Big Boss (Metal Gear)

Big Boss is a fictional character in the Metal Gear series. Reputed to be "The Greatest Warrior of the Twentieth Century", Big Boss is introduced in the original Metal Gear as Solid Snake's commanding officer, but turns out to be the enemy leader and he returns as an antagonist in Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. His legacy and relationship with Solid Snake (who is revealed to be his son/clone) plays an important role in Metal Gear Solid (MGS) and its sequels, and he appears as the protagonist in the prequels Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (MGS3) and Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (MPO) under the identity of Naked Snake}. It is revealed in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (MGS4) that he is a member of the Patriots, a secret society that controls the United States of America. He is to act as the protagonist of an upcoming PSP release, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.

As Naked Snake, the character is voiced by the same voice actor who plays Solid Snake: Akio Ōtsuka in Japanese and David Hayter in English versions. In his appearance in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Big Boss is voiced by Chikao Ōtsuka (Akio's father) in Japanese and Richard Doyle in English.

Biography

Early Years

Big Boss's military career dates back to 1950, when he joined the US Army and participated in the Korean War. During his tenure, became The Boss's apprentice. In 1954, Jack was involved in the Bikini Atoll testing of the first airborne detonation of a hydrogen bomb. During his time under the tutelage of The Boss, she taught him everything about combat, weaponry, survival, espionage, destruction, psychology and foreign languages like Russian. They also developed CQC together. The Boss and Jack went their separate ways on June 12, 1959.

In 1961, Jack joined the Green Berets. He participated in covert operations alongside Python in Vietnam. He later stated that Python was one of the few soldiers he could completely rely on in battle. The two were involved in a top secret mission together, where Python was shot and presumed to have been killed. In 1964, he was recruited by the fledgling FOX unit.

Operation Snake Eater

See also: Virtuous Mission and Operation Snake Eater

On August 24th, 1964, Jack was part of the Virtuous Mission, in which he was to rescue a defecting Soviet scientist named Nikolai Stephanovich Sokolov. It was during this mission that he was given the codename "Naked Snake." However, this mission failed, due to the defection of The Boss.

A week later, the FOX unit and Snake launched Operation Snake Eater, in which the objective was to eliminate The Boss and her new Soviet ally, Colonel Volgin, rescue Sokolov and destroy the Shagohod. It was during this mission that Snake came across the prototype designs for the TX-55 Metal Gear and Metal Gear REX from Granin, who was sending them to a colleague in America. This colleague was the grandfather of Hal Emmerich, a.k.a. Otacon.

During this mission, Snake had his right eye accidentally damaged by Ocelot's Colt Single Action Army, while in captivity for torture, in order to save EVA's life. However, he succeeded in completing the mission, and killed The Boss. For this, he was awarded the code name "Big Boss" and the Distinguished Service Cross by President Lyndon Johnson.

Big Boss, however, was heavily affected by the events of Operation: Snake Eater, in part to the fact that he had to kill his old mentor, The Boss, and after finding out that the whole operation (including The Boss's supposed defection) was a ruse set up by his government to avoid taking the blame for a nuclear attack while secretly getting their hands on the Philosophers' Legacy, Big Boss lost sight of what he was fighting for, and with it, his patriotism for his country. Because of this, he decided to retire from FOX. He was mentally discouraged and alone.

Post-Snake Eater

When direct American involvement in the Vietnam Conflict started the following year, Big Boss participated in Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols (LRRP) along with teams of Green Berets and US Army Rangers. His skills in combat earned him the "great legendary soldier" moniker. Once the conflict had ended, Big Boss had taken part in more than 70 missions attached to groups such as the SOG (Studies and Observation Group) and the Wild Geese. He also encountered a war orphan named Frank Jaeger during the Mozambican War of Independence in 1966, and escorted the child to a rehab facility where he could be taken care of.

San Hieronymo Incident

Kp26 — Naked Snake (Big Boss), during the FOX unit's revolt, circa 1970.

Although he had been labeled "Big Boss", he continued to refer to himself as "Naked Snake", as he did not feel that he had surpassed The Boss's skill just yet. In 1970, the FOX unit was considered rogue after its members organized a revolt and took over a base in South America known as La Peninsula de los Muertos. Big Boss was taken prisoner by Cunningham (a member of FOX).

He met Roy Campbell, a member of the Green Berets who was sent to take care of FOX. The two managed to persuade various members of the Red Army, which FOX were commanding, to join forces with them and rise up against the renegade members, forming the early beginnings of what would become FOXHOUND. Para-Medic and Sigint also helped him in defeating FOX and clearing their names, as well as Major Zero's (they were all partially blamed for the uprising).

