Big Boss (Metal Gear)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Naked Snake
Big Boss
Metal Gear character
First appearanceMetal Gear (1987)
Created byHideo Kojima
Designed byYoji Shinkawa
Voiced by
  • Akio Ōtsuka
    (Metal Gear Solid 3, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Metal Gear Solid V and Super Bomberman R)
  • Chikao Ōtsuka
    (Metal Gear Solid 4)
Motion capture
Various
  • Akio Ōtsuka (Metal Gear Solid 4)
  • Mio Tanaka (Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker)
  • Erik Brown (Metal Gear Solid V)
  • Kiefer Sutherland
(Metal Gear Solid V [facial only])

Big Boss (Japanese: ビッグ・ボス, Hepburn: Biggu Bosu) is a video game character and the main protagonist/antagonist in the Metal Gear video game series created by Hideo Kojima and developed and published by Konami.

He was first introduced in the 1987

private mercenary company
.

The concept of Naked Snake was an attempt to distance him from Solid Snake, despite both being physically similar through their characterizations. He has been voiced by

Akio Ōtsuka in the Japanese version, and by David Hayter and Kiefer Sutherland in the English translation. Critical reception to Big Boss has been positive, due to his role as a villain and his enmity with Solid Snake. His younger persona has been praised as likeable, with critics generally enjoying the execution of his character development
in the series designed to shape him into the villainous icon.

Appearances

In the MSX2 games

Big Boss is introduced in the original

TX-55 Metal Gear, Big Boss confronts Snake near the base's escape route in a final battle, only to be defeated.[a][3] Outer Heaven is destroyed and Big Boss vows revenge.[4]

Metal Gear D as a deterrent.[5] Solid Snake confronts Big Boss once again while escaping from Zanzibar Land's detention camp, with Snake incinerating Big Boss.[6]

In the Metal Gear Solid series

Despite his apparent death, Big Boss's presence figures prominently in the original Metal Gear Solid games where his DNA was revealed to have been used to create the genetically-altered clones as part of the secret "Les Enfants Terribles" government project (French for "The Terrible Children"): Solid Snake,

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

The

The Sorrow). Snake completes his mission and kills The Boss, but learns that the defection was orchestrated by the US government and who had ordered her death to prevent war.[11][12] The political motives behind the operation do not sit well with Snake, especially after he is awarded the "Big Boss" title for his actions which he initially rejects, and prompts him to retire from active service.[13]

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops

first prototype. After he learns that The Boss's death had been planned all along, Snake eventually defeats Gene and obtains the funds for Army's Heaven.[14]

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

FOXDIE
virus.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

Following Portable Ops, Naked Snake's past again serves as the scenario in

Cipher
(a precursor to the Patriots). She pilots ZEKE and threatens to launch a nuclear strike on the United States, but Big Boss stops ZEKE and Paz falls into the Caribbean Sea. Kaz tells Big Boss of being aware of Zadornov and Paz's intentions from the beginning, and used it to spur MSF's growth. Kaz realizes they will no longer be able to hide from the outside world unless they reveal their true nature, but Big Boss rejects this idea and chooses to live differently from The Boss. Afterwards, he gives a speech to the MSF soldiers, telling them that if the times demand it, they will be vigilantes, criminals and terrorists, but they alone will be the ones to choose their battles and causes.

Metal Gear Solid V

Set months after Peace Walker,

Skull Face
. Shortly after escaping, Paz awakens and reveals a second bomb, jumping out of the helicopter seconds before it explodes. The helicopter crashes, placing Big Boss and the medic in a coma.

In

Venom Snake") ventures into Soviet-controlled Afghanistan and the AngolaZaire border region using the newly-formed Diamond Dogs mercenary force to combat Skull Face, while Big Boss works elsewhere in his plan for the true Outer Heaven's development.[18][19]

Other appearances

In Snake's Revenge, a non-canonical sequel to the original Metal Gear for the NES released during the same year as Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, Big Boss returns as the leader of the enemy organization, having survived the injuries he sustained in the original game as a cyborg. He fights Solid Snake as a boss prior to reaching the new Metal Gear prototype and has two forms: his human form and a fire-breathing cyborg form. Naked Snake also appears as a playable character in Super Bomberman R.

