Metal Gear is one of the most beloved stealth series to ever exist. Even as other games in its genre died out, Metal Gear was ever stalwart, all the way until Hideo Kojima left Konami. There was another spin-off after Kojima’s departure, but we don’t talk about that.
A visionary like Kojima was never one to do things by halves. Metal Gear was always pushing boundaries: testing the limits of the hardware it was on, ramping up the gravitas of every plot twist, and giving its characters as many silly names as possible. Here are ten Metal Gear characters, ranked by how many names they have.
10 Colonel Volgin
Names:
- Colonel Volgin
- Thunderbolt
- The Man On Fire
Colonel Yevgeny Borisovitch Volgin encapsulates Metal Gear at its best and most absurd: he’s a man who can control electricity. While other characters were demythologized in MGS 5 with pseudo-scientific explanations being given for their abilities, Volgin’s electric powers could never be explained away, and that made him cool.
During the Cold War, the Western bloc referred to Volgin as Thunderbolt. In MGS 5, set some 20 years after MGS 3, he earns himself another name: the man on fire, because he’s literally a man on fire. This is a Hideo Kojima game.
9 Solidus Snake
Names:
- Solidus Snake
- Solid Snake
- George Sears
No, that is not the real Solid Snake. This character only briefly uses the pseudonym of his heroic brother to fool Raiden in MGS 2. He’s actually the most picture-perfect copy of their father, Big Boss, leading him to be confused with the latter in MGS 4 as well.
Interestingly, Solidus Snake has another title: Mr. President. Yes, in the Metal Gear universe, this well-intentioned villain was the figurehead of the United States.
8 Raiden
Names:
- Raiden
- Snake
- White Devil
- Jack the Ripper
Raiden was initially divisive among fans, but his MGS 4 redesign won him acclaim from all sides. This grizzled young cyborg was raised as a child soldier, leading him to develop a strong sense of righteousness. Due to his light-coloured hair and skin in his regiment, as well as his ferocity in battle, Raiden was referred to as the White Devil in his childhood.
As an adult, Raiden’s real name, Jack, was turned against him, as his propensity for violence earned him the nickname Jack the Ripper. He also briefly used the codename Snake at the start of MGS 2, though this was never used again and seemed to simply be a way to fool fans that they would be playing as *the* Solid Snake.
7 Liquid Snake
Names:
- Liquid Snake
- Eli
- White Mamba
- Master Miller
The brother and arch-nemesis of series protagonist Solid Snake, Liquid’s real name and past were unveiled in MGS 5. He was called Eli, but his ers in his Lord of the Flies-inspired gang also called him the White Mamba.
In MGS 1, Liquid Snake used the identity of Snake’s deceased mentor, Master Miller. It’s worth noting that the real Miller wasn’t a slouch in the nickname department either, he’s alternatively known as Kazuhira, McDonell and Master Miller.
6 Zero
Names:
- Major Zero
- Major Tom
- David Oh
- Cipher
At one point, Zero was Big Boss’s closest ally. That partnership was short-lived, as the two fell out between MGS 3 and Peace Walker. Even worse, Zero shared a name with Big Boss’s son David, making us wonder if Solid Snake was named after him.
Though he initially asked Naked Snake to call him Major Tom, inspired by the ’60s classic film The Great Escape, he eventually gave up on the name, believing it to be bad luck. By Peace Walker, Zero is referred to as Cipher after the organization he runs.
5 Solid Snake
Names:
- Solid Snake
- David
- Iroquois Pliskin
- Old Snake
Solid Snake is one of the most iconic characters in video game history. He will forever be remembered in the annals of stealth, though if we really wanted, we could remember him by the other monikers he picked up during the series.
In MGS 2, Snake is hiding his identity, so he takes on the pseudonym Iroquois Pliskin. It’s unclear where the Iroquois stems from, but Pliskin is a reference to Snake Plissken from the movie Escape from New York. Plissken’s design can be seen as an influence on Big Boss. By the time MGS 4 takes place, Snake’s accelerated aging leads his friends to dub him Old Snake.
Contrary to popular belief, Solid Snake’s real name wasn’t a reference to his voice actor, David Hayter. The name was chosen as a reference to 2001: A Space Odyssey, as David’s partner Otacon has the first name Hal.
4 Revolver Ocelot
Names:
- Revolver Ocelot
- Liquid Ocelot
- Shalashashka
- Adamska
- ADAM
One of the most understated plot points in MGS 3 is that Revolver Ocelot, then known simply as Ocelot, or ADAM after his codename, is the Boss’ son. The character is one of the most consummate double agents in all of fiction, with his alliances remaining ambiguous until he’s just about to die.
Due to his proficiency in torture, Ocelot is also known as Shalashashka, with the name having a muddled Russian etymology. When Revolver Ocelot transplants the arm of Liquid Snake onto himself, he combines their names as well.
3 Gray Fox
Names:
- Gray Fox
- Cyborg Ninja
- Frank Jaeger
- Null
- Deepthroat
Gray Fox had a tragic fall from grace. Once one of Solid Snake’s closest allies, he found himself on the opposing side during the Zanzibar Land incident. After being mortally wounded, he was resurrected as a cyborg. Not just any cyborg, mind you, but a cyborg ninja.
Despite his desire to fight Snake outstripping his grip on reality, Gray Fox retained enough of his love for his old comrade to warn him against traps during the Shadow Moses incident. During these anonymous calls, he asked Snake to call him Deepthroat.
2 EVA
Names:
- EVA
- Tatyana
- Tanya
- Matka Pluku
- Big Mama
To her Czech companions, EVA is the Mother of the Regiment — Matka Pluku. To the nervous scientist Sokolov, she’s Tanya. Her real name remains uncertain, but as she tells Big Boss, Tatyana should be good enough.
EVA isn’t just a Big Mama to the war orphans she leads in MGS 4. She’s also the mother to Big Boss’ children, though indirectly, Naked Snake was in a coma when the sons of the Boss were conceived. Her love for Big Boss must have factored into her decision to carry his children in the Les Enfants Terribles project.
1 Big Boss
Names:
- Naked Snake
- Big Boss
- ‘Punished’ Venom Snake
- Ishmael
- Jack
- John
Big Boss is a nuanced antagonist: he turned his back on the world, because he was forced to kill his mentor and realized there was no country for soldiers. Throughout his career, the greatest warrior of the 20th century picked up many names.
In MGS 3, he was known as Naked Snake, a reference to his barebones equipment as well as him eating snakes during survival training. Though he refuses the moniker Big Boss at first, he finally relents halfway through Peace Walker, signifying his heel turn. In MGS 5, he, or rather his expy, is known as ‘Punished’ Venom Snake due to his suffering, losses and lust for revenge. When asked by ADAM and EVA, Big Boss introduces himself as John. But to the Boss, who was the closest thing he had to a mother, he was Jack.
