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Who is Big Boss?
Big Boss is the name John—also known as Jack—takes after his service as Naked Snake. Konami’s official timeline places the beginning of that story in 1964, during Operation Snake Eater. Konami describes Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater as the origin of the Big Boss legend.
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Metal Gear Solid The Board Game | $119.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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METAL GEAR SOLID | MASTER COLLECTION Vol. 2 - PlayStation 5 | $49.94 | Buy on Amazon |
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Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol 1 | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol.1 (NSW) | $38.79 | Buy on Amazon |
During the mission, Naked Snake acts against Soviet forces, destroys the Shagohod, kills Colonel Volgin and The Boss, and returns with part of the Philosophers’ Legacy. The mission’s aftermath gives him the name Big Boss, even though The Boss’s service is publicly recast as that of a war criminal. As Konami’s timeline puts it: “Naked Snake, in spite of his grudge against all of this, earns the name Big Boss.”
Is Big Boss the same person as Naked Snake?
Yes. Naked Snake is John/Jack before he earns the Big Boss name; Big Boss is the identity he takes on afterward. The names refer to the same person at different points in his story.
#1 Best Overall
- EPIC CAMPAIGN MODE: Dive into a 14-mission campaign filled with stealth, strategy, and iconic boss battles, bringing the Metal Gear Solid experience to your tabletop.
- FLEXIBLE VR MISSIONS: Choose from 6 free-to-play VR Missions for a quick, intense gaming experience. All gear earned is unlocked for future missions.
- UNIQUE BOSS FIGHTS: Each boss requires different strategies to defeat, offering a diverse and challenging gameplay experience.
- ASYMMETRIC CHARACTER ABILITIES: Play as Solid Snake, Meryl, Otacon, or Gray Fox, each with unique abilities that provide new tactical options in every game.
- SAVE THE WORLD: Assume the role of legendary characters to infiltrate enemy bases and sabotage prototype weapon systems, preventing world-ending threats.
Is Big Boss the same as The Boss?
No. The Boss is Naked Snake’s mentor and a legendary soldier in her own right. Naked Snake is the person who becomes Big Boss. Their similar names can be confusing, but they are two different characters, and The Boss’s death during Operation Snake Eater is central to the origin of Big Boss’s legend.
How does Big Boss become a military leader?
After the 1970 events, Konami’s timeline places Big Boss in FOXHOUND. It then says he briefly joins the Patriots, leaves after learning of the Les Enfants Terribles cloning project, and forms Militaires Sans Frontières (MSF) with Kazuhira Miller. Big Boss leads MSF through the 1974 Peace Walker crisis.
Rank #2
- GAME LIST: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (HD Collection version), Metal Gear: Ghost Babel. Versions for other regions of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (HD Collection version) can be downloaded separately from the store. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker supports online play for up to 6 players.
- DIGITAL BOOKS: Metal Gear Solid 4: Screenplay Book, Metal Gear Solid 4: Master Book, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker Screenplay Book, and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker Master Book. All are accessible via the in-game Start Menu.
- METAL GEAR SOLID: MASTER COLLECTION Vol.1 SAVE-DATA BONUS*: If a user has saved data for any title included in METAL GEAR SOLID: MASTER COLLECTION Vol.1, you can receive in-game items usable in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (HD Collection version) respectively. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Bonus: Gold Camouflage. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (HD Collection version) Bonus: GOLD Uniform.
This arc carries him from decorated operative to the leader of military organizations operating outside ordinary state structures. It also sets up the later conflict between his projects and Solid Snake’s missions.
What is the difference between Big Boss and Venom Snake?
Venom Snake is not simply another name for Big Boss. Konami’s timeline identifies the central figure in the 1984 events of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain as “Venom Snake,” distinguishing that identity from the Naked Snake/Big Boss identity. The game includes an identity reveal that makes the distinction part of its plot. The available official timeline does not lay out the reveal’s mechanics or motives, so the safest distinction is that Venom Snake and Big Boss are separate identities in the story.
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- Play at home and on the go
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How does Big Boss become Solid Snake’s enemy?
Outer Heaven
The original Metal Gear manual describes Outer Heaven as a fortified state associated with rumors of a weapon of mass destruction. After operative Gray Fox disappears, FOXHOUND sends rookie Solid Snake to investigate and destroy Metal Gear. The manual identifies Big Boss as FOXHOUND’s commander-in-chief and gives him radio contact with Snake. Read the official Metal Gear online manual.
Zanzibar Land
Konami’s Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake character page says Big Boss built Outer Heaven, was stopped by Solid Snake, escaped, and built Zanzibar Land. Snake stopped him there as well. These projects explain why the soldier celebrated for Operation Snake Eater later becomes the antagonist in the original games.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- This innovative game series was born from the idea of avoiding combat and infiltrating enemy territory undetected
- Title line up: Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2, Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2, Metal Gear Solid 3, Metal Gear (NES/FC version), and Snake’s Revenge
- Digital books: Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2, Metal Gear Solid 3, Metal Gear, and Metal Gear; Screenplay and Master Books included
- Video: Metal Gear Solid; Digital Graphic Novel and Metal Gear Solid 2; Digital Graphic Novel
- Includes Metal Gear Solid: Digital Soundtrack
Big Boss, The Boss, Venom Snake, and Solid Snake compared
| Character or identity | Identity and role | Relationship to Big Boss | Chronology |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naked Snake / Big Boss | John, also known as Jack; first called Naked Snake, then earns the Big Boss name. | Big Boss is the later name of Naked Snake. | Naked Snake’s origin is Operation Snake Eater in 1964; Big Boss later leads MSF and builds Outer Heaven and Zanzibar Land. |
| The Boss | Legendary soldier and Naked Snake’s mentor. | Big Boss’s mentor; a different person. | Her role and death are central to Operation Snake Eater in 1964. |
| Venom Snake | A distinct identity identified in The Phantom Pain. | Not simply another name for Big Boss. | Associated with the 1984 events in Konami’s timeline. |
| Solid Snake | FOXHOUND operative sent to investigate Outer Heaven and destroy Metal Gear. | The operative who stops Big Boss’s Outer Heaven and Zanzibar Land projects. | Confronts Big Boss in the original Metal Gear story and again in Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. |
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