In December 2020, Monster Hunter director Paul W. S. Anderson stated that the film's storyline had been primarily based on a 2010 crossover event between Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker and Monster Hunter Freedom Unite, in which Big Boss' military squad briefly faced the monsters from the Monster Hunter series, with the film characters of Natalie Artemis (portrayed by Milla Jovovich) and the Hunter (portrayed by Tony Jaa) respectively replacing the video game roles of Big Boss/Naked Snake and Trenya, with Anderson stating that "I thought this was great imagery to juxtapose a man with a machine gun [Naked Snake] against the creatures [of Monster Hunter].".[20]

Creation and design

In Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, Big Boss' visual appearance was inspired by actor Sean Connery. However, for the ports of the game's re-released version, the original design was replaced by Yoji Shinkawa's design.[21]

During the making of

Pink Panther. Kojima and Shinkawa watched the movie but the former stated it might have come different from the original version.[23] Since the game's trailers did not state that Naked Snake was Big Boss, Kojima often gave vague answers to the character's true identity.[24] Although the ending of Metal Gear Solid 3 reveals Naked Snake was given the Big Boss title, 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 man who appeared in the original Metal Gear games as Solid Snake's enemy.[25]

Naked Snake as portrayed in Metal Gear Solid 3 shares the same voice actor as Solid Snake did in the first two Metal Gear Solid games, being voiced by

Chikao Otsuka (Akio Otsuka's real-life father) in Japanese and by Richard Doyle in English. Originally, Naked Snake was planned to have been voiced by Kurt Russell due to Kojima's request but the actor refused.[26]

On June 6, 2013, during Konami's third annual pre-

E3 show, it was announced that Kiefer Sutherland would be portraying Snake in Metal Gear Solid V, replacing David Hayter (Akio Otsuka was unaffected by this casting change and continued to portrayed Snake in the Japanese dub). Sutherland plays the original Big Boss (who serves as the playable character in the stand-alone prologue Ground Zeroes), as well as Venom Snake (a new version of the character who serves as the protagonist in the main game The Phantom Pain). In addition to the voice, Sutherland also provided facial capture for the character.[27][28] Sutherland was assigned the role after a suggestion to Kojima from Hollywood producer and director Avi Arad; Kojima's reason was to "have a more subdued performance expressed through subtle facial movements and tone of voice rather than words", and that he "needed someone who could genuinely convey both the facial and vocal qualities of a man in his late 40s".[29][30][31]

Reception

Big Boss' character has been well-received, with

1UP.com, Game Informer and Kotaku placed his character as one of the worst fathers in video games due to his poor relationship with Solid Snake and the attempts to murder his own son.[39][40][41]

The inclusion of Naked Snake's role in Metal Gear Solid 3 has also received praise from critics.

GamesRadar placed his relationship with EVA in his top list of disastrous game romances due to how it was ruined by the two's different roles in the story.[50] 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.[51] David Hayter's performance as Naked Snake's English voice actor in Metal Gear Solid 3 has been criticized by Edge while discussing the dialogues from the game.[52]

Joe Dodson, writing for GameRevolution, disliked Big Boss' character in Portable Ops due to his process of kidnapping and indoctrinating enemy soldiers through "confusing rants" about the idea of loyalty.[53] Rob Fahey of Eurogamer found that Snake remained likeable from carrying over traits shown in Snake Eater and praised Hayter's performance.[54] Charles Herold of The New York Times described Snake as a tragic character based on the events shown in Snake Eater, and with Portable Ops had been forced to face a new conflict despite retirement.[55] Greg Kasavin of GameSpot praised the handling of Snake's character in Portable Ops due to his interactions with his former partners from the FOX unit.[56] Jeff Haynes of IGN noted how the game presented major plot twists and exposition that would affect Snake's characterization and lay the groundwork for important items shown later in the series.[57]

Oli Welsh of Eurogamer criticized Big Boss' characterization in Peace Walker as confusing in the wider context of the series, with mixed comments being given to Hayter's performance.[58] Jonathan Holmes of Destructoid enjoyed how Peace Walker further developed Big Boss' character from Portable Ops by completing his journey from lone soldier to leader and cementing him as the icon he would become.[59] Greg Miller of IGN also found the game's story was one of the most enjoyable and least-convoluted by focusing purely on Big Boss' emotions and his quest to discover more about his fallen mentor, The Boss,[60] similar sentiments of which were shared by Ramón Varela of Vandal[61] and Randy Nelson of Engadget.[62] Jason Schreier of Kotaku disliked the plot twist in The Phantom Pain which revealed that the player character, Venom Snake, was not Big Boss, feeling it cheapened the emotional crux of the story and that it failed to explain Big Boss' motivations for becoming a villain.[63]

