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Solid Snake is the lead character of Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear stealth action series and was first introduced in 1987 in the first Metal Gear on the MSX computer.
Early Life
Born in 1972, David was the result of the " Les Enfants Terribles" project. He was brought into existence for the purpose of creating the perfect soldier using the genes of the Big Boss. Using the Super Baby Method eight clones babies were conceived using Big Boss’ DNA and eggs from a Japanese woman. However, six of them were aborted to for the good of the remaining two, which were then introduced into EVA's womb.
Nine months later, the twins were born and were dubbed 'Solid' and ' Liquid'. The two clones were genetically modified, with David inheriting the majority of Big Boss' recessive, inferior soldier genes. It is never revealed if Solid or Liquid (who in fact believes Solid has the superior genetic material) actually knew this.
Operation Intrude N313 (Metal Gear)
Snake then engaged another former ally, Gray Fox. Fox piloted the new Metal Gear D in a battle against Snake, but Snake easily destroyed the weapon with Dr. Marv's aid. Gray Fox and Solid Snake then engaged in hand-to-hand combat, with Snake emerging the victor. After saying his goodbyes to a dying Gray Fox, Snake fled Zanzibar Land but was confronted by Big Boss yet again. Having little equipment left, Snake improvised a flamethrower from a lighter and an aerosol spray, catching Big Boss unaware. Snake then escaped, quit FOXHOUND (after which he began a brief stint as a CIA operative), and began living as a recluse in Alaska.
Snake becomes continuously frustrated as the hostages he is sent to rescue die after interacting with him, and his being kept in the dark during the mission. Shadow Moses, as Snake discovers, is home to the latest incarnation of Metal Gear ( Metal Gear Rex) which Liquid plans to use to hold the world hostage and demand the remains of Big Boss. He is reunited with Gray Fox once again, although he is housed in a cybernetic ninja suit and barely retains his old personality. With help from Otacon, Meryl and his radio support crew, Snake destroys Metal Gear Rex and takes down FOXHOUND. In the end Snake realizes that he was just a puppet in a carefully organized plot by the Pentagon to erase the existence of Metal Gear and the members of FOXHOUND using the genetic FOXDIE virus injected into Snake's body by Naomi Hunter before the mission. Snake is left to wonder when the FOXDIE virus will take his life too.
The Manhattan Incident (Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty)
After the FOXHOUND Rebellion at Shadow Moses, Snake joined Philanthropy, an anti-Metal Gear organization established by Otacon and Nastasha Romanenko. In 2007, Philanthropy received an anonymous tip that a new version of Metal Gear was being developed and was codenamed RAY. The tip revealed that RAY was being transported on a Tanker down the Hudson River. Snake infiltrates the Tanker with the hope of obtaining photographic evidence. However, before this is possible, Revolver Ocelot appears and steals RAY, sinking the Tanker in the process. Snake is left extremely perturbed by the revelation that Ocelot has replaced his severed arm with Liquid's. This is made even more disturbing by the fact that Liquid seemed to be capable of controlling Ocelot's emotions through the arm.
Two years later, the Big Shell (which had been built to deal with the aftermath of the Tanker's oil spill), is taken over by terrorists, calling themselves the Sons of Liberty. Snake infiltrates the Big Shell, posing as Navy SEAL Lieutenant JG Iroquois Pliskin. At the Big Shell, Snake met FOXHOUND operative Raiden.
During his time in the Big Shell, Snake discovers that the leader of the Sons of Liberty is none other than Solidus Snake, his other clone brother. Furthermore, he finds out that another Metal Gear is being built, codenamed Arsenal. Arsenal is being built to house information relating to a group named the Patriots, a group which supposedly controls how the world is run and which wishes to restrict the flow of information. Snake and Raiden succeed in obtaining a virus to partially destroy the AI inside Arsenal, but this alone does not stop Solidus Snake.
Snake and Raiden later fight their way through Arsenal Gear, finally reaching the top of Arsenal. At this point, Revolver Ocelot escapes in a Metal Gear RAY, but not before Snake attaches a tracking device to it. Snake then meets up with Raiden one last time outside Federal Hall and tells Raiden that he intends to pursue Ocelot and find the Patriots.
