" due to how it was ruined by the two's different roles in the story.[35] Play editor Nick Jones listed Naked Snake's final fight against the Boss in such game as the second best moment from the franchise, citing the emotional focus from their characters.[36] Various gaming sites placed him as one of the worst fathers in video games due to his poor relationship with Solid Snake and his attempts to murder him.[37][38][39] David Hayter's performance as Naked Snake's English voice actor has been criticized by Edge while discussing the dialogues from the game.[40]
References
- ^ a b "Metal Gear MSX2 version, instruction manual" (in Japanese). Konami. 1987.
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(help); Text "archiveda" ignored (help) - ^ a b "Metal Gear 2 MSX2 version, instruction manual" (in Japanese). Konami. 1990.
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(help); Text "archiveda" ignored (help) - ^ Kojima Productions. Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, Metal Gear. Konami.
Big Boss: Solid Snake! You've finally come here. Yeah, I'm Big Boss General Commandant of Foxhound. And in charge of this fortress, Outer Heaven.
- ^ Kojima Productions. Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. Konami.
Solid Snake: Big... Boss?! / Madnar: The very same! With Metal Gear and OILEX, he plots to rule the world. We cannot let the secret of OILEX fall into his hands!
- ^ Kojima Productions. Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. Konami.
Big Boss: Even I make mistakes from time to time. Snake! This will be our final battle... Let's end this once and for all!
- ^ Kojima Productions. Metal Gear Solid. Konami.
Liquid: There's a killer inside you... You don't have to deny it. We were created to be that way. / Snake: Created? / Liquid: Les enfants terribles... the terrible children. That's what the project was called. It started in the 1970's. Their plan was to artificially create the most powerful soldier possible. The person that they chose as the model was the man known then as the greatest living soldier in the world...
- ^ Konami. Metal Gear Solid.
Liquid Snake: The Genome Soldiers. They too are his progeny, carrying on his genetic legacy. But they're different. They're digital. With the completion of the Human Genome project the mysteries of humanity were laid bare...Liquid Snake: Thanks to father's DNA, they were able to identify more than sixty 'soldier genes' responsible for everything from strategic thinking... to the proverbial 'killer instinct'. Those 'soldier genes' were transplanted, into the membrane of Next Generation Special Forces. That's how they became the Genome Soldiers. That's right... The Genome Soldiers that you've been killing are our brothers, with the same genes as ours.
- ^ Kojima Productions. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Konami.
Zero: Do you copy? You're already in enemy territory, and somebody might be listening in. From here on out, we'll be using codenames to refer to each other. Your codename for this mission will be Naked Snake. I'll be referring to you as Snake from now on. You are not to mention your real name.
- ^ Kojima Productions. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Konami.
The Boss: I'm defecting to the Soviet Union. Sokolov is a little gift for my new hosts.
- ^ Kojima Productions. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Konami.
President: You are above even The Boss. I hereby award you the title of Big Boss.
- ^ EVA: The Boss's defection was a ruse set up by the U.S. government. It was all a big drama staged by Washington so they could get their hands on the Philosopher's Legacy. And The Boss was the star of the show. They planned it so that they could get the Legacy that Colonel Volgin inherited...and destroy the Shagohod at the same time. (Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater) Konami Computer Entertainment Japan, 2005
- ^ EVA: (...) Everything was going according to plan, but then something happened that no one could have predicted. Colonel Volgin fired an American-made nuclear warhead at Sokolov's research facility. Khrushchev demanded that the U.S. government provide proof that it wasn't involved. (...) The authorities in Washington knew that in order to prove its innocence they'd have to get rid of The Boss...and that one of their own would have to do the job. (...) That was the mission she was given. (...) She sacrificed her life and her honor for her native land. (Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater) Konami Computer Entertainment Japan, 2005
- ^ Big Boss: Ever since the day I killed The Boss... with my own two hands... I... was already dead. (Konami, Metal Gear Solid 4, 2008)
- ^ Kojima Productions. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Konami.
Naked Snake: I won't make the same choice as her. My future's going to be different. / Miller: Then... / Naked Snake: Yeah, that's right. From now on, call me Big Boss.
- ^ "Metal Gear — Character Profiles" (in Japanese).
- ^ "Metal Gear 2 - Character Profiles" (in Japanese).
- ^ "Big Boss bio from the Metal Gear Solid website" (in Japanese).
Died in his 70s
- ^ Kojima Production. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (PlayStation Portable).
Gálvez: Dead at age 39, just like El Che.
- ^ Parish, Jeremy. "Gear Up! A Metal Gear Retrospective". 1UP.com. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
- ^ Payton, Ryan. "The KP Report Session 027". Kojima Productions Report. mp.i.revo. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
- ^ C. Perry, Douglass (May 15, 2003). "E3 2003: Hideo Kojima Interview". IGN. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
- ^ Totilo, Stephen (September 25, 2009). "Hideo Kojima Talks Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker And How You Can Help Him". Kotaku. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
- ^ IGN editors (2010-07-04). "Top 100 Videogame Villains". ign.com. Retrieved 2006-10-20.
{{cite web}}
:|author=
has generic name (help) - ^ Scheeden, Jeese. "Top 10 Metal Gear Villains". IGN. Retrieved 2011-07-01.
- ^ Scheeden, Jeese (2010-01-11). "Boss of the Day: Metal Gear's Big Boss". IGN. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
- ^ Gagne, Ken. You can run, but you'll only die tired: Gaming's 'baddest' villains. Computerworld. Retrieved on 2008-09-16
- ^ Dodson, Joe (July 28, 2007). "Metal Gear 20 Years of Boss Battles". GameSpot. Retrieved July 5, 2007.
- ^ Ramsay, Randolph (2005). "Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Review". C NET Australia. Retrieved 2006-08-22.
{{cite web}}
: External link in
(help)|work=
- ^ "Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Preview". PALGN. 2004-02-29. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
- ^ Torres, Ricardo (March 16, 2004). "Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Updated Impressions". GameSpot. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
- ^ "Fact or Fiction? The Ten Biggest Rumors on the PlayStation 2". IGN. Retrieved 2011-07-04.
- ^ "Metal Gear Solid 3 -- Everything We Know". GameSpy. p. 3. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
- ^ "Metal Gear Solid 3 -- Everything We Know". GameSpy. p. 4. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
- ^ Pirrello, Phil (2010-01-11). "Stars Thunderdome: Snake vs. Big Boss". IGN. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
- ^ Meikleham, Dave. "The Top 7… disastrous game romances". GamesRadar. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
- ^ Jones, Nick. "Metal Gear Solid – My Top Five Moments". Play. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
- ^ Glasser, AJ (June 21, 2009). "Father Knows Best: The Best and Worst Fathers in Video Games". Kotaku. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ Sharkey, Scott (September 9, 2010). "Gaming's Crappiest Fathers". Game Informer. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
- ^ Ryckert, Dan (September 9, 2010). "Top 5 Crappiest Videogame Dads". 1UP.com. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
- ^ Edge, January 2005; issue 145. Future Publishing. 2005. pp. 80–81.