While there, Big Boss met Frank Jaeger once again, this time going under the codename Null. 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" because of his knowledge of Big Boss's fighting style. Despite Python knowing this information, he was defeated. Big Boss then went on to kill the renegade FOX unit's leader, Gene, and then afterwards, with the help of the Red Army soldiers he had recruited, destroyed Metal Gear RAXA that FOX was threatening to launch into the United States. Gene left Big Boss with a large cache of funds and supplies that he intended to use to construct Army's Heaven on "La Peninsula de los Muertos". After the incident, Big Boss officially formed FOXHOUND, to carry on the tradition of the FOX unit and to give a home to the soldiers he had recruited during the San Hyeronimo Incident.

The Patriots and Les Enfants Terribles

Ocelot and Major Zero later extended an invitation to Big Boss to join them in the forming of a new organization known as "The Patriots". This organization was to be set up in honor of The Boss's last wish. Big Boss, who knew her better than anyone else, was chosen by Zero to be an icon and hero to the world. Zero started spreading stories about him. Some of these tales were true, some exaggerated, and others were false. Big Boss later became infuriated with Zero's lust for power, and was sick of playing the role of a puppet.

Afraid of losing Big Boss, Zero planned a secret project. In 1972, Big Boss was found in a coma and Zero brought his unconscious body to a lab, where his genes were extracted to make genetically enhanced soldiers. This project would be known as "Les Enfants Terribles". Solid Snake, Liquid Snake, and Solidus Snake were produced in this program, and were known as the "Sons of Big Boss". However, this was the final straw between the two, and Big Boss left The Patriots with a determination to oppose them. He left the United States, drifting around the world, before finally deciding to create his own organization.

Peace Walker

In 1974, Big Boss had stationed his group, Militaires Sans Frontieres, in Colombia where he was approached by a visitor from Costa Rica, a "Nation without a Military." In the wake of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, as Latin America became a key to maintaining the power balance between East and West, Costa Rica had miraculously managed to maintain its peace and neutrality. However, in various regions of the country, a mysterious armed force seemed to be engaging in specific activities. Now, to preserve peace in this nation without a military, the "Militaires Sans Frontieres" move into action. In time, they would come to be known as the founders of "Outer Heaven".

Later Career

From the 1970s to the early 1990s, Big Boss participates in several regional conflicts and ethnic liberation wars. He was heralded as a true hero and made the front covers of popular magazines in many countries.

After the end of the Rhodesian Civil War in 1980, Big Boss takes Frank Jaegar and Naomi Hunter to the United States. Afterwards, Frank and Big Boss returned to Africa to continue fighting a war, leaving Naomi behind in America.

He also served as a combat instructor and worked to reintegrate former child soldiers into society, including Sniper Wolf during the 1991 Gulf War.

Creating Outer Heaven

Using Gene's massive funds, Big Boss eventually created his dream fortress, his own philosophical idea, known as Outer Heaven. Big Boss also returned to the U.S. to covertly take command of his special forces unit FOXHOUND. While serving as commander of FOXHOUND, Big Boss also ran his own personal mercenary dispatch company. He was planning on building this company into a larger military establishment, and Outer Heaven was meant to be its base.

In the 1990's, Big Boss kidnapped Russian scientist Dr. Drago Pettrovich Madnar and forced him to develop the next Metal Gear prototype, code-named Metal Gear TX-55. It was a weapon system designed to give Outer Heaven military supremacy over the West, and thus giving Big Boss the power he needed to confront The Patriots.

Outer Heaven Uprising

In 1995, when FOXHOUND was commissioned by the U.S. to infiltrate Outer Heaven and destroy Metal Gear, Big Boss first sent in his most trusted soldier, Gray Fox; once Gray Fox was captured, Big Boss sent in Solid Snake, at that time FOXHOUND's least experienced member. Big Boss figured that there was no way that a rookie like Solid Snake could fulfill such a mission, that his efforts would delay further action by the West and buy Big Boss enough time to complete Metal Gear's development.

However, much to Big Boss's surprise, Solid Snake succeeded in disbanding Outer Heaven, recovering the Metal Gear research data, and destroying Metal Gear itself. Faced with the failure of his plans, Big Boss confronted Solid Snake in the heart of Outer Heaven, and revealed his identity as Outer Heaven's mastermind. Big Boss laughed at the astounded Snake and told him the truth behind his mission. After Big Boss activated the base's self-destruct countdown, the two of them engaged in one-on-one combat, with Big Boss dodging between crates and firing at Snake with some kind of machine gun. Even in his advanced age, Big Boss proved fast and dangerous, but Solid Snake eventually managed to apparently kill him.