In 2014, Ocelot (now controlled by the personality of Liquid Snake) reappears in an unnamed Middle Eastern country, and Snake is sent to kill him at Colonel Roy Campbell's request. By this point, Snake is suffering from accelerated aging, and has the appearance of an elderly man, even being given the new codename "Old Snake". However, before he can carry out his orders, Snake is incapacitated when Liquid Ocelot hacks into the world's nanomachine-controlling system, Sons of the Patriots (SOP), part of an overarching plan Liquid calls "Guns of the Patriots". After escaping the Middle East, Snake and Otacon receive a coded message from Naomi Hunter who tells them she is being held hostage by Liquid Ocelot in South America. Snake travels to South America to find Naomi. Although he succeeds in rescuing Naomi, Snake fails to locate Ocelot, who once again escapes.
After the events of South America, Snake and Otacon receive Intel that Ocelot has relocated to somewhere in Europe. Snake goes to Europe with the intention of finding a local anti-PMC resistance leader for help in locating Ocelot. Snake eventually finds him, but Ocelot has already gained unilateral control of the SOP system, rendering any guns registered to the SOP system useless. Ocelot once again escapes.
Ocelot next shows up at Shadow Moses and again, Snake follows him there. Snake eventually finds Ocelot, and the two of them fight. Snake, with the help of Otacon, manages to start up the dormant Metal Gear REX, with which he beats Ocelot, even though Ocelot was in control of the superior Metal Gear RAY. However, in the process of defeating Ocelot, Snake is injured, giving Ocelot another opportunity to escape. Snake sees him escape in an Arsenal Gear unit which Ocelot has named Outer Haven.
Snake gets aboard Outer Haven to face Ocelot one last time, and to destroy the Patriot AI's residing inside Outer Haven. With the help of a virus written by Naomi and Sunny, Snake destroys the AI. He then proceeds to fight Liquid Ocelot on top of Outer Haven, eventually beating him.
Solid Snake is the main protagonist in most of the Metal Gear series. An expert in infiltration and espionage, Snake has completed countless missions and is repeatedly tasked with disarming the latest incarnation of Metal Gear. He is voiced by Akio Otsuka in Japanese and David Hayter in English.
Overview
Snake's first Super Smash Bros. Brawl appearance.
Early Life
Born in 1972, David was the result of the " Les Enfants Terribles" project. He was brought into existence for the purpose of creating the perfect soldier using the genes of the Big Boss. Using the Super Baby Method eight clones babies were conceived using Big Boss’ DNA and eggs from a Japanese woman. However, six of them were aborted to for the good of the remaining two, which were then introduced into EVA's womb. Nine months later, the twins were born and were dubbed 'Solid' and ' Liquid'. The two clones were genetically modified, with David inheriting the majority of Big Boss' recessive, inferior soldier genes. It is never revealed if Solid or Liquid (who in fact believes Solid has the superior genetic material) actually knew this.
He spent the first decade of his childhood in Oregon and during the summer he would visit “Kiddieland”, a theme park. In 1991, David enlisted into the Green Berets and engaged a mission to infiltrate Iraq during the Gulf War. Sometime later David received his codename "Solid Snake" when he joined FOXHOUND. Snake, like all FOXHOUND members, underwent Close Quarters Combat training.
Operation Intrude N313 (Metal Gear)
Snake's first mission as a fresh-faced FOXHOUND operative came in 1995. He was given the task of infiltrating the military nation located in southern Africa: Outer Heaven. Snake's objective was to rescue Gray Fox, a captured FOXHOUND operative. Prior to his capture Gray Fox had transmitted a garbled message to FOXHOUND detailing reports of a new Metal Gear, and FOXHOUND tasked Snake to gather intelligence regarding this.
Snake saving a hostage
Snake eventually found Gray Fox with the help of Outer Heaven's POWs and Kyle Schneider, leader of a resistance movement against Outer Heaven. Gray Fox then informed Snake about Metal Gear: a bi-pedal tank capable of launching a nuclear ICBM from anywhere.
Metal Gear TX-55 was still located in its hangar in Outer Heaven and fortunately, had not been activated yet. Fox then ordered Snake to find Dr. Drago Pettrovich Madnar, whom the leader of Outer Heaven had kidnapped to create the Metal Gear TX-55, as he was the only person who knew how to destroy it.
