Big Boss

Big Boss (ビッグ・ボス) was the codename of the legendary soldier who founded the special forces unit FOXHOUND. He also served as the founder and commander of the "military without a government" known as Militaires Sans Frontieres, which led to creation of his nation: Outer Heaven in South Africa. He also later founded the nation of Zanzibar Land in Central Asia. Big Boss was considered by many to be "The Greatest Warrior of the 20th Century" and a brilliant military leader. He was hailed as a war hero by admirers and feared as a tyrant by his enemies. As a result of the Les Enfants Terribles project, he is the biological father of Solid Snake (his subordinate and later nemesis), Liquid Snake and Solidus Snake.

Prior to earning the codename of Big Boss, he served as a field operative for the FOX unit and the apprentice of The Boss under the codename of Naked Snake (ネイキッド・スネーク Neikiddo Sunēku) during the Cold War.

Early Years
Big Boss's military career dates back to the 1950s, when he joined the US Army and participated in the Korean War. During his tenure, he 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, carrying out covert operations alongside Python during the early stages of Vietnam war, before America officially participated. He later stated that Python was one of the few soldiers he could completely rely on in battle. The two were involved in a mission together, where Python was shot and presumed to have been killed.

In 1964, Jack was recruited by the fledgling FOX unit and took part in 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" in honor of The Boss's former unit, the Cobra Unit. It was also during this mission that he participated in the world's first High Altitude-Low Opening (HALO) jump. 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.

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. He had been forced to kill his old mentor, The Boss, and discovered 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
In 1966, Big Boss encountered a war orphan named Frank Jaeger during his time as a mercenary in the Mozambican War of Independence. He rescued the child and escorted him to a rehab facility where he could be taken care of.

Although he had been labeled "Big Boss", and become a legend in the Black ops world due to his exploits, he continued to refer to himself as "Snake", as he did not yet feel that he had surpassed The Boss's skill. On November, 1970, the FOX unit was considered rogue after its members organized a revolt and took over a Soviet base in South America, on the San Hieronymo Peninsula. Big Boss was captured by FOX and taken to the Peninsula, where he was imprisoned and interrogated.

He met fellow prisoner Roy Campbell, a member of the Green Berets who had originally been sent to take care of FOX. The two managed to escape and went on to persuade former Red Army soldiers, whom FOX were commanding, as well as any FOX operatives who were forced into participating in the rebellion, 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 in defeating FOX and clearing their names, as well as Major Zero's (they were all partially blamed for the uprising).

During this time, 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. He also learned near the end of the mission from Cunningham, who initially seemed like he was trying to get the other half of the Legacy from Snake, that his actual mission from the United States Department of Defense was to force Gene to launch Metal Gear to tarnish the CIA's reputation, and to do that, they had Snake recruit many people in Gene's army into resisting Gene. However, Snake fought and killed Cunningham so he can destroy Metal Gear. Big Boss then went on to kill the renegade FOX unit's leader, Gene, although not before learning that, contrary to what was told to him, The Boss's death was actually planned from the very beginning by "a single deviously-cunning strategist". Afterwards, with the help of the Red Army soldiers he had recruited, destroyed Metal Gear 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 in the creation of Army's Heaven. The official press, however, had changed it to his going to San Hieronymo to take down the base. 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 Hieronymo Incident. Also, he had received another medal for his service.

The Patriots and Les Enfants Terribles
Ocelot and Major Zero later extended an invitation to Big Boss to join them in the formation 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 gravely wounded from a battle and shortly thereafter fell into a coma. 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 and FOXHOUND, drifting from country to county as a lone soldier.

Big Boss returned to Vietnam to participate in Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols (LRRP), and later served alongside SOG (Studies and Observation Group), Green Berets, US Army Rangers and the Wild Geese. Afterwards, he established his own mercenary group known as Militaires Sans Frontieres.

Peace Walker
On November, 1974, Big Boss had stationed Militaires Sans Frontieres in Colombia, where he was approached by Gálvez and Paz 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. Big Boss asks Galvez if he is sure if it isn't the FSLN, to which he states that he's positive. Big Boss then asks what the Costa Rican government knows about them. Galvez states that the mysterious armed forces claim to be an "international police force hired by the Costa Rican Development Agency (known as CODESA)". However, he doubts this is the case as they are shipping in a lot of the latest equipment. Galvez also tells Snake that he believes that the armed force is actually employed by the "la cia". 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
By the early 1980s, Big Boss had completed more than 70 missions, and went on to participate in several regional conflicts and ethnic liberation wars. He fought in the Mozambican Civil War, during which point he rescued Gray Fox for the third time, this time from a FRELIMO Prisoner of War camp (as Gray Fox was a RENAMO operative during that point).

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

Big Boss achieved near-mythical status due to his extraordinary military career, earning him the "Legendary Soldier" moniker. He was heralded as a true hero and made the front covers of popular magazines in many countries.

Afterwards, he 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 large cache of funds and resources, along with the funds he amassed as a mercenary, Big Boss began to bring about his vision of Outer Heaven. He created a military fortress to use as the main base of his personal mercenary dispatch company, deep in South Africa. In the early 1990s, he returned to the US to once again take command of FOXHOUND, the special forces unit he had founded almost two decades earlier. While serving as FOXHOUND commander, he planned on secretly building up his mercenary company into a larger military establishment.

Big Boss then kidnapped Russian scientist Dr. Drago Pettrovich Madnar, forcing him to develop a new Metal Gear prototype, code-named 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.