In reality, Big Boss managed to escape Outer Heaven. When NATO commenced their air raid to bomb all of the refugees and war orphans regardless of their ties to Outer Heaven or not, he also forgave the Resistance members and managed to save as many of the refugees/war orphans, Resistance Members and Outer Heaven personnel alike, as he could from the bombings, including Kyle Schneider.

Zanzibar Land Disturbance

Big Boss, circa 1999.

In 1997, he took control of another nation known as Zanzibar Land. 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 and not treated as tools. Big Boss also recruited Gray Fox to his cause. To ensure Zanzibar Land's success, Big Boss once again commissioned the creation of a more advanced Metal Gear prototype, known as Metal Gear D. This time, Dr. Madnar developed the new model on his own free will, after being institutionalized into an asylum in the US. It is rumored that Dr. Madnar also provided Big Boss with cybernetic body parts to compensate for the injuries he received in Outer Heaven.

In 1999, Solid Snake once again managed to infiltrate the enemy nation and destroy Metal Gear. Snake eventually defeated Gray Fox hand-to-hand in the middle of a minefield. Bruised and unarmed, Snake was once again confronted by a machine gun-wielding Big Boss. Having spent his entire life on the battlefield, Big Boss could not conceive of a world without war. Big Boss paraphrased his mentor's final challenge to Snake before challenging his son to one final battle.

Big Boss (1999 - 2014) — Big Boss's charred body was kept by The Patriots.

Whoever wins, our battle does not end. The loser is free from the battlefield, but the winner must remain there and the survivor must live his life as a warrior until he dies.
—Big Boss to Solid Snake, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake

Snake managed to cobble together a makeshift flamethrower, using a can of lacquer spray and a cigarette lighter and used it to incinerate Big Boss.

Big Boss's body was recovered by the U.S. government and they discovered that he was, in fact, alive. He was injected with nanomachines to induce a sort of eternal coma. For Zero, Big Boss was an irreplaceable icon and, more importantly, an irreplaceable friend. Big Boss's genome was then used to identify the "soldier genes", which the U.S. government gave to the Next Generation Special Forces via gene therapy.

To further make the world believe he had died, a grave was laid next to The Boss's, which read: "A Hero Forever Loyal To The Flames Of War, Rests In Outer Heaven. 193X - 1999"

Guns of the Patriots Incident

See also: Liquid Sun, Solid Sun, Third Sun, Twin Suns, Old Sun, and Naked Sin/Naked Son

Although badly burned, his body was later recovered by EVA, with the assistance of Raiden. EVA (presumably with scientists at hand) was able to rebuild him using body parts of his sons, Liquid and Solidus. When they were finished, Big Boss was restored to his former appearance. When GW was properly destroyed, it led the way open into JD, which, in turn, revealed the location of Zero. Big Boss, now fully revived, headed to find him. As Solid Snake stood in front of Big Boss's grave after having nearly committing suicide, Big Boss emerged from behind with Zero, telling his son that there was no hatred between them. Despite his advanced age, Big Boss was still a formidable fighter, being able to disarm Snake with ease, and then embrace him in a fatherly hug.

Big Boss MGS4 — Big Boss in *Metal Gear Solid 4*.

He told Snake about the history of the Patriots, and the struggle between himself and Zero. He also told Snake that Ocelot was never truly possessed by Liquid, but had merely made himself believe as such through hypnotherapy and nanomachines as part of his plan, as he was informed this himself from a video Naomi had left him when he awoke. As Zero was sitting in his wheelchair in a vegetative state, Big Boss commented 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 hated or feared him. Big Boss then switched off Zero's air supply machine, killing him and finally ending their conflict. Soon after that, Big Boss started to feel the effects of the new FOXDIE virus that was injected into Snake. While in pain, he requested Snake to take him over to The Boss's grave. He stood and saluted, echoing to his salute 50 years beforehand. He said that ever since he killed The Boss, he "was already dead." Sharing one final smoke, Big Boss finally made peace with his last-living son, and, as a last request, pleaded with Snake to spend his final days in peace and not waste them fighting, to which Snake agreed. Moments later, Big Boss, the greatest soldier who ever lived, passed away at the grave of the woman whose life and death had made him into the person he was.

This is good... Isn't it?
—Big Boss's final words.

Legacy

Big Boss was perhaps the most influential figure, his very own ideology being adopted by many admirers. The dream of a unified world, passed to him by The Boss, formed the basis for Outer Heaven where, in his words, "every soldier will have his place, and where they will answer to no government". As he stated during Operation Snake Eater, he would die for his country if necessary, but he later found that there was no point in doing so, a realization which led him to create Outer Heaven. Big Boss knew there was no way that he could change the world, even if he was the world's greatest soldier, but he still fought for what he believed in.