Snake succeeded in saving Dr. Pettrovich Madnar and with the help of Gray Fox destroyed Metal Gear. It was then that the leader of the Outer Heaven uprising revealed himself to be none other than Big Boss. The two engaged in battle and Snake came out as the victor. He left Big Boss to his own devices as Outer Heaven's self-destruct sequence was initiated. The mission was a success but Snake found himself having nightmares about Operation Intrude N313, possibly a result of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Zanzibar Land Uprising (Metal Gear 2)
Solid Snake was brought out of retirement to once again serve FOXHOUND, this time under Colonel Roy Campbell. His mission was to infiltrate Zanzibar Land, a military base rumored to house a new Metal Gear project. Snake was tasked to rescue Dr. Kio Marv and investigate reports of this new Metal Gear. There, Snake battled an old ally, Kyle Schneider, who disguised himself as Black Ninja. After fighting, Kyle pointed Snake in the right direction into finding Dr. Marv. Instead, Snake found Dr. Drago Pettrovich Madnar, who informed Snake that he had been captured yet again and forced to build another Metal Gear. He also revealed that Big Boss survived Outer Heaven's demise, and was fact the leader of Zanzibar Land.
Snake battling Metal Gear D
Snake then engaged another former ally, Gray Fox. Fox piloted the new Metal Gear D in a battle against Snake, but Snake easily destroyed the weapon with Dr. Marv's aid. Gray Fox and Solid Snake then engaged in hand-to-hand combat, with Snake emerging the victor. After saying his goodbyes to a dying Gray Fox, Snake fled Zanzibar Land but was confronted by Big Boss yet again. Having little equipment left, Snake improvised a flamethrower from a lighter and an aerosol spray, catching Big Boss unaware. Snake then escaped, quit FOXHOUND (after which he began a brief stint as a CIA operative), and began living as a recluse in Alaska.
FOXHOUND Rebellion (Metal Gear Solid)
In 2005, Snake's old commander Roy Campbell informs him that there has been an uprising on Shadow Moses Island, an isolated American nuclear weapons disposal facility, and that FOXHOUND is behind it. Snake begrudgingly accepts this mission and infiltrates the island via submarine. Snake quickly discovers that the leader of the insurrection is none other than his genetic twin, Liquid Snake.
Snake in MGS
The Manhattan Incident (Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty)
Solid Snake in MGS2
Two years later, the Big Shell (which had been built to deal with the aftermath of the Tanker's oil spill), is taken over by terrorists, calling themselves the Sons of Liberty. Snake infiltrates the Big Shell, posing as Navy SEAL Lieutenant JG Iroquois Pliskin. At the Big Shell, Snake met FOXHOUND operative Raiden.
During his time in the Big Shell, Snake discovers that the leader of the Sons of Liberty is none other than Solidus Snake, his other clone brother. Furthermore, he finds out that another Metal Gear is being built, codenamed Arsenal. Arsenal is being built to house information relating to a group named the Patriots, a group which supposedly controls how the world is run and which wishes to restrict the flow of information. Snake and Raiden succeed in obtaining a virus to partially destroy the AI inside Arsenal, but this alone does not stop Solidus Snake.
Snake and Raiden later fight their way through Arsenal Gear, finally reaching the top of Arsenal. At this point, Revolver Ocelot escapes in a Metal Gear RAY, but not before Snake attaches a tracking device to it. Snake then meets up with Raiden one last time outside Federal Hall and tells Raiden that he intends to pursue Ocelot and find the Patriots.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
"Old Snake" and his trusty Metal Gear Mk. II
Snake becomes afflicted by accelerated aging; a side-effect of being a clone.
After the events of South America, Snake and Otacon receive Intel that Ocelot has relocated to somewhere in Europe. Snake goes to Europe with the intention of finding a local anti-PMC resistance leader for help in locating Ocelot. Snake eventually finds him, but Ocelot has already gained unilateral control of the SOP system, rendering any guns registered to the SOP system useless. Ocelot once again escapes.