References

Notes

  1. Venom Snake
    and not the original Big Boss.

Footnotes

  1. ^ "Metal Gear MSX2 version, instruction manual" (in Japanese). Konami. 1987. Archived from the original on August 18, 2006.
  2. ^ "Metal Gear 2 MSX2 version, instruction manual" (in Japanese). Konami. 1990. Archived from the original on September 7, 2006.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Konami. Metal Gear (PS2). Level/area: post-credits message. ... can you hear me? Solid Snake... I'm not dead... Someday, I'll get even with you. Someday... We will meet again.
  5. ^ Kojima Productions. Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. Konami. Solid Snake: Big... Boss?! / Dr. 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!
  6. ^ 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!
  7. ^ Kojima Productions. Metal Gear Solid. Konami. Liquid Snake: There's a killer inside you... You don't have to deny it. We were created to be that way. / Solid Snake: Created? / Liquid Snake: Les enfants terribles... the terrible children. That's what the project was called. It started in the 1970s. 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...
  8. ^ Kojima Productions. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. Konami. Solidus Snake: ...I'm the boss to surpass Big Boss himself...
  9. ^ Kojima Productions. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Konami. Miller: Naked... That's exactly what you are with this uniform. The pants are the same as the jungle fatigues. Obviously, since you're exposing your bare skin, your defense and camo index are going to be low. On the plus side, it's so light you can move around quicker. / Naked Snake: Good for showing off muscles, too. / Miller: Hey, Snake. I heard they gave you your old code name because you used to run around with your shirt off. Is that true? / Naked Snake: Don't believe everything you hear. They called me "Naked" because I went in without gear or food. I had to procure everything on site.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ EVA: The Boss' 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
  12. ^ 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
  13. ^ Kojima Productions. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Konami. Mr. President: You are above even The Boss. I hereby award you the title of Big Boss.
  14. ^ Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, Kojima Productions (2006)
    Gene: So... You never knew. Six years ago, during Operation Snake Eater, Volgin launched an American nuclear missile at Sokolov's research lab. This caused a change in plans, and the U.S. government had to assassinate its own operative, The Boss, to prove its innocence. And you were the assassin, Snake. / (Naked Snake is speechless) / Gene: Do you really think Volgin committed that terrible crime of his own will? / Naked Snake: What? / Gene: It was all a setup from the very beginning. Volgin launching the nuke... The Boss' death... Even your mission in Groznyj Grad, Snake! It was all the work of your country and a single, deviously cunning strategist. / Naked Snake: You're saying it was all a setup? By who!? / Gene: The Boss gave up her life, even if someone else willed it. She sacrificed her own life for her calling. It was a noble act. / Naked Snake: Answer me! Who set it up?!
  15. ^ Kojima Productions. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Konami. Big Mama: "Give birth to Big Boss." To realize this, I asked to serve as the surrogate mother... And was more than happy to carry you in my womb. I loved him. Nine months later, I gave birth to two Big Bosses... You, and [Liquid Snake]. [...] Determined to oppose Zero and his plans, Big Boss broke away from the Patriots.
  16. ^ Kojima Productions (2008). Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PlayStation 3). Konami. Big Boss: Ever since the day I killed The Boss... with my own two hands... I... was already dead.
  17. ^ 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.
  18. ^ Kojima Productions. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Level/area: Truth Records - Doublethink. Ocelot: We've been busy over the last nine years. His altered state of consciousness has helped us implant powerful suggestions through induced hypnogogia. He's experienced all your missions on record, and shares all your knowledge and experience. To make him believe that he is the one true Big Boss. No one around him will doubt that he's the Big Boss they know. So is he the real Big Boss or a stand-in? What does that mean to him? Nothing. The human brain is capable of many illusions. Of pain, of the future. What happens from here depends on his skill. But you can vouch for that. / Big Boss: "He was always the best man we had. But..." / Ocelot: "Nine years ago in that helicopter, he threw himself between you and the blast. In that moment, the man you knew died. He died protecting you. And now, by becoming you, he protects you again. This is just a detour in his journey to Hell. And don't forget it's what he wanted. He's in his Dog Days now. It's not just him. We'll be putting the people in this hospital in the line of fire. They'll be your shield, and a necessary diversion. To buy us some time."
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