Big Boss also saw Solid Snake as a soldier rather than a son, but he always knew Snake was loyal to the end. As a last chance to prevent him from making any more terrible mistakes, Big Boss told his son to spend the rest of his life not as a soldier, but as a man. Spending his entire life fighting and experiencing sorrow, Big Boss made it clear that no one needs to die for another person's cause. People must believe in themselves and fight for what they feel is right.

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.

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 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 MGS3 included a book called R which stated Big Boss's real name was indeed John Doe. The master Patriot AI, accessed via Big Boss's biometric data, is also named John Doe. However, some fans still feel the name was just a joke, and refuse to acknowledge John Doe as Big Boss's real name.

To further add to the confusion, the Metal Gear Solid 4 Database listed Big Boss's name as simply "John." However, both names can be applicable as the name "Jack" in English is the diminutive form of the name "John."

Other Appearances

Big Boss appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as both a trophy (as Naked Snake) and sticker. His trophy description is as follows:

Naked Snake Smash — Naked Snake's camouflage suits in *Super Smash Bros. Brawl*.

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.

During a codec conversation about Toon Link, Solid Snake mentions to Mei Ling that "there's been more than one 'Snake'."

Also, several of Naked Snake's camouflage suits appear as alternate costume options for Solid Snake.

Big Boss also appears as the second-to-last boss in the NES sequel to the original Metal Gear, Snake's Revenge. He guards the final fortress where Metal Gear VRC-4 is located. At first, he fights with a machine gun just as he did in the original Metal Gear. After being shot several times, Big Boss reveals that he survived his injuries from Outer Heaven through surgeries that turned him into a cyborg; he then transforms into a 12-foot tall RoboCop-like robot, and proceeds to chase Solid Snake around while spitting fireballs at him.

While Snake's Revenge is non-canonical, it should be noted that the final battles against Big Boss in Snake's Revenge and Metal Gear 2 are quite similar. In both games, Big Boss can use doors to chase the player around from one screen to another. The only difference between the two games' sequences is that Big Boss doesn't transform into a cyborg in the canonical sequel, Metal Gear 2.

In Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, when the player calls George Kasler during the final battle, he mentions a rumor about Big Boss receiving cybernetic "snatcher" organs from Dr. Petrovich after losing his limbs, right ear and right eye (which was already missing in the original game) in battle. While some fans interpret this as a jab directed at Snake's Revenge, it's a reference to Kojima's previous game, Snatcher. Dr. Petrovich appears in Snatcher as the founder of the Snatcher Project

Trivia

In the Japanese version of MGS4, Big Boss is voiced by Chikao Ōtsuka. Uncoincidentally, he is the father of Akio Ōtsuka, who plays Solid Snake (and in the case of MGS3 and MPO, Naked Snake/Big Boss himself).
Big Boss's look in the original MSX2 version of Metal Gear 2 was modeled after actor Sean Connery. Like other characters, this image was updated during later releases of the game to reflect his look in MGS1 official artwork, which was also carried over to his appearance in MGS4.
In Portable Ops, it is mentioned during a cutscene with Para-Medic that Snake wanted to be an instructor after Snake Eater. The Metal Gear Solid 4 Database states that Big Boss eventually served as a combat instructor and worked to reintegrate former child soldiers into society. Ironically, he ends up believing that soldiers on the battlefield can never be reintegrated into society.
Naked Snake in the Olive Drab uniform is very similar looking to the appearence of Iroquois Pliskin.
Interestingly, the targets in Virtual Range are named "John Doe."
There is some contradiction regarding how old Big Boss actually was when his DNA was extracted for Les Enfants Terribles. Ocelot, speaking as Liquid, claimed Big Boss was in his late fifties when his DNA was extracted, but his gravestone implies he was born sometime in the 1930s; with the twin Snakes born in 1972, this makes him a maximum of 42 at the time. This is likely just a retcon, or a mistake on Liquid's part.
Big Boss is, presumably, afraid of vampires. He states that thinking about them gives him nightmares. For this reason, he'd rather Para-Medic (who is quite a movie buff) didn't utter the word "Dracula" when speaking to him.
In MGS3, if the player zooms in on the right side of his chest on his dress uniform in the FMV where he's walking down the hall to achieve his title of Big Boss, the player can visibly see the ribbons he's achieved throughout his military career. Including the "Army Achievement Ribbon" the "Good Conduct Ribbon," the Distinguished Service Cross Ribbon (presumably one he'd earned before Operation Snake Eater) and several others.