Ocelot next shows up at Shadow Moses and again, Snake follows him there. Snake eventually finds Ocelot, and the two of them fight. Snake, with the help of Otacon, manages to start up the dormant Metal Gear REX, with which he beats Ocelot, even though Ocelot was in control of the superior Metal Gear RAY. However, in the process of defeating Ocelot, Snake is injured, giving Ocelot another opportunity to escape. Snake sees him escape in an Arsenal Gear unit which Ocelot has named Outer Haven.
Snake gets aboard Outer Haven to face Ocelot one last time, and to destroy the Patriot AI's residing inside Outer Haven. With the help of a virus written by Naomi and Sunny, Snake destroys the AI. He then proceeds to fight Liquid Ocelot on top of Outer Haven, eventually beating him.
Trivia
- An argument can be made for Snake being an Nietzschean übermensch, keeping in mind the franchise's discussion on issues such as eugenics (or Gene, as Kojima posits it). Despite having the worst genetic genetic material amongst the four Snakes he constantly transcends his limitations, achieves his goals against all odds, and becomes the greatest of them all.
- Snake made his Smash Bros. debut in Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii as an unlockable fighter. In his arena Shadow Moses Island, Snake can contact Mei Ling, Otacon and Roy Campbell and they can talk about his current opponents during the fight when you use him.
- Snake's military training philosophy is very strictly traditionalist, as he reveals to Raiden his beliefs that Virtual Reality training will never be an acceptable substitute for actual combat experience.
- Hideo Kojima based Solid Snake on a number of different characters, including Snake Plissken from the films Escape from New York and Escape from L.A., who also inspired both the character's codename and the alias he uses in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, "Iroquois Pliskin". In addition, the word "iroquois" has a double meaning. The Iroquois were a confederacy of Native American tribes headquartered in New York, and "iroquois" was also a Huron word meaning "Black Snake."
- Snake's real name, David, which was revealed at the end of the original Metal Gear Solid, is a reference to two fictional characters: David Bowman from 2001: A Space Odyssey and Dave Forrest from Policenauts (which was also created by Kojima). While Snake shares the same given name with his English voice actor, David Hayter, this was not intentional (contrary to popular belief) and is merely coincidental.
- Metal Gear 2 which is set in 1999, features an older-looking Snake than seen in Metal Gear Solid which is set in 2005. However, there are numerous inconsistencies between the Metal Gear Solid games and the previous incarnation of the series. Also, some of the portraits used in Metal Gear 2 were based on real actors, and the characters were redesigned for later games. In the re-releases of Metal Gear 2, Snake's portrait is brought more in line with his presentation in Metal Gear Solid.
The screenshot that the boxart of the original Metal Gear was based on. - Snake's appearance on the boxart for Metal Gear is based on a screenshot of actor Michael Biehn, in character as Kyle Reese in the 1984 film The Terminator.
- In the original MSX2 version of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, Snake was modeled after actor Mel Gibson.
- According to Ryan Payton of Konami, MGS4 is the final canonical Metal Gear game to feature Solid Snake as the main character. Kojima himself has stated that the series will continue, but doesn't want the character to be handled by anyone else.
Solid Snake games
Edit
| Name | Platforms | Developer | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Metal Gear Arcade |
ARC | Kojima Productions |
|
|
Mainichi Issho |
PSN | Game Arts Co., Ltd., SCE Japan Studio |
|
|
Metal Gear Solid Touch released on March 19, 2009 |
IPHN | Kojima Productions |
|
|
LittleBigPlanet released on Oct. 27, 2008 |
PSP, PS3 | Media Molecule |
|
|
New International Track & Field released on July 29, 2008 |
DS | Konami of America, Inc., Sumo Digital Ltd. |
|
|
Metal Gear Online released on June 12, 2008 |
PS3 | Kojima Productions |
|
|
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots released on June 12, 2008 |
PS3 | Kojima Productions |
|
|
Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection released on March 18, 2008 |
PS2 | Kojima Productions |
|
|
Super Smash Bros. Brawl released on March 9, 2008 |
WII | Monolith Software, Inc., Sora, Game Arts Co., Ltd. |
|
|
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops released on Dec. 5, 2006 |
PSP | Kojima Productions |
| Character Name: | Solid Snake |
| Real Name: | David |
| Gender: | Male |
| Birthday: | June 12, 1972 |
| Appears in: | 30 games |
| First appearance: | Metal Gear |
| Aliases | David |
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