In 1995, when FOXHOUND was commissioned by the US 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 infiltrating 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 defeat him.

However, Big Boss managed to survive and escape Outer Heaven. After NATO had conducted an air raid to bomb all of the refugees and war orphans within the area (regardless of their ties to Outer Heaven or not), he managed to save many of the refugees, war orphans, Outer Heaven mercenaries and Resistance members (whom he forgave), including Kyle Schneider.

In 1997, Big Boss 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 political tools. Big Boss also recruited Gray Fox to his cause, and to ensure Zanzibar Land's success, he 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 of his own free will, after being branded a scientific madman 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's stronghold and destroy Metal Gear. Snake eventually defeated Gray Fox, hand-to-hand, in the middle of a minefield. Injured and unarmed, Snake was once again confronted by a machinegun-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 words to Snake before challenging his son to one final battle.

"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, using it to incinerate Big Boss, although not before revealing to Snake that he was, in fact, his father.

Big Boss's body was recovered by the US government and they discovered that he was still alive, despite suffering major injuries. He was the injected with nanomachines in order 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 US government gave to the Next Generation Special Forces via gene therapy.

His body was also stored in cold storage to preserve the comatose body. His body was also subject to a terrorist threat, where the body was a ransom that, should the United States Government fail to give the Sons of Big Boss both his body and $1,000,000, they will fire a nuclear warhead from Shadow Moses Island courtesy of the under-development Metal Gear REX.

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"

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.

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's influence on the world could be compared only to The Boss. He inherited her dream of a unified world free from the short-sighted ambitions of nations, soured by the senselessness he perceived in her death. Though he stated during Operation Snake Eater that he would die in the service his country if that was necessary, the death of The Boss showed him there was no purpose in doing so. This realization led him to create Outer Heaven; a nation where, in his words, "every soldier will have his place, and where they will answer to no government". This ideal would persist decades into the twenty-first century.

He thus spent many of his later years in conflict with The Patriots, individuals who followed a different interpretation of The Boss' will - that of a world ruthlessly unified by the age-old methods of intrigue and espionage. Lacking their economic resources and popular support, Big Boss believed there was no way that he could change the world, even if he was the world's greatest soldier. However, he still chose to fight for what he believed in. This determination earned him many admirers and followers, even long after his "death". Over and over again the standard of "Outer Heaven" would be raised in defense of those who suffered due to the machinations of The Patriots.

Big Boss also saw Solid Snake as a soldier rather than a son, but he always knew Snake was loyal to the end, as The Boss was. 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, for in the end they alone can judge their own deeds.

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:

"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 uniforms 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 actually a reference to Kojima's previous game, Snatcher. Dr. Petrovich appears in Snatcher as the founder of the Snatcher Project.

Trivia

 * In the artwork for the Japanese MSX2 manual of Metal Gear, Big Boss's eyepatch is on the opposite eye.
 * 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 MGS official artwork, which was also carried over to his appearance in MGS4.
 * In the original MSX2 manual for Metal Gear 2, Big Boss was stated to have lost his eye on the battlefield, during the late 1980s, which caused him to retire from active duty. During this time, he began to focus on military education and training. This information was later retconned in Metal Gear Solid 3. Also, in the same manual, it was stated that he was nominated to be the international planning commander of FOXHOUND in the early '90s, where he became transformed by greed and dreams of absolute power, resulting in his creation of Outer Heaven. He had also, at least according to Roy Campbell's bio, been responsible for the wild and instinctive strategies utilized in FOXHOUND operations, which weren't always planned out with caution and detail.
 * One of the mercenary units that he fought with, after serving in Vietnam, was the Wild Geese, a possible reference to the novel and 1978 war film of the same name, about a mercenary group that participated in African conflicts. The novel itself was named after a 17th-century Irish mercenary army.
 * 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.
 * In the Official Metal Gear Solid Handbook, Big Boss is described as having been born in Hawaii, and of Japanese-American descent. It was also stated that his first taste of battle was during World War II, where he lied about his age in order to be drafted into the military. However, the information was not included in the Metal Gear Solid 4 Database, so it's status as canon is questionable.
 * Prior to MGS3, Big Boss was originally to have learned the art of warfare from Dead Cell strategic master Old Boy, in the original story outline for Metal Gear Solid 2.
 * Naked Snake in the Olive Drab uniform is very similar looking to the appearence of Iroquois Pliskin. In early testing versions of MGS3, Pliskin's model served as a placeholder for Naked Snake, as can be seen here.
 * During a conversation with The Boss, Snake mentions that he can't smell. Actually, it is the player that can not use their sense of smell to help play the game.
 * Big Boss is, presumably, afraid of vampires. He states that thinking about them gives him nightmares, during a radio conversation with Para-Medic regarding vampire bats. For this reason, he'd rather she didn't utter the name "Dracula" when speaking to him (as she is quite a movie buff).
 * 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.
 * In Portable Ops, it is mentioned during another radio conversation with Para-Medic that Snake wanted to be an instructor after the events of 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.
 * 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, MPO, and Peace Walker, Naked Snake/Big Boss himself).
 * Interestingly, the targets in MGS4's Virtual Range are named "John Doe."
 * According to one of the children in Zanzibar Land, Big Boss apparently hates adults.
 * In MGS2, Big Boss appears opposite both Snake and Liquid in a cutscene during Solidus' explanation to Raiden of the similarites of their connection to the one shared by Big Boss, Liquid, and Snake.